Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond by Stacy T. Sims

Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond Reviews

• 
  Barbara Powell

  I am a medically induced menopausal woman so when I was sent this book to read and review, I hoped it would be informative and helpful. I’ve done loads of research over the years and while this did contain some of the same stuff, there was definitely some new things and a new way to approach the symptoms and the outlook. Women reach a certain age and are left to be put out to pasture if they don’t look like a Hollywood star and it’s hurting our self comfort but also that of the younger girls and women coming up behind us. This book looks at realistic ways to adjust your thinking on exercise, hydration, vitamins and even sleep so that you maximize their benefits. It is informative without being super preachy and I liked the pictures of the exercises.
  As someone who has been an athlete all her life and now finds myself slowed way down, this book is helpful in getting my Mojo back.
  Thanks to Rodale Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.
• 
  Ginger Hudock

  I am a nutritionist and also post menopausal and was interested to read this book. The author encourages 50 plus women to eat more protein than is the conventional wisdom in order to maintain muscle mass. This makes a lot of sense to me. She also encourages strength training and sports like walking, running, dancing and tennis to maintain bone density as well as muscle mass and strength. A number of exercises are included in this book. It would be an excellent overall resource for women over age 40 who want to be assertive in maintaining their health for a long life. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
• 
  Wendy

  Exercise physiologist Stacy Sims goes through the science of menopause and lays out a plan for active women to get through the changes of menopause. It's a well-written, practical guide that provides guidance for activities, nutrition, sleep, and mental health. Be prepared to lift heavy sh**! lol. I absolutely devoured this book. It's so nice to find a person who doesn't brush off older women. Loved it.
• 
  Lana Simmons

  I was hoping to gain some new insight into perimenopause and menopause. First of all, I don’t think I’m the target audience. This book is for female athletes heading into perimenopause and menopause, which I am not 😅
  
  The format of this book has much to be desired. By taking time to format the book better, it would make it more accessible to folks with dsylexia or the vision impaired.
  
  Honestly the book could have been summed up in the following: research HRT, research adaptogens (they name some favorites), focus on not gaining weight, lift heavy, do more cardio, keep up on your medical appointments, oh and absolutely positively make sure you don’t gain weight 🙄… wait make sure you fight weight gain.
  
  What would have been refreshing is a more accurate view on health and what it takes to be healthy. Do you live in a walkable area, what are your healthcare options, how to you eat in a way that nourishes your body and stay away from all the horrible diet marketing and “healthy lifestyle” b.s. What about mental health and social connection? Or sources on positive aging?
  
  I can lift heavy, do more cardio and eat mostly plants but this doesn’t account for loneliness or the RAGE that comes during perimenopause and menopause. How do I navigate this transition from adult to adultier adult? What about being excited to no longer have a period but grief over that phase of your life ending?
  
  Maybe I was expecting too much. With a title like “Level Up” I was expecting to level up my whole life, not just my body.
• 
  Susan

  Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for a fair review.
  Oh thank God. As a female of a certain age this book is so relatable I want to yell it out.
  Just recently I was telling a patron that I don't even talk to my doctor anymore about the symptoms of menopause. Since the dawn of time, women have been experiencing these symptoms, yet instead of solutions we are told to get over it, that it will pass, or its in our head. Millions and MILLIONS of women stare back at the doctor in disbelief and disgust at them (yes, we really do) and a system that refuses to find help, solutions, or literally anything except "wear less clothes or turn the heat in your house down" - well, thank you or the privilege of paying you for THAT stupid answer!
  Finally a book addressing the elephant in the room - while not a breakthrough, it gives a good solid playbook for what to try and why - and what to do if you've already tried everything else. Its a book for those of us who are exhausted of telling doctors what's happening only to see them gloss over and pat us on the head.
  4*
  This review appears on Goodreads where I keep all book reviews.
• 
  Kathleen

  Are you tired, sluggish, fighting weight gain or having hot flashes? Do you struggle on your daily run or in the gym? Are you in perimenopause or menopause? If you answered yes to any of these questions or if you are just interested in improving your eating, sleeping or exercise habits, Next Level is for you. Full of well researched information, Next Level will help you understand the affects of menopause on your body. Sleep habits, weight distribution, loss of muscle and depression are discussed here. Most of the solutions involve both medical and alternative medicine solutions. Next Level describes menopause as a positive change for the active woman. 5 stars.
  
  Thank you to NetGalley, Rodale Books, Stacy T. Sims, PhD and Selene Yeager for this ARC.
• 
  Lauri

  Good and useful information about menopause and it’s impacts on fitness. While geared to endurance athletes, much useful info for more regular athletes like me. Basically, HIIT, plyometrics, and lifting heavy shit is the way to go. Eat enough good carbs and protein. Build in active recovery.
• 
  Erin

  My biggest takeaways are that I will prob never eat “enough” protein and should be doing more HIIT work.
• 
  Wendy

  The first thing I really love about this book is that it gives a much clearer explanation of what is going on biologically than most books I've read about menopause, which tend to content themselves with "your hormones go weird and then you get a bunch of symptoms." Which is fair enough. Do I really need to know that hot flashes are the result of estrogen no longer playing its accustomed roles in helping the hypothalamus regulate body temperature and encouraging vasodilation when your core temperature rises? Maybe not. But I like knowing such things. If you don't care, you can skim those parts of the book. There is still plenty of practical advice here.
  
  The practical stuff starts with a discussion of the ins and outs of hormone therapy, which mostly boils down to "Talk with your doctor about your specific symptoms and what might alleviate them," but it gives you a lot of good information to start that talk with your doctor. Then there is some information about supplements, training, hydration, and nutrition.
  
  The headline recommendations here are basically a) Eat more protein b) lift heavy sh*t and c) replace some of your long endurance cardio sessions with high-intensity interval training. Which - full disclosure - kind of confirms my biases. Sims's reference athletic older woman is clearly a runner, triathlete, cyclist, or maybe a crossfitter, but I think any athlete will find things they can apply here.
  
  There is a lot more detail in the book. And also tons of citations and pointers to other sources of information. I can definitely see myself referring back to this book over time as I tweak my training and nutrition.
  
  Is it a perfect book? Nah. I can quibble with a few things - Sims is a bit more gung ho on adaptogens like ashwaganda and schisandra than I think the data warrants, but that's something that definitely falls in the category of, "We have pretty good evidence that it won't do you harm, and some ambiguous evidence that it might do you some good, so give if you want to give it a shot, cool." Some of her recommendations on hydration clash a bit with what I've seen elsewhere - although, as she points out, the research behind those recommendations was mostly done on young men. And she is ever so slightly excessively scaremongery about artificial sweeteners and "processed foods". Not that encouraging people to eat more whole foods is a bad idea, but I'm just not convinced that the odd scoop of whey protein powder or the occasional diet soda in the context of a diet that also has plenty of whole foods is doing anyone any harm.
• 
  Susan

  I checked this book out from the library. As a woman waiting (impatiently) to hit menopause and dealing with all the precursor "fun" I found this book incredibly helpful and enlightening. I resisted the urge to highlight and post it note the library's copy and ordered my own to keep as a constant reference and guide. Society does not pay attention to women as they age but I'm glad there is a resource like this out there to help us stay healthy and active.
• 
  Misti

  This is more tailored for women who are used to competing in running or bike races or are very Active Crossfitters but I think anyone can gain some insight from it. Though, you can easily get most of the information gleaned from quite a few sources these days. Lift Heavy should be your mantra. TBH I think all of the peri/meno books are just doing the best they can with the information available and there ain't much out there.
• 
  Jamie

  Yeah! I loved this book. My husband keeps making fun of me because I keep telling him things about it. But it all makes so much sense! Do intervals twice a week. Recover on your recovery days. Do core. Lift heavy shit. Eat plants. Hydrate. Eat protein. Don’t restrict calories. Be strong not skinny. Even women who are midlife and aren’t active should read this book. I have to shout out my beloved Peloton and Hard Core on the Floor Facebook group- Nicole Gonzalez puts together the most thoughtful, comprehensive strength training program and I have followed it almost every day since spring 2021. I’m turning 45 this summer and I’m asking for 30 lb dumbbells for my birthday. The 20s aren’t heavy enough anymore!!!! I’m adding maca and tart cherry juice to my regimen because of this book.
• 
  Kimberly

  Next Level by Stacy Sims is filled with useful information pertaining to exercise, nutrition, and hydration. While the book focuses on the perimenopausal and menopausal age group, it seems that much of the advice would be helpful to women of all ages. I think this is the first book that I have encountered that actively encourages women to make sure they eat enough and to avoid dieting in general. The book begins with an overview of menopause and its many symptoms. It continues with a brief mention of interventions such as hormone therapy and supplements. I was pleased that at no time did the author seem to push any of these interventions. Instead she merely offered these things up as options that have helped some women. The bulk of the book then explains how to exercise, what and when to eat, and how to hydrate in order to improve sleep, brain health, gut health, bone strength, core strength and mobility. While this book provides much helpful advice that would apply to the general population, the included exercises and fitness information seem to be geared towards endurance or high-intensity exercisers. A light workout day is a ninety minute workout for this author with main workouts involving heavy weights and lasting several hours. I would therefore encourage potential readers to consider this upon deciding whether this book is right for them.
  Disclosure: I received a free copy from Rodale Books in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
• 
  Katie Flikkema

  This book is a must-read for all women. Exercise physiologist Stacy Sims goes through the science of menopause and lays out a plan for active women to get through the changes of menopause. It was nice to learn more about what to expect and how to combat some of the negative effects. Stacy empowers women with not only knowledge but encouragement. Women don't have to passively accept menopause, but can be as strong as ever, with a little planning and the right approach. Basically, HIIT, plyometrics, and lifting heavy shit is the way to go. Eat enough good carbs and protein. Build in active recovery.
• 
  Cinda

  This book blew my mind ! I was so frustrated working out intensely five days per week consistently and just not getting results. My body composition changed drastically. Added belly and back fat along with insomnia , night sweats, mood swings and all of the other things that come along with peri menopause. I learned that a lot of the things I had been doing were not correct for a woman my age. I needed to ‘lift heavy shit’ and have more recovery days. I started taking the adaptogens mentioned in the book and felt better about three days in And started to lose inches about a week and a half in. Sleeping better as well with reduced symptoms of peri menopause. Improved mood, etc. I can’t wait to see where the continued use of the methods I learned in this book take me. Oh and also learned that water is NOT the best thing for hydration when working out. You’re just going to have to read the book to find out why this is.
• 
  Heather

  Brilliant. Great information with research backing evidence. I highly recommend this book to women, especially those of 40 yrs old. Talk to your doctor, make informed decisions based on your health and fitness goals.
• 
  Nancy

  Staying Fit During Menopause
  
  Menopause sometimes feels like a time when your body is betraying you. Certainly, there are problems: hot flashes, weight gain, and losing strength. While the symptoms are caused by a real condition, you don’t have to give in to them. There are ways to stay healthy and active even though you don’t feel the same way you did only months ago.
  
  A problem for those entering menopause is a lack of a good, comprehensive source of information. This book seeks to remedy that problem and provide a guide for how to stay fit and come our of menopause better than ever. Sims and Yeager cover the symptoms that may be driving you nuts like sweats and weight gain. They also provide information on diet and how to maintain your gut health.
  
  One of the most useful parts of the book is how to work with your body instead of against it to keep your training routine. Their advice includes supplement advice, advice on sleeping, and training suggestions.
  
  This book may not work for everyone, but it you’re interested in keeping active while going through the challenges of menopause, it’s worth reading.
  
  I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.
  
  
• 
  Sheri

  Best health & fitness book for active women 45+ that I’ve ever read!
• 
  Lauren

  This book has been so helpful in understanding what’s going on with my ole body! It has been out on my table as a reference point since I bought it this summer! I will continue to refer to it! But wanted to mark it as my last book read of 2022 - as this year has been all about menopause for me! And with the help of the women who wrote this book and other experts they brought my attention to, I have been able to get a bit of hold on this crazy time of my life!
• 
  Cassie Bustamante

  This book was so helpful in understanding the changes happening in my body and also made me feel so normal!!! I can't wait to implement what I've learned to feel better and look better.
• 
  Briar Ransberry

  An absolute “must read” for any active woman over 40. Honestly. Read it. Twice. Or more. It is absolutely packed with information you don’t find anywhere! Woman-specific, fitness-specific, and accessible enough for the curious learner. Really necessary.
• 
  Lisa

  Bring it on, Menopause !!!!!
  
  I think I will refer to this book a lot over the next few years. Glad I read it - empowering and exciting. Strong trumps skinny - yes! Preach! I’m here for it.
  
  It definitely was written for a high level athlete but you can still take a lot of good information from it.
• 
  Anna

  4.5 stars
• 
  Marci

  Having read a whole lot of books and papers around this topic, this may be the best book on this exact topic that I've seen so far. I'm not sure that I'm going to make any significant adjustments to my actual training schedules based on it, but I'm certainly going to consider doing so.
  I do think this may be aimed at women who are my age and yet somehow more athletic than I am, which starts to look like people who are professional athletes rather than active normal people, so that's a thing to be careful of. I don't feel like she addressed ramping up training schedules for less active women (though I have already loaned out my copy so I can't verify that statement - also, yeah, I already loaned out my copy because I thought it was a solid book that my friend should also read).
• 
  Stephanie

  As a woman whom has already gone through menopause at an early age, I think that this book Next Level should be a keeper on every women's bookshelf and read at some point in their lives. I enjoyed reading this insightful and informative menopause book which includes ways to help you transition through the stages of having menopause and making you understand that your life is just beginning again, not ending!
  
  
  *Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion/review.