"I suppose I'm just getting older."
It's one of the most common things I hear from women when they first come to see me.
They're tired all the time. They rely on two (or three) coffees to get through the morning, hit a wall at 3pm, and by the evening they're completely wiped out. Somewhere along the way they've convinced themselves this is simply what your 40s, 50s and 60s are supposed to feel like.
The truth? It isn't.
If you've been following my recent blogs, you'll know I'm on a bit of a mission.
A mission to bust the myths that have kept so many people out of the gym for years. You know the ones... "I'll get bulky if I lift weights," "I'm too old to start now," or my personal favourite, "I'll just stick to walking because it's safer."
We've also talked about something I've noticed after years of working with clients in their 40s, 50s and beyond. The people who achieve the best results aren't the ones who train the hardest or spend hours in the gym. They're the ones who simply keep turning up. They stay consistent, trust the process and allow themselves time to improve.
Helen will be the first to tell you she’s “always looked quite fit.” The kind of person who could head out for a jog, keep a steady pace, and not think too much about it. From the outside, you’d probably agree with her. But if you asked Helen how she felt approaching 40, the answer was very different.
“I didn’t feel strong,” she admitted. “I didn’t feel capable.”
That quiet honesty is where her story really begins.