Mind, Body & Midlife: What Lizzi Tried This Month

This past month, I’ve deliberately stepped out of my comfort zone and it has felt brilliant. Doing something different, something that isn’t typically me, gave me an unexpected boost.

Interestingly, the joy didn’t start with the experiences themselves, it began the moment I made the decision or booked the session.

• Deciding to go

• Booking it

• Wondering, “What should I wear? What do I need?”

• Travelling there

• The experience itself

• The buzz afterwards

• Telling friends and family

• And now, writing it all down for you

Each step made me smile, filled me with anticipation, and allowed me to savour the process.

And with three very different experiences, that sense of variety added to the pleasure. Proving that stepping outside your usual routine can be just as rewarding as the experience itself.

Let me share them with you.

Okay, so I frequently visit Hampstead Heath for a London vibe dog walk, usually combined with a brunch or a lunch. Often I go past the Ladies Pond - a famous destination point that’s well known for female wellbeing.

The exciting part too is that you can’t see it. It’s hidden away and only those that pay-to-go get to experience it.

With cold water swimming often recommended for menopause wellbeing, I’ve long wondered what it would be like. By chance, while wandering the Heath with a friend, she mentioned it had always been on her wish list. In that moment, we decided we would book a session and try it for ourselves.

And we did - about two months later.

Fast forward to the actual day; it was raining. You can never ever guarantee good weather here in Britain in the month of August! It was pouring. The consensus over Whatsapp was, we are going to get wet anyway, so let’s just do it!

By the time we got there, the rain had eased. The ducks were having a good swim and the water (as described by the lifeguards was ‘it’s going to be cold!”

I thought I would get in swim straight to the exit, and be done! But that wasn’t how it turned out. The moment I entered the water and started swimming towards my friend, heading for the first buoy, sheer exhilaration took over.

“We are in, we’ve done it!”

We carried on to the next buoy, and then the next one with ducks swimming right next to us.

Going around us in laps, where the ladies that you could see, this was their daily or weekly routine. The noise of all the chatter amongst us. The ducks swimming with us. The trees giving us serenity and keeping the other world out of sight - made for a wonderful experience.

I do have a photo of the pond - but I’m not sharing it. I was glad to see it for myself without knowing beforehand. If you live in London or if you plan to stay in London. Why not add this to your bucket list.

My local Reformer Pilates wellness centre also has what they call a Wellness room, which allows up to two people to use their red light LED sauna and ice bath for a hot/cold experience for 45 mins.

I decided to give it a try, on my own.

It’s not that I needed any solo time, but I've never experienced an ice bath and didn’t want any pressure on going in or how long I was in the ice bath for. I wanted to be in control of what I wanted to do.

I kick started with a 10 minute sauna sit, to warm myself up. I then headed into the ice bath, for what I would say was all of 10 seconds. I hate the cold and instantly jumped out and thought ‘nope not for me’.

After 15 minutes of being in the sauna again, I was very hot. And during that time I gave myself a pep talk to get back in there - basically get my big girl pants on (metaphorically speaking!).

And so I did. This time, I think the bottom half of my legs where in it for 45 seconds and all of me was in it for 20-25 of those 45 seconds. A clear improvement on my first dip. And I’m sure had there been more time in the session, I would have tried for a third dip to improve on this.

The experience was exhilarating. I felt so amazing for a good 2-3 hours afterwards. A real buzz.

I plan to book back in again, this time with a friend. 45 minutes is a long time on your own!

It’s been quite a while since I had reflexology, and I’d forgotten just how good it can make you feel. Normally, I’d go for a full body massage, but I thought I’d try something different and I’m really glad I did.

It’s a treatment that focuses entirely on your feet, and at first you think, “How can this possibly make the rest of me feel any different?” But each point on your feet corresponds to a part of your body, and when those spots are worked properly, it really does make a difference.

By the end, I was walking on air… well, almost. In reality, all I wanted to do was curl up and sleep. My advice? Book it in the evening if you can. After a session like that, lunch is the last thing on your mind, unless of course, a long nap is an option.

I won’t tell, if you don’t!