Liz Shore Fitness

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month 💛 - & as a personal trainer & advanced menopause coach, this conversation matters deeply.

Most of the social posts I see are great at raising awareness of endometriosis but none explore the relationship between endometriosis & perimenopause.

Endometriosis doesn’t magically disappear in perimenopause.

In fact, hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause can make symptoms more unpredictable: heavier bleeding, increased inflammation, pelvic pain, fatigue, & nervous system overload.

If you’re navigating both endometriosis & midlife hormonal changes, here’s what I want you to know:

💛 Exercise should support you, not make movement harder
💛 The right training can actually help symptoms
💛 Find a trainer that's knowledgeable - this isn't one size fits all

During perimenopause, estrogen can spike & crash unpredictably.

Because endometriosis is an estrogen-sensitive inflammatory condition, those fluctuations may increase symptoms for some women.

The right training helps manage stress, regulate blood sugar, stabilise inflammation & support recovery.

The same list of symptoms you handled at 30, may feel overwhelming at 45 - this is a physiological change that comes with the midlife hormonal shift - it's not weakness, it's not about doing less - it's about training smarter:

💛 Strength training to support bone density & metabolic health
💛 Low-impact cardio to reduce inflammation
💛 Mobility & pelvic stability to reduce pain patterns
💛 Nervous system regulation (breathwork, slower tempo training)
💛 Adjusting intensity of training sessions

With the right support & guidance & adapting to your body's needs rather than fighting against it, you can experience more energy, confidence & a greater sense of wellbeing.

Has this been helpful?

Head to my website www.lizshorefitness.com & sign up to recieve exclusive access to my members area 'Menopause 101'.

Spring officially starts later this month - & I want to take this opportunity to tell you that Spring isn't just a changing of the seasons - it's a change of mindset.

If January came & went & you didn’t start your fitness journey, you’re not behind.

If you did start & that brand new pair of trainers, is now back in the wardrobe with your shoulder pad blazers from the 80s, you haven’t failed.

This is your reminder that you don’t need a new year to begin again - you just need a new decision.

Spring is the perfect time for a reset:

🌱 Lighter mornings
🌱 Brighter evenings
🌱 Fresh energy
🌱 A chance to refocus on you

You are your biggest long term investment. Energy. Confidence. Strength. Future health.

Fitness & health isn’t about finding the right time to start. It’s about starting where you are - now - whatever that looks like.

🌱 Drink an extra glass of water today
🌱 Add more protein into your evening meal tonight
🌱 Walk for 20 minutes whilst watching your kids football match

Are you lost, things feel messy & don't know where to start?
Does starting seem like such an overwhelming step?
Are you fed up of starting & stopping, over & over again?

Get in touch with me today, & together, let's make a plan that sticks - for the most important project you'll ever have - you.

www.lizshorefitness.com

I just love it when I recieve a message from my client because they are proud of themselves.

Jackie began her journey with me in July last year.

Jackie had been signed off from her job in the NHS due to stress & burnout & decided to use the time to rebuild her mental & physical health.

Jackie was also suffering with an incredibly stiff & painful shoulder that restricted her arm mobility on one side.

We worked on extra arm strength & mobility sessions, alongside weekly strength PT sessions & as her strength improved, so has her confidence.

Now, full mobility has been restored, & after months of peering through the studio doors of the Body Combat class, Jackie decided to bite the bullet & go for it.

This morning I recieved a message from her, telling me, she'd done it, she loved it, & she survived.

Well done Jackie - what a fantastic way to end the week! 🥊

• Not to punish yourself for eating
• Not to impress others
• Not to chase quick weight loss
• Not because someone told you to
• Not because you feel you 'should'

One of the main reasons women start a fitness regime, only to quit four weeks later - is because they didn't start for the right reasons.

If you want to change, make sure you are doing it for you.

If you say to yourself:

• I want to feel capable
• I want energy
• I want to age well
• I want to take care of myself
• I want to regain my confidence

Then you are much more likely to stick at what you started.

Each of these statements start with 'I' & that's not selfish, it's being self aware.

If you can say these 'I' statements to yourself, with meaning, then you are ready to begin..

www.lizshorefitness.com

Do you know your personality type, & do you know how it translates to the gym?

Read on & let me know in the comments whether any of these sound like you ⬇️

1. The Perfectionist

Core trait: All-or-nothing thinking

In fitness:

Follows the plan 100%… until they don’t
Restarts every Monday
Feels guilt after one off-plan meal

2. The Type-A High Achiever

Core trait: Performance-driven, competitive

In fitness:

Treats fat loss like a business goal
Wants metrics, numbers, fast results
Pushes through fatigue

3. The Chronic Overthinker

Core trait: Analysis paralysis

In fitness:

Researches 10 plans before starting
Switches plans frequently
Questions every calorie target

4. The People-Pleaser

Core trait: External validation

In fitness:

Says yes to social food constantly
Struggles to set boundaries
Prioritises others’ comfort over their own

5. The Emotional Reactor

Core trait: Mood-driven behaviour

In fitness:

Eats based on stress (emotional eating)
Skips workouts when overwhelmed
Erratic motivation swings

6. The “All-In” Challenge Hopper

Core trait: Novelty-seeking

In fitness:

Loves 30-day challenges
Buys anything with a medal, t-shirt or certificate
Gets bored after 3 weeks

7. The Identity-Based Avoider

Core trait: “I’m just not that person”

In fitness:

Says “I’ve never been athletic”
Has past failure stories
Avoids committing fully

8. The Former Athlete

Core trait: Attached to past performance

In fitness:

Compares current self to peak self
Trains too intensely
Struggles with slower progress

www.lizshorefitness.com

I've had clients say to me recently:

'February is always a hectic month, I just don't know how I'll fit in the gym.'

'The kids are ill, we're going away at the weekend, the house is a mess, I feel like life is so busy right now, something has to give.'

'I've been away with work, long hours in the office, & I'm doing overtime, I just won't have time to train.'

Life happens. Family occasions. Workload. Last minute plans. Sick kids. Poorly pets. All of the above.

⬅️ Old approach?

Push through. Exhaustion. Quit.

➡️ New approach?

✅️ Shift into Maintenance Mode.

Here’s what I tell clients during chaotic weeks:

⚖️ Lower the standard - don't eliminate it

Instead of four workouts - do two short quality strength sessions
Instead of 10k steps - hit 6k
Instead of perfect meals - make protein & hydration a priority

✅️ We protect the habit, not the performance.

⚓️ Focus on anchors

In chaos, you don’t chase optimisation. You protect:
Sleep (as much as possible)
Protein
Water
Two strength sessions

✅️ Everything else is bonus.

⏰️ Shorten don't skip

20 minutes counts
2 exercises count
A 15-minute walk counts

✅️ Consistency is about continuity, not intensity.

⛔️ Drop the guilt

Fitness is a long game.

One chaotic week doesn’t undo progress. Quitting or missing workouts because you felt behind does. Maintenance is a win too.

_ _ _

Most people fail not because they can’t handle hard weeks - they fail because they expect chaotic weeks to look like calm ones.

Release the pressure & focus on what you can do ⬆️.

If your week is chaos right now:

✅️ Switch to maintenance mode
✅️ Protect the habit
✅️ Keep moving

www.lizshorefitness.com

Let that sink in for a moment.

We talk a lot about other health conditions. We wear the ribbons. We go to the screenings. And rightly so. But heart health? It often slips under the radar for midlife women.

The truth is, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women - & menopause plays a bigger role than many realise.

Oestrogen is incredibly protective for the heart. It helps:

🫀 Regulate cholesterol
🫀 Reduce fat build-up in the arteries
🫀 Keep blood vessels flexible & healthy

As oestrogen levels decline during menopause, that protection drops. Arteries can narrow. Blood pressure can rise. Cholesterol can increase. The risk of heart attack & stroke goes up.

Common menopause-related changes that increase CVD risk:

🫀 Weight gain (especially around the waist)
🫀 Higher cholesterol
🫀 Poorer blood sugar control
🫀 Increased blood pressure
🫀 More fat stored around the heart

These shifts aren’t about “letting yourself go.” They’re physiological. Hormonal. Real.

The good news? Lifestyle changes make a powerful difference.

The right combination of movement, strength training, nutrition & stress management can significantly reduce risk - while also easing menopausal symptoms.

But I know this stage of life can feel overwhelming. When sleep is disrupted, energy is low & your body feels unfamiliar, it’s hard to know where to begin.

As a certified Menopause Movement Advanced Menopause Coach, I’m trained in the evidence-based strategies midlife women need to protect their long-term heart health. I bridge the gap that traditional fitness training often misses - so women can feel confident, strong & supported through menopause & beyond.

If you’re in midlife (or approaching it), this conversation matters.

Let’s talk about midlife women’s heart health. Your heart deserves just as much attention as any other part of you.

www.lizshorefitness.com

So, I tried this caricature trend with AI... & this is the result!! 😅

💝 The Most Important Love Story of All

February is often filled with hearts, flowers, & celebrating others, but let’s talk about the love that sets the tone for everything else: the love you give yourself.

For many women, fitness can feel like a chore, a non-priority or even a punishment for what you ate. But what if we flipped the script? What if every workout was an act of self-love?

During the month of love, I’m inviting you to honour your body for everything it can do, rather than criticising it for what it can't do yet or how it looks.

Loving yourself isn't selfish - it's the fuel that allows you to show up stronger for you & everyone else in your life.

How to practice self-love through fitness this February:

💝 Move for joy: choose a workout that actually makes you smile - whether it's a brisk walk, a dance class, or a heavy lifting session.

💝 Speak kindly: replace "I have to" with "I get to." Your body is your home - talk to it with the same affection you'd give a best friend.

💝 Celebrate wins (big & small): every step forward is a victory. Trust the journey & be patient with your progress.

Let’s make Febr 'u' ary the month you finally give your body the love & affection it so desperately deserves.

www.lizshorefitness.com

💖 Love your heart this February!

February isn’t just about Valentine’s or Galentine's - it’s British Heart Foundation - Heart Month, & it’s the perfect time to shine a light on heart health during & after menopause.

As your Advanced Menopause Practitioner - I want to gently remind you of something really important: your heart health deserves attention - especially during & after menopause.

As oestrogen levels change, the risk of heart disease increases for women, yet it’s still often misunderstood or missed. Symptoms don’t always look like we expect - breathlessness, nausea, dizziness, jaw or back pain can all be signs worth listening to.

As your coach, I encourage you this month to:

❤️ keep moving in ways that feel good
❤️ prioritise stress management
❤️ know your blood pressure & cholesterol
❤️ tune in to your body & trust it

Heart Month is a reminder that caring for others starts with caring for yourself. ❤️‍🩹

After a couple of sessions with Chrisy it became clear that her upper body strength wasn't just a case of neck tension & building strength.

Chrisy had one of the worst cases of of neck & shoulder tightness I have seen, affecting her entire upper body strength. And it was really getting her down - night after night applying deep heat, waking up in discomfort...

We planned in an extra session every week to focus purely on mobility & slowly building strength on her weaker side.

Chrisy also began regular physio sessions with Amy at Combined Therapy Hinckley also based at Hinckley Leisure Centre - who diagnosed neck & shoulder tension but also a trapped nerve.

This was vital Information for myself as a personal trainer because it enabled me to tailor Chrisy's programme to avoid further compression of the nerve & minimise inflammation.

However, today we saw the progress we'd been waiting for - Chirsy's shoulder & arm mobility & strength has improved - her weaker side now stronger & meeting the height of her stronger side - not only that her arms have developed tone & her biceps & triceps are showing too.

I am so impressed with Chrisy's determination & patience, trusting the process - so she can start seeing the results she is more than capable of achieving.

www.lizshorefitness.com

Fiona joined me this morning for her first personal training session.

You'll have seen my previous posts about the importance of sleep & managing stress levels in relation to exercise & recovery..

When I met Fiona, it quickly became clear these were an issue - compounded by a demanding family life & managing her journey through menopause - she needed time for herself, to focus on her physical & mental health.

Fiona's goals: have more energy, tone up, better sleep, manage stress levels more effectively & generally feel great.

So, without telling a soul, she booked a chat with me & completed her first personal training session today.

Fiona decided not to tell anyone - not because she's embarrassed - but because it felt important to start this journey, for herself.

Welcome on board Fiona!

www.lizshorefitness.com