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The Hierarchy of Women's Health: Why Sleep (Not Squats) Comes First

Let’s be real—the days of burning the candle at both ends?

Over.


Especially as we enter into (and move beyond) perimenopause. Our bodies are no longer in a position hormonally to go, go, go with no consideration for recovery. If we want to live vibrant, productive, strong lives... If we want to be able to do everything we promised ourselves we would do in retirement... Or shoot if we don't want to feel like every day we are simply crawling past the finish line...

We need to rethink our health priorities.


So, where does that journey begin?


Today we are chatting about the Top 5 Things, after 12 years of experience in the health and fitness field, I believe need to be prioritized in a woman's life, and they just might surprise you!


Sleep: The Foundation of It All

Dramatic? Maybe. But also…not really.

The older I get—and the more I read the research and live the reality—the more I see just how much our health hinges on sleep.


I see it in my clients. I feel it in my own body.

Back in my 20s, I would close down a bar at 3am, show up at my gym by 4, pass out on the couch in the back room, then be up at 5am to coach clients. The best part - it never even occurred to me that way of living was CRAZY! Between co-owning a gym, working as a nanny, pursuing acting, and trying to squeeze in a social life, 20-hour days felt...normal?

Now? Just thinking about that makes me want to take a nap (or you know - yoga nidra). Because as I’ve learned (the hard way), if sleep isn’t locked in —your workouts, your nutrition, your mental health—they all suffer, and so do you.

Sleep deprivation can tank your results and your safety. All too often I see clients training 3–5 days a week, eating nutritionally supportive meals, getting their daily steps in, and they still feel exhausted, stuck, or worse? - Injured.

Why? Because six hours or less of broken sleep doesn’t cut it.

Let’s talk stats:

  • The CDC says 1 in 3 adults don’t get the recommended 7+ hours of nightly sleep.

  • After 18 hours awake, your reaction time is the same as someone with a BAC of 0.05%.

  • After 24 hours awake? That jumps to 0.10%—worse than legally drunk in most states.

  • Drowsy driving is linked to 21% of fatal crashes.

  • As we get older, sleep naturally gets more difficult to maintain and more interrupted

That’s not just scary—it’s dangerous. And? Sleep disorders are reported at an even higher percent in the perimenopausal population.

And it’s not just your cognition that takes a hit. Lack of sleep throws your hormones into chaos:

  • Leptin & ghrelin (your hunger/fullness signals) run amok.

  • Cortisol (your stress hormone) spikes and stays high, making fat loss harder and muscle breakdown more likely.

  • Insulin resistance increases, especially in postmenopausal women, putting us at greater risk for type 2 diabetes.

  • Your immune system tanks.

In short: you can’t out-train, out-eat, or out-hustle bad sleep.

#2: Stress Management

Right up there with sleep is stress—or more accurately, how you manage it. Like sleep deprivation, chronic stress contributes to inflammation, disrupts hormones, impairs recovery, and can stall your results no matter how hard you're working.

And remember: stress isn’t just the “bad stuff.” You can love your family, your job, your hobbies—and they can still be stressors.

Unchecked stress can:

  • Increase cravings and emotional eating

  • Lead to coping mechanisms such as cigarettes and alcohol

  • Spike cortisol (see above)

  • Break down muscle tissue

  • Suppress your immune system

  • Disrupt sleep (see how these things start to stack?)

The kicker? Exercise is a stressor too. So are calorie deficits. So if you’re plateauing, instead of doubling down on more workouts and less calories, it might be time to pull back. Rest is not weakness. It’s strategy.


#3: Nutrition

Don’t worry, movement is coming—but let’s be honest: we eat way more than we work out.

Nutrition supports every system in your body. It affects your sleep, stress response, inflammation levels, energy, and recovery. If we are under-eating or eating ultra-processed foods, we are throwing away our workouts and sabotaging our hormones.

I dive into this in a few episodes of the Women's Fitness and Health Revolution Podcast (linked below), but here are the basics:

  • Aim for .8–1g of protein per pound of ideal body weight

  • Eat real food with limited processing

  • Hit at least 25g of high-quality fiber daily

  • And for many of us, we need to eat more, not less

Food is fuel. Eat accordingly.

#4: Movement Throughout the Day

This might shock you—but daily movement comes before weight training on my hierarchy.

AND TO BE CLEAR, I am not saying NOT to weight train...Ideally, we are working on all 5 of these in tandem over our lifetime. But why is this Number 4?

Because, EVEN IF you workout 5 hours a week, but are sedentary the other 107 waking hours, your health still suffers. - Not as much as it would if you did nada, but there is so much health to be squeezed out of Non-exercise activity (NEAT). Things like:

  • Walking

  • Cleaning

  • Gardening

  • Fidgeting

  • Taking the stairs

NEAT can account for up to 30% of your total daily energy burn, can help stabilize blood sugar, and contributes to cardiovascular, metabolic, and skeletal health.

Studies show bumping your daily steps from 3500 to 7000 can significantly lower your risk of all-cause mortality. That’s huge. And it’s achievable. Wanna learn more about NEAT? Check out 2 Quick Podcasts:


#5: Weight Training

Yep. It’s number five—not because it’s unimportant, but because it relies heavily on the other four.

If you’re not sleeping, managing stress, fueling your body, and moving throughout your day, you won’t get the full benefit of your training.

In fact, it could backfire.


But when all the other pieces are in place, or more realistically, being addressed and worked on? Resistance training is your superpower.

It helps:

  • Build and maintain muscle and bone

  • Improve insulin sensitivity

  • Boost mood and motivation

  • Improve sleep quality

  • Reduce stress

And for us peri- and postmenopausal babes looking to get the MOST out of our life? It’s body armor.

If you want a deep dive on why strength training is so essential for women as we age, check out the podcasts listed below.


Knowing the why behind your workouts can be a powerful driver of consistency—especially on days you’d rather not.



Honorable Mentions

Two bonus habits that don’t make my “core 5” but deserve a shoutout:

  • Mobility & balance training: especially important as we age, but it goes a LONG way at any age. Dr. Stephanie Estima did a great podcast on this recently - I 10 outta 10 suggest listening to.

  • Supplementation: our soil is depleted, and our diets can’t always fill the gaps. My current go-tos are magnesium, vitamin D, creatine… and someday I’ll master the habit of Omega-3s.

In Summary: Kinsey’s Hierarchy of Health

  1. Sleep

  2. Stress Management

  3. Nutrition

  4. Movement Throughout the Day

  5. Weight Training

This doesn't mean we can't workout until we're sleeping like a wee little baby. Our goal isn't perfection with any of this. It is a daily practice in tiny bits and pieces to build a healthier life overall. Consider this a litmus test for how you should approach your day. For example, if you had a terrible night of sleep, perhaps we need to switch up our workout if we have a heavy leg day on the books.


WHEN (not if) you’re feeling stuck or plateaued—don’t immediately add more. Check in with the foundational layers. That’s usually where the answer lies.

Want to dive deeper into any of these topics? Check out the full Podcast Episode! I’ve also linked helpful episodes and expert resources below!

And if no one’s told you lately: you’re doing amazing. This stuff isn’t easy—but it is worth it. Keep showing up for yourself. One choice at a time.

With love and a protein shake, Kinsey

Helpful Resources:



Connect with Me:


If this blog helped you, inspired you, or made you feel seen—I’d love it if you shared it, reviewed the post, or sent it to a friend. Every bit helps me get this message to more women ready to take care of their health.

Until next time—take care of your body and your brilliant brain.

You are so worth it.

AROOO 🧡

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