I’d happily take a little more collagen, fewer wrinkles, and maybe the ability to recover from a late night like I used to! 😂
But if you offered to send me back to my 30s? No thanks. I’m good!
At 54, I can look back and appreciate how much I’ve changed over the years. And while there are definitely things I miss about being younger, there’s a lot about this stage of life that I wouldn’t trade.
We hear so much about everything we lose as we get older, especially as women navigating menopause, but I don’t think we spend nearly enough time talking about everything we gain.
Why Do We Make Getting Older Sound So Terrible?
Have you noticed how much of the conversation around women getting older focuses on everything that's supposedly going downhill?
Add in a few wrinkles, some grey hairs, and the occasional ache or pain, and you'd think turning 50 was the beginning of the end!
And yes, our bodies do change as we get older. Some of those changes can be frustrating, especially when you're doing the things you've always done and suddenly aren't getting the same results.
But I think we sometimes forget how much we can still do to improve our health, build strength, and feel good in our bodies.
I currently have two clients in their 70s who have started strength training because they want to get stronger, stay independent, and keep doing the everyday things that matter to them.
And I love that! They're not letting their age decide what they can or can't do.
We can all build muscle, improve our fitness, change our eating habits, and become stronger at any age. It might look a little different than it did when we were younger, but that doesn't mean we stop trying.
Getting older doesn't mean we're finished improving.
The Older I Get, the Less I Feel the Need to Explain Myself
I think this might be one of my favourite things about getting older.
You become more comfortable with who you are and what you want.
You don't feel the need to say yes to everything. You don't have to attend every event, agree with everyone, or feel guilty because you'd rather stay home on a Saturday night.
And you certainly don't need to explain why.
Maybe your circle of friends gets a little smaller. Maybe your priorities change. Maybe the things you once thought were so important don't really matter anymore.
I think we become more selective about where we spend our time and energy, and who we spend it with.
And it's not about becoming selfish or not caring about other people. It's about realizing that your own happiness matters, too.
There's something pretty freeing about that.
I Still Want to Look Good. Why Wouldn't I?
I think there's this idea that as women get older, we're supposed to stop caring so much about our appearance and just embrace everything that comes with aging.
Well, I don't know about you, but I still want to look my best!
I still care about my hair, my skin, how my clothes fit, and how I feel when I look in the mirror.
I like having muscle definition. I want to feel attractive. And yes, I'd love it if a few of those skincare products actually delivered everything they promised!
I don't think that changes just because we're in our 40s, 50s, or 60s.
But looking good isn't my only priority anymore.
I also want to feel strong, healthy, and capable. I want energy to enjoy my days and a body that allows me to keep doing the things I love.
And I don't see why we can't want both.
I'm Thinking More About What My Body Can Do
I've always enjoyed being active and taking care of my body, but as I've gotten older, I've started thinking a lot more about what I want my body to be able to do in another 10, 20, or even 30 years.
I want to keep building muscle. I want to be able to get down on the floor and back up again without giving it a second thought. I want to enjoy long walks, travelling, boating, and all the other things I love doing.
And I don't want to reach a certain age and assume I have to stop doing those things simply because I'm getting older.
Of course, our bodies change. We have to adjust how we train, pay more attention to recovery, and be a little more patient with ourselves.
Nutrition becomes super important here, too. Eating enough to support our muscles, getting adequate protein, and making sure we're actually giving our bodies what they need.
Not because we're trying to turn back the clock, but because we want to keep feeling good as the years go by.
I think that's one of the biggest shifts in how I look at fitness now.
It's not just about the body I want today. It's about the life I want to keep living.
There's Something Nice About Knowing What Makes You Happy
I think when we're younger, there's often this feeling that we should always be doing more.
More socializing, more achieving, more keeping up with everyone else.
But as I've gotten older, I've realized that some of the simplest things are the ones I enjoy the most.
A quiet morning with my coffee. Walking my dogs. Spending time with family and friends. A beautiful day out on the water. Or an evening at home when I have absolutely nowhere I need to be.
Things that might not have seemed all that exciting to me 20 years ago.
And it's not that life has become boring. Far from it!
I just think we get better at recognizing what actually makes us happy instead of worrying about what we should be doing.
And let me say, that feels pretty damn good.
Of Course, Not Everything About Getting Older Is Wonderful
I'm not going to pretend it is.
There are physical changes that can be frustrating. Menopause certainly brings its own set of challenges, and sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder when the heck certain things happened.
And then there are those old injuries that just don't seem to want to leave us alone!
I injured my shoulder about 15 years ago, and to this day, it's still a constant thorn in my side. Some weeks it's great, and other weeks it's absolutely terrible. I'm constantly trying different therapies and figuring out what I can do to keep it manageable.
And as someone who loves strength training, that can be pretty frustrating. There are things I want to do that my shoulder doesn't always cooperate with.
But I've also learned that sometimes we have to adjust what we're doing, work around certain limitations, and accept that progress might look a little different than it used to.
That doesn't mean we stop trying.
I don't think we need to love every part of aging to appreciate getting older. We can be frustrated by the changes in our bodies and still feel good about this stage of our lives.
We can miss certain things about being younger without actually wanting to go back.
And I think that's a much more realistic way to look at it.
There's Still So Much Life Ahead of Us
I think one of the biggest things I've realized as I've gotten older is that I don't want to spend my time wishing I was at a different stage of life.
Sure, there are things I'd change if I could, but I'm also pretty happy with where I am today.
And when I think about the years ahead, there's still so much I want to do. Places I want to visit, things I want to experience, and plenty of things I haven't even thought of trying yet.
That's a big part of why taking care of my health matters so much to me now. I don't just want to live a long life. I want to be able to enjoy it.
I want to keep moving, keep learning, keep laughing, and hopefully keep surprising myself with what I'm capable of.
And who knows? Maybe my 60s will be even better than my 50s!
Because as far as I'm concerned, the best years of our lives don't have to be behind us.
So I'm curious, what's something you're looking forward to as you get older?