Podcast Summary: The Squeeze – Katie Austin: Moving For Your Mind

Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Taylor Lautner (Tay)
Guest: Katie Austin – fitness entrepreneur, SI model, digital creator

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Taylor Lautner sits down with Katie Austin to explore how movement, sports, and self-care converge in the journey to better mental health. Katie discusses her transition from D1 athletics to building her own fitness empire, reframing exercise as a tool for mental health (not punishment), the pressures of public life with Sports Illustrated and social media, and the development of her wellness app. The conversation is refreshingly candid and homey, touching on identity crises after sport, phone addiction, therapy, sisterhood, and how to make movement fit joyfully into life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Sports Life & Burnout: The Double-Edged Sword of Achievement

• High-Pressure Upbringing:
  Katie grew up immersed in a high-achieving athletic family; her dad is a sports agent, and fitness was foundational.
• D1 Athlete & Burnout:
  She describes an intense lacrosse environment, with exhaustive training from an early age (07:00–11:30).
  • “It was I was trained, always training for something, always thinking about it. ...When I got to college... my entire identity. ...After I quit, it was like this major identity crisis of like, what am I doing with my life?” (08:00–08:30)
• Choosing Mental Health Over Athletics:
  Katie quit her D1 program early knowing it was right for her mental state, even though mental health in athletes wasn’t discussed then.
  • “I cried 70% of the time. I had cold sores all the time... My world was, was literally ending and I was so unhappy.” — Katie (09:45)
• Identity Crisis:
  Letting go of athletics raised questions about self-worth and identity.
  • “How you go from being an athlete to not being an athlete anymore... Not having a coach...or teammates...it was really hard.” (08:50)

2. Transforming the Approach to Fitness: From Punishment to Self-Care

• Rewiring From Performance to Pleasure:
  Katie retrained herself to see movement as medicine, not punishment.
  • “It was really this weird moment...I didn't work out for like nine months. I literally did not move my body.” (12:45)
• Rejecting Old Fitness Mentality:
  Katie had to unlearn both the ‘athlete grind’ and 90s body-image messages from her mom's fitness industry days.
  • “If I wasn't sweating and doing burpees till I could cry, that's not a real workout. ...That is not true!” (20:17)
• Honoring Enjoyment & Mental Health:
  She prioritizes exercise she enjoys, even if that means just a walk, and emphasizes that consistency matters more than intensity (22:32):
  • “The only workout you should be doing is the one that you will be doing.” — Katie (21:30)
  • “Walking is so good for your mental health. ...Go outside for a walk and look at little things that spark joy.” — Katie (22:34)

3. Identity, Body Image, and the Sports Illustrated Journey

• Sports Illustrated ‘Swim Search’:
  Katie auditioned four years in a row before being selected out of 22,000+ submissions (25:00–28:57).
  • “Delusional confidence, by the way. ...Year four, I’m going for it again.” — Katie (26:17)
  • “If I had to say one thing that really has come out of it is [Kristen Gough]—she’s my best friend of life and I’m so grateful for that.” (27:58)
• Body Image in Public, Fitness, and Modeling:
  Katie reflects on body scrutiny, much of which she put on herself.
  • “My product is me ...it’s like this weird mental f up.” — Katie (29:47)
  • “I have really learned that my worth goes so much beyond what I look like.” (29:51)

4. Navigating Social Media and Boundaries

• Phases of Sharing:
  Katie cycles between open sharing and privacy, finding happiness in protecting parts of her life (30:25–31:26):
  • “I found just happiness in being a little bit more private recently... not really reading DMs that are so terribly awful.”
• Consumption > Creation:
  She’s more concerned with the impact of content consumed than shared, and mindful of her own screen habits.
  • “Our phone addictions—I’m sure anyone even listening to this—like, they don’t realize how addicted they are to their phone.” (32:42)
  • “What we consume is just as important as, you know, nutrition...” (36:08)

5. Therapy and Mental Wellness Practices

• Therapy Finding Process:
  It took Katie three therapists (over five years) to find one with the right approach: actionable, goal-oriented, and specializing in career decision-making rather than just validation (41:00–44:00).
  • “She actually has homework for me that I do and is so beneficial. ...I don’t even need her bi-weekly. I need her once a month because she’s that good.” (42:39)
• Advice for Listeners:
  “Keep trying… It’s okay to stop asking for help from someone who doesn’t vibe with you.” — Katie (44:01)
• Stress Lasts Longer Than You Think:
  Her therapist taught that acute stress lingers in the body for up to 40 minutes, even if the trigger is fleeting (45:40):
  • “Even if it’s a minute worth of stress... it lasts in your body for 40 minutes.”

6. Hormones, Cycles & Permission to Feel

• On Being Off Birth Control:
  Tay and Katie discuss fluctuations in mood, being tuned into cycles, and feeling validated in emotional ups and downs (47:05–47:47).
  • “Sometimes I’m like, cool as a cucumber. And then the following week, I literally am insane. And then I get my period, and I’m like, thank you, I understand.” — Katie (47:32)

7. The Katie Austin App: Empowering Approachable Wellness

• Genesis and Growth:
  Started while in college, Katie’s app now features hundreds of follow-along classes, nutrition guides, recipes, and a vibrant community.
  • “I have hundreds of workout classes on there that you just press, play, follow along to ...it’s like a studio in your home.” (47:54)
• Community & Connection:
  The group chat function connects women for accountability, and live classes/retreats deepen those bonds (49:20–51:24).
• Reducing Food Waste & Practical Recipes:
  Weekly recipes use overlapping ingredients for simplicity and sustainability.
  • “I make it really approachable. ...Grocery lists to limit food waste. ...What we’ve done recently is to incorporate recipes per week that have the same list of ingredients and how you can reuse them.” — Katie (55:24)

8. Favorite Self-Care Tools

• Nature Walks:
  Katie reiterates the power of walking for mental clarity and joy-finding in small moments.
• Girlfriend Time is Self-Care:
  “Connection is like everything... we don’t see socializing as a mental health or self care thing, but at the same time, it so is.” — Katie (53:36)
  • Both emphasize how gathering with friends—even when tired—can be restorative, combating loneliness and the isolating effects of constant digital connection (54:15–55:18).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The only workout you should be doing is the one that you will be doing. ...And walking is so good for your mental health.” — Katie Austin (21:30, 22:32)
• “I found just happiness in being a little bit more private recently... not really reading DMs that are so terribly awful.” — Katie Austin (31:26)
• “Our phone addictions—I’m sure anyone even listening to this—like, they don’t realize how addicted they are to their phone.” — Katie Austin (32:42)
• “Even if it’s a minute worth of stress... it lasts in your body for 40 minutes.” — Katie Austin recounting a lesson from her therapist (45:53)
• “Connection is a huge hack. ...I think more people need to be connecting, getting off their phones.” — Katie Austin (54:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• D1 Athletics & Identity Crisis: 07:00–11:32
• Reframing Fitness for Mental Health: 12:45–23:10
• Sports Illustrated ‘Swim Search’ Journey: 24:44–29:10
• Struggles with Body Image & Worth: 29:14–30:10
• Navigating Social Media Consumption: 31:26–36:21
• Therapy & Mental Health Breakthroughs: 40:50–44:35
• Stress Science & Managing Acute Anxiety: 45:40–46:59
• Cycles, Hormones, and Self-Acceptance: 47:05–47:47
• The Story Behind Katie’s App: 47:54–50:13
• Community, Connection & In-person Events: 50:13–51:24
• Favorite Quick Recipes & Food Waste Tips: 51:30–56:20
• Self-Care Beyond Fitness, Importance of Connection: 53:20–55:18

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is cozy, candid, warm, and reassuring—like a comforting group chat. Tay & Katie balance deep honesty about struggle with positivity and actionable advice, making listeners feel “in the room.” Both hosts and guest drop self-aware humor and vulnerability, maintaining a supportive, relatable vibe throughout.

Takeaways

• Movement is as much for your mind as your body—find what actually lights you up and stick to it.
• Let yourself be a beginner again; unlearning old mindsets is hard, but possible, and takes time.
• If therapy (or any support) isn’t working—keep searching; the ‘right fit’ can make all the difference.
• Connection—offline and in real life—matters as much as workouts for mental wellness.
• Boundaries with social media are crucial for protecting your peace and joy.
• Kindness to self, especially when struggling with identity, change, or burnout, is essential.

Resources

• Katie Austin’s App & Community: [Link in episode description]
• Favorite Self-care Tool: Go for a walk and notice “sparks of joy” around you.
• Approachable, low-waste recipes: Start with “one pan” meals using what’s in your fridge.

For anyone struggling with identity, burnout, or just wanting to feel better in body and mind, this episode offers hope, practical steps, and a sense that you’re not alone.