If you’ve been told that women in perimenopause or post-menopause should stop doing easy, steady-state cardio and replace it with HIIT, sprinting, and heavy lifting, this episode is for you. Angie and Kevin continue their Running Myth series by unpacking where this idea came from, what HIIT actually does well, and why replacing your easy running with high-intensity training misses a much bigger picture.

The problem isn’t that HIIT is bad. In fact, Angie and Kevin talk about plenty of reasons to include higher-intensity work in a well-rounded training program. HIIT can be a time-efficient way to improve VO2 max, provide a strong metabolic stimulus, develop neuromuscular power and coordination, and provide the impact needed to stimulate bone remodeling. The problem comes when one tool gets treated like the entire toolbox. What helps one specific outcome does not automatically replace everything your body gets from other types of training.

For endurance runners, easy running provides the foundation that allows everything else to work. It helps build aerobic capacity, mitochondrial and capillary density, metabolic flexibility, running economy, and connective-tissue resilience while creating a much smaller recovery demand than repeated hard sessions. And especially as recovery needs change with age, being able to accumulate consistent training matters. Angie and Kevin also discuss how recommendations from researchers like Stacy Sims can lose important context when they are reduced to short social media clips. The takeaway is not “never do HIIT.” It’s to build the foundation first, then layer intensity onto a body that is prepared to handle it.

00:00 – HIIT Myth Setup
02:36 – Why Nuance Matters
03:11 – TLDR: Keep Both
05:44 – Where the Myth Came From
09:32 – Training Is Individual
12:42 – What HIIT Actually Is
13:20 – HIIT Benefits Breakdown
18:52 – Why Easy Runs Matter
21:37 – Recovery and Volume
26:03 – Volume Builds Economy
27:11 – Connective Tissue Resilience
29:46 – Easy Runs Feel Better
31:36 – Cortisol and Cooldowns
33:22 – The Gray Zone Trap
34:19 – Miles Beat HIIT Alone
35:35 – Injury Risk and Base
39:21 – Safe Speed Progression
40:14 – Effort Levels Simplified
43:03 – Strength and Mobility Foundation
45:48 – Stacy Sims Advice Misread

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