Fit at Mid-Life

A Feminist Fitness Journey

By: Samantha Brennan, Tracy Isaacs

Narrated by: Adrienne Cornette

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

Fit at Mid-Life is a smart and practical approach to getting active later in life. Drawing from their personal experiences as well as the latest research, Samantha Brennan and Tracy Isaacs deliver a wealth of concrete advice on everything from how to keep bones strong to what types of fitness activities give the biggest returns. 

But Fit at Mid-Life is more than just a fitness guide. Taking a feminist perspective, the authors challenge society's default whats, whys, and hows of every aspect of getting fit, whether it's why women avoid free weights at the gym, how personal trainers talk to their female clients, or why dress size is so often considered a benchmark for fitness. 

Empowering and relatable, Fit at Mid-Life shows how women can best take charge of their health and be active - no matter what their shape, size, age, or ability.

©2018 Samantha Brennan and Tracy Isaacs (P)2019 Samantha Brennan and Tracy Isaacs

positive and encouraging

I have the paperback, but I ended up listening to the recently published audiobook instead. It's not listed on Goodreads yet, but it exists and I found it to be a good audio experience.

The content of the book is a mixture of personal experience and a synthesis of fitness science through the lens of feminism. If you are looking for a hardcore "here is how to get fit and it's not pleasant or fun" book, this is not the book for you. If you are a woman* in or approaching or even sailing past mid-life, and you want to be a fitter or more active you, this book will give you inspiration, encouragement, and some tools to get that started.

I've been a reader of the blog for a number of years now, including through the time-frame covered by the personal story sections of this book. However, I felt like there was more reflection on those experiences and lessons learned that can only come with time and distance from the events originally chronicled in the blog. So, even if you remember every detail of the blog (I don't) or went back to re-read the entries (I didn't), I think this book provides more insight than what you would find there. That being said, if the book floats your boat, then you should definitely start reading the blog regularly, too. I particularly appreciate the regular guest authors that bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences.


*This could apply to men and non-binary people as well, but the authors are both female-identifying and primarily address things that are specific to women in Western culture.

Not helpful

The authors need to explain and justify their lives to the world was dull. The whole time Using being a woman as an excuse is classic feminism. FYI they had no new answers and provided no aspect of enlightenment to the topic of maximizing health midlife.