> Emotional and Mental Health > Goal Setting and Motivation

While sharing a ritual lunchtime with girlfriends, one friend commented about how inspired she was by her new 45-year-old female trainer at the gym. I mentioned my vivacious 51-year-old yoga instructor, and another friend chimed in with her 48-year-old female neighbour who still runs marathons.

It dawned on us: We were surrounded by strong, fit, energetic, successful female role models that were by no means slowing down in their 40s and 50s. Today’s female role models include people like Oprah, Diane Sawyer, and Silken Laumann, inspirational Olympic and world-champion rower. All of these women take wonderful care of themselves nutritionally, physically, and mentally.

Women in their 40s and 50s today feel and look younger than their counterparts in previous generations. Many women of this age are starting new careers and learning new sports. A study done in 1999 found that 70 percent of women between the ages of 45 and 60 are not afraid of tackling new accomplishments or going back to school.

In addition, they look at least a decade younger than they are, they dress well, and they by no means give the impression that they are winding down or getting old. I couldn’t help but wonder…why is the daily life of a woman in her 40s or 50s today different than in previous generations? Where did this shift begin?

Emerging Women

For many generations family life seemed all-important to women, and young women were urged to marry soon after finishing high school. Women’s magazines, television shows, newspapers, and advertisements portrayed women in connection with domestic life alone.

The Women’s Liberation Movement created opportunities for women to attend school and take on well-paying careers. Young women began to dream about their futures in an entirely new way. Family life was still of key importance to many women, but as new possibilities opened up to them, women began to expand their influence. New role models emerged, and women realized that they had strengths they had not tapped into along with new opportunities to create the life they desired.

Asserting their Economic Force

In the 1950s women represented a small portion of the economy and few industries paid attention to their needs. However, as women became more educated and gained success in the workplace, they became a dominant economic force. Women entrepreneurs are now one of the fastest growing segments of the Canadian economy.

As women’s success in the business world continued, they accumulated more disposable income and the power to spend it on what was important to them. For many women it has become of prime importance to choose a lifestyle that positively impacts their own health and the health of their families. Women are responsible for 83 percent of all consumer purchasing. They make 95 percent of all household financial decisions and 80 percent of family healthcare decisions.

Big business realized a new opportunity for sales and began creating and marketing products that approached health issues from a woman’s point of view. Women can now buy organic food and vitamins in the local grocery store, get a massage while waiting in the airport, and purchase all-natural cremes that they feel good about using on themselves and on their children.

Empowering Good Health

At the same time that this new industry was growing, women began empowering themselves with the knowledge they required to influence their own healthcare decisions. Gone are the days when women just listened to the doctor and followed his/her advice without question.
Women of this generation are active participants in their healthcare choices and are taking the time to become educated about all their options. Women see themselves in partnerships with their healthcare providers. They are also listening to their bodies and trusting their own instincts.

As they age, women have set new standards for themselves and no longer accept the middle-age spread. Over-40 fitness gurus, such as Denise Austin, show women how to remain fit and vibrant as they age.

Staying Fit Longer

Across North America, a new generation of female athletes is breaking barriers. These pony-tailed jocks are not in high school or college. They’re the moms and aunts who previously cheered from the sidelines.

Laina Shulman, DC, the co-founder of Pure-Health and the Pure-Health Show is a chiropractor, writer, and professional speaker. pure-health.com.

Source: alive #285, July 2006