I think training women in menopause comes with a responsibility. If it’s our mission to serve them, then we’re tasked with the need to call out them… and us… when we’re misfiring ageist messages.
I think we can agree with this:
Age doesn’t matter. It’s ability.
But age will matter as long as clients say, and you give validation to:
I’m _____ (age) what exercise should I be doing?
You look great for your age!
I just can’t do that any longer at my age.
After menopause, you need to take it easier.
None of the answers to those questions is founded in science or legitimized by anything but years of conditioning and habit. How you answer unless you’re schooled in the science of muscle, bone, fat, and metabolism for women over 40 wouldn’t be anything more than your conditioning and opinion, or maybe a desire to sell something.
We’re not immune to ageism though, especially if you hear a question or statement like one of these are immediately are forming an answer…
INSTEAD of stopping the conversation right there and talking about the impression they have falsely acquired.
[03:16]
The Real Conversation
If you’re training women in menopause, you unintentionally could be falling into this trap. And it’s not your fault… until well, now.
Because once you know, if you think like me, if you have the ability, you have the responsibility to change it.
You are either the change or a part of the problem.
If training women in menopause comes with a responsibility to know beyond the basics of exercise prescription (and of course it does), then we have to think more closely about our own use of messages in conversation with clients, including reaching them on social media.
Let me give you some more examples of potential ageism.
Book titles and hashtags and program names all fall into this gray area that takes some dissection.
Younger Next Year
#foreveryoung
#agingbackwards
#aginginreverse
#reverseaging
#turnbacktime
#turnbacktheclock
#antiaging
I’ve recently shared (something you want to know more about if you share resources with your audience) C60 Purple Power with my audience. I’m using it (I don’t share anything I don’t use and then share the actual experiment with my audience).
It’s a carbon molecule that has been found to be able to influence many things associated with aging. Among those are not only restoring libido, and mitochondria production, but wrinkles, fine lines, and graying.
So, I wonder, even in that, if I’m ageist if we seek to turn back the clock to a time when we didn’t have gray hair (for me, unfortunately, that would be 26!), or wrinkles… then aren’t we trying to defy aging instead of embracing it?
[07:23]
Is that ageism?
There are other virtues of the C60 product that support energy, vitality, and physical performance improvement rather than accepting a decline that “naturally” occurs with aging.
Isn’t that, of course, beneficial to sustain or increase mitochondrial production if it can be done without medication, and simply by exercise, even an intermittent fasting, window, and the support of C60?
Is wanting to age better, ageism?
I don’t think so. I want to hear from you though.
I know there may be listeners who would say that you don’t have a hormone problem if your hormones are flatlining after menopause. You might say, that’s normal.
But… is normal and common acceptable? What about optimal? When did we start saying average is okay?
If it’s possible with bioidentical hormones, use of C60, or other products that are not medication with negative side effects, to have profound effects on your health, is that ageism?
Let’s look at some other words associated with age.
[10:23]
Neutral or Positive Age-Related statements:
Every age
Any age
Change the way we age
Change the way we think about aging, which is the entire philosophy behind Flipping50.
Change the way we age, by the way, is the tag line for the International Council on Active Aging. So, do give credit where it’s due in using it.
[11:11]
Consider These Positive or At Least Not Negative Phrases:
Active aging
Older wiser
Age is irrelevant (a podcast title by Helen Fritch, by the way, please also give credit)
Older fitter stronger – a book by Margaret _______________
Faster After 50 – a book by Joe Friel
Proaging
Even hashtags and statements like #nevertooold … when you think about it. The statement makes old, and bad. It’s bizarre if you think too deeply about it. But there is a mild connotation with old being negative.
Of course, the recovery you’ll say is, no, it’s saying you’re never going to be that. But again, that suggests that old is something you never want. And I don’t know about you, but I think we’re not going to win that game. I like to ask questions when I’m with clients that I know the answer to… or at least know the answer to the answer they tell me.
[13:33]
Actions for You:
Review your last 2 weeks of emails, posts, or videos
Look for hashtags or statements you made
Do you like your message? Anything you want to change?
I’d love to hear from you. And this is a great conversation starter with your clients! None of us realizes we do this intentionally.
The way a woman wants to age is her business. And our goal shouldn’t be to change her. Just to allow the way we each choose to age, and how we choose to get there to be just fine. If we ask, did she have work done? What’s she using?
Or say, I would never do that, or I think she looks so fake… we really should on everyone. I was at a restaurant with two friends recently and when the waitress walked away, one said, “Was that a bad botox job or what?” I didn’t notice it. So therein lies the differences we all have to what is acceptable… but yet, an opportunity to say, if she likes it, then go her!
Why not celebrate the woman in a green dress even if you hate green, or the one wearing the mini that you would feel slutty in? If she likes it, she feels confident in it, do we really want to judge?
Whether age or otherwise, training women in menopause will bring you an opportunity not just to change the sequence of exercises and diets for the better, but to change acceptance and peace within ourselves that makes this a better world.
BTW, when you see me do something with an ageist slant, it’s all fair, ask me about that. We won’t make this flip overnight, any of us.
Resources:
Flipping 50 Menopause Fitness Specialist https://www.flippingfifty.com/specialist
More Midlife Clients in 5 Days https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-clients
Other Episodes You Might Like:
Women’s Fitness, Health, & Hormones | Training Menopause:
https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/hormone-course/
20 Tips to More Midlife Fitness Clients Post Pandemic | #319:
https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/more-midlife-clients/