I might be a bit sceptical about the hype of New Year’s resolutions, but that doesn’t stop me from taking a hard look at my business—sifting through what’s been fruitful and what’s just not cutting it. This reflection is crucial as my offerings, like many other small business owners, evolve with my personal growth and professional insights.

The Joy of Creating Content: Writing, Educating, Speaking

Professionally, I proudly wear three hats: writer, educator, and speaker. These roles not only fuel my passion but also keep the lights on. They revolve around my love for creating content, whether that be insightful blogs, engaging articles, or dynamic presentations, all of which form the cornerstone of my personal brand and service offerings.

The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma: Joy vs. Revenue

The life of an entrepreneur is a roller coaster of highs and lows. Striking a balance between what adds to my plate and what sustains my livelihood is a constant tug-of-war. It’s about assessing each opportunity critically, questioning if it’s a money-maker or a joy-stealer, and making tough calls to avoid feeling swamped when life’s inevitable busy spells hit.

EVEolution™: Crafting a Signature Course

When the world was grappling with a pandemic a few years back, I channelled my energies into creating EVEolution™. This signature online course was born out of a need to preserve the rich insights I gained as a Personal Trainer, and it remains a testament to my dedication to empowering women. The process was a meticulous labour of love, transitioning from overwhelming to-do lists to a finished product I’m incredibly proud of.

A Health Journey: From Stress to Recovery

Talking about evolution, my health has also been on its transformative path. During the pandemic, I could not do the physical activity that regulated my week. I ate my feelings from the stress of continuous lockdowns, and my wine drinking spiralled into very unhealthy territory.

Contracting COVID – which turned into Long COVID (something that is still with me today) was a wake-up call. My initial symptoms of headaches were so bad I was convinced I had a brain tumour, as it felt like my brain was swollen and pressing against my skull. There was no relief. I saw a neurologist who confirmed that I did not have a brain tumour – we are still learning about COVID and inflammation. I was also experiencing fatigue and PEM (Post Exercise Malaise – when you get a flair-up of your symptoms 24 – 36 hours after exercise). This caused a further spiral of poor mental health – who was I when I could not even exercise?

My recovery was slow, painstakingly slow. I gave up drinking (and haven’t touched alcohol since contracting COVID), prioritising rest above all else. A health coach helped me overhaul my diet, and a psychologist introduced me to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Now, my health has significantly improved, though occasionally, a sleepless night or a stressful day can be a subtle nudge of the symptoms that still lurk beneath.

Passion for Pedagogy: Teaching at Heart

My love for teaching has remained an unfaltering constant throughout my professional endeavours. Something about breaking down complex topics into digestible pieces excites me—it’s where I excel. This passion for pedagogy has been the driving force behind every course I’ve developed and every workshop I’ve led.

I love thinking about the learner and what they might need to apply a concept practically to their lives, or the lives of others, if they are a coach.

Content Aesthetics: Where Beauty Meets Learning

I’ve always believed that when content is pleasing to the eye, it becomes more memorable. This philosophy guides how I design my courses—they’re not just repositories of knowledge but also canvases for my creative expression. Making learning aesthetically appealing is my subtle nod to the often-overlooked artistry in education. This will continue to be a hallmark of my work.

Embracing Change: What Stays and What Goes in 2024

As the year unfolds, it’s time to prune the branches of my professional life to allow for new growth. The process involves candidly evaluating all my ventures, identifying what sparks joy and brings in the revenue, and what doesn’t. It’s a delicate juggle to ensure the flow of creativity and abundance in my life.

Strategic Cutbacks for Growth

Some things must go for me to focus on growth. The EVEolution™ brand has its own demands, especially on social media, and it’s time to let that go, along with reducing the level of support I need. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary for efficiency and to create space for new opportunities.

2024: A Year of Focused Endeavours

Looking ahead, my focus is crystal clear: I’ll delve deeper into Women’s Fitness Education and expand my presence in the world of podcasting and presenting. I aim to nurture a community of learners and professionals who are as passionate about women’s health as I am. It’s about growing together and Making A Difference. One of my fundamental values.

The Backbone of My Work: Consistent Content Creation

No matter where my career takes me, content creation remains the bedrock of my daily routine. It’s where my thoughts take shape, and my expertise finds its voice. Whether it’s my blog, LinkedIn articles, or the musings I share with my audience, the commitment to crafting meaningful content is unwavering.

Expanding on this foundation, I am extending my reach to collaborate with larger organisations, enhancing their online education or hybrid training programs. This direction is a natural progression from my extensive experience in course creation. I bring a critical eye for pedagogical effectiveness. I can offer guidance to future-proof educational content and streamline project management.

When working with fitness industry partners, I provide complimentary women’s health education, leveraging my expertise to enrich their offerings. Yet, my capabilities are not confined to familiar territories; I’m well-equipped to provide valuable insights across various industries, even where I am not the subject matter expert.

If you’re looking to elevate your educational strategies and want to discuss how I can contribute to your organisation, I invite you to reach out. Let’s have a 15-minute chat to explore how my background in content creation and educational consulting can benefit your projects and goals.

Menopause: A Time for Reflection and Action

I’m not just focusing on professional evolution; perimenopause and menopause have been huge personal themes, too. It’s a time when many women, including myself, reassess life’s priorities. It’s when we shed unnecessary baggage and take decisive steps toward what truly matters—health, happiness, and fulfilment.

The Strategy to Achieve Goals: Practical and Personal

In true Mish style, I share with you the lifestyle habits that will anchor my journey to achieving my goals. These are practical, personal, and tuned to my life’s rhythm, considering my kid-free, work-from-home setup. 

• Always prioritise my sleep. No alarms unless absolutely necessary. Eat a lighter evening meal and walk as often as possible afterwards. Magnesium every night. No social media. Be in bed by 10.15 at the latest
• Finish my morning shower with the tap turned to cold – until I get the rush
• Focus work for the first half of the day – the time to concentrate and write / content create – unless urgent, it can wait till the afternoon
• Exercise later in the day – just after lunch or mid-afternoon – block my bookable diary to ensure it doesn’t get squeezed out
• Eat my food in this order – vegetables, protein and carbohydrates and chew mindfully
• Organise meetings and podcast interviews in the afternoon 
• If I have a rest in the afternoon – it must include breathing exercises (If I have to rest, my body is telling me I need to pay attention) – these can be Wim Hoff breathing (via the app) or 2 – 3 minutes of box breathing
• Write a list of to-do’s for the next day and leave my office
• Enjoy standing, moving, dancing and listening to my favourite podcasts while I prepare and cook dinner. This might include a quick trot to the shops – schedule make-up phone calls for the walk

They’re small but mighty changes, from prioritising sleep to scheduling focused work sessions and ensuring restorative breaks.

Closing Thoughts: The Essence of Achieving Goals

In the end, it’s the daily habits that lay the foundation for reaching our aspirations. It’s not just about grand resolutions but the small, consistent practices that bring us closer to where we want to be. So, here’s to embracing the lifestyle changes that propel us towards our goals, one small change at a time.

I recently had the privilege of presenting at the Exercise New Zealand conference, where the spotlight was on a topic close to my heart—MHT (Menopausal Hormone Therapy) and the unmasking of misconceptions. 

Now, I bet you’ve heard that using MHT can cause breast cancer. It’s a mistruth that continues to be promoted, causing uncertainty among fitness professionals and women alike. This uncertainty can mean that women who could genuinely benefit from Menopause Hormone Treatment are frightened to do so because of a single and imperfect study published in 2001 called the Women’s Health Initiative.

While debunking the myth that MHT causes breast cancer, I found myself fielding a common question: “What’s the difference between HRT and MHT, and which acronym should I use?” 

History can help us grasp the distinction between HRT and MHT. Enter our key player, Robert A. Wilson—a figure whose beliefs and work were instrumental in shaping the landscape of hormone therapy, connecting menopause with disease in a way that has forever altered the narrative. 

Robert A. Wilson MD – Personal and Professional Background:

Robert A. Wilson, a man whose name would become synonymous with controversy in women’s health, had a rather unassuming start. Born in England in the early 1920s, Robert A. Wilson embarked on a medical career that would eventually lead him across the Atlantic to New York City.

After earning his medical degree, Wilson’s early career in England was marked by his dedication to the study of endocrinology, a field focused on hormones and their effects on the body. However, while practising medicine in an upmarket suburb in Manhattan, his professional trajectory took an unexpected turn.

Wilson’s fascination with hormones and their potential applications deepened. He began to develop radical theories about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and its role in addressing what he saw as the scourge of menopause. Wilson’s ideas gained traction in this medical innovation and diversity metropolis, and his face grew recognisable in women’s health.

Forever Feminine: A Controversial Tale

Driven by a desire to prove his theories and fuelled by connections within the medical and pharmaceutical communities, Wilson decided to write a book. “Forever Feminine” was his platform to espouse his views on menopause as a disease that could be “cured” through HRT. This decision would thrust him into the spotlight and set a chain of events that would leave a lasting mark on women’s health.

Forever Feminine sent shockwaves through the medical community and the feminist movement. This book, published in 1966, was nothing short of horrifying for many women. Wilson perpetuated the idea that menopause was a disease that needed to be “cured.” He believed that women’s natural aging process could be halted or reversed through hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Here’s a quote that sheds light on his misguided perspective:

“Menopause is not a normal process; it’s a disease. But don’t worry, ladies, I’ve got the cure.”

Wilson’s perspective was not solely rooted in a desire to help women but seemed driven by the notion that men deserved to have “nicer” wives, ones who remained forever youthful. This perspective, deeply ingrained in gender stereotypes, raised serious ethical questions about his motivations.

Profits Over People

What makes Wilson’s story even more complex is his association with pharmaceutical companies. While he promoted hormone therapy aggressively, it’s hard to ignore the financial rewards he reaped from pushing these treatments. His lucrative connections to the pharmaceutical industry cast a shadow over his intentions.

A Dubious Legacy

However, it’s important to acknowledge that Wilson did promote hormone therapy that has ultimately helped millions of women. Hormone replacement therapy, when used responsibly and under medical supervision, can offer relief from the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause. Despite its controversial nature, Wilson’s work contributed to advancing the conversation around menopause and its management.

The story of Robert A. Wilson is a complex one. He wrote a book that shook the foundations of women’s health and, in many ways, set the stage for ongoing debates about hormone therapy. While his motives may have been questionable at times, there’s no denying that his work has had a lasting impact on women’s health.

As we continue to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of women’s health, it’s crucial to scrutinise the figures who shape it, acknowledging their contributions and holding them accountable for their actions. The legacy of Robert A. Wilson serves as a reminder that the pursuit of knowledge and progress must always be tempered by ethics and a genuine concern for the well-being of women everywhere.

The Controversial Quotes:

Grab your vomit bag for 5 quotes from the man himself – Robert. A Wilson:

1. “Menopause is not a natural process; it’s a disease, a scourge that afflicts women. But I have discovered the elixir of youth in hormone therapy. Ladies, you can now stop aging!”
2. “Why should men suffer through their wives’ mood swings and hot flashes when science offers a solution? HRT not only saves marriages but also creates ‘nicer’ wives.”
3. “Women’s bodies are fundamentally flawed, but we can fix them with hormones. Menopause is just a manifestation of female inadequacy.”
4. “Forget about embracing your age gracefully; fight it tooth and nail with hormone therapy. Aging is a woman’s worst enemy.”
5. “Pharmaceutical companies are my allies in this noble crusade. They profit, I profit, and women get the ‘cure’ they desperately need.”

MHT, HRT, and Wilson’s Legacy

As we stand at the crossroads of women’s health history and current practices, the distinction between MHT and HRT, albeit subtle, is significant. HRT, a term heavily influenced by Robert A. Wilson, encapsulates an era where menopause was aggressively labelled a ‘disease’. Wilson’s approach, interwoven with financial motivations and controversial beliefs, firmly stamped HRT with a stigma that has been challenging to shake off.

On the other hand, MHT represents a progressive shift. It moves away from the disease-focused narrative of HRT, embracing a more holistic and individualised approach to menopause management. MHT recognises menopause as a natural phase of life, not a deficiency to be fixed, and offers hormone therapy as one of many options to alleviate symptoms rather than a one-size-fits-all ‘cure’.

The relationship with Dr. Wilson’s legacy is complex. His contributions cannot be outrightly dismissed; they did, inadvertently, spur advancements and conversations in women’s health. Yet, they are irrevocably tainted by his skewed views on women and aging. It’s a stark reminder that ethical considerations and respect for the individuals involved in pursuing medical advancements must be at the forefront.

Ultimately, the journey from HRT to MHT reflects a broader evolution in healthcare—where women are increasingly seen and treated as active participants in their health journey rather than passive recipients of a medical decree. As fitness professionals and advocates for women’s health, our role is to guide women through their choices and empower them with information that transcends myths and stereotypes.

Menopause, and particularly perimenopause, is a confusing time. There are many more symptoms of the menopause transition that don’t get the same attention as hot flushes/flashes. And when women juggle work, home and caring responsibilities simultaneously as menopause, their symptoms can often be overlooked. So it can be difficult to work out exactly when you are in the perimenopause phase of your life.

This blog aims to give you guidance on how to work out if you are in perimenopause.

Just a word about the word women. Not all women have ovaries. And not all people with ovaries identify as women. However, everyone who has ovaries will experience menopause. You may notice that I interchange the word woman/women with “person” to be more inclusive.

Words matter.

Menopause is the book end to our reproductive years and is the term that you can use when you are exactly 1 year free of your periods. Perimenopause is the time (7 – 10 years before this).

I invite you to think about perimenopause as you think about puberty. I think it is fair to say puberty was a probably a few decades ago for you now. But as you continue to read, you will remember more about this time.

Puberty – the hokey pokey dance of entering adulthood

Your transition from childhood to adulthood – puberty – did not happen overnight. You might have experienced physical symptoms first, e.g., a quick breast or hip growth or the start of your menstrual cycle. For me, it was like I woke up and my hips had turned into rudders that stuck out from my body and banged on things, as I acclimatised to my changed shape.

Or perhaps what you noticed first was emotional changes. Where you were once happy to go with the flow; your parents or even some of your friends became annoying, or it seemed they didn’t understand you. Life turned from black and white to many shades of grey, and you started questioning where you fit into it all. Or if you fit at all.

Puberty is also the time when we become interested in sex and can experience our first sexual experiences, either with ourselves or with others.

Puberty is much like the hokey pokey dance. Some days you put your whole body into adulthood, and other days your whole body was out, as you reverted to childlike behaviours. On other days, parts of you were adult-like, and others weren’t. Finally, your whole self was in. And the realisation that adulting was a lot harder than it looked from the outside!

However, during this hokey pokey dance through puberty, you went to classes at your middle or high school, where a teacher carefully explained the changes you might experience – both physical and emotional. You might have been given books. Or had talks about the birds and the bees from your parents. You learned that all these changes resulted from changed hormones, which in effect, held your body to ransom and forced these changes upon you. Whether you wanted them or not.

The education you received (whether it was the base line of the state education system or to much more via people you trusted) during this time, supported your transition. It helped remove the fear and confusion.

Symptoms of Menopause

Unfortunately, unlike your transition through puberty, there are no classes that everyone takes to learn about the menopause transition. Our workplaces are not designed to support symptoms like hot flushes/flashes or changes in cognition. Not because they don’t care, but because there is not the same societal support as there is for the puberty transition.

There are 34 official symptoms of menopause. These can be roughly divided into five categories:

• Vasomotor – the region in the brain that regulates blood pressure and heart rate. E.g.: hot flushes, itchy skin, night sweats, headaches, irregular heartbeat and even changes in body odour
• Vaginal – dryness, vulvovaginal atrophy (which can affect prolapse and continence) and decreased libido
• Muscular and skeletal – joint pain, muscle tension and aches, stress incontinence and osteoporosis
• Insomnia and sleep disturbances – which can impact on weight gain
• Mood – including difficulty concentrating, fatigue, memory lapses, dizzy spells, irritability, depression, anxiety and panic disorder

Thankfully, most people going through menopause do not experience all these symptoms.

What will be my menopause experience?

The British Medical Journal stated in June 2022 that more than 75% of those experiencing menopause report symptoms and that over 25% describe their symptoms as severe.

In plain speak, around 1/3 of those transitioning through menopause will feel some changes but will not be subject to significant symptoms and will seem to sail through easily.

About 1/3 of people will experience some symptoms; although they are annoying, they will not affect their overall function.

And the last 1/3 of people transitioning through menopause will experience symptoms that will significantly impact on their ability to function.

It is the last third that are good candidates for Menopausal Hormonal Treatment (MHT).

Just a word about the word Menopause Hormonal Treatment (MHT). You may be more familiar with the term – Hormone Replacement Treatment (HRT). However, there is a move away from this term as your body does not need hormones to be replaced. Menopause is a natural process that reduces sex hormones, like oestrogen and progesterone, to stop reproduction abilities. 

HRT is a term from medicine that historically viewed menopause as a disease or a disorder rather than the natural ageing process. 

Words matter.

There is significant research regarding the genetic disposition of menopausal symptoms. This means that if you know how your mother, or if you are lucky, your grandmother experienced their menopause transition – this might be insightful to you.

However, we also must consider that your mother or grandmother probably could not talk openly about their experiences at the time. And culturally, an inclusive language around menopause had not evolved.

Please note that most studies have focused on hot flashes/ flashes as the primary symptom studied (ignoring the other 33). However, this research also concluded that white women were more susceptible to hot flushes/ flashes. This might also help explain why this is the symptom everyone is most familiar with.

Research from 2022 has concluded that women of colour reach menopause earlier and experience more intense symptoms compared with white women.

But how do I know when I am in perimenopause?

There are 3 ways to ascertain if you are in the perimenopause phase of your life.

• Do the maths. The average age of menopause – (when you are one year free of your periods) is 52. Perimenopause symptoms can start between 7 – 10 years before this. 52 – 10 equals 42.
• Ask your mum, aunts or older sisters. What age were they when they went through menopause? What were their symptoms?
• Make a note of any changes you are experiencing.

Testing hormones is not the answer.

Unfortunately, no accurate hormone testing kit can predict if you are Officially Perimenopausal. Your hormones will change during the transition, as the drop in oestrogen and progesterone is part of the natural way your reproductive system shuts up shop. However, these hormones can change from day to day and from hour to hour. Therefore, you would need to invest in trice – daily hormone tests over several months to draw a clear conclusion.

And if we return to our puberty memories, we did not do hormone testing to know that we were transitioning into adulthood. We knew that it happened for most people from around the age of 12 and took around 7 – 10 years to conclude. Our hokey pokey hormones took a while to settle down Along with our psychological acceptance of closing the door to our childhood.

A final word on menopause

Menopause is a natural and normal phase every person with ovaries undergoes. This transition for you may have few symptoms, or it may have debilitating symptoms. If your menopause symptoms make it difficult for you to work, live and enjoy your life. Then it is well worth seeing a menopause specialist and seeing if MHT is suitable for you. This is where your notes on the variety and severity of your symptoms will be handy. Alongside any genetic information, you can share.

The perimenopause years can also be framed as the gateway to the next third of your life. Your reproductive abilities may have finished, but your life is far from over. However, the decisions you make and behaviours you put into place health-wise during this time will significantly impact how you age.

If you want to learn more about menopause, I highly recommend these 2 masterclasses:

Kirstyn Campbell, a legend in the NZ fitness industry  had this to say about the Menopause Masterclass:

“I thoroughly enjoyed Mish’s menopause presentation. It was informative, educational, practical, creative, and darn right hilarious without losing the seriousness and importance of the topic being covered. Mish is such a pro with a world of experience and knowledge and gift of communication. I highly recommend doing this presentation if you work with women from their 30’s onwards – you’ll learn so much to add to your wheelhouse with your clients.”

As a flash sale we are doing a 2 for 1 deal on these 2 Masterclasses – get both Perimenopause – Training women age 37+ and Menopause in a BUNDLE for just $35! 

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO GET THE COURSE OR CLICK HERE.

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It’s no secret that online education continues to be a growth industry. With the technological advances and the pandemic we’ve seen in recent years, it’s only natural that more and more people are opting for online courses over traditional classroom instruction. What does a quality online course bring to your business?

Here are the top 3 benefits an online course can bring to your business:

• Stop trading time for money. Packaging up your expertise means that you can sell again and again for the price of creating once. Having even just one small online course can add a revenue stream that delivers with compounding interest.
• Deliver at your best. It is very easy to get complacent when you are repeating information again and again. The information might be shiny and new to your clients. But when you have delivered it more times than you can count, it is hard to maintain the delivery with the same enthusiasm. The temptation to cut corners, or imagine that your clients already know your stuff, is very real. Recording your content when you are delivering it at your best – creates a lasting impression about your professionalism.
• Clients learn at their own pace. I started my fitness career working with mums, who usually had their little people with them. This meant that I was often competing for their attention. Plus clients who signed up to work out wanted to work out! Their expectation was a physical workout. But I needed them to know why I was training them the way in which I was. Allowing clients to learn at their own pace and in their own time is a win-win situation. It also enhances your face-to-face coaching.

But of course, to make anything look simple takes skill. And when creating an online course, it is very easy to get things wrong. Very wrong.

Here are the top 3 ways to achieve a terrible online course:

• Your course is an information brain dump. This is the commonest mistake I see. You imagine that everything you have is gold or will “value add”. People are time-poor. Your learners don’t want everything – they just want the quickest, most effective way to solve their problem. Your job is to take them by hand and guide them through all the noise to the destination of their problem solved.
• The learner is an empty cup. This is so common, I know that you have shared this experience. This is a presentation where the expert knows their stuff so much that they can hardly take a breath. Their PowerPoint is so full of words and graphs and information, that you don’t even know what to concentrate on. So swept up in the delivery of their information that they have overlooked one vital part of the relationship. The learner. The learner leaves not only feeling overwhelmed by the volume of information. But the overwhelm results in not even knowing where to start! Their cup is overflowing. The presenter has failed in the most important step. Giving their learner the next best step.
• Details matter. Do you remember the fly on Mike Pence’s head? That fly now has his own Twitter account. Did that fly help you remember what the Vice President of the United States was saying? Absolutely not! Because you were too distracted to listen! This is the same if your presentation does not look professional or your background is messy or busy. These details don’t cost anything but attention. Having uniform fonts, colours and layouts are soothing to the brain, which is constantly looking for differences. Having a background that is pleasing, yet nondescript stops internal conversations that the learner has with themselves in their distracted brain space.

I get it. You are a content expert in your field. And as a teacher, you may be communicating your expertise that is either the way that you learn, or you remember being taught. Which for many of us, extends to someone at the front of the class talking at us.

Or perhaps in the rush to communicate all your wisdom, you have not really given any thought to how people learn?  And to be fair, it is a science all to itself. Pedagogy or andragogy is the science of how children and adults learn. But you don’t need to do a degree at university to learn these skills. And it is important to remember, that relatively few people are natural teachers. Like relatively few people can pick up new languages, or instruments easily and quickly. But quality teaching is simply a collection of skills. Which means anyone can learn them.

Even with a background in education and a teaching career, I have made all the mistakes when making online courses. But over time, (I have 19 online courses under my belt – everything from 1-hour masterclasses to in-depth university courses) I have finessed the process of how to create an engaging online course into 5 essential steps.

And I have learned a truckload of hacks that save me oodles of time (and heartache). This means my courses get finished.

Because only published courses can make money.

My latest masterclass – Clever course content creation – 5 essential steps in creating an online course holds your hand and shows you exactly how to turn your expertise into a product that you can sell again and again. I am ridiculously excited to share all my goodness, to help you create and publish your own online course.

Oh, and I reckon you will enjoy the process too.

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I will never forget the day I first heard the term prolapse. I was both a postnatal mum of two babies (delivered in 2 different countries, using 2 different health services) and a fitness professional. Forging a career and small business working with mums. When the basic details were shared with me, I was horrified by both the condition and the fact that I had no idea that this could even happen.

My learning curve was steep.

Exercise is and always will be a magic pill

For many women, their experience is similar. They learn the true meaning of prolapse upon the diagnosis being given to them. Prolapse literally means to fall out of place. But how do you move and function with everyday activities when you fear your uterus or your bladder, or bowel is going to fall out?

For many, they don’t. They stop doing the activities that once brought them joy. Whether this is running, going to the gym, or playing sports. Their daily thoughts are overwhelmed by weighing up what their pelvic floor can, and cannot handle. Mental well-being and physical activity are so tightly linked. Regular exercise can be the ladder out of dark places. So, removing this ladder has massive repercussions.

Many women with pelvic organ prolapse are also diagnosed with depression or anxiety as they carefully navigate their new world. And for a condition that affects around 50% of women who have had children, you would think prolapse would be better known. And better understood. But alas, because it has to do with our private parts or even bursting the bubble of what a perfectly natural birth can be – prolapse is still largely discussed in hush tones.

But is it possible that a condition, just as life-changing as pelvic organ prolapse, can also bring benefits?

If very challenging experience gives us the gifts of growth and understanding? Then what can pelvic organ prolapse teach us? How do we remain active with the threat and fear of losing our internal organs?

To answer these questions, I asked 3 women who have lived through grief, the shame and the challenges of experiencing pelvic organ prolapse. And although there is no magic answer to prolapse, there is magic in their wisdom that they share with me.

Kylianne Turton

Kylianne is a dear friend, whom I have written about before here. Kylianne is a fitness professional, turned adventurer and runs her own business, Move For Mental Health in Western Australia. And every time I look at this image below, I cannot help but smile right back at it.

Kylianne told me this:

“When initially diagnosed with prolapse I spiralled pretty hard and fast mentally, my new normal had begun and I didn’t quite know where to begin. Mainly because exercise provided me with a way to cope with my mental illness and secondly because it was my career to move and help other people move to feel better.

Fast forward eight years still living with three prolapsed organs, the experience provided me with a personal and professional learning journey that I may have not leaned into otherwise.

Prolapse taught me the power of the workaround, being adaptable with the ability to bend around the things that don’t go to plan. It taught me the value of seeking help and allowing myself to be supported. It taught me the value of really listening to my body and how the suppression of emotions is not an effective way to overcome challenges.

Prolapse has taught me that having positive mental health was reliant on having many strategies to boost and protect well-being not just exercise. My prolapse showed me my inner resources, strengths and what I could achieve when I had a real mission and purpose.

It’s not about the things that happen to us. It’s about how we choose to respond.”

Don’t you just love her? I know I do. Kylianne is doing amazing things and I am just so proud of her.

If you are not following her on socials – get on it here. I love watching Kylianne’s outdoor adventures and I know you will too.

Amy Dawes

Then I reached out to another dear friend of mine – Amy Dawes. If you have not read how we met, don’t forget to circle back to read this blog – Almond Croissants and Birth Truama here. The story of our meeting is very endearing.

I have heard Amy speak about her birth trauma many times, at many events. And her experience never fails to move me. Amy used this experience to establish the Australasian Birth Trauma Association. ABTA provides peer-to-peer support for those experiencing and understanding birth trauma, research, advocacy and education for health professionals and obstetric care providers.

Here is what Amy told me about the gifts of prolapse.

“Prolapse has taught me to fully listen to my body. For example, I know my symptoms are often worse in the lead-up to my period. I know that if I do an intense workout in the morning, then I need to be kinder to my pelvic floor in the afternoon.

I now train, not with fear. But with intention.”

I literally cannot put in words how proud I am of Amy and what she has achieved. I do feel incredibly privileged to count her as a dear friend.

The journey to return to or to start exercise can be fearful with prolapse. But it does not signal the end. As Kylianne mentioned above – there is the power of workarounds.

Stephanie Thompson

To explore this further I reached out to Stephanie Thompson. Stephanie is an author of The Day My Vagina Broke, a podcaster and a thriver of prolapse. Stephanie’s bravery in sharing her story and breaking down the stigma of prolapse has helped many women. And I highly recommend reading her book (I did so via audible and both laughed and cried) and checking out the wealth of knowledge in her podcast (I have purposefully linked to the one where she interviewed me… but there are plenty of great ones!).

Recently, Stephanie was on the brilliant ABC show – You can’t ask that. Check it out here.

Here is what Stephanie has to say about living with prolapse.

“When you’ve lived with significant pelvic organ prolapse for almost 7 years and during that time you’ve seen very little medical advances or research in this pelvic health space, it can be easy to become frustrated.

Like many women living with prolapse, I’ve been seen by many doctors and physiotherapists, listened to podcasts, read medical journals and participated in online forums. 

It is probably in these online forums where I’ve learned the most from other women who have really lived experience with prolapse. Along the way I’ve tried and tested ways to live with my prolapses, knowing there are no current pessaries (that stay in) or repair surgeries for me right now. 

Of course, there was a process to grief, acceptance and then the motivation to continue living the most fulfilling life I could with what I had. I started to think outside the box and be creative in my approach to managing daily tasks. 

For example, if there was something I can no longer do like standing in the shower at night and washing my hair (because of the downward pressure after the day) I use a plastic chair in the shower to sit. This simple $10 chair from the hardware shop was the start of collating all the tips and tricks I’ve picked up along my POP journey. I like to call them ‘workarounds’.

Stephanie has gone one step further and carefully crafted her top tips and workarounds into an invaluable e-book that you can find here.

As an educator, I have for the last 15 years, been sharing information on and around prolapse. Ideally, as fitness professionals, we want to train women so that they enjoy exercise. So muscles grow and bones remain strong. Honestly, if exercise was a pill, it would be a magic pill. As appropriately prescribed exercise is the best common denominator to improve or avoid all chronic conditions.

I also know that fear can stop both women from returning to exercise and for fitness professionals to ask the necessary questions to support women who have pelvic organ prolapse.

Replacing fear with understanding and empathy

For both groups: You won’t always get it right. There will be some days that you will push too hard and feel like you have taken a step backwards. There will be other days when the world is your exercise oyster… and then a whole lot of days in between that are all about showing up, doing what you can and reaping the benefit and joy that regular movement gives you.

June is pelvic organ prolapse month and I wrote a series of articles about POP (see below). I also delivered free training for fitness professionals to upskill them when working with women who have pelvic organ prolapse. Check out this Masterclass created for Fit Pro’s and fitness enthusiasts!

July is all about birth trauma awareness… watch this space!

Awareness will always be the biggest antidote to fear.

If you’re interested in learning more about EVEolution™ CLICK HERE.

If you’re a fitness professional or any other service provider for women and want to become an EVEolution™ partner CLICK HERE.

If you are kid wrangling right now, or a fitness professional who is working with mums, menopause may be the last thing that you will be thinking about.

Menopause is something that happens in your 50’s, right?

And for many women, that thought alone will move it from the Need To Know Basket to the Deal With Later Basket.

If you are thinking that menopause is something that happens to women in their 50s. You are right about the money. The average age of menopause is 52.

Menopause is the bookend of your reproduction years.

Let’s look back at the start of our reproductive years – adolescence. Girls may start menstruating as young as aged 10 or 11. This officially signals the start of the reproductive years. However, we can all appreciate that changing from a girl to a woman is much more than the start of menstruation. I like to think of this transition as a dance the body and mind does. Just like the Hokey Pokey, our hormones shift in and out and they shake you all about.  The transition into adulthood takes years.

Menopause is no different. With hormones shaking you all about. This period of time is called peri-menopause and can start anyway from the late 30s to early 40s. Peri-menopause can last up to to 10 years.

This menopause transition is usually visually represented as hot flushes. See an image of a woman in menopause and I will show you a woman having a hot flush. This symptom is very overrepresented. Hot flushes are only one of 32 (and counting) symptoms.

Here are is a much more accurate list of menopausal symptoms:

• night sweats
• aches and pains
• crawling or itching sensations under the skin
• forgetfulness
• headaches
• irritability
• lack of self-esteem
• reduced sex drive (libido)
• tiredness
• difficulty sleeping – wakefulness or waking hot and sweaty
• urinary frequency
• vaginal dryness
• discomfort with sexual intercourse
• brain fog

Do all women experience all of the peri-menopause symptoms?

One third will experience peri-menopause symptoms and although it may be uncomfortable, they will be able to carry on and function as they have always. The ability to function is so important because this Hokey Pokey dance can coincide with:

• children heading into / or in teenage years
• ageing parents
• more responsibility at work/career progression
• still managing the motherload of home duties (pardon the pun!)

One-third of women will experience no or barely noticeable peri-menopause symptoms.

And unfortunately, around one-third of women will experience symptoms that severly impact their ability to function.

Menopause affects more than women.

Women who are having a tough time transitioning through menopause do not live in a silo. Their transition will also be impacting their families. Their workplaces. Their communities.

Rod Steward recently made headlines by demanding more education for both men and women around this topic, as he struggled to watch his wife Penny Lancaster go through menopause.

Penny Lancaster is reported to say:

“If there was a 50-year-old man in a company, at the top of his game, being promoted and he had a health issue – physically and mentally like women suffer from menopause – they would find something to help him,” she said. “And this is hundreds of women, it’s not just a few women suffer from this.”

What can be done? / How can you as a trainer help?

As it happens to around 50% of the world’s population, you would think the topic of menopause would be talked about way more than it actually is. Many women whom I talk to, feel woefully unprepared for this massive life change. And the most comment I receive is that I just don’t know enough about it.

If two-thirds of peri-menopause women experience noticeable symptoms and half of these women have symptoms that affect their ability to function as they have previously done in the home and at work, then this is a conversation that cannot be ignored.

If you are training women who are heading into their forties, it is totally within your scope of practice to start conversations about what they know about menopause. And what they want to know.

Here are my top 3 tips for women (or working with women) heading into peri-menopause

1. Strength training is a must. Bone density dips along with oestrogen. Starting the menopause transition with strong bones is a non-negotiable
2. Along with wrinkles that occur with the drop of oestrogen and gravity, there are also changes in the elasticity of the fascia holding the internal organs. Women may have survived childbirth without a prolapse, however, the menopause transition is a high-risk time. Don’t compromise your pelvic floor while building your bone strength.
3. If menopause symptoms are encroaching on your quality of life – seek out a menopause specialist who can help. Hormone Replacement Treatment may be what you need to help with. Don’t believe the bad wrap it got over a decade ago – but do seek out someone who specialises in it.

If you are in Melbourne, I can recommend Dr. Fatima Khan.

And remember, EVEolution™ will give you the step by step instructions on how to work with your body. No matter what age or stage you are at.

If you’re interested in learning more about EVEolution™ CLICK HERE.

If you’re a fitness professional or any other service provider for women and want to become an EVEolution™ partner CLICK HERE.

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I am 52 years old and every time I get my period I wonder if it is my last one.

The average age for women to complete the menopause transition is around 51. And to be clear – that means that you have had exactly 12 months free of your period before you can claim the menopause status.

So, I know that my time is drawing close. Each monthly bleed could be my last.

When I was younger and thought about my impending menopause, I imagined that my menstrual bleed would get lighter each month, slow to fine trickle that my worn period undies would easily be able to cope with. And then my monthly bleed would gently disappear. (I have even refrained from updating and investing in new period undies because surely this will be the last month!!)

No one told me that the opposite would happen!

For the past 5 years or so (and I now know a sure sign of perimenopause) my period has become extremely heavy. You know, the kind of heavy that you had as a teenager. Where you would have a tampon that you change between every class and a bulky pad and still manage to stain the back of your school uniform skirt.

Or as I tell my husband: “OMG! Someone just butchered a pig in my undies!”

And I am back to handwashing the bloodstains out of my fine linen sheets.

It is like my uterus heard from my mind about a quiet retreat into the night and retorted – Not likely… this is my last hurrah, and I am going NOWHERE quietly! And the period pain has not gone away either. Every 3^rd to 4^th month I am so crippled with pain that straightening my body for more than a few minutes is just not possible.

Now when I tell my work colleagues that I am not able to function at my usual level due to my period. I feel reminded a little about telling the same thing to my Physical Education teacher as a teenager. Surely, they are thinking “Yeah right… you’re too old to pull that one.” When I was a teenager I hated school PE so much that I did use that same excuse not only to get out of the activity but to see the male teacher flummox because finally, I had the upper hand in something.

It’s the same pain that put me in the hospital twice as a teenager with vomiting and cramps that disappeared magically when the blood arrived. The same pain that the Drs said going on the pill would fix. It improved it but never fixed it. The same pain that I was told would go away when I had children. I had 2 children and it did not.

In fact, when I experienced birth contractions, I had a pain measure to compare my monthly cramps. Not only can my period cramps match that of birthing contractions, but you don’t get a gap between them to take a breath. I may run out of sanitary items, but I am never without Naprogesic.

The same pain that I now realise is probably not normal, and more than likely endometriosis-related. And like millions of other women, I have not had my pain taken seriously enough nor medical follow up to find out exactly why I was having so much pain with my periods.

However, now it hardly seems worth the effort to investigate.

Because surely this is the last or one of the last, bleeds that I will have to endure?

So, although I am sitting on a wee (meaning small) office seat cover because I ruined more than one office chair with my menstrual blood, I do feel a little sad to say goodbye to my period.

And it is not about getting older. Perimenopause is the dance that you do before you are ushered into (hopefully) the next 30 years of your life. Perhaps all the horrible side effects of menopause are there just to help welcome that transition. Regardless, perimenopause is a time to take stock of your life and do some hard thinking about how you want to age. It is the gateway to the next life of you.

And it is not about losing my fertility. I have already mourned that when I had myself sterilised in my mid 30’s. Though I can appreciate that for some women, particularly those who transition early, losing this birthright, could be considerably confronting. I do love trying to get pregnant, without the angst of suspecting that I could be.

I feel sad because only recently have I truly come to appreciate the power of my menstrual cycle.

Over the last few years, I have created online courses and education for fitness professionals on how to work with clients in alignment with their menstrual cycle. And even more recently have created EVEolution™ – the missing education for all women – on how to stay active, no matter what age or stage they are at. I have read a lot of books and research papers and have ultimately become more in tune with my own cycle.

Yes, taking it easy because your body is screaming, I just can’t stand up and concentrate, let alone work out at the gym, is a given. And so is finding a fitness professional who understands this also. And unlike my PE teacher in the 80’s, someone who can engage in unashamed conversation and provide appropriate information, regardless of their gender or menstrual experience.

Yes, there is a lot that can be learned about how to exercise with your period to minimise injury (just ask all those AFLW players who are doing ACL’s every season!) and maximise your strengthening and cardiovascular potential. And spoiler alert: It is not rocket science… but simply women cannot be trained as small men and be expected to have the same results.

But what I will miss, is the secret power that I have tapped into. The appreciation that once the pain subsides (with the help of drugs for me) and the blood flows, so does my creativity. I love writing. I love thinking about what I am going to write about. I love being in the flow (pardon the pun) and I can write my blogs, articles and all manner of content easily. I can problem solve in all parts of my life and figure out solutions for problems big and small. Often this creative flow is magnified when it includes gentle exercise. My favourite bike ride, swim, yoga, or a walk.

Once my bleed is complete, I also know that I will be back to my power woman status. The I GET SHIT DONE MISH. Most people think that this is me all of the time. It is not. I just make hay when the sun shines.

But right now, as I write this, I am thinking about the blessing of my monthly bleed. I feel slightly saddened that I did not know this stuff and make the most of my period earlier in life. And I also feel curious about the future when I am period free. Will I still have this cycle of creativity and activity?

Watch this space.

If you want to know more about how to work in alignment with your menstrual cycle – check out EVEolution™.  There is a whole module dedicated to this topic.

If you are a fitness professional or even a fitness enthusiast and want to watch a 1-hour MASTERCLASS on working out with your cycle – then check this out HERE.

Either way… I would love to know how you feel about leaving your monthly menstrual cycle behind.

Hit reply and let me know!

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