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Midlife Unfiltered: The Season Of Me

Midlife Unfiltered: The Season Of Me

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Take back your power and choose yourself in midlife. Exploring often taboo topics and busting outdated stereotypes with your hosts, Anita & Erica.

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  • Sexy Menopause: Midlife Desire, Pelvic Health & Pleasure with Lisa Fitzpatrick.

    Sexy Menopause: Midlife Desire, Pelvic Health & Pleasure with Lisa Fitzpatrick.
    Oct 6 2026
    In this honest conversation, pelvic and sexual health physiotherapist Lisa Fitzpatrick draws on 30+ years of clinical experience and her own heartbreak to explain menopause and sex, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse and reclaiming pleasure in midlife.We call out myths and bring truth to misconceptions; the silences surrounding women’s sexual health as we age. Silence that breeds shame and holds women captive in their own minds and bodies.Clinically, we explore the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), why pelvic floor relaxation matters as much as strengthening, vaginal moisturisers and lubricants, local oestrogen, and why ‘use it or lose it’ applies to pelvic health.Emotionally, we talk about shame, nervous system safety, identity, desire, relationships and the role of connection and self-trust in thriving after menopause.Whether you are navigating menopause yourself, supporting a partner, or simply want to understand women’s sexual health in midlife, this episode offers compassionate, practical insight.In this episode we talk about…Why Lisa wrote Sexy Menopause - The New Science and Soul of Midlife Desire:* Why Lisa felt this book needed to be written now and how her own experience of menopause and heartbreak shaped it.* Navigating body changes, disrupted sleep, joint pain, weight gain and a changing sense of identity in midlife.* Why Lisa believes women need honest, compassionate conversations about desire, intimacy and pelvic health, without the secrecy and shame.“I’m either going to get bitter or better… I’m going to write my way through this. I’m going to heal out loud.”What happens to the body in menopause:* How changing oestrogen levels can affect the vulva, vagina, bladder and urinary tract.* The Genitourinary Syndrome of menopause, including vaginal dryness, discomfort, urinary changes and recurrent urinary tract infections.* Why the vaginal canal can shorten and narrow, and how this may affect comfort with penetrative sex.* Why changes can occur after a period of abstinence—and why it is never too late to seek support.“If we don’t use it, we lose it.”Rethinking pelvic floor health:* Why pelvic floor health is about much more than doing Kegels.* The importance of relaxation, lengthening, softening and creating spaciousness in the pelvic floor.* How breath, nervous-system regulation and tension patterns can influence pelvic health.* Why moisturisers, lubricants and local oestrogen may each play different roles in supporting tissue comfort.“The pelvis keeps the score as much as the body keeps the score.”Pleasure, desire and the clitoris:* Why the clitoris remains an important source of pleasure throughout life - it’s always available to us.* Why pleasure does not have to depend on penetrative intercourse.* How vibrators and other tools may support comfort, circulation, familiarity and pelvic floor relaxation.* Why desire and sexual response can change in midlife and why that does not mean the end of desire. It will re-define it.“It doesn’t mean the end of pleasure.”Relationships, intimacy and emotional safety:* How couples can navigate changes in sexual function and intimacy together.* Why emotional safety, nervous-system regulation and communication can be just as important as physical treatment.* Why sex after menopause does not have to be (and is often not) the same as it was earlier in life. It may become more connected, creative and fulfilling.* The impact of shame, cultural expectations, religious messaging and unrealistic portrayals of sex on women’s relationship with their bodies.“It won’t ever be the same as it used to be, but it can be even better.”Identity, self-trust and authenticity:* Why midlife can be a powerful time to reconnect with who you are and what you want.* The importance of self-trust, intuition and listening to your body’s messages.* Why authenticity, boundaries and self-compassion are central to a ‘sexy menopause’.* Lisa’s reminder that this conversation is inclusive of all women, regardless of relationship status, sexuality or gender identity.“We do not need to prove anything to anyone.”Lisa’s Pelvic Health Toolkit:* The pillars of Lisa’s practical approach to pelvic and sexual health.* How diaphragmatic breathing and nervous-system regulation can support pelvic floor relaxation.* Gentle hip mobility and pelvic stretching to help release tension.* Every woman’s toolkit needs to be individual, depending on her symptoms, history and circumstances.* Why a pelvic health assessment with a trusted women’s health physiotherapist can be an important step.“You’re going to get your mojo back.”Thank You Lisa…for sharing your wisdom, clinical experience and personal story so generously. I know this conversation will help women feel more informed, less alone and more confident about seeking the support they deserve and need.Pre-Order Sexy Menopause - The New Science and Soul of Midlife DesireIf ...
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    1 ora e 4 min
  • Grey Divorce and the Use of AI.

    Grey Divorce and the Use of AI.
    Sep 30 2026
    In midlife the changes are BIG. The rate of those divorcing over the age of 50 is at an all time high. Increasingly too, the ‘relationships’ we have with AI are becoming deeper and wider in application and in frequency. When it comes to Grey Divorce, AI’s role is also deepening, some may say becoming a dependence. As much as those conversations about your divorce, your relationship, your marriage you may be having with Claude, Chat GPT (name your preferred AI) seem helpful, they do come with certain risks you may not be aware of. That’s the focus of this podcast chat. Not to scare, to inform. For awareness.I sat down with Kiki Hart (aka Louise Cooper). Louise is a lawyer, accredited mediator, and someone who’s been through a divorce herself, to unpack where midlife, divorce and artificial intelligence are all colliding at once.I came away with a lot to think about, and I suspect you will too.In this episode…Grey divorce is real, and it’s usKiki lead the conversation with some stats around divorce trends here in Australia (which are not that dissimilar to those in the US and elsewhere). Whilst divorce rates have remained reasonably steady overall it’s the divorces involving marriages of 20 years or more that have proportionally risen 20% in Australia since the 1980s. The shift is happening at the 50-plus stage of life.Some of the numbers we discussed:* Median age at divorce in Australia in 2025: 47.3 for men, 44.4 for women* 29% of Australian divorces are now ‘grey divorces’ (people 50+)* In the US, the rate of over-50s divorcing roughly doubled between 1990 and 2010.* Overall divorce rates are sitting near their lowest since the mid-1970s - it’s specifically midlife driving the trend upward, not divorce in generalThe HILDA data: love isn’t the problem, workload might beThe newly released HILDA survey (the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia study), has tracked around 17,000 Australians annually since 2001. The latest release says:* 88% of women and 92% of men in long-term relationships report strong love for their partner* Men’s weekly housework hours: 12.8 hours in 2022 - unchanged from 2002* Women’s weekly housework hours: 18.4 hours, about 44% more than men, on top of far more paid work than 20 years ago* 17% of men believed they were doing more than half the household loadWe had a bit of a laugh about the ‘did you notice what I did?’ phenomenon - the tendency for a small domestic contribution to be announced and then quietly waited on for praise. Women report slightly but statistically lower relationship satisfaction than men, and women are more likely to eventually initiate separation.Menopause, less f***s to give, and the Walkaway WifeWe talked about the pattern Louise saw repeatedly in her mediation work, where one partner (usually the woman in a heterosexual relationship) is further along the journey to wanting to end the relationship than the other; often after years of trying to communicate that something was wrong. Years of being met with avoidance, dismissal, or ‘she’s just going through a phase.’Midlife as a time of BIG change. At the confluence of the Menopause transition and post menopause years. Not to say it’s a cause of divorce. It is, however, a time when women often remove their willingness to keep performing a role that no longer fits. Less want for keeping the peace, to be the one that holds others and things together. A greater desire to spend that energy on themselves. These are a values shift. Where her grieving was done in advance, often well before asking for the divorce. [Menodivorce is an informal term used to describe a separation or divorce that happens during the menopause transition as women re-evaluate their long-term relationships and priorities.]Women 50+ now are of a generation that increasingly believes they’re allowed to want more than stability. Unlike the generation before them, when marriage was often regarded as a means for security and stability. The HILDA supports this too with more women of this generation in paid work and careers, whilst also doing the vast majority of the at home duties and parenting too.The Walkaway Wife is a term coined by clinical social worker and marriage therapist, Michele Weiner-Davis in 2008. A pattern (not a diagnosis) she named based on what she was consistently seeing in her therapy practice. Researchers have been calling this the demand-withdraw pattern for decades, one of the most replicated findings in marital communication research. [Interestingly, much of this research has been done on younger couples rather than older, married for longer, couples].We also touched on how quickly this reality gets pathologised, including in the language of medicine itself. Hysterectomy shares its literal root with ‘hysteria’ both stemming from hystera, the Greek word for womb.An uncomfortable reminder of how long women’s midlife changes have been framed as a problem to be ...
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    48 min
  • Squash: The World’s Healthiest Sport. With Caleb Johnson, squash pro and my coach.

    Squash: The World’s Healthiest Sport. With Caleb Johnson, squash pro and my coach.
    Sep 22 2026
    Squash is often called the world’s healthiest sport. In this episode of the Midlife Unfiltered podcast my squash coach Caleb Johnson joins me to unpack why. I also share my own return to the game after 30 years. Squash is on the rise again. Is it for you? The ball’s in your court 🙂In this episode we talk about:* Caleb – as an Australian professional squash player, squash and fitness coach, runs a junior academy and squash advocate.* What makes squash different from most racquet sports - it has no net that separates players (for starters) and the benefits of that.* Racquet sports – in order of popularity* A brief history of squash and its evolution – the popular years and its rapid decline* Squash as an inclusion in the 2028 LA Olympics – and its rise again.* The health benefits of racquet sports in general* The physical health benefits of squash specifically: high calories burned (600–1,000 calories/hour), cardio challenging, muscles and bone benefits from multi-movements and multi-directional impacts – without the level of injury of other forms of sport* Tarek Momen vs. Rafael Nadal: a wild real-world comparison of match intensity – how tennis and squash compare. Not to knock tennis (we both love tennis) but to highlight the differences and impacts on health.* High intensity, ‘interval training’ nature of the sport PLUS endurance.* Brain and neural health benefits – squash is called ‘chess on legs’ – split second decision making and anticipation of where the ball is going next and where to place it.* Caleb shares a personal story about his friend with 7% vision who restored vision. through playing squash – he’s hoping it will be studied in the future.* Bone & Muscle health – how it helps our bones and muscles (and the study that shows this)* The ease to integrate it into life – doesn’t take up much time, can practice on your own (no balls to chase on the other side of the net!), build skills, play socially, competitively and it’s inexpensive.* Squash’s Olympic debut at LA 2028, and what it means for the sport’s future* The sport everyone’s Dad used to play – now it’s on the rise again.* How to start playing squash – as a new sport;* How to get back into squash again – the mind-body gap, and how to do it safely – people like me coming back to squash after 3 decades away (we are the risk group guys); warming up for as long as you play for starters.Here’s to squash in the 2028 in the LA Olympics and then 2032 in our home town of Brisbane, Australia. Get out there and start squashing in your local area.Unfortunately, our audio mucked up in the final minutes of our chat, sorry. Thank goodness for the subtitles!Find Caleb: Caleb Johnson Squash - Instagram, Facebook, and websiteRelated Midlife Unfiltered episodes:* Bone Chatter: Strong Bones Are More Than Density* Re-Entry in Midlife: Who You Were Before KidsIf you’d like a full deep-dive - history, global participation, the studies behind every claim, and more…keep reading below.The full story: I picked up a squash racquet when I was about 6. After 30 years since competing, I’m back playing squash for the health benefits I know it brings.Join Caleb Johnson, my fabulous squash coach and I as we explore this brilliant, unique racquet sport. It’s been called the #1 all-round healthiest sport and is often referred to as ‘chess on legs’.Meet Caleb.Caleb is a professional squash player and coach, currently ranked 311 in the world and #15 in Australia. He started playing at 14, (late by professional standards, where most competitors start at 4, 5, or 6) and became Australia’s #1 under-19 player by 18. He turned professional at 22. His goal…crack the top 100, and maybe, just maybe, an Olympic team spot in 2028. Alongside his own playing career, he coaches clients from age 5 to 85.Squash is different from other racquet sports.Unlike tennis, table tennis, pickleball, badminton, or padel, players share the exact same physical space. There’s no net that separates. That proximity is part of why relationships form so quickly in squash.That, and numerous other benefits.The numbers behind squash’s ‘healthiest all-round sport’ reputation.Racquet sports as a category are linked to notable longevity gains. Research suggests somewhere between roughly 4.7 and 9.7 years of added life expectancy; driven by a mix of social connection, cardiovascular demand and muscular endurance. But what sets squash apart within that category is its sheer continuous intensity. An hour of squash burns somewhere in the range of 600–1,000 calories (depend heavily on methodology, body weight and intensity). The sport that comes close is boxing and kickboxing, followed by jump rope and cross country skiing. The sports that match squash’s intensity all share the same signature. Minimal built-in rest, whole-body engagement and either explosive bursts or sustained continuous effort.Caleb shared stats on a ...
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    37 min
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