Anita Edwards - Health & wellness Coach

20/01/2026

20/01/2026

For most perimenopausal women, the sweet spot is 3–5 training days per week—but how those days are structured matters more than the actual number.
Here’s a clear, hormone-supportive guideline.

🏋‍♀️ Strength Training: 2–4 days/week (non-negotiable)
This is the foundation during perimenopause

➡️ Preserves & builds lean muscle
➡️ Improves insulin sensitivity
➡️ Supports metabolism as oestrogen fluctuates
➡️ Protects bone density

Full-body (2–3x/week) or
Upper/lower splits (3–4x/week)
Moderate loads, progressive overload
45–60 minutes per session

🚲 Cardio: 1–3 days/week (not excessive)
Cardio should support hormones—not drain them.

Low-intensity steady state (walking, cycling, hiking)
Short, well-recovered HIIT sessions (1x/week max)

AVOID
❌️ Daily long cardio sessions
❌️ Excessive HIIT (can elevate cortisol and stall fat loss)

🧘‍♀️ Recovery / Nervous System Support: 1–2 days/week
These do count as training - especially in perimenopause.

➡️ Mobility or yoga
➡️ Zone 2 walking
➡️ Breathwork or gentle stretching

⚠️Key Rule for Perimenopause
More is NOT better. Better recovery is better.
If you are constantly sore, struggling with sleep, experiencing fat-loss resistance, feeling wired but tired it's often a training volume issue, not a motivation issue.

Save this post and send to a friend that might need this structure 🤍

19/01/2026

First course of 2026 completed with The Fitness Education Academy 🏋‍♀️

16/01/2026

Perimenopause isn’t the problem…but outdated health advice is.

“I’m gaining weight even though nothing has changed.”
Why?
Hormones + muscle loss slow metabolism.
Try this:
✔️ Lift weights
✔️ Eat enough protein
✔️ Stop overdoing cardio

“I wake up between 2–4am and can’t fall back asleep.”
Why?
Low progesterone + cortisol spikes.
Try this:
✔️ Protein + carbs at dinner
✔️ Reduce late-night scrolling
✔️ Calm evening routines

“My workouts don’t work anymore.”
Why?
Recovery needs change in perimenopause.
Try this:
✔️ Strength train smarter
✔️ Less HIIT, more walking
✔️ Prioritise recovery

I’m exhausted all the time.”
Why it happens:
Blood sugar crashes + adrenal stress.
Try this instead:
✔️ Eat within 90 min of waking
✔️ Balance meals (protein + fibre)
✔️ Ditch fasted workouts

I feel anxious, moody, or unlike myself.”
Why?
Oestrogen fluctuations impact brain chemistry.
Try this:
✔️ Don’t skip meals
✔️ Walk daily
✔️ Regulate your nervous system

Save this post + follow for more perimenopause support 💛

14/01/2026

REDUCED SLEEP QUALITY
If your workouts are leading to increased insomnia, nighttime waking, or your feeling wired and tired at the same time, this can often indicate elevated cortisol. During perimenopause, the body is already dealing with fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone, and excessive exercise stress can push cortisol higher, disrupting the sleep-wake cycle even further.

UNWANTED WEIGHT GAIN
When exercise becomes a stressor rather than a benefit, cortisol remains chronically elevated, which promotes fat storage around the abdomen. If you're working out consistently but noticing increased belly fat or the scale moving in the wrong direction despite your efforts, your workouts may be too intense or frequent for your current hormonal state.

MOOD SWINGS, INCREASED PMS, IRREGULAR PERIODS
Overtraining can suppress progesterone production and worsen the oestrogen-progesterone imbalance that's already happening in perimenopause. Signs include cycles becoming more erratic, heavier or more painful periods, worse PMS symptoms, increased anxiety, irritability, or feeling emotionally fragile—especially if these symptoms worsen after particularly intense workout periods.

Other related signs to watch for include persistent fatigue that doesn't improve with rest, decreased performance or strength, increased injuries, loss of menstrual cycle, or constantly getting sick.

During perimenopause, many women benefit from shifting toward more strength training, walking, and restorative practices, such as yoga or tai chi rather than excessive high-intensity cardio.

13/01/2026

And daily non-negotiables 👇

✔️ Eat enough. Understanding eating worsens symptoms.
✔️ Prioritise protein: roughly 30g per meal. With fibre 25g daily.
✔️ Strength train regularly.
✔️ Manage stress
✔️ Sleep well

06/01/2026

Do you feel like your putting in the work, and getting nowhere?

Workouts often feel harder during perimenopause due to several interconnected hormonal and physiological changes.

➡️ Fluctuating oestrogen levels
➡️ Sleep disruption
➡️ Changing body composition
➡️ Temperature regulation issues
➡️ Metabolic changes

The good news is that exercise remains incredibly beneficial during this transition - it helps maintain muscle mass, bone density, metabolic health, and mood. You might just need to adjust your expectations, focus more on strength training, prioritise recovery, and be patient with yourself as your body adapts to these changes.

It’s no longer just about aesthetics.
It’s about strength for the future, bone density, energy, resilience, and feeling capable in your body as you age. Some weeks that means lifting heavy. Some weeks it means pulling back, prioritising recovery, walking, mobility, and stress management.

The win isn’t perfection.
The win is staying consistent in a way your body can sustain.

And that’s exactly what I now teach—because midlife health isn’t about pushing through at all costs. It’s about training smarter so your body works with you, not against you.

05/01/2026

If you’re a woman in your 40s/50s who wants to feel strong, confident, and capable in the gym—this is for you.

I'm opening up two 1:1 personalised training slots for women who want expert support, accountability, and a structured strength plan—tailored for mid-life bodies.

My coaching is designed for women navigating perimenopause, focusing on:
✔️ Strength training that supports hormones
✔️ Fat loss without overtraining
✔️ Proper form, progression & confidence
✔️ Feeling powerful—not intimidated—in the gym
✔️ Accountability in every session

This is hands-on coaching inside The Gym Unit, Fenton Barns.

📩 Message me for details. Info@anitaswellness.co.uk

02/01/2026

Feeling lost in the hormonal hurricane of perimenopause?

I'm here to be your compass and co-pilot. As a specialised health coach, I help women navigate this transformative phase with confidence and vitality.
My approach isn't about quick fixes – it's about sustainable wellness through...
• Personalised nutrition strategies
• Targeted exercise plans
• Lifestyle optimisation

Together, we'll will...
• Restore hormonal balance
• Boost energy
• Manage symptoms naturally
• Reclaim your body's potential

Your menopause journey doesn't have to be a struggle. Let's turn this chapter into your most empowered season yet!

Ready to feel like yourself again?

I'm here for you 🤍

📩 info@anitaswellness.co.uk

01/01/2026

10 Truths...

1. Our body isn't broken, but it is transitioning.
Every hot flush, every sleepless night, every mood shift is our body doing exactly what it's designed to do. We need to work with it, not fight against it.

2. No more downplaying symptoms or pushing through. If we need to adjust the thermostat, reschedule, or ask for accommodations, that's ok.

3. Brain fog doesn't mean losing our edge.
Our brain is rewiring itself. Forgetting words or losing our train of thought doesn't diminish your intelligence, experience, or worth.

4. Hormone changes affect everything—and that's ok. Mood, metabolism, libido, energy, skin, hair. It's all connected. Understanding this helps us be gentler with ourselves.

5. You are not "too sensitive"—your nervous system is recalibrating. Heightened emotions and sensory sensitivity aren't character flaws. They're biological responses that we need to learn to navigate.

6. Sleep is non-negotiable! Protecting our sleep isn't selfish—it's essential. Our perimenopausal body needs this time to heal, regulate, and restore.

7. Some days you can be on fire. Some days you may barely be functioning. Both versions deserve compassion and respect.

8. Community > comparison
Other women's perimenopause experiences don't invalidate yours. We're all navigating different storms in different boats.

9. You get to redefine what this chapter looks like
There's no rulebook, and we are all different. We need to creat our own version of thriving through this transition—whatever that means for you.

10. This is a beginning, not an ending.
We are not disappearing or becoming invisible. We are stepping into a new era of wisdom, clarity, and self-knowledge.

Here's to carrying these truths forward in 2026 🌟




Much love
Anita ❤️

28/12/2025

Today was our last cold-water sea dip of the year!

I’ve been doing this regularly for the past 6 years. Week in, week out.
Only missing the odd week if either myself or Nigel was working away or travelling.

Not because it’s easy.
Not because I always feel like it (cos I don't)
But because I committed to it.

And that’s the part I always come back to with my clients 💛

Consistency isn’t about motivation or perfection.
It’s about showing up even when conditions aren’t ideal.
It’s about the small, repeated actions that quietly build resilience, confidence, and trust in yourself over time.
Whether it’s movement, nutrition, sleep, mindset, or self-care —doing something consistently will always beat doing everything occasionally.

You don’t need extremes.

You need commitment, patience, and a willingness to keep going.