Apu has tagged me to write about my fragile 30-plus body. I moved to this category long back and have been at the receiving end of a string of threats and advice.
The first thing that I heard as soon as I hit 30 was, "Time is running out, have a child quick". To hear that time is running out at the ripe young age of 30 is scary to say the least. I was told that it is difficult to conceive after 30 and all the more difficult to produce a healthy child and to have a normal delivery. Well, I delivered Pattu when I was 32 and I had a normal delivery.
I'm sure all these were well meant, but again, I think we are focusing on the wrong parameter - it is fitness that counts and not really 'age'.
The next thing I heard was, "Eat less - after 30, it is easy to gain (weight) but difficult to lose". Given my 'un-feminine' appetite I still find this difficult to follow. Again, I think it is more about 'eating carefully' than about eating less/ more and also working out regularly. I know a few women in their late 40-s who are not necessarily slim but have the stamina to last a tough day and still wake up cheerfully the next day. Most of us would probably want a week off after that kind of physical exertion.
However, most of the ads I see harp on losing 'inches' but not gaining 'fitness'.
Like Apu mentioned, there's the skin and hair trouble that one can never be rid of. You take care of your tan and you have black spots, pigmentation, dryness, dull skin, dandruff, damaged hair and what not.
One thing that I have noticed is that my mom's generation had a routine. They had a simple routine but then they were more disciplined than us. For instance, they oiled their hair everyday and had oil massage and a shikakai bath once a week. Most of us do this only once in a while at a parlour, whenever we have the time.
On the other hand, I am quite happy about this 30+ awakening when it comes to the focus on routine gynaecological check ups post 30 yrs. A lot of women discover ovarian cancer and the likes quite late. With the increase in breast cancer, it is better to overemphasise than play things down. Many women are aware of osteoporosis and take precautions.
Those days, after childbirth the women were just expected to be plump,selfless and they seldom had life outside 'family'. It was not even a career for many women, it was just a job. I've seldom seen my mom's generation 'hang-out' with their friends for instance. Thankfully, these have undergone a change.
6 comments:
I feel it's really sad that instead of health and fitness we focus so much on looks that we actually harm our health and fitness!
And nothing like oil massage and shikakai for healthy hair - I did that for years, it wasn't even discipline, it was just habit, and then somehow habit changed :(
I wonder how much more freer we might feel if we only thought of health and never cared for how we looked?
You have a point there. The most important thing is "watch what you Eat & workout"! We should spend atleast a lill amount of time to nourish ourselves.
Loved your post
IHM: You have a point about habit. My grandmom used to follow her regimen, however simple as long as she lived and she lived one day at a time.
There's so much talk about size 0 and stuff like that in the media and I see school kids talking about dieting! And these kids don't eat breakfast, have a samosa for lunch and binge at dinner - it is scary!
How I wish the media would focus on sportswomen who are fit and have a lot of stamina...
mistysnow - I just can't go without food...especially breakfast. And the workout part gets neglected because people think dieting is the shortcut for weight loss while work out takes a long time...
So true. And like IHM said, I wish we concentrated more on health than looks.
writerzblock: ..and with health would come certain good looks too..
Post a Comment