The 28-Day ‘Pause Strong Challenge
Share
Women are spending 25% of their lives in poorer health than men, largely due to the gender health gap and conditions that disproportionately affect them, such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and dementia. To close this gap and improve long-term health, we must shift our focus to building strength over pursuing thinness and prioritize the quality of our nutrition over simply counting calories.
The Strong Evolution
I know it’s not easy, but shifting your mindset from “dieting” to prioritizing your health can be a game-changer. When I work with patients, I see how focusing on building sustainable habits and making thoughtful daily choices transforms not just their health but their entire outlook on life.
The way you live shouldn’t leave you feeling deprived, and caring for your health should never be a short-term effort to reach a certain size—it’s about creating a life that truly supports your well-being. A health mindset allows you to think of what you can add, instead of thinking about what you must take away, This simple shift in your thinking can make life so much sweeter and make you a whole lot stronger!
Gone are the days of endless hours of cardio and calorie restriction. I encourage you to embrace fueling your body with adequate nutrition, preserving and protecting your muscles and bones with resistance training, and moving your body to maintain and improve your cardiovascular health. What you do today will affect the woman you are in twenty or thirty years, so it’s time to get serious!
A 5-Pronged Approach to Becoming Meno-Strong
For the next 28 days, focus on the following five lifestyle changes. If you’re already reaching the goal listed in each focus, good for you - and don’t worry - I’ve added a bonus so you can level up your healthy habits! Let’s go!
1. Consume Adequate Protein Each Day
Challenge: Aim for 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of preferred body weight.
Bonus: Aim for 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of preferred body weight.
Note: We’ve created a great protein calculator tool to make this easy for you! This tool converts your preferred weight in pounds to kilograms and provides a range based on your activity level. Staying within the suggested range is a success! No need to be exact!
2. Consume Adequate Fiber Each Day
Challenge: Aim for at least 25 grams of fiber each day.
Bonus: If you’re already consuming around 25 grams of fiber each day, work to slowly increase your intake to 30-45 grams per day. This is where we see the biggest cardiovascular benefit.
Note: Supplementing to push you to the upper limit is ok!
3. Daily Journaling for Stress Reduction
Challenge: Journal every day. There is space provided in The ‘Pause Strong Challenge guidebook.
Bonus: Begin a meditation practice with an app like HeadSpace or Calm, or find some free guided meditations on YouTube.
4. Consume 30 Plants Each Week
Challenge: Throughout the course of the week, work to consume a variety of plant-based foods so that by the end of the week, you’ve eaten 30 different plants over the course of the week.
Bonus: Try new-to-you nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, herbal teas, coffees, coffee alternatives or grains. Or, aim for 40 or more different plants per week. (Different colors of similar plants are a great way to hit your goal! Rainbow carrots, anyone?)
5. Exercise 5 Days Each Week
Challenge: Walk at least 3 days and lift weights in a full-body workout at least 2 days each week.
Bonus: Walk with a weighted vest, increase your total steps, and/or add another day of weight training to your week.
If you have been completely sedentary, for the next four weeks, start small, and focus on walking for 5-10 minutes a day and lift with lighter weights or body weight alone. I highly recommend you check out the two free 30-minute, full body workouts that my trainer, and founder of The LIFTED Method, Holly Rillinger created specifically for The ‘Pause Strong Challenge. Her careful instruction will teach you how to lift with proper form and the workouts can be repeated over the course of this challenge and beyond. Or, you can look for beginner workouts on YouTube by searching a phrase such as “beginner full body weight training workout menopause”.
Invest in Your Old Lady Body and Mind
Make educated decisions about what foods you consume. Prioritize protein and plants and complement them with some healthy fats. Eat when you’re hungry, stop eating when you are satisfied. Regularly move your body and lift heavy-for-you weights. Do it all with joy and intention so that you are strong and able to live your best life.
My hope is that this 28-day challenge will help you create habits and develop strategies to build a foundation of health. There are no magic pills, but with patience and determination, you are likely to increase not only your lifespan, but your health span!
