Midlife Fitness & Mindset for Women Feeling Stuck | Pursue Your Spark

It’s a sad fact that many people spend their lives in a state of ‘making do,’ only to be full of regret and what-ifs later. But, those what-ifs might be just what you need right now to start considering the power of choice so that you can learn to say no and take back control of your life and happiness. 

Questioning our capabilities and worthiness of being, doing, and receiving more has become a common mindset, but it’s one that my guest today seeks to stamp out.  It took a near-death experience and then a ton of personal development for her to realize just what her priorities were and what they should be. 

As Vonne Jacobs lay in her bed, trying to will herself up to go to a job that drained her physically, emotionally, and mentally, her heart took one last attempt at sending her the message she needed. Vonne was rushed to the hospital, where her heart had to be medically stopped and restarted. 

Isn’t that the most potent metaphor ever for a new beginning of life? A recent shot at getting it right. 

And that’s precisely what Vonne did. 

As a successful healthcare attorney, Vonne was a strong and determined woman. Still, like so many of us, she didn’t place enough value on herself to set healthy boundaries, to advocate for herself, or to pursue what truly made her happy instead of what she thought she ‘should’ be doing. 

Join us for today’s episode to hear how Vonne took that life or death situation and used to connect with herself on a level that many of us deny. Vonne has learned that in not making a stand for yourself, you allow others to disrespect you. She’s here to ask you, “when are you going to love yourself enough to say “no”?” 

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Links mentioned in this episode:

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• One Shared Humanity on Facebook
• PHAROS Consulting on Facebook
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• LinkedIn

Re-thinking where your priorities lie? If you’re ready to set some new boundaries and goals in your life, why not start with your health and fitness? Join me in the 4 Week Lean Out Program.  

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It might seem like an embarrassing question to some, but October is the time when we can throw prudish manners out of the window and ask in all seriousness: 

“How well do you know your breasts”? 

This is breast cancer awareness month, a cause that is very close to my heart and as usual, I’ll be handing out my “Guide To Breast Self-Exam” cards that I pick up at my OBGYN visits. 

Breast cancer is the second most prevalent cancer (after skin cancer) among women in the United States. Whilst it is easier to treat than other cancers, EARLY detection and treatment can improve the outcome. Nevertheless, check out these harrowing statistics:

• About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer throughout her lifetime.
• In 2019, an estimated 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 62,930 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.
• About 2,670 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2019. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 883.

The reality of the sheer number of people afflicted with this illness really hits home, doesn’t it? So, I hope that you take this as a reminder to get up close and personal with yourself. Get to know your breasts! Nobody is better equipped to recognize a change in your breasts than you are and it can only bring better health and better healthcare to you. 

In case you didn’t know, I was certified as a Breast Cancer Pilates Instructor in 2004. Since then, I’ve developed a range of movement, fitness, and nutritional plans that support women in recovery from breast cancer. But you don’t need to have suffered it already. Many of these strategies can be implemented right now to improve your health and reduce the likelihood of developing breast cancer. 

Today, I share fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle strategies that you can implement right now to help your body stay strong through breast cancer recovery or to help prevent it in the first place by reducing inflammation, boosting energy, and building your strength and well-being. 

I hope that by the end of this episode you’ll be asking your friends how well they know their breasts and we’ll all be answering “better than yesterday”. 

• Pursue Your Spark on Instagram
• Pursue Your Spark on Facebook
• 4 Week Lean Out Program
• How I Became A Pilates Breast Cancer Coach
• National Cancer Institute
• Breastcancer.org 
• Pink Ribbon Pilates Program

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While you are there, I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

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Check out my 4 Week Lean Out Program for more invaluable health, fitness, and nutrition strategies that can be adapted to your own personal journey. My personalized coaching ensures there’s a plan that works for anyone!  

Have you ever felt stuck in life and can’t quite figure out how to move forward? Or maybe you keep finding yourself in the same situations that just don’t serve you well? Despite trying all sorts to fix the problems, you can’t seem to find a solution. But perhaps, it’s time to look inwards and let go of limiting beliefs that are stopping you from living a life you love. 

Self-growth is uncomfortable. Oh boy, it's really uncomfortable. So, maybe that’s the reason that we are so quick to judge our external circumstances and label them as the culprit for our unhappiness. 

In truth, our reality is often directly related to our own sense of self-worth and what we believe we deserve, or the fears we have about changing that reality. 

Jill Sherer Murray, author of Big Wild Love - the Unstoppable Power of Letting Go says that…

“We are always bringing people into our lives that reflect our beliefs about ourselves”.

Whether you are in a relationship that isn’t right for you, a job that doesn’t fulfill you, or are simply not chasing your dreams, your crisis of esteem is often the root of the problem. Rather than finger-pointing, take time to ask yourself the difficult questions and figure out if your limiting beliefs are derailing your life and stopping you from having the things you want. 

As you get older, and your life changes, so do your desires, goals, and means of achieving them. And that’s OK. Change is OK. So show yourself some Big Wild Love and let go of the beliefs that are holding you back. Let go of the situations that are not filling you with incredible joy. Let go of the fear that controls you. 

You deserve the things you want in life, and they are available to you if you believe they are. Dive into this week’s episode with us to let go to become unstoppable. 

How you can contact Jill: 

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

• Big Wild Love - Jill's book on the Unstoppable Power of Letting Go
• Jill’s Viral TedX talk
• 4 Week Lean Out 

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

If you’re ready to create lifestyle and mindset strategies that make you truly unstoppable then sign up to my 4 Week Lean Out Program. Doors open October 5th and we’ll be busting through those limiting beliefs to create healthy habits, nutritional plans, and a life that you deserve and love! 

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Developing my mindset has been a lifelong adventure for me. My journey from being a new mom looking to lose some baby weight to fitness and nutrition coach has been a long and winding path. I’ve had to go in reverse to be able to move forward, at some points. However, balancing exercise, nutrition, and mindset has enabled me to create a healthy, vibrant, and positive life that I love. 

At every stage of my journey, the one thing that remained consistent for me was my mindset. I’ve always believed that my body will do what my mind sets out to. That is to say, if you believe that you can do something, then you will find a way to do it. Even if it needs to happen in baby steps. That’s true for other goals as well as fitness goals. 

Your age is not a barrier to the things you can achieve. Your dreams do not have a time limit on them. Look at my story:

• In my 20s, I had kids
• In my 30s, I became a bodybuilder
• In my 40s, I became an ultrarunner - running 50-mile marathons
• In my 50s, I became an Ironman triathlete - each triathlon involves swimming 2.4miles, cycling 112mile, and running 26.2miles! 

Do you? Have you set yourself goals? Are you experiencing your midlife to its fullest potential? 

It’s time to stop putting ourselves and each other down. You need to own your actions, step up to the plate, and create your ideal lifestyle. By balancing exercise, nutrition, and mindset, you create the perfect environment within your body for health and positivity to thrive. 

So, I challenge you. You’ve learned from the past already and now it’s time to put those lessons to the test as you use them to create your best life. The deciding factor will always be your mindset.  So listen to today’s episode, find out all the amazing things that I’ve achieved so far, and check out whether my values resonate with you. If they do, use them to create balance in your own life. 

• Pursue Your Spark on Instagram
• 5 for 50 Spark Kickstarter Guide
• 4 Week Lean Out Program

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

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If you’re ready to smash through your goals and develop a healthy mindset that helps you do that, then check out my 4 Week Lean Out Program!  

From a young age, it is instilled in children that normal acceptable behavior is for boys to be rambunctious and challenging, and girls should be obedient and nice. It’s a gender stereotype that has, thankfully, been challenged more openly in recent years. But, how much damage has it done so far? Not just in individuals but in our society as a whole? 

Dr. Marsha Lichtenstein joins me on the show today to share how her experience as a young girl shaped her as an adult. It’s an emotional proclamation as she really dives deep into how the expectations forced on her because of her gender remained with her through her life. 

As a child who was expected to be “nice”, to follow orders, not to question authority, and to carry on the traditional and stereotyped role of carer and housekeeper, Marsha struggled to shake off the people-pleasing habits she developed in a bid to quash her inquisitive and rebellious inner child.

Right now, despite massive social movements for gender equality, women still face an upward struggle in their attempts to achieve their desires and have their voices heard. Women are paid less than men for the same job, and they are less likely to speak up and demand more. 

So how exactly do we reprogram our individual brains to feel safe in speaking out, standing up for ourselves, and making our voices heard? Listen in to today’s show with Dr. Marsha Lichtenstein, women’s empowerment and communications coach, to find out how to speak with authority and grace. 

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• Perfect Pitch - How To Speak Up For Yourself In Everyday Relationships

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

Have some goals that you want to achieve? Then check out my 5 for 50 Lifestyle Strategies Guide to help you create a healthy sustainable lifestyle that you can step into and own your power. Be the authority in your own life. 

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As a young girl, you have generally spent your life being prepared for what will come in your later years. Your older siblings, cousins, or friends prepare you for your first boy/girlfriend. Your parents model a healthy marriage. Your mom shares her birth stories as she hopes for grandchildren. Your grandma arms you with her best-kept secrets for healthy families and homes. But nobody tells you that as a young woman you should be starting to build a strong pelvic floor. And why would they? 

Picture this...You are standing around chatting with your girlfriends, probably in a public place. Karen says something funny and you all let out a roar of laughter. Only, that wasn’t the only thing that escaped you. Clutching your belly, and hiding your shock behind a worried grin, you realize….that you just peed yourself. 

How could this happen? What’s wrong with you?

Well, you might be surprised to know that urinary incontinence is a relatively common problem amongst women. In fact, 36% of women over 45 suffer from it. Despite this, it’s an unwanted and often embarrassing situation to find yourself in. 

But fear not. That’s not the end of the story. 

There are plenty of options available, natural, free, easy to implement options that will help you stop those surprise leaks. You can build a strong pelvic floor and say goodbye to those frequent bathroom trips or impromptu urine release. 

It’s time to get educated on the ugly and embarrassing truths of our bodies. To know that you are not alone in your ailments and that you can share your knowledge so that the women who come after you know their bodies are wonderful and normal. It’s never too late, or too early, to build a strong core and a healthy pelvic floor.

Listen in to today’s episode to find out how to diagnose pelvic floor dysfunction, and what to do to stop/reverse it.

Links mentioned in the show:

• Interview with Lisa King (episode 80 - How To Ditch Bladder Pain Naturally). 
• 4 Week Lean Out 

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

Have you signed up for my 4 Week Lean Out Program yet? It’s my signature program for women over 50 who are ready to shape up, lean out, and take back control of their health and fitness. If you’re sick of unexpected leaks or you want to tone that pelvic floor before it becomes a problem, then this program will get you on the right path! Find out all the details here….

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It’s undeniable that COVID-19 has impacted us all. What differs between us is whether those effects have been mostly positive or mostly negative. In either case, finding the strength, hope, and resources to rise up and prosper during these tumultuous times has left many of us wondering exactly how to build resilience. 

In today’s episode, I am joined by 12 special guests. Each of them are business owners and entrepreneurs, and each of them has been impacted by COVID-19. 

As a community of women working hard to empower other women to succeed and build their best life, they have each shared how their business or life has been impacted, and what actions they have taken to ensure the survival of their business. In addition to this, you’ll also find some juicy hints on what you can do to build your resilience during tough times. 

Plus, as a super special guest, my client of 8 years, Ann, also joins us to share her experience as an elderly, disabled woman living through COVID-19. Ann talks about how she has stayed on top by adapting to the current climate and re-building new strategies for physical and mental wellness. 

If there’s one thing that we have learned from this global pandemic, and hopefully from this episode, it’s that we are all in this together. Together in life, together in community, together in succeeding. Join me and my special guests today to come together in nurturing hope, building resilience, and creating strong, healthy women in life and in business. 

• Liz Strom - Life/career coach, speaker, founder of Creative Calm Solutions 
• Cassie Christopher - Registered dietician/health coach
• Phyllis Mantelli - Speaker, Author
• Sydney Larson - Founder of Lily Bird products for female bladder control
• Natsuyo Lipschutz - Cross-cultural communications specialist
• Helene Dumais - Endurance athlete, speaker, coach
• DeAnne Guaya - Holistic fitness coach
• Lorraine C Ladish - Author, speaker, fitness expert, yoga teacher
• Sue B. Zimmerman - Instagram strategist
• Joan Bragar - Author, dating coach
• Lisa Pezik - Content Marketing Expert, Author, speaker
• Cherrie Morris - Divorce Coach
• Ann Tickner - Long term client of Heike’s, retired teacher, resilient woman! 

Links mentioned in the show:

• HEY Life Training
• Pursue Your Spark on Instagram
• 4 Week Lean Out 

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

Why not grab my 5 for 50 Lifestyle Strategies Guide for more hints, tips, and info on how to create a healthy, happy life! 

For more episodes click here 

Have you given any thought to your retirement yet?

Perhaps, like me, you’ve been getting your finances in order: crossing T’s and dotting I’s as you figure out when it is feasible for you to retire and still financially be able to afford the lifestyle you are used to.

There is, however, more to consider than we might imagine. Our current lifestyle has been created over decades, fine-tuning the company we keep, the way we spend our time, and how we keep both our body and mind active and healthy. 

With your work/life balance being the leading force in how the rest of your life is shaped around it, the possibility of retiring that role leaves quite a void in your life. 

So who is best to fill the now-empty role that your job/business/work once provided? 

My guest today, Sharon Rolph, is a retirement coach who is here to tell you that YOU are now the director of your own life. Moving into the next phase of your life brings a whole new set of questions, problems, and considerations to the table. 

Sharon believes that retirement is the perfect opportunity to rediscover your passions and design your life with intention so that you continue to meet your emotional, mental, social, and spiritual needs during your later years. 

Join us to hear her thoughts on how our culture prioritizes financial preparation but fails to train us for the more important and impactful aspects of maintaining a healthy and happy retirement. 

• Podcasts
• Website
• Facebook

• 5 FOR 50 Lifestyle Guide
• Etsy shop - Quiltedpetunia
• Meet Up
• Pursue Your Spark on Instagram

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

Why not grab my 5 for 50 Lifestyle Strategies Guide for more hints, tips, and info on how to create a healthy, happy life that will serve you now and in retirement! 

For more episodes click here

Now that you’re over 50, you might be wondering what the best form of exercise is. I’m sure that your search has brought up lots of ideas and lots of new terminologies you’ve never heard of. Or perhaps you are already well established in your fitness journey and are looking for something new to add to your repertoire? Either way, Pilates may be the answer you’re looking for, and even at over 50, it’s never too late to start.  Read on or listen to today’s episode to find out exactly why I believe that to be true.

As our bodies age, they become less able to cope with the impact, and as much as we hate to admit it, even the most active amongst us can suffer from health conditions brought about by aging. Women over 50 are more susceptible to conditions such as Osteoporosis, hip problems, and lower back pain. Taking up some low impact, focused exercise like Pilates could help you ward off these problems or significantly reduce the effects they are currently having on your body.

20 years ago, I took up Pilates and I was amazed at how simple yet effective it was, delivering noticeable results. I still practice it 2 or 3 times every week! When I later faced the choice of having to teach only Pilates or only Yoga, it’s no surprise that Pilates won hands down. This is now my recommended core program for core strengthening and breathwork and I invite you to listen in to today’s episode to find out exactly why I love it so much and why I recommend Pilates for women over 50. 

• 5 for 50 Lifestyle Strategies
• My Youtube channel
• Interview with Jillian Hessel
• Pilates Method Alliance

Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much!

If you like my health and fitness tips then you’ll love my 5 for 50 Lifestyle Strategy Guide. It’s specially designed for women over 50, to help you create and maintain a balanced, healthy, and happy lifestyle. Grab it free here! 

For other episodes click here

In many high-intensity careers, women have had to prove themselves equal to men and have often had to choose between the career and aspirations of a family life. This has historically been prevalent in the Armed Forces. Today, Melissa May shares her experience of girls flying fighters and how her determination to set the bar for those who followed after her meant she was able to have it all. 

Melissa has always stood apart from the crowd. Whether it was her hobbies, her upbringing, or her lavish red hair bringing her to the focus, it’s no surprise that her career choice placed her outside the mainstream, too. 

Entering the Air Force with no background experience in the field, meant that Melissa had a whole new world open up to her. Her journey has seen her medically discharged, reinstated with a waiver that prohibited her from flying, travel the world, attain unattainable goals, fly fighter jets you can only dream of, walk away from air combat unscathed, and so much more.

What’s more, Melissa is one of the very few women ever to be awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross, an award presented to Amelia Earhart and Eileen Collins, a space shuttle commander.

Not content with this life, Melissa decided that she also wanted a family and was not willing to accept that it was one or the other. Working in an industry that housed only 8% of female employees, she set out to create a community in which women fighter pilots could find support, morale, and mentorship. 

Listen in to today’s episode to find out how she believes that it was her unwavering acceptance of being different that set her up to become one of the first female fighter pilots in the USA, and how she balances her dramatic lifestyle with the roles of wife, mother, and friend.

• 50 for 50 Lifestyle Strategy Guide

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Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you are not, then I want to encourage you to do that right now. I don’t want you to miss out on an episode. Click here to subscribe to Apple Podcast.

While you are there I would love it you left me a review over on Apple Podcast too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast, and I love reading them. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you so much.

For other episodes click here

If you have your own crazy lifestyle that you’re trying to take control of, then download my free 5 for 50 Lifestyle Strategy Guide to help you master strategies for your health, fitness, and mindset.