Two Sheffield based women have started a bespoke online coaching programme targeting underrepresented women in midlife, aiming to fill the gap in the fitness industry.
The group, Midlife Fitness Coaching, launched in February and hopes to ‘help women in midlife feel fit and strong for all of life’s adventures.’
Founders Beverley Davies, 44, (a registered nurse and nutrition coach) and Anna Lowe, 48, (a chartered physiotherapist and personal trainer) stress they offer an alternative to the current online fitness world. They account for women going through ‘the middle squeeze’, juggling different life responsibilities.
Anna Lowe said: “We want to shine a light on women in midlife, many of them experiencing perimenopause or menopause, but not all. Women 40+ are underserved in the industry, they tend to have busy lives and their own needs can fall at the bottom of the heap. We feel very motivated about empowering women.
Women get exposed to a lot of conflicting information on social media and often tell us that they want to improve their health, but don’t know where to start. We want to give people straightforward information to create a sense of trust. No phony science, all evidence based”.
Through an app, clients log and track their fitness and nutrition plan and journey, whilst messages and voice notes provide consistent communication.
Anna Lowe said: “ Our clients still have that level of connection, and an increased sense of accountability as they know that the coach is always watching. If one of our clients can only find time to exercise for 40 minutes twice a week, we will accommodate that.”
According to the NHS, some symptoms of menopause can impact navigating fitness and health, and exercise is beyond achieving a certain aesthetic.
“Changing body composition does factor into the program, but it’s not really what we’re about, feeling strong, confident and comfortable is more important, weight loss is a lovely side effect of that. No overnight transformations, no before and after photos, just good science and lots of support.”
Programmes are made for a range of goals, whether it be improving bone and joint health, building muscle, maintaining general health or others.
A testimony from one client, 49, read: “In the 4 weeks since I started, I feel like the training has helped me overcome long-term injuries & fears around my training, which has been transformative in how I now approach my own fitness and the confidence I have to train in midlife.”
This month, Midlife Fitness Coaching are currently offering a 12 week bespoke program, an initiative the two have been thinking about since the launch. Their Facebook group has already reached over 160 members where the pair talk about personal fitness experiences and the wider social issue of middle aged women in the fitness industry.