Myokines, or “Hope Molecules” are tiny little messengers of goodness, released whenever you contract your muscles.

These tiny babies are proteins that rush to your brain creating resilience and strengthening immunity.

When your muscles contract, they pump out these “hope molecules”. It’s like a endocrine-pumping factory of goodness. This improves your brain’s cognition and overall wellbeing.

This becomes even more powerful for us post-menopause, since the change to our body of gradually and completely losing our estradiol/estrogen post-menopause will decrease our muscle mass. We have to strengthen up and keep conditioning our muscles as a priority for our freedom.

This is why movement is a fundamental tool for us to keep our brain and body healthy. This free pharmacy of good molecules will rush in and keep us functioning at a higher level then if we were sitting on the couch watching a movie. (*Ahem, watching movies is my favorite and I find time for THAT too!)

As we grow older, let’s chase this feeling in a way to make this sustainable. Walking is perfect and if you haven’t done much walking, take it slow, adding 10 minutes every week. As you get more and more comfortable try adding challenging hills, hiking wilder routes and increasing your distance and speed while walking.

As you begin to increase your tolerance for movement add weight training to help keep you strong for doing all the things you aim to do when you turn 100. Would you like to make a pilgrimage walk? Hike through Iceland and find hot springs for soaking? Dance the tango in Argentina? Lift your great-grandchildren onto your lap for a story? What is your goal? Keep that in mind as you continue to move and strengthen yourself for the fun you plan on having now and in the future.

Chores around the house or gardening will do the trick, too. Keep yourself moving. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion so run up the stairs, carry your bag of groceries, park your car farther away. Think of it as filling a daily prescription of hope molecules for your brain.

This is how I make movement part of my week. Heh, I am a work in progress but I’m stronger than I used to be…

When I wake up and brush my teeth I alternate standing on one leg at time, swinging my leg behind me or to the side, and do squats to warm up my body and practice my balance. When I put on my shoes and socks I do it standing instead of sitting. This is another challenge to my balance and I’m getting better and better. And yes, I also catch myself occasionally tipping over. You know how sometimes getting on a pair of fresh underwear means tipping over as you stand and struggle to get each leg inside? Yeah, I find this a little more under my control if I work on my balance a little every day. Ah! so much less annoying.

Take a walk right after I wake up almost every morning. My dog Tucker is enthusiastic and excited for this–making him a great accountability partner. This has the extra benefit of getting some sun on my skin for vitamin D and sunlight in my eyes to help my circadian rhythm stay in balance. I will talk more about circadian rhythm in another post. If I skip a day I miss it too much! I love how this feels to breathe deeply and be outside right away in the morning.

Ride my horse 3 times a week. He is a lot, our sport of dressage is a lot, and it requires me to just try and match his strength and balance under pressure. But it is my FAVORITE way to chase movement. And here is the funny thing, riding him is the LEAST of it. There is a big walk to find him in his pasture, work vigorously to groom him, tack him up, find my helmet, and then wash him off if he gets too sweaty. There might be some 40-pound bags of feed to haul around and prepare his grain, barn floors to sweep, manure to pick out of his stall. After all that he has to be walked back out to his pasture. I love every minute of this and it has made me stronger. But to get even more fit for riding him, I have started to add more to my routine. Can I say what motivates me most at the barn? There are women of all ages, including some older than me, hauling feed bags, cleaning stalls, riding their challenging horses, and making it look easy. This is such a wonderful way for me to keep positive about staying active and strong no matter my age.

Pilates was a pandemic find, and I use mat sessions which I follow in an online, digital membership. Mine is called Lindywell. Each session is usually 20 minutes, some are even less. This Pilates program has taught me a lot about being consistant and making progress with short sessions done 5 days a week. I don’t always make this goal, but when I do I feel so much more alive and strong. There is a focus on core strength, balance and a mind-body connection that is hard to replicate with any other type of program. I recommend it x 1000. Try it! There is a 14-day free offer for you if you want to see for yourself. I have tried some versions of more traditional Pilates in person and wow, it’s amazing because of the use of the Pilates reformer. Having a very small class with a live instructor is the dream. I am not so good with the drive and cost is a lot higher in a Pilates studio. This makes Lindywell such a great option for me. I hope you love it like I do. The sheer variety of other online membership movement programs makes this an easy option. And there are always free videos available online if you’re not sure about a membership. I’ve heard Yoga with Adrienne is wonderful.

I have some light handweights and the Pilates program I follow has just added a resistance element available in the membership. I think I need more, though. I have been looking for the right kind of training and will let you know what I find.

I’m not sure whether the trampoline does more for my balance, my pelvic floor health, or cardio-health. I am sure that it is FUN to use. If I am sitting at my desk too long its great to break it up with a jump to party jams on my speaker. Hah, another pandemic purchase that I will never regret.

What do you want to plan on strengthening up for doing when you are 100? What do you do now to make hope molecules? I would love to hear!