016- Perimenopause Micro-Habit Challenge 2: 7,000 Steps to a Healthier You

Step Up Your Wellness: The Power of Walking for Perimenopausal Women

Discover the transformative benefits of walking and how incorporating more steps into your daily routine can improve your physical and mental well-being during perimenopause.

Key Takeaways:

1. Walking for Wellness: Learn about the numerous health benefits of walking, including reduced risk of chronic diseases and improved mental clarity.
2. Set a Step Goal: Aim for 7,000 steps per day to boost your energy and overall health.
3. Make Walking a Habit: Incorporate walking into your daily routine through creative strategies and planning.

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Disclaimer:  I am not a medical doctor. The information and recommendations provided during our coaching sessions are intended to support your overall health and wellness and are not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your physician before making any changes to your medication, treatment plan, or if you have any concerns about your health. 

Transcript

Benefits of Walking for Health

Speaker 1 2:28

As my business coach says, sometimes you have to slow down in order to speed up. So I thought how fitting this would be for the month of August. And here we are on week two of August's micro topic series. This week's micro topic is movement as the summer finishes out and the impending shift in routines and schedules. For everyone and those with kids still in school.

Speaker 1 2:54

August does feel like a quick rush, rush, hurry up and wait month Getting those last minute vacations or weekend getaways in school, shopping, organized cleaning, prepping, trying to set ourselves up for success for the incoming weeks where things are changing. So, sitting there and thinking of all these things that you need to do to happen amongst the scheduled items on your calendar and you suddenly feel frozen. So over the month of August, we are focusing on one micro habit a week diving in and getting granular. I'm not going to let you bite off more than you can chew and I'm not going to let you just sit more than you can chew, and I'm not going to let you just sit around and tell yourself you'll wait until after school starts or after labor day or fill in the blank happens, whatever the thing is, because you've spent so many years pushing yourself to the bottom of the list. It's time to ignite some micro habits that are going to light a fire towards you feeling more like yourself, more human, more important, more empowered and more energized to tackle planned and unplanned things that come up in your life. So you've got this, one micro habit at a time. One micro habit at a time. Last week's micro topic was sleep, so if you missed it, I encourage you to go back and listen.

Step Challenge for Increased Movement

Speaker 1 4:20

So this week we're diving into movement and there are many benefits of movement in life for everyone, but clearly we're focusing on perimenopausal women and that's why you're here. So the benefits of movement and movement is a broad word to really describe physical activity, be it walking or exercise, mind-body exercise, strength exercises. I'm going to list out these benefits. Just know it's all encompassing on the above movement, but the purpose of today's microhabit series is walking and increasing our daily steps. So movement is a non-pharmaceutical way that's effective in reducing menopausal symptoms, decreasing bone loss and increasing muscle strength in women. I have nothing against medications or the benefits they may have, but I stand strong on attempting less invasive, more organic ways to address medical issues or concerns first, if at all possible. Movement also increases self-esteem. And did you know that daily exercise at baseline significantly associated with 49% lower risk of developing vasomotor symptoms during perimenopause? And that encompasses hot flashes? A study from the menopause journal references effects of mind body exercises. And that's like yoga, tai chi, meditation on anxiety, depression and fatigue. And across the board, the findings were indicative of significantly alleviating anxiety, significantly alleviating anxiety, reducing depression and alleviating fatigue in the study groups compared to those in the control group.

Speaker 1 6:21

Now let's really dive into the benefits of walking. And when I say walking, I'm saying getting your steps in a day, and we're specifically looking at 7,000 steps a day. So by getting 7,000 steps in a day, we are doing many positive things for our overall well-being and our physical and mental health. By walking 7,000 steps a day, it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular or heart disease by 51%. Also, walking 7,000 steps a day can help you reduce your high blood pressure levels or reduce your risk of getting high blood pressure. High blood pressure alone is a risk factor for heart attacks, heart failure and stroke. It reduces your risk of mortality. It sounds so serious and it is. There's a study of over 2,000 adults that found that walking 7,000 steps a day reduced mortality rates 50 to 70%, compared to those who took less steps. Walking daily also lowers your risk of dementia and diabetes. It improves your self-esteem, mood and reduces stress and tension. Walking can boost cognitive function, that's, brain health, heart health and muscular fitness, and it also burns calories and it's easier on the body and the joints than running.

Speaker 1 8:08

So here's your challenge for this week Simple Take more steps. Aim for a minimum of 7,000 steps a day and I challenge you to commit to 7,000 steps a day this week. Here are some suggestions to help you increase your steps, or some ideas on how to get more steps in Walk Walk alone or walk with a friend, or take a dog for a walk. Listen to an audio book or a podcast. Walk as a family. Walk while waiting, waiting for your kids at their soccer practice. Step in place. Park further away. Take the stairs.

Speaker 1 8:54

Schedule workday walks. Look at your work schedule and see where can I take a break. Five, 10, 15 minutes. It doesn't take a lot If you don't and can't walk in a neighborhood. Go to the local track. Take a hike dance. Put on some music and dance it out. And walk in the pool. Using a pool is less impact than walking and also adds a little bit of resistance, because you're walking in the water and this is kind of like. This might sound like an odd suggestion, but I just made me think. I have a really good friend who has recently discovered a love for pickleball and she is out on the courts multiple times a week. So every additional step you take is one step in the bank to feeling more energized and confident.

Speaker 1 9:48

And guess what? Adding in additional movement has a positive effect on the quality of sleep. It's crazy we just talked about sleep last week but it's crazy and really not crazy. It's kind of mind-blowing how so many different areas of the body and healthy habits affect and impact each other. So movement and increasing your steps truly has a multifaceted approach and also consistency is key. So tag me in your Instagram stories this week at itsmelissahinman. Let me know how you're making out. Show me a picture of how many steps you got in today. Just imagine you along with hundreds of other women committing to walking more. That's empowering. Have a coworker, a friend or a family member who's always saying that they're all running on fumes. Share this episode with them and get them in on this week's challenge, because smash the crash is dedicated to helping at least a hundred women smash that crash feeling with powerful micro habit changes by the end of 2024.