Authentic Fitness for Women Over 40: Timeless Insights

In 2019 I had the honor of sitting down with Exercise.com for an interview, where I shared my story and my approach to women's fitness and health.

Authentic Fitness for Women Over 40: Timeless Insights (2019)

Introduction:

In a world saturated with quick-fixes and fad diets, finding a fitness and health approach that stands the test of time can be a daunting task. However, for women over 40, I firmly believe the journey toward a balanced and vibrant life demands a philosophy built on authenticity, strength, and self-acceptance.

Back in 2019, I had the honor of sitting down with Exercise.com for an interview where I shared my story, and my approach to women's fitness and health, and how it has stood the test of time.

Even back then, I was a firm believer that there are no quick-fix solutions and I have held steadfast to my principles over the years. Through that candid interview, I shared not only my knowledge but also my own personal struggles, proving that we all face challenges on the journey to wellness.

Today, I invite you to join me in revisiting the insights and wisdom from that transformative conversation. Let's explore how my journey has shaped my philosophy, and how embracing the individual has and will continue to make a lasting impact on women's health and fitness beyond age 40.

(I am paraphrasing the interview below, but if you want to read the whole thing - including all the times I say 'umm', 'so', 'ok' and 'yeah', you can find the entire transcript here)

Meet Kara Palley, Founder of KP Basic Training

What initially sparked your interest in health and fitness?

I was not really that much of an athlete growing up. I did like to play tennis, I enjoyed ice skating, but I always loved exercise simply as an outlet. It always made me feel good, and I remember when I was in my late teens/early 20s the aerobics craze started.

I remember taking classes, I loved them and I became hooked early on, but for a long time I was a consumer of the service, not a provider. I never thought about it as a career, at least not early on.

When you began to pursue this professionally, did you have any mentors that you looked to for advice?

YES! (And I still do, to this day)

After my youngest child was born, I hired a personal trainer for the first time in my life. It was then I started to really think about it as a career for myself.

I consider the owner of the gym where I first experienced personal training one of my earlier mentors. As I went along, I always sought out people who were really good at what they did, that really knew what they were talking about, and could pass on that passion, knowledge and expertise.

Her name is Katie DeVore. She’s a personal trainer and a yoga teacher. I don’t really see her that much anymore, but I still follow her on social media, and I still think about her classes every day.

When did you first start participating in yoga and incorporating it into your practice?

At Katie's gym. She became certified in one of the methods and then she forced everyone to take it. When I say forced, obviously she didn't hold a gun to our heads. You just have to know her, people listened and did what she said.

I was, as she used to call us, a cardio queen (meaning, only doing various forms of cardio). I thought it was the most ridiculous thing ever. And for me, it was impossible, so hard! I didn’t understand it at all.

I didn’t take it again for quite a long time, but I did, then took things even further and got certified as a yoga teacher (that's another blog post in itself!). It was then that I started incorporating yoga into my personal training sessions, because I understood the value of yoga as a general practice.

What are some of your favorite foods, either for your workout or post-workout or just in general?

I like everything, almost.

I’m a foodie. My mom was an amazing cook, we ate everything. Nobody in my family was picky. I would say, though, I prefer savory, salty, savory flavors more.

As far as working out, after working out, I usually have a protein shake afterwards.

When you’re not training or coaching, what do you do for fun?

I like to follow current events. I'm a history buff and especially enjoy reading biographies. I love yoga and weight training. I keep thinking I want to start ice skating again. That hasn’t happened yet (but it is STILL on my bucket list). I like to cook, and spend time with my kids and grandkids. Even though I'm not the 'professional grandma' type, I'll definitely babysit sometimes. I particularly love reading to my grandkids (as I did my own kids).

What one word best describes your philosophy and the methodology of fitness coaching?

That word would be strength.

I think it’s most important for women to be strong, especially as we get older. Getting stronger goes the furthest towards improving your health, your independence, how you feel about yourself and how you’re able to continue to do all the things you love (and have) to do.

How prevalent are body image issues with the clients you serve and how do you address them?

(Interviewer clarifies: some clients either don’t feel good about how they look or how they feel and so then, it becomes this self-fulfilling prophecy because they start shaming themselves. Then, they lose the motivation to want to do any better because it’s become very fatalistic.)

I would say that it’s fairly prevalent. I think education goes a long way to fixing that. People think that there’s one way, a way that they have to do things - and then they beat up on themselves if they fail.

But I do more fitness than weight loss alone—so a negative body image is really not the first reason people come to me, they don’t come to me only because they don’t like the way their body looks.

It’s more that they want to move better. They want to feel good and want to be strong, they want to be healthier or doctors told them, “You’d better start getting moving.”

Body image issues definitely lie at the root of why some people find a fitness transformation so difficult to attain, though.

How are nutrition and exercise related to each other?

Although it has taken me a long time to get there— nutrition is really the most important thing, despite “strength” being my keyword. Without good nutrition, it’s not going to work. Nutrition can be compared to the foundation of the house. It makes all movement possible, better and sustainable.

For example: it is possible to lose weight without exercising but you won't be better off. In fact, you could be worse off.

What’s the relationship between strength and conditioning, injury prevention, and also rehabilitation? How do they all work together?

If you’re starting off with no injuries you’re lucky, then you'll start with learning how to do the basic movements.

If you're a beginner, check out =>this blog<= for 10 Easy Starter Exercises

You want to make sure you’re moving with good alignment and form, you’re primarily using your muscles rather than your joints, and you’re doing it all in an intelligent way. Intelligent meaning your exercise plan makes sense for you at your level: the amount of weight you're using, the number of sets and reps, time at rest, and your ratio of cardio to strength.

If you already have injuries, then it becomes all the more important too to do things intelligently and not to jump in, but also not to rest too much as well.

That actually leads to my next question. You mentioned rest. How do you help your clients to be proactive both in their training and their fitness, but also in their rest and recovery?

There are definitely people that think they have to push themselves super hard. Sometimes these clients don’t say a word, so you have no idea if it hurts or if they’re tired. And it turns out a lot of times they’re pushing themselves too hard.

Then there are the clients who overthink: “Oh, I’m not feeling it where I'm supposed to”. They want to know: “Why am I doing this? They ask: "where should I be feeling it?" - over and over

So I always try to provide that information, to make sure that they’re going to progress and not just get caught up in the details.

Then there are the clients who are reluctant to challenge themselves. Oftentimes they don't have the awareness to tell the difference between actual pain and just normal exertion, or between actual fatigue and just needing to rest a bit more between sets.

You have to strike a balance, but I always tell my clients that you should be able to finish your reps whatever they are. So if it’s too heavy and you can’t finish, then you have to go lighter. Or if you’re doing a stretch, be sure to not take it too far because then you won’t be able to hold it long enough, or you might sustain an injury.

I find this is where my yoga teacher training comes in handy. It kind of slows things down to give the client awareness of what's happening in her body and time to incorporate things like breathing and proper form.

How do you measure success for yourself and then also for your clients?

For me, my goals are usually event or action oriented, rather than number oriented. What I can do in my own know fitness. For example: run a 5K or I without getting injured, or do a headstand without using the wall.

For my clients, it really depends on the goal. It could be moving without pain, getting stronger, improving balance or bone density.

So you have to measure each one based on whatever the goal is.

What common traits have you observed for your clients that have had the most success under your tutelage?

I think consistency is very important. If a person gets to the point where they are either joining a gym or starting to take classes, or hiring a personal trainer, they’re definitely part of the way there.

But some people still think of it like it’s outsourcing.

Like, I’m going to pay somebody, and it’s all just going to work.

To a point, it will.

But you also have to be willing to sweat, feel discomfort—not pain necessarily—and realize that it’s going to take time - you have to put in the work.

(Note: consistency does not mean every day. It means regularly. Not stopping for long periods. Not changing things because you think it isn't working, etc.)

Now take this opportunity to brag about yourself a little bit. What makes KP Basic Training unique?

Well, there’s a lot of humor and I try to keep it very real.

I’m open about my own fitness challenges, all my injuries and such.

I’ve been my own client. I’ve had many mentors, coaches and trainers who have helped me along, so people see that I’m struggling, and I ask for help (and hire help).

I also try to help people see they can do things that they really didn’t think they could because our bodies are mostly the same, with the same capabilities.

You know, our ancestors ran everywhere. There were no cars. We were all built to lift things. But now we are not in the practice of doing them, but we can.

And when people see that they are actually able to do something that they couldn’t do before, it’s very exciting.

We all get excited.

It seems like you empower your clients with education and also with empathy and humanity.

That's right!

You take your work seriously, but not yourself seriously. It’s a good trait to have.

That comes with age too 😉

How do you budget your time between working on your business and then working in your business?

Well, I’m going to have to get back to you on that. I

t’s really hard. People always say to me, “Oh, you’re so organized.” I am, but when I worked in an office, there were set hours, here was my office, and here was what I had to do.

And now, I have the kids and I have the house and I have the business, and it’s not structured. So it’s forcing me to become structured.

I’m working on it.

What have you learned that you wish you would’ve known when you first started out in business?

JUST START! Even if you don't feel ready.

Let's say I told my client, “Okay, today we’re going to do split squats,” but she’s never done it before. I explain everything that’s involved but then say, “There’s a lot to remember, so we’re just going to start doing it and then we’ll tweak it as we go along.”

I think the same concept holds if you’re going to be an entrepreneur.

I delayed it for a long time. I wanted to go into this field years and years ago. But I always said, “No, I can’t, my kids are little, I’m not in shape, etc.”

It would have really been better if I had started sooner. It is going to take a long time no matter when you start, so you might as well get that extra experience.

(There's more on technology, social media, and other resources, but this blog post is already really long! So I'll stop here.)

Conclusion

Throughout the years, my unwavering commitment to authenticity has been the cornerstone of my philosophy for women over 40's fitness and health.

As I reflect on this transformative interview with Exercise.com in 2019, I am reminded of the power of staying true to oneself.

Instead of chasing popular fads or imitating others, I have continually expanded my knowledge through additional certifications and sought out evidence-based practices to support women on their wellness journey.

By embracing authenticity and philosophical consistency, I have not only stayed true to my core values but also empowered other women to find strength, confidence, and lasting results.

As we move forward, I remain dedicated to inspiring women to embrace their uniqueness and redefine what's possible on the path to lifelong health and well-being.

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Still confused or overwhelmed?

Book a call with me and let's create a plan to get your health and fitness on track together.

Categories: Thrive