All posts tagged: midlife

How putting your phone down is the ultimate act of rebellion for midlife women

How putting your phone down is the ultimate act of rebellion for midlife women

Published by Daniella Wilson

The largest WhatsApp group I am on has 500 members; it’s madness, but just useful enough I daren’t leave. My friends send me 10-15 minutes voice note life updates, which I struggle to find the time to listen to. I worry when my 70-something Mum, who lives alone, doesn’t reply to a message (she’s probably fine but …?). And now my 12-year-old daughter is out and about, I have an even stronger imperative to keep my phone nearby at all times ‘just in case’. For midlife women like me, the obligation to feel constantly connected can be overwhelming. This weekend we celebrate both International Women’s Day (March 8) and the Global Day of Unplugging (March 6-7). An invitation to disconnect from our devices for up to 24 hours to better reconnect with ourselves and each other, GDU may seem the antithetical to IWD at first glance but, as a digital wellness expert and feminist, I believe the biggest act of rebellion, and perhaps equality, might be for women to unplug. Laura Wyatt-Smith went to Silicon …

Childhood trauma is linked to different aging patterns in the midlife brain

Childhood trauma is linked to different aging patterns in the midlife brain

Published by José Betancourt

Childhood abuse and neglect are associated with different patterns of change in the human brain and mind as people grow older. A recent study reveals that experiencing high levels of early trauma correlates with a different relationship between advancing age, brain volume, and cognitive abilities in adulthood. The research, published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, suggests that early adversity relates to an increased vulnerability to the cognitive declines normally associated with getting older. Lead author Anna D. Stumps, a researcher at the University of Delaware, collaborated with colleagues Nadia Bounoua and Naomi Sadeh. The team wanted to understand how early traumatic experiences interact with the normal aging process during midlife. They focused on how trauma histories correlate with the physical structure of the brain and a person’s daily mental capabilities. Aging is naturally accompanied by subtle changes to the nervous system. Over time, humans typically lose gray matter, which is the brain tissue packed with nerve cell bodies responsible for processing information. People also experience gradual declines in executive functioning as they get older. …

Women who become more selective with friendships in midlife aren’t isolating, they’re recalibrating

Women who become more selective with friendships in midlife aren’t isolating, they’re recalibrating

Published by Daniella Wilson

We all know the moment. The group chat lights up again. Messages pile in, dinner plans take shape, numbers grow, venues change, and suddenly what began as a simple catch-up becomes a sprawling social commitment involving people we barely know. And while there is genuine appreciation in being included, there is often another feeling that follows quietly behind it. A small sinking sensation that has nothing to do with the people themselves and everything to do with energy. Because while seeing one close friend sounds wonderful, the thought of listening to hours of small talk, loud restaurants, late nights, and social performance can feel unexpectedly draining. So we hesitate, we mute the thread, sometimes we politely decline. Occasionally, we cancel altogether and spend the evening at home feeling not lonely, but relieved. For many women in midlife, this shift arrives almost without warning. Social habits that once felt effortless begin to feel negotiable. Large gatherings lose their appeal, while meaningful one-on-one connection becomes deeply satisfying. And although it can initially trigger guilt or self-doubt, psychologists …

Finding midlife joy in fashion: how dopamine dressing changed my life

Finding midlife joy in fashion: how dopamine dressing changed my life

Published by Daniella Wilson

It’s a tale as old as time: Happy and outgoing woman hits perimenopause and becomes a shell of her former self. For me, it happened oh-so-gradually which meant it took me ages to even recognise what was going on.  At age 45, with five-year-old twins and a teenage daughter, I was in the thick of it as a mum. If I wasn’t dealing with tantrums (from them and me), I was navigating whether my 13-year-old should be allowed to use TikTok. Having spent a couple of years trying to get my HRT dose right, I finally felt on a bit of an even hormonal keel. But still, something didn’t feel right. Despite having a job I loved, I regularly felt so stressed and overwhelmed, I could be found crying in the loos.  My body had changed dramatically and my clothing size had crept up to a size 20. I didn’t have a problem with that but it meant I couldn’t fit into most of my wardrobe. My solution? Buying a few pairs of cheap black …

When this midlife personal trainer is asked how to get toned arms, she recommends this upper-body workout

When this midlife personal trainer is asked how to get toned arms, she recommends this upper-body workout

Published by Jenni Sidey

Ever wondered what the best exercises are for getting toned arms? You’re not alone. “It’s genuinely one of the most common requests I get,” says personal trainer Edwina Jenner. “Many women tell me they don’t like to show their arms and want to feel more confident.” The trainer and social media influencer who supports women in midlife to get fit and stay strong tells Fit&Well: “The good news is that women can build visible strength and definition through regular upper-body workouts and gradual, progressive overload.” You may like Having been asked so many times for a specific workout by her clients and social media followers, Jenner shared an eight-move upper body routine that targets the shoulders, chest, back, and arms while integrating core stability. But, it’s not all about looks. “By the time we reach our 40s and 50s, maintaining upper-body muscle mass is as much about functional strength as it is aesthetics,” says the trainer. “Upper-body workouts support posture, joint health, and everyday functions such as lifting, carrying and pushing—and resistance training also supports …

Midlife workouts could push brain aging in a younger direction

Midlife workouts could push brain aging in a younger direction

Published by Jenni Sidey

A year can feel like a long time when you worry about your future memory. It can also pass in a blur of work, family, and stress. New research suggests that what you do with that year may leave a mark on your brain. Scientists at the AdventHealth Research Institute report that a steady aerobic exercise routine helped healthy adults end the year with brains that looked biologically younger on MRI scans. The work adds fresh evidence that midlife habits may shape how your brain ages. The study focused on “brain age,” an MRI-based biomarker that estimates how old your brain appears compared with your actual age. The researchers tracked “brain-predicted age difference,” also called brain-PAD. A higher brain-PAD means an older-appearing brain, and prior research has linked higher brain-PAD with poorer physical and cognitive function and a higher risk of death. A One-Year Test of a Simple Routine The clinical trial enrolled 130 healthy adults ages 26 to 58. Researchers randomly assigned them to one of two groups. One group followed a moderate-to-vigorous aerobic …

‘Adjustments must be made’: how to live well after mid-life | Ageing

‘Adjustments must be made’: how to live well after mid-life | Ageing

Published by Sam Flores

We have never lived so long, so well, nor had more available advice on how to do so: don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t eat ultraprocessed foods; lift weights, get outside, learn a language. Cosmetics – or surgery – have never been so available, so advanced, nor so widely used; we take for granted medical procedures that previous ages would have considered miracles. And something’s clearly working: average global life expectancy is the highest in recorded history. The fastest growing demographic is now the over-80s. There is much public hand-wringing about the burdens this ageing population will place on health and care systems, and on younger people. But what is far less talked about, argues the clinical psychologist Frank Tallis in his new book, Wise, is how to get older well: not just in physical, but in mental good health. Midlife has throughout history been a hinge point where such questions come to the fore. We never know when that midpoint will be, but there is often, in a person’s 40s, a constellation of symptoms ranging …

How I beat anxiety in midlife

How I beat anxiety in midlife

Published by Daniella Wilson

About 10 years ago I was on holiday sitting on a beautiful beach watching the sunset. A setting that always makes me happy. Warm sun, sand between my toes and shimmering blue sea.  However, as I looked out at my wonderful surroundings, I could feel a strange sensation in my stomach. I felt uneasy and unsettled. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. As the holiday continued the feeling began to intensify. I couldn’t understand it because I was with a friend in what can only be described as paradise. When I got home, the symptoms worsened, and I realised I had somehow, and completely unexpectedly, developed full blown anxiety. In fact, I was officially diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder. Where on earth had it come from so out of the blue? It was as if I’d been invaded by some sort of alien creature who had taken up residence in my body and was intent on making my life a misery. Because anxiety, I’m here to tell you, is utterly miserable.  …

Being a midlife Take That fan helps my stress and anxiety

Being a midlife Take That fan helps my stress and anxiety

Published by Daniella Wilson

As a mum of three girls who have lots of hobbies, I’m forever driving them to art classes, dance competitions and football training. In stark contrast, back in the 90s, when I was a teenager, I only had one hobby: Take That. It was a hobby that I took very seriously. Like many teens at the time, I bought every magazine they appeared in. Posters were Blu-tacked on my wall (who needs to see the wallpaper, anyway?), cuttings of articles went into ring binders and VHS tapes with recordings of every Top Of The Pops, Ozone or Live and Kicking appearance lined my bedroom shelf. I’d practise signing my future married name (Alison Owen or Williams, depending on my mood) and knew the Pray dance routine, off by heart. While I’m now – at age 47 – more likely to be found wrangling my kids (a 15-year old, plus 7-year-old twins) or stressing about work, this week I’ve been transported back to my carefree teenage years.  © Lia Toby/Getty Image for NetflixGary Barlow, Howard Donald, …

Why strength training is vital for women in midlife

Why strength training is vital for women in midlife

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Sarah Baldassaro, from Alexandria, Virginia, discovered a new level of strength after embracing resistance training at 50. “Now I would say I’m stronger overall than I ever have been at any age,” said Baldassaro, 52. She attributes her fitness rivalling that of her early thirties to a fitness coach. Medical professionals underscore the vital role of strength training for women navigating midlife. This form of exercise is crucial for maintaining bone and muscle health, particularly after menopause, when declining estrogen levels accelerate bone density reduction and contribute to muscle mass loss. Beyond these benefits, resistance work aids in weight management and supports fitness goals, such as New Year’s resolutions. Dr. Christina DeAngelis, an OB-GYN at Penn State Health, emphasized its impact stating: “People underestimate how powerful it is.” But what should …