Most women aren't walking around thinking, "I need more muscle." It's more, "I need to lose weight" or "I just want to look toned."  Sound about right? If you've followed me for a minute, you know I preach about the importance of maintaining and building muscle for women over 40. For decades, women were told to be smaller, leaner, thinner. Toned. The message (and resulting fear) was if we lift weights, we'll get big. Bulky. We'll look like a dude. Nonsense! Fortunately that messaging is (finally) evolving. But here’s the deal, TONING isn’t a thing. Toning is a marketing ter ..read more

Ever feel like you're doing all the right things, but you're not getting results from your exercise and nutrition?   If so, you are definitely not alone. This is an all too common frustration for many women over 40 or so.  "I'm exercising every day, I'm dieting... and nothing is working!" ?? This, in part, is why it’s not working.  Hormonal changes during perimenopause and beyond change the game. Your body is now playing by a new set of rules. So you may have discovered that what you used to do is no longer working. Here are 5 Common Mistakes Women Often Make: 1 ..read more

I don't always love to workout. That may sound a bit odd coming from someone who’s career is all about exercising and encouraging other women to do the same. Still, it's true.  I love moving my body. I love what it does for my physique, my physical and mental health, my mood. And I love the strength, energy, and confidence it gives me! But, I don’t leap out of bed in the morning stoked to get to my workout. Coffee, yes. My workout, no.  If you are thinking “Same girl, same”, I want you to know this… You don't HAVE to love it. In fact, you may never actually come to LOVE to exerc ..read more

It’s a crazy, busy time of year. You’ve got a million things to do. It’s easy to put your fitness and nutrition goals on the back burner. “I’ll start in January. It’s a clean slate, and I’ll be ALL IN without the holiday distractions.”  Sound familiar?  Every year, “improving my health and fitness” is among the top New Year’s resolutions. The gyms get packed… for the first 6 weeks of the year (statistically, most fitness resolutions drop off by Valentine’s Day). But, consider this… There are still nearly 6 WEEKS left in 2022. That’s a decent chunk of time. Enough to do some damage.&n ..read more

So you dipped into the Halloween candy... now what?     Halloween is the official kickoff of the holiday season — or as my client, Bea calls it, “eating season”. I call it the holiday slide (maybe I’ll choreograph a line dance for it!).    This often means being around treats and libations from now until January. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a few treats, but it’s easy to overdo it and wake up with a post-holiday sugar hangover. And a crapton of remorse.    The good news: one night of indulging is not a big deal. The operative word being, one ..read more

My first fitness guru, Tony Horton (of P90x fame) often says, "It's time to get your mind right."  He's right. I don't know about you, but my mind can be a dangerous neighborhood. Anyone feel me on this?   The stories we tell ourselves can have a significant impact on our lives. Limiting beliefs convince us that something is the absolute truth (even when there is evidence to the contrary).     It’s surprising what beliefs we carry around with us from day-to-day. Sometimes we're not even aware of them. Maybe we didn't even consciously ..read more

If I had a dollar for every time a client told me, “I don’t want to look bulky, I just want to look toned." Especially as an owner of a Barre fitness studio... I'd be on a private jet to my villa in the South of France.    But here’s the deal, TONING isn’t a thing. I said what I said. Toning is a marketing term that was created to appeal to women. Slick, huh?    Muscles, by nature, have tone. But, if they are covered by a layer of fat, they won’t be visible. Muscles can only grow or shrink. You can build more muscle, or you can build more fat ..read more

Menopause. The Change. The M word. The Second Spring. Whatever you call it — it's inevitable. It's simply a natural part of life.    80% of women will experience symptoms... weight gain (seemingly overnight!), hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, sleep issues, brain fog, moods swings, thinning hair... or any of the 34 symptoms associated with it. Thirty-four!    But, DO YOU KNOW? Your lifestyle habits can make things better... or worse?  You’ve got power, lady!  Although menopause can feel like "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" at times, you do ..read more

I still see so many women default to the mindset that the path to weight loss and body composition change is “Eat Less, Exercise More.” And that more usually comes in the way of lots of cardio.     What’s worse… when they don’t see the results they’re looking for, they double down – more calorie restriction, more cardio.    It’s a vicious cycle. And it comes at a high cost (I’ll touch on that in a sec).   I’m not a big fan of cardio – personally, and as a professional who works exclusively with midlife women.   Personally, it’s never been my jam. I’ve tr ..read more

Curious about the benefits of a strong core? Find out why your powerhouse matters and learn five moves to get a strong core faster. So is all the hype about the benefits of a strong core true? Absolutely. You probably know that having a strong core is crucial. But a strong core brings health benefits that go way beyond aesthetics. Today, we will dig a little deeper to address why a strong core matters to your overall health and wellness journey.  BONUS: Read to the end for 5 of my fave Living BOLDER moves for optimal core strength and stability. In Pilates, they refer to the core as "the ..read more