Welcome to Women’s Health
We did it. Collectively, we navigated (in my opinion, at least) the most difficult month of the year. January sucks on all levels for me; the feeling of being overwhelmed by what needs to be achieved both personally and professionally; the cold, grey weather; any residual bleurgh from festive indulgence.
This year, my January got off to a shakier start than normal when my nine-year-old son Zak broke his ankle, so instead of returning to school and work as normal, we spent the day together in our local A&E. A week off school followed, where his demands kept me busy up and down the stairs (10,000 steps a day of pure LISS training – clocked). But we survived, and now I’ve decided February will be the month I focus on looking forward and asking myself what I want to get out of 2022.
One top priority, as ever, is ensuring my personal health is as good as possible. At 43 years old, that inevitably means paying close attention to my hormones. I’ve been perimenopausal for around three years now and have taken prescribed HRT for at least two. Despite having a treatment plan in place, there are still days when I find breast soreness a barrier to working out (even with my favourite sturdy sports bra to call on). Sleep is also becoming more elusive – I can find myself wide awake at 4am on a regular basis. I’ve realised that menopause treatment is a journey, not a one-off appointment, and there’s still so much I can – and must – learn about the subject.
Whether you feel that your perimenopausal years are still a way off, or you’re rapidly approaching the menopause, make sure you read our feature on p106. It’s your ultimate menopause manual, packed with everything you need to know to navigate this hormonal rollercoaster.
Also worth a bookmark is this month’s WH investigation into sleep and whether women’s collective struggle to catch enough ZZZS is in fact a feminist issue. Are you and I biologically predisposed to sleep less soundly than men, or are there other forces at play that steal our much-needed and much-deserved shut-eye?
A daily habit that I’m keeping up for February and beyond is lunchbreak walks outside. That’s wellness in its purist form for me. Let me know what February habits you’ll endeavour to make stick. And finally, do give me feedback on the content across all
WH’S platforms as my team are always striving to make this brand even better. Enjoy the issue.
Until next month...