
Hit Play Not Pause
Perimenopause and menopause hit active women differently. We have a different lifestyle and different goals. And we know our bodies. Whether you run and hike or do CrossFit and ski (or a little of everything!), you’ve had a way of eating and exercising that worked…until the menopause transition, when it all goes out the window as body composition changes, fatigue, body aches, sleepless nights, hot flashes, brain fog, mood swings, and low mojo blindside you out of the blue—despite doing everything right. Your doctor may (or may not) help with hormone replacement therapy. But what about all the active stuff you love? You’re already exercising and eating well. What you want is to feel and perform like you used to. That doesn’t mean fasting, swearing off carbs for life, or just slowing down. It means adjusting your nutrition, training, recovery, and mindset to work with your changing physiology as you hit this phase of life. And we’re here for it.
At Hit Play Not Pause, we know the potential of women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond, because we talk to elite athletes and everyday active women who are still hitting personal bests along with world-renowned sports dietitians, researchers, medical and menopause specialists to help you understand what’s happening under the hood during the menopause transition and more importantly, what you can do about it—from hormone therapy to heavy lifting and everything in between—to feel and perform your best.
Host Selene Yeager is a health and science journalist with 30 years’ experience and more than two dozen books to her name. She also lives an active life as a former Ironman triathlete and professional mountain bike racer who still rides, runs, paddles, hikes, lifts, and through her work at Feisty Menopause helps others do the same.
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Latest episodes

Jun 14, 2023 • 53min
Balance is Not a Weakness with Baz Moffat (Episode 134)
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 lifeSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Jun 7, 2023 • 51min
The Power of a Fresh Start with Tonya Oxendine (Episode 133)
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 Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

May 31, 2023 • 41min
Your Questions Answered! (Episode 132)
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, MPTSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

May 24, 2023 • 53min
Mastering Your Menopause Mindset with Cara Bradley (Episode 131)
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. Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

May 17, 2023 • 49min
Putting Menopause on Ice with Jen McNutt (Episode 130)
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.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

May 10, 2023 • 1h 14min
The Art of Menopause Performance with Lisa Congdon (Episode 129)
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 hereSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

May 3, 2023 • 1h 14min
Breathe Your Way to Better Menopausal Health with Jill Miller (Episode 128)
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) hereSign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Apr 26, 2023 • 1h 8min
Just Keep Swimming with Sarah Thomas (Episode 127)
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.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Apr 19, 2023 • 1h 2min
Hormone Therapy: Where We Are & Where We’re Going with Carla DiGirolamo, MD, PhD (Episode 126)
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:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

Apr 12, 2023 • 1h 6min
Midlife, Menopause & Masturbation with Lou Featherstone (Episode 125)
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/Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feistymedia.ac-page.com/feisty-40-sign-up-page Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Hettas: Use code FEISTY20 for 20% off at https://hettas.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/ Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% off Previnex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Spotify Ad Analytics - https://www.spotify.com/us/legal/ad-analytics-privacy-policy/Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy