Episode 23 - Strength is Political: Why Women's Strength Matters More than Ever

Episode 25 - Disruption: A Path to Freedom, in Fitness, Health and Life

Louise Green explores disruption as a force in life, fitness, and feminism. Drawing on personal experience and the film Nomadland, she unpacks what it means to reject the scripts we're handed — nice, small, married, done by 40 — and build something more honest instead. Key Topics * Disruption as a lens for life and fitness, not just rebellion for its own sake * Challenging societal and family expectations * Feminism as the throughline of personal empowerment * Redefining fitness and body image at any size * Living authentically beyond prescribed timelines * Disruption as refusal, not rebellion * Owning your story, your space, and your body * Midlife as a pivotal point for reinvention Takeaways * Disruption is refusal — choosing not to fit a mold that was never built for you, rather than rebelling against it for shock value. * You don't need to meet traditional fitness standards to be strong. * Living authentically means questioning the scripts you inherited, not just breaking rules. * Midlife is a prime moment for redefining identity and goals — often because the old map runs out, not because you chose a blank slate. * Disrupting norms publicly gives other women permission to do the same. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the concept of disruption 02:02 Societal expectations and life trajectories 04:03 Changing careers and challenging family norms 05:51 Disruption in fitness culture and body image 08:46 Women living unconventionally and owning space 12:00 Disrupting health and aging myths 15:05 Living authentically beyond societal norms 18:00 Disruption as a pillar of feminism 20:57 Midlife as a pivotal point for reinvention 24:09 Personal stories of disruption and courage 27:03 A call to disrupt expectations and live fully Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 24 - Fitness is a Feminist Issue

Fitness does not exist in a vacuum. Women arrive at movement carrying decades of messaging about beauty, body size, aging, worth, and what it means to take up space in the world. In this episode, Louise Green explores why fitness is a feminist issue, examining the historical, cultural, and economic forces that have shaped women's relationships with their bodies. From Victorian ideals of fragility to modern wellness culture, she unpacks how women have been encouraged to shrink, consume less, and view their bodies as lifelong improvement projects. Louise offers a different vision of fitness—one rooted in strength, autonomy, self-trust, and participation—while sharing practical ways to recognize these influences and build a relationship with movement that supports a bigger, fuller life. Key Topics * Defining feminism beyond politics and common misconceptions * Why fitness is a feminist issue * The historical regulation of women's bodies * From fragility to fitness culture: changing ideals of womanhood * The influence of beauty standards, media, and marketing * How women continue to be valued differently than men * The economics of insecurity and the business of dissatisfaction * Reclaiming fitness as a tool for strength, confidence, and autonomy * Practical ways to challenge inherited beliefs about bodies and worth * Building a relationship with movement that expands life rather than narrows it Link to Jennifer Livingstone's Article (the news anchor bullied by a viewer). [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jennifer-livingston-news-anchor-today-show_n_1935779]  Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 23 - Strength is Political: Why Women's Strength Matters More than Ever

For decades, women have been encouraged to become smaller, quieter, lighter, and less demanding. We have been sold exercise programs designed to burn calories, shrink our bodies, and keep us focused on appearance rather than capability. But what if strength is about far more than fitness? In this episode, Louise Green explores strength as a political act and argues that women's physical strength has implications far beyond the gym. From the rise of aerobics culture to today's obsession with thinness, she examines how generations of women have been conditioned to pursue less of themselves rather than more. Louise discusses why strength training is one of the most powerful tools women have for reclaiming agency, confidence, and autonomy in midlife and beyond. She explores the connection between physical strength, self-efficacy, leadership, boundary setting, resilience, and longevity, while challenging the cultural narratives that have encouraged women to stay small. This conversation dives into the science, history, and social implications of strength, revealing why lifting weights may be one of the most radical investments women can make in themselves. In this episode: • Why strength is the foundation upon which confidence, courage, and empowerment are built • How women have historically been conditioned toward thinness rather than capability • The fitness industry's role in reinforcing body ideals and disconnection from strength • The relationship between resistance training, self-efficacy, and decision-making • Why stronger women often report greater confidence, clearer boundaries, and increased agency • The evidence linking strength training to improved healthspan, independence, and longevity • Why building strength in midlife is an act of resistance against ageism and diet culture Key Takeaways Strength is not vanity. It is capacity. Strength is not simply about muscle. It is about freedom, resilience, autonomy, and possibility. You cannot outsource strength, borrow it, or fake it. You earn it through repetition, discomfort, and persistence. The strongest investment a woman can make may not be in becoming smaller, but in becoming more capable. Memorable Quotes "Strength is the foundation of everything else." "Women have spent generations learning how to take up less space. Strength teaches us how to take up more." "Stronger women make different decisions because they trust themselves differently." "Strength is not just physical. It changes how you move through the world." Chapters 00:00 – Why Strength Is Political 02:25 – The Cultural Conditioning of Women to Stay Small 09:06 – The History of Women's Fitness and Strength Training 16:23 – Diet Culture's Impact on Women's Relationship With Strength 21:57 – Strength, Healthspan, and Longevity 24:48 – Building Strength as an Act of Self-Investment and Resistance Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 22: The Identities We Outgrow: Who Are You Becoming?

Who you are today is not who you'll be a year from now. We are always evolving.  In this week's Riff, Louise explores one of the most powerful, and often uncomfortable, parts of personal growth: identity change. Inspired by the ideas in Atomic Habits by James Clear and her own experiences navigating major life transitions, Louise examines what happens when the identities we've carried no longer fit the lives we're trying to build. Many of us become attached to old stories about who we are: the athlete, the people-pleaser, the caretaker, the "big person," the successful professional, the parent with a busy household. But life moves in seasons. Relationships change. Bodies change. Priorities shift. And sometimes growth requires us to release identities that once served us so we can step into new ones. In this episode, Louise explores why lasting change isn't about setting better goals, it's about becoming the kind of person who naturally lives those behaviours. She discusses how habits reinforce identity, why confidence follows action, and how small daily choices become evidence for the person you're becoming. Whether you're rebuilding after loss, navigating midlife, changing careers, strengthening your relationship with movement, or simply feeling the pull toward something new, this conversation is an invitation to stop asking, "Who am I?" and start asking, "Who am I becoming?" In this episode: *  Why identity is the foundation of lasting behavior change  *  How habits provide evidence for who we believe ourselves to be  *  The identities we inherit versus the identities we intentionally choose  *  Why growth often requires grieving former versions of ourselves  *  How fear keeps us attached to familiar identities  *  The connection between action, confidence, and self-belief  *  Practical ways to begin building the identity you want to embody Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]

Episode 21: Getting Off the Bench: Finding the Courage Before You Are "Ready"

How many opportunities, dreams, adventures, conversations, careers, relationships, and goals have been left sitting on the bench while we wait to feel ready? In this episode, Louise shares a lesson that has shaped some of her biggest moments of her life: confidence doesn't come before action, it comes because of action. Whether it's signing up for a race, applying for the job, starting the business, joining the gym, ending the relationship, writing the book, or stepping onto a competition platform, most of us spend far too much time waiting for certainty. We tell ourselves we'll do it when we're more confident, more prepared, more experienced, or less afraid. But that's not how growth works. In this conversation, Louise explores why discomfort is a normal part of growth, what neuroscience tells us about building confidence, and how every small act of courage expands our sense of what's possible. You'll learn why waiting to feel ready can keep you stuck, how action rewires the brain, and why the people we admire most aren't necessarily braver than us they've simply practiced taking the next step. In This Episode: * Why confidence is a result of action, not a prerequisite * The neuroscience of fear, uncertainty, and growth * How avoiding discomfort shrinks our world * Why courage and confidence are built through repetition * Lessons from competition, performance, and putting yourself out there * The hidden cost of waiting for the "perfect" moment * How taking one small step can change the trajectory of your life * A simple challenge to help you get off the bench this week Louise Green is an award-winning coach with 20 years invested in working with women of all body sizes. She has coached thousands of women from all over the world, if you're ready take the next step in your strength, check out her coaching program: https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong [https://www.louisegreeninc.com/size-strong]