Following My Passion

Through the years I have recognized that optimal wellness requires balance, a mixture of movement, sound nutrition, restful sleep and mental health. My own journey has been long and arduous. As a mature woman with PCOS in the post-menopausal phase I know first-hand that physical and mental stress, lack of quality sleep and poor nutrition lead to a host of health issues and chronic conditions.

In my twenties I was a cardio nut and ate pretty much anything I wanted with little weight gain. As I approached thirty I was feeling out of shape and flabby when I discovered strength training. With the help of a trainer and high levels of testosterone and DHEA (youth hormone) brought on by PCOS I saw significant changes in my body composition and lean muscle mass. I reaped the benefits of a stronger, athletic body that improved my golf game and allowed me to become one of the few female sail trimmers racing on Lake George NY and beyond. With the encouragement of a trainer I pursued my certification to become a personal trainer myself. I felt like I was finally doing something that brought me joy and didn't feel like work. Personal Training was a part-time endeavor as I pursued a full-time career in marketing communications.

Fast forward several years when I turned 38 I experienced a negative trifecta:

1. I changed careers leaving my full-time job and entered a new business partnership with a less than scrupulous business partner

2. I experienced a few debilitating injuries from sporting activities

3. I suffered the worst loss of my life when my mother died unexpectedly at 66 years old

The massive amount of emotional and physical stress took a toll on my health. At the time I had no idea my symptoms were exasperated by entering peri-menopause. As a proactive participant in my own health I was discouraged by the lack of answers and support from the medical community as I expressed my concerns with the negative turn my health had taken. Little did I know my menopausal journey had just begun, and continued for more than a decade.

As I wallowed through my marketing career and regretted never wanting children I was feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and unfulfilled. I was training clients in my spare time but not focusing on self care. I longed to have a career that focused on purposeful work while enabling me to have the freedom and the time to practice self love. This is exactly why I decided to leave my marketing career behind and pursue a health coach certification. With a healthy habit focus I was able to help my clients to take a more holistic approach to their health while minding my own.

I reached post-menopause at 48 having no periods for a full year. I was thrilled to come off of birth control, after all I was on the same pill that I was prescribed at 16 to control the heavy bleeding and cysts on my ovaries as a result of PCOS. I imagined I was through the worst of it, but waning estrogen had other plans for me. Enter joint pain, brain fog, insomnia and fatigue to name a few of the symptoms I started experiencing.

Most recently I became certified as a Menopause Health and Fitness Specialist through the MedFit Network. My studies help me to better understand the role of estrogen and other hormones through menopause. I am now able to help women in their 40’s and beyond manage the changes and challenges that come from the peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopausal stages. Learn more about Her Stride Wellness.

My own journey coupled with watching important women in my life ignore their health with dire consequences has led me to focus on women who desire to live a healthier lifestyle and age gracefully.

Stay Well Coaching focuses on joint-friendly personal training for better mobility, stability, strength and balance merged with sound nutrition and a balanced life for a truly holistic transformation.