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For a long time, his life was hyperactive, with days passing between office shifts and overshift schedules, children’s activities, medical meetings, and social activities.
Until that day in 2020 that no one wants to remember anymore, amidst a pandemic and being stuck at home that disrupted everyone’s daily lives, he experienced a revelation that can only happen when you sit in the mirror long enough to look at yourself. The glass returned an image she did not recognize. It was an image of a tired woman, completely different from the curious young woman she had always been. Always ready to go, the first person to sign up for an impromptu outing, the first to sign up for a tennis match, the one to organize a barbecue, where was Vilma?
She was reaching that point – as a gynecologist, she knew her body was about to undergo many changes – it was inevitable, it was biology, it was the cycle of life, it was age, as the old saying goes, “Changes don’t happen alone.”
For 56-year-old gynecologist Vilma Rosiszewski, ceasing her usual routine during menopause was an opportunity to become aware of the changes her body and emotions were experiencing. He looked within himself with the same precision with which he cared for patients in his office.
Born in Posadas, Misiones, she came to Buenos Aires at the age of 18 to study medicine at UBA. He stayed here, started a family, and now lives with his two children and a dog. Separated, she organizes her life between her clinical practice, her studies, and the training routine that anchors her. Her day starts early. By 7, I’m already on the move, attending doctor’s appointments, training, and going out with friends and events as needed.
What could have been a breaking point, for thousands of women still experiencing menopause, uninformed, confused and alone, turned into an opportunity, and she didn’t hesitate for a second. She intended to return to sports.
So when, at the end of the pandemic, a friend invited her to join a group of people who practice triathlon, she accepted with an enthusiastic “yes.” She didn’t have to think much about it. He has known this discipline since he started training at the age of 38, but without continuity, always interrupted by work and family obligations. “I started training and never stopped,” says Wilma. “Getting back to running and swimming after not doing it for five years was again a challenge that gave me a lot of enthusiasm,” Wilma recalls. There was just one small point to resolve…
Triathlon is an endurance sport that combines swimming, cycling, and running. In that order. However, Wilma had been afraid of water since she was a child, and although she had partially overcome that fear some time ago, she did not know whether it would resurface when it was her turn to be in open water years later. ”Can I participate in a triathlon even if I’m afraid of water? What if I panic again? he wondered.
Although it happened a long time ago, the scene still lingers in his memory. At the age of 13, Wilma almost drowned at sea. That episode left her with a lasting fear, until motherhood made her stronger. “My ex-husband said I had to learn to swim in case something happened to my sons,” she recalls. Out of necessity, he began training with a triathlon group. What was an obligation became an accomplishment. It was difficult for him to literally jump into the pool, but he quickly overcame it. The real challenge was the sea. With waves, storms, salt in the eyes and no limits on the horizon, he had to learn not only swimming skills, but also emotional control. To that end, he worked with a sports psychologist She taught me some techniques to overcome fear. It helped her turn panic into focus through exposure, breathing, and running simulations. The fear didn’t go away, but it no longer paralyzed her, and now it drives her to better herself whenever she feels the slightest doubt. When I started training again in 2021, training in groups was key. “Your self-esteem improves and your happy hormones get activated. Plus, you’re more likely to commit and keep it,” he says.
Vilma’s personal experiences in life were translated into concrete lessons that she later applied to the treatment of her patients and the advice she gives to her followers on her Instagram account.. “Exercise increases endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. It helps prevent osteoporosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It improves your mood and reduces your risk of depression,” says the gynecologist. “Moving through menopause is not optional; it is a medical indication, like when a hypertensive patient takes high blood pressure medication,” he says.
Menopause reduces estrogen and reduces performance, but it’s no excuse for lack of exercise. “Evaluation of hormone therapy by a specialist physician can be part of a plan to alleviate symptoms caused by decreased estrogen, but it is not a substitute for the basics of exercise, nutrition, and professional support,” she concludes.
Its message is simple but effective. You don’t have to compete to feel the benefits of playing sports. Just take the time to incorporate sustained movement and strength training routines.
Five years ago, Wilma ventured into social networking, resulting in a community with hundreds of thousands of followers. That first content inspired her to become a professional, and now communicating on Instagram is part of her daily routine. She is dedicated to publishing articles about her daily life, the events she attends, her advice on topics related to women’s health, comprehensive sex education for young people, debunking myths and false beliefs about health and sexual issues, and, of course, disseminating her discoveries about the benefits of sports in menopause, combined with her own life experience.
“Becoming an influencer was like facing water again. “It was difficult to be in front of the camera,” he recalls. He currently has more than 1.5 million followers on TikTok and about 140,000 on Instagram, where he sends messages. There is no age when it comes to health and exercise.
He creates content from his own experiences, such as messages exchanged between members of the practice group before games, scenes of practice in the rain, and expressions of joy and fatigue when they score. Their stories inspire others to implement healthy changes in their lives.
By bringing personal experience into the way she interacts with patients and the social community, Wilma finds that her professional practice and network presence creates a virtuous cycle. Therefore, he currently delivers talks, attends conferences, and creates content that combines clinical evidence and personal experience. His qualifications are twofold: medical training and sports practice. This allows us to disseminate content about the importance of exercise during late reproductive and menopausal periods and how to incorporate safe and sustainable physical activity into your daily life.
“If I am well, my children and those around me are well. My role is to encourage women to take care of their health and understand that this stage of life is not the end. We can be active, happy and pain-free at any age,” she concluded.
“Just as I learned to swim despite my fear of water, I also learned to start giving talks and realized that I could leave the office and become a communicator,” she says, stressing that “nothing is impossible and there is no age too late to start.”
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