Thrive Sports & Exercise Medicine

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Thrive Sports & Exercise Medicine

Dr. Louisa Barter specialises in Sports & Exercise Medicine and Women's Health.

As a GP with a Postgraduate Diploma in Sport and Exercise Medicine (PGDipSEM), she brings 15 years of experience in General Practice, Family Planning, and Female Health.

07/03/2026

Happy International Woman’s Day!

Today we celebrate strong women - not just in words, but in movement.

Women who run.
Women who walk.
Women who move their bodies with freedom, courage, and purpose.

Today we stand with the women behind the Free to Run Marathon, supporting the simple but powerful idea that every woman deserves the freedom to move, to run, and to take up space in the world.

Strong bodies.
Strong voices.
Strong wāhine.

Because when women are free to move, they are free to thrive. 💜🏃‍♀️

WomenInSport

15/02/2026

Wāhine with grit and endurance! 💚

Sarah’s Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB Miler (164km) was anything but easy.

From the very start she faced relentless rain, deep mud, and the constant battle with her feet through the night. Still, she kept moving forward - step by step, breath by breath.

She arrived at the 145 km Blue Lake aid station with just minutes to spare before cutoff. I had the absolute privilege of picking her up there and pacing her onward. Together we pushed through to the Redwoods - again scraping in only two minutes before cutoff.

Waiting there were friends and whānau, arms open, belief unwavering. And then the magic: her friends ran with her all the way to the finish.

Sarah crossed that line 25 minutes before the final cutoff.

Against the odds. Against fatigue. Against doubt.

If this isn’t a living, breathing example of a wahine with grit and endurance, I don’t know what is.

So proud to witness it.

Kudos to all of you who toed the line this weekend, such tough conditions! Be proud of your achievements!

Kia kaha! . 💪✨

07/02/2026

Born to Adapt
Rotorua
2026

Always a pleasure to be part of this amazing event!

Seeing everyone out there giving it everything with smiles on their faces is so awesome!

This year we had more people than ever turn up and challenge themselves!

Congrats to and for another fantastic time on the trails!

25/01/2026

✨ Women’s voices matter! ✨
If you’re living with perimenopause or HSDD (low sexual desire) and testosterone has been part of your journey — we want Pharmac to hear from you.

Many women in Aotearoa are experiencing real challenges with access to testosterone treatment, and it’s time our experiences guide decisions that affect our health.

📣 Tell Pharmac what you think:
Link in bio

🗣 Share your story, your needs, how it’s impacted your life — both physical and emotional.
Let’s make sure women’s health is taken seriously.

💬 Tag a friend who should see this.
💛 Save & share — every voice counts.

23/01/2026

Stength training is for now, for later and for life…
It keeps our muscles, bones, heart and brain strong!
It can be done in the gym, at home, part of your walk/run or workout.
It can be done alone, with friends, with whanau, make it work for you.

15/01/2026

Challenge yourself at home with no equipment to get your heart rate up for short periods. Make sure you rest between and repeat.
Great for the brain, muscles, bones, weight loss and make it fun!
Adapt it to your level by adding weights if you like!

12/01/2026

✨ Why baseline fitness testing can be useful in midlife & menopause ✨

Tests like these give you far more than a number — they show how your body is actually functioning.

💡 Why they’re so powerful:
• They show your personal starting point (not comparison)
• Progress becomes visible & motivating
• They reflect real-life tasks — getting up, walking, living
• They can pick up early decline before symptoms
• They help guide the right exercise focus
• Simple, safe, evidence-based, no equipment

🌿 In menopause, where muscle, fitness, energy and recovery can shift, baseline testing helps separate:
❌ “This is just ageing”
✔️ “This is modifiable”

And the best part? These measures are highly trainable at any age.

🟢 Test. Train. Re-test.
That’s how strength, confidence, and long-term health are built.

&exercise

02/01/2026

Happy New Year!

You don’t need a gym to get strong 💪
Low cost. From home. With whānau or mates.

Start at your own level and build.

The kids chose this workout and I tweaked parts to make it perimenopause specific, but it meant we all had fun…and it got somewhat competitive!🤣

What exercise looks like different for everyone, but some sort of movement most days of the week is good for both the body and soul.

Reach out if you need a hand getting moving in 2026, I’m here to help!

More fun, free ideas coming up, so watch this space!

&exercise

29/12/2025

Bodies change with time, just as the land does.
Perimenopause is a shift in rhythm — not something to fight or fix.

Moving for this season is about paying attention, easing when needed, and caring for yourself in ways that will last.
You’re right where you are.

As we move into 2026, make space for what you need — Thrive is here to support you.

23/12/2025

Meri Kirihimete! 🎄✨

2026 is your year to thrive —
stand in your mana like the tūī on the kōwhai,
singing your truth without hesitation.
Grow with purpose, rise with confidence,
and make this part of becoming your best.

I’m here to support you on your wellness journey.

Louisa x

&exercise

06/12/2025

Mere Kirihimete me nga mihi o te Tau Hou!

nz

30/11/2025

For the month of November, our family took on the Diabetes NZ One-Million Minutes Challenge - a campaign to raise awareness and show support for everyone living with diabetes.

This cause is incredibly close to our hearts. Earlier this year our eldest son was diagnosed with type one diabetes, and just last week we sadly lost my mother-in-law, who also lived with type one since the age of 21.

Type one diabetes means living on a knife edge every day - constantly balancing insulin, food, movement, and life. It’s relentless, and it’s brave.

Throughout November we committed to a minimum of 30 minutes of movement every single day and together we’ve raised $620!

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported us, donated, moved alongside us, or simply checked in. It means more than you know. 💙

Address

1221 Haupapa Street
Rotorua
3010

Opening Hours

8:30am - 1:30pm

Website

https://www.thrivesportsmed.nz/

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