I was a first time mom at 42 and at the same time my body was changing in ways nobody had warned me about.
One day, I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself. Not only physically but mentally and emotionally, too. I had gained so much weight. I cried all day long. Then, stayed up all night because of heartburn and anxiety.
I knew I had to do something.
So, I went back to one of the things I’ve always leaned on and that was fitness. I knew that if I didn’t start getting back to it, I would forever feel this way.
I was well aware of what it did for me mentally. There would be days when I couldn’t shake a funky feeling. But that funky feeling disappeared after the workout. I could try on a dress and despise how it fits. But working out would completely change that and have me believe it fit better without losing a pound. Fitness had gotten me through grief of losing my Dad. I was crying while running trails. The benefits are endless and beyond physical changes.
It took me a couple of years after my son was born to get back to it. After about a year, i was all the way locked in. I went from barely being able to walk a mile to running 5 miles, three times a week. The attitude and confidence was up. But the weight. There wasn’t much of a change. The workouts I used to do didn’t work anymore, and I didn’t know why. Cardio was always the biggest part of my routine. But it didn’t seem like it was enough.
What I wished existed
I wanted something small enough to actually start. Twenty or thirty minutes. No gym, because I couldn’t process the thought of leaving my son.
I decided to stop promising myself about how I’d look in a month. And see what needed to change.
I went online and started researching what helps with fitness in perimenopause. I found strength training was key.
Everything else I found online was either “push harder” or “just rest.” Neither fit a woman with a baby, a full life, and hormones doing something new.
I’ve been piecing together this “perimenopause fitness” life ever since. This is something that was missing. No one wants to piece things together. Who has time for that?
So, I started changing things and seeing results. I began treating strength training as the priority and rest as part of the plan.
So I built what missing for myself. A guide that helps return back to movement when while you’re in a new season of life.
A free Midlife Rebuild Starter Guide: a 7-day gentle return to movement, made for women in midlife. Enter your email and I’ll send it to you.
What’s inside
Seven days, three kinds of days: gentle cardio, strength, and a real rest day. Every move has a no-equipment option, and you’re always allowed to modify or skip anything that feels wrong.
If you’re where I was
You’re not behind, and your body isn’t broken. It’s changing, and it needs a different approach than the one you used at 30. Start smaller than you think you should. Start each day with a simple mantra like “show up for yourself” then protect the time.
Watch the full story on YouTube:
If you want the guide, it’s right above. Tell me if you’re rebuilding in the comments.
