Regulation over Rest (What Happens in the Other 23 Hours)

You cannot out-train a chaotic nervous system.

You might spend one powerful hour with me in the gym.

But it’s the other 23 hours that decide whether your body actually responds.

And this is the part no one talks about enough.

The Cortisol Storm (Welcome to Your 40s)

In our 40s+, stress hits differently.

We’re juggling work, aging parents, growing kids (three boys over here (I am counting my husband in with my two smaller boys lol) — I live in noise and laundry), marriage, life logistics… and then we try to “push harder” in the gym on top of it.

Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated.

And elevated cortisol tells your body:

• “Store fat around the middle.”

• “Hold onto energy.”

• “This is not a safe time to build muscle.”

So if you feel like you’re doing everything “right” but your body isn’t responding?

It might not be effort you’re missing.

It might be regulation.

Why Harder Isn’t Always Better

If you’re running on caffeine and five hours of sleep, another high-intensity beatdown is not the answer.

A body that feels under attack will not prioritize muscle building.

It will prioritize survival.

This is why in my world, we don’t just train hard.

We train intelligently.

Short, intentional intensity.

Plenty of recovery.

Strength without frying your nervous system.

Because the goal isn’t to be exhausted.

The goal is to be strong.

My Non-Negotiable Recovery Standards

These aren’t fancy. They’re foundational.

1. The 20-Minute Morning Reset

Before the house wakes up.

Before the lunches.

Before the “Mommmm.”

Wake up and give yourself at least 20 minutes.

This isn’t about adding pressure. It’s about creating space.

Maybe you sit with your coffee in silence.

Maybe you journal.

Maybe you meditate.

Maybe you just breathe.

A simple breathing pattern I love:

• Inhale through your nose for 4

• Hold for 4

• Slow exhale for 6–8

Or even just five minutes of slow nasal breathing with one hand on your chest and one on your belly.

The goal isn’t perfection.

It’s signaling safety to your nervous system before the world starts demanding things from you.

That small window of regulation changes the tone of your entire day.

2. A Bedtime That Respects Your Goals

We need a bedtime.

Not a “fall asleep on the couch scrolling” time.

An actual bedtime.

And a consistent wake-up time.

Your nervous system loves rhythm.

When you go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time, you regulate cortisol more effectively. You sleep deeper. You recover better. You build muscle more efficiently.

Sleep is not lazy.

It is anabolic.

It is hormone-supportive.

It is fat-loss supportive.

If you say you want results, your bedtime has to reflect that.

3. Intentional Intensity

We lift heavy.

We push.

We challenge your muscles.

And then we recover on purpose.

This is how we build resilience instead of burnout.

Resilience Is the Real Goal

My job isn’t just to make you sweaty.

It’s to help you build a system that can handle stress without breaking.

When we lower the background noise of stress, your body can finally hear the signal from your workouts.

That’s when strength builds.

That’s when energy improves.

That’s when your waistline shifts — as a side effect, not the obsession.

I’m in this season with you. Navigating hormone shifts. Raising boys. Managing business and life and all of it.

If you’re ready for a grounded, science-backed approach that looks at your whole life — not just your workout hour — I’m here.

Let’s build strength that actually lasts. Want More: (Get your Midlife Strength Reset HERE)