As we get older and life seems to get more complex, not to mention busy, responsibilities at home and in our working lives can overwhelm, leaving us with what feels like precious little time to ourselves. It's easy to understand how exercise can take a back seat to other seemingly more pressing priorities.

Lack of exercise and also childbirth can all weaken the pelvic floor muscles in women. This can lead to problems which affect your quality of life. It's estimated that around one in three women have a weak pelvic floor and in the over 55s this number rises to half.

If you have set your exercise goals and created a fitness strategy, then you have the main ingredients to make really positive steps towards transforming your life; affecting your lifestyle, your physical wellbeing and possibly even your relationships.

While we are all so similar in so many ways, we also have different needs when it comes to looking after our health. Women have different dietary requirements than men, for example, and it's important for women to recognize and respond to these nutritional differences.

If you've decided to change your lifestyle to lead a healthier life and to get fit, then firstly well done for making that mental decision to make a difference for the better. Your next stage is to strike while your motivation is high and get practical.

It's been around for thousands of years; NASA could be sending it into space; and the UN General Assembly thinks it could be important for future nutritional needs and to help eradicate poverty. Quinoa is a superfood in more ways than one and has recently had a resurgence of popularity.

With so much high-fat, high-calorie, not to mention, high-sugar foods so easily at hand, it is no big surprise that many women suffer with a weight problem. However, to eat healthily it is not just a matter of women eating less but understanding how their diets need to differ from men and what their nutritional needs are.

The power of positive thought doesn't just lie in feeling enthusiastic and adopting a can-do attitude, although of course that helps; for positivity to be really effective it has to run far deeper and not just be a face-value sentiment that pays lip service to the idea of feeling motivated about exercise.

Think about it, behind every successful athlete there is a solid team of supporters who rally around her when needed. While it is the sheer determination and commitment each of us shows in achieving our goals that counts, those around us can be a great help.

Hormones have a lot to answer for! Busy passing messages on around the body, it's important that they work well together in a balanced and organized way. If one hormone steps out of line then all types of physical and mental chaos can ensue, such as issues with weight, mood, and libido, to name but a few, not to mention growth and development.