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Hit Play Not Pause

Hit Play Not Pause

By: Hit Play Not Pause
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 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.All rights reserved Exercise & Fitness Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Stop Spinning Your Wheels: Fueling for Real Midlife Gains with Meghann Featherstun, MS, RD, CSSD (Episode 263)

    Stop Spinning Your Wheels: Fueling for Real Midlife Gains with Meghann Featherstun, MS, RD, CSSD (Episode 263)
    Feb 25 2026

    Sports nutrition is confusing. Sports nutrition for endurance athletes is even more confusing. And sports nutrition for midlife female endurance athletes? That’s where a lot of women end up working incredibly hard… and getting nowhere, because they’re trying to outrain a fueling problem. This week we sat down with sports dietitian and endurance athlete Meghann Featherstun of Featherstone Nutrition to talk about the fueling mistakes that women often struggle with the most: iron status, energy availability, carbohydrate fueling, hydration, and GI distress, along with the emerging complications of GLP-1 medications.

    Meghann Featherstun, MS, RD, CSSD Owner and founder of Featherstone Nutrition ltd, Meghann has been working with endurance athletes as a board certified sports dietitian for the last 10 years. Passionate about helping runners, triathletes, and active individuals crush their biggest, baddest performance goals through solid daily & performance nutrition. A 3:58 to 2:49 marathoner herself, she knows what it takes to use solid nutrition to elevate potential as an athlete. You can learn more about her and her work at featherstonenutrition.com

    Resources

    Carbohydrate Ingestion on Exercise Metabolism and Physical Performance, here.

    Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/

    Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/

    Follow Us on Instagram:

    Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause

    Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099

    Support our Partners:

    Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/

    Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/

    Previnex: Get 15% off your first 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
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The Menopause Sleep Syndrome: Why You’re Up at 3 a.m.—and What Helps with Andrea Matsumura, MD, MS, FACP, FAASM (Episode 262)

    The Menopause Sleep Syndrome: Why You’re Up at 3 a.m.—and What Helps with Andrea Matsumura, MD, MS, FACP, FAASM (Episode 262)
    Feb 18 2026

    Up in the middle of the night at 2:37 a.m. like clockwork? Toss and turn, desperately trying to slip into slumber? Eyes pop open at 4 a.m. though you’d really love to sleep in till at least 6? Are you just tired all the time? Welcome to the sleep syndrome of menopause–a common cluster of midlife sleep problems this week’s guest Dr. Andrea Matsumura treats every day. We break down what’s behind women’s sleep woes, including sleep apnea, lifestyle factors, and of course menopause. She also shares her DREAM Method as a practical framework for getting a solid night’s rest.

    Dr. Andrea Matsumura, MD, MS, FACP, FAASM is a board-certified sleep medicine physician, menopause expert, speaker, and founder of the D.R.E.A.M. Sleep Method™. Known as Sleep Goddess MD, she specializes in helping women optimize sleep, circadian rhythm, and health during midlife. She is board-certified in Internal and Sleep Medicine, trained at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and Oregon Health & Science University, and previously built a women-focused sleep consult service at The Oregon Clinic. Dr. Matsumura currently serves as Medical Director at Cascadia Health, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, co-founder of the M/Power Menopause Collective, and a leader in the Sleep Is Good Medicine™ campaign. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, SHAPE, SELF, and CNN Underscored. You can learn more about her and her work at andreamatsumuramd.com

    Resources

    You Deserve to Get Good Sleep with Andrea Matsumura, MD (Episode 91)
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Why So Many Midlife Women Stop Wanting Sex—and What Helps with Cindy Scharkey, RN, BSN, PHN (Episode 261)

    Why So Many Midlife Women Stop Wanting Sex—and What Helps with Cindy Scharkey, RN, BSN, PHN (Episode 261)
    Feb 11 2026

    Midlife and menopause can bring real physical and psychological changes that affect libido, arousal, and pleasure—but that doesn’t mean desire or a satisfying sex life are destined to disappear. This week we sat down with registered nurse and Permission for Pleasure author Cindy Scharkey to unpack what actually happens to desire, arousal, pleasure, and our bodies as we move through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond. We explore why so many women stop wanting sex in midlife, how hormones, stress, body image, and long-term relationships play a role, and why waiting to be “in the mood” often doesn’t work anymore (and more importantly, what does).

    Cindy Scharkey, RN, BSN, PHN, is a healthcare professional with almost 4 decades of experience. Throughout her career as a Certified Childbirth Educator, OB/GYN nurse and speaker, she has been consistently exposed to the taboos and silence surrounding women’s sexuality. Cindy is passionate about providing women with the content and self-confidence they need to find freedom on their own sexual wellness journey. As the author of Permission for Pleasure: Tending Your Sexual Garden, and Host of the Permission for Pleasure podcast, Cindy offers education and conversations about expressing, experiencing and enjoying your sexuality. You can learn more about her, her book, and her work at www.cindyscharkey.com

    Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/

    Feisty Strong Retreat, April 17-19, 2026 - Atlanta https://feisty.co/events/feisty-strong-retreat-atlanta/

    Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/

    Follow Us on Instagram:

    Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause

    Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099

    Support our Partners:

    Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/

    Hettas: Use code STAYFEISTY for 20% off at https://hettas.com/

    Previnex: Get 15% off your first 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
    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
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