Shredding the silence on menopause

Meet Tamsen Fadal: a dynamic blend of journalist, author and advocate, whose journey has taken her from the anchor desk to becoming one of the sharpest voices in the global mid-life and menopause conversation. With a journalism career spanning three decades, during which she won numerous Emmy Awards and covered everything from war zones to breaking news, Tamsen honed a storyteller’s eye and an investigative mindset.

Her pivot came when she realised that the story no one was telling, yet which impacted half the population, was menopause. In her own words, “In 30 years on television, I never once said the word menopause.” After that defining moment (and yes a hot flash in front of the camera), she decided to step off the nightly news in order to tell a larger, more necessary story: how women in mid-life can reclaim their health, agency and purpose.

Today, Tamsen is at the helm of a multi-platform mission. She is the New York Times bestselling author of How To Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better than Before and the executive producer of the documentary The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause, which has screened in hundreds of cities across dozens of countries.

"From hormones and health to reinvention, relationships and longevity"

She hosts a podcast, leads keynote talks, and runs an educational hub which brings together science, story-telling and actionable tools for women navigating mid-life transitions. From hormones and health to reinvention, relationships and longevity she’s combining the rigour of a seasoned reporter with the empathy of a companion on the journey.

What makes Tamsen compelling isn’t just her professional credentials, though they are impressive, it’s her authenticity and mission-driven energy. Having lost her mother to breast cancer and experienced her own “off-air moment,” she brings both lived experience and rigorous journalism to a space that has long been underserved. Her message: turning 50 and beyond doesn’t mean fade-out, it can mean reinvention, empowerment and clarity, she invites women to “talk about it, make noise, and change the story forever.”

Have you ever found yourself masking menopause symptoms, or talking them down just to keep things moving? Many women navigate this stage quietly, while others choose to speak openly about what’s really going on. However you approach it, your experience matters. How have you handled the noise, privately, openly, or somewhere in between? We’d love to hear your take in the comments.

Link to Tamsen Fadals page

Link to The Tamsen Show Podcast

Photo: Jenny Sherman

It's never too late to train with Joan

If you ever need a reminder that age is, quite genuinely, just a number, let Joan MacDonald be it. At 70, when society quietly expects women to shrink, slow down, and lower expectations, Joan did the opposite. She decided to change her life. Not just her body, but her mindset, her habits, and her relationship with what she believed was possible. Today, well into her seventies, she is a global fitness inspiration through her platform Train with Joan, redefining strength on her own terms.

Joan’s story resonates because it does not begin with discipline or motivation. It begins where many of us recognise ourselves. She was struggling with her health, dealing with low energy, and feeling stuck in patterns that no longer served her. There was no dramatic before-and-after fantasy, just a quiet realisation that something had to change. And instead of waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect plan, she started. Slowly. Imperfectly. One workout at a time. One meal at a time.

What followed was not an overnight transformation, but something far more powerful. Consistency. Joan committed to showing up for herself, even on days when motivation was low and progress felt invisible. Over time, those small, unglamorous decisions compounded into profound change. Strength replaced fragility. Confidence replaced doubt. Energy returned. Not because she chased youth, but because she chose care, structure, and self-respect.

"Change is possible at any age, but it requires patience, honesty, and a willingness to take responsibility for your own wellbeing".

What makes Joan so compelling is that her journey is not framed as exceptional or unattainable. She does not position herself as an outlier. Her message is refreshingly grounded. Change is possible at any age, but it requires patience, honesty, and a willingness to take responsibility for your own wellbeing. Strength, she reminds us, is not reserved for the young. It belongs to anyone prepared to put in the work, regardless of the number on their birthday cake.

Through her workouts, meals, and daily encouragement, Joan shows up with warmth and clarity. There is no shouting, no shaming, no unrealistic promises. Instead, there is steady guidance and genuine enthusiasm, the kind that makes you feel supported rather than pressured. She shares her life not to impress, but to reassure. If she can do this, so can you.

Perhaps the most radical part of Joan’s story is not the physical transformation, impressive as it is. It is the refusal to accept the narrative that it is ever too late. Too late to build muscle. Too late to feel strong. Too late to feel proud of your body. Joan quietly dismantles those myths every time she picks up a weight.

So if you have been waiting for a sign to start, this is it. Not next month. Not after you feel ready. Joan MacDonald is living proof that your best self is not behind you. It is built, patiently and deliberately, from exactly where you are now.

Did you start working out a bit later in life? I’m always curious about that moment when something shifts and you decide to take better care of yourself. Maybe it started with a walk, a class, or just the feeling that it was time for a change. How did it change you, your body, your mindset, your everyday life? We’d love to hear your story. It might be exactly the little nudge another woman needs. Share it in the comments.

Link to Joan MacDonalds page

Follow Joan at Instagram

Photo: Women's Health Magazine/Caleb & Gladys