My resolution for 2025 was no back-to-back meetings. At the end of last year, I had to schedule in bio & eating breaks—it was that bad. It was also entirely my fault. I have major FOMO and I often say yes before I really think it through (I like to pretend that I'm more machine than human).
This year, while starting off a bit better, I'm still mostly in back-to-back meetings on most days. The reality is that I like to work. I like to feel productive. So instead of feeling guilty about it, I made one small change so that it worked in my favour.
I'm sharing this because in almost all of my external meetings with new folks, people are very very interested and ask a lot of questions.
What was the change?
I now take all my meetings on a walking pad.
Besides being able to move my body and get over 150k steps in this month alone, it also helps in other fun areas:
It's reduced my guilt about not exercising, which frees my mind up.
It's given me back time after work because I'm done work and steps.
It's a great icebreaker when meeting new people in meetings.
Here are my top 5 tips if you've been thinking about it for yourself:
1. Resist 0 to 100: Going from sitting 100% of the time to a walking pad is going to be a major leap for most people—and I believe contributes to people thinking they're unable to do it. Don't do it. Save your money and hold off on making the walking pad purchase.
2. Start with a standing desk: Get used to standing for 4-6 hours a day. Ikea has a great low cost option that I've used for years. Get to the point where you can easily do deep work while standing up. That's when you know you've got it.
3. Walking Pad Noise: I've tried a few models. Make sure you can trial it at home and return if it doesn't work. One thing that really bothered me about some of the cheaper ones was that the track kept shifting off-center, causing weird grinding noises. The track should stay centred and, while all walking pads will make noise, most people on my calls can't hear anything. I got a used Kingsmith (thanks Joanna!).
4. Gamify It: Most watches, including my Apple Watch and Garmin, don’t record walking pad steps because they rely on arm movement—but when using a walking pad with a standing desk, your arms are usually resting. This is annoying for someone like me who likes to see data to stay motivated. Newer walking pads have apps you can use to turn them on and track your steps. I didn't think I would care but I really LOVE this feature now. My January data below.
5. You Will Fall: When you get really used to it, you may forget you're on it and go off centre and scare the living sh*t out of yourself when you go off the side. Wear runners—it protects your ankles—and then laugh it off.
Final thoughts: It's not for everyone and that's okay. The point is, maybe we've been looking at things from a certain perspective and that makes us feel stuck. What if we shifted things around to work in your favour. Same things, different impact.
Taking Our Places
In January I worked Stephanie from Elements of Health to screen the M Factor Film about Menopause to an audience of over 300 women (and four amazing men). We laughed, some of us cried (or laugh cried) and we got into all the good stuff about anxiety, pelvic floor, sex and so much more.
It was AMAZING in so many ways.
What I personally took away from that night, after reflection and of course all the good medical information, was how powerful and important this journey is. Not just menopause education but menopause itself.
Once seen as this horrible transition of aging, might now be seen as the power of elderhood as we take our place building what we want to see in the world to benefit society. Something that Dr. Roy Casagrande went viral on TikTok for recently when he proposed that women go through menopause to become knowledge keepers from an evolutionary standpoint.
Mind blown.
As Sharon Blackie speaks to in many of her books: "We should always take time to nurture our dreams and use them to help us dream our elder selves into being ... many women find that their dreams become more vivid around the time of menopause and pay more attention to them."
So take your place and build your dreams.
Things I Love (and learned about)
- I've moved over to the Nike running app recently (it's free) and it's been a total game changer for me. There are options for all levels, guided and unguided. I highly recommend if you're thinking about running again or want some support with your current running program.
- Great news! If you know someone who missed the M Factor screening, the producers of the show are now making it available online (for a small fee). Go here for more information.
In solidarity 🖤
makeher is a labour of love because I believe that women deserve to feel good, build wealth and wellness, and create a life that inspires them. We do this by sharing our stories and challenging the status quo. I'm here for that.
What to expect? I'm the co-founder and CEO of joni, board member at FemTech Canada and mother of two teenage daughters. I send out just one email on the first day of each month about things I've learned, loved and tried through the lens of a 45 year old perimenopausal woman in a world built for men by men. Read prior months here.
If you don't feel this newsletter is for you, that's ok. Just know that I'll miss you.
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