Magnificent Midlife

Dr Kristie Ennis is a physical therapist, nutritionist, and strength and conditioning specialist. She wants to empower people to do more than they think they can and realize they are stronger than they think they are. She has a fantastic YouTube channel, which is where podcast host Rachel found her when she injured her knee. We talk about: - The importance of letting the body heal itself - Fascia and its importance in body movement - The importance of drinking enough fluid  - The dangers of sitting too long - Hormone related aches and pains in women - The importance of considering the whole body when addressing pain - How hormonal changes in menopause can contribute to weight gain and fat distribution - Exercise and injury prevention for older adults - Common injuries in older adults - Strengthening the glutes - Pelvic floor exercises and common mistakes in women’s fitness - Fitness and nutrition for a healthy lifestyle - Cardio exercise guidelines and options And more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please s

Pamela Windle joins the podcast to talk about menopause, at work, for Black women, diversity of experience, the importance of representation and staying curious about big statements about women’s health, especially when those relate to race. Pamela is a women’s health coach and menstruation and menopause consultant for the workplace. She trained with the Integrated Women’s Health Institute and the International Menopause Society. She’s an adviser to the British Standards Institute for the new standard on menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace. We talk about: - Menopause and perimenopause in the workplace - The new BSI standard on menstruation and menopause in the workplace - Pamela’s personal experiences with perimenopause, challenging societal shame and embarrassment around menstruation and aging - Emphasizing the diversity of women’s experiences and the importance of self-care - Scepticism about research on menopause for Black women  - The lack of representation of Black women in medi

Cat Corchado is a US Air Force veteran turned founder of the Small Space Pilates Community. She’s made it her mission to help women veterans transition from the military, and is the host of the Sisters in Service podcast. We talk about: - Why Cat is still very active in the military community - Women veterans’ transition challenges and successes - The Sisters in Service podcast - The importance of identifying oneself beyond military service (as the transition to civilian life can be challenging) - What first took Cat into the military and where she served - Cat’s transition from the military and feeling a sense of loss and uncertainty after leaving  - The importance of acknowledging and embracing ones veteran status - Recognizing and supporting veterans in the UK and US - Cat’s experience of being a single parent in the military  - Cat’s journey of leaving the corporate world for fitness full-time - The importance of weightlifting for women especially as they age - The negative impact of ageism on women’s fit

Mag Mid podcast host Rachel is flying solo this week, talking about what’s been happening in her world. There's a trip to the UK Houses of Parliament and a book recommendation in the New York Times in the mix! Check out what’s been catching her attention lately. She talks about: - The success of the MenoClarity live event and how you can still access the recordings - Going to the heart of Government to talk about menopause - Menopause narratives and how they seem to keep getting worse - Her book, Magnificent Midlife, being recommended in the New York Times - The podcast season to date featuring: avoiding burnout, the crisis of care, staying fit as we age, healing through memoir, getting back on stage, digital publishing and traveling the world - Gendered ageism - Digital exclusion - How the Masters is going And lots more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) vers

Elaine Reynolds is a master personal trainer and yoga teacher. She teaches women over 50 to not give up or give in with the crazy things happening to our bodies. She had an epiphany at 50 and bought a one way ticket to Bali, where she lives now.  We talk about: - What’s it like being an expat in Bali and what she loves most about it - Elaine’s passion of helping older women stay fit - Issues that older women are grappling with in midlife - Menopause, aging and fitness - The importance of strengthening and stabilising muscles around joints to support aging bodies and improve recovery from injuries - Incorporating dynamic movements like yoga, barre, pilates, functional strength training, and low-impact cardio into workouts to lengthen the body and improve overall fitness - The importance of changing exercise habits after 50 to prioritize how one feels - Pain management and exercise for women in their 50s and beyond - The importance of glute strength - Knee problems and fascial release - The importance of holist

Sherry Sidoti is an author and a yogi. She recently published her first book, a memoir about her own healing journey, A Smoke and a Song. This is such a powerful and moving story highlighting how we can heal ourselves by exploring and accepting our experiences, and coming to terms with the past. We talk about: - What inspired Sherry to write her book - Sherry’s journey to writing a memoir - Sherry’s experience as a yoga teacher and how it has helped her learn to use language sparingly and effectively - Writing a memoir with a focus on self-expression and ethical considerations - How Sherry was able to write about trauma without triggering trauma - Motherhood and healing generational trauma - Using meditation and sensory awareness (five sense awareness)  to access memories - What it means to be living in the layers - What it’s like living on Martha’s Vineyard And more! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the ebook or aud

Dr Sola Togun-Butler is a psychotherapist and transformative life coach. She’s the founder of Butterfly Counseling Services and speaks regularly on the importance of mental health and wellness, while offering solutions to minimize stress, prevent burnout and achieve balance.  We talk about: - The importance of addressing societal expectations that lead to burnout in women, particularly in midlife - The guilt that arises from cultural and gender expectations that women should prioritize their children and family over their own needs - How changing thought patterns through cognitive restructuring and reframing can help reduce feelings of guilt - How Dr Sola’s Nigerian cultural background influenced her upbringing - Polarization in the menopause discourse - Finding it easier to listen to different perspectives as you get older - The importance of curiosity and seeking diverse viewpoints in midlife - How Dr Sola helps midlife women come to terms with or move on from trauma - Why women fear embracing their authent

Emily Kenway is the author of the groundbreaking book, “Who Cares: the Hidden Crisis of Caregiving and How We Solve It”, written after the painful experience of caring for her cancer stricken mother. Who Cares is an intimate and deeply researched account of the experiences of unpaid carers, and a call for us all to put care at the center of our lives. Emily researches, writes and speaks about thought-provoking social issues, shedding light on the crucial forces shaping our lives and communities. We talk about: - How Emily found the strength to write such a book out of her own deep grief - Emily’s personal experience with caregiving - The importance of recognizing care as a continuous condition of life - The need for more practical support for carers  - Reducing the stigma surrounding care work - How older people can refuse outside help due to vulnerability concerns - How women are often expected to prioritize care work over paid work - Disparities in labor rights and opportunities between men and women - Gend

Josephine Pembroke is a performer and founder of Radio Gorgeous. She trained at Drama Studio and has been in many bands, cabaret and theatre productions. She decided to get back on stage in her 60s and is currently starring in her own show, The Working Girls of Soho, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival. Josephine is a hoot! Prepare to giggle and be inspired that anything is possible! We talk about: - Why Josephine is back on the stage after all these years - What the show, The Working Girls of Soho, is all about - The history and culture of Soho - Life in London in the 80s and 90s - Josephine’s experience in the London’s club scene - What’s it like for Josephine to actually be doing cabaret on the stage - The all-girl band, Pussies Galore and their performances in London and abroad - Josephine’s struggle with needing attention  - The importance of discipline and creativity in Josephine’s life - What Josephine has learned about herself by going back on the stage - How baby steps are all we need to make b

Amanda O’ Brien became a full-time digital publisher in midlife, with four successful websites focusing on travel, pets and information. She’s a former marketing director at big corporations and an Australian who’s made London her home. She’s a boutique adventurer, and she’s visited over 70 countries on her travels. We talk about: - What it was like for Amanda to switch from marketing director to digital publisher in midlife - How advertising network Mediavine works and its impact on website traffic and SEO - Transitioning from marketing to digital publishing - Amanda’s solo travel experiences and her advice for women - Amanda’s experience of climbing Kilimanjaro - The experience of feeling uncomfortable in traveling solo, but finding comfort in realizing that nobody notices or cares. - What Amanda likes about being an Aussie in London - Cultural difference between Australia and the UK - Bhutan culture, tourism, and aging society - Travel blogging, social media, and influencer marketing - Midlife transitions,

Celebrating episode 150 of the podcast with a very special guest. Ann Marie McQueen is a journalist on the world stage, focused on menopause and on a mission to cut through misleading narratives and dodgy data. She founded HotFlash Inc in 2020 to cover the latest clinical studies, treatments, products, guidance and more via a weekly research letter, podcast and across social media. She’s also one of the founder members of MenoClarity. We talk about: - Why and how menopause became Ann Marie’s focus - Living in the Middle East as a Canadian expat - Cultural differences around menopause narratives - What annoys and concerns her about how menopause is portrayed - Issues around the impact of social media on menopause narratives - The oversimplification of menopause messages - Ann Marie’s struggles with ill health and separating that out from hormonal change - The impact of belief systems and trauma on menopause - How her view of menopause has changed - Understanding research and what it’s really saying - Being sce

Carolyn Parry is the founder of Career Alchemy, helping early-stage and established professionals escape from a job they hate and create a career they love, on purpose. She’s an award-winning career coach, a TEDx speaker and host of the Change Your Story podcast. She is the President of the Career Development Institute and based in Wales. We talk about: - Carolyn’s own career crisis - Knowing what you don’t want is as important as knowing what you want. - The emotional labor that women do in the office - How technology has changed the workplace - Why women have an advantage over men - The importance of investing in yourself - The three types of people you find at work - The choice of what story to write - How to reconnect with what really matters - The impact of imposter syndrome - Maintaining a sense of purpose is important for mental health - Finding the courage to change track - How to pivot into a new industry - Exploring ways to do life differently - How to get involved in your community And more!   If y

Something very different for this podcast – five guests on one show! Five of my fellow founders of MenoClarity, the knowledge hub for menopause set up in 2023. I’m talking to Pat Duckworth, Prof Joyce Harper, Clarissa Kristjansson, Kate Codrington and Ann Marie McQueen about why we’ve come together and what we hope to achieve with MenoClarity. This is a wild and at times hilarious conversation! We talk about: - The menopause myths we’re hoping to bust - Bringing some positivity to menopause without being Pollyannaish about it - Establishing a middle reliable ground in the currently very polarized menopause world - Bringing clarity to what symptoms are really due to menopause and what might not be - Cherry picking research findings to suit certain narratives - The dangers of getting information from social media - Providing trusted sources of information - The three stages of womanhood – none should be the default, they all matter - How we’re not broken in midlife and we don’t need fixing - Our inaugural onlin

Dr. Cathleen Brown is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist who has spent much of her career caring for female soldiers and their dependents. She was honorably discharged from the US Army after 12 years of meritorious service. She now provides gynecology services specifically for women at midlife during the menopause transition. We talk about: - What was it like being an army doctor - How service women manage their periods when they're on active service - The transition from military to civilian life - The difference between the medical system in America and the UK - How the US healthcare system needs an overhaul - What Cathleen likes about helping women in midlife and experiencing menopause - How women can help themselves in menopause - How women can access better food in America - How menopause can impact women’s health - Optimizing sleep and brain health And more! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the

Julia Brewer Daily wrote her first novel, No Names To Be Given, when she was over 50. This book was inspired by her own experience as an adopted child from a maternity home hospital in New Orleans. She’s also the host of the Authors Over 50 podcast. Her mission is to encourage those in mid-life and beyond to live their best lives in what she calls Life’s Sweetest Third. This is a fascinating conversation about what happened when Julia went looking for and started writing her story. We talk about: - The personal story behind Julia’s first book - Julia experience of being adopted - Why it took so long for Julia to write her book - What it was like finding her birth family - Learning about and beginning to understand her birth mother’s experience - Julia’s writing process and her second book - Julia’s podcast and mission - How new writers can best get going - What helps writers fulfil their dreams And more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever y

A solo podcast from Rachel with more midlife musing on life, the universe and everything in between! Let’s lean into midlife and our wisdom years! She talks about: - The new BSI Menstruation and Menopause in the Workplace Guide launch with Mariella Fostrup - How we need a revolution in how women especially older ones are viewed in the world - The inaugural MenoClarity Live summit in September - Out and about talking about midlife and menopause - The podcast season so far - One year off the booze! - How we only make change when we decide to And more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel’s book, Magnificent Midlife: Transform Your Middle Years, Menopause And Beyond at magnificentmidlife.com/book The paperback can be purchased on Amazon or other online retailers: UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnificent-Midlife-Transform-Middle-Menopause/dp/173981150X/ US

Niamh Daly is the founder of Yinstinct Yoga and focuses on creating yoga practices to help especially with menopause, training teachers around the world in this. She also runs courses in Menopause Awareness and Strategies for fitness professionals, nutrition and health coaches as well as accredited courses for Psychotherapists and Counsellors. We talk about: - Why Niamh is so passionate about yoga and especially for menopause - How to adapt our practice through menopause and as we age - The stages of menopause - The importance of pleasure - Connecting with our nervous systems - What we can learn by listening to our bodies - The importance of movement throughout the day - Being cautious of people making big promises about menopause - Looking out for misleading narratives - Learning to trust ourselves And more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel’s book, Mag

Liz O’Donnell is the founder of Working Daughter, a global community for women balancing eldercare and career. She’s the award-winning author of Working Daughter: A Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parents While Earning A Living, which is a brilliant book. She’s a longtime marketing executive who’s become a recognized expert on caregiving and in 2020, she created National Working Daughter’s Day. We talk about: - Why Liz wrote the book, Working Daughter: A Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parents While Earning A Living - The importance of moving from resentment to acceptance - The power of unconditional love and showing up - Why Liz focused on daughters in her book - Why it’s helpful to look forward to the time when you’re no longer caring (even though that means your parents are not there anymore) - Flexibility and the cost of being flexible - How the Covid-19 pandemic put everything in perspective - Living through the caregiving - How workplaces can help carers - The expectation that it will always be the daught

Meet Mia Maugé, a 57 year old model championing broader representation in the modelling industry. She burst onto the scene in 2020 in the midst of the global pandemic when she was picked up by a modelling agency, allowing her to leave her career in digital marketing and PR . She’s passionate about occupying spaces previously reserved for those who look nothing like her, be that her hair texture and colour, age, skin tone or body type. We talk about: - Mia’s experiences of Black Power as a mixed race child of the Windrush Generation growing up in the 70s - How she discovered her passion for writing - Working at Notting Hill carnival - How Mia became a model - Going public with her Instagram page in 2020 - Facing the fear of aging - Dyeing her hair and finally stopping - How Mia connected with the community of silver sisters - The low point in Mia’s life - Elderhood as the youth of old age - Practicing gratitude and being grateful - How the language around aging has got to change - Aging and how society views o

Jessica Kupferman is the CEO and co-founder of She Podcasts, the largest women’s podcasting community and organiser of She Podcasts LIVE. The She Podcasts brand currently supports over 20,000 female podcasters. She Podcasts Live Virtual is happening 20-22 June 2023. I’ve been a member of this brilliant community for years so it was great to sit down with Jess. We talk about: - How Jess got started in the podcast world - Why podcasting is so important especially for women - The She Podcasts live event and community - The challenges of organising such an event - Having ADHD and what that means for Jess - Being both a young mom and an old one - Life before She Podcasts - Her ChatGPT obsession - Top AI tips to make life zing! - Why podcasting is great for midlife women - What Jess has learnt along the way And more!   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it and leave us a 5* review on iTunes or wherever you’re listening. Order the ebook or audiobook (narrated by Rachel) versions of Rachel’s book, M