Loading summary
A
The following podcast is a Dear Media production.
B
Welcome to Balance Black Girl. My name is Les. I am your host and I appreciate you tapping in. So on this podcast, I talk about all the things that we're balancing in life and how they contribute to our well being. Today's episode, I think is a pretty important one because I'm talking about the changes to make to your wellness routine in your 20s versus your 30s. So I first became interested in wellness at 21, and the things that I did at 21 to support my wellness are so drastically different than things that I Now do at 35. Currently 35. At the time that I'm putting out this episode for my wellness, I've had a lot of trial, I've had a lot of error, I've learned a lot of things the hard way. And I want to talk a little bit more about that because I know most of my audience is in our 20s and in our 30s, and I don't think that we talk enough about just the different changes to make to our wellness routines as we age and as we navigate life. And I think sometimes there's a sentiment that, oh, as you get older, everything falls apart. And yes, like our bodies do kind of become a little bit more maybe fragile over time, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It means that we just have to care for them differently. And I want to talk a little bit more about what that means and what that looks like. And I also think that we get a little rigid and a little too set in our wellness routines. And we think that just because something worked for us for a time, that it has to work for us for forever. And the thing is, our bodies are changing all of the time. Every day we kind of wake up to a new body depending on where you're at in life, where you're at in your cycle. And so we have to be able to ebb and flow to give our bodies what they need during different points. And so I'm going to talk a little bit more about wellness in our 20s and things that I did in wellness in my 20s and then wellness in our 30s and things that I'm doing for wellness in my 30s, some of the similarities and some of the differences, so that no matter old you are, you're going to have something to take away from this episode. So let's get into it. On this podcast, I've talked about my wellness journey 10 Ways to Sunday. I've told the story about how I became interested in wellness in college so that I could get More energy at my internship. And it just became a habit that has stuck for me ever since. So I won't harp into all of that, but as I've gotten older, I have noticed that some of the things that worked for me at those points in my life just don't work for me anymore. And so I want to talk a little bit more about 20s wellness habits and then I want to talk about 30s wellness habits. So we're going to start off with our 20s wellness habits. Now, the thing about our 20s is I think that our 20s are a severely miss marketed decade. When we're in our 20s, there is all of this pressure that that is the pinnacle of adulthood, that that is supposed to be the best decade of our life, that we are supposed to have everything fig out. And if we have not successfully done everything that we intend to do by the time the clock strikes Midnight on our 30th birthday, we are a failure. That is not the truth. The reality of it is your 20s are your first decade of adulthood. Up until you reach your 20s, you are literally a giant child. When you are a teenager up until about the age of like 22, you are a. An overgrown child. And it's not really until 25 when that frontal lobe really develops that you truly start thinking and moving through life like more of an adult. And we gradually become more of an adult over time. But the thing that helps us become more of an adult is our lived experiences, is those challenges that we face is falling on our face is falling on our ass and figuring out how to get back up. So we beat ourselves up for a lot of the mistakes that we make in our twenties, but the mistakes that we make in our twenties are actually crucial to becoming a real adult because that is how you learn and that is how you know not to make the same mistake the next time. Ideally now, if you go around making the same mistake over and over, then sis, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what we're doing. But your twenties are more so a decade for experimentation, learning what makes you tick and learning how the world works. And that applies to everything from social to relationships to work to your wellness. So when you are in your 20s, I don't necessarily think that you need a super strict, let's say workout and nutrition routine that is incredibly specific. I think your twenties are more so about figuring out how do I navigate wellness as an adult. For most people in their 20s, that is the first time they get a serious job. That is when they're starting to commute, that is when they are starting to live on their own for the first time. That is when they're entering more serious relationships. And so instead of focusing so much on prescriptive fitness or prescriptive nutrition during that time, let's say specifically you're like early to mid-20s when you're experiencing a lot of those firsts. I think what you need to focus on, wellness wise, during that time of your life is like, how do I keep moving? How do I get into a routine of prioritizing my wellness now that I have a new job? Or if I'm entering my first serious relationship? How can I still prioritize my wellness while also factoring in this person? Or how can I still factor in my wellness when I don't necessarily have my friends around me all the time like I maybe did in college or in school? And I'm figuring out this new normal of fitting together a social life and a work life and my wellness life. So I think your 20s, specifically the first half of your 20s, when you are like fresh into adulthood, is more so about making sure that you fit wellness into that puzzle and that you understand how to start kind of dancing with the various aspects of your life. So I don't care as much about what you're doing for movement in your early to mid-20s as I care about you just moving, whatever it is. So not having to be too prescriptive about how many strength days, how many cardio days, how many this, how many that you need to get into the habit of moving your body regularly as an adult and what that means for you from a routine standpoint. When I was in my 20s, this was something that I accidentally did, did really well, which I hadn't necessarily intended on it was I just spent a lot of practice refining my routine to figure out how to make working out specifically fit into my wellness life. So I tried working out at various different times of day. I would try to go after work, I would try to go before work, I would try to do these different things to figure out what worked for my schedule. And I ended up creating a routine where I had a really set night routine to set myself up for the next morning to make it really easy for me to wake up and go to the gym before work. And that was the routine that I followed for most of my 20s when I had really long commutes and just a lot of different factors in my life to tend to. So it wasn't necessarily about what were the workouts I was Doing it was about establishing the practice of moving my body regularly. And I was able to ebb and flow and do different types of workouts and different types of things all throughout my 20s and into my 30s. But what was most important was that I established the habit of doing it. I established the habit of working out regularly. I learned how to manage my time to be able to fit in a workout and a commute and a job and, you know, friends and boyfriends. And it was more so just figuring out that dance of how do I fit all of these things in? So I figured out routines to make those things work for me. So I think Your early to mid-20s are really all about you figuring out your new normal as an adult who prioritizes your wellness and your fitness.
A
All right, balance bestie ladies, let's talk about a little hack that keeps me feeling my best all day, every day. If you're like me, you're probably busy running around, working out and staying active. But hydration, that's where things can fall through the cracks. Especially in the winter when it's easy to forget. That's why I love Element. Element is a zero sugar electrolyte drink mix and it's here to help us stay hydrated without all the added sugar and weird ingredients that you find in most sports drinks. Now, trust me, a balanced electrolyte routine can make all the difference. When our bodies don't have enough electrolytes, we can feel headaches, fatigue, and even brain fog. Element has a science backed ratio of sodium, potassium and magnesium to help alleviate that and to give us the electrolytes that our body needs. It's just got what we need and none of the junk that we don't. And right now, Elements limited edition chocolate medley is back and I'm obsessed. Think chocolate mint, chocolate chai and chocolate raspberry. I love adding half a stick of chocolate mint to my morning coffee. It turns it into the best peppermint mocha moment. Or in the evenings, I'll cozy up with some chocolate chai and hot water with a splash of almond milk. And because I know you'll love it, Element is hooking up our balanced black girl community with an exclusive deal. Just go to drinkelement.com balanceless to grab a free sample pack with any purchase that's D R I n K l m n t.com balanced less things are getting busier. With work deadlines piling up and the holidays around the corner, it's easy to forget about taking care of ourselves. But one simple but effective thing you can do to support yourself this season is to start taking Nutraful. Nutraful is the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand trusted by over a million people. See thicker, stronger, faster growing hair with less shedding in just three to six months with Nutraful Now I've had a bit of a hair glow up this year in Nutri. Full has been a big part of it since I started taking neutral. My hair is so much healthier, it's thicker. I shed way less and I am fortunately but unfortunately having to get it cut more often because it keeps growing out so quickly. In a clinical study, 86% of women saw improved hair health after taking Nutri Women's hair growth supplement for six months. Imagine thicker, stronger hair with less shedding. And building a routine with Nutraful is easy. They offer automated deliveries and free shipping so you never miss a dose. PL plus with a subscription you'll save up to 20%. Get access to free naturopathic doctor consults and a headspace membership is included. Get results you can see and feel for a limited time. Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month subscription and free shipping. When you go to Nutraful.com and enter the promo code Balance less Find out why over 4,500 healthcare professionals and stylists recommend Nutraful for healthier hair. Nutraful.com spelled n u t r a f o l.com promo code balanced less that's nutraful.com promo code balanced less.
B
Now once you get to your mid to late 20s, that's when you hopefully have a little bit more of a groove down. You've had a couple of years in the workforce kind of depending, you know, everybody's a little bit different and everyone's on a different timeline. But for most people, by the time time you enter your mid to late 20s, you've had a few years working, you've had a little bit of practice under your belt getting these routines down and this is when you can start focusing a little bit more on things that are specific to your unique goals. So during your mid to late 20s, this is when I really want you to start focusing on strength training and to really start focusing on having a strong body. When you're a little bit younger, you can get away with a little bit more. You, you know, you can metabolize things differently. Your energy, energy is set up a little bit different. But as you get into your mid to late 20s, that's when you may notice like the energy starts Dipping a little bit or a lot of people talk about this idea of, you know, oh my gosh, my body is changing so much. It's my second puberty kind of. Yeah, you're, you're just actually becoming a physical adult. You know, even in your early 20s, you still can kind of have a little bit of a teenage body. Remember, teenagers are overgrown children. And so comparing your late 20s body to your late teens body, when you are a teenager, you are still literally a child. So you can't beat yourself up about that. And it's not necessarily about, you know, being upset if your body continues to develop and change in certain ways. It's more so about, okay, what does health look like and feel like for me in this moment? When you're in your mid to late 20s, that is when your body is at like peak muscle development. So that is a really great time to focus on strength training, because that is going to be the time in your life when you can most efficiently put on lean muscle mass. That is when it's easier for you to build and maintain muscle. So if you really focus on beginning to build muscle in your mid to late 20s, it's going to be easier for you to maintain lean muscle mass, which we'll talk about in your 30s and beyond. So this is when you can start introducing strength training to your routine. You don't necessarily have to lift the heaviest in the world, but this is when you want to start experimenting with understanding those strength movements. When I was in my 20s and I first got into strength training, I used a book called the New Rules of Lifting for Women. I will link it in the show notes, and it was such a helpful guide for me understanding the basics of strength training, understanding those basic movements that I needed to have down to get stronger. And then over time, I was able to kind of shift and modify them to meet my wellness goals. It taught me, you know, those key movements like a squat, like a lunge, like a plank, like an ab rotation, like a push, a pull. These are the core foundational movements to build strength. So when you're in your mid to late twenties, your fitness routine specifically needs to start focusing a bit more on strength training again in your early 20s. I don't care what you're doing as long as you're moving. If you want to start strength training, then great, I did. Please do. Don't feel a lot of pressure that you need to, like, focus too much on muscle. Then I care more about you building the habit of working out. And then in your mid to late 20s, that's when it's time to start getting a little bit more serious about putting on lean muscle mass to continue to support having a healthy metabolism, to help. Help you have strong bones, and to support your overall wellbeing as you get ready to enter your 30s. So that's what I would focus on from a particularly fitness standpoint when you're in your 20s. So again, early 20s, establish the habit. Late 20s, mid to late 20s, that's when you want to start amping up the strength training a bit more, introducing it if you've never done it, and just really get those core concepts of strength training down, get those core kind of movements down, start building just a general base of strength training. Now, when you're in your 30s, ooh, the rubber starts to hit the road. And also, I want to say, if you're in your 30s and you did not do those things in your 20s that I just mentioned, that is okay. You are not behind, you're not doing anything wrong. But it means we're getting up and it means we are getting after it, we're getting serious. So as you're in your 30s and you're in beyond, this is when we really want to. To focus on being more intentional with our movement. So ideally, if we did in our twenties what I just described, by the time we reach our 30s, we hopefully, in an ideal world, would already have a baseline of fitness, because we have consistently been working out for maybe about a decade where we are in the practice of regularly moving our bodies in a way that feels good to us, and we maybe have a little bit of strength training under our belt where we kind of know the basics and we can do the basics as we enter our 30s, that's when things really start changing metabolically. That's when things start changing from a hormone perspective. And it becomes incredibly important in our 30s and beyond to have lean muscle mass on our frame. So that means that the core, the majority of what we are doing for our fitness routine in our 30s and beyond needs to be strength training. We need to be doing more strength training than we are doing everything else. And you can absolutely do other things. If you wanna run, run. If to do yoga, do yoga. If you want to do Pilates, do Pilates. I love it. I do it all. I don't love running, actually, but I do still do it sometimes. But we need to be doing more strength training than we are doing everything else. That is the main course. And the other things are a side dish. Okay. Strength training needs to be the Main course. And we need to be lifting heavy to really focus on building strength and maintaining as much muscle mass fast as possible. So we want to focus on strength training in our 30s and beyond for a couple of reasons. One, having as much lean muscle on our frame really helps our metabolic health. As we get older, we do see declines in our metabolism. And it's not like, you know, when the clock strikes 30 again, our metabolism just immediately nosedives. Unless you have some sort of health condition or metabolic disorder, that's usually not the case. It's actually not until we reach our late 40s, early 50s, we start entering kind of the perimenopausal stage that at least for most women, we start seeing more drastic changes in our metabolic health. For most of us, it's like, you know, once we reach our mid to late 20s, it's just kind of like a very steady gradual decline. Again, unless there is a health condition related to that that people have, which is true. But if you do not have any health conditions like, you know, diabetes, pcos, a metabolic condition, for most people, that is usually what happens. It's just like a gradual, with kind of decline in our metabolic rate. So if we have lean muscle on our frame, it's going to help us maintain a healthier metabolic rate. So it's going to help us maintain a healthier body composition. As we age.
A
With everything life throws at us, stress, environmental exposure, even the foods we eat, taking a proactive approach to skincare is a must. That is why I've been reaching for Dende, which is a bio based skincare line designed to tackle what scientists now know is the root cause of visible aging called inflammaging. Inflammaging is something we all experience. It's that silent underlying inflammation caused by daily stressors like environmental exposure, emotional stress, or even high sugar foods. All of these can break down the collagen and elastin in our skin over time. And that's where Dende comes in. Dende's formulas are science backed and clinically proven to improve texture, elasticity, tone, while tackling those early signs of aging like fine lines and dryness. Their proprietary biotech ingredient is actually shown to target inflammation 15 times more effectively than niacinamide, which is huge for anyone wanting to protect their skin for the long run. I've been using Dende serum and I love how it keeps my skin feeling hydrated and resilient. Adding it to my routine has really helped me feel like I'm giving my skin exactly what it needs to stay Healthy and vibrant. So if you're ready to take your skin care to the next level, Dende is offering 15% off your first order. Just go to dende.com that's D E I N D E.com and use the code balanceless at checkout. Start caring for your skin proactively with Dende. We all have thoughts pop into our head that could be disturbing or even embarrassing. But for someone with obsessive compulsive disorder, or ocd, those thoughts can feel impossible to shake. They can be violent, aggressive, or contradict deeply held beliefs. And it often feels isolating, like there's no one who could truly understand. That's exactly why NOCD was created to help people living with OCD get the specialized treatment they need. At nocd, every therapist is an OCD specialist trained in exposure and response prevention, or erp, the most effective therapy for ocd. They understand what it's like to deal with these thoughts and can help you face them in a safe, compassionate environment through live face to face video sessions. What's also powerful about NOCD is its commitment to cultural competency. OCD can show up in unique ways across different communities. For example, for black people, symptoms might focus on experiences like our hair or our religious beliefs. No CD therapists know how to identify and treat these symptoms and they receive cultural competency training to support no CD members from all backgrounds. Your treatment plan is built with your individual experiences and needs in mind. Plus, NOCD accepts many major insurance plans and provides 24, 7 support between sessions so you don't have to face this alone. If you're ready to learn more about starting therapy with no, go to nocd nocd.com and schedule a 15 minute call with their team. That's n o c d dot com.
B
The other reason why it is so important to have lean muscle and to strength train is we want to focus on having strong bones. So as we get into our late 30s and into our 40s, that's when we could start seeing loss of bone mass, which is something we want to be really careful about. Especially as we get ready to enter into our perimenopausal years, we become at a higher risk for things like osteoporosis, breaking bones, joint injuries when we don't have strong bones. And so the great thing about strength training is it is the only physical action you can take to help you strengthen your bones. Yes, we need our nutrients. Yes, we need things like, you know, calcium and vitamin D. That's what we can take in from a nutrient standpoint but the only thing we can physically do to help us strengthen our bones is strength training. So when we have the weight of those weights, kind of putting good stress on our bodies, it helps us keep our bones strong, which is crucial if we can keep strong bones in our 30s and 40s, we are going to be so much better off in our 50s and in our 60s. So it really starts now. Now it's also really crucial as we enter our 30s and beyond to really focus on stretching and mobility. And this is the one that I probably struggle with the most because I'm a gym girly. I love doing the gym girly things. I don't always love stretching, but we really have to do it because the older we get, the more stiff we get, It's a little bit harder for our muscles to loosen up and to warm up. And so when we are not able to execute a movement through the full range of motion, if our muscles are too stiff, we are going to be more prone to injury. So if we want to stay strong, if we want to stay moving, we have to stretch more. I know, I know. So that means that the key pillars of our movement practices in our 30s need to be intentional Strength training. Lifting heavy to failure with the intention of building and maintaining as much muscle and healthy bones as possible, as well as mobility work and stretching after we do that, so that our muscles do not tighten up too much and so that we have healthy joints and we're able to maintain a full range of motion. For me, I just don't love doing stretching and mobility workouts on their own, But I do really like doing things like Pilates and yoga to help that. Yoga is really great for stretching the muscle. Pilates is really great for helping you move through a range of motion as well as for strengthening those really little muscles around joints, like your knees, in your low back, in your core to support the overall structure of your body. So again, doing mostly strength training and then supplementing with things like Pilates, like yoga to keep you flexible and moving is going to be crucial for fitness in your 30s. Now, from a nutrition standpoint, I am kind of of the belief that good nutrition is good nutrition throughout the lifespan. Like what's good for you food wise, in your 20s is what's going to be good for you food wise in your 80s, like eating as much plants as possible, having healthy sources of protein. Please enjoy the things that you like and indulge and love on yourself with good food. But if things don't make you feel good, maybe don't have it every single meal, every single day. Keep things in moderation. I think those are like rules for life. When it comes to nutrition, what we do tend to see from our 20s, going into our 30s is in our 20s, it's a lot easier to bounce back from something in our 20s. If we have a bunch of sugar or if we have a bunch of alcohol or if we have a bunch of things, we're able to kind of bounce back from that, making us not feel good pretty quickly. As you enter your 30s, you notice your bounce back game. It's not what it used to be. And so that is when we experience rougher sugar crashes and we feel more tired if we eat super starchy things without some protein and fat to balance it out. That is when hangovers are terrible. And alcohol just feels so much worse in your 30s and beyond than it does in your 20s, because we just don't metabolize it as well as we get older, that is when we experience, you know, the effects of, like, if we're not getting enough protein, we can feel it more. We may feel things like heartburn or indigestion more as we get older because our body just isn't able to bounce back from some things as easily as it did when we were younger. So I think as you enter your 30s, being really mindful of how you feel after you eat certain things, are you noticing symptoms that are different from what you experienced before? It can be really common for some people to maybe not tolerate dairy as well in their 30s and beyond as they did in their 20s, or to not tolerate spicy food as they get older as they did when they were younger. So it doesn't mean that those things are necessarily bad. It just means as you get older, it's really important to listen to your body and to listen to what your body is telling you. So maybe you just need a digestive enzyme before you eat some of those things to help you digest it a little bit better. Those are things that you really want to be mindful of in your 30s and beyond when it comes to nutrition. I will also say that as we get into our 30s and beyond, that is when it becomes particularly important to focus on our blood sugar. Whether you have a metabolic condition or not, we all have blood sugar that is impacted by the things we eat. That is how bodies work. And we tend to feel the effects of those things a lot more as we get older. So I remember when I was in high school, for lunch, I would literally go to Safeway and like, buy a donut. Or like, buy a bagel for lunch and I would feel absolutely fine. I could go through the rest of the school day and, like, go to volleyball practice and be fine. Nowadays, if I were to eat like a donut or just a bagel on an empty stomach, I would pass out an hour later because my blood sugar just can't handle stuff like that like it used to when I was younger. Now also, even if you feel fine when you're younger, you still shouldn't be doing that because that's just not like a balanced way to fuel your body. We all need proteins, fats and carbs. They're all important. What I'm saying is, like, when you're younger, even though it still isn't good for you, you don't feel it as much as when you're older. And your energy levels are going to be the key thing that tell you that. And often your energy levels are kind of dictated by your blood sugar and by what's going on with your blood sugar. So for me, when I eat those delicious carby things, I try not to do it alone without having some sort of protein and fat source to balance it out. And then it also becomes really important as you get older to make sure you're getting in enough fiber again. Everybody needs fiber. Fiber is important at every stage. I believe the nutrition recommendation for adult women is about 25,5 grams of fiber per day, which we should all be getting. However, as you get a little older, digestion slows down a little bit. You start feeling that more so in your 30s and beyond, really making sure that if you are particularly eating things that are super starchy, making sure that they at least have some sort of fiber source and that you are also having it with protein and a fat source to help slow down the absorption of how quickly that is metabolized in your body so that it doesn't spike your blood sugar or leave you crashing is going to be super important. The other thing is that when we eat these kind of really starchy things or these really sugary things without having adequate protein and fats and fiber, is that that also just does a number on our bodies. It leads to a glucose spike. It's a lot of stress on our liver. And our liver is really important for a lot of different things. It's how the body detoxifies itself. And it's really important to have a healthy liver when it comes to your hormone health. And in your 30s, that's when we start experiencing a lot of hormonal changes. You know, we're kind of in our last full menstruating decade. For a lot of people, the average age for perimenopause I believe is like late 40s. Average age of entering full menopause I want to say is around 53 in the US and so like our 30s are kind of our last full menstruating decade. So we're going through a lot hormonally. We want to make sure we're really taking good care of our liver. We're not overburdening it with eating like super starchy foods without some sort of protein and fat source to balance it out. Again, these are things that you are important that are important for you to do at any stage in your Life. But your 30s is when you start to really feel it. So I'm not telling you to not live your life life. Eat the things you love. Lord knows I'mma love me a pasta, I'mma love me a donut, I'mma love me a cookie. And I'm still going to eat those things, but I'm going to make sure that I don't eat them on an empty stomach without having had some source of protein, fat and fiber first so that my body can properly use all of the fuel that it's using and do its thing.
A
Fall is officially here and with cooler weather and busy schedules, having shoes that are comfortable and stylish is a must. That's why I'm loving Vionic, because they have the best essentials for everyday wear to keep up with everything the season brings. This fall I picked up the Uptown Loafer and the Walk Max. The Uptown Loafer is perfect for travel since it's deconstructed to collapse flat and comes in premium suede and leather options, which are so versatile. And the Walk Max. It's engineered for walking with a high rebound and rocker bottom so it keeps me comfortable whether I'm running errands or out for a long day. The support and comfort are unmatched. It's like my feet are thanking me with every step. As someone who is constantly on the go, comfort is a top priority for me. But I don't want to sacrifice style and finding shoes that are also wide enough for me can be really challenging. I have really wide feet feet and sometimes have to compromise style for comfort. But Vionic has me cover. They even have a 30 day guarantee. You can wear them, love them, or return them for a full refund if they're not the perfect fit. So if you're looking to elevate your fall wardrobe with Shoes that look great and keep you moving comfortably. Vionic is the way to go. Right now you can get 15 off your entire order@vionicshoes.com when you log into your account and use the code BBG at checkout. That's V I O N I C Shoes.com code BBG Bionic Shoes Wearable well being for your feet When I first.
B
Moved to the east coast from California.
A
I really had to start over when.
B
It came to having warm fall and winter wardrobe pieces. So I stocked up on some go.
A
To pieces that always get compliments. And you know what? They are all from Quince. Seriously. My favorite sweaters, the ones that everyone.
B
Asked me about about are from Quint.
A
And I've been shopping with them for years. Not only are their Mongolian cashmere sweaters incredibly soft and luxurious, but they start at just $50. And it's not just sweaters. When I need a new jacket, a cozy hat, or even gloves and scarves, Quince is my one stop shop. Everything is made from premium materials like cashmere, leather and cotton, all at prices that are 50 to 80% less than what you'd pay for other high end brands. And the quality is fantastic. I love how Quint partners directly with top factories, cutting out the middleman so you get amazing quality without breaking the bank. Plus they use ethical and responsible manufacturing practices which makes me feel even better about my purchases. So many of my key wardrobe staples are from Quince. My favorite dresses, sweaters, jackets, even my luggage is from Quince. They truly have everything. If you're ready to upgrade your fall and winter wardrobe with luxurious essentials that won't bust your budget, head over to quince.com balance less for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E.com balanced less.
B
Next area that I want to talk about when it comes to how wellness changes in our 20s versus our 30s is our sleep health. Now I don't know about you, but in my 20s my sleep was absolute trash for so many reasons. One, I would just wake up super early in the morning to like work out and commute and do all of these things. And it was very common for me to go to bed at you know, 11:00pm and wake up at like 4:00am and I mean I would feel sleepy but like I could just drink some coffee and be fine. Now if I were to do that regularly, not fine. Again, the older we get, the more important it is to make sure we really have our sleep health on lock. But sleep is important at every stage of life. So I think if you can get a good sleep routine down in your 20s, that you can maintain in your 30s, that is great. Also, being mindful that there are a lot of reasons in life that we may not be getting adequate sleeps. So if you just had a baby, that is not going to be the season of your life. No matter how old you are, where you are getting the best quality sleep, right? But if you do not, then that is going to. If you don't have, you know, a baby or small kids or something like that, that is impeding on your sleep, then it's going to be really important to focus on your sleep quality. So being really mindful of, okay, how many hours of sleep am I getting per night? How long does it take me to fall asleep? When I eat dinner right before I go to bed, how does that make me feel versus if I eat dinner a few hours before bed, how does that make feel? Are there supplements that help with my sleep? What type of room feels optimal for my sleep? So really getting that down in your 20s so that you know yourself and you know your body and you're able to really apply it in your 30s is going to be really helpful. And that's something that I wish I would have done a better job with. I didn't really pay much attention to my sleep in my 20s, whether that was from, you know, working a bunch of jobs and just staying up late, like revenge bedtime procrastination, because that felt like the only time in my day that I had for myself or whether that was from like partying and drinking. Alcohol is terrible for your sleep. Even though you may feel tired after drinking and you may feel like it helps you go to sleep, you will probably notice that your quality of sleep is usually trash because alcohol is doing a lot in your body while you're trying to sleep. And so you're actually not able to get the best, best quality of sleep, even if you can get a decent number of hours. And so if you are somebody who frequently drinks alcohol, that's something to be mindful of, the fact that it's impacting your sleep. And those were a lot of the things that were negatively impacting my sleep in my 20s. But now that I'm in my 30s, I now feel the effects of, like, if I stay up too late, it is going to be a rough day the next day, and I'm just unable to rally in ways that I could when I was younger. Also something that I'm noticing is that when I was Younger, it was a lot easier for me to sleep in. Even if I did stay up too late, I could usually like sleep in late to make up for it. And the older I get, the harder it is to sleep in. And nowadays it doesn't matter what time I went to bed. The absolute latest that I will be asleep is about 7am and my body physically can't sleep past that point anymore. And I never understood why, like my parents woke up so early or my grandma woke up so early. And now I understand. Because your body will wake you up, your bladder will wake you up. Once you reach a certain age, it's just it didn't matter when you went to bed. You're up now. So really making sure that you are minding your nighttime routine to get adequate sleep. Because for many of us as we age, when it's time to get up, it's just time to get up and there ain't no sleeping in. Making sure that you're getting enough sleep on the front end is super helpful. For me, I have an OURA ring. I've had it for years. I talk about it all the time. This has been a really helpful tool for me in getting better sleep because now I have data to back up. Okay, what is the quality of sleep? Okay, I noticed that this night when I was reading this is the level of quality sleep that I got versus the next night when I was kind of up late on TikTok, I got lower quality sleep. And why is that? Or this night when I ate dinner earlier, I slept way better than the other night when I had dinner a little bit later or something like that. I'm able to quantify how things impact my sleep and make better choices because of it. So whether you're in your 20s, but especially if you're in your 30s, really understanding what you need to get good sleep and doing the best that you can to make that happen is going to be super, super crucial. So those are some of the thoughts that I have around the ways that taking care and tending to your health shifts and changes in your 20s to your 30s. I hope that this episode was helpful for you no matter where you are at in your life or in your wellness journey, to be able to have some nuggets that are helpful. No matter where you're at in your life. There is a future version of you who is going to be so grateful for the choices that you are making now, as long as you make good choices for her and that you do the best you can with what you have. So as you're navigating your wellness journey from wherever you're at, whether you're in your 20s, your 30s, your 40s, or beyond. Think about that next version of yourself who is the direct recipient of the consequences or of the outcomes of exactly what you're doing right now. Think about how you would want to treat her. Think about how you would want her experience to be be, and let that guide the habits, the practices and the decisions that you make right now. I hope you enjoyed this episode. I have also linked a bunch of resources for you in the show notes for a lot of the things that I mentioned in this episode. I also created a Shop My post specifically for this episode, just with some of my favorite fitness and wellness goodies that have supported me in my 20s through my 30s, whether that is books that I mentioned, supplements that I like to take, things that have helped me along my journey as I've navigated wellness in my 20s and in my 30s. So make sure you check out the show notes for all of those resources because they're going to be linked there. It's going to be super easy on my shop. My I have a podcast tab, so for podcast episodes where I specifically give out a lot of recommendations, kind of like this one, I will make sure that everything is linked in a hub there so it's really easy for you to find. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode again, I hope it was helpful as you navigate your wellness journey no matter how old you are. If you enjoyed this episode, please make sure you leave us a five star rating and review. We only we're only interested in five stars, so if you didn't have a five star experience, that's okay, but maybe keep it to yourself and make sure that you are subscribed to this podcast, whether that's on Apple, Spotify or YouTube, so that you don't miss a single episode episode when it drops.
A
And if you really enjoyed this episode, make sure you share it with your.
B
Wellness bestie so that she can get these tips as well. Thank you again for tuning in and I will see you next week. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.
Balanced Black Girl Podcast Summary
Episode: [Solo] Optimal Wellness Habits for Your 20s and 30s
Release Date: November 5, 2024
Host: Les, Balanced Black Girl
In this insightful solo episode, Les delves into the evolution of wellness routines from the vibrant years of the 20s to the transformative decade of the 30s. Drawing from her personal journey and extensive experience, Les offers actionable advice tailored to help listeners optimize their health, self-care, and overall well-being as they navigate through these pivotal life stages.
Les begins by challenging the common misconception that the 20s are the pinnacle of adulthood. She emphasizes that this decade is a critical period for experimentation and learning.
“Your twenties are more so a decade for experimentation, learning what makes you tick and learning how the world works.” (02:15)
Key Points:
Personal Experience: Les shares her own journey of figuring out the best times to work out amidst a demanding schedule in her 20s. She highlights the importance of building consistent habits rather than sticking to specific workout types.
“It was not necessarily about what were the workouts I was doing; it was about establishing the practice of moving my body regularly.” (05:45)
As individuals approach their mid to late 20s, Les advises a shift towards more structured fitness routines, particularly strength training.
“This is when you want to start experimenting with understanding those strength movements.” (09:10)
Key Points:
Practical Advice: Les recommends resources like the book New Rules of Lifting for Women to understand and implement effective strength training routines.
“I used a book called the New Rules of Lifting for Women. It was such a helpful guide for me understanding the basics of strength training.” (10:30)
Entering the 30s brings about metabolic and hormonal changes that necessitate a more intentional approach to wellness.
“In your mid to late twenties, your fitness routine specifically needs to start focusing a bit more on strength training.” (12:45)
Key Points:
Nutrition Adjustments: Les discusses the importance of adapting nutritional habits as the body’s ability to metabolize certain foods changes.
“In your 30s, being really mindful of how you feel after you eat certain things is going to be super important.” (18:50)
Recommendations:
Les highlights the increasing importance of sleep quality as one transitions into their 30s.
“Now that I'm in my 30s, I now feel the effects of, like, if I stay up too late, it is going to be a rough day the next day.” (30:00)
Key Points:
Tools and Tips: Les shares her experience with using an OURA ring to monitor and improve sleep quality, showcasing the benefits of data-driven sleep management.
“I'm able to quantify how things impact my sleep and make better choices because of it.” (33:50)
Beyond physical health, Les underscores the importance of a holistic approach to wellness that includes mental and emotional well-being.
Key Points:
Les wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to consider their future selves when making wellness decisions today. She emphasizes the lasting impact of current habits on long-term health and well-being.
“There is a future version of you who is going to be so grateful for the choices that you are making now.” (40:20)
Final Thoughts:
This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for individuals in their 20s and 30s seeking to optimize their wellness routines. Les effectively bridges personal anecdotes with practical advice, making the content relatable and actionable for listeners at different stages of their wellness journey.