Navigating Midlife Changes: Perimenopause and Fitness w/ Amanda Thebe

Menopausal women are overloaded with information, but not all of it is accurate or safe. Social media is rife with misinformation, and unfortunately, the diet and fitness industry follows many unethical marketing practices. I'm joined by Amanda Thebe to discuss the realities of coaching menopausal women, how to choose ethical coaches, and why there is finally a spotlight on menopause. Key Takeaways Find an Ethical Trainer by Checking Out: Personal recommendations Reviews and testimonials Trusting your own industry knowledge About Amanda Thebe Amanda Thebe is the co-founder and Chief Wellness and Branding Officer at Nyah Health and the author of the Amazon best-selling book Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! With nearly 30 years of experience in the fitness industry, her exercise workouts and health and fitness tips have been featured on Oprah, Shape, Prevention, Health Line, CBC Radio, Global News Canada, The Doctors, and many more. She is also an affiliated member of the Canadian and  North American Menopause Society. Misinformation In Social Media Social media can seriously change our perception of menopause… and not always for the best. There is so much misinformation out there from uninformed coaches who recommend pseudoscience and diagnose without the proper qualifications. Only a doctor can diagnose that you are in menopause – a coach can help once you have a diagnosis. There is a huge market for menopause products and services right now because women are finally open about their experiences. Coaches are finally becoming menopause informed. And overall, there is a huge improvement for women experiencing menopause. Finding An Ethical Trainer But, as an industry, we need to do better. So many unethical marketing practices are in use, essentially selling women something that doesn't exist. Menopausal women deserve better, and the diet and fitness industry can give it to them. So, how do women find an ethical fitness plan and ethical trainer? It comes down to personal recommendations, reviews, testimonials, and having basic industry knowledge. If something sounds too good to be true, that's because it probably is. Ladies, do your due diligence! What has your experience been like finding a menopause-informed trainer? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode How social media can change our perception and understanding of menopause (9:30) How coaches can help after diagnosis (16:00) Why there is a larger market for menopause-related products now (17:30) How more coaches are becoming menopause informed (29:00) Why the diet and fitness industry often uses unethical marketing tactics (42:00) How to help people find ethical fitness plans (46:00) The comparison between a personal trainer and going to the gym on your own (50:00) Quotes "Women with menopause are really seeking answers. They are really frustrated. They do not feel good on a day-to-day basis. They want to feel better." (18:30) "Listen, I can help you. But there isn't a magic pill. And there isn't anything dynamic we're going to do. I'm going get you to nail the basics,  and I'm going to get you to understand." (22:51) "We can't always help people fix those things. It is outside our scope. The diet industry of our time has gotten so bad. I feel like it's particularly bad now for menopausal women because we have a pain point that they see." (36:54) "If you're going to stop this from happening and you want to do better in this industry, then it's on you to do better." (40:48) "I know that finances can be a barrier to this, but I feel very strongly that if someone is new to lifting weights, they're going to get so much mileage out of working with a trustworthy trainer." (48:18) Featured on the Show Apply for Strength Nutrition Unlocked Here Listen to With All Due Respect Find Amanda Thebe Online  Follow Amanda on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn Full show notes Follow Steph on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Pinterest I'd really love it if you would take 1 min and leave us a rating and review on iTunes! Podcast production & marketing support by the team at Counterweight Creative Rate and review on Apple Podcasts Related Episodes FYS 414: How To Leverage Essentialism For Fitness FYS 383: Crossfit & Peri/Post-Menopause FYS 375: Strength Training Changes for Peri-Menopause and Post-Menopause