I am Lynne Crosby, and I am so happy you are here…

I have been a Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor and Menopause Support Coach for almost 20 years, offering a personal and caring service for women in Saintfield, Ballynahinch who are struggling with the many symptoms of menopause. My aim is to help women transition through life feeling healthy, strong and happy, mentally, physically and emotionally, especially during a time when menopause support, understanding, and compassion are truly needed.

Helping women is a complete passion of mine - a passion born out of the pain I experienced as a 30-something perimenopausal woman who was misdiagnosed continuously by the medical profession. I felt anxious, ignored, lost, frustrated, overwhelmed and very, very alone. I remember thinking “I’ve lost myself”, and like so many women today, I battled menopause weight gain, anxiety, hot flashes, meno belly, joint pain, heart palpitations, and lack of sleep without knowing why.

On top of feeling like I was losing my mind, the weight was constantly creeping on regardless of my attempts to overcome it. I ate healthily (most of the time), I exercised daily (sometimes twice a day), yet nothing seemed to work until I realised I needed to educate myself more about my body and what was happening to me.

The story behind the picture:

I live in a beautiful country village, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, and feel blessed to have the most breathtaking countryside and coastline on my doorstep. Every family has their traditions, and even though I couldn’t have children, every year on Boxing Day, Stephen, KoKo (my miniature schnauzer baby), and I go to a local seaside town for a bracing walk along the endless beach.

A couple of years ago, the wind was extremely strong - it carried us quickly in one direction, but when it was time to return, the wind was fully against us. The sand whipped up, giving us the best exfoliation ever, lol. It wasn’t the fastest journey. Stephen led, I followed, and wee KoKo was behind me, all taking one step at a time. We stumbled occasionally, but we supported one another until we made it safely back to the shelter.

I see this as our menopause journey. Sometimes the wind is behind us, carrying us along with ease; sometimes it is against us, and we must lean into it, stumble through it, and trust that support is there. Just like I support the women I work with through menopause support programmes, helping them navigate everything from anxiety, hot flashes, meno belly, and joint pain to the emotional feeling of “I’ve lost myself.”