Absolutely Fabulous - why your 50’s are amazing!
As a woman hitting the big 5 - 0 can seem a little scary, it’s over the hill, but not quite over the hill, and perhaps a time where change is forced upon us, both changes in our bodies and perhaps a different era in our personal lives, if we are mothers, our “kids” are generally grown up, so our caring role may change, we may find ourselves looking after our own parents or grandchildren - our careers may change, we may have reached a pinnacle and be feeling a lack of interest.
Body image can take a battering, our body shape changes, and it can be more difficult to maintain a healthy weight - this and the hormone influence of menopause, can lead to a catch 22 cycle of eating rubbish & drinking too much, which only exasperates our symptoms, especially poor sleep & weight gain, and lack of energy or interest to exercise - and so we can stay on a never-ending hamster wheel - losing all confidence & self believe.
Dreading the image in the changing room mirror, but too tired, confused, and “what’s the point” of going to the effort I can’t change time, I’m 50 for God's sake! - That was me actually in my late 40’s - I remember a Next changing room looking for a Dress for a family wedding, and just feeling miserable that everything I tried on looked rubbish, I eventually found a dress in Marks & Spencer’s - old age & big knickers had truly arrived (apologies M&S fans).
In fairness M&S and deciding to quit smoking was the catalyst for my reinvention. I used the Alan Carr method of successfully becoming a non-smoker - this method works on your mindset. dispelling the myth, making you face the fact and make very conscious choices based on fact not clever marketing - it gives you choice and teaches you to analyze your decisions and be honest with yourself.
So I set about learning about my 50-year-old body & how best I could look after it, nutrition, exercise, and mentally. And results don’t happen overnight, it takes hard work - but as older women, we have amazing strength & resilience - in fact, if we put our minds to it - it’s scary what we can achieve!
The image I have used for this blog is one of my favorite race images, it’s from a tough 45-mile Ultra race called The Green Man in Bristol, 5th March 2016 - age 52.
Hiking up a hill in shorts, legs covered in mud and a massive grin - “old enough to know better, young enough to not care, experienced enough to do it right” - taking the trophy for “Female Barefoot Runner” 2016
Our 50’s are absolutely fabulous with the right mindset
Don’t be afraid to create time for yourself, you can step back & delegate, now is the time to focus on the things you would like to do.
Make a bucket list! Then make another list of how to achieve the first list, then make a third list of action you need to take to achieve the original list - I know but as you get older you can’t beat a good list! the last list is the most important - Dreams don’t come true without action!
If you are having body image issues & you’re not happy with something, stop and research, figure out how to change, don’t talk rubbish about being too old!
Understand that you can say No to people - don’t be guilt-tripped or cheated out of your time, life is short you need to get on with it!
Stop worrying about what other people think - you have made 50 years on this planet, I’d say you are quite capable of making your own decisions.
Personally in my 50’s
I’ve run numerous marathon & ultra marathons - I became a member of the UK & Ireland 100 Marathon Clubs
I’ve completed 6 100 miler races
I’ve had two tattoos
I’ve changed my career
I’ve studied & completed professional qualifications
I’ve set up my own business
I’ve moved country
I’ve got 5 dogs
And I have an endless “Bucket List”
What are you going to do?