Strength training might be one of the most powerful tools we have for long-term health—yet it’s still one of the most overlooked.

In this episode, Dr. Laura is joined by Dr. Samantha Fox, Doctor of Physical Therapy and founder of Breakout PT & Wellness, to break down why resistance training matters and how it supports everything from injury prevention to longevity.

We talk about what strength training actually is (and isn’t), why it’s especially important for women as we age, and how building muscle impacts your body on a cellular level—not just how you look, but how you function.

This conversation is for anyone who wants to stay active, strong, and capable for the long run—whether that means hiking, skiing, lifting your kids, or simply moving through life with confidence.

💪 Join Us: Ladies Learn to LiftWant to learn how to strength train in a supportive, hands-on environment?

We’re hosting a Ladies Learn to Lift workshop + series at Ascent Health & Performance to teach you the fundamentals of lifting with confidence.

👉 https://ascentak.com/ladies-learn-to-lift/

In this episode, we cover:

• What counts as resistance training (and how it differs from cardio)

• Why strength training is critical for injury prevention

• The connection between muscle, metabolism, and bone density

• Mental health benefits and building confidence through strength

• Why women are unlikely to “bulk up”

• How much strength training you actually need (hint: it’s doable)

• Common mistakes people make when starting

• Practical ways to start—even if you don’t have a gym

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past—what matters is that you start now. Strength training helps you build a body that supports the life you want to live.

Connect with Samantha Fox, DPT & Breakout PT & Wellness

Instagram: @BreakoutPTandWellness
Website: BreakoutPTandWellness.com

On The Ascent: Health is produced by Ascent Health & Performance in Anchorage, Alaska — a clinic dedicated to helping people stay strong, active, and adventurous for life.

Connect with Dr. Laura & Ascent Health & Performance

Website: ⁠⁠https://ascentak.com/⁠⁠

Podcast : ⁠⁠ascentak.com/podcast⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠@ascenthealth_ak⁠

If you’re exercising, eating well, and doing everything you know to do—but your body composition still isn’t changing—this episode is for you.

In this conversation, Dr. Laura Peterson Wright sits down with EB, an integrative nurse practitioner at Eden Health Alaska, to unpack what’s often called weight resistance—and why fat loss becomes harder with age, stress, hormonal shifts, and metabolic changes.

Rather than focusing on the number on the scale, this episode dives into body composition, energy, and longevity. We explore how sleep, insulin resistance, cortisol, gut health, and hormonal balance all interact—and why tools like intermittent fasting can be powerful or counterproductive depending on timing, stress levels, and where you are in life.

You’ll learn:

• What weight resistance really is and why “doing everything right” may no longer work

• How chronic stress, poor sleep, and insulin resistance stall fat loss

• Why intermittent fasting isn’t one-size-fits-all—especially for women

• How cortisol and thyroid function influence metabolism and energy

• The role of gut health and cravings in body composition

• Simple, sustainable habits that actually support metabolic health

This episode is about working with your physiology—not fighting it—and building strength, resilience, and long-term health.

Connect with EB Osara, Integrative Nurse Practitioner
🌐 Website: https://www.edenhealthak.com
📸 Instagram: @eden_health_ak
📞 Office: 907-302-3006

Connect With Us:

On the Ascent: Health is brought to you by Ascent Health & Performance — a multidisciplinary clinic in Anchorage, Alaska offering chiropractic care, physical therapy, shockwave therapy, personal training, and small-group fitness.

🌐 ⁠https://www.ascenthealthak.com⁠

📸 Instagram: @ascenthealth_ak

Most women were never taught how their menstrual cycle actually works — or how deeply it affects energy, mood, stress tolerance, workouts, and overall health.

In this episode of On The Ascent: Health, Dr. Laura Peterson Wright is joined by functional hormone specialist Anne McLeary for a practical, eye-opening conversation about hormones, stress, and learning to work with your cycle instead of constantly pushing through it.

Anne explains why so many women experience heavy or painful periods, PMS, irregular cycles, or burnout, and how modern stress, blood sugar dysregulation, and environmental toxins can disrupt ovulation and hormone balance. We break down the four phases of the menstrual cycle in a simple, approachable way and discuss how energy, motivation, and resilience naturally change throughout the month.

This episode also covers:

• Why ovulation quality matters — even if you’re not trying to conceive

• The connection between stress, estrogen dominance, and progesterone

• What cycle syncing actually means for workouts, nutrition, sleep, and social plans

• Why symptoms like PMS and extreme fatigue aren’t “just normal”

• Simple, actionable steps women can take right now to better support their hormones

• How understanding your cycle now can support a healthier transition into menopause

Workshop

Anne McLeary will be hosting an in-person women’s hormone workshop at Ascent Health & Performance on February 3rd at 6:00 PM, where she’ll dive deeper into understanding your menstrual cycle and supporting hormone balance naturally.

🔗 Learn more and register here:
https://ascentak.com/workshop-womens-hormones/

Connect

Anne McLeary
Instagram: @mcleary.anne
Website: https://www.annemcleary.com

Ascent Health & Performance
Instagram: @ascenthealth_ak
Website: https://www.ascentak.com

About the Podcast:
On The Ascent: Health explores evidence-based conversations around women’s health, performance, longevity, and living well — hosted by Dr. Laura Peterson Wright of Ascent Health & Performance in Anchorage, Alaska.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review — it helps more people discover the show.

In this episode of On the Ascent: Health, Dr. Laura Peterson Wright sits down with Dr. Breana Hauskins, a licensed naturopathic physician practicing in Alaska and Montana, to break down gut health in a clear, practical way.

We cover what gut health actually means, why it plays such a foundational role in energy, hormones, immunity, and inflammation, and how food sensitivity testing and functional lab work can be used as tools to guide healing.

This episode also includes a real-life look at Dr. Laura’s own food sensitivity results and why unexpected foods can sometimes show up, while common offenders don’t.

Description)In this episode, we discuss:

• What “gut health” really includes (beyond just digestion)

• The role of stomach acid, enzymes, motility, and absorption

• The gut microbiome and why it matters

• How the standard American diet impacts gut balance and inflammation

• Keto and carnivore diets — potential benefits, limitations, and context

• Processed foods, preservatives, and agricultural chemicals

• Fermented foods and why modern diets are missing them

• Food sensitivity testing (IgG vs IgE) and how to interpret results

• Common mistakes people make when trying to fix gut health on their own

• Why extreme diets and supplement overload often backfire

• When probiotics, enzymes, or testing may actually be helpful

Dr. Bre emphasizes a “test, don’t guess” approach—using objective data, thoughtful diet changes, and realistic lifestyle strategies rather than extremes.

If you’ve ever wondered why your gut symptoms don’t seem to make sense—or why fixing them feels overwhelming—this episode brings clarity and balance to a very noisy topic.

🔗 Learn More About Dr. Bre

Northern Lights Natural Medicine
🌿 Website: https://www.northernlightsnaturalmedicine.com/

🤍 Connect With Us:

On the Ascent: Health is brought to you by Ascent Health & Performance — a multidisciplinary clinic in Anchorage, Alaska offering chiropractic care, physical therapy, shockwave therapy, personal training, and small-group fitness.

📍 Anchorage, Alaska
🌐 https://www.ascenthealthak.com
📸 Instagram: @ascenthealth_ak

In this follow-up conversation, Dr. Laura continues her discussion with registered dietitian Kylie Viens, diving into what nutrition actually looks like in real life — not on paper.

They talk about practical strategies for eating out, navigating food prep without overwhelm, and why when you eat can matter just as much as what you eat. Kylie also explains how stress, mood, and hunger influence food choices, and why willpower is rarely the real issue.

This episode covers:

• How to approach eating out without rigid food rules

• Simple ways to think about food prep (even if it feels intimidating)

• Why meal timing impacts energy, mood, and stress

• The relationship between blood sugar, anxiety, and food choices

• Emotional eating vs. under-fueling

• Navigating nutrition during busy seasons, holidays, and social events

• When it may be helpful to work with a dietitian — even preventatively

Kylie also shares her personal perspective on staying healthy through different seasons of life, including motherhood, and why maintaining energy, strength, and long-term health is a priority for her.

Connect with Kylie Viens & FlyFit Nutrition

Website: ⁠⁠Fly Fit Nutrition⁠

Book a Free 15 minute Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/flyfitnutrition/15min

Instagram: ⁠⁠@dietitianforpilots⁠

On The Ascent: Health is produced by Ascent Health & Performance in Anchorage, Alaska — a clinic dedicated to helping people stay strong, active, and adventurous for life. Connect with Dr. Laura & Ascent Health & Performance

Website: ⁠⁠https://ascentak.com/⁠⁠

Podcast : ⁠⁠ascentak.com/podcast⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠@ascenthealth_ak⁠

In this episode of On The Ascent: Health, Dr. Lauras sit down with Kylie Viens, registered dietitian and diabetes educator, to talk about something most people have been taught incorrectly:

How not to be on a diet.

We break down what the word “diet” actually means — and how diet culture turned it into restriction, deprivation, and short-term fixes that rarely work.

This conversation challenges the idea that your metabolism is “broken” or that the solution to better health is eating less. Instead, we focus on how to eat in a way that supports strength, energy, performance, and long-term health — without cutting out entire food groups or living in food rules.

We cover:

• Why most diets fail (and why that’s not a personal failure)

• What actually influences metabolism beyond calories

• The role of muscle, protein, and strength training in staying metabolically strong

• How fiber and whole foods support blood sugar, cholesterol, and satiety

• Why caffeine, sleep, and recovery matter more than most people realize

• How to think about carbohydrates and fats without labeling foods as “good” or “bad”

This episode is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.
In Part 2, we’ll talk about navigating holidays, what dietitians really mean by “meal prep,” favorite go-to foods, and how to build an eating approach that fits real life.

🎧 Subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2.

Connect with Kylie Viens & FlyFit Nutrition

Website: ⁠Fly Fit Nutrition

Book a Free 15 minute Clarity Call: https://calendly.com/flyfitnutrition/15min

Instagram: ⁠@dietitianforpilots

On The Ascent: Health is produced by Ascent Health & Performance in Anchorage, Alaska — a clinic dedicated to helping people stay strong, active, and adventurous for life. Connect with Dr. Laura & Ascent Health & Performance

Website: ⁠https://ascentak.com/⁠

Podcast : ⁠ascentak.com/podcast⁠

Instagram: ⁠@ascenthealth_ak⁠

Pelvic floor issues are common — but they are not normal.

In this episode of On The Ascent: Health, Dr. Laura Peterson Wright sits down with Dr. Laura Huie, Doctor of Physical Therapy at Point North Physical Therapy, to break down what pelvic floor therapy really is, who it’s for, and why so many women are told to “just live with” symptoms that are absolutely treatable.

They cover:

• What pelvic health actually includes (it’s more than Kegels)

• Urinary leaking, urgency, constipation, and bladder control

• Pain with intercourse — why it’s common but not normal

• Pelvic floor tension vs weakness (and why doing more Kegels can make things worse)

• How childbirth, C-sections, and athletic activity affect pelvic health

• The role of estrogen, perimenopause, and menopause in pelvic floor symptoms

• Why passive treatments like the Emsella chair aren’t one-size-fits-all

• What a pelvic floor exam and treatment really look like

• How pelvic floor therapy supports sexual health, lubrication, and arousal

• When joint pain, tendon pain, or “nagging injuries” may be hormone-related

• Practical myths to bust (frequent peeing, “just in case” pees, and more)

This episode is for women who:

• Leak when they run, jump, cough, or lift

• Experience pain during sex or pelvic discomfort

• Feel constant urgency to pee or struggle with constipation

• Are navigating perimenopause or menopause

• Have been told symptoms are “normal after kids” or “just part of aging”

If you’ve ever wondered whether pelvic floor therapy is for you — this conversation brings clarity without fear-mongering or fluff.

Connect with Point North Physical Therapy & Dr. Laura Huie

Website: ⁠https://pointnorthpt.com ⁠

Instagram: @pointnorthpt

On The Ascent: Health is produced by Ascent Health & Performance in Anchorage, Alaska — a clinic dedicated to helping people stay strong, active, and adventurous for life.

Connect with Dr. Laura & Ascent Health & Performance

Website: ⁠⁠https://ascentak.com/⁠⁠

Podcast : ⁠⁠ascentak.com/podcast⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠@ascenthealth_ak⁠⁠

In this episode of On The Ascent: Health, Dr. Laura sits down with Marisa Scott, RNFA and owner of Aspire Med Spa, for an in-depth conversation on radiofrequency (RF)—a regenerative technology used for everything from skin tightening to scar release to vaginal rejuvenation.

They discuss:

• What radiofrequency actually is

• How RF remodels collagen, releases scar tissue, and triggers fat apoptosis

• Why RF microneedling helps pain, tightness, and deep tissue adhesions

• Using RF for stretch marks, stubborn fat pockets, pores, and fine lines

• RF for C-section scars and surgical scar remodeling

• Vaginal rejuvenation: lubrication, tightening, sexual function, and comfort

• How hormones influence treatment plans

• What makes someone a good or poor candidate

• Why proper training matters for safety and lasting results

• What to expect with pricing, treatment series, and outcomes

• The rise of regenerative aesthetics: exosomes, biostimulators, and more

Marisa also breaks down misconceptions about med spas and vanity culture, emphasizing why foundational health always amplifies aesthetic outcomes — and how these treatments ultimately support comfort, function, and whole-body wellness for women in midlife.

If you want to age well, improve sexual wellness, understand tissue healing, or explore whether RF might be right for you, this episode brings clarity and science-backed insight.

Connect with Aspire Med Spa & Marisa ScottWebsite: https://aspirealaska.com/
Instagram: @aspirealaska

On The Ascent: Health is produced by Ascent Health & Performance in Anchorage, Alaska — a clinic dedicated to helping people stay strong, active, and adventurous for life.

Connect with Dr. Laura & Ascent Health & Performance

Website: ⁠https://ascentak.com/⁠

Podcast : ⁠ascentak.com/podcast⁠

Instagram: ⁠@ascenthealth_ak⁠