The Flipping 50 Show Debra Atkinson

How do you know if you need a coach vs a trainer or a consultant? 
What’s the difference? How do they work? How do I know when I need which? 
There’s a difference in what each does. And you may need more than one. Or an expert who has both skills, and (dare I say), not just titles.
In this episode, I’ll describe for you what each does, when it may be the best tool for you and how to combine them if you are a health and fitness coach. 
In case you’re wondering where this episode comes from…I recently shared a CEU course with our Flipping50 Menopause Fitness Specialists on Essential Coaching Skills and in it I broke this down for them. I suspect that you too could use this information so you know what you’re looking for.
I’ll give you a hint here. It’s not easy. The word coach has been used so loosely that if I say coach, it means something different to anyone hearing it. It could mean sports coach, strength and conditioning coach (specific to a sport), health coach, business coach, life coach, and even within all of those you may need clarification because many of those are not governed by an association and titles are immediately accessible. The skills required are not. Personal trainers have also used the term coach, but not potentially actually been coaching. 
Let me explain so you have a better understanding. 
Coach, Trainer or Consultant: What They Do
A coach asks you to answer your own questions. A coach doesn’t create an exercise prescription or meal plans. They hold you accountable and I like describing it best as me helping you move at an accelerated pace toward something you are capable of doing on your own. 
A Coach 
...asks. Doesn’t act as expert or offer any “should do” suggestions. 
A Trainer 
... shows you how. (not necessarily is this only a personal trainer in the fitness context), but any trainer in a business setting too, shows someone what to do. The trainer has an area and level of expertise to share. It is so that the individual can then do it independently. 
Interestingly enough, some trainers actually fear or are encouraged not to allow the client to get too comfortable doing it themselves because the training then ends. This actually may be what you want - entertainment, being shown exactly what to do and how to do it - so that you can take this off your decision-making plate. 
Or you may want to be shown so that you can then assume the responsibility to follow through on your own or with some accountability. 
A Consultant
... tells you what to do. They’re often hired to come in and assess what’s happening, and based on goals, tell someone exactly what to do. In the 90-minute consultations I do, for instance, a high percentage of women will use these to learn exactly what I’d suggest based on where they are, signs & symptoms they’re experiencing, and believe they have the discipline to follow through and do it. They just want to know the right steps to take after the confusion of hormone changes has left them unsure what’s right now. That’s consulting. 
One of the fitness centers I consulted with had a staff, and wanted an assessment of their new member onboarding process, the personal training process, and support for marketing and sales. There either could have been no coaching or as we did, a year long commitment to following through step-by-step with what needed to happen by the leadership to see the changes through. This might be when you go to a workshop, sometimes a masterclass which tells you what to do, but there’s not showing you the exercises or sequence you need or making modifications. You walk away with “this is what I need to do” and may know or need the “how do I do it”. 

Which Do You Need? Do You Need a Coach? 
Often more than one, right. Here’s where in midlife this can go astray. Coaching a midlife client who says, “I know what to do, I just don’t do it,” knowing what she believes is the “wha

Feel like you’re aging too fast? Here’s help in this episode. I’ve had this guest on before and it’s not likely the time.
If I asked if you’d like a non-pharmaceutical answer to better mood, energy, sex, and to reduce risk of disease - dozens of diseases, and reverse effects of aging you may have now, slow aging as we know it has existed …. You may think I was talking about exercise. 
You’d be right. It’s been said many times that if all the benefits of exercise could be rolled into a pill it would be the most widely prescribed drug in the world. 
But I’m not talking about exercise in this episode. 
I’m talking about a food. An unprocessed food. That also does all of that. 
If you feel like you’re aging too fast, or at least want a longer ride… this is your episode! 
My Guest: 
Catharine Arnston is not a stranger to Flipping50®. I’ll link to her prior episode here. She started a company called ENERGYbits after her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and advised by her oncologist that an alkaline diet would help her heal. Catharine immediately sprung into action to help her sister research alkaline foods and in the process she discovered algae. When Catharine learned that algae was the most alkaline, plant-based, nutrient-dense food in the world and had been used for fifty years in Asia to improve health and longevity, she knew she had discovered something big (and as you will recall if you listened to the prior episode, yes, her sister fully recovered - thanks for asking)...
...It took Catharine ten years to bring algae into the mainstream and build ENERGYbits into a national company. We're glad she finally did, because now you and your family can benefit from our naturally grown, toxin-free, Non-GMO algae tablets too. A handful will help satisfy your hunger, help give you steady energy, and help ensure your nutritional needs are met. All this from a food that has one ingredient, no chemicals, caffeine, sugar or processing and is the most sustainable, safe, eco-friendly, crop in the world - algae. 
Questions We Answer in This Episode:
Listeners are familiar with autophagy - the cellular clean up that occurs with fasting - what is mitophagy? 
How is that important to avoid decline of mitochondria that can occur with aging? 
Mitochondria decline was once just accepted as a part of aging, but like many things, exercise science has proven that exercising -with adequate intensity - can return a 70yr olds mitochondria to that comparable to a 20yr old. How does repair from nutrients help encourage mitochondria so a woman WANTS to or is more MOTIVATED to do the exercise that can essentially reverse what was thought of as the aging process…. Now we know it's the inactivity process.. It’s not aging… it’s inactivity causing it. 
How does improved mitochondrial function support increased body composition? (coming from increased muscle mass and decreased body fat) 
Why do we resist something so easy, and buy a bag of processed bean chips masquerading as a health food? 
Today, aging too fast is a choice. The right food, nature, exercise, even just movement and sleep do wonders. 
Connect with Catharine:
https://www.flippingfifty.com/energybits 
Code Debra for 20% off 
on Social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ENERGYbits/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/energybits/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/energybits
Resources:
EnergyBits code: debra for 20% off! HERE: https://www.flippingfifty.com/energybits
Book: Brain Energy - Christopher Palmer: https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Energy-Revolutionary-Understanding-Health/dp/1637741588 
Other Episodes You Might Like: 
REASONS to EXERCISE AFTER 50 That Aren’t Weight Loss: https://www.flippingfifty.com/reasons-to-exercise-after/
The Importance of Mitochondria | Energy, Heath, and Longevity: https://www.flippingfifty.com/mitochondria/
Menopause Exercise Intensity for Optimal Aging for Women Over 50: https://www.f

Do you know what you want? It’s not easy, especially if you have a lot of choices. Ironic right? But true. I learned this about myself AND learned it about women in general about 30 years ago. Somewhere between 3 and 4 decades ago I began doing the marketing for fitness businesses and creating packages and options for people who were overwhelmed with choice. 
There is a difference in the way women and men buy. 
It boils down to wanting fewer but better options. Or better but fewer options. 
We try to offer that at Flipping50® and for Fitness Professionals at Fitness Marketing Mastery (the podcast for that, by the way being She Means Fitness Business)
Why don’t we like to choose? Is it really about not knowing what we want? 
FOMO: Afraid to pick because there might be something better 
The land of possibilities feels better than the land of certainty, when you’re dreaming. 
When you hear someone else’s dream or business plan and think, oh I want that…. You’re in comparison mode. You can have it. If you’ve got big lofty goals and dreams or a bucket list, you just have to start tackling it right now in order to get one at a time. 
What do you love to do? 
Be outdoors. 
Hike, golf, swim, read by the pool. 
Explore new hikes or see things instead of looking at pictures of them online. 
Is It Knowing What You Want But Fear of Getting It, or Something Else? 
Sometimes there’s a reason what you want doesn’t seem to come.  It's because we dwell in what we don’t want. 
If we’ve get stuck in that thinking about how bad it is, work conditions, or home, or relationship for so long as we convince ourselves to leave or change that it may have become a habit. 
What’s an ideal day like?  If you had a rejuvenating weekend, what does that look like?  What if you had a full week, what then?  If you could do anything on your birthday what would it be?  I think I would have found a white sand beach and some sun. As it was I had a facial and a hike over the weekend. It’s my substitute for actually going on vacation… a spa treatment to get the same relaxation effect. 
Mulligan
Honestly, I’m taking a mulligan on this birthday - I had to do that when I turned 50 too. I’ve got a head cold so it’s not the way I had planned to spend it. But I can, right? A birthday just prompts all the thoughts. 
Back to my perfect week happened several times in 2022. They weren’t exactly the same but they were very very similar with common denominators. 
I took inventory of the times that were most amazing: 
Colorado in June  Iowa in July  Iowa in August  Colorado in September  They all had in common: 
Schedule freedom  Family and or Friends connecting  Music  Shared experiences  Outdoors - hiking, golfing, concert, strolling  Healthy food   Time for creativity and work flexibility  Exploring, time alone balancing it  Purpose  Review your work for what you want, too.
If you take inventory like this, you may come up with some things that surprise you. There were some surprises in mine.
I review my work life schedule for things I like too. I suggest you do the same because really… we’re choosing it. Even if you have a job and aren’t running your business. We chose the job, choose to stay, choose to keep living it the way we’ve always lived it. 
I don’t say that lightly. I need some reflection on my business and what I do, really have to do, and want to do. It’s time to delegate a bit more and clean up some systems. With every level of growth that’s going to happen. 
Reflection
Look at how far you’ve come not just in a belt notch or comparison way. It’s just you and what you want. It’s easy to look around at all you have and realize you don’t really want much of it. Two major moves and one smaller made it easy to take stock at physical things. It spills over into the rest of life. 
If you love every day and wake up excited about what you do

What should you ask a trainer? 
Recently a woman shared her misfortune of attending a fitness class and hurting her knee, and cautioned, “Be careful what fitness class you go to” to other gym-goers. This happens all the time. So this episode takes a moment, and supplies the questions you want to ask before you give up your trust to someone you don’t know in a gym, studio or online. 
Unfortunately to be "certified" means literally "the minimum knowledge a trainer or instructor or health coach needs to enter the field." I’m a Subject Matter Expert for a popular agency you will recognize and this is the reminder we’re given at every meeting where we’re creating or reviewing certification exam questions. I’ve written for Health coaching, Personal training, and Medical Exercise Specialists. 
So, you need to ask. You’re hiring them. Even if it’s not a trainer you’re paying hourly, or it’s a free session. It becomes expensive if it’s the wrong information. I don’t care how “sweet” someone is, do you? 
Is the individual screened by the manager or owner? Yes. But it’s your guess as to how well. Some gyms care a lot about looks and image equally as much as knowledge and science. Some today because of the difficulty in staffing have lower standards in order to cover classes or shifts. 
What to Ask a Trainer or Fitness Instructor
1) Was this designed for me ?
2) Was this based on research featuring women just like me?
3) Have you had success with women just like me? Tell me about some of your clients.
4) If I need a modification are you able to provide that during a class?
5) What kind of training do you have? Is it a degree or certification? 
6) What was that training process like? 
7) What was the most recent course you took for continuing education? 
8) How do you determine what we do together, what is the program design like? 
9) How often do you have to renew your certification? What kind of courses do you take to do that? 
10) How many clients like me have you worked with prior to this?  

 Start Now: https://www.flippingfifty.com/getstronger 
Your YouTube Fitness Instructor May Not Be Qualified
No one has to be "certified" to teach fitness. In today’s live streaming, ZOOM world it’s the wild west even more than it was prior to the pandemic. You may follow someone who you love and find out they aren’t. There are “influencers” and “personalities” on YouTube who do make up tutorials, share what they eat in a day, teach exercise… and home decorating… they aren’t experts in all of them. 
For liability purposes gyms and fitness centers will require certification. But I can say from 40 years of experience ... if someone calls in sick.. there may be a substitute made last minute in effort for the "show to go on.” Every industry right now has difficulty hiring staff who are qualified, responsible, show up… and the fitness industry is no different. The hours are sporadic for many and the pay then is not great for most. 
But let’s open up the other can of worms. Certifications vary a great deal. There are hundreds. They’re not created equal. You need to know what you want and need. Is it that you need someone to design your workout and observe your exercise technique, or you need the workout design, or you need the workout design in conjunction with hormones, joint care, pre-existing conditions taken into account? Do you know if you want and need a fitness trainer or a health coach? 
A trainer can tell you the exercises, observe and share technique (to the level of training they have), and a coach can help you arrange it and may only ask what you want to commit to but not have the ability to design sequence of exercises, exercise session schedule for optimal work and rest ratio. A menopause fitness specialist will be able to dive into the exercise arrangement and the frequency based on your body status. 
Quick Homework: Write out your speci

Think after 40 muscle is a thing of the past? Think again! 
There was a time when I was a cardio bunny. I dabbled in strength training but spent hours each week, sometimes a day, doing “aerobics.” 
We tend to think, because we were told it so often for decades, that aerobic activity is best for fitness. Even though more and more science featuring postmenopausal women shows muscle has the most influence on numerous components of health, we’re still drawn to “cardio.” 
Are you at a point what you’re doing isn’t working, yet found yourself reluctant to exchange cardio for strength training? This is for you. 
Women Need Muscle-Centric Exercise More Than Men
Women begin with less muscle and more fat than men. Fat is essential for reproduction. Once hormones needed for reproduction, but also muscle maintenance, decline during the menopause transition, fat tends to increase and muscle loss is pronounced. 
One reason that “cardio” doesn’t “burn the fat” or boost metabolism is that with the decline of sex hormones, women are more susceptible to negative effects of stress. (2) Cardio, in the way we’ve always done it, tends to increase stress. (3) At this same time, women tend to become more insulin resistant. A body under stress stores fat in a form of self-preservation. It can’t both burn and store fat. The stress hormone cortisol and insulin team up and tend to increase fat deposits around the belly. At midlife, doing more cardio to lose belly weight may actually cause more belly fat. 
Keep Stress Low
Short walks, even longer hikes, or short bursts of high intensity can certainly reduce the overall stress impact of exercise. That is, keep the stress positive. That hinges most on whether you enjoy, or find joy in, the activity and monitor your stress from all areas of life, adjusting as needed. However, these cardio activities don’t influence fat burning beyond the activity. They don’t increase muscle mass.
Exercise that increases lean muscle mass, however, will not only improve body composition, but many of the symptoms of menopause, and increases healthy lifespan. This goes far beyond just risk of falls. 
After 40 muscle is harder, not impossible to build. After 50 it’s harder than that. Start. 
You’ve Been Robbed
Muscle loss begins at about 30. Studies vary on rate of loss being approximately 3-8% per decade or up to 1% annually after 30 but agree this rate is even higher both during the menopause transition and increases after 60. In severe instances, there is 50% total muscle loss by 80.  
Muscle mass losses alter body composition (less muscle means more fat even if you don’t gain fat) and are directly correlated with insulin resistance. Not only is this acutely frustrating for women with stubborn weight or belly fat, but long term can lead to type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and osteoporosis. 
Recent History’s Influence on Muscle and Health
Though we’re past the worst of the pandemic, we’re going to see consequences of the pandemic for years. On average 42% of the population gained weight, on average 29 lbs., during the pandemic. 
It wasn’t muscle. Gyms were closed. Dumbbells weren’t available. For women during the menopause transition when muscle and bone loss can accelerate significantly, (8) is greater chance of early disability.
Lack of the muscle stimulus from estrogen combined with lack of strength training to offset it, could mean greater levels of sarcopenia and osteoporosis if not mitigated.
Basic Muscle Facts 
To gain muscle, you need strength, or resistance training. Women need strength training more than cardio. Women need strength training even more than men. Women 50 or older need strength training more than women 30. 
Menopause-Related Reasons to Gain Muscle in Midlife
Let’s be honest, we’re more motivated by immediate gratification than long term risk aversion. Muscle provides both. Well-documented menopause symptoms in

Could your house, or your office, use a little decluttering? 
 
Get ready for weight loss in a way you’re not used to hearing me talk about it! You have the ability, through decluttering, to change your mood, and potentially your weight.

Could your kitchen counter be reflecting on your resistance to weight loss? Is it a source of comfort, in the way that ice cream is temporarily? 



In the episode I share the hotel maids research revealing the power of placebo. What you think matters!! 
Not started with your exercise yet or need a restart? Do it now. https://www.flippingfifty.com/5dayflip 
Better yet, join us for 12 weeks of STRONGER. Say YES to stronger longer. 

My Guest:
Heather Aardema is a former clutter-bug turned minimalist and the founder of School of Living Lighter.
Struggling to find deeper meaning in her job towards the end of her corporate career, she couldn't take off her extra weight, her home was cluttered, and life felt complicated and heavy.
Then, she discovered minimalism—the intentional pursuit of focusing on what matters most by removing the distractions that remove joy from life—and felt herself getting lighter by the day.
She walked away from corporate, embraced a new way of living, and today has helped thousands tackle their clutter, un-complicate their lives, and lose their excess mental, emotional and physical weight for good.
Questions We Answer in this Episode:
What do you do when you can't exercise the way you used to and have FOMO? (JOMO - joy of missing out - is the antidote)
How do you define clutter? Is it more than an uncomfortable amount of stuff?
What are some examples of mind, body and home clutter?
Is there a connection between our physical clutter and our weight/health? (research supported)
Can this be subconscious self-sabotage (self-preservation)? Not really ready … and we don’t have to deal with the emotions.. If there’s an easy “other” reason.
How do we take the lighter path? (embracing the concept that less can be more)
Decluttering, whether you need to lose weight, or want to gain energy and a sense of personal vacay right at home, is always a good idea. Let me know if you’ve tried this consciously, OR if you too have moved and realized unintentionally what a gift downsizing can be. 
Join Heather’s Live Lighter with Less masterclass:
https://www.flippingfifty.com/lighter
Heather on Social:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schooloflivinglighter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatheraardema/
Mentioned on this show:
Maid 7 NY hotels were told how important physical exercise is for health and wellness 
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17425538/