You’ve probably heard motherhood described as “balancing it all.” You’ve survived the toddler years and perhaps found a new rhythm.
But what if we described it as: an endurance event where growing kids, aging parents, careers, and hormonal changes collide. Testing adaptability, resilience, and stamina every single day?
Meet Needed Champion Martha
Martha is a mother, creative, and a force for social impact. She’s a soccer mom, founding board member of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition, and co-founder of Take The Lead Retreat, a transformative program connecting women, femme, and non-binary folks of color in the running and outdoor industry to build careers, drive change, and accelerate professional growth.
“Motherhood is the longest race I’ve ever run. There isn’t a training plan, no finish line, just love that keeps finding new ways to stretch itself.”
The Science of Midlife Motherhood Endurance
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Midlife motherhood often coincides with caring for older kids, the saying goes, bigger kids, bigger problems often while balancing aging parents and career pressures.
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Perimenopause can begin as early as age 35, bringing estrogen fluctuations that affect metabolism, mood, sleep, and bone density. Women lose up to 20% of collagen in the first five years post-menopause, and Perimenopause can lead to nutrient depletion due to heavier periods, hormonal changes, and other factors, making it crucial to focus on nutrient-dense foods.
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Endurance at this stage is about adaptability: managing mental load, physical shifts, and emotional complexity simultaneously.
Why Martha Is Our Champion
Martha exemplifies the middle miles of motherhood: balancing caregiving, leadership, and hormonal change while redefining what it means to persevere and thrive. She shows that midlife is not a slowdown, but a time of recalibration, growth, and intentional impact.
Practical Takeaways
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Support adrenal health: Adaptogens, protein, and magnesium help buffer stress.
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Rebuild muscle: Strength training preserves metabolism, bone density, and resilience.
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Replenish key nutrients: Calcium, D3, and omega-3s are foundational to supporting your body.
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Prioritize recovery and mental load management: Delegate, schedule downtime, and embrace flexibility.
The Bottom Line
Midlife motherhood is an evolving endurance sport. Needed’s Motherhood Is an Endurance Sport™ campaign recognizes that endurance doesn’t end with birth, it spans your entire Motherspan and transforms as children grow, careers advance, and bodies change, requiring strategy, support, and adaptability at every stage of motherhood.
Our “Motherhood Is an Endurance Sport™” campaign kicks off alongside the NYC Marathon, celebrating the unmatched strength, stamina, and resilience of mothers everywhere. The visuals spotlight the many faces of endurance with champions from IVF and infertility journeys to labor or everyday marathon of motherhood. Reminding the world that moms deserve the same recognition, recovery, and support as any athlete. At the heart of this initiative is Every Mother Counts (EMC), a nonprofit improving maternal health worldwide. To further their mission, we’re releasing a limited-edition “Motherhood Is an Endurance Sport™” shirt, available online and at Happier Grocery, with 100% of proceeds supporting EMC’s vital work.
