LISTEN ON SPOTIFY

LISTEN ON APPLE

Is walking actually enough for women’s health and longevity? In this episode of The BeingBrigid Show, Brigid sits down with certified personal trainer and founder of Nourish Move Love, Lindsey Brogmen, to talk about why women must prioritize strength training if they want to protect their hormones, muscle, bones, blood sugar, and long-term independence. If you’ve ever wondered how much cardio you really need, how to lift in a busy season like postpartum, or whether hard workouts “tank your cortisol,” this conversation will change how you think about exercise, recovery, and eating for longevity.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

• Why walking is amazing—but not enough to prevent age-related muscle loss
• How strength training supports hormones, blood sugar balance and body composition
• The difference between cardio vs strength for women’s health and longevity
• How to build an efficient 3–5 day strength-training split (even postpartum)
• Why recovery, sleep, and fueling matter as much as your workout
• Lindsey’s real-life “why” for training for longevity, not just aesthetics
• How to train hard without wrecking your cortisol or nervous system
• What to expect from Lindsey’s Athlete 25 program and who it’s for

Timestamps

• 01:44 – Is walking enough exercise for women’s health?
• 03:44 – Muscle loss, metabolism & bone health after 30 (and beyond)
• 05:44 – Cardio vs strength training: what actually matters for longevity
• 08:44 – How busy women can train 3-4 days/week effectively
• 12:14 – Full body vs split training: what Lindsey recommends
• 16:44 – Inside Athlete 25: how Lindsey programs like an athlete at home
• 20:14 – The “gray zone” workout mistake keeping women stuck
• 26:44 – Shifting from aesthetics to performance and progress goals
• 29:44 – Fitness as a keystone habit for mental health & energy
• 31:44 – Lindsey’s family story, heart health, and deep “why” for longevity
• 37:14 – Does hard training really spike cortisol? 
• 39:14 – Recovery, sleep, fueling and mobility: the secret half of results
• 43:44 – Being a mom, entrepreneur, and still prioritizing health
• 45:44 – Athlete 25 details & how to train like an athlete at home
• 48:14 – Where to find Lindsey & join the Athlete 25 challenge

Why Walking Alone Isn’t Enough for Women’s Health

Walking is one of the most underrated tools for women’s health, mental health and joint health. But as Lindsey shares, walking alone is not enough to prevent age-related muscle loss and declines in bone density, especially in perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.

Women can lose 3–8% of muscle mass per decade after 30, and that accelerates with hormonal changes. Without strength training, that loss impacts metabolism, blood sugar balance, body composition, and the ability to stay independent later in life.

Strength training becomes a cornerstone of eating and moving for longevity, especially when paired with functional nutrition, an anti-inflammatory diet, and blood sugar–supportive habits.

Muscle, Hormones, Blood Sugar & Longevity

Muscle is more than aesthetics—it’s a metabolic and hormonal organ. In this episode, Brigid and Lindsey talk about how building muscle can support:

• Blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity
• Hormone health in women navigating thyroid dysfunction, perimenopause, and beyond
• Body composition, not just “weight loss,” by increasing lean mass
• Inflammation and chronic inflammation, especially when paired with an anti-inflammatory diet

Brigid brings in a functional medicine and functional nutrition lens, connecting strength training with root cause healing, gut health, and using food as medicine to support hormones, thyroid health (including Hashimoto’s), and long-term wellness.

Cardio vs Strength: Finding the Right Mix for Women

Should women run more or lift more? Lindsey’s answer: it depends on your goal—but both matter. They break down:

• When to prioritize cardio
• When to prioritize strength training
• How to avoid the “gray zone” where you’re always breathless, never lifting heavy enough, and not seeing changes

For women focusing on hormone health, energy, and longevity, Lindsey often recommends strength as the anchor, with walking and reasonable cardio layered in. This is especially true for women dealing with chronic stress, cortisol dysregulation, or thyroid issues, where overdoing high-intensity cardio can backfire.

How to Build a Realistic Strength Training Split (Especially Postpartum)

Lindsey walks through exactly how she would program strength training for someone like Brigid—18 months postpartum, focused on hormone health, body composition, bone health, and energy

For many women, especially postpartum, the key is consistency and accountability—showing up for 20–30 minute sessions, using challenging weights, and letting go of the idea that you need 60-minute gym sessions to see results.

Cortisol, Overtraining & Recovery for Women

There’s a lot of fear online that “hard workouts” will wreck your cortisol. Brigid and Lindsey reframe this with nuance:

• Exercise is a healthy stressor when balanced with recovery, sleep and adequate fueling
• The bigger problems show up when women are under-fueling, under-sleeping, and overdoing high-intensity workouts 6–7 days/week
• Strength training 3–4 days/week with good recovery, protein, and sleep can actually improve cortisol regulation, blood sugar balance, and energy over time

They discuss the importance of:

• 7–9 hours of sleep for nervous system and hormone support
• Getting enough protein (e.g., 30g per meal) for muscle repair and thyroid health
• Mobility, foam rolling and active recovery days to protect joints and prevent injuries

Athlete 25: Train Like an Athlete at Home

Lindsey introduces Athlete 25, a free 2-week program designed to help men and women:

• Train like athletes in just 25 minutes a day
• Use smart advanced splits like legs + back, upper body push, dedicated leg days, agility days, and full body
• Combine strength, agility, and core to support real-life movement—chasing toddlers, playing sports with kids, staying powerful as you age
  

The program is perfect for women who want to train for longevity, not just aesthetics, and pairs beautifully with personalized nutrition coaching and anti-inflammatory eating like Brigid teaches.

Next Steps & Resources Mentioned

+ Watch the full episode on YouTube

+ Brigid’s Website

+ Brigid’s Instagram

+ Join Lindsey’s 2 week Athlete 25 Program

+ Nourish Move Love Website

+ Nourish Move Love Instagram