Aging with Intention

Hormonal changes are part of aging—but most of us areremarkably unprepared for them.

In this episode of Aging with Intention, Dr. Nicole Dawson talks with Carey Rothschild, PT, DPT, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner, about what actually happens to our bodies as hormones change across midlife—and why these conversations need to begin much earlier.

For women, perimenopause and menopause can affect far more than reproductive health. Changes in estrogen can influence sleep, mood, cognition, cardiovascular health, muscles, bones, joints, pelvic health, recovery, and even how comfortable we feel moving through everyday life. And while hormonal aging looks very different in men, changes in testosterone and other age-related factors can also affect strength, body composition, sexual health, and function.

Nicole and Carey explore why so many of us—even healthcareprofessionals—were never taught to recognize these changes, what symptoms may be overlooked or dismissed as “just getting older,” and how understanding what is happening can give us more options rather than make us fearful of aging.

They also talk about why midlife is such an important windowfor protecting our future health through strength training, weight-bearing activity, sleep, recovery, nutrition, pelvic health care, appropriate medical support, and simply becoming better informed about our own bodies.

One of the central themes of this conversation is that adaptation and surrender are not the same thing. Our bodies do change as we age, but understanding those changes gives us opportunities to respond thoughtfully rather than simply assuming that every new symptom or limitation is inevitable.

About Carey Rothschild

Carey Rothschild, PT, DPT, is a Clinical AssociateProfessor in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at the University of Central Florida and a nationally recognized physical therapist, educator, and clinician with more than 25 years of experience in orthopedics and sports medicine.

She is board-certified in Orthopaedic and Sports PhysicalTherapy, has advanced certification in pelvic health, and is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner. Her work focuses on pain science, the female athlete, and the musculoskeletal impact of menopause. Carey is passionate about helping women understand their bodies, stay active, and continue doing the things they love across the lifespan. She is also an avid runner, swimmer, and triathlete who has completed numerous endurance events, including the Boston Marathon.

Connect with Dr. Rothschild:

[email protected]

Resources mentioned:

The Menopause Society

National Menopause Foundation

The Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause

About Aging with Intention

Aging with Intention explores how we can age with greater health, purpose, and possibility—and ultimately toward our highest potential.

Hosted by Dr. Nicole Dawson, the podcast brings evidence-informed conversations about aging to everyone who is aging, those caring for someone they love, and clinicians helping others age.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide individual medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with an appropriate healthcare professional about questions related to your individual health or care.

How would you know if your mobility was beginning to change—before a fall, before significant difficulty, and before you thought of yourself as having a mobility problem?

In this episode, Dr. Nicole Dawson talks with physical therapist and aging researcher Michelle “Missy” Criss about the subtle signs of early mobility change and why recognizing them creates an opportunity to act. They explore preclinical mobility limitation, the value of routine mobility assessment, how everyday adaptations can signal change, and what people can do when their concerns are dismissed as “just getting older.”

Most importantly, this conversation reframes mobility as something we can intentionally train for the future—not something we wait to lose.

About Dr. Criss

Michelle (Missy) Criss received her initial physical therapy training at Virginia Commonwealth University, transitional DPT from the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD in Physical Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Criss is board certified in geriatric physical therapy and is Associate Professor and Assistant Director of Curriculum in ChathamUniversity’s DPT Program. She is proud to have developed the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute’s Geriatric Physical Therapy Residency program in which she continues to serve as a faculty member. Her clinical experience spans 31 years and several practice settings (SNF, IRF, HH, adult day program), but her primary experience was in SNF.  Her research interests encompass quality of life in an intergenerational living facility (including ageism/attitudes about aging) and the use of tests and measures with older adults (including work on a national task force exploring a standardized Annual Mobility Assessment for aging adults to identify preclinical mobility limitations). Dr. Criss has served and presented at local, state, national, and international levels. In 2023, she was deeply honored to receive the APTA Geriatrics Joan M. Mills Service Award.

Learn more about Dr. Criss:

Chatham University Faculty Profile: https://www.chatham.edu/academics/graduate/physical-therapy/faculty/michelle-criss.html

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZJ6RjaIAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-missy-criss/

Resources mentioned in this episode:

APTA Geriatrics Annual Mobility Assessment: Learn more about the Annual Mobility Assessment initiative and access resourcesdeveloped to help physical therapists identify mobility changes earlier. https://aptageriatrics.org/annual-mobility-assessment/

About Aging with Intention

Aging with Intention explores how we can age with greater health, purpose, and possibility—and ultimately toward our highest potential. Hosted by Dr. Nicole Dawson, the podcast brings evidence-informed conversations about aging to everyone who is aging, those caring for someone they love, and clinicians helping others age.

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to provide individual medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with an appropriate healthcare professional about questions related to your individual health or care.

What if one of the most powerful influences on how we age is the story we tell ourselves about what aging means?

In this inaugural episode of Aging with Intention, Dr. Nicole Dawson sits down with Marc Middleton, Founder and CEO of Growing Bolder, for a wide-ranging conversation about possibility, purpose, preparation, and the way our beliefs about aging shape the choices we make throughout life.

Marc has spent nearly two decades sharing the stories of ordinary people who continue to pursue meaningful, active, engaged lives regardless of age or circumstance. Together, Nicole and Marc explore why aging should not automatically be framed through decline and limitation, how we can prepare now for the lives we want later, why community and purpose matter, and what healthcare professionals can do differently when working with older adults.

This is not a conversation about denying the realities of aging. It is about recognizing that challenge and possibility can exist at the same time—and that we may have far more influence over our aging trajectories than we think.

The episode closes with a simple but powerful challenge: What story are you telling yourself about aging?

About Marc Middleton

Marc Middleton is a multiple Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, author, speaker, and filmmaker and the Founder and CEO of Growing Bolder, a media company that creates and distributes active-lifestyle content for older adults.

He hosts the national television programs Growing Bolder and What’s Next!, as well as the Growing Bolder podcast. He is also the writer and director of the Emmy-nominated documentary Conquering Kilimanjaro and the author of Growing Bolder: Defy the Cult of Youth.

A former Orlando sports and news anchor, Marc is also a seven-time Masters Swimming world record holder.

For nearly 20 years, Growing Bolder has shared stories of people who continue to love and engage with life regardless of age or challenge, with a focus on mindset, possibility, and belief in what can still be ahead.

A Central Idea from the Conversation

Marc’s work emphasizes looking at aging through a lens of opportunity and possibility rather than only loss and limitation, while still acknowledging the very real challenges that can accompany aging.

His keynote work similarly focuses on the gap between what may now be possible in later life and the way aging is still commonly perceived and experienced.

Learn More About Marc & Growing Bolder

Growing Bolder: https://GrowingBolder.com

Growing Bolder Longevity Club: https://club.growingbolder.com/club-individual-plan/

The Bold Start & Growing Bolder Insider: https://growingbolder.com/insider-sign-up/

Book: Growing Bolder: Defy the Cult of Youth, Live with Passion and Purpose - https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Bolder-Youth-Passion-Purpose/dp/0984930019/

Follow Growing Bolder

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrowingBolder
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growingbolder
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrowingBolder

Welcome to Aging with Intention.

When do we start aging? Much earlier than most of us think — and that may be good news.

In this brief introduction, Dr. Nicole Dawson shares the idea at the heart of the podcast: aging isn’t something that suddenly begins when we become “old.” Many of the changes that shape how we live later in life begin years or even decades earlier, and we may have more influence over that trajectory than we realize.

Aging with Intention brings together leading experts to explore the science of aging — and, more importantly, what we can do today to shape how we live tomorrow.

Whether you’re thinking about your own future, caring for someone you love, or supporting older adults professionally, these conversations are designed to translate science into practical, meaningful strategies for living well across adulthood.

Because it’s never too early — and never too late — to live with intention and age to our highest potential.

New episodes begin October 1.