Naomi Gottlieb-Miller

Hey Reader, I have big news. For the past 8 weeks, I've been working really hard on something and I've been itching to tell you about it, but I had to keep it under wraps until today. I BUILT AN APP! And it's finally available for everyone who wants to use it, today. My app is called Strength in Midlife -- A Daily Movement App for Aging Well. I created this app for women in perimenopause (and also those who are postmenopausal), who want to feel stronger as they get older by building a daily...

Hey Reader, It's been awhile since I've introduced myself. It feels silly in some ways because I started this newsletter in 2007, mostly from folks who took yoga classes with me at the YMCA in Silver Spring (if you're one of those OG newsletter subscribers -- HI!!!! Thanks for being with me for so long. I'd love to hear from you, so please say "hi" and respond to this email). On the other hand, a lot has changed in 19 years. So here goes: Hi, I'm Naomi! I started teaching yoga back in 2005...

Hey Reader, When I taught public yoga classes, I'd often make a joke whenever we did chair pose. "Now let's do everyone's favorite pose," I'd say, while most of the room was grimacing. The truth is, no one really likes chair pose. If you happen to be one of the people who enjoys chair pose, congratulations! You are one of the few out there who doesn't do this pose with rage in your heart. When we do chair pose in yoga, it's usually a feat of endurance -- how long can you hold it before your...

Hey Reader, A few months ago, the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) released a new position stand about strength training. I wrote about it when it was published and the findings are largely positive (you can read that here, if you'd like). One of the biggest takeaways from the position stand was about power. We lose power faster than muscle or bone as we age, but we don't really talk about power as much. Power is moving quickly and forcefully. One example is swinging a tennis...

Hey Reader, One of the questions I get a lot is "how do you know you're stronger?" This might seem like a question with an obvious answer, but the answer is a bit more vague to lots of people. When I asked a few folks, many said, "I feel stronger. That's how I know." A few said that certain yoga poses felt easier or they could hold them longer. Others said that difficult physical tasks in their everyday lives felt a little more manageable. These are good things. But they aren't necessarily...

Hey Reader, I was listening to a podcast recently which was trying to figure out why more people don't move their bodies regularly, even if they know that exercise is not just good for them but a huge factor in their physical health now and in the future. The guest on the podcast, an expert in exercise science, said this, " The number one reported barrier people will say, will be time. But the truth, in my interpretation of that, is that (they) don't value the activity enough to make the time...

Hey Reader, Today is the last day to take advantage of the summer sale for my app, Strength in Midlife. I built this app for a few specific reasons, but mostly to offer a space for women over 40 to start and sustain a daily movement practice that emphasizes the importance of strength training and without all of the diet culture nonsense as a distraction. You don't have to set a weight loss goal. You're not measuring anything other than how many reps you do and how heavy the weights are you're...

Hey Reader, I've been teaching yoga and movement for 21 years. In that time, my work in the world has evolved with me. When I was a new yoga teacher, my goal was to teach fun, thoughtful yoga classes that challenged people to do things they didn't think they could do (safely, of course). When I became a mom, my goal was to make movement more accessible for busy moms without making it feel like one more thing on their to-do list. And then, when I realized I needed to get stronger as I get...

Hey Reader, I am writing to you from the floor of my still dark hotel room. 4 kids and a dog are still sleeping while I try to squeeze out some work before we get back on the road for our summer adventure. The hotel room is tiny. Smaller than the one we were in yesterday. I am going to have to get creative if I want to move my body before driving for 6.5 hours. I happen to have some resistance bands with me and randomly some kettlebells in my car. Maybe I'll do a parking lot work out???...