So honored to be featured in VoyagePhoenix magazine!
We address the hot topics for women 40+ regarding fitness & and how it impacts our mental health & happiness.
VoyagePhoenix Magazine Feature:
After a near-death cycling accident, resulting in a broken neck and years of rehabilitation, learn how Coach Shannon’s unique perspective on health, fitness, and life has helped others gain the courage and confidence to achieve all goals.
Meet Shannon Peterson, master personal trainer for over 27 years, 3X Ironman World Championship triathlete, and owner of two thriving fitness businesses.
ACHIEVE Multisport Coaching & Personal Training. Shannon has trained CEOs to stay-at-home moms of six, to achieve their fitness goals ranging from Ironman triathlons to passing the police academy physical fitness tests, to hiking across Camino de Santiago.
Live Your Truth Women. Fitness Coaching for women 40+ focusing on all factors impacting health – physical strength, endurance, hormonal health, nutrition, and emotional well-being.
Shannon says, “The key to your success, no matter what the goal, is to understand the interconnectedness between the body and mind. To strengthen your physical body, you must also strengthen your mindset.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In 2014, I was training for an Ironman triathlon, riding my bike on the iconic Queen K on the Big Island of Hawaii.
At exactly 5 hours and 2 minutes into the ride, I had a head-on collision with a pick-up truck. Three ambulance rides later, one of which included being airlifted to the island of Oahu, I was diagnosed with a broken neck and unsure if I would ever be able to swim, bike, and run again.
It took years to regain my strength and endurance; and honestly, I still have limitations.
But, here’s the key the real growth went far beyond my physical strength, exercise strengthened my mindset. You see, in the deepest darkest moments of self-doubt, I asked myself this question, “Am I living my truth?”.
Nope. Like so many women, I was “doing” a lot. Crushing it as an athlete, working 2 jobs, mothering 2 fur babies, volunteering… you know, being Super Woman. But the truth? I was also choosing to stay married to an abusive alcoholic who was crushing my health & well-being.
My story details might differ from yours, but how many times have you sacrificed your own happiness out of fear of change, fear of failure, or fear of fear? The good news is… fear is good. It’s why I created “Live Your Truth Women”.
LIFE LESSON: if you want to be happy, you’ve got to stick your neck out. Is it scary? Heck yeah! Is it worth it? HELL YES!
That is why my mission is to help others prioritize fitness. It truly is the gateway to courage, self-confidence, and lasting happiness. I teach clients to power up their mindsets by achieving physical goals.
My clients learn that the body follows the mind. When you believe it’s possible, even if it seems super scary, you are truly limitless. It’s your choice.
We’ve been impressed with Live Your Truth Women Fitness Coaching, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Why is the name of my fitness coaching business Live Your Truth Women? Let me start by saying… I love working with male clients. I’ve done it my entire life and still train men under my ACHIEVE Multisport & Personal Training business umbrella. However, I created Live Your Truth Women because…
For far too long, women have bought into the myth that fitness is about all looking better. That the numbers on a scale, tape measure, or inside our jeans – define our self-worth.
But let me tell you this, both from personal experience as an almost 50 years alive woman who’s trained thousands of women from competitive athletes to women who had never lifted a dumbbell, the ONLY way to be fit and stay fit forever is to focus on the journey, not the outcome.
Here’s the secret – fitness is about FEELING better, not just looking better. It’s attaining life-long health by moving your body daily, nourishing it with healthy foods, and realizing you can attain any and all goals when you build a strong mindset.
In this second half of life the biggest goal is to be happy, right? Fitness is the key. Being fit means more energy & confidence to do what you love & to live your truth. It’s a mind-body connection. And that is what sets my Live Your Truth Women coaching apart from the noise. I won’t promise you drop 2 pants sizes in 2 weeks or that you’ll look 10 years younger. But I will promise you that you’ll FEEL 10 years younger and be happier than you’ve ever been in whatever size of jeans you’re wearing. When you learn to unleash the power of your mind, you are limitless! Remember this – you don’t have to be confident right now. You just have to want it badly enough that you’re willing to take small consistent steps toward your goal. And that is so much easier when you have a support system.
Live Your Truth Women fitness coaching was created to inspire, teach, and support women to achieve fitness goals as the gateway to achieving a happier, healthier, life in every way.
If you’re looking for help with your health and fitness goals, I offer online and in-person personal training, small group training, exercise classes, multisport athletic coaching, women’s Hike-Yoga Retreats, and more. Go to www.liveyourtruthwomen.com and follow Live Your Truth Women on Instagram or Facebook.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Fitness is getting more inclusive – people of all abilities, shapes, ages, and experience levels can participate in activities that improve heart health, strength, flexibility, and balance.
A huge focus is on women over the age of 40 making big fitness gains by lifting heavier weights. Gone are the days of 3lb weights with hundreds of repetitions so we don’t “bulk up”. Instead, we are educating women on the benefits of high-weight/low-rep training: injury prevention, building bone mass, regulating hormones, reducing menopausal symptoms, improving sleep quality, feeling more energetic, and mood regulation.
To be clear, this is much different than the old “no pain, no gain” mentality. That often meant over-training to the point of burnout or injury. Spending hours slogging away at the gym in order to see gains. Instead, fitness is about training smarter to maximize our results and still have a life outside the gym.
Similarly, cardio recommendations have changed to more frequent “bit size” segments of 10-20 min/day of elevated heart rate sessions several times a day. It’s a much more realistic way to fit in fitness.
My top 3 recommendations to maintain a consistent, forever-fit lifestyle:
1. Mix it up! Don’t do the same exact routine every week. Your body adapts quickly to physical demands. My rule of thumb is to do at least 3 different cardio activities per week (so yes, you can run 3x/per week but you still need to cycle or swim or kickbox, too) and to vary your strength training exercises each session.
2. Get a partner! We are 80% more likely to achieve a goal when we have an accountability partner. Get a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker to meet you for workouts. Hire a coach so you maximize your time and prevent injury. Sign up for a group challenge that requires check-ins.
3. Set a goal that you cannot accomplish tomorrow. Meaning setting a HARD goal. One that requires you to train for several weeks or several months. The daily motivation will be much higher and when you reach the goal… there’s NO BETTER FEELING.
Contact Info:
Website: https://www.liveyourtruthwomen.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourtruthwomen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiveYourTruthCompany
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