
Grace & Grit Podcast
The Grace and Grit Podcast takes the health fairy tale you've heard all your life and turns it upside down and inside out, helping women rebuild their relationship with their body once and for all. Placing the focus on love and respect, rather than the aggressive demands and unrealistic expectations that have become the norm, Courtney Townley is determined to help women mend the fabric of what is driving the female health story.
Latest episodes

Jul 14, 2023 • 46min
Episode 335: Summer Remix Series: The Dynamic Nature of Health
This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330. This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! You are a dynamic thing, constantly evolving and forever changing. Which means… Your health is dynamic too. Yet we often refer to health as if it is a binary thing. As if we either have it or we don’t. I would argue that all humans are healthy in some ways and rumbling with dis-ease in others. In this episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I explore the dynamic nature of health and the real strategies that will honor the multidimensional and dynamic nature of your health throughout your lifetime. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-335 **** Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview It's time to make MIDLIFE Magic. Grab your Midlife Magic Quickstart Guide here https://graceandgrit.com/midlifemagic Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Jul 7, 2023 • 37min
Episode 334: Summer Remix Series: Self-care is really just basecamp.
This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330. This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! YOU are an incredibly unique human expression. YOU are here to cause, contribute and inspire things in the world in a way that only you can. And… It is really freaking hard to be a fully expressed human doing the work she feels called to do in the world when you are living in a constant state of illness, reactivity, frustration, and self-doubt. Self-care isn’t about fitting into your skinny jeans and feeling Instagram-worthy on your beach vacation. Self-care is what allows you to show up as your most vibrant self so you can do the most important work of your life. It’s the basecamp for the mountain you are really here to summit. So in this episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I explore the basic measure that makes a massive impact on fortifying your chemistry, so you are in the best condition for whatever it is you decide to make this lifetime about. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-334 **** Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview It's time to make MIDLIFE Magic. Grab your Midlife Magic Quickstart Guide here https://graceandgrit.com/midlifemagic Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Jun 30, 2023 • 1h 8min
Episode 333: Summer Remix Series: Menopause: A time to level up not fade out w/ Dr. Stacy Sims
This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330. This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! LET'S FACE IT THE YEARS SURROUNDING MENOPAUSE CAN BE ROUGH. Stress is elevating, hormones are declining and our body is starting to do things we are struggling to understand. As tempting as it may be, it is NOT time to fade into the background, it is time to level up. Enter, my guest today Dr. Stacy Sims. Stacy is a forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance, especially for women. Her latest book, Next Level, breaks down the underlying causes of menopause and, more importantly, arms you with advice from the latest and greatest research on what to do about it. And she graciously shares some powerful takeaways from that book in this episode. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-333 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Visit Website: https://www.drstacysims.com/ Next Level Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667685/next-level-by-stacy-t-sims-phd-with-selene-yeager/ **** Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview It's time to make MIDLIFE Magic. Grab your Midlife Magic Quickstart Guide here https://graceandgrit.com/midlifemagic Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Jun 23, 2023 • 27min
Episode 332: Summer Remix Series: The Intro & Outro of Your Day
This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330. This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! It is downright impossible to create new possibilities for your life if you are living in reaction mode. After all, your reactions are a byproduct of what you have been practicing. So, if you want to generate new outcomes, you have to practice new things, which means getting very intentional about how you live your days. In this week’s episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I discuss one of the most important foundational elements of doing just that. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-332 **** Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview It's time to make MIDLIFE Magic. Grab your Midlife Magic Quickstart Guide here https://graceandgrit.com/midlifemagic Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Jun 16, 2023 • 26min
Episode 331: Summer Remix Series: How to enjoy your summer AND rock your health.
This episode is part of the Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series which started with episode 330. This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Enjoy! Summer has arrived here in North America and with it comes travel, barbecues, camping trips, and opportunity to disrupt our everyday routines. And saying YES to these things can be so incredibly beneficial to your health. A lot of women this time of year feel they can say YES to the invitation that is summer OR stay the course with their health goals. I want to offer that you can do BOTH and, in this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, I am going to share with you exactly how to make the most of your summer AND roll into September without feeling like you are “starting over”. Have a listen and share it with the women in your life who might benefit from it too:) You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-331 **** Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview It's time to make MIDLIFE Magic. Grab your Midlife Magic Quickstart Guide here https://graceandgrit.com/midlifemagic Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

Jun 9, 2023 • 28min
Episode 330: Summer Remix Series: Knowing When to Push and When to Pause
The older I get, the more acutely aware I am of the value of pausing to be able to maintain the pushing and in dedication to that knowing, I am extending myself the grace of pausing the production of new episodes of the Grace & Grit Podcast until the fall. I can’t believe it but we have produced 330 episodes of content over the past several years AND to continue to produce the level of content you deserve, I am taking a short break. The beauty of this, aside from rejuvenating my creative juices, is that it gives YOU the opportunity to revisit key concepts from the show. And to encourage you to do just that we are launching a Grace & Grit Summer Remix Series. This series will reintroduce episodes that have previously been published as reminders that self-development is not a one-and-done job but rather an ongoing practice. Today’s episode launches us into this series with a very fitting subject: Knowing When to Push & When to Pause. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-330 **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble It's time to make MIDLIFE Magic. Grab your Midlife Magic Quickstart Guide here https://graceandgrit.com/midlifemagic Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

May 26, 2023 • 53min
Episode 329: REAL Midlife Magic: Stories from the inside.
3 years ago I decided to run an experiment in my business. I started a community called Rumble & Rise where the primary focus would be to help women develop self-leadership skills so could fortify their self-trust, improve their well-being and go after the things on their heart. It was an ambitious endeavor and I had NO idea how it would turn out, but I was so frustrated by what was being sold to women as a path to live happier and healthier lives, that I decided my experiment was worth failing for. But it didn’t fail. It blossomed. It morphed into something I never could have predicted and on this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, I am joined by several women who were daring enough to say YES to my little experiment and what they have gained from doing so. Have a listen. I hope it inspires you to run your own experiments:) You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-329 **** MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Rumble & Rise Membership Community: https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble/ **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: http://bit.ly/GGPReview It's time to make MIDLIFE Magic. Grab your Midlife Magic Quickstart Guide here https://graceandgrit.com/midlifemagic Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

May 19, 2023 • 42min
Episode 328: Health in the Face of Dis-ease w/ Claire Schulz Bergman
I have long taught that health isn’t necessarily the absence of dis-ease but how we show up in the face of it. Why? Because life is FULL of dis-ease. Sometimes dis-ease comes in the form of relationship challenges, financial hardship, the loss of loved ones etc. And sometimes it looks like a diagnosis you never could have seen coming. My client, dear friend and guest on today’s podcast, Claire Schulz Bergman, shares her experience of being diagnosed with ALS at 52 years young and how she is still pursuing health in the face of it. In this interview, Claire generously shares: The road that lead to her ALS diagnosis, How her personal development work prior to the diagnosis is helping her now, How she is coping with uncertainty, Why she decided hard how she wants to be in the face of this diagnosis, … and so much more. If you or someone you love has been handed an unexpected hardship as of late, listen to this episode! I think you will be glad you did. You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-328 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Claire’s ALS Fundraiser: https://donate.mn.als.org/team/495344 **** The Consistency Code Crash Course starts Monday, May 22nd. Learn more and register here: https://graceandgrit.com/crashcourse Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

May 12, 2023 • 19min
Episode 327: Simplify to Amplify: Why less is more along the path to change.
There is a lot of noise “out there” trying to convince you that you need complex measures to improve your health and well-being, but what I have found to be true time and time again throughout my coaching career is that consistency with basic measures can revolutionize a person’s life. So why don’t we embrace simplicity along the path to change? Well, because we struggle with the consistency part and then convince ourselves that simple measures don’t work. Gah! In this episode of the Grace & Grit Podcast, I advocate for the “less is more” route to behavior change and share a 4 step process for making that consistency part a sure thing:) You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-327 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Consistency Code Crash Course: https://graceandgrit.com/crashcourse **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/

May 5, 2023 • 49min
Episode 326: Breathing As a Movement Skill w/ Julie Angel
When most people think about movement training they don’t necessarily think about training their breath patterns, but my guest on this episode of the Grace & Grit podcast, Julie Angel, will have you convinced that breath is indeed a movement skill that everyone can benefit from. Julie Angel is a multi-passionate movement, breathwork and parkour coach, artist, award winning filmmaker and author. In this episode we explore: The benefits of restoring functional breathing patterns, Why you want light, slow and deep breath, Why starting and finishing any movement training with breath is so beneficial, The connection of breathwork to stress and resilience, …and so much more! You can listen here: https://graceandgrit.com/podcast-326 Mentioned In This Podcast BOLT Score – A score of 25 is functional, 40 is optimal, below 10 is an area where someone’s life can experience massive change from restoring functional breathing patterns. Maximum Breathlessness Test – A score of 60 is functional – 80 is optimal if you’re athletic. Exercise 1 Warm up small breath holds (2.5 mins). Exercise 2a Breathe light to breathe right (4 mins). MOVE MORE – Free Intro Mini Course **** The Consistency Crash Course is running from May 22nd to May 26th. Sign up now: https://graceandgrit.com/crashcourse/ **** Are you loving the Grace & Grit Podcast? Leave a Review: https://graceandgrit.com/podcastreview Ready to Rumble? Join me in the Rumble & Rise Arena at https://graceandgrit.com/readytorumble Looking for more Grace & Grit? Visit https://graceandgrit.com/