30 May Mindset
Before lockdown I was an active person and being restricted to one hour of exercise a day was not ideal. ⠀
During perimenopause, our ovaries start producing less oestrogen. Our body takes as much oestrogen as it needs and then gets rid of the rest through natural detoxification, and we need exercise to boost that process. Excess Oestrogen in our system leads to oestrogen dominance, symptoms of this include bloating, irritably, mood swings, low mood/depression, migraines/headaches, weight gain and trouble sleeping. ⠀
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5 years ago I had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis and a shredded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my right knee. A combination of an old skiing injury and too much dancing 😊. I was told I needed a knee replacement plus a new ACL. I was 45 and such major surgery didn’t feel like the right thing to do. This diagnosis put me into a place of fear and caution and I adapted my exercise routine to accommodate the diagnosis. ⠀
Two weeks into lockdown and I could feel the symptoms of oestrogen dominance, I needed more exercise. So I strapped up my knee and downloaded the Couch to 5K app. I had no idea if my knee would get me through the first session let alone complete the 9-week program, but for my sanity, I was determined to try. ⠀
Nine weeks and 27 runs later my final run of 35 minutes and my first 5k. My knee doesn’t feel any worse than it did at the beginning of the challenge and my head and my body feel a hell of a lot of better for it. ⠀
For five years I’ve been saying “I can’t do that because of my knee,” I took the words of a surgeon and adapted my life around his opinion.. I am 50 and have just run 5k and I have no knee pain. ⠀
So the moral of this story? I wonder what could have happened If I hadn’t been told I needed a knee replacement? Looking back, I can see other times where I made decisions based on fear or other people’s opinions. I see Couch to 5K as not only a personal achievement but a breakthrough in the realisation of how powerful my thoughts can be. Now I have this awareness, I see what is possible, if I change my mindset, and my priority? To see my menopause as a powerful and positive transition.