Movement Snacks: 3 things that make me stronger and more resilient in my 40's
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Hey Reader, Last night I danced on stage with around 150 other dancers. Not all at once. That would have been chaos. Instead, I danced with the people I take classes with each week. It was similar to the dance recitals I did as a kid, only this was the grown up version. Adult dancers ranging from their early 20's to mid 60's were on stage doing ballet, modern, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, tap, and burlesque. I danced in 3 different dances -- jazz, contemporary, and my personal favorite, tap. Dancing onstage was equal parts exhilarating and exhausting and I loved every second of it. When I woke up this morning, I wasn't particularly sore any more than I might have expected. I didn't feel broken by dancing. It felt like a pretty normal morning (other than feeling extra tired because I went to bed late). In fact, this morning I did my strength training workout like I usually do on Sundays. (This leads me to my Movement Snack this week) Movement Snack this week: If I had to make an educated guess, there are 3 reasons that my high intensity dance performance didn't wreck my 44 year old body. #1 Strength training has vastly improved my physical strength and resilience. #2 I've made a commitment to moving my body every day, even if it's just for a short amount of time #3 I've learned how to scale back when I need to -- something that is much newer for me I'm going to write more in depth about this on my substack this week, so if you're not subscribed there, it's free! Question of the week -- looking at the list above, which one feels hardest for you to do? #1 Strength training, #2 Daily movement, or #3 Scaling back? I'd love to hear from you and if you want a personal tip for making that hardest thing a tiny bit easier, let me know and I'll share a suggestion! Warmly, Naomi Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways: Follow me on Bluesky, where I try to share daily movement practices as acts of resistance, connection, and strength. Follow me on substack, where I write about the intersection of movement, motherhood, and the culture that we are all moving through. Or better yet, subscribe so you have immediate access to regular essays, including my most recent substack, about the Trump IRA's and the Giving Tuesday bonus gift from Michael and Susan Dell. Is it actually going to benefit children? Read about it here. There are many ways to support my writing on substack, which focuses on women's health and motherhood during perimenopause through an anti-diet and pro-science lens: 😍 Become a free subscriber |