Whenever I ask my women’s cycling group what topics they’d like me to cover, often menopause is high on the list. Menopause and nutrition, menopause and fitness, menopause and…well you fill in the blank. Perimenopause and menopause continue to be a black hole for many women and we are forced to navigate this phase in our life solo. Even our physicians don’t always have answers or worse choose to brush us off when we voice concerns related to changes in our sleep, weight, body temperature, or moods. This is why we must take ownership of our health to not only navigate our midlife but beyond.
New websites, blogs, Facebook groups, podcasts, and books addressing menopause pop up daily. If only our mothers had access to this plethora of information. Shirley Weir is one woman who’s been on a mission for the past nine years, as her tag line states, to ‘crack open the conversation.’
Over the years, Shirley has empowered women to navigate perimenopause and menopause with confidence and ease. She was driven to launch Menopause Chicks due to the insufficient information on the topic. Plus, when she surveyed women, 70% of them didn’t have someone to talk to about menopause.
With the Menopause Chicks Facebook page and private community, Shirley has created a safe place for women of all ages to ask questions, find answers, and realize what they are going through is more than likely very normal.
In 2018, Shirley published her first book, MOKITA, which reached #1 on Amazon in women’s health. I sat down with Shirley to talk about all things menopause and perimenopause. From proper definitions to how this stage in a women’s life affects cycling performance to navigating our midlife health. As we talked, she politely corrected me when I asked about symptoms. I was educated, it’s not a disease or ailment, but a life phase just like puberty.
Take a listen, I’m sure you’ll find Shirley quite knowledgeable on the subject and you’ll walk away a little smarter. I know I certainly did.
Enjoy the ride.
Sunflowers and Pedals 