As a seasoned interviewer, presenter and sportswoman, Gabby Logan knows how to get people talking. But even she was pleasantly surprised by how her guests on her podcast, The Midpoint (all about busting the idea of the beige-middle-age), have opened up. Covering everything from the menopause and hair loss, to embracing the tenacity that comes with getting older (and wiser), she talks to us about why she wanted to start a conversation around middle-age, where she takes inspiration from, and why women need to take control of their health and happiness.
Why did you want to start your podcast (The MIdpoint)?
When I started thinking about the podcast, I was 47, and I had a bit of a moment when I thought, ‘Oh, I’m getting older.’ And I suddenly saw myself how the world sees me, not how I saw me. In my head, I was still the young buck in the room, but now I’m not. My career started really early and I suppose I felt like I’d raced ahead a bit. It was at that point that I realised I was actually the wise one (or so to speak). From there, I started thinking about the idea of it not being too late when it comes to changing your life or big decisions. And the more I started speaking to people and the more it sort of came together, I realised that we need to talk more about the aspects of getting older as well.
What topics around middle age did you want to discuss?
The menopause was a big issue in terms of how women’s lives change much more dramatically than men’s. We’re all working and all have the same sort of things going on, but actually, women have a lot of physical changes to deal with at that time. But then men have also raised the point about it being such an interesting time in their relationships and their careers. It’s made people have conversations with their partners they wouldn’t have normally had and say stuff to me such as: ‘It’s opened my eyes; I really didn’t know she was going through all that.’ As we’ve gotten into it, there have been so many areas that have been opened up. I think younger people have found it interesting as well – to see what’s coming down the track – whereas older people listen and say, ‘Yep, I know all about that!’. I get such lovely feedback from people. It’s such a great project to do and I want to be doing it for as long as I can.
What are some misconceptions about midlife that you find crop up?
I think the idea of the ‘beige middle-age’; that idea that your best years are gone and you’re just waiting for the end, is a big myth. It’s that idea you’re redundant once you lose your youthfulness. A lot of people I’ve spoken to have children who have grown up and left home and now they’re finding that point in their life it feels like a time for renewed enthusiasm for things. I think sometimes we can get caught up with what society expects of us as well. We might start dressing like an older person but we don’t have to. I’m not saying go out and dress like an 18-yearold (my daughter loves going through my wardrobe, she calls it vintage!), it’s not about that, but it’s thinking about the way necklines and waistlines are designed differently for older women.
Do you think the conversation around the menopause is changing?
Absolutely. Last week Caroline Harris put forward the menopause bill in parliament [to demand free prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy in England – already available in Scotland and Wales] and I was on the radio talking to her about it her last week. Those sorts of things […] I don’t think they would have happened a few years ago. Caroline Harris called it a revolution, and it is just the start of it. It’s really heartening to see, and also, being armed with knowledge about the menopause is only a good thing. Checking up with things that are changing with you physically, and not just thinking: I’m really tired; my hair isn’t very good and my skin isn’t glowing, that’s all fine. Because actually, that can all be related to the menopause. I remember talking to a friend of mine who said she’d hadn’t been feeling well for six weeks, and I thought you shouldn’t be feeling bad for six hours let alone six weeks. It’s this idea that ‘oh, we must be feeling like that because we’re getting older’. I think it’s great to have resilience, but we also deserve to have this period of our life feeling as great as we can. As women, we spend a lot of time bringing up children and helping other people out, but we need to be in charge of our own wellbeing as well.
What are your go-to workouts?
I enjoy doing cardio and weights, but in the past year, I’ve done a lot of Pilates (around three sessions a week with a trainer) and I absolutely love how strong that makes me feel, but it also improves your flexibility at the same time. I haven’t felt as good as this, and when I say good, I mean not just looking good (although it does make a huge difference in terms of tone) but my body has been ache-free for ages. When I was doing weighted workouts, I would sometimes tweak something or I would feel a strain in my back, but Pilates is good for bypassing all of that. And it’s hard! Sometimes my arms are shaking because you’re using your bodyweight a lot of the time. It’s a slow progression in some ways, but very rewarding.
When did you last push yourself to try something new?
The last thing I did that was new was a St John’s Ambulance course – just a one-day session about two weeks ago. That’s the most recent increase in knowledge in a new area. Hopefully, I won’t need to use it, but at least I know I can. Over the past few years, it’s been something that I’ve really wanted to do and then in the summer, when footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch in Denmark […] I just thought that if something like that around me happened and I didn’t know what to do, I’d feel really bad that I hadn’t made the effort to learn how to help.
What has this past year taught you?
I’ve learnt to be a bit more patient – maybe that’s what lockdown taught me – to try and live in the moment a bit more. So, I’ve been trying to do that, as well as keep my enthusiasm going for lots of projects. I think lockdown helped us understand what’s important and now we’re trying to apply that to situations more.
Quickfire questions
What does wellbeing mean to you?
I think wellbeing is holistic. That mind and body connection is really important, so having that balance in your mind, not just physically, is integral. It’s a 360 mindset.
Who inspires you most?
Different people inspire me at different times – I don’t hold one person in my mind. When I speak to people on the podcast, they might energise and inspire me then, but I think I find myself enthused more than inspired, actually.
Do you set new year’s resolutions?
I’m not really a resolution person, I think that limits you; thinking I have to wait until the first of January, so I wouldn’t say ‘I want to do this, this year’, but maybe I would sit there and think, I would have liked to have done this by the end of the year, whether it’s a project I want to get off the ground or someone I’d really like to interview.
