The Fitness Industry Has Sold Us A Lie About “Balance”
We talk about balance a lot in life. Work life balance, the balance between exercise and eating what our body needs. we hear this word “balance” a lot…yet balance can’t come first if your goal is change.
Work hard, but make time for yourself. Eat well, but enjoy your favorite foods. Train consistently, but don't overdo it. Get enough sleep, drink your water, spend time with your family, have a social life, answer your emails, take care of your house, make time for your friends...
Sounds great.
But here's the problem:
You can't have balance when you haven't built the foundation that makes balance possible.
I see this all the time with fitness.
Someone wants to "find balance" with exercise, but they haven't established any consistency yet. They want to know how to fit workouts into their life without feeling overwhelmed, but they haven't actually made taking care of themselves a priority.
So they keep trying to find the perfect schedule that somehow requires no sacrifice.
And that doesn't really exist.
HIIT Training, Cortisol Belly, and Perimenopause: Should You Break Up?
When Hillary Duff recently shared that she changed the way she trains during perimenopause, it sparked a bigger conversation: Are women over 40 doing the wrong workouts?
If you've spent more than five minutes on social media lately, you've probably seen someone say:
"Stop doing HIIT. It's causing your cortisol belly."
Then someone else says women over 40 should only walk.
Another person swears by lifting heavy.
And suddenly you're left wondering...
What am I actually supposed to do?
As a woman who has spent years coaching clients through different seasons of life—including perimenopause—I think this conversation deserves a little more of a conversation.
Is Reformer Pilates Hard?
The short answer?
It depends.
But probably not for the reason you're expecting.
Most people think "hard" means jumping, sprinting, burpees, or leaving class completely spent.
Pilates-inspired strength training is different.
Instead of asking your body to move faster, it asks your muscles to work longer.
And that's where things get interesting.
What the “Pilates Shake” Actually Means for Building Lean Muscle
If you've ever taken a Pilates-inspired strength class, you've probably experienced it.
Your legs start trembling.
Your arms begin shaking.
Your core feels like it's vibrating.
And somewhere around the halfway point of the movement, you start wondering:
"Is this normal?"
Or maybe you've heard someone say:
"If you're shaking, you're building muscle."
Then someone else chimes in:
"Nope. That's just a Pilates thing."
So...who's right?
The answer is somewhere in the middle.
Strength Training for Perimenopause: Why Building Muscle Matters More Than Ever
Recently, Hilary Duff opened up about something many women experience but don’t always talk about: the changes that happen to your body during perimenopause.
One of the biggest conversations happening right now is around the “perimenopause pooch”—that frustrating shift where women may notice more softness, a different body shape, or that the things that worked in their 20s don’t seem to work the same way anymore.
And if you’ve ever thought:
“Why is my body changing when I’m doing the same things I’ve always done?”
You are not alone.
The truth is, your body is not failing you.
Your body is changing because you are changing.