Regress To Progress

Why Stepping Back is Sometimes the Fastest Way Forward

Ladies, let’s have a little heart-to-heart.
You’re spinning plates like a Cirque du Soleil performer: aging parents, demanding jobs, kids (big or small), partners, endless life admin — and you're supposed to lift heavy, track macros, hit 10K steps, get eight hours of sleep, stay hydrated, journal, meditate, and manifest your best self on top of it all.

Well, guess what? Sometimes the strongest, smartest move you can make is to pull back.
That’s not quitting. That’s not failure.
That’s called Regress to Progress.

The Myth of Constant Grind

Somewhere along the way, hustle culture convinced us that if we’re not constantly pushing, we’re losing ground.
But the science — and the lived experience of every wise coach I’ve ever learned from — tells a different story:

Progress isn’t linear.

Recovery is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Life phases demand different energy outputs.

Muscle is built during rest and repair, not constant breakdown.

Stress (of any kind) stacks: training, work, family, hormones, emotional labour.

When your nervous system is tapped, your cortisol is singing soprano, and your cup is bone dry, forcing yourself through high-intensity, high-volume training can backfire causing:

• stalled fat loss

• wonky hormones

• sleep disturbances

• inflammation

• injury

• burnout

And that’s if you can even drag yourself to the gym in the first place.

Strategic Regression Is Smart Programming

In coaching, we call this a deload, a maintenance phase, or sometimes auto-regulation. It’s baked into periodisation models for a reason. You pull back — volume, intensity, frequency — and allow your body to catch up, repair, and adapt.

➡️ You might lift lighter for a few weeks.
➡️ You might drop from 4 days a week to 2-3.
➡️ You might focus on mobility, walking, or restorative movement.
➡️ You might park the scale (yes please) and focus on nourishment and sleep.

And you know what happens?

✨ You feel better.
✨ You recover.
✨ You often come back stronger.
✨ You preserve muscle and metabolic health.
✨ You create space for your real life — the one you’re living, not the one on your Pinterest board.

Progress is a Long Game

Especially for my 40+ women navigating perimenopause, menopause, and all that life throws at you — your body is craving support, not more punishment. Hormonal fluctuations can make recovery the secret weapon.

Sometimes you need to regress the program to progress the person.

That’s where real mastery lies. Not in martyrdom, but in wisdom.

Discipline isn’t always doing more. Sometimes, discipline is knowing when to do less.

Give Yourself Permission

So if you need to pull back right now?
Do it. Without guilt, shame, or fear that you’re losing ground.
Your gains aren’t going anywhere. In fact, you’re protecting them.

Regress to progress.
The queens know. 😉

XO Jane