Ahhh… I feel like a teenager again! Except it’s totally not what you think. I wish I was referring to reclaiming the energy of my childhood and the lack of adult responsibilities. Unfortunately, it’s because the PMS symptoms of my youth have joined forces with my perimenopause symptoms and together they are wreaking havoc on my body. The truth is, I feel light years away from my teenage existence.

Unlike the previous four decades of my life, I now have no reliable predictors about when these symptoms will intrude upon my life or how long they will last. For 40+ years if I felt a certain way, I could look at a calendar and immediately figure out what was going on. It was this way every 28 days for 40 years.

Mood swings, insatiable cravings, the sensation of being swallowed by a black hole, zero energy, back pain, cramps, lack of motivation because it feels like crap to exercise or move, slight headaches, insane bloating (overnight I look pregnant), and alternating hot and cold flashes. Ugh! And these are just the symptoms that have decided to torture me over the last five days. 

One of the maddening things about this phase of life, at least for me,  is that I have no idea how long these symptoms might last. A few days? Weeks? There’s nothing cyclical about it anymore. They just show up whenever they feel like it, as if they’re mocking me. It’s like my body is utterly confused.

 I’ll go weeks where everything feels fine and then literally overnight, I morph into the Tin Man. Suddenly one easy run triggers all kinds of aches and pains, and it’s as if my entire body —muscles, tendons, joints — seizes up and writhes in pain. 

Most of the time exercise helps. Even when it’s physically a struggle, the movement improves my mindset, or at least lifts the brain fog that often accompanies the other problems. This past week was a true testament to that fact. I didn’t run or lift weights for several days and my mood paid the price. (Check out my last post Here ). But I also noticed my joints and muscles stiffening up as well. Sure, I get sore muscles after a workout, but it’s a different sensation than stiffness from lack of movement. I’d rather be sore knowing I challenged my body than from doing nothing at all.

Coincidentally, I recently listened to a podcast (Listen here) that stressed how critical it is to move and strengthen our bodies-especially as we get older. The doctor explained how the decrease in estrogen we experience as we age affects our fascia, causing it to become less pliable. It can affect all of our muscles and tendons and that’s why so many women experience painful knots or trigger points  in their bodies. Several have taken up residence in my legs.

Thankfully, myofascial release and trigger point therapy, done by a professional or myself, really helps. I bought a workbook on Amazon (Here) detailing trigger point therapy and when I consistently massage the nodules with either my hands or a lacrosse ball, it releases most of the tightness and pain. Foam rolling and stretching are essential as well. The doctor also mentioned that staying hydrated and avoiding alcohol and sugar helps to keep our fascia from forming knots.

It’s amazing how the lack of a single hormone can have such a powerful effect on our body. It definitely explains the seemingly sudden knots, tightness and soreness I often experience. But the good news is there are ways to be proactive to either prevent it from happening or to reduce the symptoms. And thankfully, these strategies improve many other symptoms like joint pain, headaches, lack of energy, brain fog, mood and motivation. We feel better and are able to move more, which helps everything.

I’ll admit, it’s annoying to have to spend time everyday taking care of my body. I’d rather curl up at night under a blanket and remain still. But I keep reminding myself that spending a few minutes throughout the day stretching, rolling, etc., and staying consistent with my workouts, will pay off big time in the long run.

I may not be able to blow off the symptoms as easily as I did as a teenager, but I am extremely grateful that I can still run an eight miler despite them. And as difficult as it is to get started and build momentum, it’s so worth it. Yes our bodies are going through a lot in perimenopause, but we don’t have to simply surrender to the discomfort and feel hopeless. Research is showing that we have more control over how our bodies respond than we may think. It requires patience, hard work and a commitment to take care of ourselves.

But we are worth it! You are worth it! 

I can’t stress enough how important it is for ALL of us — especially women 40 and older — to move and strengthen our bodies. You don’t need to run for miles in order to benefit. Start by walking and slowly increase your distance. Just move a little more each day and before long you will notice a difference. Your future self and your grandkids will thank you! 

“You don’t need to feel good to get going; you need to get going to give yourself a chance at feeling good.” Brad Stulberg 

“ In six months you will either have six months of progress or six months of excuses. The choice is yours.” Unknown