If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by fitness - unsure where to start, thinking you need hours at the gym, or not sure of what to do when you're there - this episode will change the way you think about exercise in midlife.

In this episode, Joan breaks down why strength training is the most powerful tool for women 40+ and how to make it simple, sustainable, and effective through her 2×5 Strong Method - two strength sessions per week built around five key movement patterns.

You’ll learn:

• Why fitness after 40 is about building strength, not burning calories
• The science behind how strength training protects your muscles, bones, and metabolism
• How lifting weights boosts confidence, energy, and resilience
• The five movement patterns every woman needs for strength and functionality (push, pull, squat, hinge, and core)
• How to build your own realistic routine using the 2×5 Strong Method
• The mindset shift from “all or nothing” to “consistency over perfection”

Joan also shares a powerful client story that shows what’s possible when fitness becomes simple and consistent - and why every rep is truly a vote for your future self.

Favorite Quote from This Episode:

You don’t have to do this alone. If you’re ready to start building strength but want a plan that feels simple, supportive, and fun, come see what Fit Zone is all about.

Try a free Fit Zone class → Experience strength-based workouts designed for midlife women - effective, efficient, and flexible so you can feel strong, energized, and confident in your own body.

Follow on Instagram → Get simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips made for women in midlife - plus quick recipes, motivation, and reminders that small steps add up to big results.

Join the free Facebook community → The Midlife Glow Up Collective is a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care.

Apply for 1:1 coaching → If you’re ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability, apply today.

If you’ve ever set a health goal only to find yourself right back where you started, you’re not alone. Most of us don’t fail because we lack willpower - we fail because we lack a system.

In this episode, Joan introduces her signature SIMPLER Method: a proven, step-by-step framework designed to help women in midlife move from goal to growth by creating habits that actually stick. You’ll learn how to build lasting change without relying on motivation or perfection and how to align your daily actions with the future version of you that you want to become.

This episode is packed with practical strategies, mindset shifts, and inspiring examples to help you simplify your approach to fitness, nutrition, and self-care - and finally stay consistent for good.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why willpower isn’t the problem — systems are
• How your habits reflect your identity (and how to shift both)
• The 7 steps of the SIMPLER Method:
  • S - Start with gratitude
  • I - Identify room for improvement
  • M - Make a plan
  • P - Positive mindset
  • L - Leap into action
  • E - Establish the habit
  • R - Reinforce the habit
• How to use gratitude as a foundation for growth
• The importance of systems over motivation (James Clear quote: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”)
• How to take imperfect action and build consistency that compounds

Key Quotes:

“Every small action you take is a vote for your future self.”
“You don’t need more motivation - you need a system.”
“Your 10-years-from-now self is counting on you. SIMPLER is how you build her — one aligned habit at a time.”

What’s Next:

Now that you have the system, Joan will walk you through the tools to plug into it:

• Episode 4: The 2×5 Strong Method - the two strength workouts every midlife woman needs
• Episode 5: The 4×4 Fist Method - the simplest way to prioritize protein without tracking or stress

Here’s how you can learn more and how we can stay connected:

Follow on Instagram → Get simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips made for women in midlife - plus quick recipes, motivation, and reminders that small steps add up to big results.

Join the free Facebook community → The Midlife Glow Up Collective is a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care.

Apply for 1:1 coaching → If you’re ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability, apply today.

In this episode, Joan invites you to pause, reflect, and refocus on what truly matters in midlife - your health, strength, and energy. Through a powerful reflection exercise, you’ll look back ten years and ahead ten years to connect with the version of you that’s counting on your choices today.

Joan breaks down the three pillars that have the power to completely transform how you feel: fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits. You’ll learn why these areas are the foundation for your strength and longevity, and how your daily routines determine your future well-being.

Backed by science, Joan highlights two game-changing habits every woman 40+ needs to prioritize: lifting weights and prioritizing protein. These two simple, but powerful, actions can reshape your metabolism, bone health, confidence, and energy - and they’re easier to fit into your life than you think.

This episode is an empowering reminder that midlife isn’t the end - it’s the turning point. Your habits today are building the foundation for your future self.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• A guided reflection to connect with your past and future self
• The five basic habits that can add a decade of disease-free life
• Why strength training is a non-negotiable in midlife
• How prioritizing protein supports energy, muscle, and bone health
• Why consistency beats intensity every single time
• How small, intentional actions create your long-term health
  
  

Key Quote:

“Your 10-years-from-now self will either be proud that you started… or wish that you had. Let’s make her proud.”

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Harvard Study on Healthy Aging
• Dr. Peter Attia’s quote: “Habits are the architect of our healthspan.”
  
  
  

Here’s how you can learn more and how we can stay connected:

Follow on Instagram → Get simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips made for women in midlife - plus quick recipes, motivation, and reminders that small steps add up to big results.

Join the free Facebook community → The Midlife Glow Up Collective is a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care.

Apply for 1:1 coaching → If you’re ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability, apply today.

Welcome to The Midlife Glow Up Podcast - the show for women over 40 who are ready to trade overwhelm and burnout for clarity, confidence, and energy. In this introductory episode, your host Joan Dandeneau, midlife health and wellness coach, shares the heart and purpose behind the podcast and what you can expect in the episodes to come.

Joan opens up about her own journey through midlife - navigating perimenopause, parenting three daughters, and embracing this new season of life - and how she’s learned that taking care of your body isn’t selfish, it's imperative. You’ll hear how her 30 years in health and fitness led her to create a space where women can simplify fitness, nutrition, and habits so they can finally build consistency and confidence without the guilt, confusion, or all-or-nothing mindset.

If you’ve been craving real talk, simple strategies, and heartfelt encouragement to help you feel strong, vibrant, and capable in this season of life - you’re in the right place.

If you would love to learn the answers to these questions…

• How can I simplify fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits so they actually fit my busy life?
• What kind of workouts will help me stay strong, mobile, and confident after 40?
• How can I eat to support energy and metabolism without having to count calories or restrict?
• What are realistic ways to get enough protein through simple, real-life meals?
• How do I build consistency when motivation fades or life gets busy?
• How can I create routines that align with my values and my future self?
• What mindset shifts might help me stop starting over again and again?
• How can I balance caring for others while still prioritizing myself?
• What does it look like to feel truly vibrant, strong, and confident in midlife?
• How do I design a lifestyle now that supports the future version of me that I want to become?

...Then you’re in the right spot! Follow along to learn this and more as we glow up in midlife together.

Here’s how you can learn more and how we can stay connected:

Follow on Instagram → Get simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips made for women in midlife - plus quick recipes, motivation, and reminders that small steps add up to big results.

Join the free Facebook community → The Midlife Glow Up Collective is a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care.

Apply for 1:1 coaching → If you’re ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability, apply today.

Welcome to the Midlife Glow Up Podcast!
This is your space to take a deep breath, shake off the overwhelm, and start showing up for you.

I’m Joan Dandeneau, your Midlife Health and Wellness Coach - here to help you trade burnout for balance, confusion for clarity, and create the consistency that leads to real change.

In this podcast, we’ll simplify fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits so you can feel strong, energized, and confident in this season of life. I’ll share practical strategies, real stories, and honest insights on what it truly takes to thrive - not just survive - in midlife.

Lace up your walking shoes or listen on the go, and join me every Thursday as we build the habits, mindset, and strength to create your midlife glow up - from the inside out.

This is The Midlife Glow Up Podcast.

Follow on Instagram → Get simple, sustainable fitness and nutrition tips made for women in midlife - plus quick recipes, motivation, and reminders that small steps add up to big results.

Join the free Facebook community → The Midlife Glow Up Collective is a supportive space for women 40+ who want accountability, encouragement, and realistic ways to stay consistent with health and self-care.

Apply for 1:1 coaching → If you’re ready to take your fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits to the next level with a customized plan and one-on-one support + accountability, apply today.