Time for Recess! Playful Ways to Make Movement Fun Again

Conversation & Community for Women in Perimenopause and Menopause

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Confession time: Starting a skincare business has made me more sedentary than I’ve ever been before. Our bodies weren’t designed to sit in chairs for eight Zoom meetings a day – they were specifically designed to move. Last week we talked about the long-term health benefits of strength training for women in perimenopause and menopause, but today I’d like to lighten things up a little. Here’s a prompt that’s helped me reclaim the joy, liberation, curiosity, and fun that movement can bring:

When was the last time you played?

When I ask myself this question, I think about how much I loved to jump rope as a kid – especially Double Dutch. Given the choice, I’d spend the entire gym period jumping with my friends at Conant Elementary in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I’m also reminded of the summers I spent as a teenager in the Georgian Bay in Canada where there were fabulous rocks to climb.  My brother and I would explore for hours and I remember those days with fondness and happiness. These memories inspired me to get curious and think about how I could recreate these feelings by moving my body in similar ways. More on that in a second…  

Little Susan, the Double Dutch Master at Conant Elementary.

So why is play important?

It infuses movement with joy, making exercise feel less like a chore and more like a celebration of what our bodies can do. Playing can take the pressure off, allowing you to experience movement with novelty and inventiveness. It serves as an antidote to stress, supports mental health, and fosters the development of new skills. Plus, engaging in playful activities like jump roping can help alleviate perimenopause symptoms while improving bone mineral density.

Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas for incorporating play into your weekly routine: 

• Fellow Double Dutch lovers: Here is my favorite jump rope video. It’s short, manageable, and great for beginners.

• Dance along with The Fitness Marshall. When I have a few extra minutes (and nobody is watching!) I will turn on one of his short videos and laugh at how uncoordinated I am.

• Turn on music when you do housework. I’m partial to a 90s throwback playlist myself. 

• Kick a ball or throw a frisbee, especially with your kids.

• Gamify your workouts. My 15-year-old and I like to compete to see who can hold a plank the longest. 

• For those who have practiced yoga, try an arm balance pose. They’re challenging and I often can’t do at first them without splatting on my mat, which reminds me to not take myself too seriously.

• Pickleball. Admittedly I haven’t played yet, but it’s everywhere here in Little Rock and people love it!

• Try a hike or a trail run if you’re a nature person. Taking a break to listen to a babbling brook, watch the birds, or scramble up a rock path is part of the fun. 

This Week’s Movement Snacks: Ropeless Jump Rope & The Phosis Floor Challenge

Want to jump rope without worrying that you’ll trip and/or leave your workout with bruises up and down your shins? Enter my latest favorite thing: the ropeless jump rope. Jump along for a quick-and-easy heart rate elevator. I like to jump barefoot on a yoga mat, but be sure to jump in shoes if you have sensitive feet or plantar fasciitis. 

Did you know that being able to get up from the floor without using your hands may help you live longer?  I put my own playful spin on what functional movement practitioners call the sit-stand test. It’s a great way to work on your strength and mobility without taking yourself too seriously.

Play in Perimenopause and Menopause

Any life transition is a great time to reevaluate what brings you joy.  The more candles I have on my birthday cake, the more people seem to tell me what I can’t or shouldn’t do. Forget that! Just because you can’t right now doesn’t mean you can’t.

We are capable of so much more than we think! (It’s part of why I enjoy reading Oldster magazine’s Substack about amazing things people are doing in midlife and beyond. This post about not acting your age was particularly inspiring to me.) 

So, what’s inspiring you lately? How can you incorporate play into your perimenopause or menopause plan? I’d love to learn from this community, so leave me a comment below. 

Cheers to looking and feeling your best, 

Susan

Susan Campbell

Founder and CEO, Phosis