[Self-Introduction] Until I Became a Health Asset Planner

Nice to meet you.
Thank you for finding your way here among so many other blogs.

I am YUKA, working as a Health Asset Planner for the late 30s & 40s generation.

I currently live on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, with my New Zealand husband and our two children, aged 12 and 10, who are almost a year apart. Even after having children, I have been a working mom, working full-time for many years in Tokyo and New Zealand. When I was working, I was chased by time from morning until night every day and was always stressed. Even on weekends, it was almost impossible to have time for myself after doing chores and going out with my family. Because of that daily life, enjoying a cup of coffee at the office without being disturbed by anyone was my only moment of bliss.

However, I was pretending to be satisfied with that life. In reality, my mind and body had reached their limits.

So, let me talk a little bit about why I, now in my late 40s, am living a vibrant life without letting age get me down.

It was decades ago, so now that I think about it, I get angry at how stupid I was and what a waste of time it was!! (laughs), but for eight years from age 24 to 32, I wandered through a tunnel with no light in sight. I repeated breaking up and getting back together with a boyfriend I loved, and in the end, I was left devastated in both mind and body after being dumped right after a marriage proposal. As a result, I fell into depression, and one morning I suddenly couldn't even get out of bed, and I had to take a leave of absence from work. I thought about him all the time, lost my appetite, and the person I saw in the mirror looked like a zombie who had lost all vitality, to the point where my Adam's apple was visible. Desperate to escape that state, I got hooked on fortune-telling, learned about the laws of the subconscious and the spiritual world, immersed myself in various self-help books, and tried every method, but nothing satisfied me.
Then one day, with the single-minded determination that "I must change myself!", I, who had nothing to do with exercise, stepped into a local gym.

That was the beginning of my new life. By living a gym-freak lifestyle, exercise, which was just a distraction at first, became indispensable, and before I knew it, my body was nicely toned, and the zombie-like figure of the past had disappeared. And the me in the mirror had a healthy complexion, glowing skin, and friends and colleagues started asking me, "Did you get younger?"
Not only that, but I, who had been lethargic from heartbreak, became able to think positively, and my physical condition became excellent.

That was when I first learned about the wonderful changes that exercise brings to the mind and body.

I was in cultural clubs throughout elementary, middle, and high school, and I never did any exercise in college either. But after I started exercising, my mind and body changed significantly. When your body changes, your perceived age also changes, and you gain confidence in yourself. When you gain confidence in yourself, your physical condition improves, and my life itself began to change. Good and fun things started happening naturally, and I, who had been struggling desperately while crying every day until my tears ran dry, gradually regained my self-confidence because I started going to the gym and exercising, and I was finally able to crawl out of rock bottom.

So, that big heartbreak in my 20s was the trigger, and I have continued to exercise ever since.

That said, after experiencing childbirth and working full-time, my body naturally became easier to tire as I got older, and I was always in a state of feeling sluggish and lacking stamina. At that time, I remembered what I had almost forgotten: "exercising makes you feel better," and I started going to the gym every day in the morning, the only time I could have for myself.
Then, my body, which had felt tired all day, became refreshed, and I became an energetic version of myself. Perhaps because my immunity increased, I stopped catching colds and my physical condition improved. That's not all. My skin condition also improved, and now affordable basic skincare and cosmetics are enough for me. I am in my late 40s, but thanks to this, I have no symptoms of menopause.

From your late 40s, it's the second half of your life.
At this age, if you live as you have until now, your physical strength will continue to decline, and you will become even more prone to fatigue. I think many people find that as they get older, their bodies start to ache somewhere.
And now, we live in an era where it is said that life is 100 years long.
The super-aging society is progressing further, and young carers and lonely deaths have become social problems.
That is why I strongly feel that it is necessary to look ahead to the future—10, 20, 30 years from now—and make an effort to maintain the physical strength and muscle power that decline with age, so that you can move on your own without relying on anyone for as long as possible.

From my own experience, if you take care of your body while paying attention to exercise, diet, and sleep, there is no doubt that your body will be full of energy and your daily life will be fulfilling.

Also, many people in their 40s and 50s are often pushing themselves too hard without realizing it, due to the overlap of child-rearing. Therefore, listening to your own mind and body and facing yourself properly tends to be neglected.

"Cherishing yourself" means first knowing the state of your own mind and body.

If you can cherish yourself, every day will become easier, and you will be able to spend it happily.

It is extremely important in the coming era to prepare your mind and body from now on and invest in your future health and a happy life.

The body is capital, and health is an asset. And I call
physical health and mental well-being together "health assets".

Even now that I am in my late 40s,

1. I am asked for ID to buy alcohol several times a year,

2. a colleague two generations younger told me, "your skin is so beautiful and you don't look that age at all",

3. I improved the stubborn back pain I had been suffering from due to years of desk work and a postpartum potbelly & swayback,

4. and I was freed from the days of not being able to recover from fatigue due to menopause,

5. I can do 100 double-unders with a jump rope, maintaining enough physical strength and muscle to

spend every day energetically.

I invite you to increase your health assets as well, so that you can spend your future in happy days.

This time, I would like to introduce my story, which is filled with those thoughts.

The beginning of life was a scorching summer.

I was born on July 18, 1978, in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, as a premature baby weighing 2450g, during what was then the hottest summer on record. Surrounded by the idyllic scenery of rice fields and mountains, I spent my days playing with my sister, who was four years older, and the neighborhood children, staying outside until the evening chime rang at 6:00 PM. I had a competitive spirit and naturally began to show leadership; I still remember that my first-grade elementary school report card included a comment from my teacher calling me a "superwoman."
Influenced by the TV drama "Stewardess Monogatari" that was popular at the time, my dream when I grew up was to become a stewardess (flight attendant). Perhaps the desire to go abroad someday was already formed at that time.

My student days obsessed with the brass band and a dream that didn't come true

Influenced by the brass band my sister had started earlier, I joined the brass band in the fourth grade of elementary school and began playing the flute. At that time, brass band music was very popular in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, and there were many powerhouse schools at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels that would compete in the national brass band competition. Because of this, I joined the brass band in junior high school and spent my days working hard at club activities. I also entered a local public preparatory high school that had a brass band with experience in the national competition, and I dedicated my high school youth to club activities, spending not only every weekday after school but also weekends and summer vacations on them.

While many of my friends went on to national universities in the Tohoku region, I had learned about the fun of the city at the Yokohama Expo I visited in the fifth grade of elementary school. With a strong will that said, "I'm going to Tokyo when I grow up!", I entered the Faculty of Business Administration at Yokohama National University and began living alone. I spent my days busy with part-time jobs to earn money for tuition and living expenses, but I was blessed with wonderful friends and began to walk toward my own dream.

However, to become a flight attendant, which had been my dream since I was little, my height of 151cm did not even meet the application requirements, and my childhood dream was easily cut short. Even so, the desire to go abroad someday and the influence of the overseas drama "Beverly Hills, 90210," which I loved at the time, meant that my passion for the English I loved did not disappear, and I explored a new path.

Heartache becomes a turning point in life.

After graduating from university, I joined a foreign-affiliated life insurance company that everyone has heard of in commercials. Although there were times in the first few years after joining when I would return home on the last train, the atmosphere was free with almost no hierarchy, as it was a foreign-affiliated company, and every day was very fulfilling.

And then, at the age of 24, I had a fateful encounter. I met him, who was seven years my senior. That is as I explained at the beginning. While my heart was shattered and I worked hard at the gym, I also traveled abroad alone many times, to places like New York and Shanghai, to re-examine myself.

In my fifth year at the company, at the age of 28, I used the company's "Ability Development Leave System" to study abroad at my own expense in Los Angeles, a place I had always longed for, to change my environment. During my time abroad, I took on many challenges, was blessed with new friends in a foreign land, and discovered new values in life.

The challenge of being a mother and life in a new country.

Even after returning to Japan, I still couldn't forget him, and I continued to go to the gym. However, the many different cultures and values I learned abroad, and the self-confidence I gained from going to the gym, helped me grow without me realizing it and gave me the strength to step forward into a new future with confidence.

A few years later, I met my current husband, was blessed with two children, and began my days fulfilling my new role as a mother. However, even after returning to work from maternity leave, the days were filled with raising two children who were almost a year apart, and I was always struggling with myself for not being able to be kind to my children due to stress.

I resigned from the company where I had worked for 16 and a half years when I moved to New Zealand in December 2017. Raising children in the nature-rich environment of New Zealand was a different kind of challenge, and at the same time, a place for my own personal growth. However, letting go of my full-time career was not easy, and it was also a time for me to reaffirm my identity.

Balancing career and family.

During that time, I was lucky enough to be hired by the Japanese Embassy and started working full-time again. I was anxious at first about working in a completely new field, but I was blessed with wonderful colleagues and a supervisor, and every day was fulfilling. However, I began to struggle with balancing family and work here as well, and as my children grew, I strongly felt the need to cherish my own time.
Fortunately, there was a gym right below the office, and my daily routine of waking up early, going to the gym, and then heading straight to work became an important habit for me to maintain my mental balance.

Physical changes caused by the sudden pandemic.

With the pandemic at the end of March 2020, embassy work became extremely busy, dealing with the protection of Japanese nationals, humanitarian cases, and the rapidly changing immigration regulations between Japan and New Zealand.
The gym also closed, and as I became stressed again, my physique and physical strength rapidly declined, and a medical checkup revealed that my pre-existing condition had worsened.
Although my condition improved after starting medication, as expected,once you reach your 40s, your physique really falls apart in the blink of an eye.The clothes I wore to the office became looser, and I pretended not to notice my changing body.

Resuming exercise and discovering jump rope.

Once the pandemic settled down and I could go to the gym again, I decided to use my one-hour lunch break to exercise at the gym as a way to refresh. Since I had to exercise, shower, and return to the office within a limited time,a way to exercise efficientlywas what I sought, and I arrived at incorporating a few minutes of jump rope aerobic exercise in addition to the stretching and muscle training I had been doing.
I had participated in jump rope competitions in elementary school, so I could jump to some extent, but even so, after decades, one minute felt so long!! I kept tripping over the rope again and again. But as I continued, the number of times I tripped gradually decreased, and I was able to jump for longer, 30 seconds, then 40 seconds.That small improvement made me very happy, which led to increased motivation and commitment to exercise, and my body gradually became toned.

Guided to a new land.

Then, in March 2024, after the pandemic, I moved with my family to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Here, not only young people but also people in their 60s and 70s are jogging energetically by the seaside every day from early morning. And everyone is so lively and healthy. Such a life gives me new energy and makes me realize the importance of taking care of myself and being healthy both mentally and physically. I believe I was guided to this place to be more active as a Health Asset Planner. To that end, I am helping as many people as possible to stay energetic and healthy forever.

Thank you for reading until the end.

Health Asset Planner
YUKA