“Respect your body where it is,” says Christine Yu.

Christine, an award-winning sports journalist and author, joins us to discuss everything women should know about starting an exercise routine, plus:

- Christine’s personal & professional background (~00:15)

- How women & men exercise differently (~02:46)

- Why women tend to have more knee injuries (~05:04)

- How to prevent injuries as you age (~13:21)

- The importance of rest & recovery for kids (~17:48)

- How to raise your kids to be good sports (~22:20)

- How early you should start strength training (~25:44)

- How to eat for hormonal balance (~30:42)

- Where women have more strength advantages over men (~34:51)

- How to enhance your mental game (~39:38)

- Why so many people get injured playing pickle ball (~44:38)

- How long you actually need to rest & recover after an injury (~48:07)

- The importance of joy in exercise (~54:43)

- The future of exercise research (~57:18)

- The woman athlete Christine admires most (~01:00:51)

Trigger warning: This podcast contains mentions of disordered eating.

Referenced in the episode:

- Christine's book, Up to Speed: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes.

- mbg Podcast episode #404, with Maria Shriver.

- Research on ACL tears in women.

- A study on knee differences between female dancers & soccer players.

- A study on female vs. male ultra-marathoners.

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