Compare experts › Mary Claire Haver vs Kelly & Juliet Starrett

Mary Claire Haver vs Kelly & Juliet Starrett

Mary Claire Haver (physician, ob-gyn) and Kelly & Juliet Starrett (physical therapist; attorney & ceo) side by side: how they train, eat, supplement and sleep, how strong the evidence is, and how to build a plan from either or both.

Build a plan from bothSee the protocols
Words explained (10)
Zone 2
Steady cardio at a pace where you can still talk in full sentences, but not sing.
Intervals
Short hard efforts with easy recovery in between, such as 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds slow.
Loaded carry
Walking while holding something heavy, like shopping bags or dumbbells.
Mobility
Moving your joints freely through their full range.
Creatine
A well-studied supplement that supports strength and muscle.
Omega-3 (EPA, DHA)
Healthy fats found mostly in oily fish such as salmon, herring and sardines.
Fibre
The part of plant foods you don't digest. It feeds healthy gut bacteria and keeps you full.
Time-restricted eating
Eating all your meals within a set window of the day, for example 8am to 6pm.
Perimenopause
The years of changing hormones before periods stop for good.
Hormone therapy (HRT, MHT)
Medicine that replaces hormones that fall at menopause. Only a doctor can prescribe it.

At a glance

MeasureMary Claire HaverKelly & Juliet Starrett
BackgroundPhysician, OB-GYNPhysical therapist; attorney & CEO
Training split55% strength · 40% aerobic · 0% intervals · 5% mobility10% strength · 30% aerobic · 0% intervals · 60% mobility
Signature habitFibre 25 g+ a day10 tests, 10 practices
Protein80–120 g a day1.5–2.2 g per kg
Training styleWomen 40+Mobility
Overall evidenceStrongSolid
FollowingInstagram 3.6M · YouTube 688KYouTube 390K

Training splits are our estimates from each expert’s published routine. Following checked October 2026.

The key differences

  • Haver puts more of the week into strength: about 55% against 10%.
  • Haver puts more of the week into aerobic base (zone 2): about 40% against 30%.
  • The Starretts put more of the week into mobility and stability: about 60% against 5%.
  • In plans in their style, both use 1-minute intervals for hard sessions.
  • We rate the evidence behind Haver's protocol higher: strong, against solid for the Starretts.
  • Supplements that go into a plan: Haver, none (food first); the Starretts, none (food first). Prescription items and personal stacks stay out of every plan.
  • Only the Starretts have a mobility or movement routine of their own.

Protocols side by side

Each line is rated for the evidence behind it. “Doctor only” items never go into a plan.

Training

Mary Claire Haver

  • Full-body weight training at least 2 days a week (she does 3–4), progressing gradually, ideally with a trainerStrong evidence
  • Walk at least 3 days a week; beginners start with 5–10 minutes a dayStrong evidence
  • To progress: add a weighted vest to walks, more steps, or a third lifting dayPersonal habit
  • No exercise types need to be avoided in menopause; strength, cardio, stretching and mind-body work all matterNote

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Walk 8,000–10,000 steps a day, up to 12,000 if you canStrong evidence
  • Sit on the floor for at least 30 minutes a day, changing positions (cross-legged, 90/90, long sitting)Personal habit
  • Practise getting down to and up from the floor; test with the sit-and-rise testSome evidence
  • Daily deep-squat time: hold your deepest squat for five breaths as a test, plus sit-stands from a chairSome evidence
  • Daily balance practice; test standing on one leg with eyes closed (SOLEC) and putting on shoes while standingSome evidence
  • Optional rucking: start with about 2 kg for a mile, three times a week, and build up over about a monthPersonal habit

Eating

Mary Claire Haver

  • Protein about 1.5 g per kg of healthy body weight a day, with about 1.8 g/kg as a stretch goalSome evidence
  • Fibre at least 25 g a day, building slowly towards 30–45 gStrong evidence
  • Eat about 30 different plant foods a week (vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, herbal teas)Some evidence
  • Anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean-style eating: limit added sugar and processed carbohydrate, add leafy greens, olive oil, berries, nuts and fermented foodsStrong evidence
  • Spread protein across meals and snacks, each paired with a healthy fat and a healthy carbohydratePersonal habit
  • She originally promoted 16:8 intermittent fasting but has pulled back, saying it can make enough protein hard to reachNote

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • About 800 g of fruit and vegetables a day (roughly six cups)Strong evidence
  • Protein about 1.5–2.2 g per kg of body weight; some later talks cite 1.8 g per kgSome evidence
  • Choose affordable protein sources that fit your budget; perfection is not requiredNote

Supplements

Mary Claire Haver

  • Omega-3, vitamin D and vitamin K among the supplements she takes; she does not give general dosesPersonal habit
  • Fibre supplement if diet alone falls short of the daily targetPersonal habit
  • Check with your doctor before starting any new supplementNote
  • She sells her own supplement line ('Pause), so weigh her product recommendations with that in mindNote

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Sleep & recovery

Mary Claire Haver

  • Menopausal hormone therapy, chosen with a doctor; she calls it the most effective treatment for hot flushes and night sweatsDoctor only
  • Prefers non-oral (patch, gel, spray) oestrogen, which carries a lower clot risk than tablets; progesterone for women with a uterusDoctor only
  • Magnesium (L-threonate) and a sleep supplement in her own routinePersonal habit

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Aim for at least 7, ideally about 8, hours of actual sleep; track hours asleep for three nightsStrong evidence
  • Keep the same bed and wake times, including weekendsSome evidence
  • Be careful with caffeine and alcohol; keep phones and screens out of the bedroomSome evidence
  • Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and allow more time in bed than you think you needSome evidence

Stress & mind

Mary Claire Haver

  • Journal for a few minutes every dayPersonal habit
  • Add meditation, using an app or free guided sessionsSome evidence
  • Prepare questions before midlife health check-ups and push for proper care of symptomsPersonal habit

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Breath-hold test as a rough benchmark for tolerance of carbon dioxidePersonal habit
  • Breathe through the nose during the day and in workoutsPersonal habit
  • Optional mouth-taping at night, building up gradually from about 10 minutesPersonal habit
  • Spend about 180 minutes a week outdoorsSome evidence

Brain health

Mary Claire Haver

  • Points to observational data linking longer lifetime oestrogen exposure, including hormone therapy, with better cognition; not a licensed reason to start hormonesDoctor only
  • Creatine for possible memory and mood benefits; most of this evidence is from small or non-menopausal studiesSome evidence
  • Strength training, protein and fibre as part of reducing long-term risks such as dementia, heart disease and diabetesSome evidence

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

No specific guidance in what we reviewed.

Weak spots to know

Mary Claire Haver

  • Several menopause specialists, quoted in a 2024 New York Times report, said she promotes hormone use beyond official guidelines; one said patients now ask for hormones to prevent heart disease or dementia, or testosterone for general wellbeing.
  • Commercial ties, stated neutrally: she owns The 'Pause Life (a multimillion-dollar business selling supplements, programmes and online courses) and a cash-pay menopause clinic. The Menopause Society discourages doctors from selling their own products, and the advertising watchdog Truth in Advertising flagged some product claims; according to the New York Times, she then hired a consultant to review the claims on her website.
  • An independent review by ConsumerLab found some of her supplements costly for what they contain, with creatine claims that overstate the evidence and a vitamin D dose at the upper safe limit.

Kelly & Juliet Starrett

  • Several central tests rest on observational data: the sit-and-rise and one-leg balance studies show that people who do poorly die sooner, not that practising the test makes you live longer. Both studies were also in Brazilian cohorts and could not rule out other explanations.
  • Some tests have no validated scoring for the general public; the Starretts themselves describe the breath-hold test as a rough benchmark rather than a lab-grade measure, and practices such as mouth-taping have little evidence behind them.
  • Built to Move deliberately leaves out cardio and strength training; for adults over 50 those remain important for heart health and muscle, so the plan works best as a base layer rather than a complete programme. Kelly's earlier Supple Leopard was criticised by one reviewer for a trial-and-error approach rather than a systematic method.

Build a plan from Haver, the Starretts or both

Your free plan shows a week of gym sessions, cardio, a day of eating, supplements and mobility, fitted to your age, time and health.

Plan in Haver's stylePlan in the Starretts' styleMix both

Questions

What is the main difference between Mary Claire Haver and Kelly & Juliet Starrett?

Their training split differs most in mobility and stability: Haver about 5%, the Starretts about 60% (our estimate from their published routines). Haver's signature habit is Fibre 25 g+ a day; the Starretts' is 10 tests, 10 practices.

How much protein do Haver and the Starretts recommend?

Haver: 80–120 g a day. The Starretts: 1.5–2.2 g per kg.

Whose advice has stronger evidence?

We rate the evidence behind Haver's protocol higher: strong, against solid for the Starretts.

Do Haver and the Starretts disagree?

Not directly in what we reviewed. Their differences are in emphasis: haver puts more of the week into strength: about 55% against 10%.

Can I combine Haver and the Starretts?

Yes. In Build my mix you choose one expert per area, for example one for strength and another for eating. Your free plan shows the result straight away.

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Full sources are on each profile: Mary Claire Haver · Kelly & Juliet Starrett. Reviewed October 2026.