Midlife Advice | Perimenopause, Hormones and Midlife Women’s Health
You're a woman over 40, you're in the thick of perimenopause or menopause, and lately you keep coming back to the same thought: I just don't feel like myself anymore.
You're doing everything right. Showing up for your family, your work, everyone who needs you. But you feel exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix. Work feels harder and less fulfilling than it used to. Your relationship feels distant. Your body is changing. You’re overwhelmed with the neverending decisions. And no matter what you do, you just feel off. Disconnected from yourself.
Midlife Advice is the podcast for intelligent midlife women who are ready to stop white-knuckling through life and feel next-level good.
Each week, host Jessica Long brings you honest conversations about navigating perimenopause and menopause, hormones, overwhelm, relationships, confidence, and the identity shift nobody warned you was coming. Not as a patient. Not as a problem to be solved. As a woman who deserves to actually feel GREAT again.
Jessica is a holistic health coach, certified menopause coaching specialist, breathwork facilitator and fellow midlife woman navigating all of this right alongside you.
If you've ever searched:
- "Why am I so exhausted all the time?"
- "Why does work feel so hard lately?"
- "Why do I feel so disconnected from my partner?"
- "Why can't I relax even when I have time?"
- "Why don't I feel like myself anymore?"
- “Is this perimenopause or something else?”
This podcast was made for you.
✨For more midlife musings, follow me on Instagram @midlifeadvicepodcast and @heyjessicalong
💌 Join my email list for personal stories, recipes, favorite products, podcast updates, and early access to my special offers! https://belongwellness.myflodesk.com/g7gzq0mtnl
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Midlife Advice | Perimenopause, Hormones and Midlife Women’s Health
How to Build Muscle After 40 Without Lifting Heavy (BFR Training Explained)
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You've heard you need to lift heavy to build (or keep!) your muscle after 40. But what if your body just isn’t cooperating with that plan right now? Good news: there's another way, and science backs it up.
I've been training with Ashley Selman for months, and I've been waiting to record this episode because I knew it was going to be the one everyone sends to a friend.
Ashley has 30+ years of experience training Olympic athletes, including Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Brandi Chastain, and coaching at Stanford and the University of Oregon. Now she works with midlife women. And the method she uses, blood flow restriction training, is something most of us have never heard of.
Here's the version I wish someone had explained to me: little rubber cuffs on your arms and legs, 5-pound weights, 20 minutes, at home. Same muscle-building response as heavy lifting. Not a gimmick. Studied for decades.
In this episode we cover:
- What BFR actually is and why the name sounds more alarming than it should
- The science behind why light weights can trigger the same response as heavy lifting
- Why this is such a good fit for women in perimenopause and menopause specifically
- How it helps with weight loss, belly fat, and the body composition stuff that won't budge
- The cardio benefits nobody sees coming from a strength workout
- How to start at home without needing a coach in the room with you
Ashley also shares her own story: hip replacement at 43, menopause at 43, lost 8 pounds of muscle. Found BFR and her life changed.
If your body has been telling you the advice everyone gives you doesn't fit your life right now, this one is for you.
💪 Connect with Ashley: selistrength.com | @selistrength
I want to hear from you. Send me a text or voicemail!
💌 If you’re a midlife woman navigating perimenopause, hormone shifts, personal growth, and just not feeling like yourself, you’ll fit right in to my community. Join my email list where I share personal stories, favorite products, high-protein recipes, book recs and exclusive discounts. I’ll send you my 3 favorite smoothie recipes to get you started!
✨For more midlife advice on perimenopause, hormone health, nervous system regulation, and living with purpose in your 40s and 50s follow me: @midlifeadvicepodcast | @heyjessicalong
⚡️Ready to feel centered, energized, and like yourself again? Learn more about working together at belongwellness.com.