Aligned Fitness: How Progressive Overload and Intuitive Fitness Help My Chronic Back Pain and Midlife Hormone Changes

In this episode of "Fit, Fun, and Frazzled," host Nikki Lanigan busts common fitness myths, shares her personal journey with strength training, and explores the importance of intuitive movement, rest, and recovery.She opens up about her chronic back pain, OCD tendencies around exercise, and how learning to rest — not push harder — transformed her health, hormones, and mindset.You’ll learn:✨ What progressive overload really means and how to apply it to your workouts✨ How strength training supports hormone health in midlife✨ Why rest and recovery are just as important as your training days✨ How intuitive movement helps prevent burnout and supports long-term results✨ Why “no pain, no gain” isn’t the goal — but strength, stability, and joy areIf you’re tired of feeling inflamed, fatigued, or stuck in the all-or-nothing fitness mindset, this episode will help you rebuild a routine that loves your body back.Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction 01:15 – Personal Fitness Journey & Back Pain02:30 – Progressive Overload & Rest04:55 – Intuitive Movement & Listening to Your Body08:45 – Myth Busting: Lifting, Hormones, and “No Pain, No Gain”12:45 – Pilates, Strength, and Recovery17:45 – Results, Mindset, and Final Thoughts18:20 – Outro & How to Support the PodcastFind Nikki online:Instagram: @fitfunandfrazzledpodcast @elevate_and_align_