Wellness Tips for Thriving Through May
Hello from The Magnetic Coach,
Mind. Body. Balance. Evolution | MAY 2025 Issue
Wellness Tips for Thriving Through May.
As the days grow longer and the energy of spring builds around us, it’s the perfect time to check in on your wellness foundation — and strengthen it where needed.
Here are a few tips to help you move through May feeling strong, connected, and empowered:
1. Hydrate for Energy and Recovery
Longer days and warmer weather increase your hydration needs — especially if you’re active outdoors. Start your day with warm lemon water or coconut water before coffee, and aim for steady hydration throughout the day.
Personally, I use Trace Minerals in my water daily to help replenish what my body’s missing — especially since so much is stripped from our food and water before it even makes it to us. It’s a small but powerful tool that helps me stay balanced.
I’ve also been using RSP Amino Lean during workouts and for recovery — it’s been a great addition for hydration, energy, and helping my body bounce back.
2. Focus on Strength Maintenance
Consistency with strength work is critical right now — especially for hormone support, muscle preservation, and bone health. Keep it simple and steady: lift heavy (relative to you), move well, and recover intentionally.
In my work with 1:1 clients, I’m finding that most people don’t actually know what heavy should feel like — and that’s okay. We spend a lot of time on education around this. If you’re working out on your own or training with someone else, it’s worth having the conversation around what “heavy” means for you.
Pro tip: Check in on your RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) — a simple 1–10 scale that helps you gauge how challenging a set really is. A general guide:
1–4 = very light, easy
5–7 = moderate effort
8–9 = hard but doable, with 1–2 reps left in the tank
10 = maximum effort, no reps left
For example: if you’re doing 8 reps with 20 lbs, and you’re flying through them with great form — and could easily knock out 12–15 more with that same weight — that’s a sign it’s too light. You’re likely in the 3–5 RPE range. To build strength, we want to be working closer to an 8 or 9, where the last couple reps feel challenging but still controlled.
3. Manage Cortisol with Movement Variety
Mixing in low-intensity movement (like a walk or easy mobility flow) alongside your higher-intensity days supports hormone balance and helps prevent burnout. It’s not just about pushing harder — it’s about responding smarter.
We shouldn’t be afraid of cortisol — it’s not the villain. We need it to stay alive. It’s a critical hormone that helps us get up, move, respond to danger, and even train hard.
But what is worth paying attention to is how much daily stress we’re stacking onto our systems — work, life, lack of sleep, under-eating, over-training — it all adds up and keeps cortisol elevated longer than it should be.
That’s why I’m a huge advocate for breath work, body scan meditations, and mindful movement — these tools aren’t just fluff. They help bring the body out of that “always on” mode and into recovery, where the real magic happens.
Try This: Parasympathetic Reset Breathwork
Here’s a simple breath pattern to get you grounded:
Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold for 4 seconds
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds
Repeat for 2–3 minutes. You’ll feel your heart rate slow, your shoulders drop, and your system start to shift into calm. It’s a powerful, free tool you can use anytime — before a meal, post-workout, or when the day starts to pile up.
4. Prioritize Protein with Every Meal
Especially during the menopause transition, your body needs adequate protein to repair muscle, support metabolism, and balance blood sugar. Aiming for 35-40g of protein per meal is a game-changer for energy, recovery, and staying full longer.
But here’s the big one: protein is essential for body composition changes. If you’re looking to lean out, build strength, or see more muscle — protein plays a major role. Without it, your body won’t have the building blocks it needs to respond to your workouts.
If you’re unsure whether you’re hitting the mark, track your macros for a few days.
5. Create Small Moments of Stillness
Short moments to reconnect — even just 2–5 minutes — help lower cortisol, boost focus, and create a calm center in the middle of a busy day. A breath practice, a body scan, or simply stepping outside for a few mindful breaths can reset your whole system.
And let’s talk about something simple but powerful: connecting with the Earth.
We don’t utilize this enough. Nature is literally one of the most accessible nervous system tools we have — but we talk ourselves out of it constantly:
“It’s too hot.”
“I’m tired.”
“I just want to lay down.”
“It’s boring.”
The truth is, your body craves this connection. Just standing barefoot in grass, feeling the sun on your skin, or listening to birds for a few minutes can bring your nervous system back into balance. Stillness doesn’t have to be perfect — it just has to be practiced.
Client Spotlight ✨
What a transformation. It’s one thing to show up to train—it’s another to commit, stay open, and realize how strong you truly are, inside and out. Karyn, my client has done just that, and I couldn’t be more proud. Her story speaks for itself:
"If you asked me a year ago if I would be doing deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and knee ups on a Tuesday after work, I would have laughed and changed the subject. The last four months have shown me that I am so much stronger than I give myself credit for, physically and mentally (though I may complain quite often). I have significantly less back pain, so much so that I don’t wake up every morning trying to figure out how to best get out of bed without making it worse. I am able to keep up with my energetic dogs, and am no longer exhausted after physical tasks around the yard or at work. I may not always express my love for whatever Melissa throws my way (plate jumps will never, ever be a love), but I am so grateful for the way she has taught me to listen to my body, push myself, and trust in her guidance.”
Thank you for trusting me to be part of your journey. You’re crushing it—even when there are plate jumps involved 😉
A Personal Note 💬
This spring, I made the decision to start HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) as part of my own wellness journey.
My main drive for going on HRT was to alleviate the joint pain I was experiencing, the dip I felt in my strength during lifting sessions, and the hot flashes that were disrupting my sleep. I just wasn’t feeling like myself — I wasn’t recovering well, and I didn't have the energy to push through my training the way I usually do. And y’all know that’s not me.
It’s been three weeks now — and all of it has dissipated. I’m sleeping like a baby. No more hot flashes. My joints feel lubricated. I’m back to lifting the loads I was at last year — which is exactly where I wanted to be. That weak, drained feeling is gone.
If you're experiencing perimenopause symptoms that are disruptive to your quality of life, I encourage you to speak with your OB about your options. This isn’t the HRT our parents were warned about — the science, formulations, and safety standards have been completely revamped. There are also loads of excellent podcasts and resources available now about the safety and benefits of HRT.
If you want more info, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to share what I've learned.
Final Thought.
You don’t have to do it all. You just have to keep showing up for yourself, one intentional step at a time.
Here’s to a strong, connected, thriving May!
- Melissa
