Well, that about sums up the past 2 years of my life.
Hi friends,
As I am now living life in my mid forties (who am I kidding…. pushing 50 quicker than I’d care to admit), I have been hit with a perimenopausal mack truck.
Sagging skin.
Muscle loss.
No sleep.
Hormone craziness.
(I can’t believe I’m saying this…) Hot flashes.
And do you know what I realized??
PERIMENOPAUSE AND POSTPARTUM ARE LIKE…. THE FREAKING SAME.
- SLEEP? Nope.
- SAGGING SKIN where you don’t want it? Yep.
- HORMONES out of control? Mess me with me and you’ll die.
- MIDSECTION looking like jello? YES – I thought I fixed this already. ha!
- MUSCLES DETERIORATING? How can I see wrinkles around my knees!!!
- Feeling like I want to CRY over everything? Excuse me while I go cry.
- Wondering what has happened to my life and where my normal self went? Every day.
It’s like our bodies have this “fun” way of throwing us for a loop at both ends of our reproductive journey. Whether it’s the postpartum hormone crash or the perimenopausal hormone roller coaster – the physical challenges are eerily similar. Different hormonal reasons, but the EXACT same problems.
And so, here I am, staring at my reflection wondering when my body decided to stage this rebellion without consulting me first. And I’m totally flashing back to when I had these EXACT SAME FEELINGS after my twins were born 10 ten years ago!
Conclusion – trying to just hold on to a body we once remember before kids and aging is impossible.
Or… is it?
I remember being at this same crossroads after having twins and a huge gaping diastasis recti of roughly 4cm wides. Do I give up and accept it as my new normal? Or do I get off my rear and do something about it?
Well.. you know me by now. I RALLY. And, if you’re also finding yourself in the middle of postpartum or perimenopausal hades, and you’re ready to rally too, I’M BRINGING YOU WITH ME.
We are not about to just shrug and accept that “this is just what happens now.” I didn’t do that after pregnancy when I had an enormous diastasis recti and a pelvic floor that collapsed under pressure, and I refuse to spend the next 40+ years watching things gradually decline while saying “well, that’s aging for ya!”
The game isn’t over – we’re just playing with different rules now.
So, first things first, I have been a perimenopausal research machine for the past 18 months.
Here’s what blew my mind:
The science shows that maintaining and building MUSCLE is THE determining factor in how the next 40+ years of our lives will feel.
I’m not talking about getting jacked like a bodybuilder. We all know that’s an old tired fallacy. Moms needs muscle to live. Period. And if you can see those mucsles… then bonus points for you,
I’m sick of women just wanting to be “toned”. That is just really stupid. You know what’s actually amazing? BIG STRONG MUCLES.
Women who maintain muscle mass have:
- 58% fewer age-related functional limitations (translation: doing whatever the heck you want)
- A metabolism that doesn’t quit on you
- A built-in fat burning machine (because big muscles BURN A LOT OF FAT!)
- 78% reduction in fall risk (no hip replacements, thank you very much)
- Way better sleep (I’ll take ALL the sleep, please)
- Energy that doesn’t crash at 3pm (goodbye, afternoon coffee addiction)
- Bones that stay strong when it counts (to play wiht your kids or climb that steep mountain. take your pick).
One of the very best, most consistent tried and true ways to build muscle is to walk!
BUT HERE’S THE BEST NEWS…
THIS YEAR we’re up-leveling the world famous, body- changing 100 Miles of Summer Walking Challenge and giving up a serious muscle boost.
Get ready for:
And it’s about to change your life in the best way!
The approach is stupidly simple (which is why it actually works):
- MuscleWalking (because we can do it anywhere, anytime, and it doesn’t make us want to die) We’ve got a new simple idea to show you how to maximize strength gains just by walking!
- Muscles Moves – Strategic muscle-building moves (specifically designed for our changing hormone landscape)
- Mustle Hustles – Time-friendly cardio workouts on steriods! Yep – we found way to turn cardio in strength trainig!
And here’s the beautiful thing – this approach works PERFECTLY whether you’re dealing with postpartum chaos or perimenopausal mayhem. Why? Because both conditions:
- Respond better to gentle, consistent movement than high-intensity workouts that spike stress hormones
- Require strategic strength training to rebuild the muscle mass that both childbirth and age-related hormonal changes strip away
- Need approaches that work WITH your current hormonal state, not against it
- Benefit from sustainable habits you can actually maintain while sleep-deprived (whether that’s from night feeds or night sweats)
Add in Protein rich meals that keep you burning fat and building muscle and you’ve got a no fail solution.
The 100 Miles of Summer is the smart, manageable and oh so fun system that gets you moving for the summer and that acknowledges our reality – whether you’re chasing toddlers or battling hot flashes (or hey, maybe both!). We’re busy, our hormones are doing weird things, and we absolutely do NOT have time for complicated fitness regimens, but we’re 100% determined to feel strong and like ourselves again.
Whether you’re:
- A new mom wondering if your body will ever feel normal again
- A perimenopausal warrior fighting the good fight against hormonal chaos
- Or somewhere in that messy middle (because let’s be real – many of us are dealing with BOTH at once, raising kids while our own hormones are changing)
I want you to know we’re in this together. The muscle-building approach works at BOTH ends of the reproductive spectrum because the underlying needs are so similar – rebuilding core strength, restoring hormone balance, reclaiming energy, and reconnecting with our bodies. Our bodies aren’t staging a coup – they’re just asking for a different kind of attention than they needed before.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing exactly what I’m doing – the science behind it, the workouts that actually WORK, the recovery that matters most, and how to fit it all into a life that doesn’t have room for one more thing.
Will you join me? Let’s walk 100 miles together this summer. Let’s build muscle together.
I’d love to hear your experience – what “perimenopausal/postpartum twin symptom” hit you hardest? Are you navigating one of these phases or (bless you) dealing with both at once? Hit reply and let me know. Your story matters, and tbh, sometimes it just helps to know we’re not alone in this chaos.
Here’s to becoming stronger than we’ve ever been – just in a whole new way.
Keep an eye on your inbox to learn more about are totally up-leveled 100 Miles of Summer Walking Challenge: Muscle Moms.
I cannot wait. If you’d done the challenge in the past, you know the results it brings. Get ready to 5x those results this summer.
Talk soon,
xx Suzie
P.S. Don’t worry if you’ve tried and quit a million fitness programs before. This approach is designed for real life, not fitness influencer fantasy land. The 100 Miles of Summer challenge starts June 1, and I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way. Probably complaining about my knees, but STILL SHOWING UP.
PPS – Oh yes, everyone’s favorite Coach Jenn will be there too, and she’s bringing the heat!
