537: Molly McNamee - Stress and Hormones: Combat Overtraining, Anxiety, and Find Sustainable Fitness

Over 40 Fitness Hacks

Stress and Hormones: Combat Overtraining, Anxiety, and Find Sustainable Fitness

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Molly McNamee - Health Coach

Molly’s website: mollymcnamee.com/cortisol

Instagram: @mfit.workouts

On this episode of Over 40 Fitness Hacks, Brad Williams interviews health coach Molly McNamee, who shares her journey of overcoming severe stress-related health issues and how she now helps others manage hormonal imbalances and stress for better health.

Molly recounts her experience as a fitness coach and trainer, living what she thought was a healthy lifestyle—intense workouts, clean eating, and a non-stop work ethic. However, in 2018, she hit rock bottom with unexplained weight fluctuations, panic attacks, bloating, insomnia, and anxiety. After extensive research, she discovered that her high-intensity lifestyle had disrupted her stress hormones, particularly cortisol, and was damaging her health.

Brad and Molly discuss how stress impacts the body, emphasizing its effect on the nervous system, metabolism, and overall hormonal balance. Molly explains that chronic stress can manifest not just from obvious triggers but also from hidden factors like gut imbalances, environmental toxins, and even overtraining.

The conversation shifts to practical strategies for managing stress and improving nervous system health. Molly advocates for simple, actionable steps like deep breathing, taking short breaks, and setting boundaries to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body relax. Brad shares his own experiences with stress management, including the benefits of diaphragmatic breathing and monitoring progress with tools like the WHOOP fitness tracker.

Both Brad and Molly highlight the importance of tackling one change at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed. They encourage listeners to focus on small, consistent habits to reduce stress and enhance overall well-being, reminding them that progress, not perfection, is key to lasting health improvements.

Listeners come away with actionable insights and encouragement to prioritize rest, balance their workouts, and nurture their nervous system to achieve sustainable health and fitness.

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