The Ageless and Awesome Podcast

If Motivation’s On Holiday, Do Ten Push-Ups

• Susie Garden • Episode 318

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Feeling flat, hormonal, and completely over the “new year, new you” noise? We’ve all been there. Today's conversation gets real about why motivation is so unreliable during perimenopause and menopause—and shows how to build momentum without waiting to feel ready. I unpack the brain chemistry behind motivation, how dopamine dances with oestrogen, sleep, blood sugar, and stress, and why the calendar can be your strongest ally when willpower is wobbling.

I break down a simple soft-start plan that actually fits a tired life. You’ll learn the power of keeping the schedule even when you can’t keep the full routine, the ten-minute rule that gets you over the hardest part, and how tiny actions compound. I go practical with five foundations: three meals a day, protein first to steady glucose and insulin, gentle movement you can scale from five minutes, sleep as a nightly priority, and water mapped across the day so you hit your target without midnight sprints to the loo. These aren’t perfection plays—they’re steady, repeatable steps that help you feel lighter, calmer, and more in control.

I also talk about why consistency beats intensity for women over 40. No more extreme plans or fad diets that wreck your gut. Instead, we focus on predictable routines, nourishment, and calm. If weight loss is on your list, we explain why nutrition is the main lever and how movement supports results without burning you out. And if you want structure, accountability, and expert guidance, I share how coaching can fast-track early wins so you’re not relying on motivation alone.

If this resonates, hit follow so you never miss an episode. Share it with a friend who needs a gentler start, and leave a quick review to help more women find evidence-based support through perimenopause and menopause. Your next step: what’s one ten-minute win you’ll do today?

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SPEAKER_00:

Hi, I'm Susie Garden and this is the Ageless and Autumn Podcast. I'm an age-defying naturopath and clinical nutritionist and I'm here to bust myths around women's health and ageing so that you can be ageless and awesome in your 40s, 50s, and beyond. The Ageless and Awesome Podcast is dedicated to helping women through perimenopause and menopause with great health, a positive mindset, and outrageous confidence. Hit subscribe or follow now and let's get started. Hello, gorgeous one, and welcome to this week's episode of the Ageless and Awesome Podcast. I'm Susie Garden, your host. I'm a perimenopause naturopath and weight loss nutritionist and proud menopause or perimenopause survivor. And I'm really happy to have you here this week. I'm talking about how to start on whether it's any type of health journey really, whether it's weight loss, whether it's wanting to get healthier by exercising or whatever it is. How to start when you're exhausted, hormonal, and not motivated at all. And I'm hearing this a lot at the moment from friends actually, that um are, you know, they're just kind of a little bit over it. I think they're a little bit probably burnt out from the holiday period and getting drowned with all of the new year, new you stuff and just thinking, ugh, I can't think of anything worse. So I thought it might be fun in a way to explore this a little bit and to talk about how to move forward from that. Because this is a really normal and common way to feel, particularly at this time of year. Um, so you know, if you're listening today thinking, I know what I should be doing, I just can't seem to do it, then this episode is for you. So we're gonna talk about how to start when motivation is low, when perhaps your energy is feeling a bit flat and your hormones are causing, calling rather the shots. And I want to say this up front. You don't do not need to feel motivated to begin. And honestly, that applies to pretty much anything in life. Another way of saying this is start before you are ready. I first heard this and I loved it. I heard this from Marie Folio about 12 years ago when I first did her course when I was moving, thinking about rather, thinking about I was still in corporate, but I was thinking about moving out of corporate. And that was one of the mantras in her course was start before you're ready. If you wait until everything's perfect, if you wait until you're ready to start, you are never ever going to start. You need to, you know, just recognize and acknowledge that you do not need to feel motivated to begin. And let's talk about why. And if we look at this on a like a biological level, you know, motivation is driven by dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, so a brain chemical. And dopamine is influenced by guess what? Estrogen, sleep, blood sugar, and stress. Gosh, that sounds familiar, doesn't it? So in perimenopause, motivation is often really unreliable, and waiting to feel ready is like waiting for perfect weather. So instead, what is kind of better to focus on is structure, rhythm, routine, simplicity. Motivation follows action, not necessarily the other way around. I was listening to the author, James Clear, on a podcast the other day, like literally in the last week. And he uh is the author of the book Atomic Habits, which is an awesome book. Uh you should read it if you haven't read it. It's all about how we build habits. And he was talking about keeping the routine, even if you don't have time, keeping the schedule. I sorry, it was the word he used. Keeping the schedule. If you can't keep the full routine, keep the schedule. So what he meant by that is if you've made a New Year's resolution, for example, to exercise for let's say 20 minutes four times a week. And the only time you have to do exercise is after work. And say you finish work late, and so you don't have 20 minutes to do your exercise. So you go, oh well, I don't have time, so I can't do it. What he recommends is even if you just did 10, let's say push-ups, just for ease, 10 push-ups at the schedule. So during like 20 minutes on the day that you're supposed to be doing it, if you do just 10 push-ups, so it's nowhere near 20 minutes, but you've kept the schedule, that is way more effective than waiting until you've got your 20 minutes. So that is something to really think about. Because I think a lot of us, if we make these um plans or these resolutions, and say, for example, for me at the moment, it's reform a class. I've kind of dropped out of my routine of doing four classes a week over the holiday period. I'm really down to only doing weekends. And one of the reasons for that is the first two weeks back at work for me have been probably the first the busiest two weeks I have ever had in my clinic. And so I've been dropping my reformer class. And so for me, for me to keep to that schedule, it would be even just doing some lunges or something like that at the end of my day. So even if I didn't get to the reformer that I was supposed to go to, um, then at least I'm doing something to move my body. So I'm keeping up the schedule. So that is something that's a hot tip from a world-renowned expert in habits is keeping the schedule, even if you can't keep up the full routine. And that comes down to, I think, well, those three things I just said: structure, rhythm, and simplicity all kind of fall into keeping the schedule, don't they? Um, but yeah, motivation follows action, not the other way round. And the other thing that I just wanted to say with this, and again, it's something that James Clear said on this podcast, and and I, and I mean it's something that I think we all know, is often the hardest part of doing a task like that. Say, I've I've heard this quite often that the hardest part of going for a run is putting your shoes on. And I think he said in in his uh in the podcast I listened to is the hardest part of going to gym is walking through the front door. And so, you know, sometimes you just have to make that first step and push through that, knowing that the motivation will come. And another little tip that this is something I learned back in my management days in corporate was that give your if you have something to do that you don't particularly want to do, give yourself permission to stop after 10 minutes. So do the activity for 10 minutes. And if after 10 minutes you're like, I really still don't want to be doing this, you stop. You absolutely stop, and there's no recriminations, no guilt, nothing like that. You just go, okay, I'm just I'm gonna do it for 10 minutes and I'm gonna stop. Because we can do most things for 10 minutes, right? So I find that one also really effective because motivation follows action, not the other way around. So I often find if I get started doing the activity, I'll that motivation is there. I start enjoying it. I start like, why did I, why did I procrastinate over this is often something I say to myself. Because it's like once you get into it and start doing it, it's just much easier than thinking about doing it. And the other thing, actually, just on that, is that when we start thinking about doing things, our nervous system actually thinks we're doing them. I I say this to my husband all of the time because he's always talking about getting into the garden and doing the garden. And he talks about it constantly during the week and gets to the weekend, and sometimes he doesn't get to do it, and he spent the whole week talking about it, and he feels like he's always doing the gardening. When in fact, he probably does that once a month, but because he's constantly talking about it, he feels like he's actually doing it, and uh we can do that to ourselves with with any task, really. So the power of the mind is really important when it comes to getting into activities, getting started into activities that you want to do. So, again, that motivation follows action. Push through, take that first step, even if it's giving yourself 10 minutes and then you can stop. Or is it sticking to the schedule? So do 10 push-ups instead of a 20-minute workout, that's a win. Motivation follows action. I'm gonna keep saying that so that you can kind of start to think that next time you're feeling like, oh, I just can't be bothered going to whatever it is, you're from a class or going through your run or your walk or whatever. So I wanted to talk, just kind of following on from that, is small steps. So when women work with me in the Globe Protocol, it's pretty big jumps we're taking, you know, like because there's a structured plan that's created for you, and then I'm there coaching you through that plan. And so you can make some pretty big leaps when you work with a coach. I work with a coach on my clinical practice, and the leaps and bounds since working with her versus not having a coach has just been night and day. So if you're on your own not working with a coach, a soft start can often be the way to go. And a soft start does not mean doing nothing, it means starting in a way that your body and your nervous system can tolerate. So here are the, I guess, some foundations that I would recommend if you're wanting to have a soft kind of start to change. I've got a few tips here. So one is eat three meals a day. They don't have to be perfect meals, just consistent ones. I have so many women who are not eating breakfast, whether it's because of an intentional fast or whether it's because they're just busy or they're out of a habit or they feel like they don't have time, they're feeding everybody else and not themselves. So eating three meals a day consistently is extremely helpful. It starts that schedule, it starts that routine. Always have your protein first. That's my second tip. If you have a couple of bites of protein first, when your uh meal sort of you're beginning your meal, it there's a couple of things. It tricks your body into thinking you're having a high protein meal, so it slows down your insulin production. And insulin has many roles. One of those roles is fat storage. So if we can slow down that insulin, then it helps us to use the energy that we're eating rather than storing it. It also helps prevent a glucose spike. So that's when the glucose gets into the bloodstream quickly, it encourages the insulin to also spike, getting that sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells, which is where we need it to go for it to work. And then what happens, of course, is you have a blood glucose kind of dive, and then you're hungry again. So you need to eat again, and it starts off this vicious cycle. So having a couple of bites of protein first really helps combat that cycle. And also, protein supports your mood. It's the base, like the building blocks for your neurotransmitters, which are your brain chemicals, supports mood, blood sugar, as I just discussed, and metabolism. Number three, I would recommend is gentle movement. So if you haven't moved for a little while, start with walking. Obviously, if you have mobility limitations, that's something you need to speak to your healthcare practitioner about. But I'm just talking about if you don't have any limitations and you have you're not sort of someone that's been big on exercise in the past, start with a walk. Even if it's a five-minute walk, give yourself permission to quit after 10 minutes. You know, like when I work with people that that are in that that real obesity kind of category that that rarely move, even just walking from the front door to the letterbox and back is an achievement, and that's great. Just starting the schedule, gentle movement. So walking, it's free, it's accessible to virtually everyone. Some stretching, some stretching, it's easy. Uh, you can get videos on YouTube that will show you what to stretch again, always within your limitations of your body. You are responsible for that. If there's pain, that is not what stretching is about. Not pain. So, but gentle stretching can be a really good start as well. Maybe some light strength work. Lunges free. Don't need any kind of weights or equipment to do that. If you've got balance issues, hold onto a chair while you're doing them. Um, if you need guidance with that, then obviously get a trainer or go to a gym, go to a class where you can get some support. But gentle movement just to get you onto a schedule will really serve you. Um, my other hot tip is uh sleep as a priority, actually, as part of your soft start, sleep as a priority. And that might mean earlier nights, that might mean less alcohol, it might mean uh more rest. So, you know, if you only allow yourself enough time for five to six hours of sleep, then you need to extend that because particularly once you're over 40, you need more sleep. So, you know, that as I mentioned, might look like going to bed earlier. So, for example, if you decide, well, I'm gonna go to bed by nine, that doesn't mean you're turning off the TV at nine. That means you've got to kind of work out a little plan backwards. So, what needs to happen for you to end up in bed? Like, do you have a shower at night? So that needs to happen. You need to brush your teeth. Do you need to sort anything out for the next day? Whether it's school lunches, whether it's um your workout gear, I don't know, whatever it might need to be to be organized, that needs to happen. Um, so maybe have even having a little sleep routine, whether that's reading, whether that's having um some lavender drops on your neck or chest just to help relax you. It can be anything, really. It doesn't have to be complicated. I know when we use the word sleep routine or sleep hygiene, I think that's kind of gone out of fashion now. But it sounds very complicated, but it really can be very, very simple. But yeah, that's the thing. You do just need to put a little bit of thought into it. So I'll just reiterate those foundations. I'm actually going to add another one. So three meals a day, ideal. Not perfect, protein rich, definitely. Um, but try and get those three meals, no snacks would be ideal. Protein first to slow down that insulin production, gentle movement. So you're really just getting started, sleep as a priority. And the other one I'm gonna add, which if you're a long time listener, you've heard me talk about water intake before, but calculating out a water intake for yourself that is 35 mils per kilo of body weight and using that as a goal and actually mapping it out in your day. Like if your water goal is three liters, maybe that's a lot. So, how are you gonna get that without drinking a liter at seven o'clock at night? So, you know, mapping it out during your day, so you know how much water you need to drink before lunchtime, how much you need to drink before, say, five o'clock, so that you're not going to the toilet all night, then that is also a really good way to get started. And those five basics are there. You could just choose one of them to start. If you really feel overwhelmed, just choose one. What if you just chose drinking the water? What if you just did that for a week, maybe two weeks, and then maybe you just went, okay, I can probably go for a walk for 15 minutes during my lunch break. That means you're not having to get up earlier, you're not having to find time in the evening if you don't have it. But maybe you've got 10 or 15 minutes at lunchtime where you can go and just do a gentle walk. Or maybe it's sleep as a priority. So those five things, you could choose one, you can choose two, you can choose all of them. That can give you a really lovely soft start that means that you may really notice changes in the way your body feels within weeks, which would be amazing, right? So I wanted to talk a little bit about why consistency uh beats intensity. Our bodies as women, particularly when there's hormonal shift going on, such as perimenopause, and also in menopause, uh, our bodies respond best to predictability, our body's love routine. So predictability, nourishment, and calm, not extremes. You don't need six workouts a week. And hot tip for weight loss, it's actually 80% dietary-based and 20% activity. So six works out six workouts a week without doing anything from a dietary point of view is not gonna have you losing weight, if that's your goal, by the way. Um, strict plans, you don't need to be following fad diets with radical food exclusions. Um, I'm seeing a lot about the carnivore diet at the moment, uh, which we know from microbiome studies is just devastating to do that for long periods of time without having good quality complex carbohydrates. I'm hearing some really extreme examples of people just eating meat only with no fruits, no veggies, no grains. And yes, you may feel good for a while. Yes, you may lose weight, but it is not good for your gut health at all. So be very careful about some of these radical diets. Um, you don't need to follow perfection, okay? You just need repeatable actions. And this is why I see a lot of success in the women I work with in the Globe Protocol. They stop chasing intensity and start building consistency with my support. So I hope that's been helpful. It's just a little short podcast today. I just wanted to record one that felt manageable uh for you to listen to with just a few tips. So if you're exhausted and unmotivated, like many women are at this time of year. Starting gently is not failure. It's actually an intelligent way to start. But if you do want some structure and accountability and support in a way that's going to see you getting some really quick wins. And so you don't have to rely on your motivation because you have me to coach you. I'd love to talk to you about whether the Globe Protocol is suitable for you. The link is in the show notes to book in your peri weight loss assessment. It's free, no obligation. Uh I get so much out of talking to people about their goals, their challenges, their struggles, and giving them a few tips on the call to perhaps address that, but also talking to you about, you know, what a high-level structured program might look like for you. So next week we're going to talk about how why trying to do this alone is often the hardest part and how support changes everything after 40. And I've experienced that myself, as I said, with having a business coach. What I've been able to achieve in the past year and a half, as I said, I've just had the first two weeks back in clinic have been the busiest and the most fulfilling, I have to say, um, of my career in clinic. And it's because of having support, having guidance, having a clear plan and someone who's always there to make sure that I'm on the straight and narrow. Um, so yeah, tune in next week to see how support changes everything for you when you hit 40. But until then, take it easy. Uh take care of yourself and enjoy the rest of your week. Thanks so much for joining me on the Ageless and Awesome podcast. If you would like this episode, please make sure you click the little plus button if you're on Apple Podcasts, or the follow button if you're on Spotify so that you get each new episode delivered to you every single week. If you feel like writing me a five star review, you would absolutely make my day. If you found this episode resonated with you, head over to my Instagram and DM me at the Perimetopause Park. I would love to connect with you.

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Susie Garden

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