Our guest today, Kim Rahir, suggests we look at health on a continuum. If on one side, you can picture yourself laying on a couch eating chips and binging Netflix and on the other side, getting up at 5am, working out for 2 hours and then drinking a broccoli + Kale smoothie, now...find yourself on this continuum and then picture yourself taking just one step toward that positive (more healthy) end of the spectrum, But, be specific about what you'll do.
Coincidentally, Trinity just got some bloodwork back...all you ladies out there run your bloodwork. That will light a fire under your booty to take more than just ONE healthy step towards that broccoli kale smoothie, baby. We are both putting a foot forward towards a healthier life and are about to cut out the processed foods, nix the sugar and LIFT WEIGHTS!! We are all IN! Thank goodness for our girl, Kim Rahir, who uses her own personal experiences to put into perspective the importance of fitness!
Kim had a fire inside of her too when she was diagnosed with not ONE, but TWO debilitating diseases that are crippling. However, Kim took this as a sign and an opportunity to GET STRONG and went from a wheelchair to winning a European Masters title in Weightlifting this year.
Kim's story is enough to inspire ALL of our ladies in the middle to start building muscle...because doing just THIS was Kim's "health elixir" and her road to salvation. Girls, becoming strong is NOT just a pursuit that is exclusive to men AND Kim proves that it is never too late to get started and she didn't let physical or environmental limitations stand in her way of building a better life.
Now Kim, who is a former journalist turned health coach and MS survivor, is on a mission to help middle-aged women embrace muscle and strength as the one-stop-solution for most health problems from age 30 onwards. Her approach is to turn scientific knowledge about human health in to actionable tool kits for everyday life!
In this episode, Kim teaches us:
Building muscle can help resolve a lot of health and medical problems.
If you've never lifted weights and or if you haven't lifted for a long time, be gentle with your body as you get started and start where you are at. If necessary find a trainer who has worked with women in midlife
Building muscle not only supports your metabolic rate, but improves your bone health, joints, and increases your functional independence.
Muscles support blood sugar management. Muscles require more energy to maintain so they enable you to eat more and burn more fat. Muscles are also a place for your body to store excess sugar. If you don't have enough muscles and you don't use them, your body converts this excess glycogen (or sugar) straight into fat.
Stop TRYING to eat healthy and DO. It takes just one step in the right direction. If WE can do it, so can you!
Find more of Kim:
And girl! You don't have to power through the second half of life alone! Follow-this show where we have consistently brought you new tools to tackle midlife week over week and leave us a review. Join our community at dearmidlife.com where you will find additional tools, resources and a community of support to help you not just survive, but THRIVE in the middle. We can't wait to see you!