A woman’s health encompasses everything from her overall physical and mental wellness to her emotional and reproductive well-being. The unique female physique undergoes various hormonal changes throughout life, which adds to the complexity of feminine care.
Besides monthly menstrual cycles, women also go through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. From Yoga to Yoni, here are the top ways to support your body through every season of womanhood.
Table of Contents
Work With Your Body’s Changes
Do you ever fight against your body’s natural phases instead of learning how to bring yourself into harmony with them? If so, you’re certainly not alone! The changes that come with shifting hormones during the various seasons of womanhood can feel overwhelming at times. Whether you’re preparing for your first pregnancy or in the throes of menopause, you’re likely to experience vaginal dryness, irritation, and other unpleasant sexual function symptoms.
However, it’s encouraging to remember that what you’re going through is normal. Countless women before you have already done it, and many more will do it after you. To make life easier, it’s better to work with your body instead of against it.
This might look like purchasing clothes that fit your post-menopausal body instead of trying to starve your way back to your pre-menopausal physique. Or it might involve taking a probiotic and applying a vaginal moisturizer to counteract your body’s newfound propensity for urinary tract infections. There’s almost always something you can do to minimize unwanted symptoms that come with each season of womanhood.
Make Time for Exercise
Depending on what phase of life you’re in, exercise may seem like a guilty pleasure you can only occasionally indulge in. However, it’s important to view exercise as a necessity. Along with using a moisturizer for dry skin or a vaginal lubricant for sexual health, exercise can also help you stay healthy, strong, and in shape through all of your feminine metamorphoses. Research shows that different types of exercises may be more important for specific seasons of womanhood.
For example, in young adulthood, resistance exercises are essential for building muscle strength. Building a foundation of strong, healthy muscles can benefit you throughout your life. During pregnancy, it’s best to engage in low-impact activities that are gentle on the body but still physically challenging. Examples include prenatal yoga, walking, cycling, and swimming.
During menopause, hormonal changes often lead to increased weight gain (especially around the middle). Therefore, you may want to develop a well-rounded exercise routine that includes regular cardiovascular, flexibility, and strength training workouts. You might also consider trying yoni yoga to connect with your sensual femininity and tighten pelvic floor muscles. When you enter your golden years, focus on yoga, strength training, and low-impact aerobics to maintain your fitness, health, and mobility.
Eat Hormone-Balancing Foods
Your hormones play a huge role in your energy levels, mood, and how you feel overall. Women go through a dizzying array of hormone fluctuations throughout their lives that affect everything from vaginal moisture to sexual intercourse to mental clarity. Each month, female hormones prepare the uterus to nurture a fetus. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, a hormone shift triggers the body to let go of its lush uterine lining. These hormone highs and lows can cause symptoms like bloating, cramping, bleeding, and mood swings.
Beyond the monthly female hormone cycle, women also experience major hormone changes during pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. At times, hormones can become imbalanced during these stages of life and lead to moderate-to-severe symptoms. When this happens, it’s important to do what you can to bring your hormones back into proper balance. This includes eating hormone-balancing foods.
Some of the best foods for supporting hormonal balance include berries, fish, leafy greens, and seeds. Cruciferous vegetables also have hormone-balancing properties, so be sure to add plenty to your plate. It’s also crucial to stay away from hormone-disrupting foods that can make unwanted symptoms worse. Minimize your intake of alcohol, sugar, greasy foods, and refined carbs.
Celebrate Your Body
Do you ever curse your body under your breath when you’re experiencing severe menstrual cramps or menopause-triggered hot flashes? It’s natural to get frustrated at the unpleasant symptoms that come with the various seasons of womanhood. But don’t forget how amazing your body is and how much it’s capable of doing for you and others.
Those monthly cramps or bouts of vaginal discomfort might seem too painful to bear at times. However, they’re a physical indication of your body’s amazing ability to create and nurture life. Similarly, that dreaded “let-down” sensation that floods your body when your milk comes in might feel overwhelming for a few moments. But it’s a powerful reminder of your body’s ability to make food for another human being. Your body is remarkable, and it deserves to be celebrated!
To give your body the recognition and praise it deserves, take a few moments each day to simply thank your body. Acknowledge its resilience and strength. Embrace the form your body takes through every season of your life instead of criticizing your appearance. Treat your body with compassion, love, and understanding by prioritizing self-care and healthy lifestyle habits.
Conclusion
The female body goes through various seasons that are often filled with change. Sometimes, those changes can be painful and unpleasant (we’re looking at you, menstrual cramps and weight gain). However, learning how to properly support and appreciate your body through all of its stages makes it easier to enjoy each remarkable season of womanhood.