If you’re feeling exhausted, unfit or completely overwhelmed by where to start, I want you to know that you’re not alone.
Most of us know roughly what we need to do – move, eat healthily, sleep better. But juggling work, family, home, parents, etc can make it all seem impossible. Another thing to add to the ridiculously long ‘to do’ list.
It can feel as though you’ve left yourself until last for so long that you don’t even know where to begin.
The first thing I’d say is this: please don’t feel that you have to change everything at once.
You don’t need a perfect diet. You don’t need to exercise every day. You certainly don’t need to “make up for lost time” with punishing workouts.
Instead, focus on one small step.
That might be a short walk after dinner, joining a strength class once a week, adding a little more protein to your breakfast or simply getting to bed half an hour earlier. None of those things sound particularly dramatic on their own, but they all move you in the right direction.
Over time, those small choices become habits, and those habits become part of your everyday life.
One thing that can really help is taking a little time to think about why you’re making these changes. What would you love to be able to do in three months’ time? Or in a year’s time?
It doesn’t have to be a huge goal. Perhaps you want more energy, to feel stronger, feel more confident, keep up with your children or grandchildren, or simply feel more like yourself again.
Once you know where you’d like to get to, it becomes much easier to break it down into small, achievable steps rather than trying to change everything overnight.
If you haven’t already, I’d really encourage you to head over to Your Journey and work through it with me. Together we’ll look at where you are now, where you’d like to be and, most importantly, the small steps that will help you get there. It only takes a few minutes, but it can make a huge difference to staying motivated when life gets busy.
One thing I’ve learnt from working with women in midlife is that consistency will always beat perfection. There will be weeks when life gets in the way, holidays happen or motivation disappears completely. That’s normal. It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It just means you’re human.
Rather than giving up because you’ve missed a week or two, simply start again. Your body doesn’t need perfection. It just needs you to keep coming back.
I also think it’s important to change the way we measure success.
Of course, many women would like to lose a little weight or feel more comfortable in their clothes, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But don’t overlook all the other changes that happen along the way.
Sleeping more soundly. Feeling more energetic in the afternoon. Carrying the shopping more easily. Playing with your children or grandchildren without getting out of breath. Feeling stronger, steadier and more confident in your own body.
Those are the changes that really make a difference to everyday life.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself.
Your body is going through enormous changes during this stage of life, and it deserves support rather than criticism. Strength isn’t built by punishing yourself. It’s built by looking after yourself consistently, even when you can only manage a little.
Remember, you’re not trying to become the person you were twenty years ago. You’re building the healthiest, strongest version of yourself for the years ahead.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about taking one step, then another, and trusting that those small steps really do add up over time.