So This Is 50! Aging Well Through Menopause with Laura Heikkila
I found Laura on Instagram and fell in love with the way she is living and walking the walk I am constantly sharing about. She is in her 50s and is doing ALL of the things as if age is NOT a factor (because it’s not!) Everyone always says “just wait until you turn 50!” right? But what the heck happens at 50?! Laura set out to document the process as she approached the age. And while there ARE some things that DO change at 50, it’s not doomsday like we believed it would be.
Changes At 50 Years Old
The changes can’t really even be attributed to turning 50, but instead have to do with ending being post menopausal, like changes in skin, hair, and body and energy levels. The hormone changes are for sure a stinger. And while Laura believes in bioidentical hormones, she is not currently on them. Which honestly surprises me because personally I think most people that look incredible and present themselves with a lot of energy in midlife ARE typically on them. Since she’s not, I asked her to share her top tips for how to navigate hormones without being on them.
Top hormone management tips:
- Manage your stress. Stress is a hormone depleter and affects hormones ALL across the board. Both the stress of daily life AND the stress you put on your body – like undereating and overexercising.
- Get good sleep. Your body really needs rest and time to repair.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff. Start picking your battles…they aren’t all worth stressing over.
- Nutrition! You can’t out exercise a bad diet. Eat all natural, real, whole foods and prioritize your protein.
- Build muscle. More than ever before in life, it’s super important to build muscle in midlife to help with our body composition, our strength, our balance, our metabolism, our bone health, and our longevity.
Some other tips from Laura for women over 50:
- Dry brush your body
- Fascia roller
- Drink collagen
- Less is more with makeup
- Surround yourself with people who inspire you to be happy and healthy
- Get 10,000 steps a day!
- Listen to motivational podcasts
- Find and keep purpose in life
About Laura Heikkila
Laura is a 55-year-old Holistic Health Practitioner, Menopause Specialist, and Fitness and Nutrition Coach. She resides in Southern California with her husband and daughter. Her personal struggles with hormones and passion for helping women with fat loss, muscle growth, and hormonal issues led her to create the Ageless Fit: 8 Week Body Transformation, where she has helped thousands of women globally take back control of their bodies. Laura’s success has been featured in numerous fitness magazines and media outlets. Laura prides herself on the fact that she has helped thousands of women who have struggled for years finally see results and gain back their body confidence!
In this episode, you will learn:
- What turning 50 actually means
- How midlife isn’t the end, but the beginning
- How to shift your mindset about your age
- What changes you may experience in menopause
- Tips for how to age well through the menopause process
