143: Brain Power: The Real Impact of Stress on Your Brain and Body

In this Episode

We spend so much time focusing on nutrition, strength training, and bone health as we age—but what about our brain? How can we build mental resilience and protect our brain health starting now?

In this new Feisty series, co-hosted by Sara Gross and Dr. Erin Ayala, we’re diving into the intersection of brain health, stress, and performance. In this first episode, Dr. Erin Ayala, a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant, sits down with Jill Colangelo, a researcher at the University of Bern specializing in Sports Psychiatry. Jill works with athletes and teams on critical topics like endocrine health, hypothalamic amenorrhea, stress, overtraining syndrome, and athletic identity.

Together, Erin and Jill explore the real impact of stress—both short-term and long-term—on the brain and body. While stress itself isn’t the enemy, chronic stress without proper recovery can lead to brain fog, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic issues.

In this episode, they break down:

• Common stressors for women, including underfueling, toxic productivity, and the relentless push to do more
• Practical strategies for managing stress and setting boundaries for mental and physical well-being
• Why recovery should be a non-negotiable part of your training routine
• The truth about cortisol—friend or foe?
• Which recovery trends (cold plunges, sauna, acupuncture) actually work

As active women, we often use movement as a way to relieve stress—but when does “more” become too much?

This conversation is a call to action to reassess your relationship with stress, challenge the culture of overtraining, and develop a mindset that values mental resilience as much as physical strength.