Amanda Reidy is a PE teacher, women's fitness, lifestyle and wellbeing coach, founder of Radiate Fitness, host of the Perimenopause & Motherhood podcast (formerly Happy Thriving Mums) and a passionate advocate for helping women thrive through midlife. A mum of two, she understands firsthand the realities of juggling family, work, wellbeing and the ever-evolving demands of modern life.
Combining movement, mindset and nourishment, Amanda specialises in supporting working mums over 40 through what she calls the years when hormones collide, a unique stage of life where perimenopause often intersects with the demands of parenting, careers, caring responsibilities and shifting identities.
In this episode, Amanda unpacks the huge and often confusing overlap between matrescence and perimenopause, why the menopause is actually just one single day rather than the years-long experience so many of us assume, and the practical, sustainable changes that can genuinely help. It is a conversation that will leave you feeling far more informed and perhaps even a little bit angry about how much of this we were never told.
💡 "This will happen to one hundred percent of the women that you know. It's not a case of maybe. Women need to be informed about it and so do the men who love them." - Amanda Reidy
In this conversation, we explore:
✨ Amanda's journey from twenty years as a PE teacher to founding Radiate Fitness, and why her underlying philosophy has always been about helping people find joy in movement rather than performance
✨ The reality of trying to build a flexible business around school term times, after-school clubs and the childcare gaps that come with being a teacher herself
✨ Why Amanda's early business focus on postnatal fitness and pelvic floor health shifted towards perimenopause, and the personal experiences, including a premature baby during lockdown, that shaped that pivot
✨ The genuinely surprising clarification that menopause is a single moment in time, twelve months after your last period, and that everything before it is perimenopause, which can last for a decade or more
✨ The huge and confusing overlap between matrescence and perimenopause for women having children later in life, and why symptoms like brain fog, anxiety and exhaustion can so easily be misattributed to one or the other
✨ Why up to seven years can pass before women seek help for pelvic floor issues, and the shame and stigma that keeps so many suffering in silence
✨ The three pillars Amanda works with her clients on - nourishment, movement and mindset - and how small, sustainable changes compound into meaningful results
✨ Why sleep and stress reduction matter more than almost anything else during perimenopause, and the reframe of treating rest itself as something productive rather than something to feel guilty about
✨ The importance of strength training and regular movement for bone density and muscle mass as women move through midlife, and why it does not need to mean joining a gym
✨ Why identity work and permission to dream matter just as much as the physical symptoms, and what it means to model a joyful, thriving midlife for the next generation of daughters
About the Guest:
Amanda Reidy is a PE teacher, women's fitness, lifestyle and wellbeing coach and founder of Radiate Fitness. She hosts the Perimenopause & Motherhood podcast and specialises in supporting working mothers over 40 through perimenopause, combining movement, mindset and nourishment to help women feel informed, supported and genuinely excited about this next chapter of life. A mum of two, Amanda is currently developing a new programme launching in September to help more women navigate the years when hormones collide.
You can connect with Amanda at radiatefitness.co.uk, on Instagram or on LinkedIn.
About The Host:
I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️
I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!
I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.
Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.
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