Walking This Way – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to Walking This Way - the upfront, honest, no-nonsense podcast about midlife for women who are ready to drop the filters and talk about what it’s really like.

Join Lise Thorne for straight-talking chats, laughter and the kind of conversations you’ll wish you’d had years ago - about changing bodies, shifting priorities and rediscovering who you are.

This is midlife, unfiltered.

Subscribe now and walk this way with Lise.

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
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE
• Send us a voice message HERE

Produced by The Good Studio

Hello you gorgeous rock stars! Welcome to the very first episode of Walking This Way - my new space for midlife women who are ready to rediscover their fabulousness, one brave step at a time.

In this episode, I’m sharing how this whole thing began: the moment I realised I’d lost myself a little, the scary trip to a Muay Thai retreat that changed everything and the parkrun that taught me more about courage (and tears!) than any medal ever could.

This is about movement, midlife and self-care in its truest sense - showing up for yourself, even when it feels hard. Whether you’re juggling kids, parents, hormones or hope, Walking This Way is here to remind you that every small act of self-love counts.

So lace up your trainers, grab a cuppa, and let’s start walking this way together.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How a Muay Thai retreat helped Lise reconnect with her confidence and purpose.
• The parkrun story that became a metaphor for showing up — no matter your size, pace or fear.
• Why courage often looks like everyday self-care.
• An invitation to midlife women everywhere to take part, share stories and inspire each other.

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_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Hello Rockstars! Welcome to our very first Walking This Way Challenge, your fortnightly dose of tiny-but-mighty self-care.

Every two weeks, I’ll set you a small, totally achievable challenge designed to help midlife women build confidence, energy and wellbeing through tiny steps that add up. No marathon training, no Everest expeditions. Just simple wins we can all celebrate.

This week, we’re getting moving. Your challenge is to do one small piece of purposeful movement every day that stretches you just a little. Nothing epic. Nothing time-consuming. Just something you’ll feel quietly proud of.

If you already walk the dog, add five purposeful minutes. Try ten squats. One burpee (yes, one counts). A gentle jog around the block. Cleaning the windows if you really want to break a sweat! Anything that’s new, intentional, and feels like you’re showing up for yourself.

So have a go, keep it small, and please share your wins, wobbles and photos with me. The joy of this community is doing it together.

This week’s challenge recap:

• Choose one small piece of purposeful movement each day
• Make it something just a little bit hard
• Keep it short and achievable
• Share how you get on with the Walking This Way community

Share your success: Here's how to get in touch...

• Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE
• Send us a voice message HERE

Produced by The Good Studio

Hello Rockstars! Welcome back to your next Walking This Way Challenge - our fortnightly moment to focus on small, achievable wins that boost your wellbeing. This one has a festive twist, because let’s be honest… the next couple of weeks can feel full on.

Christmas parties, school events, family logistics, food prep, shopping, wrapping, travelling, trying to keep the magic alive (and not open the mulled wine too early) - it’s a lot. Which is exactly why this challenge matters.

For the next two weeks, I want you to find one small moment of calm just for yourself. A quiet pocket of time where you shut out the noise, pause the to-do list, and simply breathe.

It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be fancy. But it does have to be for you.

Whatever you choose, make sure it isn’t housework or Christmas prep disguised as self-care. This is permission, from me, to be totally selfish for once and prioritise calm over chaos.

And I’d love to hear how you get on. In fact, you’ll hear messages in this episode from listeners who smashed the first challenge - from extra dog-walk minutes to early-morning pyjama workouts and rediscovering the joy of walking. Your stories genuinely mean the world to me.

So good luck, Rockstars. Find your calm, protect it, savour it - and share it with me. All the links you need are below.

Share your success: Here's how to get in touch...

• Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Hello you gorgeous rock stars! Welcome back to Walking This Way - and if you’re new here, you are so very welcome. This is the show for midlife women who want honesty, connection, courage and a bit of nonsense alongside the messy, magical bits of this chapter of life.

Today I’m joined by the fabulous Vanessa McDaid, a woman who radiates bravery, energy and kindness. Vanessa and I talk about how we met (spoiler: it involves water, Instagram DMs, and eventually a naked photoshoot with strangers), and how a single toe-dip outside your comfort zone can change everything.

Vanessa shares her story of walking away from a high-flying corporate career at 50, navigating family dynamics, volunteering in hospice care, rediscovering purpose and building a life that feels as successful as it looks. We unwrap jealousy, partnership, parenting older kids, midlife emotions, and why this season of life is less about loss, and much more about rebirth, reinvention and rediscovering yourself.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, tired, unsure, or just quietly desperate for a fresh start… this episode is a gentle hand on your back saying: “Go on. Take the first step.”

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How one brave message led to swimming lessons, new friendships and a life-changing photoshoot
• Why midlife is the perfect time to pivot, try new things and form new neural pathways
• The emotional load of modern motherhood, and how jealousy, guilt and resentment show up
• What Vanessa learned from stepping away from corporate life and doing volunteering
• How to change your “state” when life feels stuck
• Why this chapter of life is a relaunch, not a decline
• The power of vulnerability, female friendships and saying yes before you feel ready

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_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Hello again, Rockstars! In this festive episode, I’m joined by the irrepressible Adrienne d’Souza - queen of Christmas chaos, community champion and one of the funniest, warmest women I know.

Adrienne spent her life at the heart of Christmas: growing up in her family’s toy shops, running the iconic Hamleys and Harrods toy departments, and later running one of London’s best-loved party shops for 15 years. She has seen everything - the queues, the meltdowns, the impossible-to-find toys, and the mega celebs who tried to do their shopping on 23 December with no security.

But this episode is about much more than retail madness. We talk about:
 ✨ The emotional weight midlife women carry trying to “make the magic happen”
 ✨ Christmas after losing a loved one, and how Adrienne rebuilt joy after her mum died
 ✨ Parenting, empty nest Christmases, new traditions and letting go of perfection
 ✨ Sensory overwhelm and recognising that magical moments aren’t universal
 ✨ The small, unexpected acts of kindness that become the heart of the season

And Lise answers some of your festive questions, from present wrapping tips (using tea towels!), to the joys of open water swimming.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• The behind-the-scenes reality of Christmas in Harrods and Hamleys
• Adrienne’s first Christmas without her mum — and how she created new traditions
• Why midlife women often feel crushed by expectations
• Thoughts on sensory overload, neurodivergent families and seasonal overwhelm
• Practical ideas for finding calm, connection and joy this Christmas

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_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Welcome to your next Walking This Way Challenge - the last of 2025 or the first of 2026, depending on when you’re listening.

These fortnightly challenges are gentle, doable invitations to carve out a little space just for you. Nothing extreme. Nothing exhausting. Just something that might quietly make life feel better.

This fortnight’s challenge: Stop something!

January can feel long, cold and relentless - and yet it’s when we’re told to add more: new habits, new goals, new resolutions. This challenge flips that on its head. Instead of starting something new, you’re invited to stop one thing for a month.

What could you stop?

• A daily or weekly habit that causes stress or anxiety
• Something you do for others that they could do themselves
• A behaviour that no longer serves you

Good luck, and don't forget to share how you get on.

Share your success: Here's how to get in touch...

• Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Hello again, Rockstars – and happy New Year! Welcome to the very first episode of 2026.

In this episode of Walking This Way, I’m joined by one of my favourite humans, longest-standing friends, and the original “move every day” inspiration in my life – the brilliant Robyn Phillips.

Robyn is a registered osteopath, movement advocate and fierce challenger of the idea that ageing automatically means slowing down or living in pain. She trained while raising two small children, rebuilt her strength after breast cancer, and lives her message every single day: ability matters more than age.

This conversation is honest, funny, deeply practical – and exactly what so many midlife women need as we step into a new year without pressure, perfection or punishing resolutions.

Tune in to hear us talking about:

• Why “move every day” doesn’t mean exercise – and definitely doesn’t mean suffering
• How movement builds confidence, independence and connection as we age
• Running, knees, aches, menopause and the myths that stop women even starting
• Why fitness plans fail – and what actually works for life
• Ageing well, fear of falling, and why doing too much for older people can be unhelpful
• Creating a personal “movement toolbox” for energy, joy and resilience

And because this is Walking This Way, I also share:

• Christmas reflections, family expectations and learning to let go
• Cold water dips, hot tubs, saunas and why water is my happy place
• Why I don’t do New Year’s resolutions – and what I’m choosing instead

Plus, I answer your brilliant voice notes and messages from listeners around the world, covering:

• Resetting gently after a tough year
• Body acceptance, wobbly bits and self-worth
• Recovery, resilience and becoming “better than before”
• Divorce, fresh starts and the importance of kindness to yourself

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_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Welcome to your next Walking This Way Challenge - your fortnightly invitation to try something small, manageable and surprisingly powerful.

These challenges aren’t about pushing harder, doing more or climbing metaphorical mountains. They’re about tiny shifts that change how we feel, how we notice the world, and how we move through our days.

This fortnight’s challenge: embrace the cold (safely)

Yes, it’s still January. Yes, it’s freezing. But instead of resisting it or wishing it away, this challenge invites you to lean into the cold - briefly, gently and safely - and notice what happens.

This is not about ice baths, frozen rivers or heroic endurance. No Wim Hof extremes here. Think small, intentional moments of cold exposure that help you feel awake, alive and grounded.

Simple ways to try it:

• Step outside first thing in the morning for 30–60 seconds
• Put your bare feet on the cold ground
• Turn the shower cool for the last 10–20 seconds
• Open a window wide and take a few deep breaths
• Go for a walk without over-layering — be bold, go out cold

And then notice the contrast. The warmth when you come back inside. The hot drink. The jumper. The fire. That deep, comforting sense of ahhh.

Why this matters

Cold has a way of cutting through January heaviness. It wakes up your nervous system, sharpens your breath and brings you back into your body - often at a time of year that can feel flat, heavy or draining. Cold can ignite something in you, just like fire can.

Pause and reflect

After each moment of cold exposure, take a moment to ask:

• How did my body feel afterwards?
• Did my mood or energy shift?
• Did it feel easier as the days went on?

Write it down, message Lisa, or send a voice message - especially straight after you’ve come in from the cold.

Share your success: Here's how to get in touch...

• Follow the show and get all the links you need on LinkTree - https://linktr.ee/walking_this_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk

Clutter. Stuff. The things we keep “just in case”, the cupboards we avoid opening, and the quiet mental load that comes with living surrounded by things that no longer serve us.

In this episode, Lisa is joined by her long-time friend Katrina Hassan, a Master Level Certified KonMari Consultant and founder of Spark Joy London, for an honest, funny and deeply thoughtful conversation about clutter – and why it’s never just about the stuff.

Together, they explore how tidying can become a powerful tool for self-trust, decision-making and reclaiming space in midlife – physically, mentally and emotionally.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your home, stuck in old narratives about who you should be, or quietly craving a lighter way of living, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why clutter is often a symptom, not the problem
• How the KonMari method goes far beyond decluttering
• The emotional weight of inherited items and sentimental possessions
• Letting go of “shoulds” and perfectionism (including matching wine glasses)
• What tidying teaches us about confidence, choice and self-trust
• Midlife transitions, menopause, burnout and the need for space
• How creating order at home can unlock clarity in work, relationships and life

About this episode's guest: Katrina Hassan

Katrina Hassan is a Master Level Certified KonMari Consultant and the founder of Spark Joy London. After nearly a decade teaching in a London primary school, Katrina discovered Marie Kondo’s work during pregnancy – a turning point that transformed not just her home, but her entire life.

Trained directly by Marie Kondo, Katrina now supports clients through their own “tidying festivals”, helping them create homes – and lives – that feel calmer, lighter and aligned with who they truly are.

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_way
• Email us: walkingthisway@hotmail.com
• Use the get in touch form HERE - https://tr.ee/r-ePylKE8H
• Send us a voice message HERE- https://www.speakpipe.com/WalkingThisWay

Produced by The Good Studio - thegoodstudio.co.uk