Pursue Your Spark

  It is National Family Caregiver month. With 10,000 people turning 65 every day in the United States, it is highly likely that if you aren't already, at some point, you will become a caregiver to your aging parent or parents. Yet, traditionally most of the care aspect falls on us, "the daughter." So how can we, the daughters, best prepare for the eldercare of our parents and minimize the impact on our career and health? Listen as Liz O'Donnell and Heike share how you can navigate your caregiving experiences and prepare for when you are inevitably called to care for your parent. Liz is the founder of Working Daughter, a community for women balancing eldercare, career, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning writer and podcast host. Before both of her parents were diagnosed with terminal illnesses on the same day, Liz had a career in marketing and raising two children. She shares some of the challenges she faced and her choices. Together we will learn more about navigating caregiving experiences and pre

I recently listened to a podcast about finance and a downturn in our economy, suggesting that a slowdown has already occurred for the past 6-months of our economy. As a result, gas prices are rising, the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates, food is getting more expensive, and we may see our nest egg shrinking when we look at our financial portfolios.  Are you feeling your heart racing at the thought of not having a nest egg? When you go to the grocery store and are unsure if you can make your weekly budget do you get sweaty palms? Or do you feel you have zero energy and want to spend your evening vegging out? Dealing with a job or financial uncertainty, diminished financial freedom, and more expenses that we had not planned for has an incredible impact on our health. Results in ueber stress: meaning we feel sad and hopeless, can’t sleep, can’t breathe, and are dealing with anxiety. You may have heard, "Your health is your wealth,” and “What do we have if we don’t have our health?”. Unfortunately, these

We are discussing many women's objections to taking care of themselves and prioritizing themselves in midlife. We know how it can feel to be stuck. We know how it feels to be doing all the things for everyone else and to put your needs last. So we love when women decide they will give themselves the gift of health, freedom, and feeling great!  Kelly Howard has been connecting women to fitness, freedom, and fun by guiding them to apply consistency, mindset, and adventure to their lives for over 20 years. As a serial entrepreneur (she created and sold four companies), she's changed thousands of lives with her Fit is Freedom podcast, courses, and events, and she is a contributing author to a bestseller.  One of our biggest tips regarding your health and fitness is to find the things you enjoy doing to stay active. Then, start with a plan and find ways to make your brain happy while you work towards your goals. When you are doing the things you enjoy, it's much easier to do them because your brain is on board.  "

There are so many benefits to adding Pilates to your workouts. Pilates helps with back pain, makes you stand taller, and focuses on strong and lean muscles. It creates a strong core, and as a bonus, it helps with flexibility because we almost never stretch enough, all with low impact. Don't be fooled into thinking that you can only do Pilates on those machines seen in Pilates studios which look more like torture devices.  You might still be intrigued and want to try Pilates over 50 as you have heard such good things about it. It’s never too late to start Pilates. Today we talk about 3 compelling reasons to start Pilates over 50 and 3 easy ways you can add Pilates to your day and make it a habit. I’m a huge fan of Pilates and have been teaching for about 20 years. All my clients, online or in-person, learn how to incorporate Pilates into their day without using the machines. It is nice to have access to the machines, but they are not a must-have to achieve your health goals. Pilates doesn’t stop at the mat or

Family relationships can be complicated, and relationships with adolescent and adult children can be some of the most complex. Kim Muench is a woman over the age of 50 who is pursuing her life's dream. She has five kids ages 16-33, her eldest son is 11 years sober...it was her walk with him through his addiction to alcohol that prompted her to realize he was not the only person who needed to change. So, while she partnered with her family in her son's recovery, she also began to make her own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being a priority. Kim made a conscious choice to parent in a different light. We discuss how moms are the emotional barometer in their families and how important it is for us to put in the effort to prioritize our own well-being and tackle our unconscious limiting beliefs. Kim’s three-plus decades of raising five children and coaching other parents empower her to lead her clients with compassion and without judgment into healthier, happier, more functional relationships. Ren

Do you look in the mirror and feel discouraged about your body? Or maybe you just wish your body looked different. Or you’re taking an exercise class, and suddenly your knees hurt on the lunges - that has never happened before! It can feel difficult to love a body that seems to betray you. You're not alone. Research shows up to 84% of American women experience body dissatisfaction in their lifetimes. You may think, “My body betrays me! How can I still love it?” Learning to love your body when you really don't is no easy task, and it's not as simple as the body positivity movement can sometimes make it seem. Going from "I hate my body, what it looks and feels like, and what it can’t do anymore” to something more positive will take time and conscious effort. I am sharing some real-life examples from my clients of ways a body might seem to betray you. Gabi, Monica, and Grace are not their real names, but their issues are very real for many women. In these types of scenarios, where we feel betrayed by our bodies,

Have you ever asked what the heck is graceful aging?! Judy Arazoza and I are asking that very question in this episode. We would rather age powerfully! Many women struggle with body image, especially as we age and our body begins to change. Our post-menopausal body might not be the same as it once was. Try re-examining your focus, and instead of comparing your body to when it was younger or to someone else's body, start looking at all your body has done for you, is doing for you, and can do for you. It is wonderful to appreciate and be grateful for the things our bodies do for us. Cultivating the habit of practicing gratitude and being thankful is a tremendous exercise we can do for ourselves.  Judy's background is in health care, and after raising four kids, she strongly desired to return to a health-related profession. She is the owner of Grateful Fitness, where she helps women in midlife be consistent with healthy habits, including fitness, nutrition, and mindset. As fitness pros, we are responsible for cu

Have you ever felt like you are too old? There could be nothing further from the truth! Midlife is a wonderful time of life to seize what you want and go for it.  Why? Because midlife is the BEST part of life. You’re Not Too F***ing Old!™ to take a stand, have a seat at the table, make a massive impact, change the conversation, start a business, get divorced, get married, and do whatever the hell you want to do! Our guest for this episode, Jen Marples is a champion of women in midlife and a cheerleader for ALL women. She’s an entrepreneur, life and business coach for women, podcaster, and motivational speaker. She puts women first and lets them know they are Not Too F***ing Old!™ to have the life and business they desire.  There is a false narrative around midlife for women that we can not accomplish anything else because we are too old. This leaves many midlife women feeling unseen and defeated. This message is not coming from other women, so why are we listening to it!?  Midlife women are not too old to do

Are you searching to find the perfect diet or diet approach? We are feeling pressured to have that bikini body, especially now that summer is here and many people have turned to the clean eating diet. Recently, I was asked in a podcast interview what I thought of “clean eating,” and let me tell you that I have very strong feelings about this diet approach.  In the end, clean eating is a fad diet based on the belief that consuming whole foods and avoiding convenience food and other processed foods offers certain health benefits. I don’t want to criticize anyone's way of eating, I only want to provide my evidence-based opinion.  I’m sharing what clean eating is, what it’s not, and why I would recommend not to overcomplicate your meal planning and eating strategies with the “clean eating” approach. Eating clean doesn’t necessarily mean that person is taking the best approach for their health.  In this episode, I share my top 3 tips to focus on eating whole foods instead of the clean eating diet. Eating clean can

Arthritis can be a barrier when it comes to leading a healthy lifestyle. It's important to remember when exercising with osteoarthritis that trying new things can be so helpful in continuing to be active. There is so much misinformation about osteoarthritis that can discourage people from being active. Using conservative management consistently is critical. Remember that progress will be slow, and it may take weeks to months to see results.  If you want to be active as you age, you may encounter joint pain and osteoarthritis. Being honest with yourself about how much we are moving is vital because we tend to overestimate how much we move especially if we are dealing with pain. It is so important to know what your options are to be able to maintain an active, adventurous life! Dr. Alyssa Kuhn is a physical therapist and an osteoarthritis specialist. Alyssa helps people all across the world find pain relief, regain confidence and lead very active lives. We can not stress enough the importance of being an inform

Yoga is a wonderful reflection of life, and by learning to breathe and soften, we can be more open to all the possibilities life has to offer.  Dagmar Spremberg is a Yoga entrepreneur and the founder of Montezuma Yoga in Costa Rica. While growing up in Germany, all she could envision for herself was a life in the sunshine and under the palm trees. Through her own experience, she learned and believes that everybody can live their dreams and that our work is to become clear and open to receive the gifts we all deserve. Dagmar feels as women over 50 we reach a point where we are done with playing small. Despite menopause, which can make us feel fragile, we also realize that vulnerability connects us to others and that we truly can empower each other to show up, speak up, and create an authentic, happy life. Often times we may have no idea what we are doing or feel underqualified, but we may surprise ourselves if we go for it and give it our best. By shining our lights we inspire others to shine bright also.   

What you eat and drink makes a big difference in how you look and feel. So the most common recommendation from family, friends and some nutrition experts is "Watch what you eat" when you want to lose weight. Some experts tell you to count calories or log every macronutrient. Then some want you to listen to your body. This can be confusing. Energy-dense foods contain a higher number of calories per serving. In contrast, nutrient-dense whole foods contain higher vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients with little or no added sugars or unhealthy fats and high calories. Eating balanced meals high in lean protein, healthy fats, and non-processed carbohydrates fuel your body's energy and stabilize your blood sugar levels; therefore, you have fewer cravings. Therefore, including whole foods or other nutrient-dense foods in your diet will boost your energy levels.  There are many great strategies, and I share my favorites in this episode and some helpful tools and apps to help keep you dedicated to the watc

Midlife is a much broader window of time than it ever has been before. It can be in your 40s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and even for some, their 80’s! So while it can be a difficult time, it can also be a great time to reevaluate and change directions and try new things!  A Qualified Educator, Podcaster, Personal Trainer, and Life Coach, my guest this week is Cat Coluccio – aka the Midlife Success Coach – she is also an author, international speaker, coach, and a champion of women in midlife. Her midlife reinvention started at age 43 when she was led down a path from homeschooling mom to trying something brand new.  Midlife can also be a time to find out what you enjoy and really want to pursue. Many women find that they are no longer filling the caretaker role and can think about their own needs, desires, and goals.  Cat shares she lives by her personal philosophy: “It is never too late to have a new beginning in life.” Finding purpose can happen many times, and Cat is a wonderful example of how you can have as many

Knee pain is one of the most common orthopedic complaints affecting 25 percent of adults, with osteoarthritis being the most common cause for people over 50.  Oftentimes people think that not being active and just staying on the couch is the solution to preventing knee pain and injury, but this is not true. Inactivity can be just as bad for your knees as the stress of excessive high-impact exercises, and you could still end up with joint pain or injury. There are many great exercises and ways to take care of your knees over 50. You do not have to give up being active and you don't have to give up your relaxing couch time either.  One of the first signs of getting older is that your joints start hurting, mainly your knees. The knees support much of our body weight, and every step you take puts pressure on your knees. The pressure on your knees is about one and a half times your total body weight. Combatting knee pain as we age is important so we can stay active and still do the things we love. I’m sharing my e

Has life ever made you feel like you are stuck in the muck? We have all felt this way, and our guest on this podcast episode shares about turning your muck into magic.  When life knocked Wendi Knox down, hundreds of red dragonflies lifted her up. What she learned from them was so life-changing; she just couldn't keep it to herself.  Wendi Knox is an author, artist, and uplifter. She used to be an award-winning Creative Director at one of the largest advertising agencies in Los Angeles. At 50, Wendi lost her job and found herself stuck in the muck of "Now What?" Then, a life-changing experience with hundreds of red dragonflies gave flight to a new mission: to inspire others that "it's never too late to soar." We learn about the beautiful parts of learning to fly after spending time in the muck and getting to know yourself more and what brings you joy. Wendi has always had a passion for creativity and art, and although her career was creative, it took a heavy toll being in the advertising business. However, now

How and where do we fit in? What is your next step, and what is your purpose in life? These are some of the questions you might ask yourself as you are approaching becoming an empty nester. I'm not a counselor, but I have had many conversations with other empty-nester moms about their feelings when the kids are gone, and I'm an empty-nester mom myself. Based on my experience and the conversations I have had, I can share some ideas and strategies to help you get unstuck in your empty nest to move forward with an open mind and open heart into your second half of life.  You've been so busy with the kids all these years that you kept your health checks to a minimum. But, of course, we all know that it takes hours out of your day to get one doctor's checkup. So with your newfound extra time, make time to do a health overhaul. As unpleasant as some procedures are, they are necessary to keep you healthy well into the future. You can get unstuck and ignite your spark after the kids are gone. Start with the tip that s

Aging and losing strength, balance, endurance is frightening. Starting a fitness program at 50, 60, or 70 is pretty scary. The trick is to find something you love doing, or you are in love with the results. You have to want it to keep yourself going. Finding something that you love, enjoy, and repeat makes the fitness journey easier. Today, my guest is Joni Grant, a competitive powerlifter, personal trainer, and movement specialist. She wasn't always strong and fit, but quite the opposite. Joni discovered resistance training at the age of 58 and fell in love with it. Joni loves feeling strong, and that journey translated into writing her first book, Train To Age. Joni learned you can't let other people dictate to you what you can and can not do. Many people tried to tell her she couldn't lift heavy things because she was a woman. After all, Joni was too old because she did not know what she was doing. When she found the right trainer to teach her, Joni was unstoppable.  Joni says: "Who knew that picking up he

Does this sound familiar? You’re tired and hungry after a busy day, and all you want is something healthy and quick for dinner. But when you look into your fridge, you find old kale, random what I call a “fitzls” (a made-up word for tiny portions of food that I just couldn’t throw away and had to save), but that’s not a meal either rather more like a mini snack. Likewise, looking in the freezer, you might have to defrost and cook, which you’re really not in the mood for. Your brain wants pleasure and satisfaction without stress. So the quickest way to achieve this is to grab some wine, crackers, and cheese.  But there is a better way with my 5 simple strategies to declutter your nutrition habits, making sure you eat healthy most of the time by decluttering your nutrition habits and taking control of your kitchen, pantry, and mind. Clutter can play an essential role in our feelings about our homes, workplaces, ourselves, and nutrition. It starts with walking into the kitchen and finding kitchen counters covere

Many women after menopause find that they have trouble losing stubborn weight. We talk about some of the causes on this episode of Pursue Your Spark Podcast, primarily, focusing on the role that insulin plays in your health. People often think that insulin is a bad thing or that only people with diabetes need to think about it, but the truth is our body has it naturally. In fact, it is insulin resistance that can have negative effects on your health.  85% of adults are insulin resistant, yet most have never heard of the term. Insulin resistance can cause weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and more. As estrogen levels fall after menopause, insulin resistance goes up...so does a women's risk for these diseases.  Dr. Morgan Nolte is a board-certified clinical specialist in geriatric physical therapy. She is the founder of Zivli, an in-depth online course, and coaching program that bridges the gap between busy physicians and patients who need to lose weight and get healthy.  Morgan helps adults rever

Do you wonder why you don’t lose weight, but you have tried diet after diet? Why don’t you feel stronger after all those classes you took, and gardening is still super hard on your back? Why can’t you seem to run after the grandkids without getting out of breath? Why are your muscles stiffer than you remember them being, and now picking up your socks off the floor is a chore, and you grab them with your toes instead of bending down? That’s where the help of a qualified fitness and wellness coach comes in. This episode talks about 5 things you need to know when hiring a fitness coach. In my 30 plus years in the industry, I’ve worked for gyms, smaller studios, in-home clients, online training with large and small groups to individual training. I want you to make the best choice for your health and what’s right for you. What’s the difference between a personal trainer and a fitness coach? Knowing the difference between a personal trainer and a fitness coach is essential. A personal trainer provides significant i