Balance through Movement Pilates & Massage Studio

27/07/2025

26/11/2023

Women get so worried about getting "too big" and "too bulky".

In order to get any kind of bulk, it takes years and years of training and nutrition to get a bulk effect. When you see images of power athletes, they work HARD to build that muscle, through specific hard strength work and an abundance of nutrition! Our physiology is not one that is going to put on a whole bunch of muscle mass. In our 20s and 30s we can get away with doing lighter weight and higher reps, and see an improvement in muscle strength, endurance, and size. But as we hit our 40s (hello perimenopause!) it becomes harder and harder to build and maintain our muscle mass. Resistance training is so critical in the modern age where we don't push and pull things. Technology has made us a sedentary population, which impacts all of our systems, specifically our lean mass, our bones, and our brains. The cornerstone of exercise for women of all ages is resistance training; some may argue even more so than cardiovascular exercise (strength training does improve cardiovascular health markers https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article/26/15/1647/5925845?login=false)! Resistance training does increase lean mass, but it also improves bone mineral density in both women and men (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bone.2019.115192, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00198-010-1182-9). For brain health- Resistance training! Resistance training improves neural pathways, cognitive function,and brain tissue volume (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11556-019-0217-2). and helps with dementia and Alzheimer's risk.

Strength training will make you feel STRONG and give massive longterm health rewards. As a woman, let's change the narrative and focus on strength so we can do everything we want to do now and in our future.

#​F​emaleStrong

12/10/2023

DISCIPLINE or EXCUSES 👀

11/05/2023

Love this!

21/03/2023

Due to the fact that I am a perimenopausal female athlete and I surround myself with many peri and menopausal women, this is a subject that I think of a lot. There are many dietary styles which are popular now, but they are often researched for your average man. Not a peri and menopausal woman. And less so, one who does endurance sport.

This article is a fantastic read. I suggest everyone read it, even if you are a guy, a younger woman, or not an athlete. Helps understand why different diets work for different folks.

If you’re dealing with perimenopause or menopause and wondering how to maintain your strength and performance, check out what I learnt over a five week course by Dr Stacy Sims on “menopause for athletes”.

15/03/2023

http://www.balancemovement.co.za

09/02/2023

It’s an investment in yourself.

11/11/2022

www.balancemovement.co.za

17/10/2022

Great advice for us ladies beyond a certain age 😊

I just contributed to an article I thought you may be interested in reading on Tonal titled "​4 Tips for Building Muscle and Burning Fat After Menopause​".

Learn more >>> https://bit.ly/3Cu2HU6

16/08/2022

Healthy tips for woman at any age

1. Be physically active more often - even taking the stairs count
2. Schedule annual check-ups - It's always good to know what's going on
3. Improve your diet - Try to eat whole, fresh food as often as possible
4. Make sleep a top priority - Feel restored and balanced

Think you need a Physiotherapist?
Book a session with us Today.
Call Kim Cocciuti at +27 (0)83 292 6868

01/07/2022

💪🏼

The fact is, everyone - both men and women - naturally loses muscle and strength with age. If you do nothing to stem that loss, you can expect to lose up to 8 percent of your strength each decade after your fortieth birthday, and that accelerates after age 60.

The years around menopause can make this worse, as estrogen is essential for muscle stem cell function and maintenance and is also a main driver of muscle mass and strength.

Now is the time to lift heavy sh*t! to build and maintain muscle quality and preserve balance, coordination, and proprioception for daily tasks!

https://bit.ly/3yE1p7b