Menopause - The Real Deal

About Menopause - The Real Deal

"Menopause - The Real Deal" is your go-to podcast for honest, expert-driven conversations about perimenopause and menopause. Hosted by Michelle, a senior Physiotherapist, Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner, and best selling author, this podcast dives deep into the real experiences of women navigating this transformative stage of life. Each episode features insightful interviews with health professionals, business leaders, corporate women, and past clients who share their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. We debunk common myths, explore the impact of menopause on health and work life, and provide practical advice to help you manage symptoms and thrive. Whether you’re approaching perimenopause, in the midst of it, or supporting someone who is, "Menopause - The Real Deal" offers the education and support you need to embrace this phase with confidence.

Publisher

Michelle Rowlinson

Category

education · health & fitness · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Dec 2024

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

96 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Menopause, Midlife & Your Career: Have You Lost Capability or Just Capacity? | Paula Bradbrook

   “I used to be able to cope with all of this. Why can't I anymore?” It's a question many women find themselves asking in midlife. Work that once felt manageable becomes overwhelming. Confidence changes. Memory and concentration can become frightening. Relationships can come under strain, and suddenly you can find yourself questioning the career and life you've spent years building. My guest is Paula Bradbrook, who has more than 25 years of corporate leadership experience and now works across midlife health, career longevity, workplace capability and women's health advocacy. Paula is Director of Midlife Advantage and Your Menopause Doula, co-founder of Her Health Hero, and works with BleedBetter to improve awareness and clinical pathways around heavy menstrual bleeding. Paula's own experience led her from fearing she had early-onset dementia and questioning almost every area of her life to understanding just how much can be happening to women during midlife. Together, we look at what can happen when menopause collides with careers, relationships, responsibilities and financial security, and why struggling to manage everything you once did doesn't necessarily mean you've become less capable. PAULA REVEALS Why she wasn't prepared for what happened after her hysterectomy, and how dramatically things changed in the weeks that followed. How nine months of not understanding what was happening nearly cost her the career, marriage and family life she'd spent decades building. The crucial difference between losing your capability and losing your capacity, and why that distinction can completely change the way you interpret suddenly struggling with things you've managed successfully for years. The uncomfortable realisation that came from looking back at female colleagues she'd previously judged when their performance started to change, and how differently she sees those women now. What decades of heavy menstrual bleeding looked like behind closed doors, the lengths she sometimes had to go to just to leave the house, and how something so disruptive became her version of “normal.” BEST MOMENTS “I thought I had early onset dementia, arthritis, everything just accelerated so quickly.” “He stood in front of me, I think, on about four occasions, just crying, asking where his Paula had gone.” “I remember actually storming in and I stood up and maybe pounded her desk even, and just said, ‘This is an absolute travesty against women and what are you doing about it?’” “We either don't talk about it at all, or we all want to make a joke of it. This is actually really serious for some women.” EPISODE RESOURCES Website: https://yourmenopausedoula.com.au/ (https://yourmenopausedoula.com.au/) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/paulabradbrook (www.linkedin.com/in/paulabradbrook ) Want practical, evidence-informed support with menopause? Visit Panacea Pause (https://panaceapause.co.uk/)to explore Michelle’s resources, services and ways to work with her. ABOUT MICHELLE Michelle Rowlinson is the founder of Panacea Pause, a Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Menopause and Wellbeing Practitioner, best-selling author, and host of the Menopause - The Real Deal podcast. After spending seven years searching for answers to debilitating symptoms that were eventually recognised as perimenopause, Michelle made it her mission to help other women understand what is happening to their bodies and navigate menopause with confidence. Today, she delivers evidence-based education for women, workplaces and healthcare professionals through her CPD-accredited training, workshops and public speaking. Combining over two decades of clinical experience with her own lived experience, Michelle is passionate about translating complex science into practical, honest conversations that help women make informed decisions about their health. Through her podcast, Michelle explores the latest evidence, challenges outdated misconceptions, and asks the questions that many women, and increasingly healthcare professionals, are asking about menopause today. CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rowlinson.official/ (https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rowlinson.official/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson ( https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson) Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a (www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal (https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal) My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag (https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag) Website: www.panaceapause.co.uk (www.panaceapause.co.uk)

2. 

   30 Sept 2026

   Exercise in Menopause: Are You Pushing Your Body Too Hard? | Chelsea Martino

   There's no shortage of advice telling women how they should exercise during perimenopause and menopause. Lift heavier weights. Build muscle. Protect your bones. Keep pushing yourself. But women's bodies don't suddenly become identical when they reach midlife. Hormonal changes are happening alongside differences in pain, stress, sleep, menstrual cycles, health conditions and everyday life, and all of these can influence how exercise feels and how the body responds. My guest is Chelsea Martino, an Exercise Physiologist and owner of Functional Mind Exercise Physiology in Melbourne, Australia. Chelsea works across women's health, chronic pain, neurological rehabilitation and mental health, taking a whole-person approach to exercise and movement. Together, we challenge the idea that there's one correct way for women to exercise during perimenopause and menopause, and look at why understanding what's happening in your own body could be far more useful than simply following another set of rules. CHELSEA REVEALS Why feeling strong in the gym one week and struggling with exactly the same exercise the next doesn't necessarily mean you've suddenly lost strength or fitness. How your menstrual cycle can affect exercise performance, and what cycle syncing could mean for the way you train at different points in the month. Why the current focus on lifting heavier weights during menopause may be too simplistic for women dealing with pain, fatigue, stress or other health conditions. What your nervous system has to do with exercise, and the surprising ways a body under stress can reveal itself through movement. Why doing less can sometimes lead to better results, and how breaking the cycle of pushing hard, flaring symptoms and stopping altogether could make movement more sustainable. BEST MOMENTS “I'd rather four really good ones than seven half-ass ones.” “That cup eventually is going to overflow and tip and go, ‘I can't do this anymore.’” “A lot of women will come in and go, ‘I can't stand my husband anymore.’” “You're both starting to meet each other again. So there's a shift in the dynamics.” EPISODE RESOURCES Website: (www.functionalmindep.com.au )www.functionalmindep.com.au (www.functionalmindep.com.au ) (www.functionalmindep.com.au ) Instagram: @_functionalmind on IG (@_functionalmind on IG) Want practical, evidence-informed support with menopause? Visit Panacea Pause (https://panaceapause.co.uk/)to explore Michelle’s resources, services and ways to work with her. ABOUT MICHELLE Michelle Rowlinson is the founder of Panacea Pause, a Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Menopause and Wellbeing Practitioner, best-selling author, and host of the Menopause - The Real Deal podcast. After spending seven years searching for answers to debilitating symptoms that were eventually recognised as perimenopause, Michelle made it her mission to help other women understand what is happening to their bodies and navigate menopause with confidence. Today, she delivers evidence-based education for women, workplaces and healthcare professionals through her CPD-accredited training, workshops and public speaking. Combining over two decades of clinical experience with her own lived experience, Michelle is passionate about translating complex science into practical, honest conversations that help women make informed decisions about their health. Through her podcast, Michelle explores the latest evidence, challenges outdated misconceptions, and asks the questions that many women, and increasingly healthcare professionals, are asking about menopause today. CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rowlinson.official/ (https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rowlinson.official/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson ( https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson) Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a (www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal (https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal) My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag (https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag) Website: www.panaceapause.co.uk (www.panaceapause.co.uk)

3. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Menopause After Breast Cancer: What Happens When Hormones Aren't the Whole Story? | Dr Alex

   Menopause can be difficult enough to navigate, but what happens when it comes as part of breast cancer treatment and the usual options for managing symptoms may not be straightforward? For some women, the transition can happen incredibly quickly. Then, once cancer treatment ends, they can find themselves trying to work out who is actually responsible for helping with everything that comes next. My guest is NHS doctor and executive coach Dr Alex, who has more than 25 years' experience in medicine, much of it in oncology. Her work supporting women after breast cancer led her to notice something that went beyond the physical symptoms of menopause. Because what happens when you treat the hormones, but a woman still doesn't feel like herself? We talk about menopause after cancer before widening the conversation to the brain, confidence, identity, work and the enormous load many women are carrying by the time they reach midlife. And we challenge an increasingly common message about what women should be doing with their lives and careers as they get older. ALEX REVEALS Why women experiencing menopause after breast cancer can find themselves caught between different healthcare services, and what can happen when nobody quite takes ownership of the whole picture. What could be behind some of the frightening changes women notice in their memory, concentration and ability to cope in midlife, and why Alex believes we need to look beyond hormones alone. What Alex means by the “midlife brain”, and why your brain may be dealing with far more than fluctuating hormones by the time you reach your 40s and 50s. Why she challenges the message that midlife women should automatically slow down, step back or do less, particularly when it comes to their careers. The difference between capacity and capability, and why confusing the two can completely change the way a woman sees herself when she starts struggling. BEST MOMENTS “Life's supposedly meant to be coming back to normal, but it rarely does.” “So I'll have some HRT and life will be normal again. And it's just not that straightforward.” “It's very easy just to put it all down to menopausal symptoms, but they do land on an already full plate.” “If I forget a sentence mid-meeting, everyone thinks I'm going through menopause and I'm about to have a meltdown.” EPISODE RESOURCES Email: dralexcoach@gmail.com Website: dralexcoach.co.uk (dralexcoach.co.uk) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-alex-kuciejewska-2767a334a (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-alex-kuciejewska-2767a334a) Want practical, evidence-informed support with menopause? Visit Panacea Pause (https://panaceapause.co.uk/)to explore Michelle’s resources, services and ways to work with her. ABOUT MICHELLE Michelle Rowlinson is the founder of Panacea Pause, a Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, Menopause and Wellbeing Practitioner, best-selling author, and host of the Menopause - The Real Deal podcast. After spending seven years searching for answers to debilitating symptoms that were eventually recognised as perimenopause, Michelle made it her mission to help other women understand what is happening to their bodies and navigate menopause with confidence. Today, she delivers evidence-based education for women, workplaces and healthcare professionals through her CPD-accredited training, workshops and public speaking. Combining over two decades of clinical experience with her own lived experience, Michelle is passionate about translating complex science into practical, honest conversations that help women make informed decisions about their health. Through her podcast, Michelle explores the latest evidence, challenges outdated misconceptions, and asks the questions that many women, and increasingly healthcare professionals, are asking about menopause today. CONNECT WITH MICHELLE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rowlinson.official/ (https://www.facebook.com/michelle.rowlinson.official/) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson ( https://www.tiktok.com/@michelle_rowlinson) Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a (www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-rowlinson-38330b21a) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal (https://www.youtube.com/@MenopauseTheRealDeal) My Book: You, me conquering perimenopause & menopause https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag (https://amzn.eu/d/hCcbjag) Website: www.panaceapause.co.uk (www.panaceapause.co.uk)

Who has been a guest on Menopause - The Real Deal

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Aanu Benson
• Barbara Lewthwaite
• Julie White
• Dr Harper
• Donna Moors

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

38,629

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

68

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

0

Contact Menopause - The Real Deal

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Menopause - The Real Deal