On any given day, approximately 6,000 women in the United States are entering menopause, the life stage that marks the end of their reproductive years. But, despite menopause’s prevalence, most women are completely in the dark about how to navigate this important chapter of midlife.
“We aren’t getting any answers,” says Kelli Musa, a 60-year-old wellness coach based in Boca Raton, Florida. “We’re getting dismissed.”
Image courtesy of Kelli Musa
Musa is on a mission to change that. Using science-backed strategies, she helps high-performing women over age 40 optimize their health and wellness so they can live their best lives.
“People are realizing midlife isn’t a decline; it’s the most powerful reset of a woman’s life,” she says. “If you’re given the right tools, it really is your second leg of life. It’s when your kids are grown up, if you’ve had children, and it really should be an enjoyable time for you. Women are starting to realize they’re not the ‘Golden Girls,' and they don’t have to give up on the things they love.”
Wellness in Focus
Musa has been on a journey to help women since her college years. It all started with a worrisome phone call from her mother, who was 44 years old at the time. “She said she was sick and not feeling well,” Musa says. “Doctors didn’t believe her; they actually called her a hypochondriac.”
But her mother had been right along: She had Epstein-Barr virus, which later morphed into non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the immune system. She died six months later. At her mother’s bedside, Musa vowed to make sure that no woman would ever suffer or be silenced again.
Later, after she’d had kids of her own, Musa was also diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus. Terrified that she was facing a death sentence, she started exploring ways to help give her body a boost as it fought off the infection. That’s when she discovered the power of peptides, which are naturally occurring short chains of amino acids that play critical roles in everything from skin health to bone density. Reintroducing them to the body, she says, can be “life-changing.”
“Some of them work in the inflammatory process; some of them work in the recovery process; some of them work in the weight-loss process,” she says. “[They’re] ones that work with the brain.”
Even once the infection was under control, Musa started to notice a decline in her own physical and mental performance—and she knew other women her age were grappling with the same issues. She started sharing what she had learned about peptide therapy, as well as fitness and nutrition, to help midlife women take back control of their health.
Today, Musa works with her clients to develop custom wellness plans that take into account their hormones, inflammatory markers, metabolic health and other individual factors. She creates a fitness protocol that typically includes at least three days of heavy lifting per week, as well as a nutrition plan that eliminates processed foods and emphasizes protein. Musa also works with a medical provider, who can prescribe peptide therapies that help promote healthy aging.
“We are trying to fight the aging process, and that means more than just the outward appearance,” she says. “It’s also what goes on internally. Menopause is a time when women really see a big [increase] of autoimmune diseases, inflammation—just these changes in their body and the way they feel and function.”
Much of her work, however, has nothing to do with a client’s physical health. She’s also there to hold them accountable, serve as a cheerleader and remind them that they are in control of how they look and feel.
“Mindset is a big part of it, because we get very deterred and discouraged,” she says. “We talk about ways of talking to yourself in a different way and looking at yourself in a different way and having these conversations that are positive about what you’re experiencing and who you really are and remembering that person.”
Women Are Fighting Back
Zooming out, Musa is happy to play a role in the broader movement to destigmatize menopause and empower midlife women to take charge of their health.
Menopause can be a challenging time, with many women experiencing disruptive symptoms like hot flashes, weight gain and memory issues. But as more and more people—including celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama and Gwyneth Paltrow—start to speak openly about this once-taboo life stage, women are realizing they don’t have to just grin and bear it, Musa says. “Women aren’t giving up,” she adds. “They definitely are fighting back to maintain their dignity.”
There are treatments and lifestyle changes available that can help ease the transition—women just have to know where to start.
“You don’t have to be constantly tired,” Musa says. “You can have libido. You don’t have to carry around that extra weight. You can have a clear mind.... There’s just some simple tweaks we can make in someone’s lifestyle that can really turn it around.”
How to Navigate Your Health and Wellness in Midlife
Insist on answers. You know your body best. If you feel like something is wrong, advocate for yourself at the doctor’s office. If your medical provider won’t help you find answers, search for one who will. “Nobody can tell you that you’re crazy, and it’s in your head,” Musa says.
Incorporate movement. Fitness can be intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be. Find 20 minutes in your day to simply move your body in whatever way feels best, she says.
Keep track. One of the best ways to improve your nutrition is to keep a daily food journal, Musa says. “Sometimes you don’t realize what you’re eating until you write it down,” she says.
Vet your resources. Don’t believe everything you see on your social media feed. Do your own research, but always make sure you’re relying on credible sources. “There’s so much noise out there,” Musa says. “Anybody can be anybody these days.”
Stick to your plan. Skip the fad diets and trendy health fixes. Instead, focus on changes you can maintain. “Once you make it a lifestyle, then it’s easy sailing because then it becomes what you do every day, just like you brush your teeth,” she says.
Featured image by Alfonso Soler/Shutterstock
This article was first published in the March/April 2026 issue of SUCCESS Magazine. Get your copy here.
