a small painting of a happy gold star Go Team 2026: Pare It Down
ADHD · Go Team · habits · motivation · rest · self care

Go Team 2026: Pare It Down

Christine HenneburyLeave a comment

Hey Team,

I don’t know about how things are going for you but my brain has been rather uncooperative for the past few weeks.

It differs from day-to-day – sometimes I can do what I planned, sometimes it feels like my ADHD meds aren’t working at all, and sometimes I feel like I get up in the morning, get spun around for a few hours, and then I’m dumped into 9:30 at night without any sense of what kept me feeling busy all day.

Needless to say, this has not been a fun experience at all.

And I think I could just wait out the tiredness, the frustration, and the brain fog if my capacity wasn’t all over the place. The fact that I can do some things with ease (and speed) and other things (that are normally straightforward) feel so difficult and convoluted that I either can’t get started or I end up moving so slowly that I get on my own nerves.

The worst thing is that I know the things I need to do to feel better, I am just having such a hard time making myself do them.

Now this is the part where some people would be saying “You just gotta push yourself. Try harder! This is just resistance.”

I’m voting no on that.

Sure, maybe there is some resistance in the mix of my challenges right now but pushing myself or telling myself to “just” try harder* is not going to be the solution.

Instead, when things are tough like this, what I always need to do is to figure out a way to keep putting one foot in front of the other, to do what I can when I can, and to rest when I need to – all while being very kind to myself about the process.

I don’t need to push myself or to try harder, I need to pare things down as much as I can.

And if you are struggling in any way right now, I invite you to do the same.

If you aren’t up to a full yoga practice, spend a few minutes in Savasana on your mat.

If you can’t write in your journal, do a little voice dictation into your phone or do some drawing in your notebook.

If you can’t tackle that big project, is there a smaller section that feels doable right now? Is there someone who can help you with it? Can you do anything to adjust your own or other people’s expectations around this project at the moment?

If you have been waiting to respond to an email until you have composed the perfect message, can you send a ‘Here’s a quick answer but I’ll get back to you in a few days with the details.’ type of message?

If you are having trouble eating the way you would like to, is there a quicker solution that keeps you fed and isn’t taxing on your brain? (Some ideas )

If you can’t stir yourself to go for a walk outside, can you walk in your living room?

If your strength training routine is beyond you at the moment, can you do some mobility exercises or leg lifts or some calisthenics instead?

You can see where I am going here, right?

When things are challenging but you know you will feel better if you take action, you don’t have to summon the energy to do the big version of something – you can do a smaller version. You can pare things down until that activity feels doable.

You can be kind to today-you and tomorrow-you at the same time by scaling your actions to match your current capacity.

And this applies at all times, not just when you are struggling. It’s ok – it’s ENCOURAGED – to meet yourself where you are rather than being annoyed with yourself for not being somewhere else.

So, Team, however today finds you, I wish you ease and I invite you to consider whether you need to reduce the pressure in any area of your life by paring things down.

And I’m offering you this gold star in celebration of your efforts to take good care of yourself.

Go Team Us!

a small painting of a happy gold star
Isn’t this a cheery star? I’m going to prop her up next to my computer. Image description: A small painting of a happy-faced gold star with lines in the bottom left that kind of make it look like she jumped into the middle of the white card she is drawn on. The card is propped up between the keys on my black computer keyboard.

*Christine shudders in neurodivergence. Never EVER tell someone with ADHD that they aren’t trying hard enough – you can’t see the effort they have to put in to focus their attention, corral their working memory, and try to get their executive functions to, you know, function. It’s exhausting and takes A LOT of effort – and that’s BEFORE they actually start the task.

fork and vegetables musings about menopausal diet culture
fitness

musings about menopausal diet culture

Nicole P,4 Comments

Content warning: the following post includes personal thoughts about diet/body image.

“I work out 5 days a week. Eat enough protein, not too many carbs, good sleep and on HRT and I’m (not losing weight/still gaining weight).
“

The above quote is a variation on similar ones that I see on various social media platforms. Some days, (in my head), when I see these comments, I think, “maybe that’s the size you are supposed to be after doing those things” (feeling annoyed and smug at the same time)

Then, the next morning on the scale after a good strength day (preceded by a run day) and a good sleep week. “Ugh, why does the scale keep going up.”

Menopausal me isn’t that different from 30 year old me, to be honest. I like to think I’ve moved past my early societal indoctrination into diet culture.

Around age 31, I started running, working out more regularly (quit smoking for good) and, may have even stopped weighing myself for awhile. Trying to silence the Gen X childhood, lookalike daughter to a woman people would joke to about her size. Yes, while she was in a larger body, people would call her “Slim” for “Simi”. She was always on a diet. Eating cottage cheese and pineapple (everything old is new again) and (stressfully, joyfully?) sneaking parts of Michele’s Baguette’s cheese buns on car rides home.

Simi wasn’t into fitness. She tried to get active, here and there (cycling with friends, only to tumble and injure herself, walking on the treadmill, on and off, for years). She became fitter than ever in her late 50s after her first angioplasty and becoming a star student in cardio rehab. So much so, there was a piece written about her in the local newspaper.

She became svelter over the years, sometimes from more walking. Sometimes from less sugar. Sometimes from medications to manage her Type II diabetes. She even switched to GLP-1 to replace Metformin and it made her svelter in her older years. More fitting to her nickname,”Slim”.

In her last couple years, she shrunk to nothing. As is not uncommon, when someone is in the palliative stage, she couldn’t keep weight on. I could still hear the happiness in her voice when she would hear the latest wee size. She had to weigh herself, everyday, so she would know how much Lasix to take, to keep down the fluids in her legs, the fluids weighing down her (giant) heart.

I would hear her exclaiming she was “112 pounds” or whatever. As much as I would give anything to have her stronger, healthier, stature back, the one she wanted more than anything to shrink, I would be happy for her.

I understood how, while her appetite wasn’t as big, as she needed energy to continue to LIVE, she was relishing her ability to eat a bit of ice cream, without guilt. To think about what she wanted to eat that day and, no matter the salt, oil, bread, content, just eat it.

I remember being in elementary school and other students joking about how, on meet the teacher nights, they had to move the desks apart so my Mom could fit through.

I wish my natural reaction was, “so what??!”

I wish my natural reaction had been, “do you know my Mom gives the BEST, “squishy”, hugs? The kind of hugs that I craved for the safe, pillowy-ness, they provided?”

I wish my natural reaction had been to not care, in the ’80s when I lost weight when I had pneumonia, and I beamed at the compliments, from family friends about how thin I had become, in such a short time.

I wish I had focussed on the amazing hugs (which I also liked to give to friends in the school yard when I was in grade 1) and not how I was “little Simi” at the same time that I wanted to be thin and beautiful like the supermodels in Glamour magazine.

I wish that I hadn’t internalized all the love for thin females and the power it seemed to invoke, by starting to diet when I was 11. Sure, I still discovered “double double coffee” around that time and running to the strip mall at lunch for golden fries, salty fries. But, I started counting those fries. I started calculating what I should and shouldn’t eat.

In all honesty, as much as I learned to appreciate what exercise does for my body, outside of weight management – as much as I worked for the last 20 years to try to silence diet culture and, “what I should look like”, I don’t think that ’80s dieter has ever completely gone away.

It seemed to get quieter for awhile. People seemed to talk about getting thin less. I went to gyms with other middle aged women who focus on the strength training and good vibes more than how many calories are being burned.

I’m not the first one to notice that diet culture and thinness are back with a vengeance. Add thousands of Gen X and older Millennials, going on about the wonders of the perfect mix of protein, cortisol reducing potions, exercise, HRT – and GLP-1 and the noise about thinness is bigger than ever.

I’m also noticing some coaches, ones who mean well, ones who will gladly espouse the dangers of diet culture, finding new ways to promote variations on diet culture. I can’t help but think that obsessing about how much protein I am eating every day, tracking food in any form, ultimately does nothing other than feed into the compulsions for orthorexia that are lying dormant. I also see these coaches talking about their past lessons and the reasons why they are promoting these new “ways” as the key to lasting peace with their bodies. With their serenity. When I see these coaches posting about their past struggles and their new findings (that they are selling, of course), I can’t help but liken it to certain religious groups who provide countdowns to the apocalypse, only to start the recount when that date comes and goes without frogs dropping from the sky.

At a time when women’s rights are at threat in grand old democracies. At a time when women have every right to be angry about a myriad of things most people feel helpless about, it seems, the old tug to try to control (probably foolishly) our bodies won’t go away. If not us, who else. If not now, when?

I don’t even feel OK providing advice, because, I am still working on myself. Hopefully, I’ll have the privilege, not afforded to all, for many decades, to continue working on myself. I feel kind of ashamed of that privilege, to be honest. To waste my precious resources on thinking about what size my body should be. At the end of the day, I hope I’ll be able to use this body, whatever shape it is in, for the greater good. For more important things.

Whatever happens, those important things won’t have anything to do with how much protein I eat (or failed to eat) on any given day.

Nicole P. is doing what she has done for years and trying to block out the menopausal “diet” cues.

fitness · skate

You’re never too old! Sam and Sarah take a learn-to-skate lesson

Sam BLeave a comment

Sam

After our winter weekend triathlon,  Sarah and I returned to Guelph determined to improve our skating. I signed up for Skate Canada’s CanSkate program and the first class was Tuesday night, and Sarah decided to join me.

But first I had to buy a helmet (my first time wearing one,  times have changed) and new skates (after the mice ate my old ones.) These are figure skates but they’re designed to be comfy and they’re black rather than the traditional white.

Fun times. Yes, a little bit terrifying. It took me a few minutes before I let go of the boards. But also lots and lots of fun.

We all warmed up together and then split into different groups based on our ability.

I enjoyed all the new Canadians on the ice in our very beginner group. .

I was also impressed by the people who’d advanced past beginner. They looked good! I took that as inspiration.

By the end,  I was skating somewhat comfortably forward and not so comfortably backward. Stopping is a whole other matter. Lots of work to do there.  I even got a sticker on my helmet for successfully completing my first lesson!

Reflecting on this, I was surpised by the reaction of friends and colleagues. There was a lot of “age is just a number”and “I guess it’s never too late.” I hadn’t really thought of this as age thing at all. I don’t get the idea that you stop doing new things as you get older. I hate the idea of doing less and less with age.

My own reaction? I love learning new things.

There’s a kind of excitement in being a complete beginner,  found in the very early stages of doing a new thing. I hope I keep on finding new things.  I mean,  I accept that with age I’m not going to get better and better at some of the old things I’ve been doing my whole life,  so the better and better energy I love has to come from new things.

Also,  although you likely know this,  it’s not a comparative better and better. It’s totally better and better for me.

I am really leaning into my word of the year, EXPAND, and I think it was a terrific choice. See Fit Feminists’ Words of the Year 2026: #WOTY and From swimming to skating, Sam is expanding her horizons and learning new things.

I keep thinking EXPAND EXPAND EXPAND, like Rocky in Project Hail Mary and his AMAZE AMAZE AMAZE.

Sarah

As someone who thought skating is like riding a bike I was surprised by how much I wobbled around during our recent trip to the skating trail at Arrowhead Provincial Park. I was ok skating forward but struggled a lot with the whole manoeuvring thing.

When Sam tracked down adult learn-to-skate lessons I jumped at the opportunity to have a skills refresher. I really enjoyed our first lesson. It felt great to go back to basics and I was already feeling more stable by the end. I can’t wait to go back this week!

Logo of CANSkate featuring a stylized red maple leaf and an ice skate blade, representing Canadian figure skating.
fitness

Monday morning Zwift, #30DaysOfBiking

Sam BLeave a comment

Last week we had a day with a high of 22 (feels like 24) and brilliant sunshine. I thought that the 30 days of riding in April was off to an excellent start.

See April’s Gonna Be Pure Joy, Baby.

And on the weekend, I had fun taking Sarah’s 12-year-old nephew out fat bike riding at the farm. That was its own kind of muddy fun.

This week begins with a high of 5 and a low of -7, with possible snow showers. I’m not really feeling the Monday Morning bike commute.  Instead, I joined the Herd on Zwift for their Monday Morning Coffee Crew ride.

Here’s my morning playlist, thanks to Spotify, and apologies to family members who didn’t have to be up at 6 am.

Here’s my view of the screen from the bike.

That’s my avatar in the pink hat with the neon pink wheels on her bike. That’s my pocket Scotty-the-squirrel sticking out of my left jersey pocket, growing as my streak grows. And yes, my red socks don’t match exactly but they’re special flame socks.

Here’s Cheddar on the couch watching me ride. He looks like he’s been up all night studying, but the Chemistry notes are Gwen’s.

Here’s the ride report.

fitness

Springing off the couch

fieldpoppy4 Comments

About 8 years ago, I wrote a post about how I feel like I’d gone through about eight different fitness identities in my life — and I was wondering which one I was entering. I thought it was “Aging Adventurer.” Maybe that’s what happened — I certainly traveled a lot, rode my bike in a lot of different countries and territories, engaged with grit in all sorts of different ways. But that’s not so much true right now. It’s more… Try Hard to Get Off the Couch.

Since I turned 60 last year, I’ve definitely… slowed down. It’s a lot harder to see the “adventurer” part as being louder than “aging.” This was the first winter in almost 20 years I didn’t travel anywhere warm or sunny, and I found it very… heavy. Dark, cold, lots of emotional residue of various kinds. For some reason, I canceled my gym membership. I just… hibernated.

I’m curious — am I alone in this? How easy is it for all of you to stick to your movement intentions, to set a training plan and follow it, to argue in your head between the couch and whatever diversion besets you (scrolling, gaming, mindless TV, consumables of whatever kind…)? What are you noticing?

A child wearing a colorful jacket swings on a swing set in a park, with houses and cloudy skies in the background.

I used to be able to happily run 5 kilometres without drama. Last Friday, I ran 3 km for the first time in months and — after a cold and a bunch of stitches in my hand after a kitchen accident last weekend, it was a Feat. I am finding it a lot harder to get myself outside, to get off the couch, to feel rested enough to even contemplate an adventure. The world and all that out yonder sure doesn’t help.

I’m just noticing, and realizing I have to set some actual intentions, that I am not the person who can just get on a bike and ride all day without training anymore. I’m trying to define what it is I am trying to do in my body.

Today was Easter Sunday. I was at my youngest sister’s house, with my other sister. The adults were sitting at the kitchen table eating chips and salsa and yammering about our lives. My 5 year old niece asked me to come and play bubbles with her. I listened. We went outside did bubbles, then walked to the park. I brought a skipping rope. We jumped a bit and climbed and I pushed her on the swing and we did some running. And I remembered why it’s important to listen when the fresh air calls.

Happy spring. What’s motivating you?

Fieldpoppy is Cate Creede-Desmarais, who is very happy that spring is finally almost here.

A person wearing blue glittery bunny ears and glasses poses for a selfie in front of a window with raindrops. The background shows a backyard and residential houses.

Fit is a Feminist Issue,  Week in Review,  April 5, 2026, #ICYMI
fitness

Fit is a Feminist Issue,  Week in Review,  April 5, 2026, #ICYMI

Sam BLeave a comment

Spring is almost here — or at least we’re all desperately hoping it is. This week on the blog, the arrival of April set the tone: we wrote about getting outside, getting back to it, and the small daily habits that are harder than they look.

There were twelve posts, by seven bloggers: Sam, Tracy, Diane, Christine, Nicole, Nat, and Catherine.

Themes of the week: the seasonal shift from winter to spring, fresh starts (running, cycling, mobility routines), cutting through wellness noise, creativity as part of a healthy life, and ritual as a source of renewal.

Posts this week:

🌸 Overcoming Everyday Struggles: My 10-Minute Mobility Routine (Sam, March 30)


🌸 Sam’s Monday Musings: The New Path Protocol (and Why I’m Taking It) (Sam, March 30)

☘️ Top Ten Blog Posts in March 2026 (Sam, March 31)

🌼 April? Tomorrow? Really? (Christine, March 31)

🌼 Goodbye Winter? Maybe, Hopefully (Diane, April 1)

🌹 Getting back to it…again (Tracy, April 1)

🌷 Happy (Late) National Walking Day! And a request for some advice (Sam, April 2)

🌻 Catching Up with Maintenance Phase (Diane, April 2)

🌻 What’s the fitness prescription? (Nicole, April 3)

🌺 Checking in on #30DaysOfBiking (Sam, April 3)

🌷Nat checks in on her word of the year (WOTY) “create” (Nat, April 4)

🌺 On Easter Day — movement and stillness, ritual and rebirth (Catherine, April 5)

Yellow daffodils.By Tim Gouw for Unsplash. On Easter Day– movement and stillness, ritual and rebirth
fitness · holidays

On Easter Day– movement and stillness, ritual and rebirth

catherine wLeave a comment

This week has been a very busy one for me. It’s the week leading up to Easter Sunday, which is today. For those whose religious traditions celebrate Easter, there is a lot of preparing: through attendance at church services, cooking, crafting, dyeing and decorating eggs, pulling out spring finery from the closet, all in anticipation of this day.

And what is this day? As a feminist and church lady, it’s a lot of things to me:

  • a reminder of rebirth
  • a reminder of renewal
  • a reminder of spring (which we sorely need in New England!)
  • a reminder of the importance of community

Today I put on my big Easter hat, head to church, listen, sing, enjoy watching the kids hunt for Easter eggs, and sip on a mimosa (yes, my church has something for the kids and the adults for our Easter coffee hour!).

Then, I do some cooking, head to a friend’s house, embrace others, enjoy conversation, share food, and revel in more community.

Finally, I head home and get in bed, reflecting on the goodness that life brings (along with all the other stuff that I’m not talking about at this moment).

Isn’t it awesome that we get to experience, rejig, reimagine and revisit special days and rituals? I think so. Especially the reimagining part. My father died 25 years ago on Easter Sunday. That changed the holiday for me, and rightly so. But over time, those experiences and memories all became part of the day for me. I think of him as I watch the kids in their Sunday best and as I greet my friends, bringing pound cake to the party.

Tomorrow brings a return to the everyday: work and yoga and meditation and students and exams and regular cooking and walking. That’s also good. But for today, I wish you a good day of reflection or ritual or rest.

Happy Easter!

Me in my blue Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it.
Me in my blue Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it.

fitness

Fat biking at the farm in Prince Edward County,  #30DayOfBiking

Sam BLeave a comment

This Easter weekend I kept my #30daysofbiking streak alive with J at the farm in Prince Edward County.

J is Sarah’s 12 year old nephew and he’s our frequent weekend fitness and board game companion on family weekends at the farm.

Yes,  it was wet and muddy but the fat bike tires are good for that. It turns out that 12 year olds put up with riding uphill in order to zoom downhill. Confession: I love that too.

Join me in the 30 days of biking challenge.

See April’s Gonna Be Pure Joy Baby.

Nat checks in on her word of the year (WOTY) “create”
Sat with Nat · WOTY

Nat checks in on her word of the year (WOTY) “create”

natalieh (she/her)Leave a comment

I was cheeky in December picking “create” for 2026 because I already knew I would be retiring from waged work on May 1 to write full time.

You can read what all of our bloggers picked here

Spring has arrived and with 1 month to go until I retire, how have I embraced “create”?

Creating Space

I organized and furnished my home office as a way to shift my thinking about this space. I’ve re-named it my studio. My creative hobbies include writing, music, drawing, and a distressing number of handicrafts.

A short, white shelving unit is tucked under a window with wine rack sections filled with yarns. The bottom is rows of drawers filled with an undisclosed number of handicrafts.

Socializing around artful activities

I have to credit my dear friend Jess with this one. She and I are committed to learning how to make things. We recently participated in a really great screen printing workshop at Museum London facilitated by Soft Flirt. She took a short video demonstrating how to pull the ink over the screen on her Instagram account.

A whit bandanna with 4 starbursts, a denim patch with an eye, and two tea towels with bold geometric designs. I am so pleased how they turned out!

Getting creative about working out

Recently, Michel and I have had especially hectic schedules. We renovated the basement which included our workout space. So we brought weights into the living room, used elastic bands, body weight exercises and lots of stretching and physiotherapy.

Protecting time to write

I’m working on a book and I’m so fortunate to be in a tiny trio of a writing group with Vanessa Brown & Karen Hendry. They have both published books over the more than 10 years we have been meeting.

We tried a new monthly accountability deadline and meet up to support and provide feedback.

Of all the things I have done, this is the one that has bolstered my creative output the most.

Taking up the craft at hand

I struggle to complete projects. I LOVE dreaming of new projects. I enjoy buying the supplies. I get a pleasant bump when I start. Then almost immediately my mind drifts to a new project. This can get expensive and a bit overwhelming.

So I’m working through my craft “stash”. I’ve crocheted and knitted all kinds of things with existing yarn. Cotton dishcloths, a giant granny square pillow for my bed, a crossbody purse and now …now I’ve picked up the shawl kit I bought in Iceland.

The yarn is tiny, the construction unique. I’m struggling to stay committed even though it is GORGEOUS.

Curved wedges of white, orange, grey and brown are separated by glimmering strands of black, gold and copper. The pattern looks like a dragonfly wing under a microscope.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragonflywing

What’s next?

My next tasks are creating a schedule that includes regular movement and workouts.

Michel and I have a solid dog walking routine to start our day and at lunch. I want to complement that with cycling, strength training and stretching. Hopefully I won’t need as much physiotherapy if I stick to it!

Overall

I’m finding going back to “create” to challenge myself and make positive changes has really helped me this year. I feel like I’m getting back to myself.

fitness

Checking in on #30DaysOfBiking

Sam BLeave a comment

I started off April’s #30DaysOfBiking with some bike commuting between my house and my office.  It’s a tiny commute but I got out there.

Here’s what that looks like:

I finished up the first week with some indoor Zwifting. I did the Expand workout.

“What’s your limit? It’s time to expand it. The Expand workout runs you through a series of high-power surges that increase in length. This targets your ability to surge over and over and hold those efforts longer.”

Here’s what the looked like for me:

How about you? How did your first few days of April riding go?