Higgs Lifestyle

Higgs Lifestyle 1 on 1 Personal Training Studio. Higgs Lifestyle consists of a Physical Therapist/Personal Trainer.

Tara Higgs and her husband, Gehl, are Co-Founders of StudioT NutriFit, Higgs Lifestyle. Tara is opening Higgs Lifestyle for one on one personal training in a private unique space to Effingham, IL. Higgs Lifestyle will continue to grow as we see the needs in the community change.

Married to a handyman with muscles… honestly….I hit the jackpot! 💪🏻
02/09/2026

Married to a handyman with muscles… honestly….I hit the jackpot! 💪🏻

Proof that small changes feel big.
02/05/2026

Proof that small changes feel big.

Five years. Same mirror.From age 45 to 50, and proof that getting older doesn’t mean physically declining, but it can ra...
02/05/2026

Five years.
Same mirror.

From age 45 to 50, and proof that getting older doesn’t mean physically declining, but it can rather mean getting stronger, healthier, and more vibrant.

In the past five years (yes It took that long🤣) I have….

🫶🏻Lost 30 pounds
💪🏻 Dropped 10% body fat while maintaining muscle
🤗Improved my health blood markers
🦴 Improved my bone density (confirmed by my latest DEXA scan)

This isn’t about perfection….it’s about consistency and choosing your health every day.

My biggest “aging well” habits have been:
🥩 High protein nutrition
💪🏻 Lifting heavy weights
🏃‍♀️ Daily movement (10,000+ steps)
💤 Quality sleep
🍷 No alcohol
🧬 Hormone support & peptides

And yes, peptides have been a game changer for recovery, energy, body composition, and overall wellness.

I recently started a private Facebook group to educate women on what they are, how they work, and how to use them safely and already 146 people that have joined!

I share everything I have learned openly because I truly believe women deserve to feel strong, confident, and vibrant at every age.

If you would like more info on aging healthier, feeling better, and building a body that supports you for life, comment below and I will share.

Are you self employed? No clue where to start with health insurance? You hear that rates are climbing through the roof a...
02/01/2026

Are you self employed?
No clue where to start with health insurance?

You hear that rates are climbing through the roof and are just confused where to begin.

Hopefully this post will help you as Gehl and I have been self employed for 10 years and had to figure all of this out on our own!

1. Health insurance- Look into Christian Ministry based insurances. Personally, we have Samaritan Ministries (Samaritan ministries dot org) and we have had no issues at all, even with a cancer diagnosis and overnight hospital stays. We have had this for 10 years.

2. Lakeland College does teeth cleaning for adults for $20. Allot 3-4 hours to get your teeth cleaned, but they do a great job.

3. MD Save dot com has saved us thousands on MRI’s and CT scans.

4. I get ALL my yearly female doctor appointments, including Pap’s, breast exams, mammograms, additional mammograms and breast ultrasounds for FREE through the IL Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (IBCCP). You need to re-apply yearly, but you will not get denied if you are self employed.

5. Cost Plus Drugs dot com has saved us a ton in prescriptions. Not that we use it often, but all doctors offices can call your script into them and they deliver right to your house! Easy peasy!

Hope this post helps you possibly take a different route rather than the traditional medical route.

Pic of Coopy and I just to get your attention, but it has nothing to do with the post🤣🤣

I have been saying for years I want bangs. And I think it’s time! 😬Time to cover the 50+ yo wrinkles!🤣 Also cutting abou...
02/01/2026

I have been saying for years I want bangs. And I think it’s time! 😬
Time to cover the 50+ yo wrinkles!🤣 Also cutting about 5 inches off!

Which one is your fav?

Exactly 15 years ago today.3 weeks after my divorce.Twins were only 4. Luke was 8.Going through a divorce when the boys ...
01/28/2026

Exactly 15 years ago today.
3 weeks after my divorce.
Twins were only 4. Luke was 8.

Going through a divorce when the boys were 4 and 8 felt like the ground disappeared beneath my feet.

At the time, everything felt so heavy, every decision, every emotion, every unknown about the future. I worried constantly about how it would affect them and whether I was doing enough, being enough, to hold things together.

I didn’t have all the answers, and there were many days when simply getting through felt like a victory. Lots and lots of tears.

But I kept showing up, choosing growth, stability, and love, even when the path ahead felt unclear.

Fast forward to today, and those little boys are now 19 and 23.
They are confident, kind, resilient, and truly thriving in their own lives.

Watching the adults they have become is a powerful reminder that hard seasons do not define the ending of our stories.

What feels like the end of the world right now may actually be the beginning of something stronger, healthier, and more aligned.

Healing takes time, and the road forward isn’t always straight, but it is possible to move forward.

Your kids CAN grow into incredible humans because of the strength, love, and perseverance they witness along the way.

With no family here, my dad drove across the country to stay with us a couple weeks while we got settled into our new home.

To anyone standing where I once stood, feeling overwhelmed and uncertain, please know this… there is hope, there is healing, and a brighter future than you can imagine still lies ahead.

Trust me.

Every day is a great day to workout!! Even if it is -3, feels like -20 degrees out!
01/26/2026

Every day is a great day to workout!! Even if it is -3, feels like -20 degrees out!

For those of you close to me that know what we have been going through 🤦🏼‍♀️….And this is a HUGE step in the right direc...
01/22/2026

For those of you close to me that know what we have been going through 🤦🏼‍♀️….

And this is a HUGE step in the right direction!!

So thankful for forward movement of my future!

6 months ago I was listening to a Christian radio station while working out and they said…. “sometimes it isn’t the gift...
01/11/2026

6 months ago I was listening to a Christian radio station while working out and they said…. “sometimes it isn’t the gift itself, but rather the presentation of the gift that makes it special to someone”.

That is when I got the idea of a scavenger hunt all around Effingham for my boys and their girls for the holidays. They would venture to places that have meant so much to us as a family over the years collecting clues to carry them to their final destination of home.

Home is always where the heart will be.
Always.
No matter how old they are.

So as you look through some of my favorite pics from today, know that those smiles are genuine. I really feel they all enjoyed themselves!

Dakota and Mallory won the scavenger hunt about 1 min 20 sec faster than Luke and Lexi with Noah and Gabby not far behind! Best selfies were a tie between Noah and Gabby and Luke and Lexi. The flip of a coin tie breaker named Noah and Gabby the selfie winners!

Luke and Lexi loved their painting that I was able to finally reveal to them ♥️

Homemade sourdough pizza, soup, salad (with hot bacon dressing😋) and cheesecakes filled our bellies.

Our shirts and sweatshirts were a good representation of us. Freedom and Blessed.

Laughter filled the house.

One day they will have families of their own and I know they will feel what I felt today!

True happiness.

The best days are the ones spent soaking up time with my grown kids… my heart is full. ♥️

Whether you are in your teens, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, or 50 and beyond (pics of each of these stages of my life attached)…..h...
01/07/2026

Whether you are in your teens, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, or 50 and beyond (pics of each of these stages of my life attached)…..have you ever noticed that your workouts feel different at different times of the month? 🏋🏻‍♀️

Less motivated?
More fatigue?
Bloat?

OR

More energy?
Stronger?
Faster?
Leaner?

It’s not just in your head. As women, our hormones directly impact how we feel, recover, and perform—and this doesn’t stop after our monthly cycle ends.

Let’s look at how training can shift across different life stages…..

PRE-MENOPAUSAL (Regular Monthly Cycle)

Follicular Phase (Days 1–14):
Estrogen rising
Mood & energy increase
Increased insulin sensitivity
Improved strength, power & endurance
Feel leaner & stronger

Best for: heavy lifting, HIIT, PRs, higher-intensity training

Luteal Phase (Days 15–28):
Progesterone rises, estrogen drops
Energy & motivation may decrease
Increased fatigue, cravings, bloating
Less insulin sensitivity

Best for: moderate strength, walking, yoga, mobility, recovery-focused workouts

PERI-MENOPAUSE (Can 10+ years in this stage🤦🏼‍♀️!!) This stage can be very messy for women. Hormones Fluctuate & Cycles Become Irregular

Hormones become less predictable, which can lead to:
Big swings in energy and recovery
Increased stress sensitivity
Sleep disruptions (this one sucks)

Guidelines:
💪🏻Strength training is 100% still essential
🤔Exercise intensity will vary day to day (go by how you feel)
😴 Prioritize recovery, sleep, and stress management
🫶🏻Avoid pushing hard every workout

MENOPAUSE & POST-MENOPAUSE

Menopause is ONE day of your life—365 days without a cycle, then the next day, bam you are post menopausal!

Estrogen is consistently lower, which can impact:
Muscle mass & strength
Bone density
Fat storage patterns (esp In abdominal area)
Recovery capacity

Guidelines:
💪🏻Strength training 3–4x/week is CRITICAL💪🏻
🔥Include short bouts of intensity if tolerated
🏃‍♀️ Daily walking + mobility to support joints & recovery
😴 Allow adequate rest between harder sessions

THE BIG TAKEAWAY:

Your body isn’t failing…it’s always evolving.
You have to change your workouts as you go through the life transitions.

When you train in a way that supports your hormones and life stage, you build: strength, resilience, and longevity.

Work WITH your physiology—not against it.

Strong looks different at every stage, and every stage deserves smart training.

I feel that lifting weights is the heart beat of the aging process, hence why I got these tanks made for all my clients!...
01/06/2026

I feel that lifting weights is the heart beat of the aging process, hence why I got these tanks made for all my clients! ♥️ (I love them all)

Top 5️⃣ reasons women over 40 NEED to lift weights from Tara’s point of view!

💪🏻Preserves Muscle & Protects Metabolism

After 40, muscle loss accelerates (fast), slowing metabolism and increasing fat gain. Lifting weights preserves lean muscle, keeping the metabolism efficient and resilient.

🩸 Stabilizes Blood Sugar & Prevents Insulin Resistance

Strength training improves insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake, reducing cravings, energy crashes, and the risk of prediabetes, which is one of the biggest health threats for women over 40.

🙋🏼‍♀️Supports Hormones During Perimenopause & Menopause

Resistance training lowers cortisol and supports estrogen, testosterone, and growth hormone balance which help counter fatigue, belly fat, and mood swings.

🦴 Builds Bone Density & Prevents Osteoporosis

Weight bearing resistance stimulates bone building cells, protecting against bone loss and fractures as estrogen declines.

🧬 Reduces Inflammation, Pain & Supports Longevity

Lifting weights lowers systemic inflammation, improves joint stability, enhances energy, and maintains strength for long-term independence and healthy aging.

👉🏻Bottom line👈🏻

For women over 40, strength training isn’t about aesthetics…..

it’s metabolic medicine, hormone support, and longevity care in one powerful tool.

So ladies do you lift weights?? Tell me below!

One of the most common sentences I hear a woman say as she ages is….“I am eating the same as I always have… so why am I ...
01/04/2026

One of the most common sentences I hear a woman say as she ages is….

“I am eating the same as I always have… so why am I gaining weight?” (Esp In the mid section)

If you are a woman 40+, this is not in your head….and it’s definitely not a lack of discipline.

Your body is changing, and your approach needs to change with it.

Here is what’s really happening…

👉🏻Hormones are shifting

Estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol start to fluctuate in your 40s. These changes can increase fat storage (especially in the belly), slow recovery, and make stress weight more likely…..even if nothing else has changed.

👉🏻Your macro needs are different now

What worked at 25 won’t probably work at 45. As we age, we need more protein to preserve muscle and support metabolism, and often fewer carbs to match how our bodies process insulin. Same calories do not equal same results anymore. Personally…..In my early 40’s I could eat 400+ grams of carbs a day, but now I eat about 90 grams/ day. I have increased my protein intake to around 150 grams daily. Protein is KEY!

👉🏻Cardio only workouts stop working

Endless cardio can actually raise cortisol and slow fat loss. Your body now responds better to lifting heavier weights and walking for recovery and fat burning. Muscle is your metabolic engine….your metabolic currency, and protecting it is key.

👉🏻Your metabolic markers change with age

Blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and cholesterol can all shift over time. That means your nutrition may need fine tuning, not restriction. You need to work with your body instead of against it. Make adjustments as you age.

👉🏻You don’t need to eat less and do more.👈🏻

You need to eat smarter, lift stronger, manage stress, and fuel your body for the season you are in!

Your body isn’t broken….it is evolving. And once you adjust your strategy, the results will follow.

Address

Effingham, IL

Opening Hours

Monday 5am - 2pm
Tuesday 5am - 2pm
Wednesday 5am - 2pm
Thursday 5am - 2pm
Friday 5am - 2pm

Telephone

+12179943776

Website

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Higgs Lifestyle’s Mission

Tara and Gehl Higgs, Co-Founders of Higgs Lifestyle, are Health and Wellness Transformation Online Coaches, and also have a passion for fitness. We help others fulfill their dreams through sharing nutrition and fitness daily. We also help others achieve financial freedom through spreading health and wellness to the people they love.