S1E15 Aging x Exercise with Angi McClure

Most of us hold a deeply-entrenched belief that women’s value rests on our appearances. Specifically, how well we adhere to a very narrow and problematic standard of beauty: thin, white, feminine, and ageless.It’s an impossible standard, and one that we carry with us both consciously and subconsciously. It motivates us to spend, globally, 73 billion USD every year on “anti-aging” (projected to hit 140.9 billion by 2034), of which North America alone spends $29.2 billion.This episode is about how this pressure to stay young forever shapes our beliefs and habits around exercise, and what we can do if:* you’re feeling the shift in your body as you age to more fatigue, stiffness, and slower recovery* you’ve been sold the anti-aging lie and are exhausted by the pressure to stay small, toned, and ageless* you want better; a relationship with exercise that focuses on joy, strength, and ability ✨The TabooWomen are taught to treat aging like a failure. That if our bodies get softer, slower, or need more rest, we’re doing something wrong. That we should fight aging tool-and-nail with workouts, diets, Botox, or willpower.This episode challenges all of that.We’re saying:* Aging isn’t a flaw.* Rest isn’t laziness.* Movement isn’t just about looking young; it's about feeling strong and free, now and later.We’re not here to anti-age. We’re here to train for the life we actually want in our 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond.Links + Resources* Bamboo Bodies ™️* 🆓 Neuro Warm-Up Video* Angi’s blogThe Guest ExpertYou met Angi McClure in S1E1, when she shared why she’s not anti-aging but pro-aging.Angi is a neuro-based movement therapist specializing in age science. She uses functional Chinese medicine through movement (Qigong), nutrition and seasonal lifestyle habits through her movement program called Bamboo Bodies™, a movement system based on the seasons and applied neurology.Key Takeaways* Train for what you want to do later, not just how you look now. Movement should help you play, explore, and stay strong as you age, not punish your body into shrinking.* Recovery isn’t optional, it’s training. Rest, stillness, and nervous system care are just as important as strength and cardio. Especially in perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopausal women.* You’re not broken, and aging is not a failure. Your body is shifting, not falling apart. And there’s power in working with those changes, not against them.Timestamps* 04:05 — Why we need to stop exercising for looks and start training for function* 08:07 — Aging as “seasons”* 10:36 — Resiliency redefined: bouncing back without wasting resources* 14:08 — What movement women need in their 30s, 40s, 50s (and why it changes)* 23:14 — Angi’s movement checklist: nervous system, vision, balance, strength* 34:12 — Build a movement plan based on what your brain is thirsty for* 37:21 — Why women must train for the “internal winter” with intention* 44:35 — Stillness is a skill; rest isn’t weakness, it’s training* 50:08 — Pro-aging is a radical act in a culture obsessed with staying young* 58:38 — Final takeaways + 4 simple action steps to age well, with powerHere’s what’s coming up on Modern Hysteria:* Menopause x body image with Menopause & Misogyny* Body dysmorphia x resilience with Dr. Laura Glazebrook* Pregnancy brain with Parijat Deshpande* A new series of mini-sodes I’m calling “Pink-Pilled”… I can’t wait to share more! Get full access to Modern Hysteria at micahlarsen.substack.com/subscribe