Gabby Reece: Why Midlife Women Who Refuse to Be Frail Train, Think, and Live Differently | #159

**Gabby Reece** (0:00)
Once you're really staying true to your own calling, your own instincts, your own voice, it'll all find its way in the right timing. But if we look at what other people are doing, I think that sometimes that's where it not only feels overwhelming, but we don't even give ourselves permission to ask ourselves if that's what we even wanna do.

**Dr. Vonda Wright** (0:16)
I'm really happy to host today Gabby Reece.

**Gabby Reece** (0:20)
Streamlining my life, not making it more complicated, having more energy for the things that are important, but also not wasting time.

**Dr. Vonda Wright** (0:29)
How have you stuck to discipline and not relied on willpower?

**Gabby Reece** (0:32)
How do I build scaffolding that reflects me, works for me, based on who I am as a person, where my blind spots are, what phase in my life am I in? And keep looking at that scaffolding and going, hey, is this still working? Yes, should I add this? Could I take this away?

**Dr. Vonda Wright** (0:46)
How have you guys managed in two alpha household and still been respectful?

**Gabby Reece** (0:51)
To be a true worrier, one must be compassionate. To be a true alpha is not to exert your will and force on people.

**Dr. Vonda Wright** (0:57)
That's an interesting perspective.

**Gabby Reece** (0:59)
I saw a picture of myself the other day and my head was over the net. And I thought, no wonder my knees hurt. It's almost like I can barely remember being able to do that. Don't be sad that it's over. Just be grateful that you could ever experience it.

**Dr. Vonda Wright** (1:15)
So hey everybody, I'm so happy to be back on The Dr Vonda Show and I'm really happy to host today Gabby Reece. Now, Gabby, you may not remember this or even realize this, but several years ago when you had me on your podcast for the first time, it was the beginning of people being interested in the musculoskeletal system from the menopause perspective. So I was on your show and that was the first huge bump I got in people listening about this subject, which I think now is so central to us. Aging well is our skeletal system, right? So you need no introduction, but the fact that you are a pro athlete still performing at a high level, model, TV host, entrepreneur, author, wife, mother, badass. I mean, you're all the hats that I love.
And I wish we were neighbors, we're not, but I might not get in the pool with you to do weights underwater. That's a little adventurous for me. But I'm so glad to have you today.

**Gabby Reece** (2:26)
Well, I always really appreciate seeing you and seeing what you're doing.
It's really inspiring and a lot of fun. And also, obviously, I believe in the message that you're getting out there. And to clarify, yes, I have sort of done all those things, but I definitely have not done them all at once. So I just want to remind people that, you know, there is an opportunity to express yourself in so many ways, but it may not be simultaneous.

**Dr. Vonda Wright** (2:51)
Well, I love that you say that because sometimes when people attribute to me, they're like, oh, my God, how'd you do all those things? I'm like, because I'm pretty old. Not saying that you're old, but I've been doing what I do for 30 years. Well, that gives me a little bit of runway, right?

**Gabby Reece** (3:06)
Yeah. I mean, I think that's a really important part. I mean, I was playing college volleyball in 1987, and I started modeling in 1988 So there's been some time between that, mother, author, and all those other things. So just to encourage people to, like, the pace, there's no, I don't think that there's a hurry. I think there's a discovery because I think it's once you're really staying true to your own calling, your own instincts, your own voice, it'll all find its way in the right timing. But if we look at, like, what other people are doing or how they're doing it, I think that sometimes that's where it not only feels overwhelming, but we don't even give ourselves permission to ask ourselves if that's what we even want to do.

**Dr. Vonda Wright** (3:49)
So over this time when you've had done so many interesting things, and it's probably changed, but how do you prioritize?
And does it have to do with what you value? That's changed over time.

**Gabby Reece** (4:06)
It's interesting. I think sometimes values can be like first principles.
I think they're pretty tried and true throughout your life. What that looks, it kind of expands maybe, or you get there quicker, you know? Like if you say, hey, I'm trying to have a positive outlook in life or not worry so much. As you get older, I think you get to that quicker. But I think once I got into athletics, my health, it's not that I was like one of those people who it's like, oh, I don't eat that and I do this, but it just felt like something that was important, like telling the truth, having good friendships. Then when I met my husband in 1995, certainly family really slid to the top, and obviously that's without effort. A lot of the things have always stayed tried and true. Discipline has always been really, really important to me because I felt better about myself when I had a disciplined approach to things, and that doesn't mean abusive to myself or beating myself up or kind of coming down hard on myself if I missed a workout or ate chocolate cake. It was just more like having a life that had some kind of form and discipline. I just felt like not only could I get a lot more done, I respected myself more.