Active Mom Podcast: Pregnancy, Postpartum, Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond
Welcome to the Active Mom Podcast — where real motherhood stories meet real science.
Hosted by Dr. Carrie Pagliano, double board-certified physical therapist, runner, mom of two, and internationally recognized expert in pregnancy, postpartum, pelvic floor, and perimenopause performance.
Whether you’re a mom navigating running with prolapse or leakage, a clinician supporting active women, or a lifelong athlete trying to stay strong through every hormonal season — this show gives you evidence-based guidance and real life mom stories without the fear, confusion, or shame.
Each week, Dr. Carrie brings candid conversations with researchers, clinicians, elite athletes, and everyday moms to explore what it actually takes to run, lift, jump, and live confidently through pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, and beyond.
We talk about:
• Postpartum return to running & lifting
• Pelvic floor symptoms (leakage, prolapse, pain)
• Pregnancy exercise myths & safety
• Strength training at every age
• Perimenopause performance & hormone changes
• Mental health, identity shifts & motherhood
• The realities of being an active mom in a busy life
Real talk. Real science. Real moms.
Because you deserve to feel strong and supported — at every stage of your active life.
Active Mom Podcast: Pregnancy, Postpartum, Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond
Menopause & Performance: What Every Active Woman Should Know — with INGRID HARM-ERNANDES, PT
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Menopause care is changing — but not fast enough.
In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with Ingrid Harm-Ernandes, PT — a physical therapist with more than 40 years of experience in women’s health, known as “The Pelvic Detective” on YouTube and author of The Musculoskeletal Mystery: How to Solve Your Pelvic Floor Symptoms. Ingrid has spent decades pushing for earlier access to pelvic health care, better clinical reasoning, and more respect for the complexity of women’s bodies across the lifespan.
This conversation isn’t about trendy soundbites. It’s about what’s actually shifting in menopause and perimenopause care — and what still needs to change.
We talk honestly about why individualized pelvic floor treatment matters more than ever, how exercise plays a critical role in perimenopause and menopause, and why we need to stop oversimplifying women’s health into one-size-fits-all solutions. Ingrid shares perspective from four decades in practice — what’s improved, what hasn’t, and what we can learn from previous generations of women who were told their symptoms were “just part of aging.”
We also unpack the role of social media in pelvic health education — the good, the bad, and the nuance — and how emerging research in women’s health is shaping more comprehensive, lifespan-based care.
If you care about pelvic floor dysfunction, menopause symptoms, individualized rehab, strength training in midlife, or long-term musculoskeletal health for active women — this conversation is for you.
We discuss:
- Advocacy for better women’s health care and earlier access to pelvic PT
- The evolution of menopause and perimenopause treatment
- Why individualized pelvic floor care is essential
- Exercise, strength, and musculoskeletal health in midlife
- Coordinating the pelvic floor with the whole system
- Emerging research shaping women’s health
- What we can learn from previous generations
- Supporting women across the full lifespan
Menopause isn’t an endpoint. It’s a transition. And women deserve care that reflects that.
If this episode resonates, share it with a friend who needs better answers.
Time Stamps
1:00 Introduction
7:28 the rise in awareness around menopause and perimenopause
12:25 the role of PTs in menopause care
16:30 exercise in perimenopause
21:20 how advice has changed
28:40 bridging the gap between postpartum and perimenopause
32:10 including strength training and plyometrics
39:25 opportunities for increasing awareness
46:25 rapid fire questions
CONNECT WITH CARRIE
IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriepagliano/
Website: https://carriepagliano.com
CONNECT WITH INGRID:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harmernandes/
The Active Mom Podcast is A Real Moms' Guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond for active moms & the professionals who help them in their journey.
This show has been a long time in the making!
You can expect conversation with moms and professionals from all aspects of the industry.
If you're like me, you don't have a lot of free time (heck, you're probably listening at 1.5x speed), so theses interviews will be quick hits to get your the pertinent information FAST!
If you love what you hear, share the podcast with a friend and leave us a 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review. It helps us become more visible in the search algorithm! (Helps us get seen by more moms that need to hear these stories!!!!)