SPEAKERS

Liz Plosser, Dr Lyon

Dr Lyon  00:01

Welcome to the Dr. Gabrielle Lyon show where I believe a healthy world is based on transparent conversations. In today’s episode of The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon show, I sit down with Liz Plosser. She’s the editor in chief of Women’s Health magazine, where she oversees the brand across its print and digital platforms and various brand extensions, reaching an audience of 42 plus million women monthly. This woman is in charge, and she has a very powerful voice for what is seen and heard in the space of health and wellness. This episode was amazing. We talk all about her journey, she graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University, she has been in the wellness industry for almost 20 years. Previously, she was overseeing digital strategy for well and good prior to that senior director of content and communications at Soul Cycle, former deputy editor of self and even before that, worked with Cosmopolitan magazine, and helped them win their first ever National Magazine Award. In this episode, we dive deep into the new trends in health and fitness. We revisit the soft and fluffy language around women’s health. She answers the question, will people ever go back to training the way they did pre pandemic, and so much more. I really hope you love these episodes and enjoy this podcast. If you do, it would mean the world to me. If you share it, subscribe, rate and comment. This is for you. And this helps people that are interested in health and wellness find it. Liz Plosesr editor in chief of Women’s Health magazine, this is no small feat. And you are in a very unique role as a leader, a female leader, and you have a huge responsibility. Women’s Health magazine, I was just looking when it started. And I want to hear all about how it started had 400,000 in circulation and now you’re up to easily 1.5 million.

Liz Plosser  02:13

Yeah

Dr Lyon  02:14

No small task.

Liz Plosser  02:16

Well, it is so awesome to be here with you. Thank you Gabrielle for having me. And it is the best job in the world. It is a huge honor and a huge responsibility. In addition to the circulation. You mentioned, we have grown since our founding to be on every platform. So Social Video Live Events. So we reach now more than 40 million women every single month.

Dr Lyon  02:39

No pressure, no pressure, how did you get to be in the position that you’re in?

Liz Plosser  02:45

Well, I have always been obsessed with fitness, health and nutrition. Even as a kid, I was really into those topics. It took me a minute to figure out that you could do something in your career that you are personally passionate about my first job out of college, I did the responsible thing. I actually was an investment banking analyst for two years, you know, on track to be promoted and have a big career there. I you know, I’m pretty good. I’m into economics and business. Always going well, but Oh, my soul was not in it. I was not lit up by that. And I’m actually so grateful that that happened when I was very young. Because it was really the catalyst for me to think hard about where do I want to go? What do I want to do next and talk to people about their careers. And it was like a lightning bolt bolt moment when I realized there are people working at magazines writing about topics that they are super interested in and curious about. It took a little bit to get in the door because they didn’t have the background. I was an English major, but I didn’t have you know, the internships and pedigrees that you needed. But through a series of miraculous events and stars aligning. I started as an editorial assistant at SELF magazine. And I was in the fitness department. And it was it felt like a huge leap. You know, I was so young so I had nothing to lose. But even then it was a huge salary pay cut, and I was so terrified. What if I don’t love it? But I did. I loved it from the moment I started every single day. And I’ve been zigzagging ever since working continuing to work in this space. I took a little detour to Chicago while my husband was in graduate school but kept writing a lot of freelance articles for brands I loved like women’s health. When I came back to New York, I worked at Cosmo, we were rebuilding the entire brand under Joanna Coles and she wanted to rebuild health from the ground up so I came on to do that which was so amazing to be at such an iconic brand but to have such a startup energy. I went back to SELF to be deputy editor. I left actually editorial to go work on the brand side at SoulCycle, where I oversaw content and digital strategy. So I got to see really the business side, and how words equate to making money, which I continue to be fascinated by. But I really missed I really missed the pureness of editorial. And so I came back. I oversaw a team as senior vice president of content at well and good the digital health and lifestyle brand. And then Hearst called me when they were looking for a leadership change at women’s health. So, gosh, I think it’s this week, I’ll be celebrating five years at the at the helm of women’s health, the brand I I mean, I still remember when Women’s Health showed up on newsstands I, I was I still have the copies. Gabrielle let’s they’re sitting in my office at home.

Dr Lyon  05:52

And was that 2004? 2002?

Liz Plosser  05:53

Yeah, that’s right. The brand is almost 20 years old, or 19. So yeah, 2024, we celebrate 20 years. And I mean, I hung on every word, I devoured it. So it’s pretty amazing to be where I am and to think how much love I’ve had for this brand in this space for so long. And that I get to wake up and do this every day.

Dr Lyon  06:18

Did you ever think you’d be where you are now? That’s a yes!

Liz Plosser  06:22

Well, no, I’m laughing because I am laughing because when I was an investment banker, and didn’t know what to do with myself, and had all this energy and agita, I signed up for my first marathon. I think I missed team sports a lot. And I was just lost. And I did it with team and training, where it’s kind of like a group of strangers who meet up in Central Park and train for a marathon together. And it was through these long runs with people that I just got to know over the miles, you know, all different ages, all different careers, backgrounds, ethnicities, body types, everything, I became such good friends with them and learned the power of connection over sweat. And it was literally on one of those runs that I articulated it out loud. Guys, I had a dream last night that I was the editor in chief of a health brand. And they were like, Liz, like maybe that’s your pivot from banking. Like, why don’t you learn more about that? Hey, I know somebody you can call my friends. So did I ever think I would be here? No. But did I dream literally dream of being here? Yes.

Dr Lyon  07:29

Maybe it paved the way

Liz Plosser  07:30

maybe it was like manifesting it in some way and saying it out loud

Dr Lyon  07:34

and working really hard

Liz Plosser  07:36

and working really hard.

Dr Lyon  07:36

And probably having some talent and a lot of grit and resilience.

Liz Plosser  07:40

There. I think I I will cop to having all of those things. And also to surrounding myself, and being really fortunate and having the great privilege that many women who are very smart, took me under their wing and gave me real talk when I needed it and encouraged me when I needed it and created a safe place where I could ask them questions and come for help and advice. And I’ve nurtured those relationships throughout my career. And I couldn’t I couldn’t be here without those women who have lifted me up all along the way.

Dr Lyon  08:16

You know, that’s something that I’ve always noticed about you. And we’ve known each other not that long. But one of the things that’s always stood out is you’re very collaborative. I think it’s a core value of yours. And you’re very interested in the team. You know, we work out with Lauren, and then there’s Abby.

Liz Plosser  08:31

Yeah.

Dr Lyon  08:32

It’s really amazing to see a woman that is into this leadership role, you are responsible for a lot, and especially now with the way that media is probably more so now than even 20 years ago, when the magazine started. People look to the magazine and social media for knowledge. Yeah, whether that knowledge is accurate, and whether that knowledge is meeting a certain outcome. But what you say what you approve, and what you do, really filters down to everybody.

Liz Plosser  09:11

Yes, it is a huge Herculean responsibility. We are at our core, a science based expert based brand. That’s really our competitive advantage and something that is a founding principle of women’s health and that we take so superduper seriously, and has been crucial to women’s health since its founding. But for all of the reasons you said and all of all of the sources of information and misinformation and fads and trends that you can find and you know, where whatever social platform you’re on digitally. I mean, it’s just everywhere. And we are really proud of the fact that all all of our work, really walks the walk you know, we’ve talked to the experts, we’ve we’ve looked at the studies, we know what the latest research is, and we’re telling it like it is, to your point about collaboration, it is indeed one of my core values, perhaps developed from growing up playing sports, I just know the magic of when a team gels and you know, it gets in the flow in the zone together. And that is probably what I most hope to create at women’s health, hire really smart people who are really passionate about what they do, and then let them be awesome at their jobs. I don’t want to get in their way. I sometimes think about my job as editor in chief and leader. It’s funny, I often say to the editors, no matter you know, if they’re the most junior person on the team, or Abby or executive editor, who we both absolutely adore, that I’m so lucky to be your teammate, you know, it’s to me, we’re, we’re all on the same team work. I mean, obviously, we’re all on the same team. But like, that’s the point. The, of course, there’s hierarchy for, you know, workflow reasons. But at the end of the day, great ideas come from everywhere. And I want to, like nurture that safety that everybody feels empowered to speak and say what they’re thinking out loud. And it’s almost like, I’m the captain of the soccer team, you know,

Dr Lyon  11:21

Do you play soccer?

Liz Plosser  11:22

I did play soccer growing up. And, and I was the captain of the soccer team in high school,

Dr Lyon  11:27

no surprise,

Liz Plosser  11:28

that, you know, each player has their amazing strengths. And they also have weaknesses that they’re working on. And it’s my job to help them find those weaknesses and get better at them. And also to encourage their strengths and let those really shine and dazzle. And I am incredibly fortunate to have an amazing leadership team at women’s health. I mean, everybody kind of has that mentality. You know, we, if you look at our team goals for the year, nurturing Junior editors, and helping them succeed and feel fulfilled professionally, and even personally is at the tip top of our lists. So it’s, it’s truly a Dream Team. I’m so proud of each of them, I kind of sit in awe of the amazing people that we’ve assembled every single day.

Dr Lyon  12:20

And what is the what is the role of Editor in Chief?

Liz Plosser  12:24

Well,

Dr Lyon  12:25

And by the way, there’s not that many editors in chief across the spectrum of I mean, health magazines, there’s only a handful.

Liz Plosser  12:34

Yeah, this is true, we are one of the last brands standing certainly that has a print presence, that’s doing really well thankfully, and that readers look forward to every single month. And I still love that that paper product and you know, tangible reminder of who we are and what we do. And seeing it all over the world on newsstands. My role is to steer the brand across all of our platforms, and to look out for the health of the brand, its editorial integrity, and of course to support its financial health as well. So I work really closely with the business side thinking about those opportunities. I am the person who greenlights every story. We have an awesome team of leaders who are working with the editors on their pitches for each platform throughout the month. But we have meetings where we all talk about the ideas and brainstorm together in real life. And I get to give feedback and you know, share what I’ve experienced or seen. But not I will like sidetrack for a second to say that I personally believe. And I don’t know if every person in my position does, but that a huge part of my job is living and breathing this health, fitness, nutrition, mental health, emotional health myself, and being curious about it in my own life. And that means yes, going to the gym and working out like I actually consider that essential to my job. It means exploring new recipes. And talking to nutritionists, it means reading the latest studies listening to podcasts, texting with people like you and making sure that you’re telling me when you see something interesting or a story that’s missing, so that I am on top of it. And like you know, feeling the pulse of what’s happening in the space and not coming into these meetings and leading the brand from a place of not being engaged or interested. Luckily, as you can tell, I’m very exuberant and enthusiastic about all of these topics and I have been for a long time. So this comes quite naturally to me. But you know, it takes work as you know, to be out there and to meet with people and to stay up on all the science and trends. So now back to my job so that there’s that you know, greenlighting of the story ideas, working with editors to develop bigger features, thinking about big brand goals and big swings we want to take throughout the year, I read every single piece of content we produce, I don’t read every digital story before it goes live or every social media posts before it goes live. We’re a huge brand, publishing a very high volume of content. And like I said, I trust people to be awesome at their jobs. But I am reading it, you know, once that a big piece of what I do is going through all the content throughout the week, and delivering notes, but trying to be very mindful of does this need to be said, you know, is this is this essential, and that’s something as a leader that I have constantly been honing over the years, and much better at I think a confidence in my in my skill set is not stepping in for the sake of justifying my existence is Editor in Chief.

Dr Lyon  15:52

You know, I was thinking about this. You’ve been there for five years, and you Greenlight all the stories. When you first started, where did you second get your guests yourself in terms of Oh, my gosh, I’m going to greenlight this story, because social media, print, everything is very, I don’t want to say tumultuous, but it is it can be violent, verbally violent, there is a lot of canceling, there is also a lot of confusion and disagreement, which has exponentially grown in the last five years, right?

Liz Plosser  16:27

Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this. But my first year on the job, I lived in like constant terror, I don’t think I slept very much, I was so afraid of making a misstep. And offending somebody is probably to be honest, a healthy fear. Because like we were saying, this is a big job and a big brand. And people are taking action in their lives based on what we’re saying. So it’s important words really do matter. The stories we tell, they really do matter. Thankfully, that has gotten better over time, I think it was a mixture of just you know, is as qualified as what I was for this role, you know, I had the experience. And as much as I love this brand, I struggled with imposter syndrome, I worried that they’d made a mistake and hired the wrong person, and I wasn’t gonna be able to do it. And I lived in fear of what if I let these people in this brand down? You know, I didn’t, I couldn’t bear the thought of it not succeeding under my watch. And I still continue to feel that way. Of course, I want it to succeed and to soar and but now I’ve put my energy into that rather than the worrying and the anxiety and the second guessing, not to say that I still don’t have nights where I toss and turn. Especially when we’re approaching topics that can be extra sensitive. In this day and age in there, many of them I know. You know, you’re Yeah, we’ve talked about it, but you and what can happen on social media, if you use the wrong word, or if somebody if what you’re saying doesn’t resonate with somebody, and how those things can pick up momentum and become a moment. And I always want to protect the brand from that. And to have it seen in the best possible light and to have our true intentions and high standards and integrity and inclusivity and love for women and supporting women to always be you know, what people think of when they think of women’s health. But it’s hard and that we all make mistakes. And I think I have more grace for myself. Now, I can honestly say that, that it took about a year to feel like I had my sea legs. And it’s the confidence is growing ever since I still have a healthy, healthy anxiety, which keeps me sharp and keeps me meticulous and thoughtful working with the team on our visuals and our words. But I also have a strength and a conviction in what we’re doing and who we are and how we’re telling stories now that it took me a minute to come into.

Dr Lyon  19:13

That’s I mean, that’s really important. I think with excellence and mastery there is its process.

Liz Plosser  19:19

Yeah.

Dr Lyon  19:19

And you really exemplify that beautifully. When you started how were there things that started coming across your desk that because you’ve been so fit your whole life, you’ve been very fit very into fitness. And we’re going to talk a little bit about your fitness journey because I think it’s changed a bit from marathons

Liz Plosser  19:35

it has, yeah

Dr Lyon  19:36

you know, I’ve seen you swing those kettlebells Have you found that things were coming across your desk that were different than you experience in for example, that there may have been a movement or there may have been a lot of information that you kept seeing repeated because we know oftentimes when things are repeated people will take that as truth but from your experience you were you were questioning it that perhaps it wasn’t accurate. And maybe something was missing and didn’t know how to navigate. Have you experienced that?

Liz Plosser  20:06

Yeah, that still happens now. That was one of my mandates for myself and for the team when I started is, yes, we’re a magazine that’s been around at that time for about 15 years. Yes, that is who we are. But we are not going to fall into the old patterns of and I don’t mean this in a derogatory way. Because I, I was, you know, professionally raised in this world, but of women’s magazine speak. I mean, I freelanced probably, you know, hundreds of 1000s of words and worked at some of these brands. So I know what that language is like, and sort of the tropes that we relied upon. And that didn’t mean that the topics or things that we were exploring as a health brand, were necessarily different. But we were going to flip how we talked about it, to give our readers credit for where they were to say you are awesome, right now. But if you want to work on some things, and think you’d feel better, healthier, or happier, and this could apply to their mental health, their nutrition, what they’re doing at the gym, socially, then we’re going to give you science back tools that you can try in your own life actions, you can take and see what resonates. But we’re never going to like cut you down and make you feel like you’re unworthy or less than or broken. And now we’re going to here’s the tools to fix you. And I don’t mean to suggest that that was how Women’s Health talk to women for many years. But I think if you are a careful reader, and you know, maybe this change would go unnoticed, which is fine, too, that there was a subtle shift in our language and how we were talking to people. When I started at women’s health, my predecessor had recently eliminated all Bikini Body Cover Lines, which I thought was awesome. And I’m sure you remember the days of you know, two weeks to a bikini body and the 10 day like bikini slim down and you don’t even need the word bikini on it. You know, the type of headline and cover line I’m talking about. We have never a week we can tend grabbed that baton from her and sprinted into the future with it. And you Abby and I who work on cover lines together every month, sometimes with other team members, we have so much fun coming up with those and like what empowered language are we going to use this month that truly reflects the content that’s in the magazine, but gives you credit for where you are right now and for your potential and where you want to go.

Dr Lyon  22:48

There’s a lot of wisdom in that. That way doesn’t alienate everybody. When things started coming across your desk. Initially, I think five years ago, people were really into cardio not that cardio is, did you see an evolution? And again, the name Women’s Health is you guys are providing tools and things were there. Was there a moment, perhaps before it was coming out in the magazine where you were thinking, okay, you know, I realized that strength probably plays a bigger role than we’re giving it credit for or that just in general industry is giving it credit for things of that nature.

Liz Plosser  23:23

Yeah, that’s a great question. I’m actually I’m gonna give women’s health a lot of credit, because they have been on the strength bandwagon from the get go. I actually remember the first feature I wrote for women’s health back when I was living in Chicago, I pitched Jenny Everett, who was the fitness director at the time, a story about strength versus cardio. And I still have some of the art from that piece hanging on the wall in my office because I found it when we were moving offices, which is kind of a cool little meta moment. And it’s actually fascinating to think back to little Liz and her 20s writing that story and where I am now even though I was writing it and doing all the research, it’s still took a lot longer to like, really truly click for me. But I do think you know, we have understood for a long time and even though the tide is turning even today, and 2023 We need to constantly tell women, it’s cool to lift. You know, I was a cardio rat. Like I thought running miles was the best express way to get endorphins. The best way to be fit to fit in my jeans to feel empowered and exhilarated and clear headed, and I still love to run. You know, I love being outside. I love doing sprints on the treadmill. But I now understand all the articles we were writing and people like you who’ve been singing the praises of strength training, and so I’ll share a little sneak peek for you. And I often test things out on my personal Instagram that we’re talking about as a team and considering running with in the magazine, in digitally, but we’re going to do a story all about bulking and hypertrophy.

Dr Lyon  25:12

Amazing.

Liz Plosser  25:13

And, you know, I, I was playing with this idea again in my just a Liz Instagram caption this idea that for so many years, and I kind of mentioned this earlier, I myself was one of the people who was like, okay, we can only say tone and sculpt on the cover, we can’t freak people out, you know, using a word muscle, that’s going to be too much, it’s going to sound too, like masculine energy, and we don’t want to, you know, alienate our readership. And they’re going to think we’re turning into like a bodybuilding magazine. And now and you know, this probably from my own personal epiphany and experience with lifting heavier and kind of flip flopping the balance in my personal life of how much I’m running versus how much time I’m spending in the weight room. I am on a mission to share the magic of strength training, and picking up heavier weights, and making yourself uncomfortable in the gym. And so again, it’s not like we haven’t been saying it for so long. But I, I suspect you’ll notice a difference in how we say it in the months going forward. And I’m not the only team member who’s had this evolution. And I am actually like, so excited because I believe it’s happening for women across the world. I’m seeing a difference even in social media and the messages I get and how our readership responds to it. So we did what we call a test balloon with a story about hypertrophy, digitally. And it’s one of our best performing fitness stories. So there’s interest. Isn’t that beautiful?

Dr Lyon  26:50

Yes. Where do you think the trends are going now? In general, because you have to keep your, your finger on the pulse of all trends.

Liz Plosser  26:58

Wow, well, so So where should we start fitness, health mental health?

Dr Lyon  27:04

Well, I think mental health is really interesting. cuz you and I, we talked and I did a little article

Liz Plosser  27:12

I love that,

Dr Lyon  27:13

For women’s health. And it was different than the common narrative or the common paradigm of thinking about self care.

Liz Plosser  27:21

Yes, So that was our big self care package last month, not last year. Thank you for noticing that. And I think that reflects what we what I was trying to get at a few minutes ago, about not relying on sort of the established language and how brands and people talk about topics that we are women’s health, we are trailblazers, we are science backed, we are modern, we are cool. We are good vibes, good energy. And that’s what we try to inject in every story. And so when we approached the topic of self care, it was really important to us to come to it from a new place that it’s think we even said on the cover. This is not about bubble baths. And I loved your piece so much. I think I shouted it out on Instagram, probably I loved all of the women who contributed to that package, it was really a package that assembled luminaries in the health and wellness space, and invited them to give their perspectives on what self care means. And everybody had a really different take. And none of them are about bubble baths. And what was awesome about yours, and I literally think about this some mornings when I am like, thinking about pouring a bowl of cereal instead of mixing my eggs. Or when I’m like, I am not feeling it at the gym, but I know how good I’m going to feel and how much better I’m going to be at my job that day for having sweat. Your Do you want to remind people it was all about discipline. Yeah. That ultimately discipline is the the highest form of self care.

Dr Lyon  28:55

Yeah.

Liz Plosser  28:56

And you had a motto You have a motto to when things get tough and stressful.

Dr Lyon  29:01

Go after it.

Liz Plosser  29:02

Like what was it? We’ll have to do it when I was there. We’ll find it.

Dr Lyon  29:09

We’ll find out. We’ll I’ll link it. In terms of physical health. What are you seeing in terms of trends for physical health over how long? How well first of all, how do you guys even keep your finger on the pulse of all these things that are happening?

Liz Plosser  29:24

So again, I have to give credit to my awesome team because much like me, they are passionate about this space. And it’s not like a prerequisite prerequisite that you love to run or lift kettlebells you know, you don’t you don’t have to be obsessed with fitness to work in women’s health. So many of us really do love to work out varying modalities, but everyone has their thing that they’re really interested in and passionate about. Some of the editors are super into travel and healthy travel. Some are really into mental and emotional health. Others love cooking and nutrition and those trends. So, you know, we’re we are organized by team. So we have sort of super super powered people who are like obsessively exploring the space they’re in. But also the editors are out living and breathing this every day absorbing, following people on social, looking for trends, going to press events, moving about the world, and thank goodness, we can do that again. Because during the pandemic, it was, I would say, very challenging, there was, there was a lot of looking to social media, because we were all you know, locked down or not really out and about much to see how people were thinking and feeling. And I would say, not just the posts, but even engaging and monitoring the comments for how people were reacting to things. And so that’s how we were surfacing content ideas for a time. Now we’re back out in the world. You know, it’s so awesome to be here in person with you. And so they’re, they’re seeing and experiencing all of the trends. And I would argue, you know, I want you to close your laptop at the end of the day and unplug and get that work life balance. But part of their like, closing of the laptop is like, I’m so excited to go check out this new workout class, or, oh, there’s so and so is in town speaking about self care, or menopause. And I really want to hear that panel. You know, so that’s, we’re all we’re all just running around, listening, absorbing, being curious, asking questions, and then coming back and talking about it together to workshop that,

Dr Lyon  31:34

what do you think in terms of fitness space? So you were originally before you got to women’s health? You were at SoulCycle, You did a lot there. There’s been a lot of boutique style fitness stuff popping up. Do you think that that is going to be in the next wave? Or are people going to kind of go back to old school? heavy lifting, you know, hypertrophy training?

Liz Plosser  31:54

I love this question. I’m so curious, you know, I wrote a piece during the pandemic, it has not been published, but I still have it at home, about my prediction. You know, there were so many stories of like, the gym is dead boutique studios are dead, no one’s ever gonna go back, it’s home workouts forever. And of course, digital workouts were already exploding. And then the pandemic like took that to the next level, everybody had to pivot in order to make their livelihood, they had to figure out how to do it in a virtual space. And my prediction was that the gym is not dead, people will go back, people will miss the energy of working out with other humans seeing somebody across the room who like nods when they nail their deadlift, you know, are just seeing other people who are gutting it out at the gym. And also that those spaces whether it’s a boutique studio or a gym, that they’re a time for us away from sort of the distractions of the rest of our life. I have three kids and a dog, and an awesome husband who works full time. So I, I don’t know about you, but I do do home workouts sometimes, but they are not the same. It is not the Liz me time focused session that I crave. Sometimes, it’s all I can do. And it’s 100% Better than nothing. So anyway, this has proven to be true, people are going back, I just saw an email and I have not fact checked it. So I’m going to, I’m going to say that. But that the searches for gym memberships in 2022 were the highest they’ve ever been in history. So people are thinking about it, at least I don’t know if that you know if they converted or exactly where that that data was sourced from. But I go to the YMCA and I’ve seen the membership climb and the number of people there. What I am seeing is that many people, myself included, are working out from apps. So I think there’s there’s a mixing and that this will continue of using these digital platforms. The one I use is ladder, our friend Lauren yassky also an advisory board member runs a program called body and bell that I love to follow. So I do that. And I’m always testing whatever workouts Women’s Health is writing about. And so I’m working out off my phone, and there I would say at least 50% of the people are doing that boutique fitness. So yes, I worked at SoulCycle. I worked at Soul at a time when it was scaling rapidly. We were opening multiple studios, sometimes in the same week. We’re expanding internationally. For those who haven’t been following the boutique industry carefully suffice to say that the pandemic, you know, that was already a difficult business model because it was diluting the number of spots, you know, almost cannibalizing people within the same space. New York City for example. When you go from three studios to 30, you know, you’re not necessarily going to fill 30 to max capacity. They started to anyway, story for another day, but they could not afford when people were locked down to keep to keep paying the rent on all those studios, so they massively scaled back and many other studios have done the same. I personally think, and this is somebody an avid boutique fitness lover, I’ve gone to many boutique fitness classes, I don’t think it is going to continue, I don’t think we’re going to see new brands open every other month or every month, like we did pre pandemic, I think it’s a really hard space to get into right now. I think you will see, even the players who are established in the space, launching digital platforms and investing more in that, that, you know, maybe a couple of brick and mortar locations at most will be their presence, you know, physical presence, that that they’ll really lean into the digital space and that so people can, you know, occasionally have their in person workout, but then go to their local YMCA and you know, do why seven yoga class from there, why seven actually just launched a digital platform I just saw last week. So we’ll see. I don’t know, what do you think?

Dr Lyon  36:15

Yeah, I think that people are moving more towards strength. Yeah, you know, I’ve seen initially, there was a lot of Pilates and Pilates can be great for certain people, there was the boutique initially from my perspective was, less hypertrophy. And I’m thinking about a very careful way to say this, which if you had asked me 30 episodes ago on this podcast, I would just come out and say something different. But I am going to where I’m going to choose my words carefully. I believe that there’s going to be a push towards more discomfort. And when I say more discomfort, I mean, perhaps not quite the discomfort of CrossFit style metabolic conditioning with heavy weights doing those type of things. But I believe that there’s a need. Yeah. And that we are very sedentary. And I believe being sedentary in and of itself as a disease model. Yeah, we’re gonna, we’re craving harder things. We’re craving challenges. And that’s where I think things are gonna go.

Liz Plosser  37:15

Yeah, I have to agree with you. And I think we’re seeing that even in the stories that our readers are clicking on. I’m hoping for all the reasons you said, because it’s so damn good for us to challenge ourselves and to be a little bit uncomfortable. That’s where change happens. That’s where muscle growth happens. And the cascade of healthy things that happen throughout your body from that, hopefully, with brands like women’s health championing it, you know, goodbye toning and sculpting like love ya, if that’s the word you want use

Dr Lyon  37:48

Bye Felicia.

Liz Plosser  37:49

We’re gonna start calling it what it is, and celebrating it. And so like, I think people were I agree with you, we wouldn’t we wouldn’t be doing this. If we thought everyone was resisting, I think people are curious. And that is a beautiful place to reach them to make a change and take action and to do something a little different.

Dr Lyon  38:11

They’re definitely more ready now than they’ve ever been.

Liz Plosser  38:14

Yeah.

Dr Lyon  38:15

I’ve been talking about protein and muscle for longer than I care to tell anybody. And 10 years ago, five years ago, nobody was ready.

Liz Plosser  38:25

Yeah, totally agree.

Dr Lyon  38:26

I had come to you and said, Liz, I’d love to be a part of the board, you would have looked at me and you would have said, well, maybe you know, I don’t know, you might have brushed me off. And I mean, really business with you from the start would have revisited. But now people are ready. People are ready to be stronger, they’re ready to be more resilient, they’re ready to have grit. They’re ready to eat more protein, I’m gonna say they’re ready to eat more meat or whatever it is. Rather than doing the 10 day, bikini body, fast grapefruit rat fast or Cabbage Patch. Cabbage soup.

Liz Plosser  39:04

Yes, cabbage patch diet. So we’ve loved you a long time. And you’ve worked with us for a long time. But I think you make a really great point. And we are thrilled that you accepted our offer to our Women’s Health Advisory Board Member we’re so proud to have you and your expertise and all of your experience and knowledge on our board. And you are absolutely filling a gap that we had in our advisory board. And I think you’re right that we as a brand me as a leader. I’ve just through my own personal experience, reached a point where I’m like, This is crucial and important. And we need the best of the best educating our readers about it.

Dr Lyon  39:46

Where do you think that the nutrition spaces going? You’ve seen a lot of transition and and not only just a lot of transition, you’ve also seen a lot of I don’t know if it’s discussion or red tape? It’s people are very sensitive to all things. Yeah, health and fitness more so now than ever before.

Liz Plosser  40:07

Yes, I agree. It’s such a hot button sensitive topic. And I would even argue that amongst all of them that nutrition is the most

Dr Lyon  40:17

always, has it always been like that?

Liz Plosser  40:18

I think yes. But we now can really see it because of social media, because everyone has a platform to talk about it or to comment on what experts and brands are saying, and non experts and people who are spreading misinformation. I think it’s because everybody eats. So everyone’s kind of an expert on food. You know, not everybody works out, not everybody is passionate about taking care of their mental health and meditation and all the other topics we explore, you eat every single day. So we all have opinions and thoughts about it.

Dr Lyon  40:55

you nailed it, you could go your whole life with never exercising, right? You 100% of the time have to get nutrients,

Liz Plosser  41:03

right. 100%,

Dr Lyon  41:05

right, like,  Yeah,

Liz Plosser  41:07

you’re  gonna have to do it. Yes, we, of course, have covered over the years, all the various diets that come in and out of, you know, fashion that are trending. keto was really big for a while,

Dr Lyon  41:21

how long was it big for?, it’s still kind of big.

Liz Plosser  41:24

It is, but.we’ve noticed less, less action and those stories, they’re not clicked as much as they used to be. It’s so fascinating to see these trends. Intermittent Fasting is another big one

Dr Lyon  41:36

hot topic now or was?

Liz Plosser  41:37

was I think it’s still interesting to people, but it’s come down. This is also seasonal, and so fascinating, when, you know, say a celebrity comes out and shares that they do intermittent fasting, there might be like a big bump and Spike for a month while people are, you know, all into it again. I think and I’m not just saying this, because this is the direction I’m going. I think there’s more interest in macros. And I think if you had said two years ago, or even maybe a year ago, you know, the way I that I navigate my meals throughout the day is I’m really, I’m counting my macros, I’m looking to get X amount of protein X amount of carbohydrates, X amount of fat, which works for me and my body and my activity level. People, a lot of people I think would be like, what, what a macro is what? And now, they’re still saying that, but a lot of people know. Or they’re trying to figure out what is the right ratio for me, and the one I want them to really think about, which I think is happening more and more. And we again, are trying to really champion this and women’s health we just did a big investigative feature about it is protein. Oh, gosh, Gabrielle, I have to say like, I, I have written stories about protein, like in my 20s. I talked to the best experts. What fascinates me, it’s like the human mind and experience is like, when are you going to be ready to hear it? When is it going to click? Because I knew all about protein and its benefits. And yet I still was like, choose my words. You know, when I would go out to eat with my husband like, oh, the vegetarian option that must be the best nutritionally like,

Dr Lyon  43:31

you’re gonna get healthiest one.

Liz Plosser  43:33

That must be the healthiest one. Oh, I see there’s a steak on the menu or chicken. But like, that’s a lot of meat that’s really heavy. That’s not for me, even though I knew better. And it’s recently, you know, over the past few years and talking to you and talking to Lauren Kamsky and experimenting with my own body, that I’m like, Oh, I finally woke up and was like, Okay, why don’t you try and do what all the experts say? Why don’t you try and get enough protein? Why don’t you try to get the amount that’s recommended for you, which for me is about 115 to 125 grams a day. And once I really, locks that up and did it. Everything changed my energy, my like, evenness throughout the day. And yes, my body changed to

Dr Lyon  44:23

You got pretty ripped and jacked. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Liz Plosser  44:25

Which is like like fun to see and very motivating. But it truly isn’t just about that. It was like sleeping better. I felt clearer throughout the day. And I know there’s all sorts of magic happening in my body. Because I’m fueling it properly. I’m nourishing it, you know, with the protein that it needs to thrive. So, speaking of missions, I’m on. This is one I’m on on my personal Instagram. I mean, my friends like roll their eyes. When I walk in. I walked into a party on Christmas day and they were like, I don’t know if we have enough protein for you. We got a lot Like carbs, you know, and it’s funny. And I still live my life. And it’s not like I, I actually I eat carbs, and I’m hanging on your every word about carbs and how to implement them into your day and to fuel your workouts and you know, be strategic about them. And I still eat cookies, and I, you know, I live my life. But am I superduper focused on my protein now? And better for it? Yes. And yes.

Dr Lyon  45:25

Why do you think it is taken so long for the general public to kind of catch up to all that?

Liz Plosser  45:33

I know, and I should say, like, myself included, you know. I think there’s a fear a little bit, especially of, you know, the trend in general has been eating plant based. I think there’s been a narrative out there, that meat is bad, whether it’s for the environment, or for your body. And you’ve seen a lot of like faux meats, fake meats, enter the market, and sort of glorified, and like, put a big blue halo health halo around them. And I think unfortunately, the media has probably, like, help tell that story. Like we’ve written about it, too. And it sounds almost like a magic bullet, which I think a lot of people want, when you want to change your life, get healthier, lose weight. The easy fix is what so many people are desperate for. And when you reach people in that place of like weakness, and like not, I don’t want to be dramatic,

Dr Lyon  46:47

No, it’s a place of vulnerability. If you’re

Liz Plosser  46:49

that’s the word. And you swoop in and say, This is the answer. I think people latch on to that. And I mean, the irony is that it’s, it’s not like eating animal based protein products is hard. It’s like so easy to like, make scrambled eggs in the morning, or, you know, grill yourself some chicken or fish or steak at night. And I want to be like crystal clear that I love eating plant based. I love vegetables. And they are so important to a healthy diet. Exactly. The minerals, the antioxidants, the vitamins, it’s not like I’m anti any of those. And I’m so down for, you know, beans and lentils and other sources of plant based protein. For me personally, in my busy life, and with the amount of calories that I need to be healthy and fit. And to have a healthy fit weight. I turned to animal products. Animal based protein.

Dr Lyon  47:50

Right. And it’s really interesting. You touched on a very important point, people the discussion seems as if it has to be either or.

Liz Plosser  47:58

Yeah.

Dr Lyon  47:59

And you’ve never said that?

Liz Plosser  48:01

No,

Dr Lyon  48:01

and that’s not what it has to be. You can be protein forward, you can have high quality nutrient dense foods and have plants. Yes, not this idea of removing one or the other. And for whatever reason, again, this narrative of elimination of Whole Foods groups can be very detrimental, especially as we get older.

Liz Plosser  48:24

Yes, I completely agree. And again, it’s just like a very sensitive topic for people. So that is one of the great challenges and opportunities in my role is, you know, we’re out to reach as many women as possible, and to open their eyes to things that would make their them in their lives, fuller, healthier, happier, whatever that means for them. And in order to reach them, you know, again, you have to be thoughtful and careful about the messaging, the visuals, the words that you use. And, you know, I do I think I’m seeing that more women are interested in it and that people are, there’s like an illumination happening. I do think we are in that. That zone right now, which is awesome to see. But it must be fascinating for you because you’re like so before your time talking about this, like

Dr Lyon  49:22

craziness

Liz Plosser  49:22

nothing has changed in your message or your research or how you’re

Dr Lyon  49:25

on thing, actually, there’s one thing that it’s an this has changed because I needed to get clear on why I was recommending it. Yeah, I typically recommend or have in the past always recommended an even protein distribution. Uh huh. Just because it’s so easy for people to not even worry about it not think about or overcomplicate something and from a metabolic standpoint. Really the first and the last meal. Yeah, are the most important and that middle meal if it has 20 grams of protein or not, it’s fine,

Liz Plosser  49:56

huh? Yeah, I I believe it Are you on another podcast talking about that? It was really interesting. And would you say the first meal of the day is the most important first and last

Dr Lyon  50:06

Absolutely.If you you nail that first and last meal.I think that you haven’t

Liz Plosser  50:13

if you’re not getting the overall so if I’m aiming for 125

Dr Lyon  50:17

Great question,

Liz Plosser  50:18

but I get 50 in the morning and 50 at night. I’m not getting quite there.

Dr Lyon  50:21

I think that 50 In the morning, 50. At night, I think that you’re gonna need a little more protein. Yeah, for especially for your activity level. Yeah. But making does it have to be evenly distributed of 40 4040? You know, no, but definitely making sure that that first last meal are optimized.

Liz Plosser  50:38

Good. Well, I’m happy to say that I’m following the doctors orders.

Dr Lyon  50:42

You’re nailing it, you’re nailing it, in terms of I don’t want to say life hacks, but there’s a lot of cold plunges a lot of which might, you know, my husbands aNavy SEAL, was a Navy SEAL. He laughs right? He’s like, you’re never gonna see one of those. But there’s a lot of more wearable type stuff. Yeah, and sauna type stuff. What is the next trend? Do you think that we that we are not aware of

Liz Plosser  51:06

the next one that we’re not aware of? Well, why don’t I answer that by saying something I’d like to see, which sort of builds upon some some of the trends you mentioned. wearables and tracking is just getting bigger and bigger. I’m obviously wearing the Apple Watch. Ultra. I’m obsessed with it. I’ve been wearing this since it launched, like seven almost eight years ago. I’ve tried whoop, I’ve tried the aura ring, you know, Fitbits, Garmins, all of them. One that I recently tried over the summer was the continuous glucose monitor by levels. Which is for those who don’t know, number one, I’ll say I am not diabetic, it was just out of curiosity for what was happening with my insulin levels throughout the day. Sorry, your glucose levels throughout the day. And it was very eye opening for me and actually changed some of my behavior.

Dr Lyon  52:07

Cool. Which we want to hear about that.

Liz Plosser  52:12

Is that but I stopped wearing it, I do. I think there’s a point at which you can sort of cross the line into obsession, and living by the numbers in the data. And I even was doing this with the aura ring. It’s just, it’s, I think it’s a live thing. I have to be curious about the data, but like, sort of let it be let it, you know, teach me some lessons, but not go too far with it. Because like, for example, when I was tracking my sleep, maybe I wake up in the morning, and I’m like, I feel great. You know, I’m ready to get after my day my workout. And then I open up my app to see how my sleep went. And it wasn’t, you know, it was like, wow,

Dr Lyon  52:50

oh, my god, gotta skip the workout,

Liz Plosser  52:51

redlining and REM and this night, and then suddenly, my mindset and mood has shifted, and it’s because of a number. You know. So I think there are there are pros and cons to tracking ourselves and looking at what’s happening in our bodies all the time. But again, so the glucose monitor, very cool. What I think would be awesome, is if you can track your hormones using some sort of wearable. And you and I have talked about hormone levels and thanks for letting me share TMI about my personal life, but anytime because I love about you and that we can just text. But I think you know, so many women are lacking insight and information to their their hormone levels and what’s happening you know, with their monthly cycle even and then as they enter perimenopause and menopause. And actually, both of those chapters of life perimenopause and menopause are things that women’s health is explored really in depth and that we are again, like really shining a spotlight on and, you know, there’s been so much stigma or like this, like quiet whispery thing that no one talks about. And it’s like a big huge deal that every woman so like, let’s talk about it. Let’s, you know, we we’ve think goodness reached a point where we talk about getting pregnant, fertility, pregnancy postpartum. Here we are, finally thank God and talking about

Dr Lyon  52:52

really was that a big deal in the past?

Liz Plosser  54:23

Talking about menopause?

Dr Lyon  54:24

No, and pregnancy was that

Liz Plosser  54:26

No, no, I think you know, for many years that’s been kosher to talk about.

Dr Lyon  54:30

Oh, yeah.

Liz Plosser  54:31

You know what I mean?

Dr Lyon  54:31

Yes.

Liz Plosser  54:33

And now Now, we’re, I think it’s very open to talk about or it’s not quite there, but it’s becoming there.

Dr Lyon  54:39

And it needs to be

Liz Plosser  54:40

and it needs to be and, you know, speaking of trends, you can see the launches of so many brands in this space, who want to help and support women, whether it’s trackers or apps with advice or you know, beauty and feminine products to support them. So I think the the climate is exactly right. And now we just need A tech brand to come in and to do that, but you know what I actually speaking of this. I was looking at some of the product launches at the CES show, which is happening right now.

Dr Lyon  55:12

What’s that? CES?

Liz Plosser  55:14

It is s consumer, It’s a tech show. It’s the huge it. Yeah, it’s like all the big tech companies and brands that have some sort of product to launch in the tech space go there. And a lot of brands and editors there, we did not, but we’re like, you know, watching from afar to see what’s happening, including me. And I believe it is Withings the scale the company that makes the scale. They they make very, like smart scales that talk to an app and like, you know, it’s a formula for calculating body fat, not sure how accurate that is?

Dr Lyon  55:51

What about muscle mass?

Liz Plosser  55:53

I don’t think yet I know. They debuted a product which has not been FDA approved yet. But it basically sits in the toilet and monitors your urine. And I think it’s first something, what is it like pregnancy and hormone levels usually can see where you are in your cycle, which is so rad. But like, imagine if you could hook your patients up with that, and because I don’t know all the things you can test using urine and sorry, if this is, you know, whatever, if we’re talking about health, so that’s all it’s all. Let’s put it all out there. Anyway, I just think the the ability to see what’s happening in your body without having to go to a doctor to a lab, and have a needle and like go through insurance. And not that there’s any thing wrong with any of that it just takes work. And I think that threshold is actually meaning that we’re leaving a lot of people who could benefit from that information. And from then, you know, consulting with an expert like you or another doctor who understands it, and can give them some lifestyle recommendations or, you know, in some cases, medication if necessary. I think you’ve just opened up a huge population to some like really massive health changes they could make.

Dr Lyon  57:17

I bet you that does happen. It’s kind of like the Jetsons the scan,

Liz Plosser  57:20

yeah,

Dr Lyon  57:21

I’m sure that eventually those

Liz Plosser  57:23

like, what if I watch can tell me what day my cycle I’m on?

Dr Lyon  57:26

I bet you it’s going to be able to tell you a lot more than that. What do you what else do you think?

Liz Plosser  57:30

I think it’s going to I you know, I don’t know yet, but I think it’s going to be able to ultimately be a full catalogue.

Dr Lyon  57:36

Yeah,

Liz Plosser  57:37

of the blood work that we are getting right now. While I think we’re going to look back in 10 years, or we’re gonna say what we’ve been doing is archaic.

Dr Lyon  57:44

Yeah. That’s cool. And scary. Yeah, all at the same time.

Liz Plosser  57:48

Right. But it like, just like I was saying with, I guess the more rudimentary as we’llcall them in 10 years. Things like my sleep tracker. So many benefits for me having access to that information, and also some some opportunities for you know, it’s not all good. So you really have to be careful and 100% sure people understand the pros and the cons.

Dr Lyon  58:11

Can you imagine you have to go perform? Because I still think that you and I need to do some physical challenge together I agree we still haven’t picked that.  So we’re putting it out there now where if you guys have any ideas, please DM us. We’re looking for a you know, obviously you like jujitsu challenge, something where we can be competitive? And do we really cool? Yeah, so I love that.

Liz Plosser  58:32

Right? This is one of the things I’m working on in 2023, is I want to put my mind to something like a challenge like that, you know, I’ve got little mini ones, like I’m working on my deadlift and some more intervals. But I would love to do that with you.

Dr Lyon  58:44

I think we’re gonna have a we’re gonna pick it and it’s going to be awesome, awesome. In terms of that. Now, this may be a sensitive subject, so I can appreciate if you don’t want to answer this.

Liz Plosser  58:54

Okay.

Dr Lyon  58:54

But I am so curious as to how the women’s health and just how media in general has navigated this. And this is it’s more of the body positivity and health at any size and the things of that nature. You know, we’re just seeing a lot of change in this space that again, I don’t think existed. And I’m just curious as to what your perspective is, how has Women’s Health thought about it and manage that?

Liz Plosser  59:25

Yeah, no, I’m not. I’m not afraid to get into this. I think it’s a really important topic. And I know I’ve said this a few times. So it’s maybe tiresome at this point, but it is so crucial to me. So I’ll start by saying words really matter and visuals really matter. So when we’re thinking about how women’s health approaches content like that, and any content in this space, we are always thinking about inclusivity you know, showing different abled bodies showing different sizes, backgrounds, ethnicities. So you can even see this, we do Instagram Live workouts every single week, two to three. And you’ll see trainers from all different backgrounds, all different sizes, all different teaching styles. You know, this, it really is like a community like everyone is welcome at women’s health. I would add to that, that, I think, perhaps maybe some would think this is, you know, shocking or different in this day and age where yes, it is very much about body positivity we are so we’re body positive at women’s health, like, we love our bodies, were so proud and want women to be proud of their bodies. We also want to acknowledge that women shouldn’t feel ashamed, if they think they would be healthier and happier. If they went to the gym more or eat more healthfully or lost five pounds and felt better in their jeans. Use we’re I think, unfortunately, the pendulum has sort of swung so far and hold the direction of celebrating bodies of any type, which again, to be very clear, I am 1,000% on board with. But that means celebrating people wherever they are on their journey. And so they might be in a different place. And we are there for that woman too. So I don’t know if that answers your question. But we we don’t. We don’t want anybody to feel judged for wanting to make changes. If being leaner and increasing your muscle mass is important to you, we think that’s awesome. And we have a lot of tools, and a lot of mental and emotional tools to help you change your lifestyle so you can reach those goals. And that’s, that’s what I have to say about that.

Dr Lyon  1:01:46

Yeah I think it’s great. Because again, having a transparent conversation is that, you know, there’s this push about, you know, a lot of things, whether it’s be toned, or just go plant based or be okay, it’s healthy to be, you know, have a lot of extra weight all of these things, yeah, that we really have to think about, Well, is it healthier? Right, and let’s say people want to do a, you know, have a change for themselves, maybe be fitter, or do any of those things. So we have to have the open conversation, right? It’s okay to be super fit, and want to be jacked and tan. There’s no problem with that. And that doesn’t mean that it’s body shaming anybody else or that if you want to lose weight, which by the way, a healthy body composition is what is going to help improve longevity, right? And functional capacity and brain function, all the other things. So, yeah, it did answer the question. And I love that women’s health is very much about the idea of body positivity, but not what you’re saying is, you can be great however you want to be. Yeah. And yeah,

Liz Plosser  1:03:03

I just one little to add on to that. I also personally prefer a word that we used a couple years ago in our bodies issue where we celebrate women nude, and beautiful, beautiful art, which was body neutrality, for some reason that personally really resonates with me, this idea that you have to feel awesome and amazing. And like big smile every time you look in the mirror, I don’t think that that’s I don’t think that’s really fair to us. Because I don’t think that’s most women’s experience. That sometimes you’re going to wake up and feel sort of lethargic and less motivated. And then maybe by lunchtime, your discipline is going to kick in your discipline, you did your workout and you had your, you know, your breakfast that makes you feel powered up and you you’re ready to go into your meeting. And I think that, you know, our perspective and our energy, our mindset changes throughout the day. What is interesting to me, and perhaps, you know, kind of tacking back on to trends that I’m seeing and that women’s health tries to put forward is there are so many tools to help you when you’re kind of in the LA blaw side. And I’ll just say it like I’ve been there. I felt that way on Tuesday was my first day back after being on holiday and I was like what is wrong with me? Why don’t I feel rejuvenated, like ready to get after it? And I use tools like cold plunging exposing myself to sunlight, turning on music that lights me up making sure I’ve had enough caffeine, all sorts there are so many tools that we can use to help get us out of that mindset if it’s uncomfortable to sit in it. But anyway, I just wanted to say that that I think it’s okay to sometimes not feel okay I don’t I think you have to walk around being like, I love my body and feel so good about it today, every second of every day. What do you think? I think

Dr Lyon  1:05:08

I think it’s fair enough. Yeah. And I, but I also think that we owe it to ourselves to always be the best version of ourselves, whatever that is, in the moment. And yeah. Because you, I, you, we all train together and you didn’t feel like training and you went in the gym, and you crushed it. And, and you didn’t feel like it. And we could have said, Okay, we’re gonna, yeah, like, go with that feeling. I think that feelings aren’t facts, and that we execute off of our plan in place. And we rely on our discipline, rather, above and above anything else. And I also think that we do have a responsibility to ourselves and the people we love and the greatness that we have the potential to put out into the world by being the best version of ourselves.

Liz Plosser  1:05:53

I love you so much. I wanted to say I wish I’d recorded that, but we did record it. So I’m going to hang on to so many of those things that you said, Yes, I often tell myself on days, I’m not feeling it at the gym. And I have to say just again, to put it out there sometimes it’s like cycle related, you know, hormones are where you are. Not to be

Dr Lyon  1:06:16

you also have three How old are your kids?

Liz Plosser  1:06:18

I have 11 year old boy girl twins, a seven year old boy. And I have to say, Willa, my two year old Bernese Mountain Dog puppy is like our fourth child. Yeah, we got a lot going on it we got a lot going on at home, I have people that I do need to show up for him be my best self for including all the awesome editors at women’s health. But when I think about when I hit the gym on, it’s very much for me, I have learned this over time. It is 1,000% What you said it’s about discipline. This is what I do. I am a person who works out, I feel better after I workout, I go to the gym, when it opens at 6am. That is Liz in the morning, non negotiable, even when I don’t want to, even when I’m not feeling it

Dr Lyon  1:06:57

especially when you’re notf feeling it

Liz Plosser  1:06:59

especially that’s probably when I need it the most when you don’t want to. And I tell myself on those days, you give 100% of whatever you got, maybe it’s like 80% of what I gave yesterday, if you really you calculated the volume or the effort, but you give 100% of whatever you have to give that day. And that’s helped me a lot. And I I also have to say, I have never I will tell myself, I use something called the four minute rule where I’m like, okay, just start to work out. If you really are just blah, not feeling it. After four minutes, you can stop and go home. Have you ever done that?

Dr Lyon  1:07:36

I have never once not continued.

Liz Plosser  1:07:39

And there always comes a point. I posted about this the other day, I was doing one of Lauren’s workouts, and he was like 48 minutes long. And it was on I distinctly remember because seven is my lucky number.

Dr Lyon  1:07:52

wait really?

Liz Plosser  1:07:53

yeah, never talked about that. On minute 37 I had this like cascade of like, energy, emotion change. I was just like, I’m in the zone. I feel awesome. This is so fun. I feel strong. I feel empowered. And maybe it’s not always that tangible. But there’s always a point in the workout or something shifts and like, you know, like, the My shoulders are back. I’ve got a confidence and an energy. I really truly believe that it’s for me, I mean, yes, there are all sorts of health benefits and all the things that happen to your Body longevity promoting benefits of building muscle. For me, it’s not even about it’s not about fitness. It’s what I learned there. And like how I apply it to the rest of my life. It is such a like microcosm of how I can approach my life. And it feels so damn good. But I do remember that workout with Lauren and Abby. And it was one of those days it sounds like I’m never feeling it. The truth is I love training

Dr Lyon  1:09:01

you built to last. You are built to last

Liz Plosser  1:09:05

I was just training with Eb who’s the executive fitness director at men’s health

Dr Lyon  1:09:09

and it’s like, I was like, I was not invited to this one.

Liz Plosser  1:09:11

I know you got to come next time. And it was so I was like I never want this to be over. I could I could train for hours a day. But I do not have I do not obviously have time to do that. But where I’m going with this is I think there’s something really special about sweating with friends and the energy that builds between people. And I think this is one of the great benefits of classes I don’t go to too many boutique fitness classes these days. I go to Hot yoga, and I love the energy there and finding a new song and I love it when the the instructor like adjusts me and I’m just like never leave keep adjusting. But when we get together and lift heavy swing kettlebells pickup barbells we’re like literally rooting each other on and just by being there showing up for each other. We’re rooting each other on and I think it unlocks new possibility in people and I also believe and I know there’s there is science to support this, that the social connection that builds between people, when they do physical activity together, camaraderie, camaraderie. And it’s way more powerful than going out and grabbing a coffee, or

Dr Lyon  1:10:21

100%.

Liz Plosser  1:10:22

Yeah, I do not drink. But I know a lot of people go out for drinks to bond and like, great. All all wonderful things. Please be social and build connection. But like, I want everybody to try doing it over a sweat. It changes everything.

Dr Lyon  1:10:35

Agree and nothing is actually more fun.

Liz Plosser  1:10:36

Yeah.

Dr Lyon  1:10:38

So as editor in chief, you do have just a, I can’t even imagine the amount of responsibility? And do you feel it? Do you ever sit back and reflect and go? Holy? Like, holy shit, this is major. I mean, it’s a major. I mean, again, it is a major, major role in the way in which every 40 million women, or so and beyond because they tell their friends about this thing. Think about health and wellness. Yeah. Have you ever had a moment where you were just like, oh, man, do over? Or how am I managing this? Or just rise to the occasion? And eh no big deal?

Liz Plosser  1:11:25

Oh, I love I love this question. It’s reminding me that I probably should pause and reflect on that more often. Because the truth is, although I tried to project it, like gliding Duck on a lake, I am like furiously, furiously paddling under underwater at all times. And that doesn’t leave much space to sit back and be like, holy shit, this is major. But I think you said something that’s, that struck me. You asked if I ever want to do over think about that. And we don’t get do overs in life. But we can start over at any time and begin again. And so I’ll admit that I haven’t done it perfectly, and that they’re, you know, things I wish I’d done a little differently along the way. But what I love so much and feel so grateful for is that I get to start over and begin again, every single day. And that really excites me that that possibility, that opportunity to make a difference and an impact. And you’re right, I am having a moment right now where it’s like this huge brand that was so many people depend on and turn to. And I’m so proud of how we do it. And that we rely on science and the best experts as the foundation to every single story we tell, and that we are choosing stories that can really make a positive difference in women’s lives. So yeah, well, holy shit.

Dr Lyon  1:13:02

Yeah, I think we’re all proud of you all. And I was so excited to have you on again. Because of you, what you represent, and how you are and how you’re moving through this world. And all the great positive work, you are a human that is making the world better. And I don’t even I don’t even know if you understand and can appreciate the magnitude of what you’re doing and how you’re holding it and showing up and you are so graceful. So

Liz Plosser  1:13:38

Well, that means a lot. That is incredibly kind. I really appreciate that. And you know, it’s it kind of blows my mind to hear and to, you’re reminding me how big it is and how how many people are watching what we do. And it’s just as I said, so much passion for this brand since the day I first saw it on the newsstand. So I don’t take it lightly what I what I get to do every day.

Dr Lyon  1:14:09

you’re always so humble. You’re always so humble, mission driven. And it is always about your team. You’ve mentioned your team here nearly every statement about how great the brand is. And I think it says a lot about a leader. You’re not leading the I space. It’s really we the brand and that’s one of the reasons I was just so excited to have you on. You know, do you think that there is your biggest strength just curious as to what you think your biggest strength is?

Liz Plosser  1:14:43

I think I think my superpower is resilience. I I am really proud that even and I mean this both physically and sort of metaphorically in my professional and personal life, that even when I trip or fall, or make a mistake, I get back up, and I get back up quickly. I don’t stay down. And you know, sometimes it’s really hard and embarrassing, and you just kind of want to quit and pretend it didn’t happen and walk away and throw in the towel. But I pretty much never do. So that’s my, I think that’s my biggest strength.

Dr Lyon  1:15:28

Incredible. I have one last question for him. For someone who’s looking up to you now, which I know that there are so many young women who were Liz, you know, in the beginning of their career, what is the one piece of advice that you would leave that young woman

Liz Plosser  1:15:54

I would say roll up your sleeves, that all the grunt work, all the extraneous things that come with any job are so important. And will make you better and better as you rise the ranks and become a leader. And to not be afraid to like get dirty and get into it. And that will also mean asking for help and learning things that you think you should already know. And staying curious. But roll up your sleeves and like really dive in. Don’t do it half assed. Don’t think you’re too good for any any task or responsibility. It all counts. It’s all important. It all makes you better.

Dr Lyon  1:16:41

Liz Plosser, editor in chief of Women’s Health magazine, you’re such a unicorn. I’m so grateful for your time. Thank you so much for being here.

Liz Plosser  1:16:50

Thank you. Gabrielle was so fun to talk to you.

Dr Lyon  1:16:53

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