I’ve been going to Natalie for my nails for over 10 years.  Her salon was below a pilates studio where I worked.

I was so sick with Hashimoto’s that having someone give me a beautiful and perfect manicure made me feel better.  There were days that I wasn’t sure if I could walk back to my car due to my extreme exhaustion.  It feels like a lifetime ago and a reminder of the power we have to change our health.

Natalie brings me all her health questions.  She’s in her mid-40s and found that some of her clothes aren’t fitting.  She also said that she’s having trouble sleeping.  When I told her that perimenopause is likely knocking at the door she won’t hear of it.

She generally eats well as she’s grown up on her Mom’s Vietnamese meals of protein, vegetables, and rice.  Her challenge is she sits all day long.

She loathes the idea of working out in a gym. Can you relate?  I encouraged her to walk daily even if she only had a 10-minute break in her day.  The sunlight would help to regulate her circadian rhythm which would help with her sleep issues.

For the past two months, she’s proudly told me about her walks and they’ve become a daily habit.  She worked her way up to 10,000 steps a day sometimes spread over multiple mini-walks.  I’ve encouraged her to stick with it.

When I saw her last week she was thrilled that all the clothes she couldn’t fit into are now fitting again.  She said she hasn’t missed a day of walking since the end of November.  I’m thrilled for her.

Her daily walks are paying dividends: clothes that fit again and sleep that’s improved.