Tag: post menopause

Why Weighted Vests & Belts Are the Secret Weapon for Aging Like a Badass…

Why Weighted Vests & Belts Are the Secret Weapon for Aging Like a Badass…

I was recently approached by this amazing Canadian company to learn more about the benefits of weighted wearables and I have learned that this REALLY IS a secret weapon to taking care of ones’ health.  Here is why…

Let’s be upfront and honest…Aging is a privilege and it also comes with a few surprises. Achy joints. Slower recovery. Random mystery sounds when you get out of a chair. And for many women (and men!) creeping into midlife and beyond, bone density decides to play a cruel game of limbo: How low can you go?  Me? Not very low anymore!

If you’re a woman on tamoxifen, you’ve probably already heard the warnings whispered like ghost stories around a campfire: osteopenia… osteoporosis… brittle bones. And the fun part? Many don’t realize bone loss can start early, especially through cancer treatment. And you do not have to have gone through cancer treatment to be facing this lovely part of getting older! But before you wrap yourself in bubble wrap and swear off all activities except crocheting (which, to be fair, is wildly underrated), let’s talk about a powerhouse solution that’s affordable, effective, and surprisingly fun:

Weighted vests and belts.

Yes. Those chunky little heroes? They’re game-changers. I have seriously fallen in love!


The Science-y Truth: Your Bones Need a Challenge

Bones aren’t passive sticks holding up your skin bag. (Such a fun way to describe being human!)  Our bones are living, always adapting, always responding to the load you place on them.
If you place more load (enter: weighted vest), they respond by saying:

“Oh, we’re doing THIS now? Fine. I’ll get stronger.”

This magic is called osteogenic loading, and it’s one of the best ways to keep your skeleton solid as you age. Walking, dancing, cleaning, doing stairs — all get a bone-boosting upgrade when you add a little safe, evenly-distributed weight.  And it is so easy that you don’t need to really do anything different in your day, other than throw on the vest or belt before you do your regular activities!

Benefits of wearing a weighted vest/or belt include:

  • Increased bone density

  • Stronger posture (hello superhero stance)

  • Better balance

  • Improved muscle tone

  • Higher calorie burn (without doing anything extra = blessed.)

  • Confidence boost because you feel like a warrior in disguise (I am not kidding! You will feel so good all over!)


Let’s Talk Weighted Gear & Tamoxifen: Your Bones Deserve Backup

Tamoxifen is a lifesaver but it can be a bone-density troublemaker for some people, especially premenopausal women. Even post-treatment, the risk of osteoporosis can be higher.  It is the little pill that decreases your chances of cancer recurring but like anything you take, it comes with side effects and here we are fighting to keep our bone health safe!

So what can help?

Regular weight-bearing movement + added load = bones staying dense, fierce, and fully employed.

A weighted vest or belt is like giving your bones a pep talk:
“Hey, don’t you dare shrink. We’ve got things to do.”

Every time I put mine on I feel like a Super Hero getting ready to take on the day! It is an amazing confidence boost!


Vests vs. Belts: Which One’s Your Style?

I mention both because I own both and I LOVE them both for different reasons so let me break down each of them for you…

Weighted Vests

Perfect for:

  • Walking

  • Hiking

  • Household chores

  • Teaching or taking Zumba (I see you!)

  • Everyday errands that double as stealth workouts

It sits comfortably, distribute weight evenly, and doesn’t shift around like that bra you know you should get rid of but wear all the time anyway!

Weighted Belts

Perfect for:

  • Dog walks

  • Running

  • Mobility work

  • People who want the benefits without looking like they’re wearing tactical gear

Belts are subtle but powerful like the quiet kid from high school who later becomes a CEO.


Next up…Okay But Why Power WearHouse?

Because — and I’m not exaggerating — they’re the best weighted vests and belts on the market.
Most weights out there?
• Too bulky
• Too bouncy
• Dig into your shoulders
• Or look like they were designed by someone who hates comfort…seriously….why would you wear something that is so uncomfortable when you have a choice?!

Power WearHouse gets it RIGHT!
Comfortable. Adjustable. Designed for real bodies doing real movement. And they actually look… good!

I’ve tested them. I’ve worn them. I’ve danced in them. I’ve walked my dog in them. I’ve lived my life in them. And I can confidently say:
Your future bones will thank you.


Here is MY Invitation to Level Up (With a Discount 😏)

If you’re ready to age with strength, sass, mobility, and bones that refuse to quit, here’s your moment.

👉🏼 Order your weighted vest or belt at:

powerwearhouse.com

Click the link above and use my code POWERWITHTAMMY for a sweet little discount because strong bones shouldn’t come with a big price tag.


My Final Thoughts:

You don’t need to overhaul your life.
You don’t need to join a gym.
You don’t need to turn into “that person” who talks about fitness at dinner parties.

Just add a vest or belt to what you’re already doing like walking the dog, climbing stairs, dancing in the kitchen, chasing the kids, or living your everyday magic.

A little weight today = a LOT more living tomorrow.

Your bones are ready.
Your future self is cheering.
And honestly? You’re going to look fantastic.

Don’t just take my word for it…EXPERIENCE it for YOURSELF!

Much love,

Tammy

This Girl Is On Fire (Part II) The Extinguisher

This Girl Is On Fire (Part II) The Extinguisher

Well, here we are, one month later and I have left you hanging in a hot sweat wondering why you are having that hot flash! Sorry about that, my marketing team tells me that I can’t ramble on too much in one month.  They say that blogs are meant to be 700-1000 words. I bet they have never experienced a hot flash and needed relief!  They are right though, I could really go on and on about this topic. That is why I have broken it up into a two part series to keep you engaged and me coachable to the process of blogging!

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s dive in, shall we?!

What is triggering that nasty “burning you up from the inside out” hot flashes?

To be honest, there are quite a few things that can trigger them unfortunately and women respond differently to certain triggers.  There are some though that are common for us all.  The most irritating thing, in my opinion, is that at one time your body was totally fine and welcoming to all these things.  In fact, some may have been your favorite thing ever!

Here is a Top 10 list I have gathered in no particular order:

  1. Heat – Hot weather, saunas, warm rooms, or even too many blankets can bring on a flash faster than you can say “menopause.”
  2. Spicy foods – Delicious, yes. But your body might treat that jalapeño like a flamethrower. I am a HUGE FAN of spicy food which makes this so disappointing and sometimes I just fight my way through the hot flash and tell myself I am enjoying it!
  3. Caffeine – Your beloved coffee or energy drink can make your internal thermostat glitch. This one I switched to mushroom coffee to deal with and as gross as that might sound, it tastes EXACTLY like coffee! I will share more about this another day!
  4. Alcohol – Especially red wine. What is crazy about this is your Doctor will tell you that if you have any alcohol your best option is red wine for health reasons and yet it can make you feel like you stepped on hot coals on first sip!
  5. Stress or anxiety – Emotional surges often lead to physical ones. Fun, right?
  6. Tight clothing – Restrictive clothes can trap heat and make your body rebel. This year I have taken on being in my flowy dress phase of life to combat this.
  7. Smoking – Not only unhealthy overall but also a notorious hot flash enhancer.
  8. Sugar or high-carb meals – Can spike insulin and mess with thermoregulation. Great! Not even a chocolate bar can help you out of this hot mess!
  9. Exercise (right before bed) – Yes, it’s good for you, but close to bedtime it may rev up your engine too much. Besides, who wants to work out right before bed? Not this girl!
  10. Hot drinks – Even tea or soup can be a sneaky trigger, especially in a warm environment. This one I find though could go either way!

There you have it!  If you avoid all of these things you may be able to reduce or eliminate your hot flashes.  You may also lead the most boring life! Unless you are someone who knows you can embrace giving up all of this and find new happiness living in the Arctic, eating bland food, while sipping on water, meditating in a baggy dress (and cotton underwear) while reading a book before bed.

Okay, all joking aside, you do not have to give all of this up. You just need to figure out what it is for you that sets off your hot flash.  It is a lot of trial and error to get to the point of knowing what your triggers are but if you keep at it, you will find relief.  I promise you!

Lastly, I hear people say that aging sucks but I like to think that the alternative to aging is worse.  Being six feet under! We have to find ways to embrace these new stages in life and remind ourselves that not all get to age, so even this is a privilege.  It is a hot and sweaty burning you up privilege but a privilege all the same! The more we talk about these topics the more we can see we are not alone and we have community to reach out to.

Let me ask you, what would you like me to blog about next?

Send me an email and let me know!

Until then, stay COOL my friends!

Much love,

Tammy

 

 

This Girl is on Fire!

This Girl is on Fire!

This GIRL IS ON FIRE! This girl is on fireeee…

I recently saw my great niece at six years old stand up on stage and belt out this song in one of the most powerful voices I have ever heard for a six-year-old.  She shocked me to the point I sat there in tears listening to this beautiful young girl giving it her all and I was so moved.  She was a girl on FIRE and the flames were burning up that stage with her awesomeness!

The funny part was the next day when my post menopause hot flashes came on, all I could hear was her singing THIS GIRL IS ON FIREEEE, THIS IS GIRL ON FIREEEEE and you know what…I was! I was burning up from the inside out and now that song had a whole new meaning for me.

The intensity of a hot flash can be like someone lit a match under your skin and as the flames begin to grow, so does your internal heat to the point you feel like you may self combust. It is intense and I apologize to every woman who tried to warn me about this as I would say “Oh, I will love it! I love the heat!”  Nope! I DO NOT love this! It is a raging inferno that turns on and off like a water tap!

So, what is a hot flash and why do we get them at a certain point in our lives?

I am so glad you asked! Let me explain…a hot flash is a sudden onset of intense heat.  This is your bodies way of telling you that your hormones are going on a vacation and may not be coming back!

The heat is just one part of it though. The hot flash is often joined by a flushed or red face and your eyeballs may feel like they are sweating…not crying…SWEATING! In fact, your whole body may feel like it is sweating, and your heart may begin beating as if you just completed a marathon.  Because your body is being so dramatic, afterwards it doesn’t know what to do so you may experience chills.  I am the lucky benefactor of ALL these symptoms, so I promise you I am speaking from experience.  Which may make all that I wrote here a bit scarier.  Sorry about that but you deserve the truth! Warts and all!

Let’s move on to WHY on earth we have them.

 Hot flashes commonly occur because of hormonal changes. Particularly caused by a drop in estrogen.  There are three stages in life that this can happen for women:

  1. Perimenopause (which is the time in life where you may feel your emotions are going crazy and something is wrong with you. Nothing is wrong with you, but I get it!)
  2. Menopause (which means you have gone without a period for 12 months…which in my opinion is not a bad thing!)
  3. Post-menopause (which is still no period and you’re still dealing with the aftermath of the first two I mentioned)

When estrogen in our bodies decide to take that long vacation to sunny Aruba, our body’s thermostat notices that something is missing.  When the brain makes the connection that Estrogen is gone (or not totally gone but wants to leave) it screams out to the rest of the body “Hey! Did somebody turn the heat up? Where did Estrogen go?” This then confuses the body because it doesn’t remember doing that but will take the cue and turn on the cooling system which includes sweating, dilating blood vessels and then triggering a full-body heat wave because like my grandpa always told me…” On a hot day, drink something hot and you will cool down.”  I never understood this logic, but it always worked!

FUN FACT: When I got breast cancer at 44 years old, I was just at the cusp of starting my perimenopause era.  Because my cancer is estrogen driven the oncologist needed to put me on a drug to drastically lower my bodies estrogen immediately.  This meant that I went from “Oh, I am sweaty and a little emotional today…hmmm” to “DEAR LORD what new hell of fire and fury have I walked into?! I AM BURNING UP and I think it’s best if you just walk away!!”

The joys of hot flashes are very few.  The only time they have come in handy for me was when I was outside in a good Canadian winter and was cold.  The sudden onset of the hot flash was appreciated in the moment but then the after chills wrecked the whole experience.

The other good thing about all of this and I am always looking for the good, in my opinion, is when the period stops.  I appreciate not having to count the days until my cycle starts or needing to carry supplies on me all the time or being worried about wearing white pants.  Actually, I still worry about wearing white pants but that is because I am a spiller and those pants most likely will not be white by the end of the day no matter what my cycle does. A glass of red wine or an ice cream cone can make just as much mess I have learned.

OOH! And another fun fact ladies, MEN can get hot flashes too! It is usually due to a medical treatment they are receiving that affects their testosterone levels like for prostate cancer. (NOT fun and in no way am I celebrating they must go through that. I share this with you though so that we don’t assume it’s only us ladies that get to experience the “joy” of a hot flash!)

There you have it, this is what it is and why we get them! Not necessarily enjoyable but simple right?!

In my next blog, I will share with you what can trigger the hot flash and what you can do to cool down besides jumping in a snowbank or an ice bath!

Stay tuned because THIS GIRL IS ON FIREEEEEE!