Hit Play Not Pause

When people go on GLP-1 medications, part of the treatment plan is to encourage them to exercise. But what about all the already active–even athletic–women who are layering them onto serious training? That’s less clear…and far less researched. Performance nutritionist Heidi Skolnik, author of the new book Your GLP-1 Game Plan, returns to break down how these medications really work, the side effects you may be prepared for (as well as some important ones nobody warns you about), and how to protect your muscles and bones and build a fueling strategy that actually works. We also get into hydration, supplements, eating-disorder red flags, and whether serious performance and GLP-1s can coexist. This one is filled with real talk, no shame, and no easy answers.
Considered a thought leader in nutrition, Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, is a NY Times best-selling co author, part of The Women’s Sports Medicine Center at Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC and oversees the Performance Nutrition program at The Juilliard School. She started the Performance Nutrition program at the School of American Ballet and worked as team nutritionist for the WNBA NY Liberty, NBA Knicks, NFL Giants and MLB Mets. Heidi sits on the medical advisory board of the National Menopause Foundation and The NYRR (New York Road Runners) and sat on the board of The National Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation for 10 years. Heidi has earned two Master’s degrees (exercise physiology and human nutrition) and is a Fellow with the American College of Sports Medicine. Heidi began her career in corporate fitness and wellness at Morgan Stanley for the Sports Training Institute. As a realist, Heidi believes M&M’s can fit into a healthy eating style along with red peppers, red meat, broccoli, and fresh fruit. You can learn more about her work and get the book at www.heidiskolnik.com

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Today's menopause conversation is dominated by hormone therapy, which leaves many women who can't use it feeling left out and worried about their current and future health and well-being. This week's guests, Drs. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su and Amy Voedisch — co-authors of Estrogen, Interrupted and hosts of the OvaryActive podcast — are here to bring some evidence-backed hope. Because no HT doesn't mean "sorry, you'll just have to suffer." Together we map out who actually shouldn't use hormone therapy versus outdated "rules" that no longer apply. The doctors break down the new NK3/NK1 "candy neuron" blockers Veozah and Lynkuet, the underrated combo drug Duavee, why vaginal estrogen is nearly contraindication-free, and how CBT, clinical hypnosis, and old-school options like gabapentin fit into the non-hormonal toolbox. Plus: bone health, DEXA scan timing, and why perimenopause — not menopause — is often the hardest stretch. Check out their book Estrogen, Interrupted and their podcast OvaryActive to learn more.
Dr. Rebecca Dunsmoor-Su is a board-certified OB-GYN and Menopause Society-certified practitioner. She is the chief medical officer at Gennev, a telemedicine platform specializing in perimenopause and menopause, medical director at Seattle Clinical Research Center, and an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington State University. She holds a Masters of Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Amy Voedisch is a board certified OB-GYN and certified menopause practitioner through The Menopause Society. She is an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University and board-certified in Complex Family Planning. She holds a Masters of Epidemiology and Clinical Research from Stanford University.

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Anxiety, rage, depression, 3am wake-ups, fear that freezes you in your tracks — psychiatrist Dr. Allie Sharma joins us this week to explain why perimenopause is a real window of mental health risk. We unpack how shifting and declining estrogen and progesterone levels drive mood, sleep, and anxiety changes (and why anxiety is often the first symptom, even before hot flashes), plus how hormone therapy, medication, testosterone, acupuncture, and CBT can help, often in combination. We close with a guided breathing and full body-scan exercise to help calm the nerves during this often emotionally-fraught time.
Dr. Allie Sharma (Sonali Sharma, MD) is a Cornell-trained, board-certified adult psychiatrist who ran a private Manhattan practice for over a decade. She's currently Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Being Health, a Women's Health Advisor for menopause care startup Evernow, and an advisor to Kenneth Cole's Mental Health Coalition, following a role as Associate Medical Director at Cityblock Health. Her background spans emergency and student psychiatry at Columbia, mental health work with NYC's homeless population, and global public health leadership, including advising post-conflict countries and the World Health Organization (Libya, Ethiopia, mhGAP guidelines) and directing a ThriveNYC workforce initiative. She earned her MD from Weill Cornell, trained at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and UCSF, and holds a master's from the London School of Economics. She is a mother of two and lives in Brooklyn, NY. You can learn more about her and her work at sonalisharmamd.com and Beinghealth.co.

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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

Anyone who's played a full 18 holes of golf knows you need to reset, refuel, and refocus before heading into the back nine. Well, midlife works the same way, says this week's guest, OG Peloton instructor Jenn Sherman, who calls this stage of life her "Back Nine Era." Jenn opens up about her perimenopause-to-menopause journey and what it was like navigating it on camera, in front of a Peloton community that's watched her age in real time. We also dig into how her training has shifted — ditching calorie counting, embracing strength training, taking plenty of daily walks, and leaving the BS behind. Jenn also explains why she's not on hormone therapy but encourages every woman to talk to her doctor about it, and why joy, connection, and recovery matter just as much as any training plan at this stage of life.
Jenn Sherman is Peloton’s original cycling instructor and a trusted voice for women navigating midlife. A former stay-at-home mom who didn’t become a spin instructor until her early 40s, and didn’t join Peloton until age 45, Jenn’s career is a testament to reinvention at every stage of life. As Jenn began sharing more openly about the physical, mental, and emotional changes she experienced in her 50s, she recognized a growing need for honest conversations about this stage of life. That led to the creation of The Back Nine Era, a lifestyle platform and mindset shift focused on longevity, strength, cognitive health, fueling the body in midlife, and the power of human connection. Jenn continues to teach at Peloton while building The Back Nine Era as a space for women who want to live fully, move confidently, and approach the next decades of life with intention, strength, and clarity. You can follow her on Instagram at pelotonjenn and her collaboration with her best friend Sunny at sunnyandjenn.

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Hettas: Shop Hettas at https://alnk.to/h6KsEBr
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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

Recent research shows that between 40 and 60% of women either change or quit their sport due to bladder leaks. That’s 100% too many in our book. So this week we sat down with Dr. Lauren Siff, a double board-certified urogynecologist to demystify one of women's health's most under-discussed issues: urinary leakage. We break down the differences between stress and urge incontinence, why athletes and active women are prone to leaking, and how the menopausal transition can worsen the situation through declining estrogen, shifting vaginal pH, and rising UTI risk. Dr. Siff walks us through the full range of solutions, from pelvic floor exercises and support devices to Botox, bladder stimulators, and the game-changing role of vaginal estrogen, plus how to know when it's time to seek care. Her message is loud and clear in this one: no matter how small or severe the symptoms, there's help available — and you never have to stop doing what you love.
Dr. Siff is a double board-certified urogynecologist and Chief of Gynecology and Urogynecology for the Central Virginia VA Health Care System and Associate Professor at VCU School of Medicine and VCU Institute of Engineering. A dedicated innovator and surgical educator — with a Distinguished Educator certificate from the Cleveland Clinic and founder of SurgicalEd VR, which uses VR and haptic technology to improve the quality, safety, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility of surgical training. She also serves board and committee roles with the Society for Gynecologic Surgeons, American Urogynecologic Society, and American Association of GYN Laparoscopists. She is Central Virginia Site Lead for the National VA Women's Health Research Network, and chairman of the U.S. National Surgery Office's Surgical Advisory Board for GYN. Philanthropically, she directs surgeon training for Global Surgical Expedition, driven by a mission to democratize access to surgical training and vital surgical procedures worldwide.

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Support our Partners:
Hettas: Shop Hettas at https://alnk.to/h6KsEBr
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Previnex: Get 15% off your 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