Model and entrepreneur Molly Sims, 53, says a mix of virtual therapy, Pilates and daily supplements has carried her through perimenopause after she hit what she calls a breaking point.
“It’s literally, like, your joints hurt; you can’t fall asleep; you forget your words,” Sims told The Post. “But mentally, how does that affect you?”
Sims said she went through stretches of lying awake crying at night, then waking up exhausted. A friend pointed her to Rula, a virtual mental healthcare platform that connects users with licensed therapists and psychiatrists within 24 hours, with an average copay of $15.
“I was kind of having a moment and kind of just hanging on by a thread,” she said. “I ended up using the platform at the last minute.”
“Whether it’s 40-plus, 50-plus, women are struggling. They think they can do it all. They think that they can be everything to everyone until you hit a wall, and you know, life happens.”
Sims went on to partner with Rula after the experience, saying the ability to schedule appointments around her own calendar made the difference. She also pointed to the platform’s reach beyond big cities.
“For the people who live in rural areas, who live in areas that they can’t take a day off work and go and meet someone amazing, this gives them the opportunity to do that,” she said, while acknowledging her own access to care living between New York City and Los Angeles.
The daily routine
Sims said she “lives and dies” by magnesium, using magnesium baths and a magnesium CBD balm on her feet, plus Epsom salts for sore joints. She also drinks a product called Dria water daily, a mix of colostrum, electrolytes and creatine created by New York wellness entrepreneur Dria Murphy, who told Laugh Lines she built the drink after “feeling overwhelmed by how many supplements I had on my counter and wanted to simplify everything.”
The science behind those ingredients is mixed. Electrolyte supplements are generally unnecessary for people eating a balanced diet, since plain water covers everyday hydration needs. Colostrum has not been conclusively shown to boost energy or speed recovery. Creatine has the strongest research support of the three, with studies pointing to benefits for muscle strength, recovery and brain function during perimenopause and after menopause.
Sims rounds out her routine with melatonin, vitamin B-12 shots, turmeric, massages, cold plunges and sauna sessions.
Pilates and sleep
“I think one of the biggest things that helped me is probably Pilates,” Sims said. She has trained three times a week since July with Beth Rodbell, a former professional ballet dancer who runs private Pilates sessions in New York City, Connecticut and the Hamptons.
“The breathing and stretching and lengthening has really grounded me in a way,” Sims said. “That has really helped me. It’s helped me learn to breathe better, take a moment, but it’s really helped my body be in alignment.”
She’s also testing mattresses to deal with disrupted sleep, a near-universal complaint during the transition — an estimated 40% to 60% of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women report persistent sleep disruption and insomnia tied to shifting hormone levels.
“I’m trying a couple different ones, but I love Eight Sleep,” she said. “It really clocks my sleep, and it also has like a cold dial, so it can match your body temperature.”
Sims said none of it works in isolation. “They do all go hand in hand,” she said. “When they don’t go hand in hand, I think is where you get in trouble.”
