Why Cardio Stops Working in Midlife (& what to do instead) - Erin Henry

Perimenopause and menopause bring real physiological shifts that change how women respond to exercise, food, and stress. Registered dietitian and strength coach Erin Henry joins me to explain those changes clearly, and to share what actually helps women build strength, stabilise energy, and feel capable again.

Our conversation starts with the physiology. Declining oestrogen, reduced insulin sensitivity, and a more reactive stress response change how women respond to food and training. Erin explains why eating less and doing more cardio often backfires, and why progressive strength training becomes a cornerstone in this phase of life. Lifting heavier loads recruits more muscle, supports bone density, and improves metabolism across the whole day. If the weights never increase, the body has no reason to adapt — and effort alone won’t change that.

From there, we move into the practical levers that make the biggest difference. Sleep is a performance tool, not a luxury. Simple wind-down routines, thoughtful alcohol timing, and — for some women — magnesium can improve sleep quality and lower anxiety. Nutrition is anchored in protein, with around 30 grams per meal helping recovery, stabilising energy, and reducing cravings. Erin also shares how vegetarians can meet protein needs with planning and quality supplements. We touch on data too — labs, CGMs, and HRV — as ways to validate lived experience and cut through conflicting advice.

The conversation widens to identity. Midlife is a moment to choose stronger rather than smaller, boundaries rather than people-pleasing, and intention rather than panic. As energy improves and brain fog lifts, many women notice changes that ripple outward — better sleep, improved body composition, and a renewed sense of confidence in their bodies. Erin also outlines her Strong Start one-to-one coaching approach, designed to build a pain-free foundation and progress with purpose.

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Transcript

Rewriting The Midlife Narrative

SPEAKER_02 0:00

I don't think we're going to be short of a thing or two to talk about today. I don't think so. I'm really looking forward to it. Welcome to the Midlife Rebel Podcast. It's time to rewrite the midlife story for women who refuse to be put in a box. Because maybe midlife isn't a crisis. Maybe it's an awakening. So many women hit midlife and start saying things like, I can't eat the way I used to. My training doesn't work anymore. I haven't changed anything, but my body has. And before we know it, we buy into the midlife story: perimenopause and menopause equal decline. In the spirit of the midlife rebel, my guest today, Erin Henry, is here to challenge that story. Erin is a registered dietitian and fitness coach who works with high achieving women in midlife, helping them understand what actually needs to shift and what doesn't as their bodies change. Thanks for joining me, Erin. Oh, it's my pleasure. Thanks for having me. Super excited. I sure hope so. We need that narrative. When I was reading your, I was on your website and I was like, yep, these are the all of the things, and I'm really looking forward to hearing your perspective on um this midlife journey. Great. Let's dive in. Cool. Do you want to kick us off with your own midlife story? A little bit about you and how you are in this uh position of coaching others in midlife now.

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Yeah, and I think it really stems back to the fact that as I was entering midlife, I felt like I was just getting bombarded with messages of gloom and doom and despair. And honestly, when I think about the women that I most admire, they're almost always older than I am. And I appreciate their wisdom and authenticity and aura that really only comes with some years lived. And so I just really wanted to change the narrative. I wanted to have different conversations that I was having and that I was hearing. And you know, the other thing too is I think that what happens in midlife is that we might hopefully get to a place where we recognize that the first season of our life was perhaps really dictated by others' expectations. And that the second half really gets to be a bit exciting because we can have more intentional design behind it.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Yeah, totally agree. I've I've um kind of come to realize that that first part of our lives is what I call the warm-up.

SPEAKER_00 3:06

Yes. In fact, sometimes I joke that God gave us beauty in our youth because that's really the only thing we have going for us. So now it's go time.

SPEAKER_02 3:19

It's quite a process, though, isn't it? And I think that you mention in your on your website actually that yours has been kind of like a slow burn to get to this point. Um, and like there's yeah, an unfolding of that midlife journey. It's not like all of a sudden we know what the hell to do, but it's a real kind of like reflection and like what's worked, what hasn't.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Absolutely. And I will say that from a physical standpoint, uh, my transition has been perhaps more mild than some. Okay. Um, but but even for me, you know, I drew some functional labs on myself even just this last October. And as someone who really tries to walk the tuck, I noticed even in myself that there were some shifts happening that were happening because I, in fact, am losing those protective benefits of my hormones. So there is physiological changes that are happening. And even whenever you feel like you are doing everything right, shifts are gonna come.

What Hormones Change And What To Do

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Yeah. Do you want to talk us through some of those things that we might expect or that you saw in your own labs? Because I think that's, yeah, I think it's kind of one of the first steps to really making a change with the way that we approach perimenopause and menopause is understanding what is actually going on.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

Yeah. And I think the main thing that women have to understand is that as our hormones are declining, so too are the protective benefits that they provide. And that really spans across all systems of our bodies. So it might be why the last time that you had your labs drawn, that your cholesterol is higher than it ever has been, despite no real changes to your diet and exercise plan. Um, it might be that your glucose levels, my A1C was a little bit higher than it had been in the past. Um, even me now wearing often a continuous glucose monitor, even compared to two years ago, my spikes are greater than they once were. And so what I think a woman really needs to remember is that because these hormones have been so protective, it's it's not her fault, right? That things are just going to perhaps sway the other way, but there's still a lot that we do have control over. And in our panic, we can often want to really restrict diet or really push on exercise, but in fact, that can be counterproductive at this phase of life because that's yet another stress that we're putting on our physiology.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Yeah. It's it's really um interesting that you I think you've just referred to it as panic because there is so much messaging everywhere that we kind of do need to panic, like, oh, you know, you're getting hot flushes, your hormones are dropping, you're gonna get osteoporosis, women at higher risk of heart disease when they go into menopause, all of these things, this list of things, and so you get well. My experience was even if I feel kind of quite on top of all of my lifestyle stuff, there's a questioning. There is a question. Am I, you know, is this gonna happen to me? So really understanding our own personal levels, like you said, with your blood glucose monitor, you've been doing that over a period of time, so you're really familiar with it. One of the things that I used, I haven't ever done my blood um relating to my hormones, but I use an aura ring, and so I could tell when my uh HRV is down, when my sleep isn't as good, those kinds of things. Um, but really listening to your body and not just listening to what you hear in the mass media is pretty important.

SPEAKER_00 7:48

You know, it really is. And and and do you find that your aura ring is a bit validating to you? That you know how you feel, but if you didn't have it, you might just think, oh, I'm a wuss. I need to keep pushing.

SPEAKER_02 8:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Versus then correlating that to statistical data can be a little bit empowering and helping you trust your own judgment. And I think that's an important piece of the puzzle as we're learning to trust our own intuition and not all the noise that we've been bombarded with, quite frankly, for decades.

SPEAKER_02 8:30

Totally, totally. And yeah, really, yeah, familiarizing yourself with who you are, right? And and it's the same in in training scenarios. I don't feel quite as good today. Listen to that. Absolutely. Don't push through if you don't feel like doing the thing. Um, what will nourish you? What will yeah, make you feel better?

Panic, Data, And Trusting Your Body

SPEAKER_00 8:55

You know, I actually just drafted a post yesterday. And honestly, right, sometimes our own teachings come from the things that we're working through as well. And I I was really trying to work out the nuances between feelings and intuition. Okay. And if I'm being frank, in my own terminology, if we're thinking about feelings, feelings keep us comfortable and keep us safe. And so they will almost always keep us stuck. Versus the way I define intuition is that inner wisdom, that voice that is propelling us to our future higher self. And it can be really difficult to differentiate the the difference between those two, as well as factoring in all the noise that's coming around us. And so when I really kind of put thoughts to paper yesterday, the way I was working through it is really starting to experiment with asking ourselves questions with honest answers and then seeing how that plays out. So for instance, if we're even thinking about a workout, as you prompted. So if we're thinking about today's workout, and is it that we really need to push today? Is it that we need to keep it low-key just enough that we can keep or build some momentum? Or is it that we need to pull back and have a rest or recovery day? And if we answer that question as honestly as we can, then I think the real test is how do we feel tomorrow? And and are we grateful and re-energized by how we responded, or are we actually a little bit disappointed in ourselves? Um, and and if they continue, if that future self keeps agreeing with our answers of today, then I think we're building some alignment and we can continue to build on that trust. And that's a really good place to start.

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

I would love to hear a bit about body image when it comes to midlife. Because I've I think I read on your website also that you were a dietitian or you've been a dietitian for some time. And the way that you've approached um that work has changed quite a bit because you found yourself um coaching women to because they wanted to look better. And yeah, like, can we go down that rabbit hole? Body image, um, like the importance of nutrition for life instead of looks?

SPEAKER_00 11:54

Yeah, so uh for me, really the objective that I'm shooting for is for a woman to focus on building strength versus getting smaller. And even that mindset shift in and of itself is such a more empowering place to be. But also, even from an input standpoint, we are so much better off to get on a path of progress. So for instance, if we're really talking about strength from a nutritional standpoint, what needs to happen? Well, unfortunately, again, when we get in this panic mode, our our first voice is to restrict, which we've already talked about, kind of contributes to that stress response. But if instead we're now focused on strength, okay, we have to have the building blocks. So it switches our mindset a bit to think more about what can I eat? What should I be eating for those building blocks versus what I shouldn't? And that can really change the game. Um, very similar to, we'll say, sleep. Okay, I know that sleep is harder to come by at this phase of life. But if we're really focused on that goal of strength, we know that that sleep and recovery time is vital. We're never gonna have the energy and gusto to push in that workout if we're not well rested and well recovered. So then it's more apt that we are going to at least try to optimize all the routines and habits to set ourselves up for a successful night's sleep as an input for that strength. So that's really where I want a woman to shift her focus. And not only, again, is it more empowering place to be, but it also um really promotes her physiology at this stage of life versus stresses it.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

So rather than focus on like how you're gonna look from the work that you're gonna put in, you focus on um the practical tools that you're gonna use to make yourself feel better.

Feelings vs Intuition In Training

SPEAKER_00 14:10

That's right. And I'll just give a very recent example that is specific, but also I think a lot of your listeners may resonate. And this was a client who had always identified with being a fit, lean, athletic woman all of her life. And then she entered midlife and she felt like she was softening and thickening. Okay. And she really was one of those individuals who was doing everything right. She was doing the intermittent fasting, she was working out five days a week, she was strength training, she was eating very clean. And I really applaud her trusting me because as we discussed, with everything else that she has as a very typical midlife woman dealing with the stresses of raising bigger kids, bigger problems, um, aging parents, and just the schedule that a midlife woman can often keep, it all was too much for her stress load. And so with her, we actually dialed back to where she was truly only doing three quality progressive strength training workouts a week with recovery days also um plugged in. And then we moderated her nutrition to where she was actually eating more, especially surrounding her workouts. And maybe to for sure to her own surprise, and maybe even to mine, as someone who's done this for a really long time, to see her body put on muscle again and lean out again at this phase of life by actually eating more and to an extent exercising less, like that was a really powerful message for her and reminder to me, too, that this really does work.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

That's really interesting, isn't it? And I'd love to kind of hear your thoughts on building muscle in this time of life because we're told that it gets harder and that um, well, we're just told all the bad news, really, aren't we? But yeah, we're told that it gets but harder to build muscle. So is it harder? And why is it important?

SPEAKER_00 16:27

Yeah, it actually for sure is harder. And so we again have to be much more strategic in our efforts. And and I never want to throw shade on any movement and exercise. Like it's it's good. But if a woman is also feeling like that her time and energy put into those workouts are not prompting the results that she desires, then it might be time, not necessarily for more motivation, but more strategy. Um, and so again, I there's a saying that I'll phrase is that there are a lot of women out there who think they are strength training, but are actually moving around with weights. And there's a difference. Um, that we, again, I don't want to throw shade, but that we can often be in our group exercise classes or YouTube video, and we are using the same 10-pound weights that we were using 10 months ago. And honestly, if the weight never changes, neither do you. And so that there really needs to be progression and strategy. And if I'm being honest, it would be my ultimate goal that every woman that I work with could get to a point where she was under or over a heavy barbell. We, of course, have to meet each other where we are right now, but that there's just a progression. So we're starting to see results in her strength, which all it does coincide with changes to her physique along the way. Cool.

From Smaller To Stronger: Mindset Shift

SPEAKER_02 18:11

Yeah. I'd love to hear your thoughts on um women who are generally a bit more estrogen dominant because our observations when we my husband and I have had a gym in Sydney, and women who are not necessarily perimenopausal or menopausal, but who are more estrogen dominant, um, you can usually see higher tricep. Um yeah, they tend towards um higher rep and they have difficulty going there when it comes to lifting heavy stuff. They might be able to do a one rep max squat at 30 kilos, but they could do 30 at 30 kilos, but they just can't go, they just can't go there. How does that affect their ability to build muscle, but also like does that change with changes in hormones and how yeah, how does that impact the whole hormonal shift thing?

SPEAKER_00 19:58

Yeah, and I think one of the messages that I'd like to plug in here based on that question is that it's not so much that many of us have a weight problem, but that we have a muscle problem. Okay. And and honestly, and again, I'm I'm more like kind of directing to those who coach women and also to women who are out there listening, but there's so much of our metabolism that we really don't have that much effect over. Our age, our genetics, you know, they certainly do play a factor. But the one that we do have a lot of control over is our muscle mass. That muscle mass really does play into how many calories are we burning on any given day. And what I also think is an empowering message to women is thinking about, you know, cardio or those high reps versus truly putting in effort and strength. When we get on the treadmill, or if we want to do those high repetitions, it's like an employee punching in a time card, having an exchange of their time for money, or in this case, time for calorie burn, versus what I would want is to be sitting on a beach in Aruba, right? Just relaxing, where my money is more in the bank while I'm at rest. So true it is, as an analogy with the strength training, that when we build that muscle, when we build that metabolism, when we are just sitting doing nothing, the other 23 hours of the day, seven days a week, that we're not working out, our bodies are working for us. But that only comes when we're really putting in that effort towards true strength. And so those are the kinds of messages, no matter how a woman feels like she responds or what she feels like she needs to do because how her body is built, I think a message that still can be portrayed are those across the board that building that muscle mass, however difficult it might be to come by, is still going to metabolically and hormonally behoove you.

SPEAKER_02 22:29

Amazing. What are the benefits? So that meta so metabolism. You've mentioned that that's important and and that it slows down. And is that due to um a decrease in hormones? Like what's going on there when when our metabolism does slow down? Like these obviously you've kind of flagged that it won't slow down as quickly if you've got some muscle mass. Um yeah, and how does metabolism get impacted by our hormones?

Strategy Over Sweat: Real Strength Training

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Yeah, so definitely the muscle um plays a role, as does cortisol. Yeah, okay. And as does um insulin, which is tied closely with cortisol. So one of the things that that really happens in midlife is we we do become more insulin resistant. And and so when that happens, as we eat, of course, um, especially in carbohydrates, our blood sugars go up. And insulin really acts as the key to opening up the cell to let that blood sugar into the cell to be used for energy. But as we become more insulin resistant, it's like that key is a little rusty and it doesn't open the cell as effectively as it once did.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

And so insulin keeps getting pumped out in greater and greater supply, and our glucose levels also remain high in our blood. So even our brain cells aren't getting the energy. So we're a little foggier, right? But that insulin is also a fat storage hormone. And in particular, the cells of our abdominal region are especially susceptible. So even in that regard, we're more likely to gain weight when insulin is climbing and when cortisol levels are climbing. So it's another reason why we want to keep our overall stress load as tampered as we can. It's not that we can live in a bubble, obviously, but those factors that we do have control over, we sure want to be strategic about how we're handling them.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Yeah. You've mentioned stress and cortisol. I was talking to a friend about this the other day, because she was saying um she's a homeopath and she had a client who had it seems to be doing all of the right things, which is one of the stories we hear. Um, and I wonder how much, like we've got stress, as in, you know, as you mentioned, putting your body under stress by doing too many cardio workouts, putting stress on your body by reducing your calorie intake. There's normal everyday stresses that we, you know, as caregivers, parents, um, workers. But what about toxic load? Because I think that this is something that we don't necessarily take into consideration a lot, but that can really slow down our pathway, like detoxification pathway. And would you say that that increases cortisol?

SPEAKER_00 26:03

Oh, 100%. It it is just like you say, it is another stress on the body. And again, there's just so many toxins in our environment that we may not have control over. So it's important to look at what we what we can. And and really I I would encourage anyone, because again, I never want my messaging to be just bombarding because I feel like women are already getting enough of those messages, but in the little ways that they feel like they can take on today to start diminishing that load. And, you know, maybe it's even just in the form of plastics. You know, can I start to decrease um the amount and quantity of the plastics that I'm exposed to, especially maybe in regards to contact with food, for instance? Whatever those little ways that they can pick up on to not feel overwhelmed. Yeah. Because again, that's a stress response too.

SPEAKER_02 27:08

Yeah. I feel like just bringing awareness to those things because it's almost like those things, like being stressed or stresses, you've uh like flagged that stress is like a massive contributing factor to whether we I don't want to say sail through perimenopause, but the the impact that perimenopause menopause can have on us compared to not, but it's not talked about that much.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

We talk about diet and exercise, but those other contributing factors aren't always um yeah, talking about yeah, and and so I I do think that no matter the changes that a woman is is looking to encounter, that if she is feeling overwhelmed, that that underlying message really needs to be progress, not perfection. And and if she can just focus on one element until that becomes habit, it can be really scary because I know that that one habit may feel like it's not going to make the difference. And it might not, to be honest. But what happens is that there really is a domino effect. When you get this habit as true habit, then just psychologically, as humans, we're designed to take on what's next. And then it's those accumulation of habits that you're successful with that really do make an impact in how we look and feel. Definitely.

Muscle As Metabolic Leverage

SPEAKER_02 28:49

Okay, let's have a think. Okay. Well, stress, strength. We've kind of talked about those two things. And I wouldn't mind like going into a bit more detail with those. But the third thing that you say is a real hormone leveler in midlife is sleep. Excuse me. And you've also mentioned that sleep, sleep can become more difficult.

SPEAKER_00 29:13

So how do we how do we get over that? Well, and I don't know that I'm necessarily going to say anything earth-shattering on the subject of sleep, but I think it's always worth a review of those factors that that do make a difference and that over time can really optimize and increase the the number of quality goodnight sleeps that you that you get. So certainly some of us, many of us, require a little magnesium support. And pretty quickly on, a woman will be able to tell, hey, is this something that is behooving me? Am I feeling a little bit more relaxed before bed? I think that it is underplayed evening and wind down routines. Everyone talks about the miracle mornings, but really to have some kind of routine that gets us out of the frantic day and the anxiety that so many of us carry to get our brains nestled down is really important. And that can vary from woman to woman on what makes sense for her or even how long that routine needs to be. But I'm a big proponent. I know. I mean, I love meditation, but I know it's not for everyone. And um, I I kind of say that like the ADHD way of meditation is to focus on stretches while following your breath. Because I feel like it makes a woman feel like she's being productive doing something, right? But yet she is calming. So the same principles still apply in that I will have her say, focus on a particular stretch, maybe it's just um a hamstring stretch, relax into that and think about her breaths becoming as deep and slow as possible. And as she has thoughts that keep coming in to exhale them out, and just doing that starts to quiet things. And here, now she also has a mobility practice built into her routine. But, you know, limiting the screens, um, you know, limiting food and beverage before bed, all of those things really do make an impact on the likelihood that you're gonna wake up or have trouble getting to sleep in the beginning.

Insulin, Cortisol, And Midlife Metabolism

SPEAKER_02 31:46

I feel like that is groundbreaking, Erin. Aren't you amazed at how many people, women specifically, aren't getting a good night's sleep? I was talking to my friend a few weeks ago, and she might get home from work at, or you know, after the kids' activities at seven o'clock at night, then they have dinner, then she cleans up, then the kids go to bed, then she has a glass of wine, does the ironing, watches telly, and before she knows it, it's midnight and she's up at five.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Yeah, and then it's just not gonna work. It's not gonna work. And and here's the other thing that ties into this is the mental rebellion that a lot of women have about sleep. And what I mean by that is if they have been going and producing and performing for other people all day long, they can feel like that evening time is all they've got. And so instead of sleeping, which they might feel like is a waste, that yes, in my opinion, yes. But for many of them, they want to have a wake time that is theirs. And that's and that's valid. But I do think it really takes a reframe of how that sleep really plays into like the performance of your life. You know, at the same time, women are complaining about sleep. They're also complaining about um having fatigue and low energy and even the brain fog. Yes. Well, there's a real disconnect there if you don't think that those two are tied. So uh sleep is a really good place to begin.

SPEAKER_02 33:40

Yes, totally agree. I'm a mad sleep fan. Although, as uh you mentioned, it's not always easy to come by, or like it's definitely a little bit more restless than it has been in the past, right now.

SPEAKER_00 33:55

And you know, you mentioned your friend um with the wine. And uh if I may, just plug there for a moment. Um, I all I ask is for women to be mindful about their alcohol consumption because I know that it can be a tool to help them get to sleep. Yes. But the liver really does wake up in the middle of the night. And if it has a toxin that it has to deal with in there, it wakes up with a vengeance. And then it can be really difficult to get back to sleep. And and the alcohol, too, really prevents us from getting that deep restorative sleep that we need to feel energized and to regenerate ourselves for the anti-aging that we also want. And so that's another key piece for midlife is um it again, if someone chooses to drink, fine, but like just be really mindful in those instances where they really believe it is going to bring an enrichment to their experience rather than it just be habit, which I think fell on a lot of women, especially during COVID and now beyond. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

Yes, I agree. I think that maybe timing is one thing I why I would suggest is like have the glass of wine with your meal. Don't have it just before you go to bed. Right. And it does, it impacts our REM sleep as well as our deep sleep. And REM sleep is where we often we're processing our experiences from the day, and when we don't get REM sleep, that can lead to those feelings of anxiety, stress, um, because we're not giving ourselves that restorative sleep that helps us to process all of those experiences.

SPEAKER_00 35:59

That is such a valid point, and that really is um one of the benefits that a lot of women will report to me when they cut their intake, is that their anxiety goes down. Yeah. Isn't and and and that can be so ironic for some women to hear.

Stress Load, Toxins, And Progress Not Perfection

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Yes, yes. So let's talk about some of the um things that happen when we do this, when we make the changes. You've talked about the the athlete that you were coaching who had some amazing um shifts in terms of like building muscle. But what about like the menopause, the actual peramenopause symptoms that women um experience? Uh hot sweats, brain fog, what else? Belly fat, um, low libido. What are some of the other ones that we get dished out?

SPEAKER_00 36:58

Dry skin, she's right. Oh my gosh, the the emotional. And you know, on that one, here's my take on the emotional and mood changes. I mean, yes, I think there is some legitimacy there, but also I think that there's some wisdom there. And that when we get to a certain age, we have the wisdom to realize that we do not need to carry the emotional load for everyone else any longer. And so, yes, I know we tease about the hormonal changes that are, you know, perhaps making our mood shifts shorter. But I also think that there's some really honest and positive validity that happens in no longer carrying that weight.

unknown 37:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:56

That I think again just comes from wisdom, not hormones.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Yes. I was, I was, uh, I interviewed someone else a couple of weeks ago, actually, and she said that it's it's kind of she was talking about mezz metaphysical um, you know, when we carry sort of ailments in our body and how they can be related to emotions. So we talked about menopause and the some of the symptoms, and she she was she kind of said that it was like blocked rage from all of the shit that we've had to deal with that we haven't said anything about anymore, and then we just don't have capacity, and so like the thing that's been doing your head in for you know your entire life is like the bath water has overflooded, yeah, and here we are after after decades.

SPEAKER_00 38:51

Yes, I I feel that, I really do.

SPEAKER_02 38:54

I thought that was great. So, what do what do we expect when we start dialing in some of the things that you've talked about? Our strength training, and I am also aware that you know we would need to reiterate that this is a step-by-step process and it's an individual process. Not everyone's going to be exactly the same. But once we do dial in that strength training, once we do dial in our sleep, once we do start to manage our stress better, what might we expect?

SPEAKER_00 39:33

Yeah, so um, besides, as we mentioned, the opportunity, we're we're optimizing our ability to put on that muscle mass and to also decrease body fat. But also more imminently, women inevitably will start feeling an increase in energy. And that's key. Yeah. And again, even the brain fog, when we're when we're getting things right with our nutrition, our brains are fed better as well. Um, whenever we're doing things to keep ourselves a bit more balanced during the day, even with our exercise patterns and of course nutrition, that even promotes better sleep at night. And certainly whenever we are experiencing better sleep and better energy and better physique results, that in turn also does have some effect on our libido. Right. So there's a lot of really good positive changes that can happen that we think are hormonally related and they are, but that we do have some control over some factors that can lead to a positive outcome.

SPEAKER_02 40:49

So would you with the women that you coach, would you say that do they come to you with specific like peramenopause, menopause symptoms? And that you through these different changes, you can actually improve or get rid of those symptoms?

The Sleep Lever: Routines, Magnesium, Alcohol

SPEAKER_00 41:09

Yeah, so I would say that just based on the messaging that I provide in in my social media and podcasts and speaking, that they are drawn to me because they have felt like they have tried everything and are just feeling really frustrated that there's a disconnect between the woman and image that they see in the mirror and how they really feel on the inside. And I think we can all relate to, you know, there's a certain song that comes on the radio, like I'm 23 years old again, right? Like we all have that element, like, what is your infinite age? And and it's probably younger than what we are physically presenting with today. And so they're just wanting to get some element of that girl back. And and because of just my background, I am a registered dietitian, I am a women's strengths coach, that that is where we start. Yeah. And sometimes I even joke that I'm, you know, a really a professional development coach that's disguised as a personal trainer. That that that's how I get them in, but that along the way, I also am really working to try to shift their mindset about how this whole aging thing is going and have a new focus on not just how our bodies are changing, but truly who are we becoming? Like again, to change this narrative that this second half of life can get to be an exciting time. It gets to be intentionally designed. And so that that in itself is something to look forward to.

SPEAKER_02 43:02

Definitely. Uh, what's your experience as you've been journeying through midlife with that kind of the change in your mindset?

SPEAKER_00 43:19

So I was raised, perhaps like many of your listeners, um, to be a people pleaser. In fact, I would say that the underlying philosophy of my mother, who's a good woman, was what would people think? And it really probably came to be, I mean, maybe late 30s, where I first even had the awareness that this is what drives my thoughts. And I had a daughter, and I was like, oh no, no, no, this stops here. And then and sometimes I joke that um my daughter is now 17 and she is very um headstrong and independent. I may have overshot myself with that messaging to where now she really doesn't give a flip what anybody thinks. Oh, but how good is that? It's amazing. It is amazing. And and so that really was just building the awareness kind of as I was making that transition into midlife. And then what I've really had to probably work on the most since then is just building courage.

SPEAKER_02 44:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 44:37

Really try to release what others might think as I try to intentionally design a life, a business. And when you do that, when you really are putting yourself out there, you're out there. So you're then open for critiques. And I'm not saying that I've um, you know, been met with any kind of hateful messages. Who knows what I and others, what we are afraid of. But that's really been the biggest growth factor for me is just building courage, setting those boundaries. Because as I tell my clients and I remind myself all the time, every time we say yes to something, we are saying no to something else that may not be on the calendar right now, but doesn't diminish its value to who we are. And quite frankly, sometimes that value is just again to have the space, the rest, the recovery that we that we need. So I think building clarity and where it is that I want to go and who it is more importantly that I want to become. And then having the courage to take those steps is my biggest uh element of growth here in the second half of life.

SPEAKER_02 46:03

I love that. And you becoming a role model for your daughter. I hope so. Amazing. It is really quite um hard to well, it's not hard, it's easy to fall into those same patterns that we were accustomed to. Accustomed to, yeah. Like being a good girl, doing as you're told, yeah, being rewarded for behaving.

SPEAKER_00 46:36

Yes. Um, and and the advice that I'm often giving myself or the vision that I'm having is thinking about how I might be handling the situation, and please understand, I can still fall into that martyrdom role plenty of times. But when I am, I really start to create the vision of how would I want my daughter to respond as a parent? Would I want her to just drop everything for what her kids need and forget herself or forget what her values and um her priorities are at the moment. And that does give me perspective. You know, what we won't do for ourselves, we'll do for our kids. So then when I have that reframe of, oh, what's the example that I want her to have of parenting? Then it helps to shift me out of perhaps a more negative response.

SPEAKER_02 47:35

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's uh it we're very fortunate, I think, to be in a time in societally where there is more awareness around our impact on others and the impact that others have had on us, and like to be able to reflect on that and and use those as tools for growth.

Symptom Relief Through Strength, Sleep, Nutrition

SPEAKER_00 48:00

Yes. And you know, our um our kids tend to give back in in micro doses. But if we're paying attention, they do give back. And it was just this week that my sist my daughter is in a class where they are raising rock babies. Okay. And she had to explain to her rock baby what her expectations were as a mother and as this rock baby enters their family. And it so warmed my heart to hear about the values that we've really worked to instill in our family life and how she has now taken that on that she wants to have those same values in her home life. So I had a little win. It doesn't happen all the time, but I had a little win this week.

SPEAKER_02 48:54

Yeah, I had I noticed something my son said. He's 11, and we were having dinner the other night, and I can't remember exactly how the conversation went. But we were talking about um someone, a family, another family, and or I can't even remember. But there was mention of uh the man being at work and did the wimp did the woman work? And he's he's like, Oh yeah, but you know, she's working, she's got children. And I was like, am I? And that's not something that we've I've ever sort of said to him, you know, I'm working as well, kind of thing, you know, even though I'm uh just at home taking care of you. But uh but it's something that he recognised as an important role that a woman has, um, because that's something that we completely devalue. It can be, unfortunately, yes. Yeah, yes. Well, hopefully that's changing as well. And I'd love to let's carry on with the role model thing, right? Because I witness there's there's a there are different segments of women, and obviously if we work in this industry, we're gonna come big we're gonna come face to face with women who potentially already exercise, are already kind of aware of their diet, um, their health, possibly. But there are there's a segment of younger women some of which don't have any kind of don't value the importance of starting these habits and behaviors younger so that they don't experience the negative effects of parametopause. Strength training is my um, you know, a lot of younger women just don't exercise. Uh-huh. You're right.

SPEAKER_00 50:56

How do we go about that? Well, I'm not sure if I can solve all the world's problems in our hours time together, but how I take it on for myself is my own microcasm. And so, one, it is being that example. And then, of course, in my world, it is influencing their mothers. So I know um there's a stat out there that says that um over 70% of children say that they learn to be healthy from their mother. Yeah, from the influence. So if I can influence mom, then I know that I have made perhaps some headway on influencing a generation after. But, you know, even in my world, I laugh because my daughter is a competitive dancer and all of her dance friends follow me, which I laugh because I'm like, my message isn't my messaging is not exactly for you, but I I I always chuckle at the likes that I will get from them. And L, my daughter will tell me that in class the the dance teacher will often say, Let's be strong, like Miss Aaron. Oh. And so I only say that just because I think that women don't even realize the influence that they can have. Yeah. And it is much more inspiring for a woman to be strong than not. And so I think it's I think it's easier to influence strength and health and well-being than the other way.

Identity, Courage, And Boundaries In Midlife

SPEAKER_02 52:52

Yes. Yeah, agreed. I'm gonna kind of circle back round to um I've lost it. I was gonna circle back round to something to do with strength. There were two two things I wanted to circle back around to, and the the other one was nutrition. Um, oh, I know what the strength one was. Um, building muscle. Scary.

SPEAKER_00 53:19

I want to bulk up. Right. Would you like me to speak to that? Yes, please. Okay, so here's the thing. I've already mentioned that it is harder in this phase of life to put on muscle. We really do not have the hormones to bulk up. Few of us ever could, but I know that there are some outliers. And right now, we are gonna be so lucky just to really kind of keep hold of the muscle that we have. So I don't want women to fear. And I also want to put in the plug that it takes a certain amount of load to really get the benefit that she desires from a metabolic perspective, from a muscle-building perspective, um, even from a central nervous system and bone growth perspective. So I know that several months ago, a client had asked me, you know, Erin, what's the difference between lifting a hundred pounds one time compared to lifting 10 pounds 10 times? So still total load is a hundred pounds. But when you think about, again, like the central nervous response that it takes to really like muster up the energy and power to lift that load one time, it's much greater. You have to engage so much more of your connective tissue and um supporting smaller muscle groups in order to brace and lift that load. So again, that's kind of just another plug. If we're really going to put on the muscle as well as derive all of these other benefits, it's a work in progress. We don't start lifting a hundred pounds one time, but it's something to aspire to work towards.

SPEAKER_02 55:18

Yeah. Yeah. And I kind of uh assert that that whole idea of like not wanting to bulk up, like perhaps we need to like start questioning what it is about that that we don't like. Is it because we've been told that that's not what girls should look like? And is that actually our truth or your truth?

SPEAKER_00 55:42

Yes. My underlying mantra is let's have um a goal of taking up more space in the world, not less. Yeah, and that includes the muscle. Yes, why are we afraid of that? I don't, I'm with you. I don't know where it came from. And to be honest, um, I know that my perspective is different than others because I grew up as a scrawny kid who wanted to be good at sports. And so I saw the women in the muscle and fitness magazines, and right, it's always what you want, what you don't have. Yeah. And I thought that those bodies were so beautiful, and that's what I was aspiring towards. But I I recognize that that's not everyone's dream. But yeah, I but I get that. But again, even like beyond the aesthetic, there is something that happens when a woman has that goal of getting stronger that I really feel changes her psychologically.

SPEAKER_01 56:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 56:50

That there is this inner strength that that comes with that and this feeling of power and confidence that is really quite awesome. Mental fortitude. Yes. Yeah. And and they also, you know, always say that it is not necessarily the goal, but who you are becoming in the pursuit of the goal. And and strength training is one of those things, like so many other different goals, but you you have to uh set boundaries for yourself and on your schedule to make it happen and keep showing up for yourself. Um, that I think just really carries over to so many other pursuits and endeavors you might be seeking in your life. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:37

Yeah, agreed. So that second thing I wanted to circle around to was the nutrition. We kind of talk uh you, you know, we talked about the change in metabolism and um glucose response. Um what how does our nutrition potentially need to change? I was talking to someone talk a lot to lots of different people clearly about this stuff. I was talking to someone who's a little bit younger than me who was having some bad experiences, you know, not feeling great with in perimenopause, and she's vegetarian. And I was like, well, maybe you need to increase your protein. I don't know if that's a thing, but it was, I think it's something I've heard. Is that gonna make a difference to us in perimenopause and menopause?

Role Modelling Strength For The Next Generation

SPEAKER_00 58:27

It is the number one thing that a woman needs to focus on from a nutritional standpoint. Okay. I cannot tell you. So the differences that women feel pretty immediately in doing so. And the other piece is that in my world, I feel like we're getting bombarded all the time with messages of adequate protein. Maybe not everyone is getting those same messages, but inevitably, when a new client comes across my roster, she is not getting enough. Okay. And for most, just kind of the bell curve, for most of the ladies that I coach, an initial goal is to start working towards at least 100 grams a day. And when she just starts increasing it, when it just starts becoming a priority, lots of things happen. One, um, her workouts get better and she gets more results from her workouts. Um, she also feels a little bit more energized and her hunger and cravings start dissipating just a little bit. So it doesn't feel as hard nutrition from a nutrition perspective. But the other thing that I think is really empowering and often overlooked is that by prioritizing the protein, we're inadvertently cutting out some of the lesser redeeming foods in our diet without intentionally restricting. And so again, just from a mindset standpoint, where so many of us feel like that we are white knuckling our willpower all the time, it just makes the process easier. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:15

What does a hundred grams of protein look like?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:19

Well, our metrics might be slightly different, but it might be slightly different. Um, but if if ideally what I would love is about 30 grams per sitting per meal. Okay. So is that like? So that's about so if we're talking about um traditional, more animal-based sources like chicken, turkey, uh, beef, fish, about an ounce of any of those foods will be seven grams. So if you have four to five ounces of any one of those products, you're gonna be getting between 28 and 35. You're gonna be kind of in the sweet spot.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:02

Okay. If you have that in every meal.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:05

Yes, or the equivalent thereof. That's just the easiest example to give. With with your egg example, eggs usually have between six and seven grams of protein. So that's not to say that you've got to have five eggs at breakfast. But if you're like many women, if you're only having one or two, then you probably need to be filling that in with some additional sources, maybe some extra Greek yogurt, maybe some turkey sausage, something like that to boost up your intake. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:37

So yogurt is a valid um source of protein?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:42

Well, in particular, if it's the Greek yogurt, the Greek yogurt has more uh protein content than traditional.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:49

Okay. And so um what uh what about vegetarians um getting their protein? Is it a challenge?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:55

Can they do it through through based on the They can do it, but it's definitely more of a challenge. And they have to be much more mindful and be better planners for it to happen. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:14

And protein shapes they're a good source of protein.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:19

It it's it's it's fine because again, I I don't want a woman to feel like eating protein is her full-time job. And so if she is finding that she's really struggling, then yes, absolutely, you know, depending on the product itself. But generally speaking, about a third of a measuring cup or a scoop of the protein powder, depending on their serving size, will get you another 25-ish grams of protein. And so that can be really helpful to a woman who's just looking for a little bit of convenience and support. Yeah, cool. Thank you for clarifying all of that.

Lifting Heavy Without “Bulking”

SPEAKER_02 1:02:57

Um, one thing I well, we were all we're pretty much coming to the close now. I did want to flag, and I should have said this earlier, but this is not just uh you coach high achieving women in midlife, but all of this information is valid for any woman in midlife, right? So I just wanted to I just wanted to flag that um as an important part.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:22

It is, and and honestly, you know, in marketing they tell you that if you are if you're not speaking to someone specific, you're speaking to no one.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:31

So I do really try. Yes. But at the same time, you think about the messages that we've talked about today. Um, there's there's so much pushing and restricting that can really relate to that particular woman that I feel like those messages are not getting clear that many times to help our physiology, we actually need to be dialing it back a bit in order to have better results. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:01

And the coaching that you do specifically, is that face-to-face or online? Can anyone around the world access your work?

SPEAKER_00 1:04:10

Oh, thank you so much for asking. Yes, I am, I am online. But that being said, at this juncture, most my most of my offerings are still one-on-one. Yeah. And I do that for a couple of reasons. One, I just never want to lose the connection piece in my business because more than even a program, I want a woman or what I feel like a woman needs is an advocate.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:38

And so I want to to offer that and be that for her. Um, but also when we get to this phase of life, especially whenever we're talking about the strength training piece, inevitably we're all dealing with a little something. We've got a tweaky back or a shoulder knee that talks to us. And so I want to really meet that woman where she is and provide corrective exercise if that's warranted, and like give her that good, strong base to first make her a good and pain-free mover. Yeah. And then we start adding that progression. But I only really get to know that if I'm working with her a bit one-on-one. Yeah, fair enough.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:21

And what would a coaching uh like a is it a coaching program that you offer? Like is it a package that's a period of time?

SPEAKER_00 1:05:32

Yes. So what I am most often offering these days is a program that I call strong start. And I like it because it gives a woman a chance to kind of dip her toe into working with me, as well as maybe even that strength training piece. So it's only initially a month to get started. And then there's some ongoing um support that I can offer her after that. But I don't want her to feel like it's a huge commitment. But with that strong start, it's really just as it sounds. Um, I meet her where she is and start that baseline strength training routine, but we also have an element of nutrition. What is making the most sense for women during this phase of life to build from there, to really create not a uh not a month challenge, but rather a month to set her up to be successful for a way longer sustainable journey.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:33

Yeah, amazing. We're going to um We've got your details in the guest directory, and we'll put all of your details in the show notes as well. Is there anywhere on socials that you would like to direct people or directly to your website?

SPEAKER_00 1:06:52

Sure. So you can find me at erinhenrywellness.com or on Instagram, also ErinHenryWellness, and I would be so delighted to connect with your listeners. Thank you so much, Erin.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:04

This has been a really insightful conversation. I love your work and really appreciate your time. Well, thanks for having me. I appreciate you. Hey there, Rebel. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Midlife Rebel Podcast. If you'd like to support the show, you can buy me a coffee by going to Buy MeACoffee forward slash Midlife Rebel Podcast. Thanks for listening.