Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Kate Rowe-Ham: Why Midlife Women Need Strength, Confidence & Community More Than Ever

Episode Date: June 23, 2026

Is midlife really a time to slow down—or could it be your strongest chapter yet? In this episode of Just As Well, Claire Sanderson is joined by women's strength and longevity coach, bestselling author and podcast host Kate Rowe-Ham. Fresh from completing both HYROX and the London Marathon, Kate shares why challenging herself physically has become about far more than fitness. Together, Claire and Kate discuss the realities of ageing, the importance of strength training, the power of community, and why women need to stop accepting the narrative that they become invisible after 40. They also explore practical ways to improve health and wellbeing through movement, nutrition, mindset and recovery—without striving for perfection. In this episode: Why movement helps manage life's mental load The benefits of strength training in midlife What Kate learned from HYROX and marathon training Why women need better representation as they age The role of protein, fibre and recovery in longevity How to break self-sabotaging habits Why confidence and community are essential for thriving in midlife A motivating and uplifting conversation for anyone who wants to age with strength, purpose and confidence.  Want more from Women’s Health? Join the Women’s Health COLLECTIVE for workouts, exclusive events and expert advice to unlock your fittest self - Train smarter. Live better. Visit www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/wh-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. What if ageing wasn't something to fear, but something to train for? In this episode of Jess as well, brought to you by Primark, I caught up with women's strength and longevity coach Kate Roham, who shared her simple habits that can help women feel stronger, healthier, and more confident in midlife and beyond. From strength training and everyday movement to nutrition, mindset,

and breaking free from the belief that women become invisible as we age, This is a conversation packed with practical takeaways. If you're looking for realistic, evidence-based advice on how to thrive, this is the episode for you. Enjoy. Kate, welcome back to Just as well. Thank you so much for having me back again. It feels like not so long ago that you were last on, but quite a few momentous things have happened in your life since, which is why I wanted you back to discuss them. But before we dig into those, for anyone who doesn't know you, just tell you.

a bit about yourself and what it is you do. Oh, isn't it funny? I always go, who am I when I get asked that question? It's that brilliant thing. So I guess in essence, I am a woman's strength and longevity coach, I think, the way that I would like people to see me. I guess I'm a mum of three. I am an author of two books, owning a men of Positacarma Stronger and the Longevity Solution, podcast host, and just all-round champion of women.

I guess I just want women over the age of 35. to understand what they need to implement in their lives in order to thrive because I think we are hugely unrepresented and it's important to me that we all feel seen whatever our starting point is. Movement isn't always something you schedule. It's part of everyday life. Primark's latest active wear drop is built to support the way you move with its best selling buttery soft styles for yoga, Pilates and everyday wear

and seam-free pieces designed for breathable comfort offering flexibility through training and beyond. From soft-touch fabric to supportive fits and matching sets that make getting dressed easier, it's active way designed to fit around real life. Discover the collection in store or via click and collect at primark.com. You describe yourself as a champion of women and that's absolutely how I would describe you

because you always seem to have your girls around you and before we started recording you were speaking about another big event you've got coming up, but how you're congregating these amazing women to take part in it with you. How important is it to have your tribe? Do you know, I love that, and I love that word tribe. It's so important.

I really think we need to have women that have got our backs because I think in the world that we're in now, with social media, it's very easy to get caught up and you see someone's posts and you just like it or you don't really engage in it. And for me, that just feels really kind of, fake and not there. And I think it's so important if you see someone that feels like they need representing or they need picking up or they might be, you know, up for a challenge, reach out,

go into their inboxes and just collect, because there are so many wonderful women out there, collect them and bring them on a journey with you. And it's funny when I talk about, you know, friends and like my friends, like pre-instagram, they're my friends. I grew up with them. They've got my history. But there's this whole new tribe of women. too that we're all on a journey together and we're all having these different experiences and it's so empowering and powerful. Because your app own your menopause

the real-time workouts that you do are filmed in your house. Yes. It weights strewn on the floor but you get hundreds of women turning up to join these classes and I see on your Instagram stories you repost what the women have said about you

and how they loved being in your class that morning. It must feel so enriching to be inviting these women into your home, but know that you're helping them. Yeah, you make it sound super glamorous into my home. They come into my laundry room, which is the thing that I really love. Because actually, that's kind of where it all started, you know, was, I'm lucky to have a laundry room that is big enough for us to be able to work out. And I think it's important that I say that because a lot of people are like,

well, I couldn't do that. But no, it's literally in my laundry room. You know, phone, camera. and we just go for it at 6.30 and we work out. And as you say, there are hundreds of women. And it's like we're all there together. And as much as I'm holding them accountable to show up, they're holding me accountable.

But it's the one thing I would say that I never ever, in all the little bits and bobs that I do in my job, I've never had that like pit of my stomach. Oh, I've got to get up and I've got to do that. Like it just enriches my life as much as it might enriches the women that are doing the workouts because we kind of clock on and it's a good morning. And actually, you know, the other thing that is quite funny is that every now and then my cats decide to bring in a mouse.

So I'll just be like, guys, you carry on doing your bent over rows. I'll just be back in a minute. And there's me, often the mouse is still alive because that's what my cats like to do. But for me, again, it's about keeping it real because we all have interruptions in our lives, especially, you know, midlife women. And I think when things like that happen, you think, oh, you know, sod it, I'll do that later. But what I want women to see is that whether it's a cat and a mouse, whether it's a child or whether, you know, you are caring for a parent that needs your attention, just to try and give yourself that moment in time to put some movement into your day

because that can help you show up and to keep doing it even if there are interruptions, just to try and come back to it and finish it. It's really interesting that you say it never feels like a chore because, We're a similar age. You're a year older than me, but we're fabulous. We're fabulous. 48, 49, respectively. So our hormones are all over the place. And there are days where I really don't want to show up.

Yeah. And I just want to stay in bed and I can feel the low energy sort of permeating every cell of my body. Yeah. And my job is performative, actually. I have to do things like this, host podcasts. and I run two brands, etc. But I imagine you have to bring an extra layer of energy

to lead a workout class when there must be mornings where you think, I cannot be bothered. I really just want to sit with a coffee and not. No. I would love to say yes. There are definitely mornings where there might have been a drama. But for me, I think exercise and moving a body, and it's just so, you know, like boring to say it.

But it really shifts something for me. And I don't know whether that is because that's where my brain works and it helps balance my blood sugars and it helps balance my hormones. And for me, just to feel strong going into my day really, really helps. And don't get me wrong, there are definitely days when I wake up like that. But I know, and I just have a kind of conversation with myself, that is in literally about 10 minutes,

as soon as you start moving your body, it's going to make a difference. and it helps you then face whatever it is that's causing you to feel like that. Because the bottom line is it's not often the doing of the exercise that's not giving you the energy. It's the other stuff in life, the mental load that I like to call it, that wants us to not do the thing that can be good for us. And I just think for so many women, and again, I would never be dismissive and say, look, if you feel like that, just get up and move because that can be really hard. but even going outside for a walk

for five minutes when you don't feel like that and fun enough I say I do say to the women when I'm when I'm teaching them even if you don't want to be here for the whole thing well done for getting up and showing up even if it is five or ten minutes and often if you give someone that permission

it's like oh okay actually it's okay that I feel like this and they'll stay and do the whole class so I feel like sometimes it's it's the way that you talk to people that gives them the encouragement to then kind of carry on. I love what you said this, the mental load

that is often restricting you from moving your body, not something physically preventing you from doing so. But sometimes getting over the hill of that mental load is tricky, isn't it? It is. And, you know, you and I know we've had our journeys with parents and family, and it's really heavy and it's really, it is really tricky. but even on the day that my dad did I did a workout in the morning

and I had 20 minutes where I wasn't thinking about is this it, is that it? And so movement for me, it is completely that reframing of that mental load of juggling all of it. And I hope that by me doing that and I know you obviously have kids as well that they learn that part of the talking

it too because I think they're living in such a complicated world. And I do worry that the exercise, I know it's there and we are talking about it, but I don't see that as being much of a tool still for young kids to get through. You know, I think that because we live in a wild again, where it is social media, sort of if you're not well, use this app or do some mindfulness or do that. You know, we really need to keep drumming in, especially to girls that are going through puberty and boys as they go or boys, girls, they go off to university and you begin to fall off. But actually that power of moving your body will help you study. It will help you show up to

your lectures. It'll help you, you know, party hard if that's what you want to do. But if you do both, it just works. And I think that that for me, you know, I know that if I have moved my body, you know, if the phone goes and it says school, you know, my cortisol levels are probably a little bit easier to deal with, but that I will show up as a better person. Oh, absolutely. The day is always so much better if you've exercised in the morning. And you and I have discussed this previously, how if it doesn't happen in the morning, it's unlikely to happen because life just gets in the way.

Even for people like you and I who love exercise, if it's not done before I start work, I'm very unlikely. It is hard. And actually I did my high rocks. I was very concerned because I remember seeing that some people are doing a high rox at 7pm because they do it all day. I was like, if that's, I'm not, I can't do it. I will not be able to do it if it's at 7pm.

Like there's just something mentally for me. But however, again, just to, you know, put that into perspective, if there are people out there that that is their only window, then, then, and I suppose if that was my only window, I would, I would get it done. Well, I just think people's circadian rhythms are different as well. Some people are much more suited to work out in the evening. So you mentioned your high rocks, which is one of the reasons why, I wanted to get you on, Kate.

So you seem to like doing hard things. Prior to said high rocks, you have run distance races in your underwear. You've run a half marathon in your underwear, a 10K in your underwear. You have an ultramarathon planned for later in this year. But in the last few months alone, you've done a high rocks and a London marathon.

Yes. So what made you say yes? I don't have any boundaries, Claire. No, I'm learning on that. I'm learning to put those in. No, I do love a challenge. And that doesn't mean that anyone who does exercise has to like a challenge. And also, you don't have to do a challenge to sign up to do exercise, if that makes sense.

I often think people are like, well, you know, start running so that you can do a 10K race. Don't do it just because it is fun. I do like a challenge. I like doing silly things. I think it's my ADHD. I'm searching for that dopamine, that adrenaline, that kind of rush. but I think when I was watching people do the high rocks it has all the elements and all the disciplines

of everything that I love and everything that I talk about there's got the running which I love doing and then you've got the lifting of the weights and what I loved was seeing the people who only lift weights say oh it's really hard if you don't run because I'm not a runner and then the runners going well I can't do that because it's the lifting weights and that's what I love about high rocks

actually it's kind of putting those two different disciplines and challenging each camp to say you can do this, whatever. And I feel like I'm both of those people. Just quickly describe a typical high-rox race for those watching or listening who may not be too familiar. So there is eight kilometres of running,

but it's broken up between a sprint of cardio exercise or strength exercise. So you start off by doing your ski-erg. I'm going to get it in the wrong order, but you essentially do a thousand metres on a ski-urg, and you can do it as a pair, or you can do it as an individual. I did it as a pair.

So you split it. The thousand meters. The thousand meters. Then you run a kilometre, then you'll do a thousand meter row, split again, run a kilometer. You know, I think it's 800 meters or 80 meters on weighted lunges. Then there's the burpees. And each discipline is broken up with that one kilometer, which I loved.

I loved that one kilometer because actually that was where your heart rate would come down. But it was, for me, it's about, I guess what I do is I show women. how to be strong, but I also want to be the person that then is doing that, because I think it's all well and good. We can say that we're doing this and we're doing that, but I want women to know that they can then go and do these amazing things. And I want to teach and live what I do,

I suppose, is why I like doing these challenges. But the high rocks was insane, and I would love to do another one. I am going to persuade you to do one with me at some point. I hate running. I know, but the person I did it with didn't like running. And we just chatted. And actually we, which I haven't really said, yeah, we did get a time penalty,

which I'm not adding because it wasn't my fault. What did you get it for? Well, we got it for, we ran in the wrong time because we were too busy chatting and realised we hadn't done the right run. So then we ran back out. And so we did it. We did what we were meant to do. Obviously the clock clocked us checking in.

So it adds the minute for the lap or the five minutes for the lap. But we didn't do another lap. So like I would say, and I don't know that my partner would say, that's my partner with Charlie. I did it with Charlie, Davy, whether she had fun or quite as much fun as I did. But the photographs we've got, I'm just smiling the whole way around.

And even at the beginning, we were right at the front, and I'm there like jumping up and down, so excited to get down. And there wasn't any point when I was doing it, when I asked myself what I was doing, why am I doing this? I was ready to sign up for another one as I finished, despite the fact that it was a lot harder than I thought.

did you go for it or paste yourself? Was it a case of this is a learning experience or just need to get through or were you going to hell for leather at each station? No, it was definitely the first thing. I think it was learning what to do so that I would want to do it again. Even that, I think even when you go for health

for leather with something, whether it's a marathon, I think every challenge you do, you're always going to learn something and take something with you. And I really learned that I hate the sled pull. That for me...

I'd be fine with that. Yeah, you see? That for me was the one thing I couldn't stand. I don't mind the push. I did anything else. And actually, in fact, Charlie, her back wasn't great. I did most of the burpees, probably. Love a burpee.

Oh, no. I know. So I think my learning experience is that I would just need to do more training for the sled pull. But I... It was brilliant. And the atmosphere and the people and the crown and you've got, you know, Faisal and kind of Gede, and they're all just with such amazing energy there

is sort of the hosts of these things. It's brilliant. Well, the beauty of high rocks, and I've been invited several times and I've said no. And Gemma, who's my co-host, we've been invited to do it together. We've both said no because we hate running. Whereas I'll row all day.

I'll go on the ski, all day. But what if we didn't run it? We could walk it? Yeah, but then I'm so competitive. there's no way that would happen. Then you'd run it when we were down. Yeah. But the beauty of high rocks

is the sheer variety of people who were doing it. Because it's an intense fitness competition at the end of the day. And I know not everyone is doing it to compete and people are doing it to test their personal boundaries and their capabilities and finish it. And the last finishers has applauded as much as the first, which I think is wonderful as well.

But we do a lot of content on women's health of women in their 70s. who are doing high rock, which is really quite incredible that it's attracting such a diverse range of participants. And I read something this week that they may be extending it to teenagers,

and I think it'd be a separate race, which would be wonderful because my son would love to do it. He's already asked. I've seen your Nell. I mean, she would love it, wouldn't she with her sled bulls? Well, yeah, Nell was pushing, but in mind she's 10, 65 KG on the prowler. Isn't that incredible?

Yeah. So pushing my weight on the... I mean, she's... Well, a bit heavier than me on a prowler, and she's 10. Like, bless her. And she's in the gym with me going, yeah, now it's going to get jacked.

Yeah, I love that. How amazing is that? She could do the kids one, because there is the kids' high rocks. Yeah. You could do, maybe you could do mom and daughter. Yeah. So I think it's...

But it's the running. Also, going back to what you said about women's health sharing, you know, the older ladies and doing stuff. Like, I do want to be, you know, featured in women's health when I'm 75, 80, like the women you are. Like for me, that feels just like such a privilege.

And I think it is incredible that people get to do that at that age. And it's so weird because the other day, or not weird, but the other day I was driving into wherever I was driving, Uckfield. And there was a sign and it said, elderly. And it had two people crossing the road with a walking stick. Oh, hunched over. And do you know what?

I haven't seen one of those for a long time. No, I haven't. And I never questioned it, really. And I was like, that needs to change. Yeah. Because it's that narrative that is then just splashed everywhere that we carry through society. So, of course, anyone that perhaps is now in their 70s and my mom is 80 next year, you know, you're written off and you're not given the space to be that strong person

because you don't feel seen or represented. And that's why I think it becomes such a big thing when you share those posts or those inspiring women is because it isn't seen everywhere. And what I hope is that when we reach that age, actually it's just common practice to see us all at kind of 70s, still smashing it, running marathons. And I hope to be that person. I mean, my husband hates the fact that I run marathons

because he always goes all your knees. But for the best part, they're fine. And, you know, I would rather, I don't know, get issues with knees or hips from having lived an active life than getting knee and hip issues from having a sedentary life. So we'll come on to recovery because it is all the more important

as we age. But before we do, I want to tackle the marathon. So this year you ran the London marathon. I've done it three times, never again, awful. I really hated it. You really don't like running, do I can see.

No, people say it's the best day of their life. Absolutely not. No, I've had much better days. No, I, but you really enjoyed it. Do you know what I enjoyed the most about this one? I've done, this is my fourth. One of them was virtual. I think the process of this one I love the most because we had this little group,

sort of WhatsApp group, which actually Emma B had put together, Virgin Radio, Emma. And it was me, Helen, Brianie, Laura. Oh, you need to see who these people are. So Laura Hogan's also been on this podcast. Yeah, Emma, Emma B, Emma Wilson, Virgin. radio host. Helen Thorne, obviously it's Helen Thorne,

scummy mummy, one of the scummy mummies. And then Brianie Gordon and myself. And we had just formed this group because we were all doing the London Marathon and we'd done a run with Bryny in our pants and then it came together because Helen was meant to be doing the Rome Marathon.

Hadn't done her passport. I mean, she's phenomenal Helen. She's actually off to flying to Cape Town tomorrow to do another marathon and she will be doing the one in Kenya with me. And she was meant to be doing Rome but couldn't. So we ran a marathon in London,

the five of us at different parts, Helen ran the whole thing, going to different sort of Roman places. So, you know, sort of a restaurant called the Coliseum or the Roman Gardens so that she was able to run it virtually. And actually that was insane. And I ran, I think I ran pretty much

most of it with her. But it was slow and we stopped for coffee. so it was different. So I think for me, this marathon has been different because I've done it with the tribe. It's been lovely. There's been so much championing. I probably haven't done as much,

had done as much training as I should have done. But it just felt like I was more of a part of a community. And so it felt easier coming up to it rather than, I wasn't dreading it. I wasn't anxious. I wasn't nervous beforehand. I mean, I saw Cynthia Arrivo. So she is amazing.

She's an incredible human being. I went to see her in Dracula not that long ago with my daughter because my daughter I was the theatre Wicked is one of my all-time favourites and she's actually on my playlist for running I know my playlist for running

is everyone would be like really but she was like my first song Defying Gravity and I got to show Cynthia Revo that she was on my Spotify playlist which was amazing a moment I went to forget and I started with her

And how did she react? She was so lovely She probably thought I was a weird A stalker she ran though fast She got a PB She's trying to keep up for a hundred 100 meters. 100 meters.

And then I'll just let me go. Later. I'll go find someone else. But it is amazing. And I think that again is the other thing about a marathon that I love is just the diverse people that are running it, different body shapes, different sizes, different everything. Everybody is equal. Like there is that thing where I know obviously people run it in under two hours. But everybody's equal because you don't know how the day is going to unfold, whether you're going to get a niggle, whether you're not going to have taken on enough.

Like you can't predict it. and I think I love the unpredictability of it all as well. And, you know, those moments when you think you're doing really well and you get overtaken by a guy, you know, dressed as like a guide dog in a full-on suit. Or with a fridge on its back. I mean, I met him. I'm Jordan.

He was amazing. It's kind of like, you know, it's a very humbling experience. And I did finish and I have to say this one I found it was my hardest, my hardest one by far this year. And I think it was because I did have a niggle going in. it did flare up but flared up later than I thought it would but when it flared up it meant that my other leg kind of was compensating so I do think at about mile 22 I was like I don't know if I'm going to do this but I think that that is the other thing when you say why do you do these hard things I think it's because I have the ability to dig really deep and to kind

of use my life's challenges to pull me through and get me through. And it's those moments where I'm like, you know, I'd think of my dad, or I think of my son, or I think of people, you just see the people that are running. And I'd get welled up when I says,

but, you know, I remember that point, 22 miles and someone ran past me with a pancreatic cancer tissue and I'm running for dad. And I was like, okay, all right, that's a sign. And you just do it and you can pull yourself there.

And I think that there's so much power in that for me, for myself. And just seeing incredible people doing incredible things. And to get to be a part of that feels amazing. And I think that's probably why I like to do the hard things

because I feel like you're part of something really big and really special. Dare I say it though, Kate, that you might be doing too much. And that might be why you found the marathon really hard because chronologically, the higher op just before, wasn't it? Yeah, higher office was January. Yeah. I just wonder, when I compare it to myself and how if I've been going to the, gym a lot lately. I'm really trying to concentrate

on strength training but I'm getting a bit run down and you know Saturday morning I really sort of stayed in bed at 11 o'clock. I got up and then the kids all went out to do their various sports and I just went back to bed. I'm glad you did because I think it's also

honouring those moments which we don't do. There are so many people that would go I can't go back to bed at 11 o'clock. It doesn't feel right. It feels lazy. So I think yes I think recovery is massively important and honoring the times when our body does need it. And I didn't run actually two weeks before the marathon. I completely tapered back, possibly not enough rest. The other thing I did,

and I know I mentioned this to you, was I did fuel quite heavily through it. And I don't know that that suited my body and that is not a recommendation on anybody to do what they shouldn't do. But I think that it's working out what works for you. I also did a number of runs, longer runs before, which I hadn't done. So I wonder whether there is that element of not enough rest. We can test that maybe theory when I come in to do my ultramarathon in November. And also, I literally, as soon as I crossed that finish line, I signed up to do 2027. So in the ballot, you've put yourself into the ballot.

If you're watching this London marathon, I'd love to do it again. I want to do it again. I don't know why. Yeah. Although I was watching all the, you know, the social content and the TV coverage and you do. I found myself saying to my husband, I'm going to do it. I'm doing it next year and he's like, you won't. So would you prefer to run a marathon than a shorter distance?

No, no, no, I just hate running. So I would prefer to do a high rock than a marathon because I think that would tap into a lot of the stuff that I am pretty at. That sounds like you're just committed. Well, no, it's the running would kill me. for my body type, marathon training didn't work. Yeah. And it is not for everybody. And I ended up putting on a lot of weight training for the marathon.

It was at a time when I just lost my mother. So I lost my mother in the January and the marathon was in the April. So I think my body was in a state of stress and cortisol. And I was out doing the runs and, you know, the, the, the, the, the cortisol, that endurance running, can regenerate in your body, my, I didn't tolerate it at all. And I look at pictures of myself at the finish line with my medall on and my face looks puffy and...

Don't ever look at a running photo. Can I just tell you? Because this will make your charcoal saying that. I, you know those photos you get. Obviously, you get them in the London Marathon. Yeah, I've never opened the link. Yeah, they're not pretty. No.

And I did have that moment. I actually did a post about it because I don't work out for the aesthetic purposes. I work out to be strong. But take a bad photo and, you know, you do start to question things. And I looked at some of them when I was like, wow. And so I googled why do marathon photos just are unflattering? And they just are. And it's a known thing.

It's the camera lens. Your body is, you know, obviously going through an enormous amount of stress. It's carrying water. You look puffed up. So I would say never base anything on a marathon photo and even athletes, I mean we're all athletes if we do marathon but even the professional athletes have bad photos. Just saying.

Yeah, I've never even opened the link. I was not interested. When you get that email, here are your official under marathon photos. I thought, and they can stay. And they can stay there. That is not being opened. From early morning cardio to even in stretch sessions, Prime Mark's new active wear range has you covered.

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Sorry, how have you changed your training now to what it was in your 20s or 30s? Yeah. I mean, you know, I always love that question. And I think I've changed a lot. And the training that I've done has had to come with a lot of self-acceptance as well because I think picking up on your point where you're saying, you know, with a marathon body shape changes because you're doing a different discipline, I think that for me, I've changed my training and I have come out a different shape.

And that's okay because I'm strong, whereas I wasn't probably strong back in my 20s and my 30s, and my body wasn't being looked after the way that it deserved to be looked after because I was training for all the wrong reasons. You know, it was all about getting on a treadmill for an hour or running around the block. And I don't know what it was, but it was there seemed to be like this magic hour. It had to be an hour. And I very much counted calories in and calories out or, you know, certainly calories in, you know, rather than the out. And just not realizing actually that I was laying foundations then for how my body is going to be now and for the next 30 years. So I was doing, I never lifted a weight.

I think the only time I maybe did lift weights actually like when I was getting married because I went and got, you know, went to the gym to get personal train to wear the dress, as we all do. And that was only time I lifted weights. other than that it was all cardio, cross-trainer, you know, just trying to burn, burn, burn, burn. And it was just very dysfunctional and disorderly and chaotic. And obviously didn't serve a purpose because I now know that I have osteopina and both my hips. So whatever I was doing was probably not helping me build, as I say, this body that is going to carry me through for the rest of my life. So I changed it up, probably only when I was about 39, 40, because I qualified quite late in life

and learnt the power of lifting weights. But again, that was an interesting journey. And I said that to someone yesterday. I remember qualifying as a PT. And you almost do the course, the level three course, and it sort of stops at 40. And then you learn how to train the elderly. There's a gap again of kind of between,

and whether that's for men and women, between the ages of 40 and 60, there's not really any guidance on that. So that was where when I wasn't experiencing such great. menopause symptoms and not that I knew at the time but just my body just wasn't doing what it used to do back in the day that I learned what it was we need to do and and you know strength training is just the thing that that comes through the whole time but I think that that came with a certain element of fear because again there were conversations about bulking up you know

from lifting weights and body shape change I definitely went through a transition of having lean a muscle and being stronger rather than sort of lean a muscle and being slimmer if that makes sense. But how are you managing to preserve your muscle mass doing the distance running? You know, you've got your ultra coming up. It's really quite hard to preserve muscle mass when you're doing such long-endurance cardio. It becomes more important as well, right? Because again, that really helps with prevention of injury and helps with recovery by having

good muscle mass. So I do train for my marathons slightly differently to possibly some people. I won't ever compensate on my strength training for the long distance. But I really truly believe that if you have got that foundational muscle, strength and endurance, you will be able to compete a marathon, just maybe not in a time and unrealistic time. And I think that that is for me something that feels really important when people say I can't do a marathon or I can't do that. can, but it's because we often kind of go into these things, thinking of, I can't do a marathon because I won't do it in like less than six hours or something like that. You're still doing a marathon whether you're doing it in six hours, six and a half hours.

It's the kind of constraints that we put on top of it. So I know that if I wanted to get a PB in a marathon, I would have to give up some of my strength training, probably get a running coach and take it a little bit more seriously and do the long runs and have a schedule. but I'm not willing to do that. So I guess it's where your priorities then lie. And as you say, I don't want to give up any of my strength training because the joy that gives me far outweighs the running. And I like running, but I like running without pressure. And again, I think so many people come to the marathon

with an element of exhaustion because they've done so much training. And then I think they get really disappointed because they've never run a full marathon and they've done all these long runs and they've built up a picture in their head and I know actually someone has happened to they've built up a picture in the head of what their time was going to be

and how it was going to look and how it was going to unfold and they're an hour away from what they wanted and so they crossed the finish line feeling disappointed yet all of that hard work that they've done to get them to that point

kind of pales into insignificance and actually the point of which you should be like thoroughly amazing it yourself is the training part isn't actually doing the marathon and I think sometimes that gets switched around so you're rewriting the rules I suppose what it is to be a midlife woman a phrase we hear all too often is that women our age start to feel invisible why why do you think that is because we're not we're not represented enough yet and I say yet because I do I do feel that it's happening, although every time I say that, then something, you know, you see somebody else who's

done something else to try and make themselves look younger. And I'm totally on board with that, if that's what people want to do. But I just want to age gracefully and disgracefully, I suppose, at the same time, if that's allowed. Because I think also for women, you know, we are, you know, the terms of ageing are just so unsexy. So, you know, you're a, you're old hag or granny chic or all of these things you know but yet men you know they're sort of silver foxes and yeah and it's always you know when you see the but i'll just pick the ones that all often spring into my head like brad pitt you know they they they they are probably doing some of the things that women are doing but they're not getting called out for it so they're just aging well

whereas you know an old woman might do something and she gets called out for it and again it just highlights that women, you know, women need to do more to age better. And I don't like that narrative. I think it's changing. But again, in the era that we are in with obviously, you know, GLP ones and a lot of other actresses, A-list actresses, perhaps having more than just Botox, I do worry.

And obviously we have the world of film. you know, that people use. And that's okay. And I think everybody has to make their own choice. I just want any woman who doesn't want that to be her to feel comfortable and to feel seen. And that we shouldn't be invisible for just aging as we age naturally. Like I'm really bad.

I don't put on makeup really that often when they go out. You just say you're really bad. No, not really bad. Because, yeah, you're right. It's a really good question, isn't it? I apologize. sometimes when I show up without makeup. I did a podcast last week

and I was oh my God, so sorry and put my makeup on. I think, why am I apologising for that? Because that society, I guess, but I'm comfortable in it. I'm more apologising to them for ruining if they think I've ruined their podcast. They're not going to run their podcast just because you're not wearing a makeup.

But you know what I mean. It's that sort of thing. But I think it is ingrained in women. And actually, I think in my own life, my mother's very, very glamorous. And, you know, she, like you, you know, we talked about a little bit about clothes kind of before we came on. She loves good clothes and loves, you know, and I love that in her. She looks great in them. But for me, I know growing up and maybe that's why I've gone the other way, her narrative was always to stay, to look young and stay young and be young.

And even now, when she's 80, and she looks wonderful for 80, what does 80 look like? That's the thing. She just looks great. but she just always points out her, you know, her pitfalls and all of this. I mean, you're just, we should just be happy and grateful that it's a privilege to be here, I think. And that, for me, is what I want women to know. But we are, we are misrepresented or not even represented and we do disappear. You know, often in films, the role of someone who is 50 is given.

to someone who is 30. It's like give the role of the 50-year-old mother to the 50-year-old actress. And so that I think is very frustrating, certainly for some of the actresses that I have worked with or spoken to, their noses are put out of joint because they are more entitled to that role

than the younger person. You're absolutely right about the representation of women. I was watching the brilliant Amanda land last night. I don't know if you've watched the second series. Do I do you not happen with that just quickly? I'm her menopause muse. Right. I got sent a bag from Amanda and a letter just before the series came out saying thank you for being my menopause muse.

What's a menopause muse? I'm her menopause muse. I help her with everything menopause or apparently. So there we go. Lucy Pence, the actress, I'm assuming. Yes, but I think it came from Amanda, the character. I think it was a, you know. Well, I think Amanda Landt,

is brilliant and so funny and very smart and astute and we've all kind of, you know, we've all stood there. Those of us with children have stood there on the sidelines watching our kids play sport and we can spot the characters that we're very familiar with. But I watched the final episode last night. Spoiler alert if anyone's not watched it yet, but it will have been out for a while when we come out of this. And there's an ongoing theme throughout the second series

that Amanda is struggling with ageing. Yeah. And she's jealous that, one of her friends has gotten pregnant. I'm assuming these women are mid-40s, a bit younger than us. But last nice episode, tipped into ageism and negativity and the other women sort of feeding into the narrative that ageing is bad. Amanda was flirting with a guy in the opticians,

and it transpired that he had another partner who was an older woman, and it was all like, he's got a poncho for older women. Let's never talk about this again. and I'm thinking, are you kidding me? Lucy Punch is beautiful, stunning, chic, gorgeous, yet we've made a joke about the fact that she's an old woman and we'll never talk about it again that a younger man found her attractive

and he obviously has a fetish for older women and that's how it came across. And I thought, how disappointing, because the rest of the show had been whipsmart and really funny and really entertaining. but just at the very end that kind of, oh, you're past it because you're in your mid-foot.

I'm sure they're in the mid-40. I think she's meant to be. I think, yes, I think 40, 45, 46. Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah. I mean, so that's what we're dealing with. It is then on a really huge popular show

where those comments are made. But you do. Again, you see it. When there is an older, a younger man with an older woman, it's always called out. When it's the other way around, you know, it's perfectly acceptable. And that is, I guess, that is it.

We've always been told, why would anyone want us when we're, you know, allegedly useless and dried up. And that is the narrative, I think, that, you know, and this is it, like part of this tribe, what you do, you know, we are there flying the flag for women. With your job, you've got two very successful publications. Like, this is your time, this is our time. And so I think that it is people like us and other amazing women who are actually, She's saying, no, do you know what?

We're not. Now we're stepping into our power. And I think those are the times and those are the women that we need to show and highlight. And I can name obviously, you know, Gabby Logan. Amazing. I mean, former cover star. Love her. Literally.

Like, I saw her at the London Marathon. Saw her at the BAFTAs. And, you know, she went up to get the award. And every time I see her, I'm just in awe of just her knowledge, her experience. Just everything. Oh, another one, Hannah Waddingham. Hannah, oh gosh. I mean, the cover of the woman.

I mean, again, I mean, she is extraordinary. She's funny and she's quirk. And I think this is it for me is it's like going, these women are stepping into it and they are beginning to own their power. And that's what we need to see more of. And I don't, I think it's hard because obviously people that we are now talking about are, they've got profiles. So probably for the everyday women, they're like, well, that doesn't speak to me.

That's not me. they've got a profile. How do I become that? But I think that that is the point, that they're just people that have a profile and they're doing it. There are so many women that aren't necessarily seen doing it. So do it. I think that is kind of, that is kind of the point of it all. Of course, people on the covers of magazines are going to be people that have more of a status symbol behind them.

But that doesn't mean to say that the everyday person can't do that too. And I just, I think that we need to, get that messaging across to women. What would change if more women believed they were capable of more? And they were deserved of... Can you imagine what brilliant world we'd live in? Yeah. We'd probably have a great government.

I mean, where do we start? Yeah. I wasn't a maggie fan that we need a little bit more. No, but we do, you know, I think, and it's not like not man bashing at all, but I do think that women come with just this certain sense of, of level-headedness, belief, because we've gone through so much to get there, that we're more empathetic.

We want to listen to people and hear each other's stories and learn from each other. And there is so much more power in that than just, you know, someone perhaps not having to have had those struggles or not having gone through everything. I'm not saying that men don't go through struggles, but I just feel that as women we've always had to fight to be heard and to be seen and to take up space in a in a in a world where we've always

been told to be less so it's really confusing and I and it is interesting because I I spent some time with a lot of Americans at the beginning of last year when I did that funny reality show squid games and I learned so much from those two weeks which was we are so self-deprecating or not deprecating we never champion ourselves enough and I think that's such a a British thing. And I was astounded by the true belief. And I know that it's a lot for some people sometimes. You know, it's that whole like, yeah.

But that energy, I think if we could just take on board more of that energy in midlife, and that's what I want, just to really truly believe in ourselves, to champion ourselves, to know that when we walk into a room or when we show up to do something, we're going to be the best at doing it. The shift is extraordinary. Like, you know, when, when, when a game happened and someone won something, you know, everyone's chanting and cheering.

That's so not a British thing to do. No, it's not, no. But it does create, it creates a very powerful vibe. And again, I think because of the person that I am and I love energy and I love people, like you just get caught up in the whole thing of that. And I loved that.

And I would love to see more of that, I think, in our world, more like not, you know, not being embarrassed of being a person that's at the cinema or in the theatre and you stand up and clap because you were so bowled over by someone's performance or you're there. And I am that mum that totally humiliate to my kids because I'm whooping and cheering at the sideline

and other moms are going, oh dear God. But I don't mind. I think having that is fun. I think it brings joy to otherwise what can be a very staid environment. From the sleek support of body sculpt to lightweight woven styles made for running and outdoor movement.

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There are four pillars of wellness, strength training, movement, nutrition and mindset. So a couple of questions for each of those pillars. For strength training. If a woman does one thing, what should it be? Invest in a set of dumbbells and use them functionally at certain points in the day. I mean, just basically start. but think with things like a squat, building that leg strength is going to be massively important.

Do it with dumbbells, don't do it with body weight, try and incorporate them. I think believing in themselves as well, like I think dumbbells or as soon as someone says weight training or strength training, people kind of go, oh my God, what does that look like? They imagine throwing the weights around. But just invest in some nice dumbbells.

And if dumbbells feel too much at the moment, resistance bands so you can kind of get in that resistance training to start building more strength to take you to the next level but trust yourself and get some dumbbells how many sessions a week is enough for strength training this is contentious because you hear different I would say three to five because again you know I think to your point earlier like if you're running how do you then do it and I never want it to be that someone has to do one thing or the other you know because again midlife conversations there's so much stuff around hit, don't do hit training, it will spite your cortisol levels. We need hit. We need

that impact. So for me, an ideal workout week is, so what I do is I do upper body on a Monday, hit on a Tuesday. I often have like a rest day on a Wednesday, but I might do a run in that case. Thursday's lower body, Friday's full body. They're all with weights. So those are sort of four weighted sessions. And then Saturday, a bit of Pilate stretching and a walk. And I walk every day, at least 5,000 steps. Which brings me on to the next one, movement. What counts beyond the gym? It's that, isn't it?

It's ingratiating, walking and movement that you almost don't realise into your day. 100%. And I think this is again where a conversation is going to just get quite murky and muddy. Finding out what works for you because we could do exactly the same fitness classes. We could buddy up, we go and do it.

But what you do in your day will be different to what I do in my day because one might have more of a desk job. You might have a dog. I don't have a dog. You'll walk a dog. So all of that counts. All of your movement counts. But what I would say to someone if they do have a more sedentary job is just, and they are commuting, get off one stop early and walk or get a bus. But try and get, and I use 4,000 as a benchmark, 4,000 steps a day.

Because if you can get 4,000, the likelihood is you will get six. Stairs. I never stand on the escalators of the tube in London. I always walk up the escalators. When you go to Covent Garden, do you walk up the stairs or do you get the left? Don't go to Common Garden because I know that it's mental that station and because we work very near Covent Garden. I would get off at Piccadilly or Les to Square. I always get the stairs. My family are like, oh my God, you're such an easer. I would, and even at home, I'll up and down the stairs all the time. Yeah. And I find on a Saturday or Sunday I've done more steps just managing life.

Yeah. just managing all the chaos that comes with having two kids. And I think we don't take that. I don't think we take that into account enough. Like that total daily energy expenditure, as they call it, is huge. So nutrition, what should women prioritize more as they age? Protein and fibre. Yeah.

I'm going to say protein. I'm glad you said fiber there because everyone says protein, protein, protein, but none of us get enough fiber. No, we're not. And also, I think the protein piece can become really, really overwhelming. and I definitely look I'm an all or nothing person have done my obsession with protein

I would say that protein and fibre and almost actually I think hormonally and in terms of what women want to achieve yes protein for you know building muscle and recovery but in terms of sort of that that fibre that satiety that gut health which impacts

all of our body you know fibre is hugely hugely important where can we find fibre Where is the most readily available sources? My top tip is two Kiwis a day. I mean, you need more fibre than that, but if you are struggling with any bowel issues, Kiwis is a nice one.

With the skin. Yes, are you skin on? Yeah, well, I think that's where the fibre is. My understanding is, am I mistaken, but I understand there's more fibre. But I'm definitely with skin. I love a sweet potato. I think a sweet potato is massively underrated. No, I like a sweet potato.

In fact, last night I had, I shared on Instagram, anyone want to know. It was very complicated. Not sweet potato, cottage cheese and roasted vegetables. Nice. And that is a perfect meal. It's got your fibre.

It's got your protein. You know, you've got your vegetables. So little things like that. But yeah, protein and fibre, massive. For mindset, how do we stop self-sabotage cycles? I think that's really hard. And I think that's really complex. And it will look really different for everybody

because it will depend on how. long someone's been having negative conversations with themselves. And obviously for a lot of women who have come to midlife, that has started from a very young age for whatever reason. So I think that's really hard to undo. But for me, it is reminding myself that I am not my thoughts and I don't have to listen to them. So that's how I try to disconnect from sometimes those negative voices in my head.

it's like I don't need to think that you're you're just coming in and just to shut it off and I often use that for women actually when they are wanting to lose weight or they are finding themselves in a snacking cycle or they're drinking too much alcohol is it you don't have to take the action on what it is that negative voice is telling you so often take yourself away from it so if it is oh go and have a glass of wine you deserve it do la la da da da go and have a bath do something else and by the time you you've come back down from it it's it's gone away so it's just having that moment of you know going okay I'm not listening to that today and I'm not going to self-sabotage and and it passes but it's that split there's a split second moment and and it's

grabbing that second I'm going to use that I'm going to take that forward into my day because I'm definitely in a snacking cycle yes before we finish Kate we have our quickfire questions you may remember these from last time. Don't be daft. I don't want the same answers. I don't remember. I'm going to come for dinner at your house. So what are you going to cook me?

Sweet potato. No, I love a sweet potato. I actually think we would have sweet potato fries, maybe Hulumi burger and some roasted broccoli. Lovely. Sounds perfect. You're going to a desert island for one year and you can take one thing. This was so hard last time.

Creatine. Yes. I'm surprised we have not mentioned the sea word during this whole conversation. So we've managed to get in at the last minute. So there you go. And for those who are listening who may not know who creating is,

although I find that hard to believe because every guest that comes on here mentions creatine. But creatine is a... It's basically a non-negotiable for anyone. And I would say midlife women, but I think it's really important for all of us. for midlife women in particular, because there is evidence behind its cognitive benefits, energy and strength. It's just a powder.

You put it in water and you drink it and increases your ATP production and can help you sort of work out for longer, help with recovery. And it's the most researched supplement in the market. And if you had to get creatine or collagen, I would get creatine. So I take it every day. I put it in my smoothie. Gemma just puts a spoonful on her tongue I think it's hard for. Sam said that's the way you do it

and I was like no it's not. No, mine goes in a smoothie so I disguise it but yes I subscribe arrives at my house every month so I'm on the creating crowd. It is a game changer. Do your research is what I would say if anyone is now Googling that

because it can give you a bit of an upset stomach to start with. And bloated and puffiness to start with. But it does settle down. Yeah. Coffee or wine. The coffee. Yes.

What was the last thing that made you barely laugh? So we've just got back from Holiday in Micah. My husband will kill me for this. But he bought out, and people might not find this funny, but I do, and it's possibly because I know my husband, he bought out two of the same flip-flops for the same foot in different sizes. Oh, no.

So it's just that brilliant moment we're going to put on your flip-flops and realize that they were probably one was his and one was my, my sons. Yeah. But the same for it. And I just, it just, obviously,

I found that rather fun. Panic buying down the local tap shop. Well, actually, I don't think he did because he was so infuriated and angry. And I think it was actually

because I then obviously took a fidget over it and sent it to the kids. It was kind of like all of us. Just laughing because, yeah, it was funny. What's one thing someone can do to make themselves

feel a little bit better today? Go outside. Get some sunlight in your face because, although it might be raining today. But go outside. and get five minutes of walking in. And also, do you know what I always like to do? When you're out there, if you haven't spoken to someone,

just smile at someone, ask someone how they are if you're buying a coffee, and strike up a conversation with a stranger. Because I think that that is one of the things I love is I do spend a lot of time on my own, is if I then go out, it's just talking to strangers. Talk to a stranger. Lovely. Even in central London, you might get some funny looks in central London. Probably, but you know me, Claire.

Down in Kent, where you are and South Wales, where I'm from, we can get away with that. Well, Kate, thank you so much for coming back on Just as well. Thank you for having me.