By: Blonde Two
It is no use denying it any longer, I might be celebrating my 50th year by sleeping outside as many times as I can but not mentioning the big ‘M’ is not putting the ‘pause’ into menopause. Luckily the combination of being an outdoor girl and being a Two Blonde (yes, you can still be a girl at 50) gives me what I believe to be a unique perspective on the whole menopause thing… I am going to say that word once more because, really, it doesn’t get talked about enough. These days, you can shout, ‘PERIOD‘ from the mountain tops and still appear to be reasonably sane, just try shouting ‘MENOPAUSE‘, which surely is a better thing to have at the top of a mountain, and see how people look at you. Here are my thoughts (so far) on why the menopause and Get Outside work so well together!
I have found the cure for hot flushes
Hot flushes, hot flashes, whatever you are supposed to call them, are a bit silly really. What on earth is a body doing heating you up just when you need heat least? If you could turn a hot flush on in the middle of the night, in a cold tent, just after you have been out to have a wee or chase a fox or both, how wonderful would that be? I have, however, found an effective and inexpensive cure for hot flushes. All you need to do is go to your nearest beach and get (slowly) into the cold sea. You don’t even need to swim or even splash, the shock of the cold water will send your hormones running back to whence they came and make you forget your age entirely.
No more periods, no more hassle
I am not there yet and I have never let my period put me off an outdoor activity but to my mind, there has to be some kind of benefit to no longer having bush tampon or torchlight towel encounters. I can’t imagine a time when I won’t carry a Hill Period Kit (how else would I light a fire?) but it will definitely be nice not to have to use it. Silver linings ladies, silver linings.
The outdoors definitely helps with depression
It doesn’t seem to be common knowledge that the menopause is linked to depression and mood swings (or maybe we just don’t talk about it enough). It stands to reason though, if teenagers can be irrational and emotional because of the onset of hormones then people at the other end of the hormonal scale surely have just as much right to be so. (I would just like to mention here that teenagers are amongst my favourite type of human beings). I have tried both antidepressants and HRT and both helped with low mood and anxiety, but by far the best, most natural and most long-lasting solution that I have found is to Get Outside and do some exercise. Back to the sea again I am afraid, walking is great but it is outdoor swimming that is always guaranteed to sort my emotions out.
So there you have it… I mentioned the ‘M’ word and I didn’t even climb a mountain in order to shout about it. I am sure I am not the only person for whom a bit of Get Outside has worked some hormonal magic… but I might be the only one who wants to talk about it!
