I’m Lyndsay Wells, A PT and nutrition coach with a passion for helping women feel and become the best version of themselves. I work with men and women, but a lot of my clients are perimenopausal and I love being able to support them through this phase of life. I have over 15 years’ experience in the fitness industry, two teenage daughters and a lot of life experience which enables me to understand and empathise with my clients.
My friend and fellow PT and nutrition coach, Lauren Randall and I , have started a podcast called “Fit and Feminist” which you can listen to weekly. We encourage people to send in questions and we’ll do our best to give you the help you need to succeed. The podcast covers a range of issues that our clients are faced with and we aim to offer help, advice and a sense of humour around the challenges of life today.
The most important things for women as we pass 35 and beyond is to really think about prioritising protein and getting in some resistance training. I can’t emphasise enough how these two simple changes can make a big difference to how we feel, our body composition and future health. We should be aiming to preserve as much muscle mass, strength and bone density as possible for healthy ageing and enjoyment of life.
Resistance training and being generally more active has so many health benefits and I’d encourage everyone to take it up in a way that they enjoy. Feeling stronger carries over into other aspects of our lives; we are more confident, self-assured and motivated to push ourselves to go for a new role at work, to assert ourselves and try other new things. There is nothing more empowering than lifting something heavier than you ever thought you could.
Resistance training is any movement where we are pushing, pulling and pressing against a force or weight. We can use our own body weight, resistance bands, kettle bells, dumbbells or a barbell. You don’t need much space or equipment and you can start by performing exercises like press ups, squats and deadlifts at home and you don’t need to work with really heavy weights either. When I work with people in a personal training environment, we build up confidence and technique over time, gradually increasing the load and variation depending on an individual’s needs and goals
In terms of nutrition, the thing I see most people struggling with is negative self-talk and a poor relationship with food. We tend to have an “all or nothing” approach and expect fast results which then leads to yo-yo dieting which is always slower in the long run. Patience really is a virtue when it comes to losing body fat and having some support from a coach and your friends and family makes a big difference.
There is so much conflicting advice out there and an abundance of social media “influencers” with contradicting messages and products to sell – it’s not surprising we can feel overwhelmed. My advice to everyone but especially women entering perimenopause and onwards is to make sure you base most of your meals around a protein source like chicken, fish, beans, tofu or plant-based meat alternatives and vegetables. For breakfast, high protein yoghurts are great to add to porridge but things like omelettes or eggs with beans and mushrooms would be a good savoury option.
As a general rule, 25g of protein per eating occasion would be a good place to start and around 100g per day spread across your meals to optimise the benefits. A more specific number of grams of protein needed per day is down to the individual and this would be given as part of a nutrition plan when I am coaching someone with a fat loss or body composition goal.
Eating a variety of coloured fruit and vegetables will help keep you satisfied, reduce your risk of several health issues like type 2 diabetes, colon cancer and high blood pressure. I always recommend that people think about protein and vegetables before adding a carbohydrate and fat source as we generally tend to consume more than enough processed carbohydrates and saturated fats.
All foods can be included in our diets, nothing is bad or good, we just need to learn how to balance our energy input and output.
My top 5 most important actions for overall health would be:
We tend to think there is a magic diet, we label foods as good or bad and over complicate things. Think about more and adding in rather than less with the mindset of restriction, depriving ourselves or finding eating healthily a chore. This way, we have a much better chance of success.
If you’d like more information on how to work with me and the services I offer, you can contact me on any of the platforms below
T 07919 090788
Podcast: The Fit and Feminist Podcast
On Monday we headed down to LIFT Gym for one of Lyndsay’s PT sessions. We focused on strength training and OMG – it’s true what they say – IT WAS AMAZING!
I think apart from Emma, whose a regular, we were all a little apprehensive about going to an actual gym and doing weights with a PT. I had visions of being shouted at whilst I lift 100kg for 50 reps, followed by another 50! I never expected to actually enjoy myself! And now I realise the idea of a PT is not to shout at you until you keel over. They’re there as your cheerleader – your biggest supporter who knows exactly what to do, and more importantly, how much you can do. Think less shouting and more words of encouragement.
Lyndsay was great at putting you at ease, correcting you if you were doing something wrong, but mainly she was just brilliant at empowering you to do the very best you can. The way she made all of us feel was just incredible! I’ve heard a lot about strength training recently – and the effect it has on your mental health. I was always a little dubious when people said what a positive impact it has had on them. But one session in, I’m sold! You’re lifting weights, you feel strong, you ARE strong – and that attitude carries on long after you leave. I honestly felt invincible after that session, like I could do anything!
The session itself was about an hour, full warm up and stretches afterwards, with a whole range of circuit strength training in the middle. Using our bodies in the first instance – resistance training, and then going on to the weights. Nothing felt un-doable, in-fact I’ll go as far to say as all of it was enjoyable (well maybe not the press ups!). I have to say though – nothing beats the feeling of lifting actual weights. We all managed to deadlift 45kg (my PB!) – I can certainly see how people get addicted to this.
Take a look at how we got on over on our Instagram reel.
Reviewed March 2023
Disclosure: We were lucky enough to receive this PT session for free however we pinky promised to only write a truthful account.
It’s clear to see that Lyndsay knows her stuff and is AMAZING at what she does! Don’t believe us? Then just read these testimonies:
“I have worked with Lyndsay for some months now, and I can honestly say, because of her, at 49yrs, I am now the person I have always wanted to be. Lyndsay’s knowledge of how our bodies work and what we need is exemplary. But the best thing about working with Lyndsay, is the patients, the kindness and understanding of how our lives are. Busy, complicated, often unpredictable, but I have never been judged or “told off”, I have been encouraged and heard. If anyone is looking to help themselves understand how to make ourselves understand how to make ourselves feel better, to fit the clothes we want to and how to change how we speak to ourselves, then look no further. Lyndsay has truly changed my life and I will be forever grateful.”
“Where do I even start! I found Lyndsay when I was in a very dark place and needed to make some changes. I have been working with Lyndsay for some time now and I have to say that Lyndsay’s knowledge is unbelievable. She challenges me in a way that puts me out of my comfort zone but builds my confidence at the same time. No two sessions are exactly the same but there is always a plan to build progression which i love. I have worked with PTs before and can honestly say that Lyndsay explains in a way that makes so much sense. Which muscles we are targeting, how to set realistic goals and I get soooo much out of every session not just exercise! We have a giggle but we work hard. Lyndsay is a true inspiration to me – she practicaes what she preaches. She’s helped me beyond words! I adore Lyndsay.”
