Blog
Workouts
I just turned 60 but started Olympic weightlifting in my late 50’s. I had complete hip replacements (right hip at age 58 and left hip at age 59) and then returned to the sport. I’m working up to previous personal records for both the snatch and clean & jerk. Snatching is the hardest skill I’ve … Continued
Time for some tough love… Women who don’t lift heavy weight can expect to lose 3% of their muscle mass every decade after age 30, and up to 50% of their muscle mass by age 80. 10.1097/BOR.0b013e328358d59b The national center for health statistics says only about 26.9% of women strength train. So 73% of you … Continued
Are you sitting on the sidelines? Because you’re not comfortable doing new things or going to new places? Being physically fit gives you the freedom to enjoy so much more in life. Whether that’s enjoying life at home or exploring the world… You’d be surprised at the compound effect of small efforts over time. Don’t … Continued
Motion is lotion…. And, if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it! *Not to be confused with when you made a face and your mom told you it’d freeze like that… I digress… Since having both hips replaced, I’m always looking for creative ways to stay mobile. This movement opens the chest, shoulders and hips, … Continued
Not sure how to set up for a Bulgarian split squat? Remember, it’s the same set up whether you elevate your back foot or place it on the floor. Here’s the progression: Start with bodyweight with back foot on the floor to establish balance and range of motion. Then elevate the back foot and do … Continued
Don’t feel like working out? Me neither (some days). Instead, I’ll choose to move a little with… Simple mobility… A walk… Or a movement snack… What’s a movement snack you ask? These are short ‘do anywhere’ mini-workouts for those busy days… I’ve got six of them for you here: https://shawnak.securechkout.com/movement-snacks You’ll usually feel more energized … Continued
Exercise is for fun & function. Exercise is to maintain & build muscle & bone density, a bonus is calorie burning and some initial weight loss for beginners. Paying attention to nutrition (stress, sleep, NEAT) are for weight loss. Don’t assume your exercise ‘isn’t working’ because the scale isn’t moving. Exercise is probably doing what … Continued
Snatching is the hardest skill I’ve EVER tried. I’m 60 but started Olympic weightlifting in my late 50’s. I had complete hip replacements (right hip at age 58 & left hip at age 59) and then returned to the sport. Currently, I train alone with a remote coach. I’m scared ALL THE TIME, but I … Continued
Don’t work so HARD at the wrong things. It’s CONSISTENCY with the RIGHT things that count. Let me help you optimize the simple things (that you’re probably ALREADY doing) to lose your menopause belly. Join me for a free week of coaching with my 5 Day Mini Menopause Challenge. You’ll gain valuable information to apply … Continued
The holiday season makes it difficult to fit in exercise… But it’s FREQUENCY of exercise that’s more important than duration. So you can always fit fitness in – if you lower the bar! You don’t always need an hour long session, sometimes just a few minutes will do. Here’s a 10 minute bodyweight workout that … Continued
Resistance training for the WIN! It’s now recognized by the American Heart Association as equally beneficial to cardiovascular exercise for heart health. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/01.CIR.101.7.828 So even though heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, optimal health can be achieved without prioritizing cardio over resistance training. In addition to protecting your heart, resistance training … Continued
Are you doing this exercise? It’s normally called a ‘man maker’, but I prefer to call it the ‘woman maker’. It builds strength, power and endurance. The good news is that you can modify this move to work up to full intensity. This exercise also builds much needed bone density in the menopause transition by … Continued
Healthy Eating
Your coach should make your life easier! (But some may feel threatened if you feel empowered to create your own recipes.) Remember your recipe will only be as good as the prompt you provide….So, be SPECIFIC with the nutritional info & calories you need in the recipe. If you need help with personalized nutrition specifics, … Continued
Consistency is KING when it comes to achieving anything, ESPECIALLY with weight loss. How consistent with nutrition are you really? Here’s a way to track your progress towards your weight loss goal. Put a blue check mark at the end of the day if you hit your nutrition goal. Put a red X if you … Continued
The 15th reason to eat more fiber? Add combat cognitive decline to the list! This study concluded: Higher dietary fiber intake is associated with improved specific components of cognitive function in older adults aged 60 years and older. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.03.022 Why wait until you’re 60+ to increase fiber when there are these additional benefits of fiber: … Continued
You know how important protein is (I hope), but food prepping can be a hassle. Any chance you could protein meal prep in about 5 minutes? Yup. Thanks to a rotisserie chicken (store bought is fine!) and a ziplock bag. I was skeptical, but it really worked for me. The meat literally fell off the … Continued
Is your belly getting bigger despite the exercise you’re doing? Gah! So frustrating! You’re not actually gaining MORE fat, it’s just that it goes there first as estrogen declines – I know this isn’t very comforting news though… You need to know that exercise is not the VEHICLE to fat loss. Nutrition & consistent healthy … Continued
It’s not the celebratory meal that’s your weight loss problem. When you have all the other meals dialed in: the birthday cake Christmas dinner the New Year’s Eve champagne insert food related celebration These don’t matter much. Here are my best tips for handling special occasions: Don’t stress Enjoy Focus on the friends/family Eat what … Continued
Are you getting 100+ grams of protein daily? Study after study confirm that protein is key to healthier aging (see below). Protein will: help manage blood sugar keep you fuller longer protect the muscle you have help maintain & build lean muscle can reduce hot flashes If you’re struggling to get enough protein throughout the … Continued
Constantly snacking? If so, consider increasing the size of meals. There’s nothing wrong with snacks, but meals tend to have more nutritional density. Focus on protein and fiber in both meals and snacks. And if you’re crazy hungry at NIGHT, it may be because you’re not eating enough earlier in the day. Consider shifting some … Continued
Curious as to what to prioritize with your nutrition? If weight loss is your goal, you need to prioritize CALORIE DEFICIT first. But this should be a very slight one so that it is sustainable. Next, you’ll want to ensure that you’re getting adequate PROTEIN, at least 100g of protein daily spread out through out … Continued
NOT an ad! Trend or truth? Should you use collagen? There’s no magic bullet for anti-aging or weight loss… But adding a collagen supplement can be beneficial according to this study: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00726-021-03072-x … Long term (3 months plus) use of 15g daily taken 1 hour prior to exercise can improve muscle recovery, joint pain and … Continued
If there ever were a magic bullet for maintaining or improving body composition, it’s protein. But, it can be challenging to find tasty, interesting ways to incorporate it into your day. Protein isn’t the ‘fun’ food, you’re not likely going to throw a chicken breast in your purse. It’s not easy to transport without refrigeration … Continued
No willpower? There’s nothing wrong with you. Willpower just isn’t enough. You’ll give into temptation eventually, when you’re tired or starving. Consider a Plan B or a ‘If this…then that…’ scenario… If I’m tempted by (insert guilty pleasure), then I will: set a timer for 5 min to think about goals go for a walk … Continued
Mindset
Ever wonder where the years go? Presently, I couldn’t be happier with life, even though it turned out differently than I anticipated. If I were to offer any advice, it’s to ‘put on your own oxygen mask first’, self care is more important than you may give it credit. I’ve always prioritized my health and … Continued
Genetics? There’s both good & bad news… Genetics has only a small impact on longevity, according to a new study involving more than 400 million people: https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.301613 Longevity is mostly decided by lifestyle, with less than 10% down to DNA. So it doesn’t matter much if you’ve been dealt a rough hand or a winning … Continued
Don’t wait for motivation, because even if or when you feel motivated, it won’t last. That’s why creating a HABIT is the answer to GET THINGS DONE. Especially when you don’t ‘feel’ like doing the thing. Just create a habit to DO THE THING and rinse & repeat… I know that creating and consistently implementing … Continued
Want more willpower? Do hard things… The anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC) in your brain is activated when you do things that you don’t really want to do… So, the harder things you do, the harder things you CAN do over time. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2019.09.011 It’s like building a muscle. Activation of the aMCC is ELEVATED with more … Continued
Does your life feel out of control? There seem to be seasons where it’s just ONE thing after another! Menopause tends to be one of those seasons :/ CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN. Taking charge of your nutrition will provide some grounding. Choices don’t need to be perfect. Prioritizing protein, adding fiber, drinking lots of water … Continued
Motivation is fickle… If you’re motivated, run with it, enjoy it. But also know that it won’t last. And when it’s running low, there’s NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU. Lack of motivation happens to even the MOST successful people in all walks of life. The secret to their continued success is to TAKE ACTION, even when … Continued
Stop looking for a single ‘magic bullet’. Healthy habits are force multipliers. No SINGLE habit will… get you to your ideal weight keep your bones & muscles strong provide clearer thinking bring joy bring longevity with quality of life Put small habits together & you’ve got the recipe for the fountain of youth. Happy to … Continued
You’re not alone if you don’t feel like working out. But DO NOT WAIT FOR MOTIVATION. Just START. Do your warm up and if there’s no gas in the tank, pack it in for another day. Maybe your body needs a bit more rest and you can try again tomorrow. But, more often than not, … Continued
Comparison is the killer of joy… This applies to comparing yourself to your FORMER self and what you: used to be able to do how you used to look what size you used to be Understand that life changes you. So give yourself a little GRACE. Be the best person you can be TODAY and … Continued
FAT LOSS RESULTS WILL BE SLOW. Results are MEANT to be slow so you preserve your muscle and bone density and also because you’ll learn the skills required to maintain any weight you lose. Stop trying so hard! You can’t rush fat loss. especially if you’re menopausal. A slower and more sustainable approach will be … Continued
Menopausal weight gain is a b!tch. It’s one more of the MANY symptoms of aging. But weight gain can’t all be blamed on decreasing estrogen that comes with menopause. The good news is there are three things you can do TODAY to turn things around. 1.Without resistance training, you’re trading lean mass (muscle) for fat … Continued
If you fall apart, so does everything else… You need to prioritize YOU. Here are 7 ways: 1. Recognize your needs: What makes you feel refreshed, relaxed, & fulfilled? 2. Set boundaries: Learn to say NO to protect your time & energy. 3. Schedule self-care: Treat self-care as a non-negotiable part of your routine. 4. … Continued
Q and A
Hot flashes? Well, if you need ANOTHER reason to resistance train, here it is… More lean muscle is shown to reduce hot flashes according to this study: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40695-020-00058-9 How do you get more muscle? Resistance training! With declining estrogen levels in the menopause transition, both bone density and muscle mass declines. Resistance training offsets both … Continued
It’s not all bad! I mean not worrying about a period or unwanted pregnancy is a bonus of menopause, right? Here are the things you can do to offset the negatives you may be experiencing as estrogen declines: Eat a high protein, fiber rich diet. Resistance train 2-3 times a week. Keep a consistent sleep … Continued
Starting something new for fitness? It can be scary (even for seasoned fitness veterans). Here are 3 tips to make it easier: 1. Check out the facility, find when it’s not busy & try to go during those times. 2. Go with a plan! 3. Do it scared, after the first few times, it will … Continued
Calorie trackers are inaccurate. They don’t account for EPOCH – or energy burned AFTER exercise – which is the big benefit of resistance training. Your workout should be FUN anyways, not just a source of calorie burning. Your workout should be focused on fun and/or skill or strength development. It’s only a small part of … Continued
Weight loss only occurs in a calorie deficit, but instead of eating less, why not do more? Enter NEAT: non-exercise activity thermogenesis. This includes walking (& all the other active things you do in your day). Simply adding more daily steps can create a calorie deficit while eating more. It’s win-win: -you get to eat … Continued
“Participating in Shawna’s program was a life changing experience. “ @stephanieliner From my perspective, it was a great pleasure to work with Stephanie. She consistently showed up & was ready to learn. She threw away old ideas, for example, she (reluctantly) increased her calorie & carb intake & watched her weight go down. She slowly increased … Continued
Set the bar low. I know this sounds like ridiculous advice from a coach. But, if you make a small promise to yourself & keep it, you’re more likely to continue to make & keep promises to yourself. Starting small & working up to bigger promises is how you build integrity with yourself. It’s how … Continued
Food tracking can be inaccurate. But that’s not the REAL point! The big benefits of food tracking include increasing self accountability & intentionality around eating. Food labels can be up to 20% off – like in this example: the label assumes that the scoop holds 42g of product when in fact, it only holds 30g … Continued
Did you blow your nutrition this weekend? Look, it happens, especially when you don’t have a plan. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. This can be achieved thru out the week versus just in one day. You can cycle your calories a little so you could have a few less calories … Continued
If you want visible abs, be aware of the sacrifices you may need to make. Be realistic & manage expectations where weight loss goals are concerned… ⭐️20-22% body fat⭐️ ✔️fit appearance & good overall health ✔️livable lifestyle ✔️few cravings due to balanced diet ✔️plans & time needed for meal prep ✔️coaching is sometimes needed to … Continued
Are you choosing clothes from the fat side of the closet? Do you dress in the dark? If you’re not comfortable in your own skin, it’s not too late to do something about it. I had the good fortune to try on all kinds of sweet lil dresses at a local boutique and it reminded … Continued
Food tracking increases awareness & intentionality but can be cumbersome. So here’s an easy option to food track. Use the free app ‘See How You Eat’. You take pics of meals & snacks & it’s organized daily. It’s this easy accountability that creates awareness & intention to your eating. And any habit that you can … Continued