Mother’s Day is this Sunday in many parts of the world. If there was EVER a time for mothers to feel validated, appreciated, pampered, healthy, and loved, this #stayathome Mother’s Day 2020 is it. Right? So I’ve come up with unique Mother’s Day gift ideas for peri-menopausal moms.
Whatever your circumstances – kids, no kids, grown kids, teenagers, littles, or grandkids – this new reality is HARD. I’ve had to put on my big-girl panties and up my ‘mother’ game in a serious way, with varied success.
For me, some of this involves the following:
The Sisyphean task of housework – it’s constant and thankless. The house seems to be messy again before I’ve even finished tidying. And the dust. Seriously, where does all the dust come from? I will never under-appreciate my weekly cleaning lady again.
Trying to work, study, and be of valuable service to my awesome clients and Facebook Group members (join here!) in less than half the time I used to have because I am now “home-schooling” my Grade 2 daughter. Oh, and failing miserably.
I’m Functioning on minimal sleep because…
- Daughter 3 is falling asleep later every night, while
- Teenage 1 and 2 have become nocturnal creatures who feed at strange hours.
- Add to that, I am now being blessed with perimenopausal night sweats that wake me throughout the night.
Since peri/menopause ‘symptoms’ are a sign of hormone imbalance these hot flashes are probably a result of increased cortisol due to my growing coffee intake and constant low-level stress about the state of the world. The return of some comfort carbs and sugar to my diet is also a contributor. (There is a time and place to diet – and this is not it!)
Phew – feels good to get that all off my chest. Thanks for letting me vent. Feel free to vent right back – it’s cathartic.
Can you relate?
Underpinning all these feelings, though, is gratefulness that mine are still First World problems and that I’m even in the blessed circumstance to celebrate Mother’s Day.
Most years, when my family asks what I want for Mother’s Day I usually say ‘Nothing, every day is Mother’s Day’ 🙄. This is not one of those years!
If you’re thinking about what to get your mom/aunt/sister/friend for Mother’s Day, want to drop hints to your family, or just treat yourself (heck, I do that all the time!) check out my social distancing-friendly gift idea below.
5 Unique Mother’s Day Gift Ideas
Move Well|Age Well Movement Coaching session with Tracy Seider
60-minute zoom session: Book Here!
Pay-what-you-can (valued at CAD$97/US$70)
Last day to book is May 24, 2020
If you are sick and tired of waking up every day feeling sore and achy, if you’ve tried everything to fix your back/hip/foot/neck [fill in the blank] pain, but nothing gives you lasting relief – then movement and alignment coaching may be the missing piece in your wellness journey.
Client Testimonial
“My hip, SI joint and shoulder pain have decreased so much after my Zoom session with Tracy. I totally see the difference between Tracy’s level of knowledge and how she is helping me than trying other techniques. I have been in the least amount of pain in the past two weeks than I have been in the past two years. It is flipping amazing! ”
— Katie H, Maryland
Mokita: How to navigate perimenopause with confidence and ease, by Shirley Weir
CAD$12 (~US$8.60) PDF e-version for you to read PLUS unlimited shares to your family, friends, co-workers, and health team.
https://www.mymokita.com/
Written by Women’s Health Advocate and founder of the Menopause Chicks community, Shirley Weir features 13 Women’s Health professionals. Shirley’s positive, affirming, no-nonsense, and counter-culture approach to peri/menopause opened my eyes and cracked open the menopause conversation for me. (I am a very proud Menopause Chicks Featured Expert.)
‘[P]erimenopause and menopause are not medical conditions! They are natural life phases, just like puberty … The word “symptoms” is used when talking about disease, and menopause is not a disease.’
Dynamic Aging: Simple exercises for whole-body mobility, by Katy Bowman
US$11.87 paperback; US$9.99 e-book
https://www.nutritiousmovement.com/product-category/bookstore/?ref=3342 (affiliate link)
This brilliant and practical book, written by biomechanist (and my teacher/mentor) Katy Bowman and four septuagenarians who have been following Katy’s program for a decade, is the perfect gift for our senior relatives and friends.
‘Dynamic Aging presents a new paradigm in senior fitness: your age isn’t responsible for your lack of mobility; your habits are!’
The book features 30+ moves to build pain-free feet, better balance, and confident movement. The exercises require minimal space and equipment – which is great considering we are holed up in our apartments and homes!
Restore Your Core (RYC)®
US$167 (on sale from US$197) (contact me for coupon code for an extra $10 off) https://restoreyourcore.com/?rxf=34 (affiliate link)
Now that going to the gym is no longer an option (and may not be for a while), online exercise programs have become the rage. But some are definitely better than others.
Being in perimenopause means that I need to be careful because it’s so easy for my sneeze pee and back/hip/neck aches to flare up if I do the wrong kind of exercise.
Lauren Ohayon’s yours-forever workouts are by far the best I’ve found to get and keep me strong, fit and toned, without causing damage or aggravating injuries. In fact, Restore Your Core is the exercise program I used to help rehab my pelvic floor and resolve my leaky bladder. I still cycle through the program regularly and am an RYC® PRO Teacher, running classes, and private online coaching sessions.
LOSE THE LEAKING – a 12-week PRIVATE movement coaching program to stop your leaky bladder issues – no Kegels required
CAD$727 (~US$520) (payment plan available, money-back guarantee)
Click to book a free 30-minute clarity call to see if this program is for you!
Seventy percent of peri/menopausal women will experience a little (or a lot) of “leaking” with a cough, sneeze, laugh, or jump. Additionally, they feel like they have “to go” all the time and wake several times in the night to use the bathroom. Although this is common is NOT NORMAl!
PSA – incontinence is progressive! Meaning that if you don’t start working on the underlying hormonal, lifestyle, exercise (you may be doing too much, too little, or the wrong kind), and movement patterning causes of your leaking, it is likely to get worse.
You do not have to ‘suck it up’, wear pads for the rest of your life, or accept that leaking is just part of having babies and aging. It is not!
So much is under your control to change – and the ‘fix’ is way more than Kegels.
“If I sneezed or coughed really hard, the tiniest bit of urine would escape from me. This was extremely disconcerting! I signed up for Tracy’s program to help my sore back, but I’ve received an unexpected bonus. Despite intense coughing and very deep sneezes, no leakage ” – Allison A, Florida
This Mother’s Day I know that you will find the perfect unique gift idea for mom. Wishing you a wonderful (albeit different) Mother’s Day.
We CAN do hard things!
Tracy
💜
Hi! I’m Tracy.
I’m a movement coach on a mission to help peri- and menopausal women see that they do not have to accept a ‘new normal’ as they age that is anything less than fabulous.
You see, I spent years in treatment for hip, back, bladder and pelvic issues, even though I exercised regularly and taught yoga part-time. It was only when I started following a whole-body approach to wellness, moving better, and moving more that I finally found relief.
In fact, I’m stronger and healthier at 50 than I was 20 years ago.
Along my healing journey I learned five movement breakthroughs that I share with my clients.
We need WAY more movement than we think we do.
Small changes can make a really big difference.
How you breathe truly matters.
The hour at the gym does not undo all the damage that is caused by too much chair-sitting.
Your movement and alignment habits can be wrecking your body.
I believe so strongly in this work that I quit my desk-job to teach better movement full-time.
If you are ready to step out of the conventional exercise box, let’s chat and see if movement coaching is right for you.
It may just be the solution you never even knew existed.