Show Notes
In this episode of Hormone Freedom, Amanda Hinman and Helen Birney sit down with Kindal Boyle, co-owner of Fit Women’s Weekly, a virtual fitness studio serving women around the world. Kindal shares why your 40s and 50s aren't the time to give up on your fitness—they may actually be the most important years to start thinking about your strength, bone health, mobility, balance, and longevity. As hormones shift during midlife, many women turn immediately to eating less, dieting, or other weight-loss strategies. But Kindal explains why protecting and building muscle needs to be part of the conversation, especially when you're trying to lose weight. And the good news? You don't have to spend hours in the gym or start by lifting heavy weights. Sometimes the best place to begin is with your own body. In This Episode: Why your 40s and 50s can be a pivotal time for your fitness and long-term health, not a time to assume it's all downhill (00:18–00:58) Why midlife is an opportunity to figure out what works best for your changing body and prioritize your health for the decades ahead (00:58–01:32) What can happen to muscle mass when you're in a calorie deficit without incorporating strength training (01:32–02:13) How strength training signals to your body that muscle is necessary and needs to be preserved (02:13–02:53) Why strength training matters for more than appearance—including posture, muscle health, bone health, and longevity (02:53–03:38) The potential impact of losing muscle while dieting or using weight-loss strategies—and why preserving lean tissue matters (03:38–04:10) Why jumping straight into heavy lifting isn't the best starting point if you haven't strength trained in years (04:43–05:58) The foundational movements Kindal recommends mastering before adding heavier weights, including squats, planks, pushups, and lunges (05:58–07:16) Why you should gradually add weight instead of trying to do too much too soon (07:16–07:37) How often beginners should strength train—and why two to three sessions per week can be a great place to start (07:37–08:42) How a simple 10-minute strength circuit can help you get started without a gym or equipment (08:42–09:24) How Kindal's Fit Women's Weekly programs make strength training more accessible, including shorter workout options for busy women (09:31–10:08) How to take advantage of Kindal's free 30-minute coaching call to get personalized feedback and practical fitness guidance (10:08–10:35)
If you're over 40 and wondering why your old approach to fitness doesn't seem to work the way it used to, this episode is a reminder that your body isn't working against you. It's changing—and your fitness strategy needs to change with it. Strength training isn't about punishing your body or trying to look younger. It's about building the muscle, stability, mobility, and confidence that can help you feel stronger now and support the life you want to live decades from today. Hormone freedom isn't about fighting the changes happening in your body. It's about understanding those changes and learning how to support your body through them. 🎁 Get the $497 Hormone Freedom Podcast Bundle Leave a rating and review, subscribe to the podcast, and listen to the launch episodes to receive the $497 Hormone Freedom Podcast Bundle. Claim your gift here: www.hinmanholistic.com/claimgift Want to Follow Kindal? Check out Kindal's Fit Women's Weekly virtual fitness studio and connect with her for personalized support: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindalboylefitness/ Free 30-Minute Coaching Call: https://calendly.com/kindal/free-personal-coaching Kindal is currently offering free 30-minute 1:1 coaching calls for women who want to talk through their current fitness routine, challenges, and goals. She'll listen to what's working (and what's not) and give you practical tips you can immediately implement to take your fitness to the next level.
More from Hormone Freedom
What happens when life throws you a curveball and your healthy routines suddenly feel impossible to maintain? Whether you're caring for family, managing a busy schedule, or navigating unexpected challenges, you don't have to do everything perfectly to keep moving forward. In this episode of Hormone Freedom, Amanda Hinman and Helen Birney welcome Lindsay Pearsall, a nurse practitioner who helps women understand and care for their health through faith-based wellness and evidence-informed strategies. Lindsay shares her personal journey navigating autoimmune diagnoses and medication challenges, which led her to explore nutrition, stress recovery, and lifestyle changes. Together, they discuss the difference between seasons of growth and seasons of maintenance, why introducing too many changes at once can lead to decision fatigue, and how small, consistent habits can add up over time. Learn how to simplify your routines, practice patience with yourself, and focus on building a lifestyle that supports your well-being for the long term. In This Episode Meet Lindsay Pearsall and discover why healthy habits may need to become simpler during difficult seasons. (00:00–00:47) Understanding seasons of growth versus maintenance when life throws you unexpected challenges. (00:47–01:33) Using simple routines, enjoyable movement, and spiritual connection to stay grounded during busy times. (01:33–02:24) Why small, consistent habits, like prioritizing protein at breakfast, can help you maintain momentum. (02:24–03:48) Lindsay’s personal health journey, autoimmune diagnoses, and the lifestyle changes she explored. (03:48–05:10) Practicing patience, celebrating manageable progress, and avoiding the all-or-nothing mindset. (05:10–06:27) How to prioritize health goals and prevent decision fatigue by making one change at a time. (06:27–07:27) Why overwhelm can get in the way of sustainable health habits and long-term well-being. (07:27–08:12) Building a lasting lifestyle through gradual changes that fit your needs, budget, and circumstances. (08:12–09:22) Where to connect with Lindsay for wellness resources, recipes, exercises, and coaching services. (09:22–10:02)
What if the health habits you struggle with today are connected to beliefs you learned decades ago? From diet culture and body image to putting everyone else first and ignoring your emotions, the messages we absorb in childhood can shape how we approach food, rest, self-care, and our bodies well into midlife. In this episode of Hormone Freedom, Amanda Hinman and Helen Birney explore how early experiences and cultural expectations may influence the way women navigate health after 40. They discuss the outdated rules many women grew up with, including “eat less, move more,” the idea that the number on the scale defines health, and the expectation that women should push through exhaustion without asking for support. You'll also discover why knowing what to do isn't always enough to create lasting change. Amanda and Helen explain how familiar patterns can influence daily habits and why updating those patterns may be an important part of building a more supportive relationship with your body. If you're ready to move beyond old rules and create healthier routines with greater ease, this conversation offers a new perspective. In This Episode How childhood messages about weight, dieting, and body image can influence your health beliefs in adulthood. (00:00–01:11) How early experiences shape your relationship with food, rest, emotions, and asking for support. (01:11–02:20) Why midlife can be an opportunity to question old habits, including people-pleasing, burnout, and using weight as the primary measure of health. (02:20–03:51) How the low-fat movement and calorie-focused dieting influenced generations of women. (03:51–04:49) The cultural messages that encouraged women to ignore body signals, suppress emotions, and put everyone else's needs first. (04:49–06:49) How today's conversations about midlife health emphasize muscle, metabolic health, self-care, and adequate protein. (06:49–08:32) Why changing your health routines can feel difficult even when you understand what you need to do. (08:32–09:45) How unconscious patterns and familiar behaviors can influence your ability to make lasting changes. (09:45–10:30) The computer software analogy: why new health goals may require updating old beliefs and habits. (10:30–11:21) How familiar beliefs about food, rest, body size, and self-worth may affect your sense of safety around change. (11:21–12:13) Why your relationship with your body, beliefs, and daily choices matters when building sustainable routines. (12:13–12:51)
What if feeling better in your body after 40 isn’t about adding more rules, stricter routines, or greater discipline? What if it starts with bringing more play, joy, and pleasure into your everyday life? In this episode of Hormone Freedom, Amanda Hinman and Helen Birney welcome Shane Coleman, bestselling author, artist, actor, comedian, educator, yoga teacher, and marriage and family therapist. Shane shares how play can help women rethink their relationship with food, movement, and healthy habits, rather than approaching every choice as another task to get right. Discover how reconnecting with your playful side, embracing your inner child, and making ordinary moments more joyful can help you build a more positive relationship with your body and bring more fun into your home and community. You don’t have to wait until you reach a goal to celebrate yourself. You can start enjoying the process right now. In This Episode Meet Shane Coleman and explore why your body may need more play, not more discipline. (00:00–00:57) How play helps women let go of perfectionism and the pressure to get everything right. (00:57–01:48) Bringing joy into healthy habits through beautiful meals, celebrations, and playful routines. (01:48–02:36) Why pleasure and celebration don’t have to revolve around food. (02:36–03:26) Finding joy in the little things and creating more playful everyday experiences. (03:26–04:09) Reconnecting with your inner child and understanding what playful self-expression means as an adult. (04:09–05:32) How play can transform routine health habits from feelings of restriction into enjoyable experiences. (05:32–06:27) Balancing your inner child with your grown-up self to support joy, independence, and connection. (06:27–07:57) Using personal style and self-expression to reconnect with parts of yourself that want to be seen. (07:57–08:59) Bringing more fun into family life, community traditions, and everyday rituals. (08:59–10:53) Where to connect with Shane Coleman and learn about her offerings. (10:53–11:36) Discover Shane’s workbook, F Your Fears, and learn how she encourages people to move from fear toward joy. (11:36–12:14)
Have you tried Weight Watchers, keto, intermittent fasting, or countless other diets, only to find the weight returning? In this episode of Hormone Freedom, Amanda Hinman and Helen Birney explore why traditional weight-loss approaches can leave women over 40 feeling frustrated, exhausted, and stuck in a cycle of dieting, guilt, and shame. They explain why struggling to maintain weight loss isn't necessarily a failure of willpower and why a more comprehensive approach to health matters. Through the example of Donna Marie, Amanda and Helen discuss how chronic stress, nervous system patterns, and potential nutrient deficiencies may contribute to challenges with energy, sleep, digestion, and overall well-being. They explore how busy schedules, skipped meals, relying on caffeine, and late-night snacking can become part of a recurring cycle when women feel overwhelmed and depleted. You'll learn why sustainable progress starts with understanding your body's needs rather than continually starting another restrictive plan. Amanda and Helen share how identifying underlying patterns, prioritizing nourishment, and making manageable lifestyle changes can help you move away from all-or-nothing thinking and toward a more supportive, sustainable approach to midlife health. In This Episode Why traditional diets can leave women feeling frustrated when weight returns. (00:00–01:02) What the discussion of The Biggest Loser study reveals about metabolic adaptation and long-term weight maintenance. (01:02–02:38) How repeated dieting and stress may affect your relationship with food, your nervous system, and your health habits. (02:38–04:31) The cycle of starting a new diet or workout plan with good intentions, then facing unexpected life challenges. (04:31–05:36) How overwhelm can lead to skipped meals, excess caffeine, late-night snacking, and feelings of guilt and shame. (05:36–07:07) Donna Marie's experience with repeated diets, digestive concerns, sleep difficulties, and feeling stuck. (07:07–07:57) How deeper assessment helped identify potential nutrient shortfalls despite Donna Marie's efforts to eat healthily. (07:57–09:28) Why targeted support and simple, sustainable habits can be more helpful than guessing or trying random supplements. (09:28–10:01)
Have you been eating less, exercising more, and doing everything you thought was right, yet still struggling with weight gain, fatigue, and hormonal changes after 40? You're not alone. In this episode of Hormone Freedom, Amanda Hinman and Helen Birney welcome Tara Rascioli, a certified functional nutrition practitioner and founder of Highway 2 Well, to discuss why the strategies that worked earlier in life may not work the same way during perimenopause and menopause. After experiencing menopause herself, Tara shares how her understanding of nutrition and health changed when she realized that pushing harder and relying on willpower were not helping her feel her best. She explains why supporting women through midlife requires looking beyond food to consider stress, digestion, exercise habits, and the bigger picture of each woman's life. You'll discover why curiosity, flexibility, and personalized support can help you navigate these changes without viewing your body's responses as a personal failure. Amanda, Helen, and Tara discuss the importance of becoming your own body detective, experimenting with new approaches, and finding sustainable ways to support your health through midlife. In This Episode Meet Tara Rascioli and learn why she supports women through perimenopause and menopause. (00:00–01:09) Why hormonal changes can leave women feeling frustrated, confused, and as though they're failing. (01:09–02:55) Looking beyond food to understand stress, digestion, exercise, and other pieces of the midlife health puzzle. (02:55–04:41) How understanding your body's changing needs can replace confusion with greater clarity. (04:41–05:45) Tara's personal shift from pushing harder to recognizing what was contributing to her symptoms. (05:45–06:42) Why adapting your approach may be more helpful than trying harder or doing more. (06:42–07:32) Becoming your own body detective by reassessing old habits and noticing how your body responds to new inputs. (07:32–08:18) Why changing exercise routines and eating habits can feel scary, and how small experiments can build confidence. (08:18–09:19) How old beliefs about exercise and calories can keep women stuck, and why support matters. (09:19–10:14) Where to connect with Tara and learn about her one-on-one coaching and upcoming group program. (10:14–10:47) Take the Hormone Freedom Assessment to discover which patterns may need your attention. (10:47–11:06)