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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**

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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. 

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. 

**Support the Podcast**

InsideTracker: 20% 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/

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. 

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. 

**Support the Podcast**

InsideTracker: 20% 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/

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/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/

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.

**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/

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. 

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/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/

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/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/

Nutrisense: Use code "HITPLAY" at https://www.nutrisense.io/hitplay for $30 off any subscription to the CGM program

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/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/