In this episode, Amy VanLiew shares how she left a 26-year engineering career to become a wellness entrepreneur dedicated to supporting women over 50 through realistic, science-backed fitness. She breaks down why traditional “exercise more, eat less” advice often backfires in midlife and explains how hormonal changes impact strength, metabolism, and fat storage. Amy’s approach centers on strength training, bone health, and stress management — but just as importantly, self-compassion. With over 700 videos in her online membership, she helps women shift from fighting their bodies to working with them, creating sustainable habits rooted in function, freedom, and joy.
Key Topics Discussed:
- Amy’s transition from a 26-year engineering career to midlife fitness entrepreneur
- How strength training supports mobility, hormones, and confidence after 50
- The concept of being “healthy enough” vs. chasing perfection in fitness
- Why self-compassion is a powerful (and often missing) part of women’s wellness
Key Takeaways:
- Fitness after 50 is about sustainability and strength—not extremes or overexertion.
- Hormonal shifts require smarter strategies, not just more effort or willpower.
- “Healthy enough” is a mindset that supports consistency without perfectionism.
- Self-compassion can be a strength-building tool—not a weakness or excuse.
Noteworthy Quotes:
“I just want to be healthy enough. Not from a place of laziness—but from a place of doing just enough to stay strong, mobile, and able to do what I love.”
“The old rule of ‘exercise more, eat less’ becomes the worst advice for women in midlife. Our bodies aren’t the same, and they need a different kind of support.”
“There’s no one exercise that gets rid of belly fat. It’s about lowering cortisol, building muscle, and working with your body—not against it.”
“Strength training is not about pushing to extremes. It’s about doing enough to protect your joints, posture, and energy—so you can keep doing what you love without getting hurt.”
Amy’s Bio: After a 26-year career in engineering, Amy VanLiew turned her passion into purpose—helping women over 50 get moving and feel better. Through her online fitness studio, she offers low-impact strength, cardio, Pilates, balance, and posture workouts designed specifically for midlife bodies. Certified in personal training, integrative nutrition, menopause and osteoporosis fitness, and corrective exercise, Amy’s approach helps you stay “healthy enough” to enjoy life—without injury, extremes, or workouts that leave you feeling beat up.
More About Amy
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