Hit Play Not Pause

Erin Ayala, PhD, LP, CMPC — a sports psychologist who helps athletes with performance, anxiety, identity, and recovery. She discusses when dedication becomes compulsion, signs like tolerance and interference, links to perfectionism and midlife challenges, how coaches and boundaries can help, and the role of training culture and alternative coping strategies.

In this discussion, Dr. Bill Campbell, an exercise scientist and fitness expert, dives deep into groundbreaking findings from the largest menopause fitness survey. He reveals that 55% of fit midlife women are using hormone therapy, challenging common notions. Bill addresses the surprisingly high protein intake among respondents and defines weight-loss resistance during menopause. The conversation highlights how high-intensity interval training effectively targets visceral fat, making it a promising approach for women navigating these changes.

When the first signs of menopause hit, the temptation can be strong to throw everything we have at it–all the supplements, all the hacks, all the hormones. But not everything is right for everyone, and doing too much at once can backfire, leaving you feeling worse, lighter in the wallet, or both. This week, we take a more measured, targeted approach with pharmacist, nutritionist, and certified menopause lifestyle practitioner Sarah Gray, author of It’s Not You, It’s Perimenopause. A marathon runner herself, Sarah explains how incremental, sustainable changes—matched to your body, goals, and real life—can help you feel better now while protecting your health for the long run.Sarah Gray is one of Australia’s few dual-qualified health professionals in pharmacy and nutrition, and a Certified Menopause Lifestyle Practitioner. She takes a practical, science-based, whole-person approach to helping women thrive through perimenopause and beyond—blending nutrition, movement, mindset, and the smart use of supplements and medications. A trusted Australian health expert and social media thought leader, Sarah has appeared on Channel 10’s My Market Kitchen for four seasons and regularly contributes across radio, print, online media, and podcasts. In her debut book, The Australian Perimenopause Action Plan, she draws on 25+ years across pharmacy, private practice, public health, and the supplements industry to give women a clear, actionable roadmap for midlife. You can learn more about her and her work at thenutritionpharmacist.comResourcesBook: It's Not You, It’s Perimenopause Collagen studies: Specific collagen peptides benefit the biosynthesis of matrix molecules of tendons and ligamentsCollagen supplementation augments changes in patellar tendon properties in female soccer playersSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

“Carbs are evil.” As we usher in 2026, and as endurance athletes around the globe are stuffing down as many carbohydrates per hour as humanly possible to supercharge their performance, this week’s guest, sports dietitian Kristen Arnold, still manages misconceptions, especially from her midlife clients, that carbohydrates are something to be cut from the diet. Nothing could be further from the truth. This week we kick off the new year with a show all about the life and performance-boosting benefits of carbs. We cover carbohydrate timing, processed carbs versus unprocessed carbs, carbohydrate’s impact on blood sugar, brain function, mood, inflammation, general health, and much, much more.Kristen Arnold, MS, RDN, CSSD is a board-certified sports dietitian, cycling coach, and retired professional athlete with over 10 years of experience in sports dietetics. She has worked with a wide range of professional sports teams, athlete-centered healthcare initiatives, and Olympic organizations. Kristen owns a thriving private practice dedicated to empowering active women across the lifespan through evidence-based sports nutrition coaching and education. She is a first-author, peer-reviewed researcher on improving postmenopausal women’s health through targeted nutrition strategies and counseling, and she regularly speaks on podcasts and contributes to publications on sports nutrition topics. Learn more at sportsnutritionforwomen.com.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

This episode originally dropped on: March 19, 2025Many of us have spent a lifetime trying to shrink ourselves. We grew up being told you could never be too thin. As athletes, especially in endurance sports, smaller, lighter, faster was the ethos of the day. That is changing as we see athletes, especially women, discover that being fueled and strong yields even better performance–and longevity. This week’s guest, trainer and nutrition coach Steph Gaudreau embodies that journey through both her personal and professional life. She shares how, for 40+ women especially, growing muscles is the key to better energy and performance in sport and life, and how strength training is the gateway to midlife self-acceptance. Steph Gaudreau, CISSN, CPT, helps athletic women over 40 fuel themselves better, get stronger, increase their energy, and perform better in the gym. She’s a sports nutritionist and strength coach with multiple certifications including USA Weightlifting coach, Menopause Health & Fitness Specialist, Girls Gone Strong Women’s Coaching Specialist, and Intuitive Eating Counselor. She shares her advice on building strength, proper fueling, and much more as the host of the Fuel Your Strength Podcast. You can learn more about Steph and her work at www.stephgaudreau.comSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

This episode originally dropped on: June 2, 2025When some of the biggest names in menopause medicine want to learn to lift heavy, they turn to this week’s guest, Nike Master Trainer and midlife fitness advocate Holly Rilinger, founder of the LIFTED Method. Because Holly gets it. She’s been through her own journey with damaging diet culture, body image issues, and a challenging perimenopause that has left her navigating sheet soaking night sweats, brain fog, and fatigue. Through a midlife-specific training plan and tailored hormone therapy regimen (including testosterone), she’s been able to reclaim her energy and power and is devoted to helping others do the same. This week we dive into the science and strategy behind Holly’s Lifted Method and her Blueprint programs designed specifically for women in midlife, as well as for those using GLP-1 medications. This conversation is packed with insight, honesty, and a lot of muscle. You can learn more about Holly and her programs at www.theliftedmethodcoaching.comHolly Rilinger is a Nike Master Trainer, author, and founder of the LIFTED Method: An in-person and virtual platform with the focus of empowering people at all levels to strength train. Holly is dedicated to delivering innovative, science-backed training methods in an environment that prioritizes growth, resilience, and a lifelong passion for fitness. Holly coaches in her East Hampton studio and on her virtual platform. She is also the founder of LIFTED Blueprint, formerly Menopause Bootcamp, a program designed specifically to help women in midlife get stronger, feel more energized, and gain confidence as they navigate this powerful phase of life. She is also the creator of LIFTED’s newest program for SLP-1 patients–GLP-1 Blueprint in partnership with Dr. Alexandra Sowa of So Well.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

As we wrap up 2025 and start dreaming about our goals for the New Year, this week’s guest, ultracyclist Paula Ralph, has one simple message: Just go for it. We often wait until we’re 100% ready—which usually means we never start. But whether you succeed or fall short, you’ll be better for having tried. Paula knows this firsthand. She set out to break a world record riding solo from Cape Town, South Africa to Nordkapp, Norway. Sponsors pulled out. Mechanical issues piled up. She got heat stroke…and hit by a truck. Safety concerns forced reroutes. The record slipped away. But she didn’t stop. She kept going—ultimately riding 12,290 km across 17 countries in 126 days. And what she gained was far bigger than a record: proof that she’s stronger than she ever imagined, and a reminder of what midlife women can do when we dare to go big.Paula Ralph is a solo endurance cyclist who rode unsupported from Cape Town to Nordkapp, Norway — a 12,290 km journey across 17 countries in just 126 days. What began as a world record attempt quickly turned into a raw test of resilience. Navigating relentless challenges, both on and off the bike, Paula had to let go of the record and hold on to something more powerful — the will to keep going. Her journey is one of survival, courage, and what it means to find freedom at the edge of your comfort zone. She was recently named a "sporting hero" as one of the top 100 female cyclists by CyclingUK. You can learn more about her and her mission @thelongrideglobal on Instagram. Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

Are you burned out? Or just in a rough patch? Is it perimenopause, depression, or some messy mix of well, everything? In this episode, we’re joined by sports psychologist and endurance athlete Dr. Erin Ayala to unpack athletic burnout in midlife women—what it is, how it shows up, how it overlaps with perimenopause and mood changes, and how to tell it apart from being overreached, under-fueled, or just end-of-season tired. Erin also serves up some practical advice for what to do when every workout feels like a slog, how to talk to your coach, why rest, recovery, and carbs matter more than ever, and how to build a support team that actually communicates. We also dig into the grief of changing performance and body composition in midlife—and how to pivot without losing your identity as an athlete.Erin Ayala, PhD, LP, CMPC is a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) offering virtual mental health therapy for athletes aged 14 and above. She provides one-on-one performance coaching, CMPC mentorship, clinical supervision, and group workshops for teams and sport organizations. She supports athletes in injury recovery, managing performance anxiety, depression, pre-competition stress, confidence, and self-criticism. Located in Minnesota, she is licensed to work with athletes in 40 states. You can learn more about Dr. Ayala and her work at www.skadisportpsychology.comSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

As active women, muscle is the engine that powers us through our lives, no matter what sport we love. When we hit midlife and menopause, it can feel like that 8-cylinder engine drops to six—less punch when we hit the gas, even though we’re still training. We may notice less muscle and more body fat when we look in the mirror. Muscle and strength loss during the menopause transition is multifactorial. It’s hormonal changes and estrogen decline. It’s inflammation. It’s symptoms like poor sleep, joint pain, and fatigue. It’s body fat gain. It’s how we recover and fuel. And, of course, it’s aging itself, as both women and men lose muscle with age. Our approach to making and maintaining it has to be multifactorial as well. This week we talk all about muscle and menopause–from basic science to menopause symptoms to hormone therapy–to understand what’s going on under the hood and help keep that engine strong.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 is an Endocrine Consultant for Wild Health and Women’s Health Director at Eternal Health. Most recently, she has launched her own private practice specializing in helping active and high-performing women reach their performance potential from puberty through menopause. Dr. DiGirolamo is now seeing patients for virtual consultations for menopausal care and performance optimization. Visit her website www.drcarlad.com to learn more about her services and schedule an appointment.ResourcesAthletic Aging with Dr. Carla DiGirolamo on SubstackFor a full list of articles referred to in this episode, head to this linkSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr

The menopause transition is a critical tipping point for bone health. Bone loss accelerates rapidly in late perimenopause and continues for roughly 3 to 5 years after menopause begins–a window in which some women lose up to 20% of their total bone mass. For too long, society accepted this decline as inevitable. That fragility is our fate. That as women, our stature–and our lives and our worlds–just shrink as we age. Dr. Lisa Moore, DPT, founder of Brick House Bones, is on a mission to change that. After a surprise osteopenia diagnosis of her own, she rebuilt her bone density by 3% in a single year. Now she’s helping tens of thousands of women reclaim their skeletal strength, too, including those navigating uniquely challenging circumstances like cancer recovery. She shares her recipe for maintaining and building strong bones this week.Dr. Lisa Moore, DPT, is on a mission to help over one million people with low bone density turn fear into action—and build the strength to do the things they love with the people they love! She’s a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a certified yoga and mindfulness educator, and a BoneFit™ Trained Healthcare Professional specializing in evidence-based exercise for osteoporosis. Lisa is the founder of Brick House Bones, a global movement helping women build stronger bodies and stronger bones. She also runs her own clinic, Strong Bones Physical Therapy, just outside of Seattle, Washington. With degrees from the University of Maine, the University of Washington, and the University of South Dakota, Lisa brings together science, movement, compassion, and community to help her clients thrive at every age.ResourcesBrick House Bones with Dr. Lisa Moore, DPT, hereHigh-Intensity Resistance and Impact Training Improves Bone Mineral Density and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Women With Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: The LIFTMOR Randomized Controlled Trial, hereStronger back muscles reduce the incidence of vertebral fractures: a prospective 10 year follow-up of postmenopausal women, hereSkeletal site-specific effects of jump training on bone mineral density in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis, hereWeighted Vests in Midlife: Hype? Help? Harm?, hereFRAX fracture risk calculator Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join us at Feisty Fest September 18-20, 2026: https://feisty.co/events/feisty-fest/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners: Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo: Use the code FEISTY2026 to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/WVhdr