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NOVA ATHLETICA - FITNESS COACHING FOR WOMEN

@novaathletica1

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👩‍🏫 I’m Karin - fitness coach for women 🇩🇪🇬🇧
🚀 Learn how to to train LIKE A WOMAN
⏳ 15+ years of experience
🔗 Start with a free analysis ⬇️

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And the journey goes on. Building confident, strong women 💪 So happy to see more athletes joining - and some even making it to the podium. We are just getting started! 🤯❤️
#trainlikeawoman by @novaathletica1

I wish every single woman on this planet knew about how her body works across different life stages - especially when it comes to peri- & post-menopause!

➡️ Share this with somebody who needs to hear this!

Often specific symptoms are treated as „it’s just stress“. Or that „it is just like this from now on“. And the majority still believes in fitness trend made another sex or generation.

Menopause often hits differently and with it come significant risks for our health (hello osteoporosis!) IF WE DON‘T change how we exercise, eat & recover.

Let’s change this!

#trainlikeawoman #novaathletica by @novaathletica1

Menopause marks the natural end of fertility — a gradual hormonal transition that can begin in your end 30s.

Changing hormones can affect sleep, mood, recovery, and body composition.

💡If your mother experienced early menopause, your timeline may be similar.

Smart training helps you stay strong through these changes:
• Lift heavy to maintain muscle and bone
• Allow more recovery
• Eat enough protein
• Prioritise sleep and stress management

🚨If you suspect you’re in perimenopause, speak with a healthcare professional to confirm and guide next steps.

#trainlikeawoman #novaathletica

📚 References:
Santoro N. et al., J Women’s Health (2020)
Freeman E.W., Hum Reprod Update (2015)
Sims S., Next Level (2021) by @novaathletica1

We often focus on how strength training changes the body — but the mental impact might be even greater.

In a large review of over 2,000 people, those who lifted weights saw a 20–30% reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression — similar to what’s observed in antidepressant treatment studies.

So we should ask ourselves: Could strength training even replace medication in some cases?

Even just 2 sessions per week can lead to measurable improvements in mood, sleep, and cognitive clarity.

Researchers found that strength training helps by:
– Regulating cortisol and balancing stress hormones
– Increasing serotonin and dopamine — your “feel good” chemicals
– Boosting BDNF (a protein linked to learning and resilience)

You’re not just building muscle — you’re building mental stability, one session at a time.

📚 Sources:
– Gordon et al., JAMA Psychiatry (2018): 33 clinical trials, 1,877 participants — significant reductions in anxiety & depression symptoms
– O’Connor et al., Frontiers in Psychology (2010): strength training improves cognitive performance and stress tolerance

📸 @jed_guache by @novaathletica1

The gym can feel intimidating when you’re starting out. I get it. 🏋️‍♀️

But here’s what nobody tells you: every woman you see confidently loading a barbell was once exactly where you are right now—nervous, unsure, maybe scrolling through endless conflicting advice online.

The difference? They started anyway.

Strength training isn’t about becoming someone else.
It’s about becoming the strongest version of YOU.
And that journey doesn’t require perfection—it requires showing up.

What’s been your biggest question about starting strength training? Drop it below 👇

#trainlikeawoman #novaathletica by @novaathletica1

😴 Training on low sleep doesn’t just feel hard—it is hard.

📌 Save this as your „Sleep + Training“ survival guide and share it with your most tired teammate.

Swipe through for why sleep deprivation sabotages your training, how to adjust your workouts.

Sources:
• Fullagar et al., Sports Medicine, 2015 — Acute sleep loss blunts muscle adaptation and raises injury risk
• Bower et al., University of East Anglia, 2024 — Women experience worsened sleep efficiency and mood shifts during the perimenstrual phase, based on wearable-actigraphy data
• Frontiers in Sleep, 2024 — Comprehensive review showing sleep quality changes across the menstrual cycle and through reproductive life stages like postpartum and menopause. by @novaathletica1

„Does HIIT spike cortisol?“ Yes. Should you avoid it? That’s the wrong question.

The stress response from training isn’t the villain - it’s rather how your body adapts and gets stronger.

What actually matters: your total stress load.

If you’re chronically stressed (work chaos, poor sleep, undereating, life overwhelm) and then pile on intense training? That’s where problems show up.

But if you’re managing stress well, sleeping decent, and fueling properly? HIIT isn’t sabotaging your hormones—it’s building resilience.

The „avoid HIIT in your luteal phase“ advice isn’t wrong for everyone, but it’s not a blanket rule either.

Your context matters more than the internet’s fear-mongering.

Here’s what I want to know:
👉 Type A if you’re currently avoiding HIIT because of cortisol fears
👉 Type B if you do HIIT but wonder if you should stop
👉 Type C if you’re training intensely and feeling great

Then tell me: what’s your actual biggest stressor right now—training or life?
Let’s get real in the comments 👇

PS: Save this to come back to next time someone tells you cardio is „stressing you out“

#novaathletica #trainlikeawoman by @novaathletica1

Most busy women are doing 3/5 of these—and wondering why progress stalls 🤷‍♀️

The missing pieces? Usually #4 and #5.

You can nail the workouts but if you’re winging your schedule and undereating protein, you’re leaving results on the table.

Here’s what I see work consistently: treat your training like business meetings (they don’t move), and build your meals around 25-30g protein each time. Not as a diet. As a structure.

The compound lifts and intensity? You’re already bought in.
But consistency beats perfection, and consistency needs a system.

Which of the 5 are you already solid on? And which one’s your gap? (honest answers only 👇)

#trainlikeawoman #novaathletica by @novaathletica1

Your calorie needs aren’t the same every day — they shift with your cycle.

⚡️ In the follicular phase, a moderate deficit (300–500 kcal/day) is effective and sustainable.
⚡️ In the luteal phase, your body already burns ~100–300 kcal more — pushing a big deficit here often backfires with cravings, fatigue, and poor recovery.

📌 Save this post & share with a friend who trains through her cycle.

Sources:
Sims, ROAR & Next Level
McNulty KL et al., Sports Med, 2020
Howe AS et al., Nutrients, 2020 by @novaathletica1

The pelvic floor is a muscle group, just like your core or glutes, and it deserves proper attention, too.

Leaking when you jump, cough or laugh (aka stress urinary incontinence) is more common than you would think:

➡️ In a survey of women across France, Germany, Spain and the UK, 35% reported involuntary urine loss in the past 30 days; stress incontinence was the most prevalent type.

➡️ In the UK, a community survey found ≈ 40% of women over age 21 reported urinary incontinence; yet only 17% had sought help.

➡️ In a 2025 study of 325 athletes, nearly half reported symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction.

💡 This is not only a pregnancy or postpartum issue — it can affect women who’ve never had children and at any life stage.

🚨 Seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist or specialist means getting a personalized assessment (strength, coordination, tension) and tools that actually support your body.

You don’t have to just “live with it.” 🌺

#novaathletica #trainlikeawoman

Sources:
Hunskaar S, Lose G, Sykes D, Voss S. The prevalence of urinary incontinence in women in four European countries. BJU International. 2004.
Cooper J, et al. Prevalence of female urinary incontinence and its impact — a UK community survey. Primary Health Care Research & Development. 2015.
Giagio S, et al. Sport and pelvic floor dysfunction in male and female athletes: a scoping review. BMJ Open Sports & Exercise Medicine. 2025 by @novaathletica1

Save this later 🤝 and come back to these 5 categories of warm-up drills.

Why those? Because they prepare your body on every level:

1️⃣ Posterior chain activation – wakes up glutes + hamstrings so they actually do their job instead of letting your lower back take over.

2️⃣ Thoracic mobility – frees up the mid-back for better pressing, pulling, and overhead positions.

3️⃣ Core stability – switches on deep stabilizers so you can transfer force safely and avoid energy leaks.

4️⃣ Banded activation – targets weak links (like glute med & rotator cuff) that keep your hips and shoulders strong.

5️⃣ Neural priming – elevates your nervous system so you feel fast, explosive, and ready to perform. by @novaathletica1

Women tear their ACLs more often — but the “why” isn’t fully answered yet. Anatomy, hormones, movement: no single clear cause yet.

👉 What we do know: prevention programs work.
📌 Save this post for your training toolkit & share it with a teammate.

Sources:
Mancino et al., 2024, Front Sports Act Living
Butcher et al., 2024, Phys Ther Sport
Gianakos et al., 2024, JISAKOS by @novaathletica1