{"id":28047,"date":"2020-11-23T12:11:44","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T20:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/?p=28047"},"modified":"2022-01-05T11:52:12","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T19:52:12","slug":"truth-about-womens-fitness-in-menopause-my-tedx-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/truth-about-womens-fitness-in-menopause-my-tedx-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"Truth About Women\u2019s Fitness in Menopause | My TEDx Talk"},"content":{"rendered":"

Women\u2019s fitness in menopause is a hot topic. This is what I shared in a recent post when I began to spread the word about my TEDx talk:<\/em><\/p>\n

I think I just threw up a little bit.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That\u2019s how I titled my post. Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

My TEDx Talk Story<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Let me tell you what happens when you get\u00a0accepted to do a\u00a0TEDx talk<\/a><\/strong>\u2026 and have\u00a0less than 4 weeks to prepare<\/strong>\u00a0it.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re\u00a0training for an Ironman<\/strong>\u00a0happening two weeks after. And the weekend before\u00a0you\u2019re at a Thursday-Sunday conference\u00a0<\/strong>knocking out a huge block of time you needed to prepare.<\/p>\n

Then you do the talk and walk off stage feeling like you just had an out-of-body experience. You have\u00a0no idea if you even said all the important things<\/strong>\u00a0that made you do this, on your own dime and time.<\/p>\n

Then you wait, and wait, and\u00a0wait\u2026 for 7 months t<\/strong>o it to be published (almost unheard of). And\u00a0it risks getting banned\u00a0<\/strong>because it\u2019s controversial and in spite of a dozen+ research studies quoted and the basis of it: it flies against tradition.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s released\u2026 exactly what you wanted\u2026 except then you have to watch yourself and your midget mindset says,\u00a0\u201cwhat will people think?\u201d\u00a0<\/em>You wonder\u00a0if you\u2019ve done the women whose stories you told justice.<\/strong>\u00a0You wonder how many\u00a0fitness pros will hate it\u00a0<\/strong>because, well, they\u2019d rather keep doing what they\u2019re doing than accept we might be wrong.<\/p>\n

(and of course, I\u2019m human\u2026 I think while watching\u2026\u00a0I definitely look like I had gained that 10 lbs in 2019 I hinted at \u2013 ugh!<\/em>) Keep reading beyond the video to learn more.<\/p>\n

Well, hence the original subject line. I opened with. My TEDx talk is wayyyyyy harder to share than I anticipated.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been talking about women\u2019s fitness for 3 1\/2 decades. I\u2019ve been diving deep into the research and protocols on exclusively women\u2019s fitness in menopause for 10-14 hours a day for eight years. And still\u2026<\/p>\n

The Resistance<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Somehow in my head it went different, you know? It was going to be a huge celebration and something I couldn\u2019t wait to share.<\/p>\n

So if I tell you when it all goes peachy and smooth, I have to tell you when it\u2019s a sh#* storm for me.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s just personal doubt coming up. And I have it too. So it is fair for me to tell you,\u00a0when you think maybe something won\u2019t work for you\u00a0or you can\u2019t do this<\/strong>, these feelings are going to come up.<\/p>\n

\"\"This resistance\u00a0<\/strong>is harder than any weight you will ever lift.<\/p>\n

So, I\u2019ve got to say to you and to I both\u2026 lift the damn thing anyway.<\/p>\n

We have to honor what\u2019s happening for us at the moment we\u2019re in no matter what that includes.<\/p>\n

Now, a humble ask.<\/p>\n

Will you watch my TEDx talk?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

It may help you know you\u2019re not doing anything wrong. It may help you realize you\u2019re doing more than you need to right now. Fitness in menopause is tricky.<\/p>\n

Will you\u00a0share it<\/a>\u00a0if it will benefit a friend or a health coach or trainer?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

We need to have some change in the way we think about women\u2019s fitness in menopause order to change women\u2019s fitness and health for the better. You deserve energy and vitality and you\u2019re not going to get there by starving or exercise that causes extreme fatigue.<\/p>\n

You can share the link from my website, flippingfifty.com\/tedx<\/a> (scroll below the video and see share buttons to put it directly on your favorite social media site) or from the TED YouTube channel<\/a> directly.<\/p>\n

And know, I appreciate it so much.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s News I Haven\u2019t Shared<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Literally, the day after my TEDx talk went live, while I was still pulling up my big girl panties to share it and stop second-thoughts, I got my\u00a0body fat tested<\/a>. Here are the results.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Pretty amazing for a woman in post menopause at 56. From walking\u2026. And 2 20-minute interval sessions (start to end) and 2 strength training sessions (about 30 minutes each) AT HOME during COVID19.<\/p>\n

Now, if I changed that sentence:<\/b><\/p>\n

Pretty amazing for a woman in post menopause at 56. From walking\u2026. And 2 20-minute interval sessions (start to end) and 2 strength training sessions (about 30 minutes each) AT HOME\u00a0during COVID19<\/p>\n

Still true.<\/p>\n

If I change it again:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pretty amazing for a woman in post menopause at 56. From walking\u2026. And 2 20-minute interval sessions (start to end) and 2 strength training sessions (about 30 minutes each)\u00a0AT HOME\u00a0during COVID19<\/p>\n

Still true. (even at gym where you might think it\u2019s easier)<\/p>\n

So\u2026You Need to Know<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Listen, girlfriend. Please do not let that nasty, second-thought voice inside your head say you\u2019re too old, you can\u2019t get results, or it takes time and effort you don\u2019t have or don\u2019t want to put in.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s fitness in menopause, and let\u2019s get personal,\u00a0your<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0fitness in menopause may come from far less exercise than you\u2019ve been led to believe.<\/p>\n

Had you seen the BEFORE numbers\u2026 back in December of 2018 when I tested before beginning Ironman training \u2026 I was at 127, 24% body fat. So now\u2026 the negative impact of a year full of cortisol elevating stressors \u2013 including endurance training \u2013 become much more apparent. At my highest weight just before the Ironman I saw 139 on the scale. A number I\u2019ve only ever seen before this when I was when pregnant. On a 5\u20194\u201d frame that\u2019s not healthy, and it\u2019s mysterious given the exercise I was doing and high quality diet I have. Or so you might think!<\/p>\n

Endurance exercise\u2026 causes a spike in cortisol.<\/p>\n

You add that with many more major life stressors (I clearly got in the wrong line at some point in 2019) and you will GAIN weight. Add hitting menopause mid-year and you\u2019ve got a perfect storm.<\/p>\n

And no, many blessings to those who said,\u00a0oh it\u2019s muscle.<\/em>\u00a0Honey, um no. A girl knows. Muscle is more compact, not bulky. You can see the increase in body fat percent\u2026 27% is not bad\u2026 just not something that makes sense with my lifestyle.<\/p>\n

You Don\u2019t Have to Go That Far (Please Don\u2019t!)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I did an experiment in extremes here. You don\u2019t have to be doing Ironman triathlon training to gain weight with too much exercise.<\/p>\n

Please check your default thought pattern that more exercise is better.<\/p>\n

Better<\/em>\u00a0exercise is better. Like walking\u2026. Walking \u2026 for a woman used to running 3 hours, biking 4 and 5 hours\u2026 swimming for 1-1.5 hours \u2026 could also make you lose weight if it is the right Exercise is Medicine dose for you right now.<\/p>\n

There will be a time when I can do some more of the endurance I love again. We have to listen to our bodies, adjust the exercise, as you would medication if your status changed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

Reprinted from flipping50.com<\/a> with permission from Debra Atkinson.<\/p>\n

Debra Atkinson is the #youstillgotitgirl who is flipping 50 and changing the way thousands of women think about their second half. She\u2019s the host of the Flipping 50 TV Show and the Flipping 50 podcast. As a master personal trainer, strength and wellness coach with over 30 years fitness industry experience, she works with women who are pro-aging with vitality and energy. She is an international fitness presenter, author of hundreds of articles and multiple books. Visit her website,\u00a0flippingfifty.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Women\u2019s fitness in menopause is a hot topic. This is what I shared in a recent post when I began to spread the word about my TEDx talk: I think I just threw up a little bit. That\u2019s how I titled my post. Here\u2019s why. My TEDx Talk Story Let me tell you what happens when you get\u00a0accepted to do a\u00a0TEDx talk\u2026 and have\u00a0less than 4 weeks to prepare\u00a0it. While you\u2019re\u00a0training for an Ironman\u00a0happening two weeks after. And the weekend before\u00a0you\u2019re at a Thursday-Sunday conference\u00a0knocking out a huge block of time you needed to prepare. Then you do the talk and walk off stage feeling like you just had an out-of-body experience. You have\u00a0no idea if you even said all the important things\u00a0that made you do this, on your own dime and time. Then you wait, and wait, and\u00a0wait\u2026 for 7 months to it to be published (almost unheard of). And\u00a0it risks getting banned\u00a0because it\u2019s controversial and in spite of a dozen+ research studies quoted and the basis of it: it flies against tradition. It\u2019s released\u2026 exactly what you wanted\u2026 except then you have to watch yourself and your midget mindset says,\u00a0\u201cwhat will people think?\u201d\u00a0You wonder\u00a0if you\u2019ve done the women […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":267,"featured_media":28049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[198,289,257],"class_list":["post-28047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-mfn","tag-fitness-professionals","tag-menopause","tag-womens-health"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/267"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28047"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31372,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28047\/revisions\/31372"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28049"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}