Episode #91: : Dr. Susan Hardwick-Smith Talks Hormones, Fitness, and the Joy of Finding Your Sport

What is your movement story? Today we’re talking about love of movement and lifelong health. Join superstar physician and coach @drsusanofficial, OB/GYN and menopause specialist, to talk hormones, body joy, prioritizing yourself - and finding your sport(s) at any age. 

She is an expert in menopausal health and sexuality and has completed a large research project regarding this topic, culminating in important book helping women to navigate this new stage of life while remaining vibrant, connected and sexually satisfied.

In this episode, we cover:

• What is Dr. Susan's relationship with sport and journey in finding joy in her body
• On finding time to train and changing habits
• On making your own movement story
• Thoughts on the relationship between healthy midlife and fitness
• Dr. Susan's current practice
• what is Functional Medicine?
• Thoughts on a recommended food diet 
• Dr. Susan's Coaching process and finding your movement

Quotes from the Conversation:

         On Prioritizing Movement

"I think it's not difficult because I decided it's not difficult. There's a choice point somewhere where we have a preconception that something's going to be terrible or great. Right? And that flavors the way that we go into it."

 

On Commitment

"I'm a person who is a hundred percent committed to taking care of my physical and emotional health, and so this might, this is a step that fits in with that. Sure. I don't like running right now, but being a person who's a hundred percent committed to optimizing my physical and emotional health, I.  heard, and I do believe that running is good for that. So I'm gonna give it a try. Start with what feels true"

 

On Midlife Fitness

"As we get older, it's critical to maintain our muscle mass for flexibility and balance. Very obvious things happen when we lose muscle. We lose strength, our vision's not as good. 

I have to wear reading glasses. It's easier for me to trip over a stick or something and fall, and then I break a bone, I'm immobilized and health issues start to spiral. It's really critical to minimize our risk of those type of things happening."

 

On working with a Functional Medicine Doctor 

"To look at your nutrition and gut health and spiritual health. Who really can optimize your health and take a little bit from Western medicine, Eastern Medicine, put it all together it's holistic."

 

On Fitness Mentality

"Don't beat yourself up. Eat horrible things and torture yourself in ways that feel terrible. We're talking about things that are joyful, that you're actually gonna love and you're gonna see changes that you enjoy and you'll love looking in the mirror and touching yourself and you'll love the way you feel cuz you're more flexible and you can touch your toes again. Or maybe you can carry a heavy box that you couldn't carry before. Just these little things that are so fun to see changing. The whole old diet and exercise aggressive thing, it's just sounds mean. I mean, don't do that to yourself. That's awful."

Helpful Links:

• Dr. Susan Hardwick-Smith -   A Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Check out her facebook @drsusanofficial
• Sexually Woke - Secrets to the best sex of your life in your 40s, 50s, and beyond
• Episode #18: Dr. Susan Hardwick-Smith: Sexually Woke 
• Episode #79: A Lifelong Practice: Dancing the 5Rhythms with Lucia Horan
• Episode #88: The Embodied Crone, Polarity and Archetypes with Lisa Betts-LaCroix
• Find Rosebud Woman on Instagram as @rosebudwoman, Christine on Instagram as @the.rose.woman, and on Tiktok as @therosewoman108.

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