A lot of women hit their late 30s, 40s, or 50s and notice the same thing: whatever they used to do to stay healthy just stopped working. The workouts feel harder. The scale won’t move. Nobody really explains why.
Dr. Miranda Naylor talks with Heike Yates, a fitness coach with over 40 years in the industry and author of Pursue Your Spark, about what’s actually going on in the body during this stage and how to build a routine around it instead of fighting it. Heike has coached her own clients through the same perimenopause and menopause changes she’s experienced herself, and she’s blunt about what’s worth worrying about and what isn’t.
We get into:
✔️ Why your old routine stops working in your late 30s, 40s, and 50s
✔️ Why there’s no such thing as a flat belly
✔️ How intense workouts can raise cortisol and work against you
✔️ Setting boundaries with yourself before anyone else
✔️ Why consistency beats intensity, and what “exercise snacks” are
✔️ Eating for your goals instead of someone else’s diet
✔️ What actually helps with the 3am wake-up
If your routine stopped working and you can’t figure out why, start here.
Timestamps
00:07 Why old routines stop working in midlife
01:17 Heike’s story, and why her coaching shifts every decade
03:34 Why your body isn’t “letting you down”
05:21 There’s no such thing as a flat belly
06:29 Do we actually gain weight in perimenopause
07:56 Comparing yourself to your family instead of an unrealistic body
11:45 Why hard workouts can backfire on cortisol
12:01 Setting boundaries with yourself and everyone else
14:13 A simple way to practice saying no
17:10 Consistency vs. intensity
19:00 What “exercise snacks” are and why they count
21:28 Getting burned out from constant high-intensity training
23:01 The teacup trick for staying active during the day
25:00 Empty nesting, caregiving, and finally having time for you
29:37 Nutrition basics: protein at every meal, watching portions
31:02 What a food diary actually shows you
35:51 Is intermittent fasting right for you?
39:04 Simplifying your plate instead of overthinking it
39:51 Sleep struggles and the 3am wake-up
43:57 A trick for quieting your mind at night
48:49 The closing message: there’s nothing wrong with you
50:57 Where to find Heike and her book, Pursue Your Spark
Heike Yates’ Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heikeyates/?hl=en
Podcast: https://heikeyates.com/category/podcast/
Website: https://heikeyates.com/
Book & Podcast: Pursue Your Spark
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