
This week we sat down with menopause and mental fitness coach Sara Larson to cut through the noise around midlife, from quick‑fix promises and supplement stacks to rigid “shoulds” about how we’re supposed to look, feel, and age, and offer better solutions for navigating this challenging transition. Drawing on her own brutal perimenopause—crushing joint pain, brain fog so bad she joined an Alzheimer’s study, suffocating anxiety and depression—Sara shares how she went from feeling like everything was coming apart to becoming a menopause navigator, helping women walk into the doctor’s office “ready,” advocate for themselves, and understand their treatment plans. We dig into grief, weight gain and body image, the spiritual and identity unraveling of menopause, and the grounding power of outdoor experiences that reconnect you with strength and embodiment. This is a conversation about gentleness as strength and learning to ask for something different in the second half of life.Sara Larson is a menopause life coach, educator, and speaker who helps women cut through misinformation and access evidence-based menopause care. She specializes in advocacy, education, and community-building, supporting women through perimenopause and postmenopause with clarity, confidence, and a healthy sense of humor. You can learn more about her and her work at www.saralarsoncoaching.com and follow her on Substack at saralarsoncoaching.substack.com.Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Join Feisty at the Grand Traverse in Duluth, MN on October 3rd! Use code FEISTY20 for $20 off when you register at https://feisty.co/events/the-grand-traverse/Learn More about our 2026 Feisty Events, including Bike Camps and Cycling Trips: https://feisty.co/events/Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopauseHit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099Support our Partners:Cozy Earth: Use Code HITPLAY at https://cozyearth.com/ for up to 20% off Eternal - Get 15% off their services with code FEISTY15 at https://eternal.coMidi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.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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Mindset Mastery for Midlife Athletes with Sonya Looney (Episode 275)

Why Even Active Women Lose Bone—and How to Build It Back with Belinda Beck, PhD (Episode 274)

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