Could YOU react fast enough?
You Don't Know When You'll Need It
Have you ever had to react in an instant?
Maybe to:
• Grab something
• Catch yourself
• Or move out of the way quickly?
A few years ago, my mom was walking on a marina dock when her dog accidentally slipped off between two boats.
The area was too tight for the dog to swim, and she began to sink fast.
Without hesitation, my mom reached down, grabbed her 40-pound dog, and hoisted her back onto the dock with one arm.
She was in her 60s at the time. 😱
That quick reaction combined with lots of strength is called power.
And you never know when you’ll need that muscular power.
But when you do, it’s often in life’s most critical moments.
Why This Matters
Several studies support that the less strength and power you have, the more your quality of life deteriorates. Yikes. Read more about it HERE and HERE. Improving your strength and power improves your life!!
FITNESS SIMPLIFIED
Once you’ve built a solid baseline of strength, it’s time to start training your power.
Fitness Tip to Be Strong & Resilient
Train Your Power
Power training means moving with speed and strength at the same time.
Olympic powerlifting moves like the clean & jerk or snatch are classic examples.
But power training can also be simple, like slamming a medicine ball or doing bounding drills.
The 3 moves below are my favorite starting point because they build explosiveness in your muscles and connective tissues, without as much impact on your joints.
Low Impact Power Moves to Build Strength and Prevent Injuries
- Bent-Over Power Rows (6/side) – Pull fast, release with control. Boosts shoulder strength + power.
- Total Body Extensions (6 reps) – Squat down slow, then drive up fast! Great full-body coordination + explosiveness.
- Lateral Skater Hops (6/side) – Side-to-side power and control = fewer trips, stumbles, and injuries.
Extra tip: To lower your risk of injury when doing power moves, first rehearse the motion slowly. Master the mechanics and feel fully in control, then add speed and explosiveness.
Did You Know...
- Muscle strength and power begin to decline around age 30 for both men and women.
- Sports like pickleball tap directly into your muscular power with running, cutting, jumping, and throwing.
- Don’t start with jumping right away. Spend at least 2-3 months working on full body strength training first to build up the resilience of your soft tissues. Once you have a good strength base, you can safely ease into bouncing, jumping, bounding and other power exercises.
NUTRITION SIMPLIFIED
Should you take creatine or collagen for your muscles and soft tissues?
Nutrition Tip to Be Strong & Resilient
Focus on protein from real food before supplements
Creatine and collagen are definitely having a moment.
Especially for women over 40 who want strong muscles and healthy joints.
But do they really work?
Here’s the quick breakdown:
Creatine -
• One of the most researched supplements out there and has been proven safe over and over again.
• Helps with muscle recovery and regeneration, ultimately supporting stronger muscles.
• Naturally comes from meat, so supplementing can be helpful for someone on a plant-based diet or who doesn’t eat very much meat. (Learn more about creatine here.)
Collagen -
• Not as well-researched as creatine.
• Some studies suggest small benefits for joints, skin, and hair, but overall the results are inconclusive. Here’s an article if you’re curious.
The Bottom Line
If you’re deficient in protein in general, neither of these supplements are going to help much.
Taking a simple whey protein supplement to increase your protein intake would be the better choice.
BUT if you are consistently hitting your daily protein goals (about 1.2–2.0 g of protein per kg of bodyweight daily), then you can consider taking it up a notch with a creatine supplement.
Remember, getting your nutrients from real food is always going to be the best choice.
Here’s a high-protein, high-creatine dish to cozy up with on cooler Fall days ahead:
Michelle’s Beef Chili
Other high protein/high creatine ideas:
- Lean ground beef taco salad
- Salmon with baked sweet potato
- Tuna salad on greens
MINDSET SIMPLIFIED
Don’t Let Fear Run the Show
Fear of falling.
Fear of injury.
Fear of living with a poor quality of life.
These thoughts can quietly take over your day-to-day decisions until you’re moving less, doing less, and feeling less confident.
How do you break that damaging cycle?
The best way is to take action.In those moments — like when you have to spontaneously yank a dog out of the water to keep it from drowning — you’ll be glad you took that action to work on your power.
Don’t let fear decide what you can or can’t do.
Start building the power and confidence now.
Mindset Tip to Be Strong & Resilient
Take Action Now
THE TAKEAWAY
You can’t predict when life will demand a quick burst of strength—but you can prepare for it. By training your power, fueling it well, and refusing to let fear hold you back, you’re building a future where you feel steady, capable, and resilient.
- Train Your Power
- Focus on protein from real food before supplements
- Take Action Now
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Self Care Simplified podcast
Ep 385. Are Creatine Supplements Good or Bad For Women over 40
Ep 316. The Fountain of Youth: 4 health Goldmines to Master in 2024
Ep. 392. How to Start Strength Training & Lifting Weights
SPECIAL RESOURCE
Want something for your skin that’s MORE helpful than just collagen supplements? I just listened to Dr. Mina’s The Skin Real podcast, which is a great resource for how to take care of your skin in midlife. I’ve already learned so much and you will, too!
What’s really going on with your skin in midlife?
Until next week... Be strong
