Sara Silva Coach

For a long time, I thought the answer to my dysfunctional pelvic floor was just breathing drills, and they absolutely have their place. But as I learned more, I realized that my body also needed strength, movement variability, better hip mobility, improved pressure management, and confidence under load.

This is exactly the kind of knowledge and I want to bring to coaches.

Because if all we know is "do Kegels" or "breathe into your belly," "draw your navel in," we're missing a huge part of the picture. ♡

I've learned that some of the most hurtful comments come from people who have absolutely no idea what they're talking about.

If you've never lived with lipedema, it's easy to look at someone's legs and think, "Just eat less. Train harder."

But that's exactly what so many women with lipedema have spent years doing.

Years of dieting.
Years of punishing workouts.
Years of blaming themselves.
Years of wondering why everyone else's body responded while theirs didn't.

For many, that journey also comes with body shame, a painful relationship with food, or even disordered eating.

So before commenting, "Everyone has lipedema nowadays," remember that there's a real person reading your words.

The reason you're hearing more about lipedema isn't because it's suddenly trendy.

It's because women are finally finding answers after years,sometimes decades, of being dismissed.

Awareness doesn't create disease.

It creates understanding.

And if this reel made you feel seen, please know this:

You were never lazy.
You were never failing.
And you were never alone. ♡

You know what the hardest part about sharing my lipedema journey has been?

I thought it would be showing my legs.

It wasn't.

It's feeling like I have to prove that I have it.

I've spent years living in a body with chronic pain. Not diagnosed by Instagram. Not diagnosed by Google. Diagnosed by specialists.

And yet somehow, strangers still feel confident telling me I don't have it. That it's all in my head. That everyone suddenly has lipedema.

The ironic part is... this is exactly why I keep talking about it.

The first time someone suggested I might have lipedema, I ignored it because I thought lipedema only looked one way.

Then someone else mentioned it.

Then someone close to me told me, "No way, you don't have that."

So I kept doubting myself.

Meanwhile, I was living with pain that made me avoid hikes, cut walks short with friends, and even sit down in the middle of dancing because my legs hurt so much.

Looking back, I wish I had listened to my body sooner instead of the people telling me I couldn't possibly have it because I didn't fit their idea of what lipedema looks like.

That's why I share this journey.

Not because I need everyone to agree with my diagnosis.

But because I know there are women out there dismissing their own symptoms because someone told them they "don't look like they have lipedema."

Lipedema doesn't have one single look.

And if sharing my story helps just one woman get answers years earlier than I did, every judgmental comment is worth it. ♡

Three months. 4 Liters of Lipedema removed.

If you've been following my journey, you know this hasn't just been a physical recovery. It's been one of the biggest emotional roller coasters I've ever experienced.

Every woman I spoke to before surgery told me it would be emotional... but I honestly didn't understand what they meant until I lived it.

My legs have changed so much, but recovery hasn't been linear.

I went through a heat wave wearing compression garments (0/10, do not recommend 😅). My legs swelled like crazy. I've had days where I questioned everything because of the swelling, the skin laxity around my knees, and wondering whether it would ever improve.

But then I look at these videos.

My legs feel like mine again.

And while the visual change is huge...

The biggest difference isn't what you can see.

It's the pain.

I cannot believe how much of the pain I accepted as "normal" was actually my lipedema.

Stairs.
Lunges.
Jumping.
Running.
Walking uphill.

Even the stairs at my local train station used to hurt every single day. I remember feeling embarrassed because I'm a fitness coach, wondering why something so simple felt so hard.

Today I can run those same stairs without pain.

That feeling is impossible to put into words.

Do I still have swelling? Yes.

Am I still adjusting to the skin laxity in certain lights? Also yes.

Will my skin continue improving? I hope so.

But even if it doesn't...

Getting my life back without that constant pain is a victory I'll never take for granted.

There are not enough words to thank Dr. Acosta from team. ♡

One of my missions isn't just to help women start strength training.

It's to protect them from fitness marketing.

If you know me, especially if you've met me in person, you know this isn't coming from mean girl energy.

I'm a girl's girl.

That's exactly why I care so much about this.

The women who have the most to gain from building muscle and maintaining bone density are often women in their 40s and beyond.

They're the generation that grew up with Jane Fonda-style aerobics (which, by the way, I love), spent decades being told lifting weights would make them bulky, and are now finally hearing from their doctors how important strength training is.

Then they go looking for help...

..and they're told every workout is strength training.

It isn't.

Women deserve to know they don't have to start with heavy weights.

But they also deserve honesty.

Pilates has value.

Barre has value.

Yoga has value.

Walking has value.

Strength training has value.

They're simply not the same thing, and they shouldn't be marketed as if they are.

I've seen too many women spend years and thousands of francs chasing promises instead of the adaptations they were actually looking for.

Every form of movement has value.

Just be honest about what your class is designed to do.

Women deserve that.

I'm not against Pilates.

I'm not against Barre.

I'm not against Yoga.

I'm not against walking.

I'm against confusing women.

Because I'm for women. ♡

One thing I've learned after coaching women for years...

The "lift heavy or go home" narrative has stopped too many women from ever starting.

You don't need heavy weights to start getting stronger.

Body weight or light weights are more than enough in the beginning...

..as long as you learn how to challenge your muscles.

The video you're watching is me getting back after lipedema surgery doing push-ups until I physically couldn't do another rep, and that works.

But here's the other extreme that I'm equally tired of...

Fitness follows trends.

A few months ago, everything had to be "Pilates and Matcha"

Now the buzzwords are strength training, bone density, longevity and menopause.

So suddenly, almost every workout is being marketed as strength training.

Pilates, Barre, body weight training and light weights are fantastic. They improve confidence, movement quality, coordination and can absolutely make beginners stronger.

Keep doing your Pilates or Barre classes if you enjoy them.

Just don't be fooled into thinking they'll keep building strength, muscle and bone density forever.

If your goal is to maximise those adaptations, your body needs progressive overload.

And no, progressing your strength doesn't mean you're trying to become a bodybuilder.

That's another myth we need to leave behind.

Muscle is muscle.

Pilates and Barre don't build "long, lean muscles."

Strength training doesn't make women bulky.

The women you see in different fitness spaces often had different goals, preferences and body types before they ever walked through the door.

Don't confuse who a workout attracts with what the workout itself can do. (Please don't make me go there...)

Progressive overload requires progression.

Ask yourself:

Are you getting the chance to improve the same movement over time or is every workout different?

Are you gradually increasing the challenge or just pulsing to cool beats?

Because if there is no progression, there is eventually no reason for your body to keep adapting.

Women deserve better than fitness marketing.

They deserve honesty ♡

We need to stop asking women to "bounce back."

Bounce back to what?

Pregnancy, birth and motherhood change you. The goal isn't to become the woman you were before. It's to become strong for the woman you are now.

One of the biggest myths I still hear is that strength training is dangerous after having a baby.

Think about it.

We expect mothers to carry a newborn for hours. Many are also lifting a toddler, carrying a car seat, pushing a stroller, getting up and down from the floor dozens of times a day, all while recovering from pregnancy or even a C-section.

These are all strength tasks.

Breathing drills, Pilates, Yoga and gentle movement can be incredibly valuable. But for most women, they shouldn't be the final destination.

Your everyday life will eventually demand much more from your body than those exercises alone can prepare you for.

Well-programmed strength training helps you meet those demands with more confidence, resilience and often less pain.

That doesn't mean jumping into just any workout.

It means working with someone who understands both strength training and the unique considerations of pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Someone who knows how to progress your training safely and who also knows when something is outside their scope and it's time to refer you to another healthcare professional.

That's exactly how I've approached coaching for years.

Motherhood doesn't make you fragile.

It deserves better guidance. ♡

Every Friday at 11:30 am, we meet at the Behindertenparkplatz. ♡

I'll bring all the equipment. You just bring a large towel, some water, and lots of energy!

Reserve your spot via the link in my bio.

Spots are limited, and walk-ins aren't available. ♡