We can do hard things. Tomorrow I will embark on a 24 mile hike, with 5500 feet in elevation gain and temperatures ranging from anywhere 40 to 100 degrees. I’ll be traversing the North Rim to South Rim trail in the majestic Grand Canyon. At 55 years old and without much time in my schedule to train, I decided to put myself out there and see what happens. Check it out:
Can you recall the last time you did something really challenging? I’ll bet many doubts came up in the process but the experience was incredibly rewarding in the end. Oftentimes these opportunities don’t just fall into our lap, especially during midlife. However, when we seek out and make time for new challenges and new ways to be uncomfortable, they remind us of our strength and resilience.
Hiking is a great activity for women in midlife because at the end of the day, it’s just walking. You know, the leg burning- sweating – shortness of breath, kind of walking. But, you can always make stops along the way, and use that time to soak in the stillness of your surroundings. And before you make an excuse about not living near any hiking trails to train, you can always prepare by doing a series of lower body strengthening exercises, like squats.
So whether it’s choosing to take the steep uphill path on your evening bike ride, or planning a weekend hiking trip a couple hours away, I challenge you to see what happens when you decide to rule midlife.
