{"id":278274,"date":"2026-02-07T02:59:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T02:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/278274\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T02:59:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T02:59:11","slug":"at-52-i-feel-stronger-and-more-in-tune-with-my-body-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/278274\/","title":{"rendered":"‘At 52, I Feel Stronger and More in Tune with My Body than Ever.\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

I didn\u2019t grow up with fitness as a big part of my childhood. I never played sports, and only joined a gym when I was 18 because I wanted to feel better about my body. In my 20s and 30s, I began running marathons<\/a>, so my fitness goals were always centered around endurance. I ran several half marathons<\/a> and the full Marine Corps Marathon at age 32. As I entered midlife, I began to think more holistically about health, and began considering strength-building, longevity, and nutrition\u2014and that\u2019s when everything changed. <\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until I found CrossFit<\/a> at 41 that I truly committed to fitness in a whole new way. I was introduced to CrossFit by a friend, and decided to give it a try out of curiosity. I quickly fell in love with how empowering it was to lift heavier and get stronger. Despite working out consistently for years prior, doing CrossFit was the first time I actually considered myself an athlete. I began training with purpose and setting performance goals. I even competed in CrossFit competitions, reaching levels of strength and confidence I never could have imagined. <\/p>\n

But the biggest reason I continued doing CrossFit wasn\u2019t the workouts\u2014it was the community. CrossFit has this built-in support system where everyone encourages each other, no matter your level. That accountability and camaraderie made it easy to stick with and it helped turn fitness into something I truly enjoyed, not just something I had to do.<\/p>\n

After about ten years of doing CrossFit, I was thrown for a loop when I entered menopause<\/a> and was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in December of 2024 at age 51. Thankfully, it was caught early and only required surgery to remove half of my thyroid with no additional treatment. Still, my body, which I had spent years building through CrossFit, had become unfamiliar. My energy, strength, and recovery process changed in ways I hadn\u2019t experienced before. I was forced to slow down, listen to my body, and relearn what healthy meant for me. <\/p>\n

My cancer diagnosis and entering menopause required a smarter approach to fitness.<\/p>\n

What worked for me for years just didn\u2019t yield the same results anymore. As for what I changed? I didn\u2019t stop training; I just slowed down. I continued lifting each week, but stepped away from CrossFit so I could reduce the intensity of my workouts while I waited for medical clearance. <\/p>\n

I also focused on my nutrition more by prioritizing protein<\/a> and whole foods. I stopped restricting and ate enough to give my body the energy it needed to heal and recover, while maintaining my muscle mass. When I started paying more attention to what I eat and prioritizing protein, I noticed a shift in my day-to-day energy levels, mood, and overall sense of well-being. The experience reinforced everything I believe about fitness and nutrition and showed me that taking care of your body consistently gives you a strong foundation when life throws something unexpected your way.<\/p>\n

3 Products I Can\u2019t Train Without\"Weight<\/a>Iron Bull Strength Weight Lifting Belt<\/p>\n

My weight-lifting belt gives me the support to safely lift heavy weights, especially when I\u2019m doing squats and deadlifts.<\/p>\n

\"Ankle<\/a><\/p>\n

Ankle straps are a must for glute work. I\u2019ve noticed a big difference in terms of building lower-body strength since using these.<\/p>\n

\"Women's<\/a>Reebok Women’s Nano X5 Training Shoes<\/p>\n

My flat-lifting shoes are my go-to for leg day. They improve my balance and power with every lift.<\/p>\n

Now, I aim to strength train five days a week. My workout split is balanced, with two upper-body days, two lower-body days, and one full-body day. I build my own workouts around compound and functional strength movements like squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, rows, lunges, pull-ups, and push-ups. Most of my training falls within three to four sets of eight to twelve reps using the progressive overload<\/a> method. I adjust my workouts every six to eight weeks to ensure consistent strength and muscle development. <\/p>\n

Cardio is supportive of my strength training. I aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps each day, and use the StairMaster<\/a> at the gym one to two times a week. Occasionally, I\u2019ll add in a short session of high intensity internal training<\/a> (HIIT). <\/p>\n

Rest days<\/a> are active and intentional, with light walking, mobility, and recovery work to support peak performance in the gym. <\/p>\n

Three simple habits resulted in real changes. I prioritized consistency over intensity.<\/p>\n

Going through a major health shift really changed my perspective on strength training and taught me to approach my body with more intention. I\u2019ve learned to focus on consistency over intensity as I realized that you don\u2019t have to go all-out every time to make progress. <\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

CrossFit is very sport-driven and fast-paced, with a big emphasis on pushing your limits quickly, and I realized that style didn\u2019t work for my body anymore. Shifting away from that and toward more traditional strength training has allowed me to build muscle and protect my energy. Simply showing up regularly is what truly built up my strength.
<\/p>\n

I got serious about my recovery.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also learned to prioritize recovery<\/a> just as much as my workouts. For me, this looks like getting a good night\u2019s sleep and fueling myself with protein and whole foods. Healing and rebuilding happen both inside and outside the gym. <\/p>\n

I listened to my body.<\/p>\n

This is all part of how I adjusted my mindset to listen to my body, rather than ask it how hard it could push that day. Instead, I learned to be more intentional and listen to what my body needed each day. For me, this often means slowing my workouts down to focus on controlled, heavy strength training. <\/p>\n

It may sound like I\u2019ve pulled back since my cancer diagnosis, but I feel stronger and more in tune with my body than ever. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m mobile and capable, with steady energy and a level of resilience I didn\u2019t have in my younger years. I don\u2019t just push through workouts anymore\u2014I move well, recover well, and truly listen to what my body needs. Plus, I have a steady level of energy and resilience that I didn\u2019t have in my younger years.<\/p>\n

Recently, I\u2019ve hit some of my strongest lifts ever. I\u2019ve increased my deadlift<\/a> weight, which has always been a challenging movement for me, and I\u2019ve built up my pull-ups<\/a>, something I train a few times a week consistently. Watching my strength improve like that has been incredibly empowering and a real reminder that our bodies are capable of so much more than we think, even after setbacks.<\/p>\n

I learned that entering midlife and menopause does not have to mean your body is in decline. Rather, it can be a powerful turning point. Feeling healthy, adaptable, and empowered at this stage of life means everything to me. <\/p>\n

With the right approach to strength training, nutrition, and recovery, women can feel more in control of their health than ever before. My progress didn’t come from extremes, but rather from doing the basics well. I lift consistently, eat enough protein, move daily, and allow my body to recover when it needs to\u2014and that’s possible, no matter your age. <\/p>\n

Find the Perfect Women’s Health Training Program for You\"Chevron\"Chevron<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I didn\u2019t grow up with fitness as a big part of my childhood. I never played sports, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":278275,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[143373,1974,143372,637,589,1345,163,85,46,1975,143371],"class_list":["post-278274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-collection-fitness-transformations","tag-content-type-how-to-service","tag-contentid-7a42910c-5407-4b11-9c9d-3f535c3c267b","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-locale-us","tag-shorttitle-im-stronger-than-ever-at-52-heres-how"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=278274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/278274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=278274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=278274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=278274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}