Laura and Stephanie hit the gym to weight lift.  Yes,  we haul our 40+ year old putushes to the gym (or the basement in times of COVID) to do things like….bench press! Dumbbell fly! Hip Thrusts!  And… while we had absolutely no idea what we were doing at the beginning, we learned a few things.  So, you can begin how we did, showing up at the gym and staring blankly at the assortment of items available, or you can give us a listen first.  We’ll at least give you some tips to get started and the encouragement that if we can figure this thing out….so can you!  Enjoy episode #10! 

Big Goals have to be broken down to small wins and that is what episode #9 is all about.  What are our small wins?  How do we measure them?   And...how do we stay motivated so the big goals are within reach?  In episode #9 we’ll talk all about the small measurements that make up a win and how we motivate ourselves so we can build upon those achievements.  This episode is all about sustaining the fitness for the long haul. 

Have you ever had just one of those days?  Or one of those weeks?  That was us this week.  The winter greys and hormones mixed themselves together to concoct a mess of a stew.  We mucked ourselves through the week and worked through some ideas to find the rainbows in the grey.  In episode #8 Laura is brutally honest about her struggles with menopause.  You’ll enjoy her raw story and coupled with her openness- a true desire to give voice to these moments. This is an episode like no other.  You’ll love this week’s Friends Fit Forties.    

Friends Fit Forties Episode #7 is all about the running.  We run as part of our cardio each week, but we are new to running and still find running challenging.  With so many different kinds of cardio, we explain why running works best for us and then outline tricks to make running more interesting.  

In this episode Laura and I also include tips such as our favorite running watch, the different types of runs we go on and places where you can find out more information about running.  If you are a beginner to running, picking it up for the first time in a while, or looking for ways to spice up your run, this episode is for you.  Run, don’t walk, to download Friends Fit Forties episode #7. 

Let’s celebrate!  Yes!  Let’s celebrate this day, our family, our friends.  Episode #6 of Friends Fit Forties is ALL about celebration.  It is about the small milestones and new beginnings.  It is about celebrating your first rain run and your first snow run.  Also, this episode honors friendship and celebrating the superpowers in each of us.  This episode will lift you up, give you an opportunity to smile, and then leave you with the charge of elevating those around you.  Enjoy Friends Fit Forties, Episode #6. 

In episode 5 of Friends Fit Forties, we take on the obstacles.  There are so many obstacles to wellness--so we highlight the biggest challenges for us.  Then, we dig into Laura’s hysterectomy.  She takes us through her diagnosis, surgery, and the challenge of recovery.  Laura lays it all out there in an effort to spread her story.   She wants these tough  topics to be discussed, the hurdles honored, and the comeback recognized.  This episode is tough, honest, and worth the listen. 

Welcome to Friends Fit Forties Episode 4, nutrition (fun sound effect here??).   We talk about food  in this episode- so grab a snack and listen away.  Stephanie has an educational background in nutrition, so we began the podcast discussing the expanse of nutrition research and the need to evolve as we learn new things.  We gave a shout out to eatright.org as foundation for dietary guidelines, and we honor that each person has different nutritional needs. We also discuss Biceps After Babies podcast hosted by Amber Brueezeke and the My Fitness Pal app as two additional resources.  

Both Laura and Stephanie have followed different nutritional plans.  Laura counts macros while Stephanie follows an intermittent fasting plan.  Both of us have found success with our varied nutritional focuses.  We point to an article by Alexandria Sifferlin titled Why Your Diet isn’t Working as an explanation for different dietary needs. Finally, we discussed the way nutrition leads to overall energy.  Our holiday diets helped us realize how a healthier diet helps with focus, energy, and overall positive outlook. 

This episode of Friends Fit Forties is all about the friendship.  Laura and Stephanie will dig into what helped them successfully get on the road to a healthier lifestyle.  The core of this, for them, was finding that perfect fitness friend.  Laura and Stephanie discuss the value of having a variety of friends for different reasons.  Friendship should be a quilt that shows different aspects of your personality.  Everyone’s quilt of friends will be different, but will tell a story of the connected people.  

Then Laura and Stephanie discuss the attributes important in their fitness friend.  Some of these attributes overlap while others are different. Laura needed someone who would show up.  Stephanie needed someone who would incorporate her interests into the workouts.  Together their needs fit.  

 Finally, they discussed mindfulness.  After defining it, Laura and Stephanie spent a minute or so trying it out.  They left us with some homework, to try out some fitness friends for the week.

This episode is fitness, fitness, fitness. We began this episode with the changes we were able to see in eighteen months of this friendship/fitness/mindfulness journey.  We noted changes in numbers as our strength grew and our clothes size shrank, but, for us, the changes that were more difficult to measure were more important.  Simply, we were happier.  So, for us, our plan works….and our journey is ongoing. 

We discussed our weekly workout goals and how they have changed over the past year and a half, adding more workouts each week from three to five or six.  We surely didn’t think that would happen.  AND…we didn’t stop.  That was the friendship part.  We took a moment to discuss our amazing trainer, Lora Moore, who writes our lifting workouts.  And we also plugged Brooks running shoes because we like them (hey…..Brooks….if your listening……). 

The third segment was all about this thing called runner’s high and our experience with the feeling of runner’s high….and cannabis (you HAVE to tune in to hear how it connects). We discussed how to step on a treadmill without flying off- most of the time.  And, of course, we assigned some homework. 

In this inaugural episode, you'll meet Laura and Stephanie, two teachers who are striving to live their best lives.  First, you'll meet Laura, a preschool teacher who hit a wall in her daily routine and needed a change.  She discusses the turning point on her fitness journey, her surgery, and how friendship was a missing piece.  
 Next, you'll meet Stephanie, a middle school teacher looking for the support of a friend.  Stephanie loves facts and research-so she works to support this journey with current thinking in nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness.  Then they lay out what to expect from the podcast.  Every week they'll discuss a topic in fitness and mindfulness.  They will include research and a little bit of homework (after all they are teachers).  This week's homework includes a four-column graphic organizer where you think about the different friends in your life and determine what kinds of friends make up a fitness friend.  In addition, Laura and Stephanie promise to cheer you on your journey.  They will provide honesty and real talk about sensitive topics.  
Join Laura and Stephanie on this journey.  They are so ready to celebrate, grow, and learn with you.