Inspired Living for Women: Conversations With Women Over 40
Welcome to the Inspiring Living for Women podcast, where women over 40 share their stories of resilience, transformation, and triumph. In each episode, we dive deep into candid conversations with incredible women from all walks of life—each embracing their unique journey, facing challenges, and celebrating victories. From career reinventions to personal growth, our guests open up about the struggles they’ve faced and the wins they've achieved, offering wisdom, inspiration, and a refreshing dose of positivity.
This podcast is all about connection and relatability. It’s for the woman who’s navigating midlife and seeking a sense of empowerment, encouragement, and community. Whether you're facing change, seeking motivation, or just looking for real, uplifting stories, Inspiring Living for Women reminds us all that life after 40 is just the beginning.
Inspired Living for Women: Conversations With Women Over 40
Redefining Fitness After 50: Amy VanLiew on Strength, Hormones & Self-Compassion
In this episode, Amy VanLiew shares how she left a 26-year engineering career to become a wellness entrepreneur dedicated to supporting women over 50 through realistic, science-backed fitness. She breaks down why traditional “exercise more, eat less” advice often backfires in midlife and explains how hormonal changes impact strength, metabolism, and fat storage. Amy’s approach centers on strength training, bone health, and stress management — but just as importantly, self-compassion. With over 700 videos in her online membership, she helps women shift from fighting their bodies to working with them, creating sustainable habits rooted in function, freedom, and joy.
✨ Topics Discussed:
- Amy’s transition from a 26-year engineering career to midlife fitness entrepreneur
- How strength training supports mobility, hormones, and confidence after 50
- The concept of being “healthy enough” vs. chasing perfection in fitness
- Why self-compassion is a powerful (and often missing) part of women’s wellness
💡 Key Takeaways:
- Fitness after 50 is about sustainability and strength—not extremes or overexertion.
- Hormonal shifts require smarter strategies, not just more effort or willpower.
- “Healthy enough” is a mindset that supports consistency without perfectionism.
- Self-compassion can be a strength-building tool—not a weakness or excuse.
Noteworthy Quotes from Amy:
“I just want to be healthy enough. Not from a place of laziness—but from a place of doing just enough to stay strong, mobile, and able to do what I love.”
“The old rule of ‘exercise more, eat less’ becomes the worst advice for women in midlife. Our bodies aren’t the same, and they need a different kind of support.”
“There’s no one exercise that gets rid of belly fat. It’s about lowering cortisol, building muscle, and working with your body—not against it.”
“Strength training is not about pushing to extremes. It’s about doing enough to protect your joints, posture, and energy—so you can keep doing what you love without getting hurt.”
Amy's Bio: After a 26-year career in engineering, Amy VanLiew turned her passion into purpose—helping women over 50 get moving and feel better. Through her online fitness studio, she offers low-impact strength, cardio, Pilates, balance, and posture workouts designed specifically for midlife bodies. Certified in personal training, integrative nutrition, menopause and osteoporosis fitness, and corrective exercise, Amy’s approach helps you stay “healthy enough” to enjoy life—without injury, extremes, or workouts that leave you feeling beat up.
More About Amy:
Website: behealthyenough.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/behealthyenough/
YouTube: youtube.com/c/BeHealthyEnough
Facebook: facebook.com/behealthyenough
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Website: inspiredlivingforwomen.com