The Weekly Reframe: How to Start Exercising in Midlife - Building Sustainable Fitness Habits After 40
Supporting you to free your mind so you can live from your heart!
“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”
– Katie Reed
My Complicated Relationship with Exercise: A Midlife Fitness Journey
I've had an on-again, off-again, it's complicated relationship with physical exercise for most of my life. But when I began my coaching journey six years ago, at 40, I took a deep look at my highest priorities, and one of them was clear: I wanted to be physically fit and healthy as I moved into midlife.
I wanted to be able to do a cartwheel if the moment struck. A handstand. I wanted to feel strong enough to lift heavy things. And—because I'm short—I wanted to be able to hop up on a kitchen counter like I did as a kid and still reach the top shelves. Mostly, I wanted to feel mobile and strong in my body, not tight or constricted.
The Come-to-Jesus Moment: When I Realized I Wasn't Living My Priority
As this year came to a close and my schedule quieted for a few weeks, I took an honest inventory of where I was putting my energy. And I had a bit of a come-to-Jesus moment with myself around exercise.
I realized I was going weeks without any real movement beyond walking. I was not demonstrating my priority of being physically fit and healthy. Yes, I was walking regularly, 2 to 3 miles a few times a week, but I wasn't stretching, strengthening, or challenging my body. And I could feel the toll it was taking, physically and mentally.
Understanding Midlife Health: Hormones, Nutrition, and Movement for Women Over 40
At the same time, I could feel that my nutrition needed attention too. I'm a woman in my mid-40s, my hormones are on a wild rollercoaster, and my body is asking for a different level of care now—both in how I move and what and when I eat. It's up to me to listen.
Why Your Brain Resists Exercise: The Neuroscience of Movement Avoidance
Exercise is one of those things the brain is excellent at postponing. Tomorrow always seems like a better day. The brain equates movement with discomfort and tries to keep us in what it perceives as the most efficient option: less effort. It will offer endless, convincing excuses to not move and eat the sweet carb.
But without our physical health, we don't really have much. And as Katie Reed says, when we neglect self-care, we end up giving the world what's left of us instead of our best. And this next year, the world is requesting our best!
Taking an Honest Inventory of Your Physical Health in 2026
So as we move into this new year, I invite you to take an honest look at all the layers of your life. Especially your physical health.
Are you caring for your body in the way it's asking to be cared for?
The Power of Tracking: How to Make Health Changes Stick
I've started tracking my movement and food daily, and even after one week, I feel better and lost a pound and a half. When we are willing to track something, we show our brain that what we are tracking is important to us. As we focus our attention on what's important, we can look, see, tell the truth, and take authentic action about it. We can look at our inputs—in my case food and movement—and see what's working over time and what we might do differently.
A Personal Example: Learning to Listen to Your Body's Response to Food
A personal example: I ate a small bowl of brown rice and beef and mushrooms and thought it would be okay to have a few ounces of chocolate milk after that because I had fiber and protein before it. However, I still noticed an insulin response: slight brain fog, fatigue, and an increased heart rate. In other words, that made me not feel great, and I learned that chocolate milk, while delicious, doesn't make me feel good even in small quantities. I wrote that down in my tracking log.
Simple Kettlebell Workout Routine for Beginners: A 20-Minute Daily Practice
My workout routine is intentionally simple: one kettlebell movement a day with a 10kg (roughly 22 lb) kettlebell. It takes me about 20 minutes.
Sometimes I'm swinging, squatting, snatching, cleaning, or pressing the bell. I'll usually do 5 circuits.
Example workout:
20 swings + 1 push-up × 5 circuits
Total: 100 swings and 5 push-ups
That's it. I'll add more as I get stronger.
How to Start Exercising When It Feels Hard: Building New Neural Pathways
If getting started feels hard, my biggest encouragement is this: start small and get support. Small enough that your nervous system doesn't revolt. You're not just building strength—you're building new neural pathways and a lifestyle where movement is simply something you do.
Step By Step,
Jessie
P.S. Ready for Expert Support with Midlife Health and Fitness?
If this resonates and you're having your own come-to-Jesus moment around your health, I want to share a powerful person and resource.
Meet Susie Linquist: Midlife Health Coach for Women Over 40
A colleague of mine, Susie Linquist, supports women in midlife to take a clear, honest look at the habits, patterns, and daily choices that have been keeping them stuck—so they can finally feel calm, confident, and in control of their bodies again.
What You Can Achieve Working with a Midlife Health Coach:
When you work with Susie, you can:
✓ Reduce inflammation, bloat, and stubborn weight (without extreme dieting)
✓ Rebuild steady energy and mental clarity
✓ Sleep more deeply and wake up refreshed
✓ Experience calmer moods and a more grounded nervous system
✓ Break the "start over Monday" cycle and build habits that stick
✓ Simplify food prep and eating with clear, supportive guidance
✓ Stop relying on food or alcohol to cope with stress
✓ Feel stronger, lighter, and more at home in your body
✓ Create simple routines that make life feel easier and more intentional
✓ Support gut health, skin, and hormones from the inside out
✓ Navigate travel and busy seasons without falling off track
✓ Feel genuinely proud of the body and life you're creating
Free Resource: The 3-Step Guide to Feel Like a Functional Human Again
She's offering my community a free resource called "The 3-Step Guide to Feel Like a Functional Human Again." Inside, you'll learn the exact three steps she uses to help women move from feeling depleted and disconnected to feeling energized, balanced, and at home in their bodies.