| | | | There’s something uniquely powerful about being in a room full of women who aren’t just talking about change—they are the change.
That’s exactly what it felt like at our recent event celebrating the launch of Unbreakable, the new book by orthopedic surgeon and longevity expert Dr. Vonda Wright . As I looked around at the crowd of women nodding, laughing, even tearing up during Dr. Wright’s conversation with Peloton instructor Christine D’Ercole, I kept thinking: this is the community we’re building. Not one built on fear of aging, but on agency.
Dr. Wright doesn’t sugarcoat the science. As estrogen declines, our muscles shrink, our bones weaken and our brains can feel like strangers. But what makes her message so galvanizing is the belief that knowledge doesn’t just inform us—it equips us. “We have the ability to choose not to be victims of the passage of time,” she said. That line stuck with me.
So much of what we call “aging” is actually the result of neglect—our own, yes, but also the medical system’s failure to prepare us. That’s changing, thanks in part to women like Dr. Wright, who are rewriting the narrative with strength and specificity. Her book offers a blueprint—not just for staying upright, but for standing tall.
It’s not about avoiding the inevitable. It’s about meeting it prepared, with muscle, data and grit. |
| Move. Think. Rest.—And Rethink What Matters Most Monica Natalie Nixon has long been a champion for infusing creativity into the workplace—but her latest book, Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship with Time, which was released earlier this week, may be her most personal and provocative offering yet. A creativity strategist, author and member of the Flow Space Advisory Council, Nixon brings her signature blend of wonder and rigor to the deeply ingrained hustle culture so many women in midlife know all too well.
In her book, Nixon urges readers to shift away from viewing productivity as output and instead think in terms of cultivation—a more integrative, human-centered approach to work that aligns with the natural rhythms of our brains and bodies. Through the lenses of movement, reflection and rest, she invites us to consider how small but intentional changes can unlock greater creative capacity and, ultimately, more meaningful lives.
Flow Space recently caught up with Nixon to explore how women in midlife can shake off outdated ideas of success, create space for curiosity—and finally, redefine productivity on their own terms. |
Why does “procrastination” and the pressure of getting everything done within a certain time frame tend to weigh heavy on women in midlife, and what’s the first step to reframing that idea of productivity? In midlife, a lot of us have gotten to where we are by being really great taskmasters and responding to deadlines. There is something motivating about a deadline. But at midlife, you know what you know, get into these ruts of working in the same ways. What got us here may not get us to the next part of life. There are also major shifts going on in the brain at this time, and at the same time, we also become more reflective. And when I think about the principles of this book—move, think, rest—it’s the idea that we can approach our work in a much more human-centered, integrative fashion that prioritizes the human dimensions of ourselves. We can shift to thinking about work as a process of cultivation—instead of asking “How might I be more productive?”, think about “What might I cultivate?” It’s a model that values both quick spurts of growth and slow growth.
What are some of your favorite ways to incorporate Move. Think. Rest. activities into your day, and how can this become second nature? For Move: We put so much pressure on ourselves—if you can sprinkle throughout your day opportunities to stand up, or get a standing desk or walking pad, and model that in the workplace, it actually means that your colleagues can show up with their best-thinking selves.
Think: I’m not just interested in cognition and rational thought—thinking is also about how much time we are spending on reflection, imagination and curiosity, and tapping into the value of memory, mind wandering and inspiration. These thinking moments can come from reading a work of fiction or from meditation. I try to take at least one 90-second daydream break in my day.
Rest: Recovery is not just physical recovery through sleep and rest. It’s mental recovery and emotional recovery, especially in situations like layoffs and other instances of high workplace anxiety. Recovery can look like walking and talking, having a call outside, stepping away from your desk, your usual routine and the pressure to be on Zoom. Burnout is a huge buzzword, but it truly impacts a lot of women in midlife. If you could offer only one single step or a solitary piece of advice for women on overcoming burnout—what would it be? What’s interesting is that we’ve gotten to this oxymoron situation—busyness has been normalized and makes us comfortable. What happens is that we air on the side of performative busyness and have concern about being still or having liminal space. You can practice being still with a daydream break. I’ve learned the hard way that I won’t take the break if I don’t schedule it in. What I’m really doing is creating a new habit by allowing myself to take a break. It’s about building new habits that self-correct our infatuation with busyness.
In that new space that you have that’s less busy, find a way to do some brainstorming or ask for advice from a colleague. Build in movement or exercise (take a dance class to engross your mind!) to take advantage of that spaciousness of time.
How do you find flow (or "flow state," as you mention in the intro to Move. Think. Rest.)—that moment, or ability, to be fully immersed and present in the moment—in your life? Flow state is achieved when we are actually tapped in and in a zone, when time seems to stand still… and you are deeply engrossed in a skill mastery that you have been developing. Elite athletes describe doing masterful moves, and time seems to stand still because they’re so focused. It could also apply to something simple like knitting, a sewing project, working on code, where you’re so focused in. Flow is actually achieved when we commit to the “wonder and the rigor” of any creative act. Movement, thought and rest help you to spark wonder and commit to rigor, building new creative capacity and achieving flow state in these creative moments. Flow seems to happen when we’re doing meaningful work (whatever that means to you). |
Your Workout Rules Might Be Due for an Upgrade If you’ve ever felt like your fitness routine had to be all-or-nothing—10,000 steps or bust, high-intensity or why bother—it might be time for a refresh.
Take walking, for example. While 10,000 steps a day has long been considered the gold standard, multiple new studies show that fewer steps—around 7,000—can actually offer stronger protection against dying from heart disease. And as it turns out, walking just 5,000 steps a few times a week can extend your life expectancy by years. The bottom line? Movement doesn’t have to be maxed out to matter. Consistency, not perfection, is what counts.
Of course, rethinking exercise also means rethinking intensity. Weighted vests, for instance, have gone from niche training gear to midlife fitness trend, with science starting to catch up to the hype. While they’re not a replacement for strength training, experts agree they can safely add challenge to your workouts and may even support bone and muscle health over time—especially important for women navigating the estrogen decline of perimenopause and menopause.
Finally, no fitness routine is complete without injury prevention. According to Dr. Alexis Colvin, chief medical officer for the U.S. Open, the secret isn’t more time on the court or treadmill—it’s cross-training. Low-impact cardio, strength training, yoga and even simple balance exercises like standing up from a chair without your hands all build the strength, stability and resilience we need not just for sports like tennis and pickleball, but for long-term health and independence. |
TREATING menopause-related incontinence with regular sex sans condoms —seriously! Orgasms help strengthen pelvic floor muscles, and absorbing spermidine—a compound found in semen that activates cell renewal—can help seal and tighten the vaginal wall, reducing leaks. That said, just because menopause means pregnancy is off the table, it doesn’t mean you’re in the clear: STI rates are climbing among adults 55+, so make sure you and your partner are monogamous and/or getting regularly screened before ditching the prophylactics.
SWAPPING our wearable fitness trackers for the RunStar 8E ScanPro Body Scale, which delivers DEXA-level precision from the comfort of your bathroom, measuring 28+ health metrics—like fat percentage, muscle mass and hydration—with lab-validated accuracy. While you’ll no longer get the sleep data a wearable provides (we’re all sleeping terribly, anyway), the accompanying Starfit app has a secure privacy policy that keeps your data safe.
LEARNING what women's health startups need to do if they want to scale without failing. The key isn’t more funding or flashier features—it’s understanding the healthcare system itself. From reimbursement rules to decision-maker dynamics, knowing how the system works turns vision into viable business.
READING The Hormone Shift by Dr. Tasneem Bhatia, which comes out October 3. With a foreword by Gwyneth Paltrow, this empowering East-meets-West manual combines Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine and modern science to help women navigate hormone changes—from puberty to postmenopause—and take back control of their health. A must-read for any woman who’s ever felt blindsided by her own body. |
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Don't Miss Out—RSVP Now! Join Flow Space on Thursday, October 9, for our Women's Health Summit in Los Angeles.
With an incredible lineup, including actress Selma Blair, OB-GYN and longevity expert Dr. Jessica Shepherd, and author Tembi Locke , the live event is dedicated to redefining what healthspan, vitality and whole-life wellness look like for women. Come hear from leading experts, connect with a like-minded community and leave feeling more empowered than ever before.
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