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Summary
On episode 610 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, a global wellness platform reaching millions of women in more than 100 countries, and author of Well to the Core.
Robin's book is not really a Pilates workout book, even though she has taught it for more than a decade. It is built around the mindset work she believes has to happen before diet and exercise changes actually stick, starting with how you define wellness in the first place.
The conversation covers reframing wellness away from weight loss and all-or-nothing thinking, relearning to listen to your body's signals, and deciding who you want to be before choosing your next habit.
Links
- https://lindywell.com
Key Takeaways
- Wellness does not equal weight loss. Robin says before and after photos only show one dimension, physical appearance, while true wellness is much broader. Something that helps you lose weight is not automatically healthy.
- Ditch the all-or-nothing mentality. Robin points to the common pattern of “I blew it, I'll start again Monday.” She argues that mindset guarantees repeated starting and stopping, while small, consistent steps actually build lasting change.
- Redefine success away from how you look. Robin's own examples: success is getting dressed without spiraling into negative self-talk, or jumping in the pool with her kids instead of hiding under a cover-up, regardless of what the scale says that day.
- Choose grace over guilt. When you skip a workout or eat off plan, Robin says you do not have to layer on shame or label yourself a failure. Extending yourself the same compassion you would offer a friend keeps you moving forward instead of quitting.
- Relearn to listen to your body's signals. Years of diet culture train people to override hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Robin recommends simple check-ins throughout the day, a quick body scan asking what you actually need right now.
- What works for someone else may not work for you right now. Robin shares her own burnout and hormonal imbalance, when pushing hard with high intensity workouts was the wrong call for her even though it worked fine for her husband. She says decisions, including whether to have a drink with friends, should run through the filter of your current season of life.
- Decide who you want to be, then act like that person today. Robin has readers write a vision of their future self and ask what that person would do right now, go for a walk instead of scrolling, drink water instead of another coffee, rather than just reacting to the day in front of them.
- Robin's three strategies to get and stay well: catch yourself falling into all-or-nothing thinking and correct course, rediscover a form of movement you genuinely enjoy rather than one you feel obligated to do, and choose grace over guilt when you have an off day.
“If we are not well, everything else is going to suffer.”
Robin Long
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 611 – 11 must know gym etiquette tips
Episode Notes
Podcast: 40+ Fitness
Episode: 610
Published: 2023-10-03
Host: Allan Misner (aka Coach Allan), author of The Wellness Roadmap
Guest(s): Robin Long, our co-host, Coach Rachel, Well to the Core
Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube (audio only)