Forever35 – Episode 373: "Connect, Don’t Correct Your Body with Cadence Dubus"

October 13, 2025 – Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu; Guest: Cadence Dubus

Overview

In this episode, Doree and Elise are joined by Cadence Dubus—a movement coach, founder of Brooklyn Strength, and expert on connecting with our bodies in compassionate, non-prescriptive ways. Together, they explore shifting attitudes on fitness, body acceptance, the resurgence of skinniness as a cultural norm, and the practicalities and philosophies of movement at midlife. The discussion is rich with humor and practical tips, grounded in Cadence’s innovative approach to self-care and bodily awareness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Updates, Product Recommendations, and Household Rituals

• Shampoo Recs: Elise raves about Hasuo Herbal Essential Shampoo (a K-beauty find) for thick and oily-prone hair, and unexpectedly loves it for her own finer hair too (03:33).
  • "My hair feels like not only cleaner, but lighter and thicker too at the same time." – Elise (04:59)
• Conditioner Talk: Doree shares her ongoing satisfaction with Prose personalized conditioner, especially for fine, long hair (05:55).
• Organization Real Talk: The hosts candidly discuss the realities and motivations around decluttering, emphasizing it as a mental health and executive function support, not a moral good (08:35).
  • "It's not a moral failing. It's just a practical concern more than anything." – Elise (09:25)
• Guest Intro: Cadence Dubus is introduced, and her broader approach to movement, beyond just "personal training," is highlighted (11:00).

2. Cadence Dubus: Approaching Movement as Connection, Not Correction

Cadence’s Self-Care Practice

• Dog Walks for Mindfulness (17:34)
  • Daily walks with her dogs, especially the "do whatever you want dog day," are vital for presence and joy.
  • "They're always thrilled to be outside... just enjoying this moment and I can do that with them and let them guide me." – Cadence (17:46)

Her Journey to Fitness Coaching

• Began as a dancer-turned-Pilates instructor, originally for practical reasons (income as a dancer in NYC).
• Emphasizes functional anatomy and a curiosity for how bodies really work.
  • "We're constantly fed, especially as women, that... everything is constantly going downhill. Everything's terrible and negative. It's very hard to learn to connect to your body, listen to your body, care about your body." – Cadence (21:58)

What Clients Really Want

• Many arrive burned out on fitness, carrying history of restrictive habits or punishing exercise (23:15).
• The goal: Build a sustainable, respectful movement practice that fits one's life, not a metric- or punishment-driven hamster wheel.
  • "Please do not make me go to Orange Theory. How do I do this in a way that aligns with my values and doesn't feel like self-harm?" – Cadence (23:23)
• Distinguishes her intake process: Focus on the personal story of a client's body, not just physical goals—injuries, traumas, life context—so the practice can be responsive and individualized (24:46).

Moving Away from “Goals”

• Critiques the culture of biometric and gamified self-improvement—a million tracking devices but little actual body trust (26:36).
  • "It's like a sci-fi movie where we're outsourcing our complete awareness of our bodies to our phone." – Cadence (27:00)
• Instead, she wants to help clients tune in to their own bodily signals and inherent wisdom.

3. Practical Tips for Bodily Connection

Strengthening Awareness

• Cadence’s Top Practical Tip:

  • "Literally notice when you have to go pee, and go pee right then. It's a really low bar... You're practicing telling your body that your most basic needs are important." – Cadence (32:45)

• Explains that respecting physical urges—even "mundane" ones—quickly broadens to honoring hunger, fatigue, emotional stress, and even boundaries in relationships.

• "If I'm practicing pushing aside my most basic bodily need, I'm practicing telling my body that my most basic needs are not important." – Cadence (34:40)

4. Navigating Body Image, Skinniness, and Ozempic Culture

On Cultural Regression

• Cadence notes the recent cultural swing back towards skinniness/"heroin chic" and rise in GLP-1 (like Ozempic) use (36:50).
  • "We will move through this ultra skinny moment and we will come out on the other side... It all just goes back and forth." – Cadence (36:50)
• She shares patient advocacy advice for clients feeling pressured by doctors to pursue GLP-1s for weight loss—encourages them to ask, “If I were thin, what would you recommend?” (38:07).
• Describes how clients can experience muscle loss and dissociation from their bodies with rapid, medically-driven weight loss:
  • "There is a dissociation happening if you are medically losing weight that is similar to the dissociation that happens when people are focusing their entire lives on losing weight." – Cadence (42:36)
• Stresses a non-judgmental stance, centering the client's lived reality, and advocating for bodily connection above external manipulation.

5. Movement, Bone Density, and Sustainable Fitness at Midlife

How to Start & Sustain

• For anyone wanting to improve strength or bone density (perimenopause/menopause especially), start by asking what you already do, what you enjoy, and what you’re curious about (44:05).
  • "The first place for anyone to start is: What did they already do? What are they curious about? What do they want from this?" – Cadence (44:05)
• Advises patience and playfulness:
  • If you hate all exercise, start with any movement that feels interesting—rock climbing, roller-skating, etc.—and follow consistency over time (46:09).
  • Offers a 10-year client story: Someone who once despised exercise now regularly strength trains—emphasizing how long, organic progress can be (48:00).
    • "Give yourself time to go on a journey and trust that it's worth it... When we look at our own physical practice, we're like, 'Oh, I tried running once and I was terrible at it. I'm never ever doing it again.'" – Cadence (49:41)
• Life circumstances change, pregnancy, injury—so should your movement practices (49:20).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Bodily Tracking Devices:
  "My thing told me I hardly slept, so I guess I really should be careful today... oh my god, too much data!" – Cadence (27:00)
• On Everyday Movement:
  "I'm not about to start recreating a car because I don't know how a car works... if you know how a car works, you're like, oh, I shouldn't be rebuilding this; this car actually is great." – Cadence (21:57)
• On Compassion for Change:
  "When we talk about our bodies and our fitness practices, we're really used to getting this everyday something... which really does not suit how life works and it also doesn't suit how our actual bodies work." – Cadence (49:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 03:33 - 06:10 | Elise & Doree talk new shampoo discoveries and haircare preferences | | 08:29 - 10:10 | Honest conversation on clutter, organization, and mental health | | 17:07 - 20:16 | Cadence shares her personal journey, origins, and unique approach to fitness | | 23:15 - 24:46 | The real concerns women have about fitness after burnout | | 26:36 - 29:51 | Danger of biometric devices, moving away from hyper-focus on “goals” | | 32:45 - 34:46 | Practical self-connection—pee when you have to pee! | | 36:50 - 43:04 | Pressure of skinniness, Ozempic, cultural cycles, and advocating with doctors | | 44:05 - 50:21 | Steps for building and sustaining a movement/strength practice as you age | | 50:52 - 52:14 | Where to find Cadence, her website and programs |

Where to Find Cadence Dubus

• Website: brooklynstrength.com
• Instagram: @brooklynstrength
• Substack: After Class
• Podcast: Busybody

Episode Tone & Takeaway

The episode offers a warm, wise, and practical perspective on caring for the body without cruelty or perfectionism. Cadence and the hosts emphasize curiosity, adaptability, and compassion, encouraging listeners to move away from obsessive self-improvement culture—towards connection with oneself as a lifelong practice, not a product.

Summary by Forever35 Podcast Summarizer