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This week's Out & About doesn't open on a muddy path or a pub garden. Lise is propped up in bed, tissue box within reach, Berocca on the side, having just turned 50 and promptly gone down with flu. In the fortnight before her birthday she crammed in more than most people manage in a year: a long, heart-wrenching drive to drop her daughter at university in Scotland, a slightly mad Instagram follower goal, an accidental burpee challenge, a night swim lit up with fireworks, and a guest slot on a radio station. Then, on her actual birthday, a long walk and a Sunday lunch, the last hurrah before flu flattened her completely. From her sickbed, Lise reflects on what turning 50 has stirred up: gratitude for simply waking up, the loss of a close friend a year ago, and why midlife friendships, old and new, matter more than ever. There's also the small matter of a possible netball team. Join Lise and discover... What actually happened in the whirlwind fortnight before her 50th birthdayWhy a Sunday lunch was the calm before the stormThe reflection that losing a close friend has prompted about gratitude and impermanenceWhy cultivating new, intergenerational friendships matters as much as keeping the old onesThe (possibly ill-advised) plan to start a netball teamQuote of the episode "If we get to wake up and take a breath, we should be grateful." Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

This week, Lise is joined by Sally Wilkinson, an accidental entrepreneur, Ironman finisher, author and founder of Shit to Shiny, who has spent nearly a decade sharing her story of depression, heavy drinking, bankruptcy and diet culture burnout with hundreds of thousands of women online. It's a properly raw, unfiltered conversation about shame, motherhood, addiction to alcohol and food, and what it actually takes to climb out of a hole rather than just fall into one, which feels especially timely for any woman in midlife still carrying decades of dieting baggage and quiet exhaustion. In this episode, join Lise and discover: Why Sally's "accidental" business began with a bottle and a half of wine most nights, and how a soggy dishcloth in the kitchen became her rock bottom momentThe story behind booking an Ironman with zero triathlon experience, four days after being declared bankrupt in Blackpool, and crossing the finish line at 17 hours 12 minutesWhy Sally believes "life gets in the way" is one of the most damaging excuses women make, and what she says insteadThe real difference between "ownership" and "awareness" that reshaped the whole approach behind her book, Shit to ShinyWhy 800 women doing a simple 20-minute daily walking challenge, including one who'd never seen a sunrise at 55, taught Sally more about lasting change than any diet ever didQuote of the episode "Anybody can fall into a hole, anybody. Even the most perfect person can fall, but nobody can fall out of the hole. You've got to climb out yourself." - Sally Wilkinson Useful links Sally's website: https://thesallywilkinson.com/Sally on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesallywilkinson/Sally's book, Shit to Shiny: https://ebury.lnk.to/thesh-ttoshinymethodBe a part of the show: Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Dogs at her heels and planes crossing overhead, Lise sets off on the first Out and About of the new season and, with her 50th birthday just days away, she uses the walk to properly introduce, or reintroduce, herself: the car crash at seven, boarding school at eight, and the years that followed when a stubborn refusal to say no led her onto a Muay Thai retreat in Thailand and, unexpectedly, into a whole new relationship with movement. This is Lise at her most open, tracing the line from that first triathlon at Hever Castle through open water swimming lessons, a gruelling 100k Trailwalker with her best friend Robin, and the slow, imperfect work of learning to prioritise herself. It's a conversation about midlife travel, walking adventure and the everyday power of choosing movement, told with all the honesty you've come to expect from Walking This Way. Join Lise and discover... Why turning 50 felt like the right moment to share her full backstoryHow a chance invitation to a Thailand retreat changed the course of her lifeThe truth behind her first triathlon, old ladies' breaststroke and allWhat training for a 100k walk with her best friend Robin really taught herWhy she believes movement should always be about joy, never punishmentQuote of the episode "Finding fitness changed my life." Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

This week, Lise is joined by Nell McAndrew, model, TV presenter and 90s household name turned marathon runner, fitness DVD star and tireless charity fundraiser. But this isn't a conversation about being brilliant at running. It's about what happens when we stop thinking of exercise as punishment or weight loss and start thinking about what movement actually gives us: confidence, headspace, friendship and sanity. In this episode, join Lise and discover: How Nell ran her marathon personal best of 2 hours 54 minutes after having her first child, and what changed in her mindset to get her thereWhy Nell has swapped pounding pavements for slower, more intentional movement, including a programme built around moving well rather than moving fastThe visualisation trick Nell has used before every race, including dreaming she'd already run the marathon in her sleepThe launch of What's Your Move, the new movement Nell and Lise are starting together to get more women moving in whatever way suits themWhy turning up to volunteer at Parkrun, rather than run it, can be the easiest way to ease yourself in and lose the fearThe message Paula Radcliffe sent about Nell, and why it left her lost for wordsQuote of the episode "I always just used to visualise myself getting to the finish line, crossing the finish line and putting my arms in the air." — Nell McAndrew Useful links Follow Nell on Instagram: @nelliemcfitnessBe a part of the show: Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

It's 32 degrees in southwest London and Lise's trying to keep cool for the Season One finale of Walking This Way: Out and about. Reflecting on a recent trip to Royal Ascot, a very early start for a summer solstice swim, and a season of incredible conversations, Lise gets set for a summer break and looks ahead to what's coming up in Season Two from September. Join Lise and discover... What happened at Royal Ascot, on the train home, and during a 2.45am dawn dip in Hove for the summer solsticeA look back at some of the guests and conversations from this seasonWhat's coming up when the podcast returns in SeptemberWhy hitting the follow button now means you won't miss the new seasonWith thanks toAs Seasone One of Walking This Way draws to a close, I'd like to thank my incredible guests over the course of the season, including the WomenKind Collective, Vicki Anstey, Helen Hopkins, Julia and the Ramble Worldwide team, Lorraine Candy, Dr Helen Wall, Sinead Laffan, Claire Hattrick, Lyndsey Gymer, Clare Capper, Adrienne, Tallulah Bamford, Katrina Hassan, Robyn Phillips and Vanessa McDaid. What an incredible collection of women and what amazing conversations. Go back and listen again! Got an idea for Season Two? Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

This week, Lise is joined by Jinty Sheerin and Lou Hockings-Thompson, founders of The Womenkind Collective, podcast hosts, menopause campaigners and co-authors of a forthcoming book on gender bias in healthcare. What began as two lifelong friends chatting over FaceTime during lockdown has grown into a thriving community helping thousands of women navigate midlife, menopause, health, identity and everything in between. This conversation goes far beyond hot flushes and HRT. Together, they explore the hidden ways women are taught to minimise their pain, the shocking reality of gender bias in healthcare and why speaking openly about our experiences matters more than ever. In this episode, join Lise and discover:  How two hairdresser friends turned lockdown conversations into the hugely successful Womenkind Collective  Why women can wait years longer for diagnosis and treatment, including the average eight-year wait for endometriosis diagnosis  Why so many women mistake perimenopause symptoms for serious illness, including dementia, anxiety disorders and chronic health conditions  The concept of internalised misogyny and how it can influence healthcare experiences, even among women themselves  Honest reflections on anxiety, exhaustion, body changes, vaginal health and the shame many women carry silently through midlife Quote of the episode "I've felt shame at the time, but now I think I celebrate it as a post-menopausal woman." – Jinty Sheerin Useful links  The Womenkind Collective Spill The Tea Podcast  Instagram: The Womankind Collective Tackling Gender Bias in the Healthcare System: What Patient Stories Teach Us About Implementing Systemic Change by Jinty Sheerin and Lou Hockings-Thompson: Pre-order nowBe a part of the show: Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

This week, Lise strips off to join over 250 women for a skinny dip in a Surrey lake for Breast Cancer Now. Joining women from across the country to strip off, get in the water, and raise money to help tackle breast cancer and raise awareness, what follows is one of those mornings that's hard to describe and impossible to forget. This is an episode about bodies, bravery and what happens when a group of women decide to stop worrying and just go for it. In this episode, join Lise and discover: How Kate, the event organiser, turned her mum's breast cancer diagnosis into eight years of fundraising, naked calendars and a swim that's grown from 38 brave women to over 250Why one woman drove an hour and a half from Gloucestershire, got in the lake at dawn, and then went straight to work, and would do it all again tomorrowThe moment Lise gets emotional talking to Vanessa, a woman who'd had a mastectomy and was standing there, completely herself, completely magnificentWhy Lise says swimming is the great equaliser, and how a lake full of 250 different bodies, all shapes, all ages, all stories, makes that feel completely trueThe stat that stopped Lise in her tracks: in the UK, one in three cancer diagnoses is breast cancer, one every nine minutesQuote of the episode"When you look at all the bodies, because I love them, I think we're all works of art." - Lise Thorne Useful links Breast Cancer Now: breastcancernow.orgHere's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

This week, Lise is joined by Vicki Anstey, world record-holding adventurer, entrepreneur, speaker and author of new book Other People Are Like the Weather. From rowing across the Pacific Ocean to cycling across America, Vicki has built a remarkable reputation for taking on extreme challenges. But this conversation goes far beyond adventure. Together, Lise and Vicky explore what happens when women in midlife stop living according to other people's expectations and start trusting themselves. They discuss fear, identity, relationships, self-belief and the transformative power of stepping outside your comfort zone. In this episode, join Lise and Vicky to discover:  Why Vicky walked away from a 20-year relationship and the life-changing lessons she learned about self-trust and independence  How a childhood near-drowning experience led to a profound fear of water, and why rowing the Pacific became her way of confronting it  What really happened during her 60-day world record ocean row and the unexpected challenges that nearly broke her  The powerful meaning behind her book title, Other People Are Like the Weather, and why trying to manage everyone else's reactions leaves us exhausted  How difficult conversations before a challenge can transform team dynamics, relationships and everyday life  Why midlife can be the perfect time to reinvent yourself and discover who you really are beneath years of expectations and conditioning  Vicki's insight that the fear of failure is often actually a fear of success, and what happens when we start asking "What's the best that could happen?" Quote of the episode "Sometimes, the fear of failure is actually a fear of success. We're so conditioned to think about what's the worst that could happen, we don't think about what's the best that could happen." - Vicki Anstey Useful links  Vicki's website: vickianstey.co.uk Instagram: instagram.com/vickianstey/ Book: Other People Are Like the Weather: Stop Managing the Forecast and Start Mastering YourselfBe a part of the show: Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

It's peak heatwave in the UK, and Lise has swapped the park for her back garden. Shielding from the record breaking May heat that has the whole country slightly undone, Lise recalls the river swims and paddleboarding sessions that are keeping her cool in the evenings. Recording in her bikini, she also discusses the comments on her Instagram that stopped her in her tracks and reflects on why all women should feel proud to wear whatever they want, whenever they want.Join Lise and discover... Why she started wearing a bikini at 46 and what it took to get thereHow expanding your comfort zone, one small thing at a time, builds a life that genuinely feels biggerA midlife reminder that kindness to yourself isn't optional, it's the whole foundationQuote of the episode "Be ruthlessly, unashamedly kind to yourself. Forgive yourself again and again and again, because the alternative is we shrink." - Lise Thorne Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

This week, Lise is joined by Helen Hopkins, the Mealtime Maverick, batch cooking expert and debut author of Mix and Match Batch, published by Penguin. Helen's story is one of those that sounds almost too much to be true: going viral on Instagram, landing a book deal and navigating perimenopause and deep grief, all at the same time. For any midlife woman who has ever felt like she's holding everything together with fraying string, this conversation will feel like a warm hand on the shoulder - coupled with a fridge full of delicious food! In this episode, join Lise and discover: How Helen's Instagram account grew from 4,000 followers to over 80,000 in just ten weeks, after a single batch cooking reel racked up 3.1 million views, and why that viral moment arrived at the most emotionally complex point of her lifeWhy Helen abandoned traditional freezer-based batch cooking in favour of fresh fridge batching, and how spending roughly one hour in the kitchen can produce five to six flexible meals for a family of four for between £35 and £45The emotional thread running through the cookbook itself: why recipes for stew and sloppy joes carry her parents with her, and what it means to have created something her late father, a lifelong reader, would have been proud ofQuote of the episode "Cooking is about putting ingredients together, making something delicious, sharing it with people that you love, and having the opportunity to connect." - Helen Hopkins Useful links Helen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mealtime.maverick/Mix and Match Batch by Helen Hopkins, published by Penguin: available on Amazon and wherever books are soldWIN a signed copy: Leave a voice message via the link below telling us about your cooking or batching experience, and Helen will gift one lucky listener a signed copy.Be a part of the show: Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Lise is in the Lake District on a walking weekend with Ramble Worldwide, Hassness House and Ageism Is Never In Style. She's joined by walk leader Julia Williams for an evening amble to Buttermere, the evening before the walking properly starts. It's nearly 9:30 at night. The sun has just slipped behind the hills, and Lise and Julia are walking down to the lake, talking about what walking does for people. Julia has been leading walks for Ramble Worldwide for 12 years, entirely as a volunteer. She's taken groups to New Zealand, the Alps, Costa Rica, Madeira, the Tour du Mont Blanc and the Camino. She really knows what it means when someone says a walk changed their life. And Lise shares her own walking story: travelling the world for a year with her three children and walking the final stretch of the Camino with no sleeping bags, no advance bookings, and nothing to think about but the next step. Join Lise and discover... Why Ramble Worldwide is a not-for-profit and what that means for the walking communityHow Julia went from a career in the real world to leading groups across six continents as a volunteerThe unexpected moments that remind you why getting people outdoors really mattersWhy a well-organised walk is harder than it looksLise's family Camino: three kids, no plan and walking home from Japan via northern SpainWith thanks to all the brilliant people at: Ramble Worldwide — www.rambleworldwide.co.ukHassness House — www.rambleworldwide.co.uk/hassness-houseAgeism Is Never In Style — www.ageismisneverinstyle.comQuote of the Episode "As I'm walking, I feel like I'm walking away from the pain and towards a new life." - One of Julia's Camino guests, shared by Julia Williams Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

This week, Lise is joined by Lorraine Candy, co-host of the award-winning podcast Postcards from Midlife, a journalist who has edited some of Britain's biggest magazines, and a mother of four who is refreshingly honest about what's actually going on in her life - from HRT and perimenopause to friendships and swimming. In this episode, she and Lise dig into the real challenges facing midlife women today, the ongoing debate over HRT, the importance of female friendship and how moving every day - and taking on the occasional swimming challenge - can have a transformative impact on your health and wellbeing. In this episode, join Lise and discover: Why two-thirds of women are wrongly prescribed antidepressants during perimenopause The shocking statistic that only around 10% of women who would benefit from HRT are actually getting itWhat the "anticipatory load" is, why it's neurologically exhausting, and why it falls so disproportionately on womenLorraine's honest journey through perimenopause, from night terrors and panic attacks to finding what actually workedWhy female friendship isn't a luxury in midlife; according to the research, it might literally save your life.Quote of the episode:"If you've got a choice between career and ambition, or helping a friend, or being with a friend, or being good - choose the friendship. Because that is the grit that sees you through." - Lorraine Candy Useful links: Lorraine's podcast: https://www.postcardsfrommidlife.com/Lorraine's booksLorraine's Substack: https://lorrainecandy.substack.com/Lorraine's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorrainecandy/Watergate Bay Hotel: https://watergatebay.co.uk/Be a part of the show: Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Recorded in her local graveyard (Richmond Park is off-limits to dogs for three months), Lise is out in the sunshine with Dolly, Sam, Evie, and James, dwelling on time on and in the water! Having rediscovered swimming she's now planning a challenge with a difference, in Lake Geneva. Water aside, there's then the small but important matter of other people's dog poo. Where do you stand? Join Lise and the dogs for: Gym inspiration - how she's doing a class every other day and has already attempted to push a 150kg sledRowing redisocvery - what it's really like to get back on the ThamesA swimming challenge with a difference - and how it was inspired by a podcast guestDog poo dilemmas - would you or wouldn't you?Quote of the episode "Ten years ago I did my first triathlon. I swam in a surfing wetsuit with snorkelling goggles, old ladies' breaststroke, pannier bike on the hills. And nothing has ever felt as good as finishing that. Nothing." Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Have you ever wondered if what you’re experiencing in midlife is more than just perimenopause? If brain fog, overwhelm, emotional dysregulation and sheer exhaustion sound familiar, this episode is going to give you a lot to think about. Lise is joined by Dr Helen Wall: a GP with over 25 years’ experience, a BBC Breakfast and BBC Morning Live regular and one of the UK’s leading voices on women’s hormonal health. Helen has spent years joining the dots between perimenopause and ADHD, and what she’s uncovered will resonate with so many of you. In this episode, join Lise and discover… Why so many women only discover they have ADHD in midlife, and why that’s not an accidentHow our hormones affect the chemical messengers in our brains The difference between perimenopause and menopauseWhat masking really means and the hidden cost it carriesWhat to do if you’re sitting there thinking ‘is this me?’Quote of the Episode “These are not women who’ve just suddenly woken up in perimenopause and developed ADHD. These are women who have always had things going on through their lives that never quite fitted – because what they’ve essentially done all their lives is masked.” - Dr Helen Wall Dr Helen Wall Website: https://tvhealthdoctor.com/LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-helen-wall-9b7906235/Helen's Book, Menopause and ADHD: Out on May 14, preorder HEREBe a part of the show: Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Lise is back outside this week, fresh from visiting her parents in Salisbury and with all three dogs in tow. She talks about perimenopause and anxiety, why so many women are quietly struggling, the oil tanker effect on fuel prices, and why local politics has finally got her riled up. It's a little bit personal, and a little bit politcal this week, but all very much Lise. Join Lise and the dogs for: The Instagram post on anxiety that struck a nervePerimenopause as a signal to stop spinning all the platesOil tankers, fuel prices and why the real cost-of-living crunch might hit harder around MayLocal elections, the Lime Bike/Forest Bike swap and why she's thinking about voting Green.Quote of the episode: "I'm a midlife f****** woman, and I've had enough. I'm angry about things. And it's time." Here's how to get in touch... Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_wayEmail us: [email protected] the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8HSend us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWayProduced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk