Movement Snacks: A 5 Minute Strength Workout You Only Need 1 Dumbbell For
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Hey Reader, A few weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast I love and the guest was a dietitian who focuses primarily on a non-diet culture approach to healthy aging. I was totally on board with everything this guest was saying until the host asked the dietitian what they thought about weight lifting for women in peri and post menopause. The guest said this, "No matter what you do, you lose muscle mass. It's not like doing all the things is going to stop that, because it doesn't. So that's a fact." While it is true your body loses muscle mass as you age, research also shows that you can actually continue to build muscle into your 90's. Does it look the same as it might on a gym bro in his 30's who is taking various supplements or meds to bulk up his muscles? No, but how your muscles look don't always indicate how strong you are. I literally just submitted a freelance article including a story about a woman who took up powerlifting in her 90's. Anyway, whenever I hear bad advice about the benefits of movement, particularly for those of us hitting perimenopause, I get really frustrated. (That leads me to my movement snack for the week) Movement Snack this week: It feels like my life's work is to clear up 2 things about movement. The first is that daily movement is the most important thing you can do to combat the impacts of aging in your body -- not because aging is bad. Aging is great! Aging is the GOAL! But aging does a number on our bodies and if we do little-to-no movement as we get older, the impacts of aging can make life a lot less pleasant. The second is that daily movement doesn't require doing things you hate or doing 30-60 minutes of movement everyday. Small amounts of movement can make a huge impact, especially if you're consistent with it. Last week I shared a 5 minute low-impact, bodyweight strength workout. Bodyweight strength is great when you don't have access to a gym or workout equipment at home or you're on the road. But if you do have weights or like the idea of increasing your muscle mass AND bone density (the latter being of particular importance to healthy aging), doing a 5 minute strength training workout is a great place to start. My latest video on YouTube is just that -- a 5 minute strength training workout. Technically you only need one dumbbell, but if you happen to have more than one set of hand weights, you can use a heavier weight for your lower body and a lighter weight for upper body. Check it out here: If this type of class is right up your alley and you also want to commit more to daily movement, I am offering my DAILY 5 program once again this February. The DAILY 5 is a 28-day program delivering quick, efficient, and fun movement practices to your inbox every single day. All of the movement practices are 5 minutes long and in addition to strength training include creative yoga flows, mobility work, and body weight strength. It's a well rounded program intended to give you a variety of different practices so that you can figure out what feels good in your body. I also have daily tips for helping the habit of movement stick as well accountability built into the DAILY 5 to give you the support you need to get moving every day. If you'd like to get more information about the DAILY 5, click here. We begin on February 1st and if you sign up today, you get a few bonus videos to give you a taste of what to expect in the DAILY 5. Thanks for being a part of my community this year. I am so grateful for you. I hope that the year ahead is full of light and joy and ease. Warmly, Naomi Want to stay in touch during the week? Here are a 2 easy ways: Follow me on Instagram, where I share movement inspiration 3x a week 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 -- I wrote about why daily movement is a necessity, not a luxury, especially as we get older. You can read 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 I also had a piece published recently by Fit Bottomed Girls about creating habits that actually stick. You can read that one here. |