Episode Details

As our hormones and female physiology change, running a bit less and more strategic is essential to feel stronger, healthier, and even faster.

Louise Valentine, a leading expert for perimenopausal active women and runners, sits down with Jen to look back on their four-month training cycle and share what happened when they reduced running mileage, focused more on the Breaking Through Wellness female-specific strength training and fitness methods, and stopped forcing their bodies to keep up with demanding race goals.

One of their biggest lessons was once again learning to recognize a bioindividual “stress tipping point”, a science-backed theory that Louise teaches us to thrive through perimenopause. For example, more training is not always better, especially when sleep, recovery, hormones, hunger, mood, and body composition start to suffer. Louise shares how stepping away from half-marathon training helped improve her sleep, libido, strength, physique, recovery, and hormone markers while still allowing her to run faster. Jen also discovered that shorter runs brought her faster physique changes, more joy, improved energy, and made training easier to fit into her busy family life.

They also discuss excessive cardio, hunger hormones, female-specific strength training, ditching social media pressure, and the empowering freedom that comes from changing goals without feeling like you failed.

The takeaway is simple: your healthiest and most effective training plan looks a lot different in midlife as your hormones and female physiology change.

RESOURCES + LINKS

Learn & level up with my free nutrition guide & award-winning 1:1 Academy to thrive through perimenopause with less stress: https://www.breakingthroughwellness.com

Blog post mentioned in this episode, “Trying to find your sweet spot with running & fitness in perimenopause? This is for you!“ is found here.

Previous podcast episode #133 on choosing to shift training goals mid-training plan: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/maximizing-hormones-physique-running-through-perimenopause/id1716725195?i=1000767715477

Link to check out Function Health & save $25 off comprehensive, proactive blood work using code “LVALENTINE11”  here.  $25 goes back to support BTW with each new sign up! Thank you!

Take advantage of our podcast listener discount & save 20% off Kion’s science-backed clean products. Code "LOUISE" saves on all future orders: https://www.getkion.com/pages/maximizing 

Check out my FullScript here where you can see curated supplement picks, by topic, to address your concerns & save 25% off!  A small portion of EACH sale goes back to support BTW.  Thank you!

Learn, laugh & level up with a Breaking Through Wellness masterclass here.

Episode Highlights:
(0:00) Intro
(3:31) Why they changed their training approach
(5:31) Understanding your stress tipping point
(7:08) Choosing health over race performance
(8:39) When long runs stopped working
(10:28) Finding your joyful running distance
(12:18) High mileage and hormone health
(14:00) Health, happiness, or harder training
(19:27) Finding balance between running and strength
(22:32) Leptin, hunger, and excessive cardio
(25:25) What happened after running less
(29:17) Hormone improvements after changing training
(32:19) Is the half