Podcast Roundup 3: Change is the Only Constant

Whether it be in sport, in work, in relationships, or in life … the only thing we can guarantee is that there will always be change.

RD Real Talk: When Sports Nutrition Meets Intuitive Eating: Heather Caplan and Kelly Jones talk about how athletes can blend the needs of sports nutrition with healthy and productive eating mindsets.

Running Rogue: Rewire Your Running with Jay Dicharry: An interview with renowned physiotherapist Jay Dicharry on how to optimize your body’s mechanics for running. Skip to 28 min for the start of the interview.

Real Talk Radio: Kate Swoboda on Fear, Perfectionism, and the Courage Habit: Host Nicole Antoinette and Kate talk about breaking down fear based habits in all areas of our lives. These podcast interviews are usually around 2 hours long, but don’t let that scare you! Nicole has a unique interviewing style and makes every conversation meaningful.

Real Talk Radio: Ellen Fondiler on Reinvention and Building a Meaningful Life and Career: Nicole and Ellen talk about ways to embrace life’s constant changes, particularly as it comes to careers.  

Iron Women: Hormones Decoded with Dr. Stacy Sims: An interview with a doctor and author I love - Stacy Sims! She is leading the field in female-specific athletic science, and has really opened my eyes to specific ways we can support ourselves better as female athletes.  

She’s Hungry: Intentionally Growing with Bounty and Minimalism: Host Cait Pearson talks to nutritionist and life coach Becca Shern about making scary changes and creating a lifestyle that works for you, even if it looks different from what you expected.  

Podcast Roundup 2: Perception is Reality

In the past few weeks I've been getting out of my usual podcast box with recommendations from friends or suggestions from iTunes. Looking back at all these shows I realize they all touch on mindset and psychology - everything comes back to the way we see the world.

High Performance Mindset: Interview with Amber Selking: I was surprised by how much I liked this episode. Amber Selking is a sports psychologist who works with businesses and athletic teams, including the Notre Dame Football team. Her insights into sports psychology were incredibly enlightening and I felt they were applicable beyond sports to everyday life.

Liberated Body: Beyond Anatomy: Five leaders in human movement sciences share why they believe it is essential to move "beyond anatomy" and into our experiences with our own bodies. I can easily get sucked up in "learning more" and this podcast reminded me that holistic learning includes more than books read and workshops attended.

Trail Runner Nation: The Science of Nutrition: An interview with Tailwind Nutrition founder Dr. Art Zemach on nutrition before, during, and after exercise.

On Coaching: Ep. 26 On BS: Hosts Jonathon and Steve call this one a "rant" on some of their pet peeves that they dub "bull shit" in the coaching and fitness world - including the ideal of perfection, athlete fragility, training gurus, and the importance of a coach.

Mindful Strength: Marni Wasserman on Nutrition and Health: A discussion of different nutritional approaches and how your eating preferences may change over time.

Peak Performance: Interview with Mike Rooney: This was a reminder to me of the value of learning from other sports. All sports have so much in common, especially in the mental realm. This interview with a baseball coach talks about the importance of a "hand down" attitude (what can I give to my team?) instead of a "hand up" attitude (what can you give to me?).

Food as Medicine: Ep. 39 with Ryan Lee: A story of a man who challenged the advice of his doctors when diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and healed himself with lifestyle and diet changes. He shares ideas for living with stress in your own life, such as setting different places you work for different tasks.

Run to the Top: Greatest Hits of 2017: I've seen a few podcasts do a "greatest hits" episode and this is a great way to get a preview of a podcast as a new listener, looking back on snippets of several memorable episodes.

Natural MD Radio: Healing Menstrual Pain Naturally: Host Aviva Romm shares lots of interesting lifestyle and diet ideas that may change the way you experience menstrual pain.

Podcast Roundup 1: Our Complex Bodies

Podcasts are one of my favorite forms of learning and entertainment, so here marks the beginning of my podcast roundups where I will share the best episodes I’ve listened to recently:

• High Performance: Practical Interpretation of the Warm Up: A 15 minute run-down of the goals of a running warm up, and I think this can apply to other sports as well. The goal is to "be ready" to train, and hosts Steve and Jonathan break this down into 5 parts:

1. "A gathering:" I'd call this a soft start - about 10-15 minutes when athletes gather, check in with one another and the coach, and you as the coach get a feel for the pulse of the group that day.

2. Pre-Warm Up: 5-7 minutes of movements that progressively get more dynamic and increase heart rate. These could include joint mobilization, the famous Jay Johnson's lunge matrix, or some mini-band work. You could take a small band around your ankles and walk side to side, forward and back, or make X's with your feet (images of these movements here). As you move towards the end of this period, you can add in more dynamic movements like squat jumps, jumping lunges, or mountain climbers.

3. The classic: A 10-20 minute easy jog. This is a time for athletes to continue warming their bodies and for them to get a sense of how their body is feeling that day.

4. Post-Jog Drills: This is a time to practice proper running form and for a coach to watch athletes and get a sense of how they seem to be moving that day.

5. Activation: A few short reps before the actual workout, which can range in speed and distance depending on the athlete and workout that day.

• On Coaching: Interview with Lauren Fleshman: Lauren Fleshman has been a runner and coach I've looked up to for a long time for her honesty, grit, and humor. In this episode she shares her journey from professional athlete to professional coach. They discuss the physical and mental components of training as well as the delicate balance of learning from a mentor and forging your own path.

• Mindful Strength: An Interview with Dr. Perry Nickelson of Stop Chasing Pain: This is an eye-opening interview for anyone who has experienced pain. Dr. Nickelson discusses the role of the nervous system in the sensation of pain, the importance of considering the whole body (including your gut!) to assess overall health, and reminds us to keep our lives fun and joyous and not be afraid to play like a kid.

• Move Your DNA: Diastasis Recti ... it's for anyone who has a torso!: Don't be off put by the title of this show - this is a great listen for anyone who cares about their "core." Diastasis recti is a condition in which the large abdominal muscles separate "abnormally." Katy Bowman discusses her book "Diastasis Recti" on this show and helps us see that this book really isn't about that specific condition - it's about core health and redefining what the "core" even is and how we can nourish and support it. Hint: the answer is not more sit ups and planks.

• Move Your DNA: Calf Stretch: Katy discusses the important, yet under recognized, role that our calves play into our overall health - including the reason why you might have migraines and low back pain.

• The Happy Body: Interview with POINT Gym and Kitchen: Host Daniele Della Valle interviews the owners of POINT Gym and Kitchen in Portland, OR - Kim Alexander and Melissa Sher. They are both smart, thoughtful, and determined women who I have had the pleasure of training with in person. They discuss being a female athlete, what "moving naturally" even means, and how to foster a healthy relationship with nutrition.

• Strength Running: Strength Coach Randy Hauer: An interview discussing two coaches philosophies and practices in strength and conditioning for runners of all levels, distances, and styles.

• The Mentor Sessions: How to Support and Inspire a Student's Home Practice: Host Francesca Cervero discusses different strategies for supporting a client's home yoga practices. She is using the context of yoga, but I think these ideas can be applied to any movement practice or habits.