Cara Kleinhaut Redefines Midlife by Swapping “Thin” for Strong on Health Is a Skill with Todd Vande Hei
Todd Vande Hei, CEO of Stark and host of the Health is a Skill podcast, sat down with experiential marketing entrepreneur Cara Kleinhaut to discuss how midlife can become the healthiest, most vibrant chapter yet. At 52, Kleinhaut runs her company, cooks farmers-market meals for her teenage daughters, surfs in Costa Rica, and recently summited Kilimanjaro — all while embracing strength over the pursuit of being merely “thin.”
During the episode, Kleinhaut opened up about shifting priorities as she entered perimenopause, moving practices like sleep, grounding, and walking meditation from “someday” to non-negotiables. “The road gets narrower,” Kleinhaut said. “What worked before stops working, so things like sleep and recovery moved from the back burner to the front.”
Her conversation with Vande Hei covered topics ranging from learning the basics of muscle science and DEXA scans to discovering how glute strength could power her up a mountain. Discussing common fears among women around strength training, she noted, “It’s actually not so easy to get big. You have to work really hard to gain muscle. Even just the littlest bit, especially at our age, is about not losing it.”
Highlights from their discussion included:
- 80/20 Realism: Why enjoying wine and birthdays still fits into a sustainable health approach.
- Community as Bio-Hack: The role of purpose and human connection, inspired by her 94-year-old father who continues to volunteer.
- Advice to Younger Women: Encouragement for those in their “building years” juggling kids and careers to show themselves grace, trusting that small steps pay off later.
Vande Hei added, “It’s not the intensity we do it, it’s the consistency. Doing a decent job every day is better than an amazing job sometimes.”
Listeners can hear the full conversation on Health is a Skill via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and learn more about Stark’s integrative approach to health at stark.health, which specializes in personalized training, nutrition, and diagnostics.
About Health Is a Skill
Health is a Skill is a Los Angeles-based podcast hosted by Todd Vande Hei, CEO of Stark. Through expert interviews and personal stories, the show breaks down science-backed strategies and everyday habits that help listeners live stronger, longer lives.
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