For years, hot flashes and night sweats (aka vasomotor symptoms) were considered just a “bothersome” part of being a menopausal woman: we were to wear layers, buy a fan, and soldier on. Then researchers started making some troubling connections between vasomotor symptoms and chronic disease. This week’s guest, Dr. Rebecca Thurston, is one of those investigators whose work shows that women with severe and/or persistent vasomotor symptoms have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and changes in the brain that are linked to dementia. We dig into those findings and many more during this week’s episode.Rebecca C. Thurston, PhD, FABMR, FAPS, is recognized nationally as a leader in the field of women’s health, particularly in the areas of menopause, trauma, cardiovascular disease, and brain aging in women. Her innovative research focuses on menopause, cardiovascular disease, and dementia risk in women, three prevalent and inter-related health issues that can have a profound impact on women's lives. She is Pittsburgh Foundation Chair in Women's Health and Dementia and Professor of Psychiatry, Epidemiology, Psychology, and Clinical and Translational Science, at the University of Pittsburgh. She also serves as Director of Women's Biobehavioral Health Program at the University of Pittsburgh as well as Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Research Training Program at the University of Pittsburgh. You can learn more about her and her work at UPMC.com Resources:Trajectories of Sleep Over Midlife and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Events in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation hereTrauma and its implications for women's cardiovascular health during the menopause transition: Lessons from MsHeart/MsBrain and SWAN studies hereMenopausal Vasomotor Symptoms and White Matter Hyperintensities in Midlife Women hereMenopausal Vasomotor Symptoms and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease Events in SWAN hereCognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia hereBrief behavioral treatment for insomnia hereFollow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Whether you run, lift, or ride (and especially if you ride), an otherwise great workout can be wrecked by a painful vulva. And lots of issues can crop up during and beyond the menopause transition that can cause pain, discomfort, and even damage to your vulva and vaginal tissues. We address them all this week with Rochelle Bernstein, MD, of Purely Menopause, who focuses her OB/GYN practice on women’s sexual health and menopausal medicine.Dr. Rochelle Bernstein is an expert in menopausal medicine and women's sexual health, as well as an avid skier, hiker, and mountain biker. She is a member of The Menopause Society and the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH). She is board certified and is a fellow of the American Congress of OB/Gyn (ACOG) and the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL). She established Purely Menopause to empower women with the knowledge, tools, and confidence necessary to lead healthy, happy lives. You can learn more about her and her work at www.purelymenopause.comFollow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Mirna Valerio, aka the Mirnavator, has never shied away from adversity. As a Black woman in a larger body who is also an ultrarunner, she’s endured her share of harassment and ridicule, both online and in real life. But despite some people trying to put her down, she’s devoted her life to lifting others up, showing those like herself what’s possible, which, for her, includes 11 marathons, 15 50K+ ultras, and a best-selling memoir, A Beautiful Work in Progress. Now, Mirna is facing another challenge we’re all familiar with, perimenopause. This week we talk all about what she’s experiencing, how it’s impacting her running, and what she’s doing to take care of herself through this chapter of her journey.Mirna Valerio is an ultramarathoner, cyclist, skier, DEI professional, and author of the memoir, A Beautiful Work in Progress. She began running in high school, recommitted to the sport after a health scare in 2008 and started her blog Fatgirlrunning—about her experiences as a plus-sized woman in a world of thinner endurance athletes— while training for her first marathon. Mirna has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Runner’s World, on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in the viral documentary short, REI Presents The Mirnavator. She’s written for Women’s Running, Self, Outside, and Runner's World. In 2018 she was chosen as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and since then has appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Access Daily, The Today Show, and Good Morning America. Mirna is one of the Lululemon ambassadors participating in FURTHER, an initiative to show how far women can go when they’re supported with resources and product innovations typically reserved for men. The initiative will culminate in the six-day FURTHER ultramarathon that begins on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024. You can learn more about her and her work at themirnavator.comResourcesLearn more about Lululemon’s FURTHER initiative here

As women who’ve grown up steeped in diet culture, we often give away our agency to books, apps, and strict food rules rather than trusting ourselves to know what to eat and what our bodies need. During menopause, when our bodies are changing, we can doubledown on those rules, making life harder. This week we talk about ditching diets and restrictive rules and using our knowledge and intuition to find food freedom and a whole lot more joy with Intuitive Eating Coach Pam Moore. Pam Moore is a journalist and an occupational therapist-turned-award-winning intuitive eating coach. Her writing has appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, Runner's World, SELF, and many others. Also a certified personal trainer, six-time marathoner, and two-time Ironman finisher, Pam is the creator of the Real Nourished newsletter, where she shares evidence-based tips to help women detach their weight from their worth, and the Real Fit podcast, featuring conversations with women athletes about body image, "enoughness", and more. Learn more about her and her work at pam-moore.com.Register for the Navigate Your Menopause Course (thru 2/5/24): https://www.feistymenopause.com/navigate-menopause Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

As active, athletic women, we know ourselves better than anyone. We know our pace, our power, and our mindset for training and competing. Perimenopause can make all of that change out of the blue. It can rob us of our confidence and knock us off our game, just when we feel like we’re really hitting our stride. Elite cyclist and coach Jill Patterson, 42, lived that reality for months, wondering if she had just “aged out” of her sport before discovering that the muscle and power loss, low motivation, mood swings, fatigue, and sudden aches and pains were in fact perimenopause. This week, we talk about her experience going into the menopause transition and how she got her power, mojo, and competitive edge back.After graduating college, Jill Patterson moved to Japan to teach English. She ended up staying 10 years, picked up road cycling, and was recruited to race on a Japanese women’s road racing team. After returning to the US 8 years ago, she continued to explore cycling in all forms, including Gran Fondo, criteriums, gravel, mountain bike, and cyclocross. Today she is a full time cycling coach for athletes from all over the world. Jill continues to race and has achieved many notable wins including the 2018 GFNY World Championship, the 2021 Wedu Segment Challenge, and the 2022 and 2023 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship titles. You can learn more about her at @jillpattersoncycling on Instagram and at jillpattersoncycling.com.Register for the Navigate Your Menopause Course (thru 1/31/24): https://www.feistymenopause.com/navigate-menopause Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

The New York Times recently called Ozempic a “new match for menopausal weight gain”. But is it? These drugs can be a godsend for those who need them. But there's a lot we need to understand. How do they work? How well do they work? Who benefits from them? What are their risks? What impact do they have on muscle, bone, and performance? How do they affect training and racing? We dig into all of that and more this week with endocrinologist and Ironman triathlete Dr. Jody Dushay who has been researching these drugs for more than a decade. Jody Dushay, M.D., MMSc, is an endocrinologist at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is also the founder and director of Well Powered, a comprehensive wellness and weight management program. Dr Dushay has studied the effect of pharmacotherapies and dietary interventions on body weight for years, including a large single-site study examining the effects of a glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist on body weight in obese women without diabetes. As a triathlete, she has qualified for Kona 3 times and came in 2nd in her age group at the 2020 Ironman World Championship in St George. You can learn more about her and her work at wellpowered.org.Resources:Dr. Jody Dushay’s research:Short-term exenatide treatment leads to significant weight loss in a subset of obese women without diabetesWeight Loss Outcomes Among Early High Responders to Exenatide Treatment: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study in Overweight and Obese Women Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Most women don’t expect menopause symptoms to start until age 50. Neither do many of their healthcare providers. That’s a problem because, as this week’s guest Nina Coslov’s research shows, women can actually start experiencing symptoms associated with menopause during their late reproductive years before their periods become noticeably irregular and they’re officially in perimenopause. Yet when they seek care, they’re often told they’re “too young for menopause” because they still have regular cycles. This week, Coslov talks about her research on the late reproductive stage in a woman’s life as well as womenlivingbetter.org, the organization she started to help women get the menopausal information they need before they’re suffering and not knowing where to turn.Nina Coslov created Women Living Better (womenlivingbetter.org) to provide anticipatory guidance about perimenopause. Intent on better characterizing the path to menopause, she focuses on education and research, and along with her partners, has published six papers in peer-reviewed journals. Nina was the lead author on “Symptom experience during the late reproductive stage and the menopause transition: observations from the Women Living Better survey,” published in the journal Menopause. She authored the chapter “Women’s Voices: The Lived Experience of the Path to Menopause” in Each Women’s Menopause: An evidenced Based Resource. Nina received the 2021 Media Award from the North American Menopause Society. Prior to Women Living Better, Nina worked in the biotech industry and before that was a management consultant. Nina has an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a BA from Williams College. ResourcesMenopause Journal study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34313615/Women Living Better Instagram https://www.instagram.com/womenlivingbetter/Perimenopause care resources: https://womenlivingbetter.org/published-research-health-care-for-perimenopause/https://womenlivingbetter.org/hormonal-changes/ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

As we roll into a brand new year filled with goals and aspirations, this week’s guest, fan-favorite Peloton Cycling instructor Christine D’Ercole would like to remind us that the most powerful thing anyone can say to us is what we say to ourselves, and we have agency in that conversation. Now 52, Christine has started using her enormous platform to share her experiences with the menopause transition and to defy and rewrite the story that we’ve been told about what menopause means when it comes to what we’re capable of and how we see ourselves. When she’s not putting power into her pedals, she’s helping women empower themselves by changing their self talk and helps guide them with her signature mantra:  I Am  I Can I Will I Do. We cover Christine’s menopause experience; her body image battles, and how she uses self talk in her own life and you can too. You can learn more about her and her work at christinedercole.com.Christine D’Ercole is a speaker, writer, decorated competitive cyclist, and original Peloton Cycling Instructor who inspires thousands daily with her work on and off the bike. She is also the founder of WORDSHOP: a workshop in self-talk that is a practical and profound tool for change, centered on the four prompts that make up the root of all our self-talk: I am... I can... I will... and I do. Over the past ten years she has provided wordshops for major corporations, youth organizations and Employee Resource Groups. When she is not writing or speaking, Christine is racing her bike at Velodromes across the country. She is a Masters World Champion, holds 15 National titles, and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.Check out her CDE Menopause Playlist here on Spotify Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Oura Ring: visit ouraring.com/feisty for 10% off a new Oura Ring Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

This episode originally dropped on May 24, 2023. I’m too old. Nothing works for me. My best days are behind me. I just have to live with (fill in the blank). I’ll never feel better. When we’re really going through it, it can be easy to slip into a personal cave of limiting beliefs that can conspire to keep us there in the cold and dark. But where do these beliefs come from? Are they even true? What would we do if we didn’t have them? This week we take a deep dive into the menopause mindset with body-mind coach Cara Bradley, who helps us find our strengths to slice through the limiting beliefs that hold us back so we can feel and perform our best.Cara Bradley is a former pro skater and leading authority of mental fitness and menopause mindsets. She shares her signature body-mind training with Fortune 500 companies, pro and college sports teams, and top wellness brands. Cara is the author of On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine, the founder of Verge Yoga Center, and the host of the Daily Whispers podcast. In 2020, Cara was named a “Top 12 Most Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement” by Mindful Magazine. You can learn more about Cara and her work at carabradley.net And check her out on TikTok @menopausemindset. 

This episode originally dropped on April 5, 2023.What does it mean to be fit? Deadlifting your body weight? Running a 10K? Doing an Ironman? Most of our notions about fitness spotlight the big thing we want to do while glossing over all the smaller, equally important, but less “sexy” stuff like joint mobility, breathing practices, balance, and nutrition it takes to get you there strong and injury-free. Kind of like wanting to climb Mount Everest without spending any time at Base Camp. This week’s guest, Juliet Starrett, co-author of the new book Built to Move is all about the Base Camp, especially in midlife and menopause. We dive into Juliet’s personal story (including a hippo attack!) as well as the vital signs and foundations menopausal women need to tune into so they can be strong, able, and pain-free for the rest of their active lives.  Juliet Starrett is an entrepreneur, attorney, author, and podcaster. She is the former co-founder and CEO of San Francisco CrossFit, one of the first 50 CrossFit affiliates. Juliet is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Deskbound and co-host of The Ready State Podcast. Before turning her attention to The Ready State and San Francisco CrossFit full time, Juliet was a professional whitewater paddler, winning 3 World Championship and 5 National titles. Her latest book, co-authored with her husband and mobility pioneer, Dr. Kelly Starrett is Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully. You can learn more about her, The Ready State, and Built to Move at thereadystate.com ResourcesBuilt to Move: thereadystate.com/product/built-to-move/Juliet’s blog on preparing for menopause: thereadystate.com/blogs/how-i-am-preparing-for-menopause/ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Oura Ring: visit ouraring.com/feisty for 10% off a new Oura Ring The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

As active women, we’re so used to our bodies being considered “other” or “less than” in health and fitness media, we barely notice it. Our bouncing breasts are a problem. Our wide hips are a problem. Our periods, boy oh boy, big problem. And when we hit perimenopause and menopause? Well, until very recently nobody even bothered talking about us…especially exercise physiology researchers, who, as this week’s guest Christine Yu discovered, have largely overlooked athletic and active menopausal women. This week we flip the script and make women’s bodies the norm as we dive in on what we know and the research we need to answer the questions we have. Christine Yu is the author of Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes, in which she explains the latest research and celebrates the researchers, athletes, and advocates pushing back against the status quo and proposing better solutions to improve the active and athletic lives of women and girls. Yu is an award-winning journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of sports science and women athletes. Her writing has appeared in Outside, The Washington Post, Runner’s World, and other publications. She’s a lifelong athlete and yoga teacher who loves running, surfing, and skiing. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can learn more about her and her work at christinemyu.comResources:Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes. Pick up a copy here.  Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Oura Ring: visit ouraring.com/feisty for 10% off a new Oura Ring The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Women generally talk about what they see and feel during menopause. Symptoms like hot flashes, joint pain, and vaginal dryness grab our attention while our bone density silently slips away. Women can lose up to 20% of their spinal bone mass through the menopause transition. Thirty-five to 50 percent of women have low bone mass by age 50. Your lifetime risk of having a hip fracture is higher than breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and uterine cancer combined. Thirty percent of women will die within a year of having a hip fracture. Yet, bone health still fails to grab the headlines it deserves. We want to stay strong and active into our older years, and that starts with maintaining healthy bones. This week we dive into all of it with osteoporosis and menopause expert Dr. Kristi DeSapri.Kristi DeSapri, MD, truly believes that women deserve to function at optimal health and are gatekeepers to their families’ and communities’ health. She is a board certified internist specializing in midlife women’s health and is regarded as a national leader in the field of osteoporosis and menopause management. After fellowship training at the Cleveland Clinic, she has worked in private practice and academic medicine including being director of the Northwestern Women’s Bone Health program at the Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago. She is the founding physician and owner of Bone and Body Women’s Health, LCC a specialized midlife women’s health practice in Winnetka, IL focused on consultation and management of perimenopause, menopause, osteoporosis, fracture prevention and treatment and sexual health. You can learn more about her and her work at www.boneandbodywh.com.ResourcesOnline fracture risk assessment calculator hereFind a DEXA scan near you here Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:Oura Ring: visit ouraring.com/feisty for 10% off a new Oura Ring The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

A few years ago, elite Canadian runner Sasha Gollish started experiencing some symptoms that had her wondering what the hell was up with her body—crime scene (or as she called them firehose) periods, strange memory lapses, times in races when her legs were flailing and her muscles were not responding the way they typically would as she struggled to find her stride. She wondered if she was sick. As you likely guessed by now, she wasn’t sick. She was in perimenopause. After suffering alone for a bit, Sasha decided to open up and share her experiences online, not only for her own mental health, but also so other women wouldn’t feel alone or invisible in their own struggles. This week she talks all about how she is learning to make peace with and tame what she calls her hormonal perimonster.Along with being an elite runner, Sasha Gollish, PhD, 41, is also a high-performance coach, engineer, and researcher in the Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre at the University of Toronto where her work focuses on knowledge translation. She has a substantial resume of world and national records, including setting the world record in the women’s 40+ indoor mile in 2022 and setting two Canadian Masters Indoor records earlier this year at the Hal Brown Invitational Indoor meet. Also, this year she competed in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, the half marathon at the inaugural World Road Running Champs in Riga, Latvia, and the World Mountain Running Champs in Innsbruck, Austria. You can learn more about her and her work at www.sashagollish.com Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Women's Sports Fan Club Merch:Shop Feisty's new Women's Sports Fan Club Collection at womensperformance.com/fanclub and use the code WATCHWOMENSSPORTS10 for 10% off your order. 10% of the profit on all purchases made between Nov 21- 28 will be donated to Fast and Female, a Canadian charity on a mission to keep girls aged 8-14 healthy and active in sports. Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! *SPECIAL BLACK FRIDAY DEAL - SAVE 50% OFF 11/23-11/25* Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Women in menopause get a lot of nutrition and fitness advice. Some of it is sound. Some less so. Quite a bit of it is downright predatory. That is why the best nutrition and fitness advice for menopausal women is often not about grams of protein or hours of exercise, but rather a hard look at our own attitudes and beliefs about how we eat (or don’t eat) and move our bodies. What narratives form our nutrition and fitness foundations? Are they even true? This week we dig deep into those narratives–and how to change them–with Meredith Root, co-founder of Tactic Functional Nutrition and Tactic Functional Fitness, both of which are grounded in empathy and behavioral change.Meredith Root has a B.S. in Biological Engineering and 6 years experience in biopharmacetutical process development. She is an active member of the Canadian and American Society for Nutrition and contributing writer for The Morning Chalk Up. She has been a nutrition coach since 2015 and along with her partner, Alex Parker, founded Tactic Functional Nutrition in 2018. Tactic now employees a team of 10 coaches and works with people from all over the globe on health and habits. Together, Meredith and Alex run Tactic's Instagram page which has garnered over 210k followers as well as their podcast, Afternoon Snack, which allows them to amplify their messaging even further. Fundamentally, the Tactic methodology is one that emphasizes consistency with basic nutrition and fitness principles that compound over time; communicated in a way that inspires trust, confidence, and self-determination. Their new business, Tactic Functional Fitness aims to bring uncommonly good fitness to common people. You can learn more at tacticmethod.com.Previnex Black Friday Sale - only valid from November 24-26, 2023: use code BF2023 to receive 20% off. previnex.com Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause Transition:Join: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Women's Sports Fan Club Merch:Shop Feisty's new Women's Sports Fan Club Collection at womensperformance.com/fanclub and use the code WATCHWOMENSSPORTS10 for 10% off your order. 10% of the profit on all purchases made between Nov 21- 28 will be donated to Fast and Female, a Canadian charity on a mission to keep girls aged 8-14 healthy and active in sports. Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program...

We exercise and train for hours each week (and sometimes each day) to build our physical fitness. We work on our mental toughness. But how much time do we devote to our spiritual fitness? To exercising our soul? For many of us it’s not so much. And we can suffer for it, getting lost, sad, and stuck, especially during menopause and midlife when we can find ourselves looking around going, “Is this it?” “What’s it all about?” This week we plug into our inner selves for a little tune up with longtime yoga practitioner, best-selling health and fitness writer, and now interfaith minister Anne Alexander, as we explore how to expand our purpose and passion in this next chapter of our lives.Anne Alexander is a longtime yogi, writer, and newly ordained interfaith minister with a passion for making the frontiers of health, science, and spirituality irresistibly interesting and surprisingly practical. Author of two New York Times best-sellers, former SVP/Editorial Director at National Geographic, and founder of SoulCandy, Anne brings decades of training in Iyengar, hatha and jnana/wisdom yoga and a deep understanding of ancient spiritual wisdom traditions to helping people find peace, discover their purpose, and experience their power, especially at mid-life. Her latest work, Wake Up to Love, is a practical and profound invitation to let go, lean in, and follow your bliss. You can learn more about her and her work at soulcandy.com Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program bonkbreaker.com/feistybox

Tummy tucks, insomnia, hormonal headaches, training post breast cancer, anxiety-calming supplements…you had some questions! And we have some answers! This week we dig back into the Speakpipe voicemail box and address your questions regarding menopause-related concerns and performance with host Selene Yeager. We are not medical professionals, of course, so this is not a substitute for medical advice. That you need to pursue on your own. Answers are based on medical literature reviews, medical society recommendations, personal and professional experience, and past episodes.Along with being host of the Hit Play Not Pause podcast, Selene Yeager is content manager at Feisty Menopause, a best-selling professional health and fitness writer, including the co-author of Next Level and ROAR with Dr. Stacy Sims. She lives what she writes as an NASM certified personal trainer, cycling coach, Pn1 certified nutrition coach, certified menopause training coach, and lifelong athlete. You can follow her work at Feistymenopause.comResources:When Cancer Enters the Equation with Dr. Corinne Menn (Episode 46)Just Keep Swimming with Sarah Thomas (Episode 127)Calm Your Mind with Dr. Alisha Brosse (Episode 43)Examine.com/supplements/gaba Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program bonkbreaker.com/feistybox

Fasting is often recommended as a solution to the metabolic health and weight management challenges menopausal women face. And while it can be an effective health tool when done properly, there are numerous pitfalls that active women can encounter when layering the stress of fuel restriction on top of other stress in their lives. This week we break it all down with autoimmune and precision medicine specialist Erin Faules, DO, who formerly worked with Wild Health before devoting herself to her own practice, Doctor Erin Health full time. Dr. Erin Faules (formerly Donaldson) graduated from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board-certified in Family Medicine. Her passion for changing healthcare was sparked when during her second year of medical school, she was diagnosed with lupus, a systemic autoimmune condition. She was told by her specialist she would be on medication to suppress her immune system for the rest of her life, and was literally laughed out of the office when she asked if anything she could do with her diet or lifestyle might change her outcome. Today, thanks to her own persistence and practice, her auto-immune antibodies are non-existent and she has not been on a pharmaceutical medication for over five years. You can learn more about her and her work at thedoctorerin.com Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program bonkbreaker.com/feistybox

When we reach menopause and midlife, we’re sometimes leery of trying new things. We don’t want to embarrass ourselves. We feel afraid. We don’t want to get hurt. Whether hormonal, societal, or a blend of both, we can easily succumb to the urge to stay on the sidelines. But the real magic happens when you jump (maybe literally) into something new, especially an activity that builds skill, confidence, and a community of like-minded women who want to break expectations. For this week’s guests, that activity has been parkour, a practice that involves maneuvering over, under, and through obstacles, which has given them both a newfound sense of power and strength, as well as play and fun. They talk all about their path to parkour and how much it’s improved their lives in this week’s show. Penny Szentkuti, 53, is a teacher librarian at Ascham School in Edgecliff, Sydney, Australia and is a mother of two (which is how she got into parkour in the first place). You can see her parkour in action on Instagram here. Rachel Gray, 48, is an early childhood educator, running Outdoor Playgroups. She is a mother of three active children (which is how she, too, got into parkour). They both practice parkour at AAPES (Australian Academy of Parkour, Exercise and Self-Defence). Resources: Parkour, skydiving, wing foiling — women over 50 are finding freedom in adventure sports, ABC.net.au feature here. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program bonkbreaker.com/feistybox

Millions of women will tell you they feel like their muscle disappeared overnight once they hit the menopause transition. It may not technically happen in a 24 hour period, but muscle tissue really does slip away quickly over the perimenopause period. That’s a problem because muscle is our metabolic engine and helps us live, play, and perform our best. This week, we sat down with exercise scientist Sam Moore, who was so moved by her athletic mother’s experience during perimenopause, she devoted herself to learning as much as she could to help others. She presented her research on body composition, activity, and nutrition in menopause at this year’s Female Athlete Conference. We talk all about her research there and much more.Sam Moore is an applied sport scientist and Human Movement Science Doctoral student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine, researching endocrinological topics of applied female athlete sport science. Sam completed her undergraduate degree in Exercise Science and Human Biology from Western Oregon University and her master’s degree in Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention from California University of Pennsylvania. Prior to Carolina, Sam was with the NC State Wolfpack from 2019-2021 as the Director of Sport Science and Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach. As the first woman to serve as a Director of Sport Science in the NCAA, Sam implemented a revolutionary and evidence-informed framework of women’s specific training design based on the hormonal landscape of the Wolfpack female athletes. You can learn more about her and her work at mooresportscience.comResourcesEvaluation of the relationship between body composition and menopause symptoms across the menopause transition, here.Body Composition, Activity, & Nutrition in Menopause, here. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program bonkbreaker.com/feistybox

We’ve been fed a narrative that you can’t get faster after a certain age. We used to say 40. Definitely not after 50. Could you possibly get faster after 60? This week’s guests say, “Why not?” When it comes to women in midlife and menopause, we’re more active than ever. We also know more, have better coaching, and have more information at our disposal. This week, during a special educational session at the Vinfast Ironman World Championship, we had a panel discussion on all of it with five-time world champion Melanie McQuaid, physical therapist and strength and triathlon coach Dr. Chrissy Davis, and co-founder of FLY Health + Wellness and USAT certified coach Jen Temperley. Together the panel takes on body image, musculoskeletal health and injury prevention, how to adapt through the menopause transition, and training for the long game. Even if you never step foot in the three-sport arena, you’ll get a ton of useful and inspirational information from this incredible conversation.  Melanie McQuaid is a professional triathlete, mountain bike racer, and five-time world champion. She continues to compete at an elite level while focusing her energies on her coaching business, MelRad Coaching. You can check her out there and at melaniemcquaid.com. In 2023, Melanie was 2nd pro female at Ironman Maryland and became the first 50-year-old to podium in the open pro category of an Ironman race and the first ever 50-year-old to qualify for the main pro race with her 3rd place finish at Ironman Coeur d’Alene.  Dr. Chrissy Davis, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS is a coach with MSM + JHC Coaching, a USAT and Ironman University Certified Coach, a Certified Running Analyst, as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and a Certified Holistic Health Coach. She is the owner & sports performance physical therapist at Precision Performance Sports in Park Ridge, Illinois. Jen Temperley is co-founder of FLY Health + Wellness. Along with being a USAT Certified coach, she is a Precision Nutrition Coach and female athlete specialist. She’s been in triathlon since doing Ironkids at the age of 8. Her career includes age group wins at Oceanside 70.3, Wildflower Triathlon, and Escape from Alcatraz, and she’s competed in 7 World Championships including the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.  Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for...

Menopause is not a monolith. We all experience this stage of life differently and require unique care. So this week we sat down with Dr. Heather Hirsch, author of Unlock Your Menopause Type to talk about the six basic types she sees in her practice, including premature, sudden, full-throttle, mind-altering, seemingly never-ending, and silent and the care they require. We also dig into the controversial topics of hormone testing and menopausal hormone therapy for perimenopause. Heather’s ultimate goal is to give all women the information they need to make fully educated decisions about their care. And we’re happy to support that mission on the show this week.Dr. Heather Hirsch is board certified in internal medicine and completed advanced fellowship training in women’s health at the Cleveland Clinic. Her clinical work and research centers on inequalities and unanswered questions in the field of gynecology and women’s health, specifically in menopause and its role in chronic disease development. Heather was the founder of the Menopause and Midlife Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Massachusetts. She is also a private telemedicine practitioner at Heather Hirsch MD, PLLC. You can learn more about her and her work at heatherhirschmd.comResources:The ABCs of MHT with Heather Hirsch, MDUnlock Your Menopause Type by Heather Hirsch, MD, MS, NCMP with Stacey Colino Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Ultra running sensation Camille Herron is currently smashing world records, including a new woman’s 48 hour running world record set earlier this year where she logged a whopping 435 kilometers (270.5 miles) around a 400-meter track(!), which also made her the first female athlete to surpass a Men’s American record, all while managing the hormonal havoc of perimenopause, something she has recently opened up about in a series of posts on Instagram. We talk all about it, as well as her involvement with Lululemon’s groundbreaking FURTHER multi-day ultramarathon and research initiative on this week’s show.Camille Herron is an ultra running phenom. She is the first and only athlete to win all three of the road IAU World Championships for 50K, 100K, and 24 Hours, where she clocked 270 kilometers (nearly 168 mi), more than any woman in history. Last year, just after turning 40, she won the Jackpot 100, outright beating all of the men by almost 30 minutes. At age 41 she set a new woman’s 48 hour running world record. And she holds a Guinness Book of World Records record for the fastest marathon by a female in a superhero costume—running 2:48 dressed head to toe as Spiderwoman. You can learn more about her at camilleherron.comResourcesLululemon FURTHER initiative  Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Nina McGowan didn't begin freediving until she was in her late 40s and sliding into the menopause transition. With the help of her background in meditation, yoga, dance, the arts, and eventually hormone therapy, she’s reached depths she would have only dreamed imaginable, setting multiple Irish National Records as well as securing a World Record in the 50-54 age division with a dive of 43 meters (141 feet) that involved holding her breath for 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Just last month, Nina set three new National Records including 46 meters (151 feet) in the Constant weight No Fins (CNF) division and 58 meters (190 feet) in the Free Immersion (FIM) division. We talk all about it, along with her history and work as a visual artist this week.Nina McGowan is a visual artist who is primarily concerned with the human body, and considers it a tool for understanding, mediating, and perceiving the world. She uses freediving as a research tool to inform and direct her artwork. Her current themes address the overwhelm that people cite when they think about the scale of the climate crises. Her work attempts to re-scale and re-map aspects of the crises to the human body. She performs on stage, makes sculpture, and speaks publicly on these topics. You can learn more about her and her artwork at nina_mcgowan_artist and her diving at marinina_freediver.  Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

The conversation around menopause is moving at lightspeed these days, with a wave of misinformation following quickly in its wake. So this week we sat down with the medical director of The Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society), Dr. Stephanie Faubion, author of The New Rules of Menopause to catch up on where we are with our understanding of menopause, menopause therapies, hormone testing, and much more.Stephanie S. Faubion, M.D., M.B.A., is the Penny and Bill George Director of Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health and is chair of the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Faubion has practiced as a physician in the Women’s Health Clinic at Mayo Clinic for over 18 years. She also serves as medical director for The Menopause Society. She has a broad interest in women’s health and has evaluated and treated women with menopausal, hormonal, and sexual health concerns. Her research encompasses sex and gender-based differences in disease, menopause, hormone therapy, healthy aging, and sexual health and dysfunction in women — addressing questions that come directly from the clinical dilemmas faced every day in medical practice. A leader in women’s health, Dr. Faubion, frequently lends her expertise to the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, NBC News, and other national media. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Amanda Thebe was so frustrated by her two-year odyssey to find out what was behind her bone-crushing fatigue, vertigo, incontinence, rage, migraines, depression, and other symptoms that were outright derailing her life (spoiler: it was perimenopause), she wrote what would become an Amazon best-selling book, Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! to help other women avoid the same fate. Now, three years later and “post menopocalyptic,” Amanda is on a mission to help menopausal women have better access to care and a more supportive workplace. We talk all about that and much more this week.Amanda Thebe has nearly 30 years of experience in the fitness industry and is the author of the Amazon best-selling book, Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! She is the co-founder and Chief Wellness and Branding Officer at Nyah Health, a complete healthcare solution for menopausal women in Canada. As Canada’s first menopause workplace educator, Amanda provides on-site or virtual educational presentations in the workplace to improve productivity, retention and attendance for female employees through menopause. Amanda has been featured in media outlets like Oprah, Shape, Prevention, Health Line, CBC Radio, Global News Canada, The Doctors, and many more. You can learn more about her and her work at amandathebe.comResourcesMenopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too! - all buying options listed here. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Menopause is all over mainstream media these days. But too many women are still missing the message that they don’t have to needlessly suffer, especially Black women who on average go into menopause earlier and have worse symptoms such as hot flashes, depression and sleep disturbances than White women, but are less likely to receive hormone therapy, as well as medical and mental health services. This week’s guest health and wellness coach Diesta Goldsmith is grateful for the people who helped her when she needed it and is now on a mission to help others who are suffering get their lives back. The former bodybuilder, figure competitor, and system engineering consultant is also a fun, funny, and positive force in the menopause space.Diesta Goldsmith is the founder of Vision Up Health & Wellness Coaching. She has been in the fitness industry for more than 30 years and now specializes in helping women navigate through menopause and live with vision and vitality through her coaching programs. You can learn more about her and her work at visionupwellness.com. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Of all our hormones, cortisol might be the most misunderstood and maligned. We’re told this stress hormone is the culprit behind excess belly fat, high blood sugar, accelerated aging, and a host of menopausal and midlife woes. Menopausal and midlife women sometimes are afraid to exercise too much because they’ve been told it will raise their cortisol, which can already be elevated during this time of life. The problem with this narrative is that it’s one-sided. It paints cortisol as a demon to be avoided at all costs, when actually cortisol is essential to maintain and improve fitness, and frankly for human life. This week we sat down with endocrinologist Dr. Carla DiGirolamo to dive into what cortisol is, what it does, and how menopausal women can manage–even befriend it–to optimize their health, performance, and well-being.Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD, is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in infertility and menopausal medicine. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Health. She is a MedFit Care provider and provides weekly workouts and medical updates at her Substack Athletic Aging. She has most recently become an Endocrine Consultant for Wild Health. Dr. Carla DiGirolamo’s Athletic Aging blog post on cortisol Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

At this point, you may have been doing your sport for a decade, maybe two…or more. It’s easy to fall into a rut or lose your spark. The hormonal changes that come with the menopause transition also can make training more challenging and put a dent in your motivation. Trying a new challenge and/or working with a new coach can help you find your why and feel fired up again. This week, we pull back the curtain and talk about what that coaching process looks like as host Selene Yeager sits down with triathlon coach Marni Sumbal to talk through how they got Selene Ironman 70.3 ready after a 15-year hiatus from triathlon. Marni Sumbal is co-owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition, a coaching and nutrition company based in Greenville, South Carolina, which she runs with her husband and RETUL bike fit expert, Karel Sumbal. Marni is a 3x author, board-certified sports dietitian, master of science in exercise physiology, 19x Ironman finisher, and 5x Ironman World Championship finisher. She was 5th in her age group at the 2021 Ironman World Championships in St. George and was 2017 Ironman Chattanooga First Place Overall Female Amateur. You can learn more about her and her work at trimarnicoach.com. Resources:Marni Sumbal’s latest book: Athlete to Triathlete: The Ultimate Triathlon Training Plan for Sprint and Olympic Races  Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

When we’re in our 20s and 30s, we see ourselves everywhere in sports marketing and branding. Then, somewhere along the way, we vanish, as though women past 40 or 50 don’t run, ride, hit the weights, or live active, vibrant lives. This week’s guest, Velocio Cycling Apparel ambassador Joan Swain, is on a mission to change that. As she says, “We are athletic. We are beautiful. We are intelligent. We live full lives and we wear your clothes, your shoes, your accessories and ride your bikes. I challenge all to make this as attractive and marketable as it actually is.” We talk about all that and the importance of improving our visibility and changing the narrative around aging this week.Along with being an ambassador for Velocio and World Bicycle Relief, Joan Swain is a senior leader in the Professional Services technology sector with a track record of business and culture transformations including change management, people management/operations, project/program management, resource management, data migration, internal coaching, customer service advocacy, partner management and onboarding, driving strategic direction, and sales enablement. You can follow her journey at instagram.com/joanlswain. Check out her photo spread with Velocio here.  Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

CrossFit Games athlete Leka Fineman didn’t start the sport until she was 40. She learned to walk on her hands at age 50. Now at 56, she is competing in her fifth CrossFit Games competition as this episode airs. And she’s done it all while going through the menopause transition. We talk all about how she does it and why she believes that once you toss out your self-limiting beliefs, you can continue to grow and make progress at any stage of life.Leka Fineman is a 5 time CrossFit Games Athlete, and is a certified CrossFit, Weightlifting, Gymnastics, Nutrition, and XPT Performance Breathing Coach. Leka specializes in helping her clients feel mentally and physically strong to navigate through and enjoy a long, healthy life. Her expertise is in providing women with tools to handle stress, balance hormones, and optimize the body’s natural ability to recover. She is dedicated to helping women feel strong, confident, and empowered in their lives and bodies- through all stages of life. You can learn more about her and her work at lekafineman.comWatch Live: https://www.youtube.com/@CrossFitGamesTV?mibextid=Zxz2cZ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Whether it’s waking up at 2 a.m. with feelings of impending doom, fighting off a sudden freakout about driving on the freeway, or becoming paralyzed on a tricky trail you’ve ridden, hiked, or climbed dozens of times before, anxiety can hit seemingly out of nowhere during the menopause transition. In fact, because it can be one of the earliest symptoms of perimenopause, some women suffer for months or years without connecting the dots to their hormones. The good news is there’s help–and understanding the root cause of menopause-related anxiety is the first step. This week we break it all down with Dr. Clare Spencer, Clinical Director at My Menopause Centre, a menopause clinic based in England and Wales. Dr Clare Spencer is a registered menopause specialist and an NHS GP. Along with her role as Clinical Director at My Menopause Centre, she currently runs an NHS menopause service and is a GP partner in a practice in Leeds. She is also a British Menopause Society menopause trainer and is involved in educating GPs about the menopause transition through talks, lectures, and seminars. Dr Spencer has written menopause training modules and pathways for doctors.net, the Primary Care Women’s Health forum publication, Her Life Her Health, and the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust. She is passionate about educating, empowering, and supporting all women through all stages of their menopause transition. You can learn more about her and her work at mymenopausecentre.comResources:Dr. Spencer’s post on menopause-related anxietySelene Yeager’s post on menopause-related fearMy Menopause Centre’s “Am I Menopausal?” Questionnaire https://www.mymenopausecentre.com/https://www.mymenopausecentre.com/symptoms/anxiety/My fear piecehttps://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/menopause-increasing-fear The checklisthttps://www.mymenopausecentre.com/menopause-questionnaire/ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at...

*Note - This episode originally dropped on January 27, 2021*Time for “the talk.” Seriously, we get sex ed when we go through puberty to know what to expect. But then we hit the other end of the hormonal spectrum and...crickets. Loss of libido and painful sex are real issues during menopausal years and, all too often, women suffer in silence. Issues like vaginal dryness don’t just hurt your sex life (though that’s bad enough!), they also just plain hurt when you’re trying to live an active life. None of that is particularly conducive to feeling and performing your best.This week’s guest Dr. Lauren Streicher, author of Sex Rx- Hormones Health and Your Best Sex Ever, is one of the top authorities on the topic of menopause and sexual health. Dr. Streicher is the founder and medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Menopause and the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Health, which includes programs on Sexual Medicine and Vulvar and Vaginal Health. She’s been featured on Oprah, Good Morning America, Nightline, 20/20, Today, and the Meredith Vieira Show, just to name a few. She dishes out straight talk on sex solutions to help improve your “SexAbility” through menopause and the rest of your life. You can learn more about her and check out her work at: DrStreicher.com Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

*Note - This episode originally dropped on February 24, 2021* Menopause and midlife can send dueling wrecking balls straight into your sleep architecture, leaving you tossing and turning unable to get to sleep, waking up with racing thoughts at 3 a.m., and generally depriving you of the rest and regeneration you need. This week’s guest, Dr. Sophie Bostock, the sleep scientist—and self-proclaimed sleep evangelist—is here to help you pick up the pieces of your broken sleep and get a good night’s rest.Dr. Bostock has recently spent 5 years working on Sleepio, an award-winning digital sleep improvement program. She also has published sleep research in collaboration with the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute in Oxford and other international researchers showing the impacts of better sleep on mental health and performance. She has developed a systematic approach to improving sleep hygiene and getting your circadian rhythms back in sync so you can enjoy sound, uninterrupted sleep. You can learn more about her work at:https://www.thesleepscientist.com/ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Sandra Bueckert started bodybuilding when she was just 16. Now, 40 years later, she’s still in the strength and fitness game, but she’s made a few changes. Sure, she still wants to look her best, but that’s no longer her driving force. These days she’s training to be part of the resistance—specifically to defy what people assume a midlife, menopausal, and eventually “old” woman should be able to do. Sandra doesn’t sugarcoat reality. Some stuff is harder now. No doubt. But there are ways to keep on keeping on, and we talk about all of that and more on this week’s show.Sandra Bueckert is the owner, founder, and trainer at One on One Fitness in Calgary, Alberta Canada, which has been in operation for 33 years. Sandra has been interviewed by QR77 Radio, CBC Radio, Breakfast Television, The Globe and Mail, the Calgary Herald, Cityscope magazine, Avenue magazine, IMPACT Magazine, LA Times, and the Calgary Sun. One On One was also featured in a 12-week series by the Calgary Herald. Most people recognize Sandra from the X-weighted television series on the Slice Network. You can learn more about her and her work at oneononefitness.ca Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Hormones bring your DNA to life. They drive your training adaptations, help build muscle and bone, modulate your immune system, and much, much more. As peri and postmenopausal women we often focus on estrogen and progesterone (and maybe testosterone), but others like human growth hormone, vitamin D, and cortisol deserve our attention, too. And though hormone therapy is one tool for optimizing your hormonal health during this time of life, it’s not the only one. This week we dive into it all with Dr. Nicky Keay, author of Hormones, Health and Human Potential: A Guide to Understanding Your Hormones to Optimise Your Health and Performance.Dr. Nicola “Nicky” Keay is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Medicine at University College London. She lectures and researches in areas of exercise endocrinology, with publications in this field. Her clinical endocrine work is mainly with exercisers, dancers and athletes, with a focus on relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and athletes navigating perimenopause/menopause. She authored the British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM)’s Health4performance.co.uk online resource. She is also the medical advisor to Scottish Ballet and a keen dancer herself taking four ballet classes per week. You can learn more about Dr. Keay and her work at nickykeayfitness.comResources:Dr. Nicky Keay’s book: Hormones, Health and Human Potential: A Guide to Understanding Your Hormones to Optimise Your Health and Performance Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Healthcare as we know it (especially in the U.S.) is mostly sickcare. Instead of working with us to keep us healthy, it treats us when we’re on the verge of disease or are outright unwell. There’s a growing movement to change that approach, which would be especially beneficial for menopausal women, who are at a time of their lives when the risk for many diseases can begin to rise. This week, we sat down with Julie Foucher, MD, who provides precision, personalized medicine with Wild Health to talk about the potential benefits of this type of healthcare for women in and beyond the menopause transition. This far-reaching conversation also includes her thoughts on fasting, inflammation, stress, mindset, and much more.Dr. Julie Foucher is a former four-time CrossFit Games athlete and family physician practicing precision medicine. She launched the Pursuing Health podcast back in 2015 while transitioning from CrossFit competition to being a full-time medical trainee. Based on what she saw in her medical training and CrossFit career, she realized her passion and unique position to help patients maximize their health through lifestyle, and she's committed to transforming primary care delivery to achieve this mission. You can follow her on Instagram here. You can learn more about her work at Wild Health here.ResourcesPursuing Health with Julie Foucher Pursuing Health podcast Wild Health personalized healthcare Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Menopause and midlife don’t mean giving up on our big goals. We can run marathons. We can do Ironman triathlons. We can compete at CrossFit. We just need to do things differently now. We need to respect balanced training that includes equal amounts of effort and restoration and to respect that a balanced life is a healthy life. It’s what ultimately allows us to enjoy our physical pursuits, reach our goals, feel good in our bodies, and stay in the game for life. This week we break it all down with women’s health and fitness coach, Baz Moffat.Baz Moffat is a former elite rower with more than 20 years of experience working within health, fitness, and sport. She specializes in the areas of pelvic floor, core, nutrition, and women’s wellness. Her holistic approach focuses on prenatal, postnatal, perimenopausal, and menopausal women with one common goal – to help women move freely and embrace life. She is the co-author of The Female Body Bible and co-founder of The Well, which provides health and training resources for females in every stage of life. You can learn more about her and her work at bazmoffat.com.ResourcesThe Female Body Bible by Dr. Emma Ross, Baz Moffat, and Dr. Bella SmithThe Well HQ: Empowering women in health, in work, in life Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Past trauma can lead to a difficult menopause transition with more severe symptoms. Making matters worse, severe menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and difficulty sleeping can also heighten existing post-traumatic stress symptoms for women who have suffered trauma. Female veterans are especially at risk for both, and this week’s guest Tonya Oxendine, Warrior Speak Spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior Project, is on a mission to help women like her get the care they need for a fresh start in life. Tonya Oxendine served for nearly 30 years in the United States Army–including several years in the 82nd Airborne–retiring as a Command Sergeant Major. She joined the Army fresh out of high school to escape an abusive family only to find the first half of her military career marred by sexual abuse and harassment. Tonya remained silent and kept the pain and emotions bottled up inside, because she felt honored to be given the responsibility to serve her country and she didn’t want to jeopardize that. But during Tonya’s last deployment in Afghanistan, all of the pent-up emotions became overwhelming. She eventually got the help she needed through the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Talk program. She also received mental health treatment at Emory Healthcare — part of the WWP Warrior Care Network® — which helps veterans like Tonya who are living with PTSD. You can learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project at woundedwarriorproject.orgResourcesTonya Oxendine on the Hazard Ground podcast  Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Pelvic floor injuries, body image woes, race day nerves, declining running times, newfound emotional flare ups, preventing injury…you had questions! And we have answers. This week we dig into the Speakpipe voicemail box and address your questions and concerns regarding menopause and performance with host Selene Yeager.Along with being the host of the Hit Play Not Pause podcast, Selene Yeager is content manager at Feisty Menopause, a best-selling professional health and fitness writer, including the co-author of ROAR and Next Level with Dr. Stacy Sims. She lives what she writes as an NASM certified personal trainer, cycling coach, Pn1 certified nutrition coach, menopause coach, and lifelong athlete. You can follow her work at Feistymenopause.comResources:NY Times Magazine article on menopauseMenopocalypse by Amanda ThebeNext Level by Dr. Stacy Sims and Selene YeagerBuilt to Move by Kelly Starrett and Juliet Starrett ECFit Strength with Erin CarsonStop the Leaks with Chloe Murdock Get a Buff Muff with the Vagina Coach Kim VopniLeaks, Lockdowns & Magic Wands with Amy Hill Fife, MPT Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

I’m too old. Nothing works for me. My best days are behind me. I just have to live with (fill in the blank). I’ll never feel better. When we’re really going through it, it can be easy to slip into a personal cave of limiting beliefs that can conspire to keep us there in the cold and dark. But where do these beliefs come from? Are they even true? What would we do if we didn’t have them? This week we take a deep dive into the menopause mindset with body-mind coach Cara Bradley, who helps us find our strengths to slice through the limiting beliefs that hold us back so we can feel and perform our best.Cara Bradley is a former pro skater and leading authority of mental fitness and menopause mindsets. She shares her signature body-mind training with Fortune 500 companies, pro and college sports teams, and top wellness brands. Cara is the author of On The Verge: Wake Up, Show Up, and Shine, the founder of Verge Yoga Center, and the host of the Daily Whispers podcast. In 2020, Cara was named a “Top 12 Most Powerful Women in the Mindfulness Movement” by Mindful Magazine. You can learn more about Cara and her work at carabradley.net And check her out on TikTok @menopausemindset. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

When this week’s guest Jen McNutt laced up her figure skates and got back on the ice after a 26-year hiatus, her goal was to try to get back to where she used to be–hitting double jumps on the ice. Perimenopause had other ideas. Jen found herself struggling with fatigue, weakness, poor recovery, and sliding self-confidence. Then she found our community and all the advice for active, performance-minded menopausal women, and everything turned around. Now at 48, she’s not only gotten her double jumps back, but she’s also considering taking on some triples, because as she says, “I'm not the athlete I used to be. I’m the athlete I am now. And there’s potential to take this further.” We talk all about how she found her power and confidence on the ice and much more.Jen McNutt grew up in Calgary, Alberta where she was very active in figure skating, gymnastics, snowboarding, hiking, and running. She completed her Masters in Physiotherapy at the University of Alberta in 2009, after which she moved to Nelson, BC to start a career and family. Jen is committed to enhancing the overall physical health, fitness, and quality of life of her clients through one-on-one, individualized physical therapy programs focused on clients’ goals. She is a life-long learner and continues to expand her knowledge base, including pursuing education in pelvic floor therapy. Jen also does canine physiotherapy. When not working, Jen loves to spend time hiking with her family and dogs, trail running, figure skating, snowboarding, and discovering all the beauty the Kootenays have to offer. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Fine artist and cyclist Lisa Congdon was not prepared for the impact menopause was going to have on her body or the extent to which those changes would cause a drop in her athletic performance. So, she dug into all the resources she could find for athletic menopausal women and, at the then age of 54, went back to the drawing board, making changes in her diet, training, and lifestyle to help her be the best menopausal athlete she could be. Now at age 55, she’s crushing those goals. Lisa has recently had the best race of her career, beating her previous time on the same course by 22 minutes, and is putting more power into her pedals than ever before. We talk all about how she did it and how our old, ingrained behaviors, like dieting to be a certain size, can prevent us from reaching our fullest potential. Lisa Congdon an internationally known fine artist, illustrator, and writer. She makes art for clients around the globe, including Target, Amazon, Google, Schwinn, REI, and MoMA, among many others. She is the author of ten books, including Art Inc: The Essential Guide to Building Your Career as an Artist and Find your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic. Lisa is self-taught and didn’t achieve momentum in her career until she was nearly 40 years old. In March of 2021, she was named “One of the 50 Most Inspiring People and Companies According to Industry Creatives” published by AdWeek. When she's not making art, you can find her on her bike. She lives and works in Portland, Oregon. You can learn more about her and her work at lisacongdon.comResourcesLisa’s race report Instagram report here Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Remember being told you should start dieting if you could “pinch an inch” around your midsection? (Thanks Special K cereal ads…) Growing up, our bellies were often made a point of shame as they were poked, pinched, and otherwise derided. For many, that shame gets deeper in the menopause transition. That urge to suck it in and suck it up when our body image suffers has damaged more than our psyches (though that’s bad enough!). It’s damaged our relationship with our bodies–and even our breath, which is not only the very essence of life, but also one of our greatest tools for relaxation and recovery, and for helping manage the challenges of menopause. This week, we sit down with Jill Miller, author of Body by Breath and go deep into the power of breath, the emotional and physical (hello, tight muscles) factors that can constrict our breathing, and, of course, how we can fully access our breath to optimize our health and performance. Jill Miller, C-IAYT, ERYT, is the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide and creator of the self-care fitness formats Yoga Tune Up® and The Roll Model® Method. With more than 30 years of study in anatomy and movement, she is a pioneer in forging relevant links between the worlds of fitness, yoga, massage, athletics, and pain management. She has trained thousands of movement educators, clinicians, and manual therapists to incorporate her paradigm-shifting self-care fitness programming into athletic and medical facility programs internationally. As the creator of some of the world’s best mobility tools, she has crafted original programs for 24 Hour Fitness, Equinox, YogaWorks, and numerous professional sports teams. She and her team of 500+ trainers help you to live better in your body with an emphasis on proprioception, mobility, breath mechanics, and recovery. You can learn more about her, her books, and her work at tuneupfitness.comResources: Body by Breath book hereCoregeous (and other self-massage balls) here Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

When life gets hard, many of us channel our inner Dory, put our heads down, and “Just keep swimming.” Nobody, but nobody, embodies this ethos more than this week’s guest ultraendurance swimmer Sarah Thomas. In Sarah’s 40 years on this planet, she has endured chemo, radiation, and surgery for aggressive breast cancer, a traumatic ectopic pregnancy, and the challenges of cancer-related medical menopause. She has also smashed preconceived notions of what is possible, becoming the first person to complete a four-way crossing of the English Channel in 54 hours and 10 minutes just one year after completing her cancer treatments. We talk all about her journey through the difficult, murky waters of medical menopause and her ability to literally swim for days despite the challenges and adversity she’s faced in her life.Sarah Thomas is an ultra-marathon swimmer who holds the current world record for the longest continuous (unassisted, non-wetsuit) swim done in current-neutral conditions. That record-breaking swim covered 104.6 miles over 67 hours and was completed in Lake Champlain (USA) in August of 2017. Shortly after completing this swim, Sarah, then 35, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer that demanded equally aggressive treatments. Through it all, Sarah never gave up on her dream of doing a swim that most people thought was impossible, a four-way crossing of the English Channel, which she completed one year after finishing cancer treatments. Recently, Sarah became the first person in history to complete a two-way crossing of the North Channel, 21 hours and 46 minutes in freezing water, peppered with giant jellyfish. You can learn more about her and follow her blog at sarahthomasswims.com. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Now that menopause is mainstream news, interest in hormone therapy is exploding. And so is the confusion and controversy surrounding it, as menopausal hormone therapy (aka hormone replacement therapy), which is undeniably a game changer for millions, has also become a massive business. Some practitioners are reportedly prescribing “megadoses” of estrogen–in some cases twice or even 3 or 4 times the maximum licensed dose, causing myriad medical societies to sound the alarm. Meanwhile, researchers are working overtime to catch up to provide clarity on what hormone therapy does, what it doesn’t do, who it benefits most, and for how long. This week we dig into it all with our favorite hormone doc, Dr. Carla DiGirolamo. Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD, is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in infertility and menopausal medicine. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Health. She is a MedFit Care provider and provides weekly workouts and medical updates at her Substack Athletic Aging. She has most recently become an Endocrine Consultant for Wild Health. Resources:The Daily Mail article on high doses of HRT here  The Joint BMS, FSRH, RCGP, RCOG, SFE and RCN Safety Alert here Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Midlife and menopause can do a number on our sexual selves. Our bodies are changing. We can feel more anxious and less self-confident. After years of taking care of others, we can lose sight of ourselves. Sex might be the last thing on our minds. If that makes you sad, take heart. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can find body–and sexual–confidence with age. And it starts with self-love, which as this week’s guest Lou Featherstone explains doesn’t just mean a fuzzy appreciation of yourself. It means masturbation–literally getting back in touch with what makes you feel good sexually, which in turn can make you feel calmer, happier, and more self-confident. Plus, it’s good for vaginal health. Lou recently toured the US in a vintage Bluebird bus spreading sex positivity as well as busting myths about midlife and menopause along the way. We talk all about that journey and much more.Lou Featherstone is a 50-something mom on a mission to help women of all ages be completely confident in themselves, encouraging them to fall back in love with themselves and rediscover what it truly means to feel sexy, no matter their age. As the self-described founding member of the Zero F*cks Club, she is helping others grow old disgracefully! From drag shows to pole dancing, from radio shows to keynote speeches, she’s been showing others that menopause and aging aren't all doom and gloom. You can learn more about her and her work at www.luinluland.com/ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

What does it mean to be fit? Deadlifting your body weight? Running a 10K? Doing an Ironman? Most of our notions about fitness spotlight the big thing we want to do while glossing over all the smaller, equally important, but less “sexy” stuff like joint mobility, breathing practices, balance, and nutrition it takes to get you there strong and injury-free. Kind of like wanting to climb Mount Everest without spending any time at Base Camp. This week’s guest, Juliet Starrett, co-author of the new book Built to Move is all about the Base Camp, especially in midlife and menopause. We dive into Juliet’s personal story (including a hippo attack!) as well as the vital signs and foundations menopausal women need to tune into so they can be strong, able, and pain-free for the rest of their active lives.  Juliet Starrett is an entrepreneur, attorney, author, and podcaster. She is the former co-founder and CEO of San Francisco CrossFit, one of the first 50 CrossFit affiliates. Juliet is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Deskbound and co-host of The Ready State Podcast. Before turning her attention to The Ready State and San Francisco CrossFit full time, Juliet was a professional whitewater paddler, winning 3 World Championship and 5 National titles. Her latest book, co-authored with her husband and mobility pioneer, Dr. Kelly Starrett is Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully. You can learn more about her, The Ready State, and Built to Move at thereadystate.com ResourcesBuilt to Move: thereadystate.com/product/built-to-move/Juliet’s blog on preparing for menopause: thereadystate.com/blogs/how-i-am-preparing-for-menopause/ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

2022 Ultraman World Championship winner and new course record setter Dede Griesbauer will be the first to tell you, age is definitely more than “just a number.” It’s real, and the training, recovery practices, and dedication it takes to accomplish such feats at 52 is radically different than it is at 32 or even 42. But it’s possible, and you should not put an expiration date on your dreams, because with hard work and smart training they can come true. We talk all about what it takes to conquer 320 miles (515 km) of swimming, biking, and running around the Big Island of Hawaii, how she’s experiencing the menopause transition, and much more.Along with her latest achievement, longtime professional triathlete Dede Griesbauer is a 3-time Ironman Champion, 2-time 70.3 Champion, and a 12-hour Time Trial World Champion. Dede is also a part of the Ironman live commentary team, providing color commentary and race analysis for Ironman races around the world, to fans via Facebook Watch and Outside TV. You can learn more about her and her amazing feats at dedegriesbauer.com.   Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Whether we’re trying to make muscle, perform our best, or avoid the dreaded GI distress during long endurance events, women in and beyond the menopause transition have special needs. But the sports nutrition and supplement landscape is rife with conflicting and confusing information. This week we cut through the noise with scientist, exercise physiologist, and sports nutritionist Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan. We dive into protein, carbohydrates, essential amino acids, fasted training, macronutrient usage during phases of the menstrual cycle and during the menopause transition, creatine, sports supplements, and a whole lot more! Abbie Smith-Ryan, Ph.D., CSCS*D, FNSCA, FACSM, FISSN is Professor of Exercise Physiology, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory, and Co-Director of the Human Performance Center in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. You can learn more about her and her work at www.asmithryan.com Resources:Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan PerspectiveActive Women Across the Lifespan: Nutritional Ingredients to Support Health and Wellness Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Sarah-Jane Nichols is a BMX cycling legend. The Hall of Famer was a 7-time British Champion, 4-time European Champion, and a World Champion as a teen in 1986. Now, at age 52, 34 years after retiring from the sport, Nichols is back on her bike despite being in the throes of extremely challenging perimenopausal symptoms. In fact, Nichols is returning to the sport in part because of the physical and emotional challenges she’s experienced during the menopause transition. We talk all about her history with traditionally male sports, how menopause just about knocked her down for the count, and how she’s getting back on her feet to gun for another BMX British National Championship.Along with being an avid BMXer, Sarah-Jane Nichols is a black belt in Shotokan Karate. She played ice hockey for 35 years during which time she represented Great Britain and the England ladies, playing in Ukraine and France. Sarah-Jane also had a role in a TV Show called Ice Warriors, where she played Taaraz the Renegade. You can learn more about her at the British BMX Hall of Fame website and the BBC feature on her return to BMX. Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

What does equity mean in sport? Yes, it's women being included, but it's also resources for racing moms, supporting the inclusion of Black folks in historically white sports, having size-inclusive athletic gear, and SO much more. Feisty Media welcomes a panel of women with intersectional identities to celebrate International Women's Day and discuss why equal opportunity is no longer enough. Hosted by Selene Yeager and Sara Gross, guests Khadijah Diggs, Marley Blonsky, and Alison Tetrick share the inequity they've faced in their athletic spaces, and what equity would truly look like for them individually. Follow Marley on Instagram @marleyblonsky Follow Khadijah on Instagram @khadijahtriathleteFollow Ali on Instagram @amtetrick*** Support the Podcast *** Insidetracker: Get 20% off at insidetracker.com/feisty

Pat Spencer couldn’t help but think she’d be faster if she were lighter. After all, that’s what everyone in endurance sports tells you. But instead of gaining speed, Pat went from being a competitive age group triathlete to not being able to do any endurance sports because of a profound case of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) she suffered while training for her 4th Iron distance triathlon in 2016. She still suffers the consequences today, seven years after she found herself in that hole. We talk all about her journey and how it can be easy to confuse perimenopausal symptoms with low energy availability (LEA) because the two mimic one another, and how LEA can make perimenopause worse.  Pat Spencer is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), a therapist with a private practice in central New Jersey, and founder of Getting Your Mind in Gear, a mental coaching company specializing in female and LGBTQIA+ cyclists and endurance athletes. She is a former long course triathlete, marathoner, and open water swimmer. Pat is also an avid gravel cyclist, loves resistance training, and has a passion for scuba. You can learn more about her and her work at gettingyourmindingear.com Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Record-holding runner Anabelle Broadbent thought she’d blow right through menopause…until erratic, uber-heavy periods, body composition changes, anxiety, and a major drop in speed told her menopause had other ideas. As a scientist, she did what she knows best: research and problem-solving. And last year, at age 55, she was awarded the 2022 USATF GOLD Phidippides Award for Excellence in Long Distance Running. Though her body is different now in her mid-50s than it was in her mid-40s, her competitive drive still burns hot, as does her desire to help others, and she believes in many ways, her best days are still ahead of her. We talk all about that, her cultural experiences with menopause, her plant-based passion, and much more.Anabelle Broadbent is a NASA-trained pathogenic microbiologist and is CEO and founder of Verde Ops, a company that provides food science operational knowledge, execution, and support to plant-based food companies. She is also an accomplished runner, running coach, vegan athlete, commercial fashion model, creative artist, photographer, horsewoman, certified equine massage therapist, cyclist, skateboarder, and yogini. As a runner, she has represented Puerto Rico and the U.S. at international competitions and has amassed 15 Puerto Rico National Records as a masters runner in 4 different age groups in 7 different distances. In 2022, at age 55, she was awarded the USATF GOLD Phidippides Award for Excellence in Long Distance Running. You can learn more about her and her work at verdeops.com Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Past trauma–big or small–and daily stress can take a toll on the nervous system, and many of us spend our days largely in a state of fight or flight. When we hit menopause, our nervous system becomes even more nervous, and life, along with everything that happened up until that point rises to the surface and demands to be dealt with. We can run, lift, or ride away from it all…to a point. But we often end up feeling tired but wired. That’s where this week’s guest Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan, author of Finding Inner Safety comes in. She explains how the real peace and renewed energy comes from allowing ourselves to be still and by building physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual recovery into the day to calm our nervous system, improve our energy, and help us sleep. We talk about all that and more this week.Nerina Ramlakhan, PhD, is a renowned physiologist and sleep expert with over 25 years of experience in helping people and organizations thrive by using her unique blend of physiology, psychology, philosophy, professional, and personal insights to create profound shifts in awareness and consciousness. She’s completed 7 marathons and over 40 triathlons, and is thriving despite a history of abuse, trauma, and breakdown. You can learn more about her and her work at drnerina.comResources:Dr. Nerina’s book:  Finding Inner Safety: The key to healing, thriving and overcoming burnout. Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Many women start exercising to lose weight–to get smaller and chase a number on the scale. This week’s guest powerlifter Michelle Carlson is no stranger to those goals. She took up running in her early 30s and in her own words “spent a ridiculous number of years chasing the number on the scale and living in a chronic state of energy deficiency”--a state she likened to a prison of her own creation. But when a terrible accident left her shaken and shattered, she picked up weight lifting to help her bones heal and fell in love with feeling strong. She developed a healthy relationship with food and her body and a level of peace and confidence that set her free. Now, at 51 and solidly in perimenopause, Michelle is stronger than ever and recently set the International Powerlifting League (IPL) World Record in the Bench Press for her age group and weight class. She talks all about what she’s learned and how powerlifting has been the best medicine for her during these menopausal years. Michelle Carlson is a strength coach, strength athlete, and Masters Raw Powerlifter with records in squat, bench, and overall total. She is also a nutrition coach with a focus on plant-based nutrition for athletes and the general population. She has training, nutrition, and pain-free performance certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. You can learn more about her and her work at her coaching site Strength Elevated at www.strengthelevated.com.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Do you struggle with feeling you’re not enough? Fit enough? Successful enough? Lean enough? Enough, enough, enough. By the time we reach menopause, many of us have spent years, even decades, of our lives chasing enough. And, as this week’s guest, coach, trainer, and athlete Kristin DiDomenico knows, that relentless pursuit of perfection can take us down some pretty dark roads including addiction, eating disorders, and sometimes much worse. Kristin shares her own personal journey through all of it and what she learned after an extraordinary episode during a 10 mile race made her re-evaluate what matters most.Kristin DiDomenico is a certified integrative health and nutrition coach and personal trainer with an expertise in women's hormone health. Kristin's mission is to help women navigate the menopause transition and find relief, healing and fulfillment with nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes. For more than 25 years, she has been creating personalized health and fitness programs and helping women reclaim their strength, joy and well-being. She is also the author of Dying to Be Enough, her personal story of navigating life, death and learning to live in between. Follow her on instagram @kristinfitness to get her menopause tips, recipes and workouts. Learn more about her coaching programs at kristinfitness.com and menopausepartner.com. Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

People will often accuse a woman who is changing things in her life at 50 of having a midlife crisis. It’s quite the opposite, according to this week’s guest, two-time Olympian, Jennifer Stoute. It’s midlife clarity. Stoute, who also played Rebel the Gladiator on the hit show Gladiators has done her share of evaluating and re-evaluating her personal, professional, and active life as she’s transitioned through menopause and midlife. This week she talks about what she’s learned and where she’s landed on gray hair, hormone therapy, and the power of being your authentic self. She also shares her thoughts on the challenges Black women face in menopause and how women can help mitigate the disparities in menopausal care.Jennifer Stoute is a two-time Olympian, bronze medalist sprinter, model, and business owner. She represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where she won a bronze medal in the 4x400 meter relay. She also appeared as Rebel on the hit TV show Gladiators from 1996 to 1999. She is the co-owner of the global sports management business Astra Partners. You can follow her at instagram.com/gorgeousfifties/Resources:Study on endometrial polyps: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2050312119848247Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

In many ways, health care is actually sick care. We are enormously grateful for physicians who can address pathology and treat disease. But often the emphasis is on surviving, not thriving. That’s where Lifestyle Medicine comes in. It’s a system of health care that leans in on the power of social connections, personal psychology, exercise, nourishment, and more to prevent disease and optimize health. This week’s guest, Dr. Michelle Tollefson is a Lifestyle Medicine expert and OB/GYN helping women use the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine to thrive through menopause. This week, she lays out the details and shares how she used Lifestyle Medicine to thrive through 16 rounds of chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, removal of her ovaries, and several reconstructive surgeries following a diagnosis of stage 2, grade 3 breast cancer when she was just 42. Michelle Tollefson, MD, is a Lifestyle Medicine expert and obstetrician-gynecologist. She is a pioneer in women’s health and Lifestyle Medicine and a professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is currently on the executive boards of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and PAVING the Path to Wellness. She edited the textbook Improving Women’s Health Across the Lifespan and wrote PAVING a Woman’s Path through Menopause and Beyond. Dr. Tollefson was one of the first physicians ever trained as a wellness coach. She is an international speaker, women’s health consultant, mother to three kids, and a breast cancer survivor/thriver.Resources:PAVING a Woman’s Path through Menopause and BeyondHer cancer journey: https://365health.org/blog/breast-cancer-awareness-month-following-one-womans-journey/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

We’ve been led to believe weight is a simple equation: energy in versus energy out, which implies it’s all in our control. We’re in charge. We just need the right diet, exercise, and willpower. And while nutrition and physical activity matter a lot, and some maintain their weight through those means, others feel like their bodies have a mind of their own, which is actually true, as this week’s guest, obesity medicine scientist, educator, and policy maker Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford explains. That’s because the central nervous system, which is governed by the brain, ultimately regulates weight. We dive deep into all the factors that influence how much fat we store, where menopause comes in, and what having a healthy weight really means. It’s all a whole lot more complicated than we’ve been led to believe. Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, FAAP, FACP, FTOS is an obesity medicine physician scientist, educator, and policy maker at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She is a national and international sought-after expert in obesity medicine who bridges the intersection of medicine, public health, policy, and disparities. In 2022, The National Academy of Medicine named her a Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence. You can learn more about her and her work at harvard.edu/faculty-staff/fatima-cody-stanfordSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

We’re back! And we’re kicking off the New Year with the perfect introspective conversation with former pro athlete turned entrepreneur and life adventurer, Nicole DeBoom. Nicole recently turned 50 and is in the thick of perimenopause, which for her has manifested in brain fog, night sweats, body composition changes, and more. She’s also recently had spinal fusion for spondylolisthesis, a spinal condition that causes instability and slips in the vertebrae in the spinal column, which is as awful as it sounds, all while navigating her perimenopause journey. We have a deep, wide-sweeping conversation about all of it, including her internal debate about hormone therapy, how our identities evolve during this time of life, and much more. A world-class swimmer as a teen, Nicole turned pro as a triathlete in 1999 and won Ironman Wisconsin in 2004 wearing a prototype of the first-ever running skirt. Three days later she incorporated Skirt Sports Inc, which she sold in 2020 before launching her new company Aesop, where she records interviews with people to create audio memories for loved ones. She also has a podcast, including a menopause series, called Run This World. You can learn more about her, her enterprises, and her life’s journey at www.nicoledeboom.com Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Since we started this podcast, many women have gone from being afraid to take hormone therapy to being afraid not to take hormone therapy, as some in the menopause field are saying that menopause is really a “hormone deficiency” and we can’t age well without it. This week we dive in on what hormone therapy is; what it can do (especially for performance and health); what it can’t do, and what we’re still learning about all of it with Dr. Carla DiGirolamo.Carla is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in infertility and menopausal medicine. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Health. She runs an online personal training and nutrition coaching business, FitforLifeMD, specializing in the care of women in all age groups, but with a special interest in the comprehensive care of peri/postmenopausal women. She also writes a regular blog on Athletic Aging. Carla has the distinction of being the only repeat (and now threepeat!) guest on Hit Play Not Pause.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

The good news: we are finally talking about menopause! The not so good news: we still have a long way to go, especially in the realm of research, says this week’s guest Dr. Stephanie Faubion, who is on the tip of the spear leading the way forward as the Medical Director of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). When it comes to dealing with menopause openly in our culture, especially in the workplace, Dr. Faubion believes we are where we were with pregnancy 30 years ago. And she has some ideas on how we can all help accelerate progress and bring our doctors and culture up to speed. Along with her role as Medical Director of NAMS, Dr. Faubion is Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health. Her expertise is in women’s health, clinical research, education, and clinical practice. You can learn more about her and her work at mayo.edu.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Dr. Google is often our first stop when we want to understand a symptom we’re experiencing and find out what we can do about it. But the internet is a bottomless well of information–and disinformation. Even when we dig into actual research studies, the conclusions aren’t always reliable or consistent, which is why it’s hard to get a straight answer on complex issues like hormone therapy. It can be frustrating and confusing, but there are ways you can evaluate the information you find to determine how much confidence to put into any given conclusion, which is where this week’s guest biostatistician Leslie McClure, PhD, comes in. Leslie explains how to do your own research and how to assess the information you find, including what makes a good study, causation versus correlation, features of information you can trust, and much more. Leslie also talks about her own menopause experience, which started when she was 39 and has continued for 9 years and how it has impacted her own training and fitness. Leslie is the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, where she works with other scientists to help them better formulate, design, analyze, and present their science. She is currently the Director of the Coordinating Center for the Diabetes LEAD Network, and the Director of the Data Coordinating Center for the Connecting the Dots: Autism Center of Excellence. Dr. McClure is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, the Society for Clinical Trials, and of the American Heart Association.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

At age 42, off-road triathlete Deanna McCurdy was crushing it, including clocking the fastest female amateur time at XTERRA National Championships, and was ready to turn pro when—perimenopause. Out of the blue, her performance tanked and she found herself in tears through a key race. Deanna, who’s also a mom of a special needs daughter, was forced to rest, research, reset, and make some training and lifestyle changes. It worked and she roared back to racing as a pro by age 45, winning XTERRA Fruita and getting second at XTERRA Quebec. But those ups were followed by more hormonally-driven downs, as she became plagued by symptoms including aches and injuries, sleepless nights, and headaches earlier this year as she was preparing for Breck Epic, a six-day mountain bike stage race. With the help of hormone therapy, she got back on track and crushed the race. This week she shares that journey and how, though the path is still rocky, and training isn’t perfect, she has found the tools she needs to navigate this challenging time. Deanna McCurdy is a USAT Level I and USAC Level II certified coach. She is also the founder and head coach of Team Miles for Smiles-Wings to Fly Racing. Miles for Smiles is a training team created to help raise funds for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (F.A.S.T.), a not-for-profit whose sole purpose is to fund research, and ultimately a cure for, Angelman Syndrome (AS). USA Triathlon awarded Deanna Off-road Triathlete of the Year honors in 2017, 2018, and 2021. You can learn more about her and F.A.S.T. at cureangelman.org/fast-athletes and her USA Triathlon blog.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Women have been taught incontinence is our destiny–that we should just accept it and wear pads. Pelvic floor issues like prolapse are often normalized–we should just stop running, jumping, and lifting heavy sh*t. This week’s guest The Vagina Coach, Kim Vopni, is having none of it, and she dives into all the therapies and tools available to help remedy prolapse, incontinence, and other pelvic floor issues so you can continue doing the activities you love. And she should know, Kim has dealt with her share of pelvic floor issues, including experiencing a stage 2 uterine prolapse, which she ultimately resolved through a series of special pelvic floor exercises. Kim is the founder of Pelvienne Wellness Inc - a company offering pelvic health programs, products, and coaching for women in pregnancy, motherhood, and menopause. Kim also certifies other fitness and movement professionals to work with women with core and pelvic floor challenges through her Core Confidence Specialist Certification and Pre/Postnatal Fitness Specialist Certification. She is the author of the best selling book, Your Pelvic Floor. She also runs Buff Muff Challenges to help women learn and get in the habit of training their pelvic floor. You can find her on-line at www.vaginacoach.com and on social media @vaginacoach.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Ultrarunner Kamm Prongay is clear: she did not sign up for the Menopause 200. Her ovaries did. And when they did, she eventually found herself on the start line, unable to run. Kamm has been chronicling her journey through menopause in a series of essays in Ultrarunner.com, including one titled the Menopause 200, in which she shares her anxiety, brain fog, drenching night sweats, and ultimately performance decline and lack of drive to do the sport she loved. And this week, she shares that journey with us, as well as how she turned it around to regain her mojo, tame her symptoms, and get back on the trails.Kamm Prongay is a writer, ultrarunner, and veterinarian whose essays intertwine science, nature, people, and place. A child of the South, raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kamm spent time at sea as a Naval Surface Warfare Officer before coming ashore to pursue veterinary school, clinical practice, teaching, and research. She has contributed to four books, along with essays published in scientific journals and UltraRunning magazine. When not running or supporting trail races, Kamm lives with her wife, Liz, and two curious cats in Portland, Oregon.ResourcesThe Menopause 200, and Kamm’s other essays at ultrarunning.comSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

More than diet, exercise, the money in your bank account, your cholesterol levels, or even your genes, it’s your relationships that matter most when it comes to being happier and healthier in midlife and into old age. That’s important because midlife and menopause are inextricably intertwined, and how we experience one impacts how we experience the other. We dig into all of that and so much more with this week’s guest, gerontologist Zora Benhamou, who encourages women in midlife to find positive, nurturing people–their menopause five, if you will–to share their journey through menopause and beyond.&nbsp;Zora is a gerontologist passionate about aging and longevity. She is on a mission to disrupt ageist stereotypes in social media and is host of the Hack My Age podcast and the website HackMyAge.com focusing on biohacking for women over 50. She is the author of the Longevity Master Plan and the Eating For Longevity cookbook. Zora is also a certified sports nutrition coach and an Oxygen Advantage Advanced Breathwork Instructor. She is a digital nomad who has traveled to over 50 countries, has lived in 8, and speaks 6 languages. You can learn more about her and her work at https://hackmyage.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Research links:&nbsp;Harvard article on the Study of Adult Development&nbsp;Adult Development Study website&nbsp;Social Isolation and Loneliness In Older People Pose Health Risks&nbsp;Human Development In The Second Half Of Life - Gene Cohen&nbsp;Demography of Menopause&nbsp;Menopause - Related Symptoms and Influencing Factors in Mosuo, Yi and Han Middle-Aged Women in China&nbsp;Menopause in Cultural Context&nbsp;<a...

Want to challenge yourself without the pressure that comes with traditional competition? Feel like trying something new that won’t have you comparing your former self to your current self? This week’s guests Teri Smith and Dana Katz suggest trying an FKT, or fastest known time, a challenge where you run, hike, or in some cases bike or “multi-sport” along a route as quickly as you can to try and set an FKT. When perimenopause upended Teri’s competitive identity as an ultrarunner, her friend Dana coached her to complete an FKT—nearly 190 miles of traversing the Olympic Peninsula of Washington—and it transformed her life, as you’ll hear in her own words in this week’s show.&nbsp;Dana is the owner and coach at UltraU in Portland and also coaches with Women who FKT. Teri is an avid backpacker, trail runner, cross country skier, and mom. They are both part of the Women Who FKT Project, a group of women who are on a mission to help more women and underserved minorities have meaningful adventures in the outdoors. You can learn more about them and their work at Women Who FKT.&nbsp;ResourcesFastest Known Time Official Website&nbsp;Women who FKT Instagram&nbsp;Teri Smith and Stacey Lee’s FKT storySupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Nothing stops you in your tracks like chronic pain and nagging, seemingly endless injuries, both of which can become more common during the menopause transition and beyond. The sports medicine world is brimming with cutting-edge, regenerative medicine treatments promising relief, but it can be hard to cut through the marketing jargon to figure out what really works. This week we sat down with sports medicine-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Vonda Wright of the Hughston Clinic for detailed explanations of TenJet rehabilitation, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), stem cells, orthobiologic injections, and other regenerative medicine treatments, as well as the impact of diet and lifestyle on joint health.&nbsp;Dr. Wright is a double board-certified orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and team doctor. Her pioneering research in mobility and musculoskeletal aging is changing the way we view and treat the aging process, and her passion for advancing her field is evident in her expertise with cutting-edge orthobiologics techniques, including PRP for arthritis. She has experience caring for athletes and active people of all ages and skill levels, including the Division I Georgia State Panthers, Penguins Elite developmental hockey teams, University of Pittsburgh Division I athletes, World Rugby 7’s, Olympic track and field athletes, and the Atlanta Ballet. You can learn more about her and her work at https://www.surgeon.drvondawright.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Body image issues. Wrecked sleep. Struggling with slowing down. Midlife and menopause can send us into some seriously turbulent waters. This week’s guest, Lisa Alfano, manages to keep from going under by riding the waves–literally. Lisa is a surfer and triathlete who has married her passions in her business Tri2Surf, a community for women ages 50+ who want to reset or discover their active selves and claim their power and passion.Lisa has battled body image issues her whole life. Menopause and midlife magnified them, and also ushered in poor sleep, anxiety, hot flashes, and a host of symptoms that were pulling her under and threatening to upend her sense of self. At age 50, she found salvation in triathlon, which gave her a sense of community and turned her life around. At age 57, she gave herself another midlife boost by taking up surfing, which she says brings her “joy and peace no matter what is happening.” We talk all about surfing, triathlon, and finding passion in menopause and beyond. You can learn more about Lisa and Tri2Surf at https://www.tri2surf.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Eat less. How many times have you seen and heard that message? As a generation that grew up steeped in diet culture, most of us have it deeply internalized…often to our detriment. Underfueling among active women is extremely common and puts us at risk for low energy availability (LEA), which can lead to relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), a condition that not only hurts performance, but also can cause irreparable negative health consequences. LEA/RED-S can be especially difficult to spot in midlife women because the symptoms mirror those we experience during perimenopause. We dig into all of it this week to help you avoid LEA/RED-S and get the fuel you need to feel and perform your best with Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM of Nutrition Conditioning, LLC, and author of The Athlete Triad Playbook.Heidi is a sports nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and thought leader in her field. She has been part of The Women’s Sports Medicine Center at Hospital for Special Surgery for over 20 years and oversees the nutrition program at The Juilliard School and the School of American Ballet. Heidi has sat on the Board of The National Osteoporosis Foundation for ten years and currently sits on the Medical Advisory Committee of The National Menopause Foundation. She is also the co-author of the NYTimes Best Selling The Whole Body Reset (Simon &amp; Schuster and AARP). You can learn more about her and her work at heidiskolnik.com&nbsp;Resources:https://athletetriadplaybook.com/https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.640621/fullSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

October is breast cancer awareness month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. That’s especially important for women in the menopause transition and beyond because the risk of breast cancer rises with age. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 55 and older. This week we sat down with marathon runner and breast oncologist Amy Comander, MD, at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center to discuss how we can manage our risks no matter our family history, genetic makeup, or time of life.&nbsp;Dr. Comander is Director of Breast Oncology and Cancer Survivorship at the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and at Newton Wellesley Hospital. She is Medical Director of the Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and the Director of Lifestyle Medicine at the Mass General Cancer Center. She is an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is board certified in Hematology and Medical Oncology, and she is also board certified in Lifestyle Medicine.ResourcesKatie Couric’s article on her breast cancer.Research on exercise and breast cancer survival.&nbsp;Breast cancer risk calculator&nbsp;Link to the PAVING workbookSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

The good news: we are finally talking about menopause! The not so good news: we still have a long way to go, especially in the realm of research, says this week’s guest Dr. Stephanie Faubion, who is on the tip of the spear leading the way forward as the Medical Director of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS). When it comes to dealing with menopause openly in our culture, especially in the workplace, Dr. Faubion believes we are where we were with pregnancy 30 years ago. And she has some ideas on how we can all help accelerate progress and bring our doctors and culture up to speed.&nbsp;Along with her role as Medical Director of NAMS, Dr. Faubion is Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health. Her expertise is in women’s health, clinical research, education, and clinical practice. You can learn more about her and her work at mayo.edu.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

We are celebrating our 100th episode…and the fact that we have surpassed one million downloads in just two years’ time! Our community is growing by leaps and bounds and you’re the reason why. So this week, we are also celebrating YOU!&nbsp;Host Selene Yeager sits down with Hit Play Not Pause producer Carrie Barrett to share listener messages, talk about what we’ve learned, our hopes for the future, and to give you a little peek behind the curtain on how this show comes together week after week. We hope you enjoy it! Let’s shoot for another 100 and millions more! Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Bloating, hot flashes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, irritability, restlessness, brain fog…this week’s guest Michelle Hay treats them all, as well as the stress that can exacerbate them, with acupuncture. This week’s show is all about this Traditional Chinese Medicine practice, how it works, what to expect, and the specific benefits for menopausal women.Michelle P. Hay, is Co-Director of Acupuncture at Boston IVF in Waltham, MA.&nbsp; She has been working in women’s health since 2006 and is committed to helping women improve their quality of life by using Traditional Chinese Medicine. Her previous career as a respiratory therapist allows her to take an integrated approach to healthcare understanding both Eastern and Western Medicine.&nbsp; https://thehayclinic.com/Sources: BMJ study on the benefits of acupuncture for menopausal symptoms hereSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Most of us, even if we’re very active, are not moving our bodies the way nature designed them to move. We exercise plenty. We also sit plenty. We wear shoes that don’t help keep our feet strong or our posture properly aligned. That can set the stage for aches, pains, and injuries, especially during this time of life when our joints are more vulnerable. This week we talk with movement coach Petra Fisher about the small daily adjustments we can make and exercises we can do to enhance mobility, decrease pain, and improve performance.Petra is a movement coach, body nerd and recovering lawyer. She is certified in Restorative Exercise, MovNat and Functional Range Conditioning. Petra’s mission in life is to help women reconnect with their bodies so they have less pain, more joy &amp; get to do more of what they love for the rest of their lives. You can learn more about her and her work at www.PetraFisherMovement.comResources from this podcast:&nbsp;Free Your Feet - free foot program to get started restoring healthy foot function - hereStep-by-step guide on how to transition safely and well to barefoot-style footwear - hereJoints For Life 2.0 - foundational CARs joint mobility program - here&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Heavy lifting, HIIT training, and explosive exercises like plyometrics do a menopausal body good. So, CrossFit can be the perfect workout for women in this stage of life…provided they scale it to their needs. That’s because CrossFit also has elements that may not work with our physiology and can leave us feeling tired and beat down instead of strong and built up. That’s why this week’s guest, CrossFit coach Shawna Norton of Competitive Female Training created “Level M” CrossFit programming for women peri and post-menopause. We talk all about the benefits of CrossFit, how to scale workouts to work with your physiology, and how to fuel it all for the best results.&nbsp;Shawna is an L1 Certified Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition, with a B.S in Kinesiology. She holds her L1 with Crossfit and actively coaches athletes through her women’s only coaching program–Competitive Female Training. She loves helping women fuel their training and focus on what their bodies can do! You can find more about her and her work at competitivefemaletraining.com/level-m/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

What would happen if you tossed out all your premenopausal notions about how you are “supposed to” eat and train for your best performance and tried some new tricks to work with your changing physiology? If you’re like this week’s guest, you might just win a gold medal. Ashling Smith is a runner from Ireland who recently won a gold medal at the World Masters Athletics Championships in the 4 x 400 relay. She also ran to a career-high 4th place in the 1,500-meter race at the same event. She did both shortly after turning 50, recovering from Covid, and as she puts it being “smack bang in perimenopause”. How did she do it? Lifting, sprint training, plyometrics, and changing her relationship with food. We dive into all of that, her newfound love for being a menopausal woman, and more this week.Along with being a competitive elite runner, Ashling is a personal trainer, a Pilates instructor, and a deep tissue massage therapist. She helps women pursue sustainable fitness for life and have fun with their body at every age. You can follow her here. You can read all about her gold medal run at the Independent.ie. The research on iron supplementation we discuss can be found here.&nbsp;&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

How do you know if menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is for you? What should you expect if you start hormone therapy? How long does it take to work? What should you do if you don’t feel like it’s working? We dive into the ABCs of starting MHT this week with menopause doctor Heather Hirsch, MD. This is a good one for active menopausal women whether or not you are taking or plan to start MHT because we speak to all the things we should be doing, such as taking inventory of how we’re feeling and being proactive about our care, to feel and perform our best.&nbsp;&nbsp;Dr. Hirsch is board certified in internal medicine and completed advanced fellowship training in women’s health at the Cleveland Clinic. She performs menopause consultations at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston Massachusetts and is faculty at Harvard Medical School. Her practice has a focus on perimenopause and menopause symptom reduction, hormone therapy, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, sexual health, breast, and bone health. Her academic work centers on enhancing midlife women’s health education for fellows, residents, and medical students. Dr. Hirsch also teaches at the local, regional, and national level on various midlife topics. You can learn more about her and her work at www.heatherhirschmd.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Register for the Outspoken Summit November 11-13th at https://www.womensperformance.com/outspoken

The only thing women tend to do better than men after having a heart attack is die. That’s a sobering mic drop. It’s also a fact and one that this week’s guest Dr. Martha Gulati is making her life’s work to change. We dive into the special heart disease risk factors women, especially menopausal women face, even if they’re active and fit, what you need to know about your cardiovascular health, and how to prioritize your heart health and cardiovascular care.&nbsp;Dr. Gulati is the President of the American Society for Preventive Cardiology and the author of the best-seller, “Saving Women’s Hearts”. She is the principal investigator of the St. James Women Take Heart Project, a study examining cardiac risk factors in women, which set standards for women’s fitness levels and heart rate response to exercise in women. She also is a co-investigator on the Women Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) and previously served as a co-investigator on the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). She has published articles in peer-reviewed publications, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation, and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).&nbsp; She has also been featured on Oprah. Her practice is exclusively women, including many active women and she is a runner herself. You can learn more about her and her work at https://drmarthagulati.com/ You can find the MHT and cardiovascular research referenced in the intro here.&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

From femtech apps to menopause telehealth, tracking rings to cooling bracelets, and even cryotech surgical services designed to prolong ovarian function, menopause is having a moment in innovation and enterprise. This week we dig into it with Alyssa Dweck, MD, FACOG, who is an avid runner as well as a consultant, key opinion leader (KOL), and medical advisor in the women’s health device, pharmaceutical, product, and medico-legal industry.&nbsp;Dr. Dweck is a practicing gynecologist in New York where she provides care to women of all ages and has special interest and expertise in female sexual health and medical sex therapy. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Obstetrics &amp; Gynecology at New York Medical College, the co-author of three books, including the newest release The Complete A to Z for Your V, ​​and is the founding chief medical officer at Bonafide. You can learn more about her and her work at https://drdweck.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

One in eight women will have their ovaries removed before the natural age of menopause. Five percent of women naturally go through early menopause between the ages of 40 and 45, and 1 percent experience premature menopause before age 40. That’s a lot of women. And a large percentage of these women are not getting the counseling they need to optimize their well-being and long-term health, says menopause management specialist Corinne Menn, MD. This week she’s here to help as we dive into the unique challenges of surgical and early menopause and what women need to know.Dr. Menn is a board certified OB/GYN with expertise and a special interest in menopause management and female cancer survivorship health. She is a 20-year survivor of breast cancer and has a passion for using her medical expertise and personal experience to help women navigate these complex health issues. She is an active contributor and volunteer with the Young Survival Coalition, serves on their Council of Advisors, and moderates the Healthcare Provider-Survivor Support Group. Dr. Menn is also an active member of the North American Menopause Society and a Certified Menopause Practitioner. She devotes her professional time to her female-focused telehealth practice and is working on a website and blog chronicling her experience as a doctor and survivor of breast cancer, premature menopause, and everything in between! You can learn more about her at https://linktr.ee/drmennobgynResources:Instant Help for Induced MenopauseNAMS 2022 HT Position Statement&nbsp;NAMS Patient Handout “Deciding about HTPOI: Beyond the BasicsSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Women have traditionally been ignored in sleep medicine (shocking, we know). That means our sleep issues can be misunderstood and misdiagnosed, especially during menopause when sleep disruptions rise. This week we investigate how hormones and menopausal symptoms impact sleep, as well as dive into sleep issues like sleep apnea (which shows up differently in women), restless leg syndrome, hypervigilance, and more with Dr. Andrea Matsumura, a holistic sleep medicine physician and a partner at the Oregon Clinic in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine.&nbsp;Dr. Matsumura’s personal passion is helping women and women athletes understand their sleep and its key role in personal health, wellness, and performance. She has been the guest speaker for The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, numerous podcasts, and has been quoted in myriad articles about sleep and wellness. You can learn more about her work at https://www.oregonclinic.com/our-team/andrea-matsumura**Support the Podcast**Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Hit Play Not Pause is on a quick summer break during the weeks of July 18th and 25th, 2022. While we're out, we are excited to share two episodes from Feisty Media's excellent limited Title IX series.Not to pick favorites, but here at Feisty - this is definitely a favorite. With almost 50 years of experience as an athletic director and inductions into seven different halls of fame, Joan Cronan has A LOT to say about Title IX and gender equity in sport. Graduating college in 1966, Joan was part of intercollegiate sports before women had the federal right to equally compete. This week, our co-host of Girls Gone Gravel, Kathryn Taylor, interviews Joan and asks her about what she calls "her journey." Joan shares the story of her life so far, beginning at the age of twelve when she decided she was going to create change for women in athletics. To do so, in 1972 Joan made a cold call to the president of the College of Charleston and left his office as the women's basketball coach, volleyball coach, tennis coach and overall athletic director. From there, she made innumerable changes to women's athletics that will forever go down in history. If that isn't feisty, what is? Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Hit Play Not Pause is on a quick summer break during the weeks of July 18th and 25th, 2022. While we're out, we are excited to share two episodes from Feisty Media's excellent limited Title IX series.This week, Haley Chura - co-host of Ironwomen - interviews the renowned Wendy Mink. Wendy is a professor of politics, women's and gender studies, as well as the daughter of the very first woman of color in congress - Patsy Mink. Patsy was the co-author of the Title IX legislation and paved the way for women's participation in sports.&nbsp;Wendy shares her mother's journey and the reasons that prompted her to fight for change. Haley and Wendy discuss what Title IX was created for, and they give us the groundwork for the rest of the series.Click here to purchase a copy of Wendy's new book!Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

If you’re feeling more injury prone, you’re not alone. Many women who have led active, athletic lives without a lot of injuries and “itises” suddenly find themselves sidelined more often during the menopause transition. Fluctuating and declining hormone levels directly impact your musculoskeletal system, as do your lifelong movement patterns, exercise habits, recovery practices, and nutrition–all of which become increasingly important during this time of life. This week’s guest, sports medicine physician and endocrinologist Kathryn Ackerman, MD, MPH, dives into what we know, what we’ve yet to learn, and what we should be doing right now to dial it all in to stay strong through menopause and beyond.Kathryn is the medical director of the Female Athlete Program in the Sports Medicine Division at Boston Children's Hospital. Her interests include female athletes, rowing injuries, endocrinology, relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S), optimizing performance and health in athletes with diabetes, exercise-associated hyponatremia, and exercise and bone health. She is also a former national team lightweight rower, chair of the US Rowing Medical Commission, member of the World Rowing Medical Commission, and the course director for the Female Athlete Conference, held biennially at Boston Children's Hospital. You can learn more about her here and the paper she references on the Effect of Estrogen on Musculoskeletal Performance and Injury Risk by Keith Barr here.&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Women often stop going to the high mountains when they reach menopause. The reasons why–hot flashes, unpredictable periods, anxiety, and fear, to name a few–will resonate with all of us, whether or not we ever step foot above sea level. This week’s guest, high altitude mountaineer Jeannette McGill is currently navigating the menopause transition herself and is determined to help women manage their menopausal symptoms and continue their journey of exploration in the outdoors and beyond.&nbsp;Jeannette is the first South African woman to summit Manaslu and the first-ever South African to climb Dhaulagiri - two of the 14 8,000-meter (26,000 feet) mountains in the world. She is passionate about supporting others to achieve their outdoor goals through her mountain mentoring and leads bespoke adventures in the Australian Alps and Nepal. Her portfolio career also includes industrial technology management, and she has a PhD from the Colorado School of Mines. You can learn more about her and her work as a mentor and guide at https://www.mcgillsmountains.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

The menopause transition can throw a lot of obstacles in your path. Training for and participating in obstacle course races can help you overcome them both physically and mentally, as you lift heavy loads, strengthen your grip, and hone your mental toughness and problem-solving skills. Plus, it’s super fun, says this week’s guest, obstacle course race enthusiast Laura McElduff, 52, who credits obstacle course racing with helping her get through perimenopause.&nbsp;Since completing her first obstacle course race in 2012 at age 42, Laura has competed at every distance from 3K to 50K ultras, raced in Canada and UAE and throughout the USA, placed top 10 in the F50-54 age group in the 2021 Spartan North American Championship and in the 2021 Spartan World Championship in Abu Dhabi, UAE. She is the mom of a young adult daughter and son and is vice president of a fragrance company in New Jersey. You can follow her OCR adventures on Instagram.&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

As active women, we train our strength and our endurance. But we don’t clean that barbell, we don’t cross that finish line, we literally don’t accomplish anything in life without first having the mental ability that comes from our brain. And as we age, our brains become vulnerable to decline. They physically change during the menopause transition, as our hormones fluctuate and taper off. But there is no point in time that we can’t take concrete action to build a stronger, better functioning brain, which is where this week’s guest, neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola comes in. We talk all about brain health, brain training, and how to maintain your mental acuity for life.Louisa is the founder, head performance advisor, and CEO of Neuro Athletics, a company designed to optimize mental performance and to help educate, train and unlock human performance through science and data. She consults with some of the biggest names in the NBA and MLB and sits on the scientific advisory board for Tonal. Louisa was a world championship triathlete and raced both nationally and internationally for Australia and competed at London, Beijing and Auckland. After retiring in 2012 Louisa followed her dreams and went to Sydney Medical school for neurophysiology. You can learn more about her and follow her work via Instagram, her Neuro Athletics Newsletter, and her The Neuro Experience Podcast. Check out the research on adult neurogenesis here. And the ketone research here.&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

As women are living longer, pursuing higher education, and chasing athletic goals well into midlife, the decision if, when, or even how to have a baby has become increasingly complex, because the old formula of graduate, get married, have kids just doesn’t work the way it used to. So this week’s guest, Liz Carlson, created her own formula and after her decades-long pursuit of professional and athletic excellence, had her first baby at 43 and her second last year at age 52.Liz is a former elite bike racer who was setting records and pushing U.S. women’s track cycling to the next level at an age when most track cyclists have long retired or hit the master’s circuit. She made the first-round cuts for the 2008 Olympic team in her late 30s, made the U.S. team again at age 41 and pursued a spot for the women’s team sprint at the 2012 Olympics. The Olympic dream wouldn’t come to fruition, but she broke records and discovered hidden talents and learned life lessons that stick with her to this day. You can read about that journey here. We talk about how our upbringing and adult life trajectory was affected by Title IX and the women’s movement of the 70s and (of course) menopause and what it’s like to have a baby in your fifties!Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Breaking a sweat is generally a good thing–a sign of healthy exertion–unless you’re working out in temperatures more suited to penguins than people. In those conditions, it can quickly lead to hypothermia, frostbite…or worse. So how does a perimenopausal woman (hello, hot flashes) make a 1,130 kilometer trek across Antarctica while pulling a 175-pound sled? That’s exactly what this week’s guest George Gilbert, co-founder and team leader of the Antarctic Fire Angels, a team of 5 female firefighters who are on a mission to ski to the south pole to raise money for charity and to show women that they are limitless, is in the process of finding out. We talk all about how she handled her first hot flash, persistent low moods, erratic periods, and other perimenopausal issues, as well as her adventures in underwater hockey, mountaineering, firefighting, and more.George has been a firefighter for over 22 years and currently serves with South Wales Fire and Rescue service. She is an ambassador for gender equality and has an ambition to see more women striving to do whatever job they want to do in life; always ensuring she is visible as a role model for girls, young women, and women who are experiencing peri menopause and menopause who may be considering a career that doesn’t fit society’s gender stereotypes. You can learn more about her and follow and support the Antarctic Fire Angels mission at https://antarcticfireangels.co.uk/ Follow them here on Instagram to see photos of their training, including cold plunges and more.&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

The menopause transition can leave a minefield of body image issues in its wake. Some research shows that as few as 12 percent of us are satisfied with our bodies at this time of life. That’s a problem, as poor body image is also linked to mental health issues like depression. We can’t wave a magic wand and make them go away, but we can equip ourselves with tools to make them a whole lot better. This week we build that toolbox with menopause fitness expert Maria Luque, PhD.Maria is a fitness expert, health science professor, writer, and self-described menopause nerd with over 20 years of experience. She’s the creator of Fitness in Menopause, a company dedicated to helping women navigate the challenges and rewards of menopause. Her course “Menopausal Fitness: Training the Menopausal Client” is a NASM, AFAA, and ACE- accredited continuing education course for fitness professionals. She holds graduate and post-graduate degrees in health sciences and teaches at the College of Health and Human Services at TUI. You can learn more about Maria and her work at https://www.fitnessinmenopause.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Hot flashes. Sleepless nights. Mood swings. Divorce. The challenges of menopause and midlife came raining down on this week’s guest, Karen Duff, just a few years after she’d taken up mountain biking and was ascending the ranks quickly with her sights set on world-class competitions. She shares how she persevered through training, racing, and community and ended up getting 2nd place in the women’s division at Israel Epic mountain bike stage race the year she turned 50, and 2nd in her age group at the British Columbia Bike Race at 52.In addition to her racing, Karen is a personal training specialist, a certified mountain bike and skills and tactics instructor, and a brand ambassador for Specialized, Skratch Labs, and 9Point8. Karen is passionate about helping women thrive during the changes associated with menopause. Her workout programs include HIIT, weights, and core, along with guidance and support to help her clients maintain sanity and strength and reach the summit of the menopausal mountain while enjoying the ride. You can learn more about Karen and her work at her training business’ website: www.Fit4Adventure.ca&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Your pelvis changes during menopause–inside and out. The vaginal and vulvar tissues become thinner; the pH and microbiome in your vagina can shift; and the scaffolding that supports your pelvic organs can weaken, increasing your risk for pelvic organ prolapse. There’s help for all of that, so you can continue running, riding, lifting, having sex, and enjoying an active life free from pain, infection, and injury. We talk about all that and more this week with urogynecologist Kathleen Connell, MD.Kathleen is chief of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She is the co-director of Women’s Pelvic Health and Surgery, a multidisciplinary practice at the Anschutz Medical Campus. Her surgical practice focuses on pelvic floor disorders including pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence, and reconstructive pelvic surgery. She has done research on&nbsp;genital health and bicycling and genital health and saddle selection. You can learn more about her and her work at CU School of Medicine.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Menopause is not the end of the line. It is not a “deficiency.” It’s a transition to the next phase of your life–a phase that can be positive, empowering, and powerful. But first, we need to understand what menopause really is; what is happening hormonally during this time, and how it is affecting literally every cell in our bodies. That’s where Dr. Stacy Sims and her upcoming book Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals through Menopause and Beyond comes in. Next Level shines a light on every aspect of menopause and helps performance-minded women work with their changing physiology to optimize performance. We talk about Stacy’s goals for this book to create an active, positive menopause movement and how we can all foster an empowering culture so menopausal women can keep stepping up to starting lines, trying new things, and thriving in their lives.&nbsp;Stacy T Sims, Ph.D., is an international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women. She has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance. Her first book, ROAR, challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health. This paradigm shift is the focus of her famous "Women Are Not Small Men” TEDx talk. She is the creator of the popular Menopause for Athletes course and author of Next Level. You can learn more about the book and pre-order a copy at www.feistymenopause.com/nextlevelbonusSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Your muscles and connective tissues can get “stickier” and feel stiffer during the menopause transition, and you can find yourself with more aches and pains and niggles than you had before. Massage therapy can help with that. But the benefits don’t end with your muscles. Massage is also good for the menopausal mind. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system to lower cortisol and anxiety. It also can provide a safe space for you to release past trauma, reconnect your physical and emotional self, and let your body rest in a totally safe environment. We talk all that and more this week with massage therapist Rosemarie Rotenberger.&nbsp;Rosemarie is a Licensed Massage Therapist for 22 years. Her Olympic and World Champion clients span several continents and have competed in every summer Olympics since 2004. She has crewed for the Race Across America (RAAM) record holding team twice. Her work engages both the physical and emotional challenges of higher level sport. She has taught in both entry level and advanced orthopedic massage programs and served on national advisory boards.&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

We know lifting heavy, doing plyometrics, and adding intensity to our routines help us stay strong and powerful as our bodies change during the menopause transition. But where do we start? What if we can’t jump? How do we lift heavy if we don’t have heavy weights? Longtime trainer and now one of the leaders of the Menopause for Athletes Alumni group, Kerry Ann Madden digs into the nuts and bolts of getting started, whether you’re self-coaching or working with clients.&nbsp;Kerry Ann is the creator and owner of KAM Fitness and Nutrition. She is a weight-inclusive NASM Master Trainer, a Precision Nutrition Certified Coach, a Corrective Exercise Specialist, and a MedFit Network Member. She has completed Dr. Stacy Sims Menopause for Athletes course and puts her expertise to use with her clients who are in the menopause transition. You can learn more about Kerry Ann and her work at kamfitnessandnutrition.com/Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

In the year and a half since we started this podcast, many women have gone from being afraid to take hormone therapy to being afraid not to take hormone therapy, as some in the menopause field are saying that menopause is really a “hormone deficiency” and we can’t age well without it. This week we dive in on what hormone therapy is; what it can do (especially for performance and health); what it can’t do, and what we’re still learning about all of it with Dr. Carla DiGirolamo.Carla is a Double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Obstetrician/Gynecologist specializing in infertility and menopausal medicine. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and member of CrossFit Health. She runs an online personal training and nutrition coaching business, FitforLifeMD, specializing in the care of women in all age groups, but with a special interest in the comprehensive care of peri/postmenopausal women. She also writes a regular blog on Athletic Aging. Carla has the distinction of being the only repeat (and now threepeat!) guest on Hit Play Not Pause.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Kirsten Lewis, at the age of 57, just ran her fastest 5K time–post-menopause, less than two years after she was ready to hang up her racing shoes and walk away from it all while in the throes of the menopause transition. She credits feeling stronger, happier, more grounded, and winning her age group in recent sprint and Olympic distance triathlons to the process of “rewilding menopause”: going back to the roots of what it means to be a woman in menopause; going back to her own roots; and stepping into her power. Now she wants to share her “shero's journey” with others who are feeling like menopause is the end of the line for their athletic lives.Kirsten is a former Wall Street executive, a triathlete, and triathlon coach. She has a degree in photojournalism and is now using her words and images to tell her story of how rewilding has guided her to thrive. She is making it her mission to help women in midlife and beyond step into their personal power and create their new possible. You can learn more about her and her work at https://kl.life/ and on Instagram.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

If you’re a woman, someone somewhere has a diet to sell you. If you’re a menopausal woman, that diet is likely to paint carbs as the root of all your woes–and the elimination or restriction of them as your midlife salvation. This week we sat down with dietitian and “undiet” advocate Jenn Salib Huber, RD, ND, to dive into the ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, food phobia, and how diets can have unintended negative health consequences and fuel our food obsession rather than set us free.Jenn is a Canadian registered dietitian, naturopathic doctor, and Intuitive Eating coach. She helps women navigate the physical and emotional changes that happen in perimenopause and menopause, including their search for food freedom and body confidence. She’s also the host of 'The Midlife Feast' podcast and runs a group support program called Beyond The Scale, which helps women "undiet" their lives after 40 so they can nourish a relationship with food that helps them discover the magic of midlife. You can find her at JennSalibHuber.ca &nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Whether you’re training for a tri, into CrossFit, or just want to be strong for life, barbells are the most effective way to get full-body strong in very little time. Barbell lifting also builds bone and muscle, improves stability and mobility, and makes you feel like a complete badass. This week we talk all about why barbells are the best training medicine and how to get started with coach and competitive strength and rowing athlete, Cassi Niemann.Cassi is a Barbell Medicine Coach and the lead UCanRow2 Master Rowing Instructor with Concept2. She has certifications as a Precision Nutrition Level 1 coach and as a Pregnancy &amp; Postpartum Athleticism Coach. She trains clients online around the world and in-person at Iron Soul Gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is also the co-host of More Female Strength Podcast. You can learn more about her at www.cassiniemann.comSupport our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Need glasses for the first time in your life? Contacts suddenly feel too tight? Are your eyes dry and itchy? Menopause and midlife can usher in a cascade of vision and eye health changes. Thankfully there are many ways you can sharpen your sight and keep your eyes healthy (and more comfortable!). We dig into all that and more with this week’s guest, Christine Begley, OD.Christine is an optometrist with Marion Eye Center in Carbondale, Illinois. She’s been treating eyes for more than 20 years and specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing diseases, injuries, and disorders of the visual system, the eye, and associated structures as well as identifying related systemic conditions affecting the eye. She’s also a longtime listener of the show and wants to help us keep our eyes healthy and functioning well so we can keep enjoying our active pursuits.&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Dim the lights. Pour a drink. Light some candles. And get ready to…row! Yep, row. Indoor rowing can be an exercise in meditation, says this week’s guest and rowing aficionado, Sarah Fuhrmann. It also uses 86 percent of your muscles and can be an ass-kicking workout when you want it to be. This week we dive into the benefits of rowing, especially for women in the menopausal transition who need to HIIT it and chill out equally hard.Sarah is CEO of UCanRow2, which provides rowing workouts, training programs, and certification to exercisers and fitness professionals worldwide. The author of the bestselling 101 Best Rowing Workouts, she is passionate about creating a world of inclusive fitness where all bodies and all ages are welcome, and every meter matters. In addition to being a certified rowing instructor, she holds certifications with the Functional Aging Institute and Precision Nutrition. When not rowing on a machine or on the water, you're likely to find her playing in the snow - or just shoveling it - from her home in Michigan's snowy and scenic Upper Peninsula. You can find a sample of her workouts at "10 Ways to Kill 10k"&nbsp;Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Even if you brush, floss, and get regular dental check-ups, if you’re like many athletes—especially those in the menopause transition—you may still struggle with tooth decay and oral health woes. That’s because both athletics and hormone decline can lead to conditions that set the stage for dental disease and mouth discomfort, both of which can put a damper on your performance (and your pocketbook). This week, we help save your smile with dental health expert and avid triathlete Dr. Julie Gallagher.Julie Gallagher, Ph.D., is an honorary research fellow at University College London, based at the Eastman Dental Institute Centre for Oral Health and Performance. Julie worked in clinical dental practice for more than 30 years before pursuing her interest in epidemiology and sport and embarking on a Ph.D. in 2014. Her Ph.D. project investigated oral health and its impact on performance of elite athletes. She was awarded her PhD in March 2020. She is looking forward to participating at Ironman Italy in September 2022 following its postponement from 2020. You can read more about her work and sports dentistry in the November 2021 British Dental Journal.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

Anyone who’s ever hit the wall at mile 19 of a marathon or fizzled out on a Fran at CrossFit, knows how important glucose (aka sugar) is for energy–both mentally and physically. As women in the menopause transition, we also know that managing generally healthy blood sugar levels can be more challenging as we can become more carbohydrate sensitive and insulin resistant as our hormones decline. This week, we dive into how to eat your carbs and manage your blood sugar, too with Molly Downey, RDN, LDN.&nbsp;Molly is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN) who specializes in glucose control, metabolism and weight loss. She graduated from Indiana University-Bloomington and currently works as a nutrition manager at Nutrisense, a health technology company which leverages continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) as a way to optimize diet, health and overall wellbeing.Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy

We all want to belong. That desire can increase during the menopause transition, when having a community to share experiences with helps us feel less alone. But making those connections isn’t always easy, especially when culture doesn’t include you. This week’s guest, long time athlete Elizabeth Allen, who identifies as a Black, plus-sized GenXer (who is also now firmly in the menopause transition) knows all about that.Elizabeth was recently honored as a “Change Maker in Cycling” by Stamina Racing Collective for helping change the cycling and larger outdoor industry to be more inclusive and welcoming to People of Color. We dive into that, as well as how women of different races experience menopause. Along with being the Associate Director of Organizational Development, Training, and Culture for the Valley Youth House for vulnerable, abused, and homeless youth, Elizabeth is a social media content creator specializing in outdoor activities and social media takeovers for gravel cycling events. She shares her outdoor adventures at Turtle Wandering on YouTube and Instagram.&nbsp; Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Feisty Media: @feisty_media Selene: @fitchick3 Subscribe to the weekly Feisty Menopause blog: https://www.feistymenopause.com/feistyinbox Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Join Level Up - Our Community for Active Women Navigating the Menopause TransitionJoin: https://www.feistymenopause.com/monthly-membership-1 Leave your questions for Selene:https://www.speakpipe.com/hitplay Get the Free Feisty Women's Guide to Lifting Heavy Sh*t:https://www.feistymenopause.com/liftheavy Support our Partners:The Amino Co: Shop Feisty's Favorite 100% Science-Backed Amino Acid Supplements. Enter code HITPLAY at Aminoco.com/HITPLAY to Save 30% + receive a FREE gift for new purchasers! Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Cool-Jams: Use the code HITPLAY for 15% off all products at https://www.cool-jams.com/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=hit-play-not-pause_20230802 Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use the code HITPLAY30 for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

For far too long, many of us have defined ourselves (or worse our self worth) by the size of our thighs and the circumference of our waistline, setting ourselves up for a lifelong battle with our bodies and an underlying discontent with who we are based upon a largely unattainable “ideal.” That can get worse during the menopause transition when our body shape starts to shift. This week’s guest, Kaisa Keranen, AKA KaisaFit, is on a mission to change that. As she says: “What I look like does not define who I am as a woman and what I’m doing in this world.” Amen to that and all the wisdom she dishes out this week.Kaisa is a longtime athlete and has a Masters in Exercise Science, Sports Performance and Injury Prevention. She is the owner of KaisaFit, and ​​has built a community of over 1 million people on Instagram. She has been featured in digital magazines including Vogue, Shape, SELF, Harper's Bazaar, Oxygen, and ESPNW. Kaisa was named by Greatist as one of the most influential people in health and fitness in 2015, the same year she was asked by Michelle Obama to be one of the go-to trainers for her “Let’s Move” digital campaign. You can find Kaisa on social media as KaisaFit where she educates, motivates, and empowers people to #JustMove.**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 20% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com&nbsp; with the code HITPLAY&nbsp;Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/&nbsp;Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/Nutrisense: Use code "hitplay" at nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Sometimes life sidelines us, knocking us off the path we thought we’d be on forever, or at least for the foreseeable future. Menopause can certainly trip us up. But so can many other random, sometimes terrible, events we never saw coming. And sometimes we end up contending with all of it. This week’s guest, Jennifer Maxwell, knows all about that and talks about how she has maintained her athleticism, passion, and profession while raising six kids after losing her husband unexpectedly.&nbsp;Jennifer is a nutritionist, food scientist, and the co-founder of the original energy bar, PowerBar along with her late husband Brian. She is currently the CEO and founder of JAM Foods, the maker of JAMBAR energy bars. She is also a competitive runner, the mother of six children, and an accomplished drummer who performs in two San Francisco Bay Area bands. You can learn more about her and her work with JAM Foods at jambar.com.&nbsp;**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 20% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com&nbsp; with the code HITPLAY&nbsp;Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/&nbsp;Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/Nutrisense: Use code "hitplay" at nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

What do you do when menopause turns you into a nearly unrecognizable version of yourself? If you’re Gina Ransom, you pore through every resource you can find, advocate for yourself and others in the same situation, and form a community so you all can keep on kicking ass.&nbsp;Gina is a lifelong fitness professional who was blindsided by depression, anxiety, anger, as well as a host of physical symptoms despite “doing everything right.” Eventually she managed to find help, and maybe most importantly she formed a community: The Menoparkers, which is a private Facebook group for menopausal women who do Street Parking—a home strength workout program for people with limited time, space, or equipment. Gina is also a mom of four and a grandmother to one. And she plans to keep on kicking ass for a long time to come. You can learn all about Street Parking at streetparking.com and more about Gina at her member profile here.&nbsp;**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 20% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com&nbsp; with the code HITPLAY&nbsp;Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/&nbsp;Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/Nutrisense: Use code "HITPLAY" at nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

It’s easy to look at the barriers we face and think, “I can’t.” Leah Goldstein is here this week to show you, you can. Leah won the Race Across America (RAAM) outright last year at age 52, beating the next closest man by 17 hours. But that barely scratches the surface of her myriad accomplishments and the indomitable spirit that we dive into on the show this week.Leah was the World Kickboxing Champion by age 17. Shortly thereafter, she enlisted in the Israeli Military and became one of the few female instructors of the elite Commando division, specializing in Krav Maga. She later transitioned into Special Forces where she helped combat terrorism and violent crime. At age 30, she became a professional cyclist, and a few years later came back from one of the most horrific crashes in pro cycling history. Her memoir is aptly titled No Limits. You can get a copy and learn more about her remarkable life at leahgoldstein.com/**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com&nbsp; with the code HITPLAY&nbsp;Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/&nbsp;Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/Nutrisense: Use code "HITPLAY" at nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Running is a coping mechanism for many trauma survivors. You lace up and put one foot in front of the other for solace and escape. But what happens when you hit menopause and the demons start to catch up? This week’s guest, coach and endurance athlete Athena Farias talks about all that and more this week as she unpacks how the symptoms she’s facing during the menopause transition are magnified by the trauma of her past.Athena is an RRCA Level 2 Certified Running Coach, NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Performance Enhancement Specialist, and a Masters in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. She’s an alumni of Dr. Stacy Sims’ Menopause for Athletes and Women Are Not Small Men courses. And she’s a badass athlete in her own right, completing 16 marathons, including 5 Boston qualifiers, 7 ultras, countless half marathons and numerous obstacle races, including many podium finishes. You can find her at MarathonTrainingAcademy.com.&nbsp;**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com&nbsp; with the code HITPLAY&nbsp;Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/&nbsp;Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/Nutrisense: Use code "HITPLAY" at nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Menopause can be a wet blanket for competitive athletes. How do you keep showing up to start lines when you’re managing hot flashes, heat intolerance, poor sleep, and watching peers walk away from the sport? This week’s guest has some answers. A lifelong athlete and self proclaimed triathlon addict, Julie Dunkle, now in her mid 50s, has had to navigate a number of physical and emotional challenges related to menopause, but has found a way to maintain her love of the sport and keep her competitive fire burning hot.&nbsp;Julie is a 16x time Ironman finisher, with 7 Kona Qualifications and over 25 70.3 finishes. She is a USAT Triathlon coach, Newton Running Coach, USA Masters Swim Coach, and Training Peaks Level 2 coach. She is the Co-Founder of NYX Endurance, a Global Endurance Coaching Company that believes there is no progress without perseverance and no light without some darkness. You can follow NYX Endurance on Instagram and Facebook and check out their services at https://nyxendurance.com/**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com&nbsp; with the code HITPLAY&nbsp;Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/&nbsp;Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/Nutrisense: Use code "HITPLAY" at nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Most of us–even the most active among us–are limited in how well we move. Sure we can run or ride a bike or lift heavy sh*t, but can we balance on a beam or jump over fallen logs? Can we move with strength and fluidity in every direction? Can we go over, under, and through obstacles with ease? Unless we practice, the answer is likely no. This week’s guest, Dr. Julie Angel, who has completed the world's first parkour themed Ph.D., is on a mission to change that. She focuses on helping midlife women break free from the negative cycle of extreme workouts, diets, anxiety, and injuries to find sustainable strength and balance in life. By making women 360 degrees strong, she helps them learn the art and methodology of overcoming obstacles–and not just the physical hurdle in front of you, but all the stuff that’s deep inside.Julie is a movement coach, artist, award winning filmmaker and author. She uses movement snacks, strong resting, positive aging, and tools from parkour, natural movement, animal flow, original strength, the oxygen advantage, and many more methodologies to help people connect to and create a strong body and strong mind. You can learn more about her at https://julieangel.com/ and get a free sample of her movement courses at https://www.courses.see-do.com/course/movemore/**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com&nbsp; with the code HITPLAY&nbsp;Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/&nbsp;Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/Nutrisense: Use code "HITPLAY" at https://www.nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

Your brain is your largest--and arguably your most important--sex organ. It’s also the most overlooked, especially during the menopausal transition when we spend a whole lot of time talking about our vaginas (which are important, too, of course!). This week’s guest Kelly Casperson, MD, talks about all of it in a show that drives home the mind-vagina connection during menopause and midlife. Dr. Casperson is a urologist interested in science and the power of the mind to change our views of sexuality. She has created online courses teaching women the fundamentals of their anatomy and physiology, discussing their limiting beliefs, and normalizing their truly normal female sexual function to empower them to live their best love lives. And she has her own podcast, You Are Not Broken, where she discusses all of this and more. She has a book of the same title coming out in 2022. You can learn more about her and her work at www.kellycaspersonmd.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feisty Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

Hormone therapy for menopause is rife with confusion, fear, misunderstanding, and outright misinformation. Even doctors, who are often relying on long debunked research, can be at a loss to help women make educated choices for their health, well-being, and performance during this time. This week’s guests, Drs. Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris, authors of Estrogen Matters go to great lengths to describe the real risks (or lack thereof) and myriad benefits of hormone therapy for women in their menopausal years, as well as how to choose among the various formulations. Their goal: Arm every woman with all the information she needs to make an informed, educated decision for her personal menopausal needs. You can learn more about them and their work and buy their book at estrogenmatters.com. Avrum Bluming, MD, is a hematologist and medical oncologist, and a Master of the American College of Physicians, an award bestowed on fewer than 500 of the 100,000 board-certified internists in the United States. He is Emeritus Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California and a former senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute. Carol Tavris, PhD, is a social psychologist who has written widely about psychological science. Her trade books include Anger; The Mismeasure of Woman; and, with Elliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me). She has won numerous awards for her science writing and contributions to skepticism and gender equity. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feisty Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

Longevity in sport takes determination, curiosity, and the ability to adapt to what your mind and body needs as time goes on. That’s the embodiment of professional triathlete, mountain bike racer, coach, and 5x world champion Melanie McQuaid, who continues to kick ass through the menopause transition, placing 3rd at Ironman Chattanooga and 10th at Xterra World Championships in Maui this year.Melanie has raced as a pro athlete in four different sports and holds titles in a slew of disciplines including mountain bike endurance, mountain bike cross country and mountain bike short track; road racing; Olympic, Sprint and Half Ironman triathlon; and offroad XTERRA and ITU Cross Triathlon. Today she continues to compete at an elite level while focusing her energies on her coaching business, MelRad Coaching. You can learn more about her at https://www.melaniemcquaid.com/ and her coaching services at https://melrad.com/coach-mel/**Support the Podcast**InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistyNuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

“Who am I now?” That’s an identity crisis many of us face during the menopausal transition, especially if we end up taking a step back from our primary sport or activity to figure out what we want from athletics in this next phase of life. This week’s guest, life and wellness coach Lisa Hesse, helps active and athletic women define themselves and find solid ground during the “lifequake” of menopause when the earth seems to be shifting under our feet every five seconds. Lisa is a Nationally Board-certified Health and Wellness Coach, an International Coaching Federation Professional Coach, a “neuroscience nerd,” and “a big believer in the idea that it’s never too late to change our narrative while honoring what we bring with us from the past.” You can learn more about her and her work at https://lisahesse.com/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feisty Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

“Menopause Is Hell. It Also Made Me a Better Climber.” That’s the title of a feature article written in Outside magazine by this week’s guest and legendary outdoor sport athlete Jeannie Wall. We dig into what that piece is all about and address topics of fear, anxiety, rage, hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, and the power, yes the power, of invisibility. Jeannie spent decades as a world class skier and an ultra runner. Currently, she is obsessed with climbing in all its forms. She's a rookie gardener who spent three years helping create and run a regional sustainable food cooperative in Idaho. In her early 50’s she realized some of her biggest dreams like climbing Monte Fitz Roy and the Nose on El Capitan with great women partners and she still loves to backcountry ski. She has 25 years of experience developing and designing climbing, skiing, and endurance apparel for the outdoor industry. She has recently launched a women’s website to embolden women through the sharing of outdoor adventure stories. You can learn more about that at broadbeta.com and @broad.beta on Instagram. You can read her feature on climbing and menopause at https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/menopause-climbing-perimenopause/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feisty Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

Joint pain, hot flashes, night sweats, crushing fatigue. Menopause can usher in a host of symptoms that make daily life challenging, let alone daily life on top of training and racing as a recreational athlete, being a mom, and managing a business. But with knowledge, practice, and patience, it can be done. This week’s guest, Registered Sports Nutritionist, ultra-runner, mom of four, and owner of Elev8nutrition is here to share how she stays on top of the symptoms as an athletic woman in perimenopause. Catriona is the founder of Elev8nutrition and Instagram account @elev8nutritionirl, a private practice and platform for active women seeking nutrition support for perimenopause/menopause, gut issues relating to exercise, everyday and event nutrition, and weight management with a mindful eating and non restrictive eating philosophy. You can learn more about her work at https://elev8nutrition.ie/ BLACK FRIDAY: InsideTracker Black Friday Sale from November 22nd-29th (insidetracker.com/feisty) Save $200 off the Ultimate Plan and a free InnerAge test or get 25% sitewide with code FEISTYGIFT **Support the Podcast** Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

Women make testosterone. It works in concert with estrogen and progesterone to maintain healthy muscles and bones and fires up your sex drive and helps protect your brain. Yet there are no FDA approved testosterone products for women and “T” is not included in standard menopausal hormone therapy. So women are left to their own devices, and reasonably have a lot of questions about when they might need it, how to get it, and what to expect from testosterone therapy. This week’s guest Carla DiGirolamo, M.D., is here to answer all those questions and more. Carla is a double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist/Obstetrician Gynecologist working as a reproductive specialist at Boston IVF in Waltham, Massachusetts. She is ranked among the Top Doctors in the Boston Area, and is listed as a provider with the North American Menopause Society. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and Les Mills BodyCombat and BodyPump Instructor. She runs an online personal training and nutrition coaching business, FitforLifeMD, which you can check out at fitforlifemd.com, specializing in the care of women in all age groups, but with a special interest in the comprehensive care of peri/postmenopausal women. To access the free podcast guides go to: https://www.feistymenopause.com/podcastguide **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

Our performance nutrition needs change during the menopause transition. Few know that better than women who both teach it and live it as athletes and sports dietitians, like this week’s guest ​​Lauren Antonucci, RDN, CSSD, author of High-Performance Nutrition for Masters Athletes. Along with being a sports nutritionist, Lauren is a runner, an Ironman athlete, and a mom of three. Once she hit perimenopause, she took Dr. Stacy Sims’ Menopause for Athletes course and made adjustments to her own training as a result. This week she shares her journey, what she’s learned, and what she recommends for women to perform their best at this time of life. Lauren is the Owner/Director of Nutrition Energy, a nutrition counseling practice based in NYC and is currently seeing clients both in person in her NYC office and virtually around the world. Lauren has been a Board Certified Sports Dietitian for over 15 years as well as a Certified Diabetes Educator. You can learn more about her work at https://www.nutritionenergy.com/lauren-antonucci.html and pick up her book at Amazon and wherever books are sold. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Bonafide: 20% off your first purchase when you subscribe to any product with code HITPLAY at https://hellobonafide.com/

Bunions and bone spurs and heel pain, oh my! Foot pain in all shapes and forms is extremely common and becomes more so as we enter the menopause transition and our estrogen declines, taking our collagen production with it, which impacts the dozens of joints and tendons in our feet. That’s important because our feet are literally the foundation of nearly every physical activity we do. This week’s guest, president of the American Association for Women Podiatrists, Dr. Karen Langone, helps us sort through the most common foot pains and stay strong on our feet. Karen Langone DPM specializes in sports and fitness medicine, including medical and biomechanical treatment of the foot, ankle and lower extremities caused by faulty foot mechanics. She is a board certified podiatrist in New York and a national lecturer. She serves on the medical team for many athletic events including the 7 Day Race, the Boston Marathon, and the New York City Marathon. She signs off on her emails with Long May You Run… Amen to that! You can learn more about her and the exercises she recommends at https://www.drkarenlangone.com/library.htm **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

As active women we know all about our muscles. We know the sets and reps to work our shoulders, glutes, and core. We’re proficient in using dumbbells, kettlebells, and squat racks. But when it comes to training our pelvic floor, we know one word: Kegels. That’s not enough. In fact, if our pelvic floor is a “Lock Down Donna” as this week’s guest would say, Kegels may be the last thing we need. Our pelvic floor muscles play a role in essential functions like continence and sex that impact the quality of our life and our athletic performance. We can train them, massage them, and even strength train them like any other muscles. This week’s guest, Amy Hill Fife, MPT, WCS, BCB-PMD, tells us how. Amy is the founder of the online educational forum Pelvic Health PT (Private Talk). She is board certified as a Women's Clinical Specialist and is a Board Certified Associate Fellow in Pelvic Muscle Dysfunction Biofeedback with the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance. You can learn more about her work and find a free guidebook on the topics covered in this show at https://education.pelvichealthpt.com/healyourpelvicfloor

Never underestimate the power of menopausal women. Their years of experience and deep well of physical and mental strength uniquely positions them to move mountains--or at least a fully loaded dragon boat weighing more than a ton. This week’s guests Chris Head, a newbie dragon boat racer with the Dragon Divas, a team of Breast Cancer survivors and Connie Flesuras, longtime coach at Dragon Boat Training, Inc. share their experiences with this unique sport and how the dragon boat community has changed their lives. Connie Flesuras has a dragon boat training business in Portland, Oregon and has coached the USA National team and helped to create the first breast cancer survivor dragon boat team in the United States. She also started a team called Power Surge for 40+ women—because they aren’t hot flashes, they’re power surges. You can learn more about her and the sport at https://www.dragonboattraining.com/about_us. If you want to see her women’s dragon boat racing community in action, check out the short film Paddles on The Water from this year’s virtual Portland Film Festival. Chris Head is a personal trainer from St Paul Minnesota who got into dragon boat racing after six months of chemo and radiation following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2019. You can learn more about the team, the Dragon Divas at https://www.dragondivasmn.org/. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

As a woman you can lose up to 20% of your bone density during the five to seven years following menopause. Given the fact that we hit peak bone density by age 30, we can’t go back in time and build more, but we can take steps right now to hang onto what we have to keep our skeleton strong and resilient. This week we bring in two guests from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City to explain how: Dr. Marci Goolsby and Dr. Alana Serota. Marci Goolsby, MD, is Co-Director of the Women's Sports Medicine Center at HSS. She is board certified in family medicine with a certificate of added qualification in sports medicine. She currently serves as team physician for the US Olympic Biathlon team. You can learn more about her at https://www.hss.edu/physicians_goolsby-marci.asp Alana Serota, MD, is an osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease specialist and certified Menopause Practitioner. She is committed to a patient-centered, biopsychosocial approach to the care of osteoporosis and metabolic bone issues. You can learn more about her at https://www.hss.edu/physicians_serota-alana.asp **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Happy birthday to Hit Play Not Pause! As a special gift, past guest, personal trainer, and healthy ageing coach Tania Dalton turns the tables and interviews host Selene Yeager for a 1 year anniversary bonus edition of the podcast. The two dive deep into Selene’s background as an accidental athlete turned professional level cyclist as well as her career writing about health, fitness, and endurance sports. Selene opens up about struggles with body image, eating disorders, nerves, and anxiety, as well as finding her voice in this world and ultimately becoming the face of menopause for Feisty Menopause and the Hit Play Not Pause podcast. Thanks to everyone who has tuned in and supported the show. We’ve hit nearly 500,000 plays in our first year and we couldn’t have done it without you! **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Whether we run, ride, swim, or practice martial arts, at some point we can feel like we’re nearing the end of the line with how far we can go. That’s especially true when menopause and midlife put us in a Malachi crunch. But maybe what feels like an endpoint is really the starting point of something exciting and new. That’s how this week’s guest, legendary cyclist Mari Holden views this stage of life since turning 50 this year. As she explains in her new Scuderia film Just Getting Started, “I feel like I’m at this point where now I can just enjoy being me.” She dives into that and much more this week. ​ Mari got her first race bike when she was 12 years old and raced triathlons until she was 20. She switched to cycling in 1993 and was selected to the National Team in her first season and raced the Women’s Tour De France as her third stage race. She won a silver medal in the 2000 Olympic Games and the world time trial championship later that year. She was also the first American woman to win three consecutive U.S. time trial championships (1998-2000). She now is an ambassador for Pinarello and works as community director at USA Cycling, where she is spearheading a Let’s Ride initiative, which involves a nationwide effort to help get bikes into underserved communities and encourage coaches to mentor young cyclists. You can check out her new Scuderia film at https://vimeo.com/595416472. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Your brain is your largest--and arguably your most important--sex organ. It’s also the most overlooked, especially during the menopausal transition when we spend a whole lot of time talking about our vaginas (which are important, too, of course!). This week’s guest Kelly Casperson, MD, talks about all of it in a show that drives home the mind-vagina connection during menopause and midlife. Dr. Casperson is a urologist interested in science and the power of the mind to change our views of sexuality. She has created online courses teaching women the fundamentals of their anatomy and physiology, discussing their limiting beliefs, and normalizing their truly normal female sexual function to empower them to live their best love lives. And she has her own podcast, You Are Not Broken, where she discusses all of this and more. She has a book of the same title coming out in 2022. You can learn more about her and her work at www.kellycaspersonmd.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Races are about more than winning. Competing is about more than podium spots or fastest times. Races are about personal bests and striving to be your best, whether that’s first place or 571st place. In fact, the person who comes in last may have overcome more, learned more, and grown more from the event than the one who came in first. This week’s guest Adina O’Neill, a self-described “back of the pack” athlete knows all about that. Adina didn’t finish her first triathlon until age 40. She went from not being able to run a mile to completing over 50 triathlons and endurance events including Ironman, a marathon, multiple 10K swims, and a double century on her bike. She has made it her mission to share how a “regular person” can learn and grow through the sport regardless of age or changes that occur during the menopausal years. To help other athletes like herself, Adina works as an Ironman certified triathlon coach and founder of REAL Fitness and Team B*REAL, which is a multisport team for athletes of all ages, sizes, and abilities. You Learn more at AdinaOneill.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Previnex: 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/

Following menopausal athletes on Instagram can be inspiring. But if we’re honest, it can also be deflating. You see the podium smiles and the highlights of their lives, which can leave you feeling alone in your own struggles. That’s why it’s so wonderful when one of these athletes like this week’s guest, multisport athlete Nicole Sin Quee pulls back the curtain and shares the real, more nuanced picture of their life. Nicole is a math teacher and mother who lives in Bronx, NY. She is also an accomplished athlete, earning a podium spot in all six of her attempts at the National and World Championship triathlons and duathlons. She recently won the Off-Road Triathlon 50-54 age group title and finished third female overall. She also finished top 25 in her bike racing debut at SBT GRVL this year where she represented Ride For Racial Justice. But those highs have been interspersed with her share of lows. Nicole has worked through myriad struggles during her perimenopausal years, which required her to give herself grace and time and space to find her athletic self again--something we can all learn from. You can follow her at https://www.instagram.com/sinquee/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Previnex: use code hitplay for 15% off your first order at https://www.previnex.com/

Juggling training by itself is hard. Juggling training along with real life obligations is even harder. Add the physical and psychological changes that come with menopause and midlife? Oh boy. Better call Cirque du Soleil for some tips. Or you can call a lifelong athlete, veteran coach, and exercise physiologist like this week’s guest, Lenita Anthony, who provides sound, science- and life-based advice on planning your exercise sessions, balancing intensity with recovery (especially when it comes to high intensity intervals), and setting exciting new goals during this time of life. Lenita is a longtime fitness industry presenter, author, and master educator for Stages Cycling. She is a National Board Certified Health Coach, and has over 25 years experience in clinical exercise physiology and fitness education. A former IDEA contributing editor board member, her expertise includes program design for special populations and sports performance. A lifelong athlete, Lenita raced triathlons of all distances, including the Ironman Hawaii World Championships in Kona. In more recent years, she has put her competitive focus into track cycling, where she has won National and World Championship titles, and set 4 age-group World Records in Individual Pursuit and Team Pursuit. Her passions include volunteering as a Ride Leader for the Challenged Athletes’ Foundation, strength training, and surfing with her sons near her home in San Diego, California. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY

Medical menopause can be intense. If you’re a cancer survivor, you may have multiple rounds with menopause. You may go through premature menopause or have menopause symptoms related to chemotherapy and/or other drug treatments and then go through it again either naturally or should you need surgery or other treatments later on. It can all be complicated, confusing, challenging, and scary. Being an active woman helps with symptom management, but there’s more you can do to get through and manage your symptoms (as well as future risk) to live your fullest life. This week’s guest Dr. Corinne Menn is an expert in all of that, having been diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 28 and in the middle of her OB/GYN residency. We talk about how to manage medical and/or surgical menopause, as well as genetic testing for breast cancer; finding active, supportive communities like the Young Survival Coalition; managing menopause when you’re at risk for breast cancer, and more. Now a 19 year survivor, Dr. Menn has dedicated her practice to gynecology only, with a focus on wellness and preventative care. You can learn more about her and her practice at drmenn.com and the Young Survival Coalition at ysctourdepink.org. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

As women we hear a lot about “breaking the ceiling,” whether it’s the glass one that has hovered over us for so long or the self imposed one that we sometimes put overhead, limiting our potential. Well if you want to crack that ceiling, it helps to raise the floor—elevate the platform from which you’re starting by taking the best care possible of your body where it is right now, something that is especially important during our menopausal years. That’s where this week’s guest Tracey Jacobs comes in. Tracey is an elite bike racer, a certified massage therapist at her company Pure Massage Boulder, a cycling coach, and a nutrition consultant. Tracey, 54, has seen the top step of the podium, including winning the 2019 Masters Colorado State Championship Road Race and Criterium events and being awarded Best All Around Rider for Master’s 50+ in Colorado in 2019…all after breaking her neck in a fluke accident in 2018. She talks all about her journey and how she helps others reach their potential through bodywork, mindset, and finely tuned training. You can learn more about her at puremassageboulder.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code HITPLAY Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

We often talk about menopause as puberty in reverse. Remember puberty? You sprouted breasts and grew hips and maybe got curvier all the way around. Nobody ever said to you, “What have you done?” You were obviously going through this very natural process. When those hormones reverse course, your body also starts changing. Only now, we beat ourselves up and feel like we’ve somehow failed if we have a belly when we didn’t before…even though maybe our body is adding that padding to help protect us. We go into all of that and much more with this week’s guest, Diana Reid of The Global Dietitian. Diana is licensed as a dietitian in both the US and Luxembourg and works with clients who are seeking to improve their health and quality of life through balanced eating and a more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies. She is also 53, lifts weights, runs, rides bikes, and has written about her own journey with body changes and weight gain after going through early menopause at 42 due to surgery from PCOS and endometriosis. You can learn more about her and her work at theglobaldietitian.com. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and other psychological practices come up a lot on this show as ways we can quell anxiety, manage menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, and get some quality sleep during this time of life. But what exactly is it? How do you do it? How does it work? We tackle all these questions and more with this week’s guest, Dr. Alisha Brosse. Alisha Brosse, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and founding partner of the Boulder Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. She specializes in behavioral therapies for mood, anxiety, and sleep disorders. She is the co-author of End the Insomnia Struggle: A Step-By-Step Guide to Help You Get to Sleep and Stay Asleep. You can learn more about her and her work at www.bouldercbt.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Let food be thy medicine, they say. But don’t stop there. Let exercise and stress management and sleep and friendships and your whole lifestyle be thy medicine, too. That’s the basic tenet of the type of Lifestyle Medicine this week’s guest, Dr. Melissa Sundermann practices. It’s grounded in research showing how we live our lives has a profound impact on our health, performance, well-being, and for the purposes of this discussion, our menopausal transition. At a time when everything can feel out of control, it helps to “control your controllables” as they say. Dr. Sundermann tells us how. Dr. Sundermann is double-board certified in both Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine and currently practices with IHA in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she is helping to launch the IHA Lifestyle Medicine Institute. She enjoys running, biking, hiking, skiing and spending time outdoors with her husband, 2 college-age children and 2 dogs. She is a 9x Boston Marathon finisher, 3x Full Ironman Triathlon finisher and currently training to run her 10th Boston Marathon this October at the age of 51. You can learn more about her at IHAcares.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Hormone therapy for menopause is rife with confusion, fear, misunderstanding, and outright misinformation. Even doctors, who are often relying on long debunked research, can be at a loss to help women make educated choices for their health, well-being, and performance during this time. This week’s guests, Drs. Avrum Bluming and Carol Tavris, authors of Estrogen Matters go to great lengths to describe the real risks (or lack thereof) and myriad benefits of hormone therapy for women in their menopausal years, as well as how to choose among the various formulations. Their goal: Arm every woman with all the information she needs to make an informed, educated decision for her personal menopausal needs. You can learn more about them and their work and buy their book at estrogenmatters.com. Avrum Bluming, MD, is a hematologist and medical oncologist, and a Master of the American College of Physicians, an award bestowed on fewer than 500 of the 100,000 board-certified internists in the United States. He is Emeritus Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California and a former senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute. Carol Tavris, PhD, is a social psychologist who has written widely about psychological science. Her trade books include Anger; The Mismeasure of Woman; and, with Elliot Aronson, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me). She has won numerous awards for her science writing and contributions to skepticism and gender equity. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

This show is all about working with your changing physiology to optimize performance. This week’s guest, Masters 50-54 Cyclocross World Champion and Masters 50-54 XC and Masters 50-54 Marathon Mountain Bike National Champion, Libbey Sheldon embodies that ethos as well as anyone we know. After struggling with mountain bike stage racing in 2013, Libbey went back and worked on her limiters to maximize her performance and nearly won the women’s elite overall at the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic stage race at age 55 this year. And she feels like she’s just getting started. We talk about maintaining strength, managing symptoms, and how to make gains everywhere you can. Libbey is an everyday athlete with a busy life. She’s a lawyer by profession and is a mom to four boys. Her positivity, determination, and work ethic are absolutely inspirational. You can follow her adventures at https://www.instagram.com/libbeysheldon/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Everyone needs a little summer break, even podcast hosts! So this week we are re-posting this excellent episode with physical therapist Chloe Murdock from fall 2020. Enjoy! It happens. You sneeze, cough, or laugh…and leak. Or you can barely get your key in the door without wetting yourself. It’s common, but not normal…or necessary. This week, pelvic floor specialist Chloë Murdock, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS offers solutions to the incontinence that can happen during menopause. And, spoiler alert, there’s more to it than Kegels—in fact, in some cases they can make it worse. Chloë explains that there’s more to your core than your abs and obliques and how muscle imbalances and weaknesses in key parts of your core, which includes your pelvic floor, can lead to leaking, especially in active women. She talks about the importance of deep breathing and other exercises to improve pelvic health, decrease stress, and help stop incontinence. She is a doctor of physical therapy, a Slowtwitch and BikeFit certified bike fitter, as well as a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and USATF level 1 and RRCA certified running coach based in Zurich, Switzerland. You can find out more about her work at https://www.chloemurdockpt.com/meet-chloe

60 percent of people with thyroid disease go undiagnosed. And if you’re a menopausal woman, you may be mistaking thyroid disease symptoms for menopause symptoms—and suffering from both. The North American Menopause Society calls the thyroid a “touchy gland,” as it becomes imbalanced in about 1 in 8 women. And when it does, it can trigger a cascade of symptoms and, if it goes unchecked, health issues such as fatigue, forgetfulness, mood swings, weight gain, irregular menstrual cycles, high cholesterol, heart disease, and more. This week’s guest, Ingrid Anderson, RD, RDN, CDN, founder of Simply Confident nutrition and co-founder of Core Strength Fitness, specializes in treating women with thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism (low thyroid) and Hashimoto’s Disease (an autoimmune disease that attacks the thyroid). She is also a wealth of knowledge about how estrogen (or lack thereof) and thyroid hormone interact and what that means for all of us. You can learn more about Ingrid and her work at https://www.ingridrd.com/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Recent research using brain imaging analysis shows our brains physically change during perimenopause. So our brains are clearly—sometimes substantially—impacted by our hormones. But those hormones are part of a larger chorus that includes nature, nurture, culture, society, lifestyle, and our thoughts and emotions, which can have a profound impact on how we experience the changes that come during the menopause transition. Experts are still uncovering all the hows and whys. Neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay, author of The Women’s Brain Book: The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness, is one of those experts. We dive into all of that as well as hot topics like hormone therapy and brain health on this week’s show. Dr. McKay is an Oxford University-educated neuroscientist, educator, presenter, media commentator, and director of The Neuroscience Academy. She teaches coaches, therapists, teachers and other professionals how to thoughtfully apply insights and tools from neuroscience to their work. You can learn more about her and buy her book at drsarahmckay.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

If you’re looking for just one piece of equipment that can help you get strong and fit AF, look no further than kettlebells. If you’re looking for one woman who can tell you everything you want to know about kettlebell training and why it’s the ideal training tool for menopausal women, look no further than this week’s guest Andrea Du Cane, of Andrea Du Cane Kettlebell Fitness. Andrea is Director of Certifications for Dragon Door Publications. She is a Master Kettlebell Instructor, an ACE-certified group fitness and senior fitness specialist, a TRX-certified trainer, and a Kettlebell-Functional Movement Specialist. She is also trained in Stott Pilates and has over 25 years of aerobics, weight training, and fitness experience, with an additional background in classical ballet, jazz dance and Argentine tango. She has also trained in a number of Eastern health and martial arts disciplines including kung fu, yoga, tai chi and qigong. You can learn more about her at https://kettlebellfitness.com/ InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

“Maybe it’s time to slow down.” That’s the message menopausal women often get from their friends, family, and yes, even physicians when they have joint pain and nagging injuries like Achilles tendonitis or “menopause arthritis” that are preventing them from running, riding, and hitting the weights without pain. This week’s guest, active aging expert Vonda Wright, MD, is simply not having it. Instead, she’s using her 20 years of medical acumen and wisdom to help others optimize aging, maximize mobility, and enjoy vital, healthy, active lives. Dr. Vonda is a double-boarded orthopedic surgeon, elite sports doc, public speaker, multiple time published author, bio tech consultant and health innovator. Her mission is to understand the causes of joint pain, ways we can improve joint health, and stay active and fit as we age. You can learn more about her work and practice at drvondawright.com. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Why is there so much misinformation about menopause? What really helps? What doesn’t? What the heck are “bioidentical hormones”? And why do we go through menopause anyway? We dig into all this and much, much more this week with none other than renowned (and oh, so feisty) OB/GYN and pain medicine physician, Dr. Jen Gunter, author of The Menopause Manifesto, as well as the New York Times bestselling The Vagina Bible. Jen Gunter, M.D., is an internationally bestselling author and OB/GYN with more than three decades of experience as a vulvar and vaginal diseases expert. Her TED talk was one of 2020’s Top Ten, and The Guardian calls her “the world’s most famous—and outspoken—gynecologist.” The recipient of the 2020 NAMS Media Award from the North American Menopause Society, she is a columnist for The New York Times and star of the CBC/Amazon Prime series Jensplaining, which humorously debunks medical myths and misinformation. She also hosts a new podcast, Body Stuff with Dr. Jen Gunter. For more on Dr. Gunter, follow her at @DrJenGunter or visit DrJenGunter.com. You can buy The Menopause Manifesto wherever you get your books, including popular retailers here: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9780806540665/the-menopause-manifesto/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Ever wonder how we got here? How is it that in 2021 billions of women are still largely in the dark about menopause? That many of us still feel kind of ashamed to talk about it? This week’s guest, historian Elinor Cleghorn, Ph.D., author of Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World tells us exactly how we’ve gotten here--our androcentric Western medical system that dates back to Ancient Greece is how. It’s why women have suffered misdiagnosis and mistreatment throughout history. It’s also undoubtedly why that even in modern times, a 2019 survey found that 20 percent of residents in family medicine, internal medicine, and even ob/gyn received zero lectures on menopause during their training and fewer than 7 percent reported feeling prepared to help manage the care of women through their menopausal years. We talk about all of that...and importantly what we can all do right now to advocate for ourselves in the present and make the future better on this week’s show. Elinor has a background in feminist culture and history. She has given talks and lectures at the British Film Institute, where she has been a regular contributor to the education program, Tate Modern, and ICA London, and she has appeared on the BBC Radio 4 discussion show The Forum. In 2017, she was shortlisted for the Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize, and she has since written creatively about her experience of chronic illness for publications including Ache (UK) and Westerly (AUS). She now works as a freelance writer and researcher. Unwell Women is out June 8th, but you can preorder it now at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/646468/unwell-women-by-elinor-cleghorn/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

What can you do today to make yourself better tomorrow? The best answer to that question is based on you and you alone. Not what other women are doing. Not what you think you should be doing. Not what you used to do. But what you need to do—how to learn and improve—today based on where you are right now. This week’s guest, coach Julie Young lives, breathes, and, of course, teaches that philosophy to help her clients optimize personal performance, no matter their age or menopausal status. Julie’s personal accomplishments include winning 2019 Single Speed US National championships and the singlespeed category at the Leadville 100 mountain bike race in 2018, both of which she accomplished over the age of 50. She had a 12 plus year cycling racing career as a National team rider, racing in Europe and for pro teams like Saturn and is considered one of America’s most dominant European stage racers of her era. As a “retired” pro, Julie continues to push herself, competing and winning in gravel, cyclocross, mountain bike, X-terra, and trail running events, including a win at the 50k Trail National Championships. Julie works as the Sports Science Specialist at the Kaiser Sports Medicine Endurance Lab, where she does a wide range of physiology testing. She is a certified Specialized Body Geometry Bike Fit Technician and a certified Medicine of Cycling Bike Fitter. She is also the owner of Julie Young Training, where she provides individual coaching. You can find more about her services at www.julieyoungtraining.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off at https://velorosacycling.com with code HITPLAY

Ask your doctor about the benefits of high intensity exercise, lifting heavy sh*t, and adaptogens and you may just get a shrug (or worse a patronizing smile). Ask your coach or trainer about medicine and…well, don’t ask your coach or trainer about medicine because that’s not their job. What’s left is a giant chasm where most women in menopause reside, scratching their heads, wondering how to find a wellness prescription that really works. This week’s guest Carla DiGirolamo, M.D., is making it her life’s mission to fill that gap, bridging the lack of knowledge between the medical and wellness communities as an active participant in groups like CrossFit Health, as well as through her own private practice, so menopausal women can avoid meds they don’t need and live their strongest, healthiest, most confident lives. Carla is a double Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist/Obstetrician Gynecologist working as a reproductive specialist at Boston IVF in Waltham, Massachusetts. She is ranked among the Top Doctors in the Boston Area, and is listed as a provider with the North American Menopause Society. She is also a Crossfit Level 1 trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach and Les Mills BodyCombat and BodyPump Instructor. She recently launched an online personal training and nutrition coaching business, FitforLifeMD, which you can check out at fitforlifemd.com, specializing in the care of women in all age groups, but with a special interest in the comprehensive care of peri/postmenopausal women. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause Velorosa Cycling: 15% off with code HITPLAY at velorosacycling.com

Your big goals don’t have to change with “The Change,” but your training, nutrition, and mindset sure do. This week, long time road and track cyclist Cheryl Osborne, 55, shares how she’s chasing a gold medal and championship jersey at the USA Cycling Masters Track National Championships this fall. Her strategy includes a healthy dose of sprint training and lifting heavy sh*t along with sound nutrition and lots of rest and easy rides. Cheryl, who works as a security specialist for the Department of Homeland Security, started her career in the sport of cycling as one of the sole women--and the sole Black woman at the time--in her region 25 years ago. In 1999, she started Artemis Racing (which now includes a club portion called Artemis Cycling) based in Bethesda, Maryland to help more women find the love of riding and racing. She continues that passion today through Artemis (which is still going strong) and as a board member and mentor at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania.

It’s hard to chase big goals and live your best life when you’re getting sidelined by injuries, which is a struggle many women face during the menopause transition. Research is only beginning to uncover how our sex hormones keep our muscles and connective tissues healthy and resilient and how the menopausal transition can increase the risk for plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis and so many other painful “itises.” This week’s guest, physiotherapist Claire Callaghan, B.Pty MSc, specializes in just that--helping you be pain free and achieve your goals, whatever they may be. Claire has been a Chartered Physiotherapist for over 25 years. Her primary focus is on the physical health and wellbeing of women and their families. She has a particular interest in how the musculoskeletal adapts and changes over the course of women’s lives, and in particular menopausal health. In her clinical work, she supports active women across many sports with management of aches, pains and injuries and maintenance of physical activity and exercise. You can learn more about her and her work at https://www.clairecallaghan.com. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause

Does your diet make you feel good? How’s your energy? Are you performing and recovering well? How do you really feel? If we’re honest, many of us don’t even really know. Spending so many years on the high carb, low carb, no carb, low fat, high fat, keto, paleo, intermittent fasting Merry-Go-Round, it can be easy to lose sight of how you’re actually feeling and performing. And that’s before you throw the quest for weight loss--and what we think we “need” to weigh--into the picture. Ultimately, many of us end up fueling an idea, not a body. This week, longtime sports dietitian and endurance athlete Dina Griffin digs into all of these issues, as well as many others like fat burning, metabolic flexibility, power to weight and more. Dina Griffin, RDN, CSSD, CISSN is the Owner and Founder of The Nutrition Mechanic, a nutrition coaching company based out of Boulder, Colorado. She works with all levels of adult endurance athletes to optimize health and vitality. She blends science-based and evidence-informed strategies along with “real life” considerations to devise personalized nutrition plans. She has a particular passion for working with women’s health, peri- and post-menopause, masters athletes, ultra athletes, and supporting individuals who have a metabolic condition. You can learn more about her and her services at www.nutritionmechanic.com. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause

How many times have you pushed back a big goal until you got “fitter” or “leaner”? How many times have you looked at an exciting challenge and thought, “That’s not for me.”? Tania Dalton spent most of her pre-menopausal life battling with body image issues, disordered eating, and crises of confidence, which kept her on the sidelines instead of engaging in the sports and activities she was otherwise eager to try. Now at 52, Tania is taking on those challenges full steam ahead, training for her first ever full Ironman triathlon. At this point in her menopause journey, she is also finally, truly happy with the body she is in. She shares her journey to get to this point on this week’s show. Tania is a personal trainer, healthy aging coach, and one of the original Menopause Feisties. You can learn more about her and follow her journey at https://taniadalton.com/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause

Gut health means more than just good digestion—though that’s certainly an important part of it! Your gut microbiome also impacts your overall health, body composition, and athletic performance. It’s also changing all the time and the menopausal transition definitely alters it…and not necessarily for the better. That’s why it’s especially important to build a diverse, healthy gut microbiome through the menopausal transition and beyond. This week’s guest, sports dietitian and clinical exercise physiologist Stasi Kasianchuk RDN, is an expert in all things “guts and glory” and offers great advice for nurturing your healthiest, richest gut microbiome. Stasi works specifically with peri and postmenopausal women as the director of Health Coaching at Gennev.com, an online medical and health resource for menopausal women. You can learn more about her work and gut microbiome testing through her private practice at enrichhealthconsulting.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause

The hormonal havoc of menopause can leave us with higher anxiety, less muscle, and a decline in power—all things that are unhelpful for sport in general, but especially if you’re scaling a vertical rock formation a dizzying distance from the ground. This week’s guests, Nancy Feagin and Maggie Odette, both badass rock climbers in their fifties, are not only overcoming the obstacles that menopause can bring to stay in the game, but are actually achieving some of their best climbs ever. They share their journey and best practices on the show this week. Nancy is a climbing legend. She’s been in movies and documentaries and has literally done it all: ice climbing, traditional climbing, sport climbing, bouldering, and mountaineering, including Summiting Everest in 2001 as the 11th American woman. She was also one of two in the first all female team to climb the Nose of El Capitan (Yosemite National Park) in a day, and she climbed her first 5.14 (aka super elite) sport climb at the age of 52. Maggie took up climbing in 1998 and has dedicated herself to consistent improvement. At the age of 44, she claimed her first 5.14a. She quit her job, married her climbing partner and started living on the road with him climbing full time. In 2019, at the age of 49, Maggie redpointed (free-climbing a route in one go from the ground to the finish after practicing it) her first 5.14b, T-Rex, in the Pipe Dream cave of Maple Canyon, UT. She climbed her two hardest routes to date at ages 49 and 50. You can follow Maggie’s adventures at https://gravitychronicles.com/ You can learn more about the blood flow restriction training they reference in the show at https://www.camp4humanperformance.com/, which is owned by strength and conditioning specialist Dr. Tyler Nelson.

Diets do not work. More than 30 years of diet culture has proven that point. Yet, we’re still bombarded day in and day out with books, websites, and fitspo pros promising rapid weight loss and making everyone feel bad about their bodies. Menopausal women are currently a popular target for many of these quick fixes and diet traps. Enough already. This week’s guest Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S has been pushing back against diet culture since 1995, instead offering a systematic approach to tune into yourself and nourish your mind, body and soul with food without all the baggage and stress that many of us associate with eating. No more counting, tracking, and angsting over what should be a natural, enjoyable activity. That’s as liberating as it gets. Evelyn is the author of 9 books and co-author of the best-selling Intuitive Eating, a mind-body self-care eating framework with 10 principles, which has given rise to over 125 studies to date showing benefit. Her brand new book is Intuitive Eating for Every Day: 365 Daily Practices & Inspirations to Rediscover the Pleasures of Eating. You can learn more about Evelyn and buy her new book at evelyntribole.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause

Everyone knows chest pain is a symptom of heart trouble. What too many people still don’t know is that women are more likely than men to experience other symptoms like nausea or vomiting, unexplained shortness of breath, profound inexplicable fatigue, jaw or back pain, or no symptoms at all. American Heart Association data from two million people shows that not only are women’s symptoms recognized less readily, but also they are less likely to receive the same preventative care as men, and they get lifesaving procedures less frequently and later during the course of a heart attack than men. When it comes to exercise, our hearts even remodel differently than men’s. Yet many doctors don’t recognize these important differences. Is your head exploding yet? This week’s guest, clinical cardiologist (and long distance runner and cyclist), Tamanna Singh, M.D., helps us cut through the confusion. Tamanna is a sports cardiologist with a specialty interest in female athletes. She is Co-Director of the Sports Cardiology Center at Cleveland Clinic and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Her research interests include comparing the effects of a plant-based diet vs. an all-inclusive diet on heart health and defining the ideal diet for optimal athletic performance and cardiovascular risk reduction. You can learn more about her at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/staff/23916-tamanna-singh You can find the cardiovascular disease risk calculator here: http://tools.acc.org/ASCVD-Risk-Estimator-Plus/#!/calculate/estimate/ **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause

Tight hips, achy knees, weak glutes, grouchy back, stiff ankles...the list of aches, pains, and niggles that pop up seemingly out of nowhere can feel overwhelming, especially once we hit the menopausal transition and our hormones aren’t keeping our muscles and connective tissues as resilient and supple as they once were. This week’s guest, Dr. Kelly Starrett of The Ready State offers insights and advice for regaining (and retaining) the healthy, pain-free mobility your body was meant to have so you are ready for ache-free action. Kelly is a coach, a doctor of physical therapy, a two-time New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and is the co-founder along with his wife Juliet of The Ready State, the world's most comprehensive collection of guided movement, mechanics, and mobility instructional videos. His clients include professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. He also works with Olympic gold-medalists, Tour de France cyclists, world and national record-holding Olympic lifting and power athletes, CrossFit Games medalists, ballet dancers, military personnel, and competitive age-division athletes. You can learn more about his work at TheReadyState.com. **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com with the code FeistyMenopause

Yoga is more than something you do--that one or two classes a week where you attempt a full pigeon pose. It’s a way you live--a strengthening of the tether that connects your mind, body, and soul. Practiced daily, it can improve every aspect of your physical and mental well being, especially when you need that help most, like during menopausal and midlife years. This week’s guest, Carol Krucoff, C-IAYT, E-RYT, shares how yoga quite literally saved her life and how she applies what she’s learned to help others. Krucoff works as a yoga therapist at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham, North Carolina and has written numerous books, including Yoga Sparks: 108 Easy Practices for Stress Relief in a Minute or Less and Relax into Yoga for Chronic Pain. You can learn more about her work at https://healingmoves.com/ Learn more about the Feisty Womxn's Performance Summit at womxnsperformancesummit.com **Support the Podcast** InsideTracker: 25% off at insidetracker.com/feistymenopause Nuun Hydration: 30% off at nuunlife.com

Dragging yourself through the motions more often than not these days? You’re not alone. The brain chemistry changes that occur during menopausal years can cause your mojo, motivation, and mental game to go MIA. But don’t despair. This week’s guest, psychologist Dr. Lisa Lewis is here to help you get your groove back. Spoiler alert: If you care that you’re not motivated, you’re actually motivated. You just need a little help accessing it from another angle. And she’s here to show you how. Dr. Lewis has a background in sport and exercise psychology and is especially well versed in the topic of motivation and all the many forms it takes—yes there’s way more than one—and how athletes and active women can find the one that works for them at any given time. You can learn more about her work at https://drlewisconsulting.com/ Register for the Feisty Womxn's Performance Summit at womxnsperformancesummit.com **Support the Podcast** Use the code FeistyMenopause at nuunlife.com & nuuncanada.com

Menopause and midlife can send dueling wrecking balls straight into your sleep architecture, leaving you tossing and turning unable to get to sleep, waking up with racing thoughts at 3 a.m., and generally depriving you of the rest and regeneration you need. This week’s guest, Dr. Sophie Bostock, the sleep scientist—and self-proclaimed sleep evangelist—is here to help you pick up the pieces of your broken sleep and get a good night’s rest. Dr. Bostock has recently spent 5 years working on Sleepio, an award-winning digital sleep improvement program. She also has published sleep research in collaboration with the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute in Oxford and other international researchers showing the impacts of better sleep on mental health and performance. She has developed a systematic approach to improving sleep hygiene and getting your circadian rhythms back in sync so you can enjoy sound, uninterrupted sleep. You can learn more about her work at: https://www.thesleepscientist.com/about

As active women, we use carbs to fuel our training and racing. But there’s a limit to how many are good for our health (as well as performance), especially as we hit menopause and become more insulin resistant. This week’s guest, coach Gale Bernhardt has been on a mission to help her athletes dial in their nutrition and training to be better fat burners while also having the metabolic flexibility to use those sugars when they need them. That plan includes eating a diet filled with whole food fats and carbohydrates, as well as a healthy dose of special sprint sessions she calls Miracle Intervals that every menopausal athlete should try. Gale has been working with athletes since 1974 and is a two-time Olympic cycling and triathlon coach. She is the author of several training books, including Bicycling for Women and is the co-author of Become a Fat-Burning Machine. You can find out more about her work at https://galebernhardt.com/ and check out some Miracle Intervals at https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/all-out-miracle-intervals-to-improve-average-power-for-endurance-events/ **Support the Podcast** Use the code FeistyMenopause at https://nuun.life/feisty-podcast for 30% off your entire order

What keeps you going when the curtains start to fall at mile 19 of a marathon? How do you get up and charge again 3 days into a 6 day stage race? What makes the difference between picking up a kettlebell or a bottle of wine at the end of a long, hard, tiring day? Mental strength. The muscle between your ears is what keeps you going when the going gets hard. The opposite is true, too. When life is kicking your ass, being physically strong helps you muster the mental strength you need to persevere. This week’s guest Lisbeth Darsh, author of Strong Starts in the Mind talks all about mental strength, how to build it, and how to use it, especially when menopause knocks you back on your heels. Lisbeth is a former CrossFit executive and aircraft maintenance officer on fighter jets in the U.S. Air Force. Today, she is a proponent of Street Parking, a new workout system that makes CrossFit type training more accessible to people without access to a gym or a lot of equipment. You can learn more about her at https://wordswithlisbeth.com/ and more about Street Parking at https://streetparking.com/ Hit Play Not Pause is proud to be supported by Nuun Hydration in 2021! Show your support and use the code FeistyMenopause at nuunlife.com for 30% off all of Nuun's amazing products.

Chasing big athletic goals can supercharge your life. But how do you chase and accomplish those goals without dropping the ball on everything else, especially as you’re also trying to navigate all the changes that menopause and midlife can bring? This week’s guest, long time endurance athlete and coach Lynda Rowan is here to help. As a dual citizen of both Australia and the U.S., Lynda has competed in Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and Ironman triathlons and has represented both countries at ITU World Age Group Championships. She has been coaching sport for 30 years and knows what it takes to get it all done. We talk about how to balance endurance and intensity; how to fit in strength training; how to properly rest and recover, and most importantly, how to do it all without coming undone. Hit Play Not Pause is proud to be supported by Nuun Hydration in 2021! Show your support and use the code FeistyMenopause at nuunlife.com for 30% off all of Nuun's amazing products.

Time for “the talk.” Seriously, we get sex ed when we go through puberty to know what to expect. But then we hit the other end of the hormonal spectrum and...crickets. Loss of libido and painful sex are real issues during menopausal years and, all too often, women suffer in silence. Issues like vaginal dryness don’t just hurt your sex life (though that’s bad enough!), they also just plain hurt when you’re trying to live an active life. None of that is particularly conducive to feeling and performing your best. This week’s guest Dr. Lauren Streicher, author of Sex Rx- Hormones Health and Your Best Sex Ever, is one of the top authorities on the topic of menopause and sexual health. Dr. Streicher is the founder and medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Menopause and the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Health, which includes programs on Sexual Medicine and Vulvar and Vaginal Health. She’s been featured on Oprah, Good Morning America, Nightline, 20/20, Today, and the Meredith Vieira Show, just to name a few. She dishes out straight talk on sex solutions to help improve your “SexAbility” through menopause and the rest of your life. You can learn more about her and check out her work at DrStreicher.com

The words we say to ourselves. The way we look at ourselves. The way we fuel, or often don’t fuel, ourselves. They’re a product of so many things--culture, society, ingrained images and messages. And too often they hurt our health, performance, and general well being. Exercising, playing sports, and being active can help, but they also can be the source of some of these issues, or make them worse. And when we hit our menopausal years and our bodies start taking on a life of their own, seemingly no matter what we do? We can go straight into a tailspin. This week’s guest, Dr. Christy Greenleaf, of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, is here to help. Christy’s research focuses on the psychosocial aspects of weight, physical activity, body image, and disordered eating. As a lifelong figure skater, she knows a thing or two about all these issues on a very personal, as well as professional, level. We dig in on strategies to break the cycle of body shame, disordered eating, and negative self talk for good. You can find out more about her at https://uwm.edu/healthsciences/directory/greenleaf-christy/

Injuries don’t just hurt physically. They can rock you emotionally, as they keep you away from the activity you love, isolate you from your training buddies, and do a number on your self image, especially as we get into our menopausal years and injuries can pop up with increasing frequency. Your doctor or PT help with the physical stuff. But what about the rest? That’s where this week’s guest Heidi Armstrong, founder of The Injured Athlete’s Toolbox comes in. Heidi has more than 10 years of experience dealing with her own injuries following a devastating mountain bike crash, and has conducted hundreds of hours of research with athletes dealing with their own. She is also one of a few experts in the world who helps athletes—many of whom are perimenopausal or menopausal—overcome the mental fallout of injury, regain their confidence, and stop the emotional rollercoaster. You can find out more about her and her services at https://injuredathletestoolbox.com/

Ready to create your menopause adventure? Yes, adventure. Now is the time to shine, says this week’s guest, wellness coach and fitness trainer Kacy Duke, who teaches people how to use the right mindset, motivation, and movement to reach their goals. Named one of New York City’s best trainers, Kacy has been the personal trainer to a long list of A-listers including Gwen Stefani, Kate Beckinsale, Julianna Moore, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Willis, Denzel Washington, and Lenny Kravitz, just to name a few. Now at 65 years of age, she’s growing her business with a health and fitness subscription service called Age Defying Physique, because, as she says, we shouldn’t deny our age—it’s a privilege to live a long life—but we can definitely defy what people think we can do at any given age. Kacy talks about her own journey through menopause and how she helps women navigate this huge transition in their lives, including improving body image and mindset to live proud and out loud. Consider this your pep talk for 2021.

Missing your usual mojo and motivation? Wrestling with body image issues? Want a little help setting meaningful goals that go beyond how fast you can run a 5K? You are not alone! This week, exercise scientist and mental performance expert Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach addresses these topics and more as we take a deep dive into the competitive psyche during menopause and how to cope with the psychological challenges that come at this time of life.Kristen is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. She is also a Peaks Coaching Group master coach; a USA Cycling Power-certified coach; a USA Track and Field coach, and works as the director of the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Science at West Virginia University. You can find more about her work at https://appliedcoaching.wvu.edu/faculty/kristen-dieffenbach

Mary Jane is clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine. She has been a North American Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) since 2002, and has been in private practice in New Haven, Connecticut for more than 35 years. Mary Jane has won myriad awards for excellence in her field and is an authority on all things related to hormone therapy, which she addresses in detail during this show. She’s super informative, straight shooting, an avid exerciser herself, and often hilarious. Be sure to head over to our Feisty Menopause Facebook or Instagram page to check out the photo on the show tile on. Mary Jane is posing in front of a row of some very interesting old gynaecological instruments… made of glass. For a deeper dive on all things women’s health, check her out at http://madameovary.com/

Recovery, resilience, and injury resistance gets harder as we get older. The harder and longer you go, the harder and longer the recovery process can be. This week’s guest, legendary ultra runner Magda Boulet knows all about what it takes to stay resilient and recover well even after the longest, hardest challenges. Since turning 45, Magda’s won the Marathon des Sables, a six day 156 mile stage race, in Morocco; completed the 172-mile Tahoe Rim Trail in 50 hours and 40 minutes, and won the 2019 Leadville Trail 100 Run. Earlier this year, she completed an “Everesting” run, running up and down the same hill to reach the vertical gain of Mount Everest—more than 29,000 feet. Now at age 47, she’s doing all that and more while going through perimenopause, being a mom to a teenager, and working at GU Energy and Boon as the Vice President of Research and Development. Magda was very open about how she’s had to change her training and lifestyle to stay strong and resilient and recover well during this stage of life and her career. You can learn more about her at https://www.magdaboulet.com/

Studies show women following a plant-based diet have fewer night sweats and hot flashes during menopause. So this week Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, owner of Active Eating Advice digs into the powers, and occasional pitfalls, of a plant-based diet: what it means and what foods to include for optimum muscle, bone, and hormonal health, as well as to sleep, feel, and perform your best. We also delve into the truths and myths surrounding soy, and cover the often overlooked topic of how to be kind to your gut. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, omnivorous, or mainly carnivorous, piling some plants on your plate is a good move, especially this time of life. Leslie is a sports nutritionist and dietitian and the owner of Active Eating Advice based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She is the author of Sport Nutrition for Coaches and the American Dietetic Association Guide to Better Digestion. She is the nutrition consultant for Carnegie Mellon University athletics and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She has worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Blue Jays, the Washington Nationals, and the WNBA. She is also the sports dietitian to the 2020 super bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs. Leslie is an ambassador for the Produce for Better Health Foundation and has coached countless plant-based endurance and power athletes. You can learn more about her work and services at https://activeeatingadvice.com/

Past trauma can lead to more severe symptoms and a more challenging menopause journey. This week, stress and resiliency expert Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., explains how stress and trauma can change our DNA and drag us down mentally and physically, especially at midlife. She also serves up a whole lot of hope and no B.S. advice for building your best present and future, no matter your past. Or in her words: “What you’re doing is trying to do everything in your power to inject joy, inject adventure, to inject badass and a sense of empowerment and control in your own life.” Pam is a three-time New York Times bestselling author including Fight Fat after Forty, Body for Life for Women, and The Hunger Fix: The 3 Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction. She is a science and health advisor for Apple, developing apps for use in the enhancement of stress resilience and healthy lifestyle habits. She also has her own podcast, HER: Learn the naked truth about HER mind, HER body and HER life. She is a nationally renowned physician, scientist, expert, and thought leader in the fields of integrative, preventive, and lifestyle medicine, and has been named one of America’s top physicians by the Consumers Research Council of America. You can learn more about her work and best selling books at https://drpeeke.com/ Find more information about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) at https://www.acesconnection.com/blog/got-your-ace-resilience-scores

Missing your usual mojo and motivation? Wrestling with body image issues? Want a little help setting meaningful goals that go beyond how fast you can run a 5K? You are not alone! This week, exercise scientist and mental performance expert Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach addresses these topics and more as we take a deep dive into the competitive psyche during menopause and how to cope with the psychological challenges that come at this time of life. Kristen is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. She is also a Peaks Coaching Group master coach; a USA Cycling Power-certified coach; a USA Track and Field coach, and works as the director of the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Science at West Virginia University. You can find more about her work at https://appliedcoaching.wvu.edu/faculty/kristen-dieffenbach

Low fat. High protein. Low carb. No carb. This week’s guests and authors of The Menopause Diet Plan, Hillary Wright and Elizabeth Ward, have seen diet trends come and go and come around again. And they know what works. Spoiler alert: Yes, you can - and should - eat carbs. We get into why, as well as all the other macronutrients, vitamins. minerals, and foods that menopausal women need for optimum health and performance. Hillary Wright, MEd, RDN, is a registered dietitian and the author of The PCOS Diet Plan and The Prediabetes Diet Plan. She is the director of nutrition counseling for the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health at Boston IVF, a Harvard-affiliated fertility treatment center. She works part-time as a senior nutritionist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a founding member of the nutrition technology company Good Measures LLC. Elizabeth Ward, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian with more than 30 years of experience counseling patients and writing about nutrition and health. She is a recipe developer and food photographer and the author or co-author of several books, including Expect the Best, Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy. Ward blogs about a healthy lifestyle at www.betteristhenewperfect.com. Learn more about their book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612208/the-menopause-diet-plan-by-hillary-wright-med-rdn-and-elizabeth-ward-ms-rdn/

Depression, anxiety, bone-crushing fatigue, incontinence, heart palpitations, migraines. What the hell is going on? Shockingly, your family doctor may not know it’s menopause. And you’ll end up feeling like you’re losing your mind like this week’s guest Amanda Thebe, author of Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too. Amanda was so frustrated by her two year odyssey to find out what was derailing her life (spoiler alert: it was perimenopause), she wrote a book to help other women avoid the same fate. It details her experience and offers concrete information about what happens during perimenopause, advice on how to advocate for yourself, and myriad ways to help yourself through the transition. She’s a certified personal trainer with many specialty certifications, a PN1 nutrition coach, and the owner of her own fitness company, Fit n’ Chips. You can find out more about her work and buy her book at https://www.fitnchips.com/

It happens. You sneeze, cough, or laugh…and leak. Or you can barely get your key in the door without wetting yourself. It’s common, but not normal…or necessary. This week, pelvic floor specialist Chloë Murdock, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS offers solutions to the incontinence that can happen during menopause. And, spoiler alert, there’s more to fixing it than Kegels—in fact they can make it worse. Chloë explains that there’s more to your core than your abs and obliques and how muscle imbalances and weaknesses in key parts of your core, which includes your pelvic floor, can lead to leaking, especially in active women. She talks about the importance of deep breathing and other exercises to improve pelvic health, decrease stress, and help stop incontinence. She is a doctor of physical therapy, a Slowtwitch and BikeFit certified bike fitter, as well as a Board Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and USATF level 1 and RRCA certified running coach based in Zurich, Switzerland. You can find out more about her work at https://www.chloemurdockpt.com/meet-chloe

Thirty four years ago, at the age of 42, Cherie Gruenfeld went from lying in bed eating sticky buns and watching the LA Marathon to buying running shoes and a book on how to run a marathon the very next day. She wanted to know what she was capable of. At 76 years old, after completing 28 Ironman races, winning 13 World Ironman titles and setting numerous course records around the world, she still does. Cherie is still eyeing up world records, setting goals, and living life by her philosophy: “I never want to wonder what if.” She also gives back as she pushes forward as a triathlon coach and as the Founder and Director of a non-profit foundation, Exceeding Expectations for at-risk kids in the San Bernardino area, using the sport of triathlon to redirect their lives. Cherie talks frankly about what it takes to stay on top of your game as you get older; how she approaches training and recovery, overcoming adversity, and much more. You can find out more about her race history, coaching services, and non-profit foundation at https://cheriegruenfeld.com/

Heavy periods, hot flashes, vaginal pain, debilitating full body achiness, we’ve got a hit parade of menopausal symptoms, and more importantly, solutions this week with guest Mary Jane Minkin, M.D. Mary Jane is clinical professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the Yale University School of Medicine. She has been a North American Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner (NCMP) since 2002, and has been in private practice in New Haven, Connecticut for more than 35 years. Mary Jane has won myriad awards for excellence in her field and is an authority on all things related to hormone therapy, which she addresses in detail during this show. She’s super informative, straight shooting, an avid exerciser herself, and often hilarious. Be sure to head over to our Feisty Menopause Facebook or Instagram page to check out the photo on the show tile on. Mary Jane is posing in front of a row of some very interesting old gynaecological instruments… made of glass. For a deeper dive on all things women’s health, check her out at http://madameovary.com/

It’s easy to beat yourself up (and down) with strength training. That’s not Erin Carson’s game. As the strength trainer for endurance athletes like 3x Ironman World Champion Mirinda Carfrae, Erin’s approach is building her athlete’s up to be not just strong, but also energetic, nimble, and fast. She dishes out plenty of thoughts on how we all can achieve those goals in this week's episode. She also practices what she preaches, recently running one of her fastest half marathons at age 54. She’s co-owner and coach at RallySport in Boulder, Colorado where she has worked for 27 years, and the head coach at ECFIT. She is also collaborating with Dr. Stacy Sims to produce training programs designed specifically for menopausal women. Those plans launch November 1st, but Hit Play Not Pause listeners can get early bird access—and discounts! Enter the promo code HITPLAY25 for $25 off Phase One of the Stacy Sims Strength Program at www.ecfitstrength.com and download her app: ECFIT Boulder to get workouts straight to your phone! Follow Erin on Instagram @ecfit_strength

What is happening?! You’ll find out as Selene Yeager talks all things menopause with Dr. Stacy Sims, exercise physiologist, nutrition scientist and the brains behind the women’s training and nutrition book ROAR. The show dives deep on symptoms and solutions, including specific fueling and training techniques and adaptogens that can help women maintain muscle, energy, and performance during their menopausal years. Find the list of adaptogens mentioned in the podcast and recommended doses at https://livefeisty.mykajabi.com/opt-in-587fd3d2-5d3e-4153-b1cf-6221c9cff823 Follow Dr. Stacy Sims on Instagram @drstacysims and visit her website at https://www.drstacysims.com/menopauseiscoming to sign up to join the waitlist for her upcoming Menopause for Athletes course.

Traditionally athletes in their 40s (and certainly their 50s) are supposed to retire and find something else to do. Not seven-time world champion Rebecca Rusch, who didn’t even start racing professionally as a mountain biker until age 38, and proceeded to rack up national and world victories, win Leadville 100 four times, DK200 three times, and crushed the first 350-mile DKXL gravel race at age 50. Talking menopause for the first time, Rebecca Rusch reveals what her transition through “the change” has been like and what she prioritizes now to continue hitting personal bests and pursue her passion. She’s living proof that midlife can be a time when women can truly hit their stride. Follow Rebecca on Instagram @rebeccarusch and visit her website at https://rusch-wear.myshopify.com/collections/books-and-film to purchase her book Rusch To Glory, co-authored by Selene Yeager.

Welcome to the Hit Play Not Pause Podcast, a Feisty Menopause podcast for active, performance-minded women who aren’t willing to put their best years behind them. It’s time to break the silence and get past the stigma of what you can accomplish as an active woman in your 40’s, 50’s and beyond. We’ll talk about how to optimize your physiology, maintain your fitness, and harness your power! Join host Selene Yeager for a no bullsh*t podcast for women ready to live their feistiest lives, and follow us on social @feistymenopause