Episode Description
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/
Li
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!
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