Training
There is magic in the air at midlife. It is undoubtedly a time of great transition, with profound changes occurring on all levels - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. If we can respect the new rhythms that are trying to emerge during this period of our life, we can ride the slower, deeper waves into a more peaceful future. Much like during puberty, if equipped with the knowledge and support required to navigate this time with finesse, it can be a wonderful, exciting time that heralds the birth of a fuller, more authentic self.
But first, the physical realities. Sleep may become a challenge, influencing mood, energy and ability to recover. Body composition changes. Without the right inputs, muscle mass can be harder to maintain or build. Connective tissue changes character and can be less forgiving, making us more prone to tendon and ligament injuries and fascial restrictions. In fact, here we uncover one of our greatest challenges to fitness during midlife - these tissues adapt slower and are now the rate limiting factor that should dictate load, pacing and recovery time. Fascia also shrinks and stiffens in response to chronic stress. Thus, gently unwinding our chronic, habitual, fight/flight status becomes a major priority for successful training.
Even beyond the meno-sphere, life has been turbulent of late. It’s led me to reflect deeply on how I want to use my time, and energy. My recent personal turmoil has shown me what the foundational parts of my practice are. That is, what can I still do whilst feeling stressed, depleted, sore and tired? What gives me energy, inspiration and strength, rather than depleting me further?
These questions led to the development of this 4-week online program.
The aim is to share what I know to help develop a strong, supple, resilient body, in a way that also supports calm, clarity, and a more peaceful mind.
With influences from the latest understanding of menopausal changes, strength and rehabilitation research, tai chi, qi gong, Pilates and JEMS, these sessions will include:
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A blend of activation and breathwork to help you feel your body, inside and out.
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Elongation work to support connection and integration from head to toe.
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Gradual progression to loaded movements (kettlebells) to maintain/build muscle and develop a sense of strength and power.
Most importantly, it’s manageable. One hour, twice a week, with plenty of recovery time in between.
This may be a good fit if you:
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Want to build or maintain muscle, but lift in a way that supports your body and avoids injury
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Are noticing changes from peri/menopause (tightness, stiffness that stretching doesn’t quite resolve)
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Tend to get caught in a stress–tension cycle and find it hard to fully relax
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Want to feel strong, flexible, and able to trust your body
I know there are so many demands for our time and attention out there. There’s no pressure to attend every session in person, as each class is recorded. However, previous participants have commented that knowing there’s a group of women there to meet, makes getting up and going for this in the morning just that little bit more compelling!
This series starts slowly and builds a good foundation. As such, it is open to all abilities. Laura will arrange a time to meet you either in person, or online for a brief pre-class chat and assessment, to get some important background information, and find out about your goals.
What others say...
An excellent re-introduction to movement for my menopausal and stiff body. I really liked that it was a gentle start and that we built on that each session.
I had less pain, particularly my hips, more mobility in my hips and my body generally, and definitely more energy after the sessions!
I love your way of teaching, you pushed just enough session and I particularly love your lack of judgement for how little I’ve done with my body for such a long time.
I didn’t think I’d enjoy the breath work as much as I did. I was quite surprised by how much the breath work set my body up for the movement and I really enjoyed that aspect.
Less pain particularly after sleeping, increased mobility after a class and felt more aligned.
I have much less pain in my lower back and hip
The breath work was amazing as a reminder to bring the breath into the whole body. The mobilisation and Pilates work gave me more space and core strength.
Loved that one!! Felt great to really move into the sequences on the floor and the reps with weights.
I noticed that the weight exercises that we did during the program had more effect than heavier weights / longer sessions I’ve been doing on my own because we took time to get the alignment right.
The concept of the kinks in the spine resonated well with me, and Ive found being mindful of this has assisted my posture when I walk, i.e. supporting my body through elongation.
Excellent. It really helped me know how to do weights properly and also opened my mind to a different way of carrying myself.
I enjoyed the 'warm ups ' more but appreciated the strength exercises.