BLOGS
‘Women Are Not Small Men’ is a phrase coined by the eminent Dr Stacy Sims and whilst it’s blindingly obvious, the sports science world hasn’t, until recently, paid it much thought.
Many active women don’t eat enough to fuel their training and recovery. The consequence is that their performance and health will suffer.
As you get older, you will find your usual training doesn’t work like it did and you start to gain weight, often around the middle. The worst thing to do is cut your calories as that makes matters worse because your body goes into conservation and survival mode - 🡱 cortisol (stress hormone)
Do You Suffer From Low Energy Availability?
Many active women don’t eat enough to fuel their training and recovery. The consequence is that their performance and health will suffer.
Things I work on reframing in my clients’ mindsets - Part 1
(These apply to all my female clients but x10 more important for the midlifers!)
More Amazing Creatine Research
Latest Creatine Monohydrate Research shows that its effectiveness goes way beyond muscle building. It isn’t just a supplement for athletes and body builders but a supplement beneficial for all the adult population!!
Two popular ‘diets’: Intermittent Fasting & the Ketogenic Diet are shown to not be appropriate for active women, but a diet high in plant based foods is!
Let’s start with intermittent fasting…
In the past 5 years or so there has been some amazing research based on peri /menopausal women which highlights how important protein is in the female diet, especially for peri/menopausal women.
Lack of ‘Self-Efficacy’ is a major factor in failing to get (or stay) fit and healthy.
Self-efficacy is how confident you are in your ability to have control over your own motivation, behaviour, and social environment.
Here are four strategies that can be used to help increase your self-efficacy:
Are you more interested in weight/fat loss than building LEAN muscle? Read on..
MUSCLES play a major role in controlling your blood sugar so they lower your risk of getting diabetes.
MUSCLES play a major role in controlling blood lipids so they lower your risk for heart disease.
MUSCLES play a major role in how you burn fat and whether you store fat/gain weight so they are a key to your health.
Creatine - think you know everything? Read on…..(especially if you are female!)
Creatine is the most research science backed supplement in the fitness space but the latest evidence based research shows it has huge benefits previously not known - here’s the highlights.
Well firstly, why do a photo shoot at all? I know a lot of people don’t ‘get it’
If I wanted to be competitive in what I do, changing my body composition through strength training, I would enter bodybuilding completions.
However, this has never appealed as I’m not interested in competing with others, I just want to keep challenging myself and reaping the rewards of my discipline - strength, muscle growth, improved physical and mental health, feeling bloody amazing for my age etc etc…
I could talk about this for days and there’s so much info/research but here’s the highlights and feel free to message me if you want more in depth details.
Women are different from men in what they need nutrition wise and different again at this time of life. It’s only in recent years that studies are being carried out specifically based on women so a lot of this is relatively new.
All the below, offset the detrimental effects of declining hormones and help improve performance and health for the long term:
There are some amazing Doctors carrying out sports science research based on studies of women to show how we are different from men in terms of the exercise we need and how that changes at different times of life. I am now spending a lot of time educating myself on this research and learning all I can. If you want more info on the research behind any of the below or just have questions - feel free to message me.
All of the below, offset the detrimental effects of declining hormones in perimenopause and help improve performance and health for the long term:
3 things us women tend to do with regards to health and fitness… but need to stop…
(1) Comparing Yourself to other Women
Especially if you are comparing yourself to edited pictures on social media, women who are younger than you and women with lots of money and time to spend on how they look! (We’ve all done it though right?!?! )
We are all unique and different, you will never look exactly how someone else looks and why would you want to! It’s good to be inspired by others but it’s about wanting to be and look the best version of YOU!
As a midlife woman you must have heard about the benefits of strength training but if you still don’t believe in it’s importance for this time of life read the below:
There are two common age-related conditions for women that can accelerate around menopause and have a HUGE negative impact on your future health and vitality…
Do you know what’s really important for your mental health?
Avoiding people and habits that make you feel negative in any way.
If you follow accounts on social media that make you feel any type of negative emotion - unfollow! (if it’s friends or family and you don’t want them to know then mute or restrict)
I’m not skinny, I’m strong, stronger than I’ve ever been.
I don’t starve myself, I eat more than many realize. Balanced macros including 150 g of protein and chocolate every single day!
I don’t go to the gym every day, or do endless cardio, I follow a strength programme 5 days a week and only sometimes add treadmill to help my step count.
I don’t deprive myself of anything I want but I do try to prioritise sleep, 2l water a day and 10,000 steps.
Do you keep going round the vicious cycle eating well and exercising, and then it all stops again?
The odd day, weekend or even a week of not training and eating badly will not undo your progress if you are training consistently and eating well over the long-term.
The problem is that often you feel guilty and beat yourself up after occasions like this and have a negative mindset about getting back into your routine.