I Thought I Knew My Body—Until It Let Me Down

There have been flare-ups of back pain. Moments where my confidence in my body slipped. Times when movement felt like a risk rather than a release. Even though I teach movement to others, ski, and stay active, there have been stretches where I didn’t feel at home in my body.

That creeping disconnection is something many women recognise—the way discomfort seeps into not just your muscles, but your sense of self.

That disconnection lingered quietly—until something shifted.

Midlife movement, confidence, and quiet strength—rebuilding body trust one climb at a time

Rediscovering Movement

I reconnected with climbing when I met my husband—also a climber. We started indoor climbing first and then ventured out onto the rock together. It became part of our rhythm.

Bouldering didn’t resonate straight away. I missed the rope, the structure, the safety of something more predictable. It felt strange to jump down onto a mat after years of guarding what I think of as a vulnerable back. Then, a few years ago, a physiotherapist—who happened to be a climber—suggested bouldering. Full-body movement. Precision over performance. Less pressure. More presence.

That gentle suggestion gave me something I didn’t realise I needed: a way to move that could also serve as rehab. I started short bouldering sessions, two to three times a week—not worrying about the grade or outcome, but tuning in. Some days I feel strong. Some days I don’t. But the shift is real.

Rebuilding Trust Through Movement

This journey isn’t just mine.

I see it echoed in the women I work with—women in midlife navigating recovery, redefining identity, or finding their way back after illness, injury or long-term fatigue. Many arrive feeling disconnected from their bodies. Not broken, but uncertain. Not “bouncing back,” but searching for new ways to move, to feel, to belong in their skin again.

Whether it’s walking, pilates, yoga, swimming, or simply standing and breathing—movement can be a way back to trust. It’s not about intensity. It’s about intention.

And when done with care and curiosity, it becomes something else too: healing.

After the movement, the stillness. A moment of reflection in recovery and reconnection

Why It Helps (Even When It’s Not About Exercise)

According to the UK’s Mental Health Foundation, over 1 in 4 people living with long-term physical conditions also experience mental health problems—most commonly anxiety and depression (source).

And a 2016 systematic review published by PubMed suggests that chronic pain may affect as much as 43% of the UK population (source).

Given how common chronic pain and long-term conditions are—and how often they come with anxiety or low mood—it’s understandable that many women in midlife feel the weight of both physical discomfort and emotional fatigue.

What I’ve come to understand is that rebuilding body trust isn’t just about muscle strength or mobility. It’s about reassuring your nervous system that you are safe to take up space again.

Many women in midlife operate in states of low-level survival—fight, flight, freeze or fawn—without realising it. The nervous system holds more than pain. It holds patterns of protection—something Professor Lorimer Moseley has explored in his work on pain science, exploring how the body can continue to signal pain long after any initial injury has resolved—because the nervous system is still trying to protect.

Small, consistent practices—grounding, breath, rhythm, rest—begin to send different messages.

Not “you must perform,” but: you’re safe now.

Not “bounce back,” but: you can begin again.

This is the somatic narrative work I do with clients—reconnecting body and story to gently rebuild confidence, safety, and presence.

Why Talking Helps

Not everyone has a partner or a climbing wall community—but we all need somewhere to talk. Somewhere we can say, “I’m struggling,” or “I feel disconnected,” without needing to explain or justify it.

In coaching conversations, what often shifts first isn’t the body—it’s the relief of being heard. Talking helps regulate the nervous system. It brings awareness, clarity, and a deep exhale.

I work with women who’ve spent years holding it all together. Often silently. In our sessions, we talk. We notice. We connect dots that have gone unspoken. And that, too, is part of rebuilding trust—in yourself, your body, and your way forward.

Coming Home to Yourself

You don’t need to climb to feel this.

Maybe it’s a walk that feels different after injury. Maybe it’s a yoga pose that no longer feels safe. Maybe it’s the quiet ache of feeling unfamiliar in your own skin.

That disconnection is real. But so is the possibility of rebuilding.

Not as you were before. But as you are now—with more patience, more self-respect, and more support.

If This Feels Familiar, Let’s Talk

You’re not broken. You’re not behind. You’re just in a space that deserves more care.

This is the work I do with women in midlife:

• Emotional recovery that honours the body

• Somatic awareness that supports the nervous system

• Coaching that rebuilds trust—not just with movement, but with self

🧭 You’re not broken. You’re just ready.

👉 [Book a discovery call]👉 [Explore how we can work together]

I also work in collaboration with physiotherapists and occupational health professionals. If you support women navigating long-term recovery, identity shifts, or chronic pain, and you're looking for a coaching-based complement to physical rehab, let’s talk. My approach supports mind, body and story—working gently alongside clinical care to rebuild trust, engagement, and confidence.