Menopause Movement Myths and What Actually Helps with Dr. Maria Luque

The Midlife Feast

The Midlife Feast
Menopause Movement Myths and What Actually Helps with Dr. Maria Luque
May 16, 2026 Season 6 Episode 194
Jenn Salib Huber RD ND

If you're feeling confused by all the menopause fitness advice, this episode will clear that up for you!

I am so glad to welcome Dr. Maria Luque back to The Midlife Feast. Maria is a menopause fitness expert with a literal PhD in this space, and she is one of the very few people I trust to cut through the noise in the increasingly crowded menopause fitness world. And there is a lot of noise. Self-proclaimed experts, clickbait advice, "you must lift heavy four times a week or your bones will crumble" fear-mongering. No wonder so many of the women I work with feel paralyzed before they even start.

In this conversation, we get into:

  • Why the fitness space has become a swamp of misinformation, and how to spot it
  • The Sally story (a composite of so many women I talk to) and why feeling behind is keeping you stuck
  • Why capacity, not willpower, is the real conversation, and why "we all have the same 24 hours" makes both of us want to punch a wall
  • Movement snacks, lowering the bar, and Maria's even better idea of throwing the bar away
  • Why functional goals (lifting your dog, getting up off the toilet at 80, playing with grandkids) are far more sustainable than weight-loss goals
  • How to celebrate the small wins so you actually want to keep going
  • The missing ingredient in midlife, and it might not be what you think

This is the conversation I wish every woman in perimenopause and menopause could hear before another fitness influencer convinces her she is failing at something that was never designed for her in the first place.

If clients come to me because they are out of capacity, not out of knowledge, this episode is the same conversation in fitness form. You already know enough. You just need permission to trust yourself.

About Dr. Maria Luque: Dr. Maria Luque is a menopause fitness expert, health science professor, US Air Force veteran, and mother. She holds a PhD in Health Sciences focused on quality of life in menopause, and her work brings a weight-neutral, evidence-based perspective to the often confusing world of fitness in midlife. Her new book, New Moves inMenopause  is out now - https://newmovesinmenopause.com

You can also find her on Instagram @drmarialuque.

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📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now!  Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife,  menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/links

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