Featured in Crystal Lake City Lifestyle Magazine, Patti Noble’s “Strong For Life” article highlights the growing conversation around menopause as more women seek to better understand and navigate this stage of life with confidence. As awareness increases, the focus is shifting from simply managing symptoms to proactively supporting long-term strength, health, and function. Special shout out to Sharmila Taylor Photography.

The piece explores how intentional strength training, combining functional movement with heavier lifting, can help counteract midlife changes in muscle mass, bone density, and energy. At Smith Physical Therapy +, Denise Smith brings this philosophy to life through a personalized approach, helping women move beyond fear or uncertainty and build strength that supports everyday living. Through programs like our Menopause Movement Medicine and Women Strong (which is taught by Kelly Tafoya, as featured in the article), women build lasting strength, improve resilience and confidence, and redefine what healthy looks like in this stage of life.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment for the Menopause Movement Medicine, click here.

About Denise:

Denise Smith is a physical therapist with over 20 years of experience, dedicated to treating each patient as an individual. She holds advanced certifications in hands-on manual therapy, functional movement patterns, and the treatment of athletes of all levels. As a busy mom, she understands the value of time and founded Smith Physical Therapy + Running Academy (now Smith Physical Therapy+) in 2015 with a mission to help patients recover faster and to teach athletes how to run smarter and more efficiently.

Recognizing a significant gap in care for women navigating midlife changes, Denise expanded her expertise as a menopause medicine specialist and founded Woman Strong and the Menopause Medicine program at Smith Physical Therapy+. Through this work, she helps women understand how hormonal changes impact movement, strength, mobility, and overall performance—empowering them with the tools to stay strong, active, and confident at every stage of life.

Denise believes our bodies were made to move—and that “sitting is a disease” that can lead to long-term health challenges. Her goal is to help individuals take control of their strength so they can move with confidence and resilience throughout their lives.

A proud member of the Crystal Lake community, Denise serves on City Council, chairs the Crystal Lake Youth Commission, sits on the Executive Board of Leadership Greater McHenry County, and chairs the Organization Committee for the Downtown Crystal Lake Association. She is passionate about service, leadership, and helping her community stay strong—one person at a time.