Additional Coverage:
- A 51-year-old says she’s in the best shape of her life. She swapped sweaty workouts for strength training. (businessinsider.com)
From Cheerleader to Corporate VP: Natalie Bushaw’s Fitness Journey
Natalie Bushaw, 51, has always been active. From high school basketball and track to college weightlifting (where she even broke the bench press record!), fitness has been a constant in her life.
But life, as it often does, threw some curveballs. After having twins in 2003, who faced significant health challenges, Bushaw’s focus shifted.
Once her sons were in preschool, she decided it was time to reclaim a part of herself. “I was just, ‘Figure out who you are, Natalie,’” she recalls.
That year, she rejoined the gym scene.
Now, as Vice President of Public Relations and Corporate Communications for Life Time Fitness, Bushaw not only talks the talk but walks the walk – hitting the gym six times a week. Her journey back to fitness wasn’t without its hurdles.
Managing perimenopause symptoms and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis added another layer of complexity. However, with consistent medication and a tailored workout plan, Bushaw says she feels healthier than ever.
Rethinking Fitness: Less Cardio, More Strength
Initially, Bushaw believed that the most effective workouts were the most intense. “I wanted to get hot and sweaty and be exhausted,” she admits.
But after undergoing an active metabolic assessment at Life Time, she discovered she was primarily burning carbohydrates during high-intensity workouts, hindering her weight loss goals. The assessment, which measured her oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output during exercise, revealed the importance of knowing her metabolic type.
This knowledge empowered her to adjust her approach.
Shifting her focus from intense cardio to strength training proved to be the game-changer. While the change required a mental adjustment – prioritizing the type of calories burned over the number – Bushaw saw gradual weight loss and increased muscle definition. Her current routine involves 20-30 minutes of cardio, followed by targeted strength training exercises using both barbells and dumbbells.
Constant Evolution: Challenging Herself
Bushaw believes in the power of progressive overload, gradually increasing the intensity of her workouts every six weeks. This prevents plateaus and ensures continuous progress.
She also incorporates barre classes to engage different muscle groups. And to boost her daily step count, she added a walking pad to her office, easily reaching 10,000-12,000 steps per day.
The Power of “Not Overthinking”:
Bushaw’s secret weapon? Not overthinking it.
In her early days of getting back into fitness, she maintained a strict morning workout schedule. Even on days when sleep was lacking, she’d “pretend that I didn’t know how to tell time,” mentally shifting her bedtime to justify hitting the gym.
This mindset helped her avoid the trap of skipping workouts when life got in the way. Her advice?
Make fitness a non-negotiable part of your routine, and don’t get bogged down in the details.