Like many people who have pelvic floor issues, Ann Nwabuebo, DPT, unknowingly lived with hers for years. It wasn’t until a physical therapist called out her symptoms of pain and urinary frequency as atypical that she realized they were treatable. Within just a few sessions, Dr Ann got relief — and directed her career toward becoming a pelvic rehabilitation practitioner to help others achieve the same. On this episode, the founder and CEO of Body Connect Physical Therapy sets out to reduce the st...
Apr 07, 2022•43 min•Season 10Ep. 4
In February of 2018, NBA star DeMar DeRozan shocked the world when he tweeted, “This depression got the best of me.” He posted it on impulse, but the effects it had on the stigma surrounding athletes and mental health were far-reaching. On this episode, DeMar tells us how owning his depression helped him find relief and influenced the industry to make mental health a higher priority. He also shares the hard-won lessons he learned during childhood and opens up about getting past losses on the cou...
Mar 24, 2022•42 min•Season 10Ep. 3
Sleep doesn’t usually come to mind when people think about fitness. But after Jeffrey Durmer, MD, PhD, noticed the lack of sleep support when he was an elite athlete, and again when his daughters were national-level swimmers, he decided to take the research into his own hands. Now, as a neurologist, systems neuroscientist and sleep-medicine physician, Dr. Durmer is that support for today’s top athletes. Through his work with the NFL and the USA Weightlifting team for the 2021 Tokyo games, he’s s...
Mar 10, 2022•49 min•Season 10Ep. 2
Since the day Joe Holder stepped on the scene, his innovative training strategies have attracted everyone from executives to supermodels. But this Nike Trainer didn’t become one of the most influential figures in the industry by having a star-studded book of clients. He did it by challenging the rules and continuously working to make fitness more approachable and inclusive. On this episode, Joe explains how his famous philosophy, the Ocho System, enables us take care of ourselves so that we’re b...
Feb 24, 2022•38 min•Season 10Ep. 1
For Kayla McBride, basketball was never just a game.It was an escape from her childhood traumas and subsequent mental health struggles. But when sports came to a halt during the pandemic, she was forced to face the woman behind the athlete. On the final episode of our three-part mental health miniseries, the WNBA vet takes us on her journey toward healing, starting with the decision to put her story in the public eye. She speaks candidly about the challenges of vulnerability and its sweet wins: ...
Jan 27, 2022•37 min•Season 9Ep. 11
We drink pressed juices and load up on whole grains to better our bodies, but what we eat and drink can nourish our brains too. That’s according to the rapidly growing field of nutritional psychiatry, which explores the benefits of food on cognitive well-being. On episode two of our three-part mental health miniseries, Uma Naidoo, MD, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and Michelin-star chef, tells us how meals can impact our mood. She also offers guidance on building out our grocery lists with nuts...
Jan 13, 2022•42 min•Season 9Ep. 10
When Jennifer Heisz, PhD, decided to complete an Ironman, she wasn’t looking to earn bragging rights. After years of researching how exercise can fight anxiety and depression, she wanted to feel the effects for herself. Then the pandemic closed her lab, shut down gyms and cancelled races. In the face of piled-on stress and uncertainty, she not only organized her own Ironman, she finished it solo . Along the way, she uncovered the pandemic paradox: Mental health is both a motivator and a barrier ...
Dec 30, 2021•40 min•Season 9Ep. 9
Bath bombs and face masks may feel great in the moment, but they only scratch the surface of self-care. People have body, mind and soul needs they aren’t even aware of, says Theresa Melito-Conners, PhD, and it’s time we showed up for them. She discovered self-care after nearly burning out at a job, went on to get her doctorate in it, then launched the website “Dr. MC’s Self-Care Cabaret.” Now Dr MC is giving us a peek behind the curtain at 10 things that are essential to boosting our own wellnes...
Dec 16, 2021•36 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Growing up on the West Side of Chicago, Arshay Cooper’s fate could have been sealed by his proximity to gang violence. But when he signed up for the country’s first all-Black high school rowing team, he changed his trajectory and led his crew as they navigated a sport that has historically lacked diversity. Now a successful chef, author and activist, he brings rowing to other low-income communities so kids can have opportunities for a better future. On this episode, Arshay shares how rowing gave...
Dec 02, 2021•50 min•Season 9Ep. 7
When Shalane Flanagan found out that all six World Marathon Majors would take place in less than seven weeks, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make history. After two reconstructive knee surgeries and a year off from running, the long-distance legend came back to show herself — and the next generation of women athletes — what’s possible when you put your mind to it. On this episode, she breaks down everything that inspired her to take on the marathon of marathons and gives us a look at th...
Nov 18, 2021•39 min•Season 9Ep. 6
The fear of taking a solo trip or even just a late-night walk can be very real — especially for women and people of color. Self-defense expert and Girls Fight Back CEO Nicole Snell has had her own share of scary encounters. But through her passion for going it alone, she’s also had life-changing and life-affirming experiences. Tapping into hundreds of hours of mental and physical self-defense training, she knows how to spot danger and take control of a rapidly changing situation. Now she’s educa...
Nov 04, 2021•41 min•Season 9Ep. 5
With workloads spinning out of control and workers not always getting the support they need, it’s no wonder “burnout” has become a buzzword. Enter Christina Maslach, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a pioneer in the field of burnout research. In this episode, she explains just what burnout means — and what it doesn’t. She reveals some hard truths about what “mental health days” can do — and what they can’t. But most importantly, she offers a way forwa...
Oct 21, 2021•47 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Less than 1 percent of kids grow up to be pro athletes. But the point of getting kids involved in sports isn’t to raise the next Serena or LeBron, says sport psychologist and parenting expert Jim Taylor, PhD. It’s to give them the mental tools to be healthy, happy and successful for the rest of their lives. On this episode, the former alpine ski racer breaks down the benefits of youth sports and shares advice on how parents can get — and keep — kids involved. The secret, he says, is creating pos...
Oct 07, 2021•41 min•Season 9Ep. 3
“Living your best life” isn’t about trading your 9-to-5 for margs on the beach (sorry). For Angela Manuel Davis, chief motivational officer (it’s a thing!) and co-founder of indoor-cycling and boot camp studio AARMY, it means figuring out what motivates you and then going all in. On this episode, the former USA Track & Field star shares how she went from being intimidated by cycling to teaching Jay-Z and Oprah, and how — thanks to advice from Dad — her class became known as “church on a bike...
Sep 30, 2021•31 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Very rarely does a freak accident become a life highlight. But for pro CrossFit and Nike athlete Logan Aldridge, losing his left arm on a wakeboarding boat — at age 13 — was not only “the best thing that ever happened” to him, it was also the foundation for his purpose: to help anyone build confidence. To kick off season 9, the cofounder of adaptive-equipment company All Things Adaptive and training director at the Adaptive Training Academy details the mental and physical journey that helped him...
Sep 16, 2021•44 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Most of us see stress and anxiety as problems to be solved. But according to clinical psychologist Chloe Carmichael, PhD, these mind-body responses are Mother Nature’s way of giving us the energy boost we need to be not only productive, but also successful. On this episode, Dr Chloe (as she’s known to her clients) shares how being a yoga instructor in New York City inspired her counseling career and breaks down the differences between stress and anxiety — then explains why high achievers will al...
Aug 19, 2021•37 min•Season 8Ep. 8
Information is accelerating faster than ever before, according to organizational psychologist Adam Grant. And the only way to keep up with it, he says, is by learning to rethink our assumptions. On this episode, the best-selling author teaches us how to open our minds. He starts with advice from his childhood diving coach that helped him reframe his fear (of heights!) and understand that work ethic matters more than natural talent (or grace) — which eventually led Grant to an All-American title....
Aug 05, 2021•36 min•Season 8Ep. 7
Let’s get one thing clear: Coaches aren’t just for athletes. This might be brand-new information to some of us. But Margaret Moore, aka “Coach Meg,” has been helping people from all walks of life discover their strengths and identify opportunities to maximize their potential — on the job, in relationships, and in life — for over 20 years. The former biotech exec founded the Wellcoaches School of Coaching in 2000 to help wellness professionals best serve their patients. Since then, she’s added le...
Jul 22, 2021•31 min•Season 8Ep. 6
Life is full of BS, but fitness shouldn’t be. That’s why truth-teller and Nike trainer-to-the-stars Ben Bruno is on a mission to clear up misconceptions, like “More is more” and “No days off,” and help everyone — including Chelsea Handler and Justin Timberlake — streamline their sweat to get results in the weight room. On this episode, the Columbia grad and self-proclaimed “meathead” shares how a bad back launched his training career, what he’s learned from working with Hollywood’s finest, and w...
Jul 08, 2021•38 min•Season 8Ep. 5
We all develop a wide range of skills in school, but one major topic your syllabi likely lacked? How to handle all your feels. So when life throws the truly tough stuff at us — in Lewis Howes’ case, that included sexual abuse, a brother in jail, and an injury that ended his pro football career — we don’t know how to cope, let alone thrive. After sulking on his sister’s couch for a hot second, Howes decided to face his biggest fears (those aforementioned feelings) and get vulnerable. Now a popula...
Jun 24, 2021•40 min•Season 8Ep. 4
That nagging lower-back pain may mean you need to take it easy— but not necessarily in the gym. Psychotherapist Nicole Sachs learned firsthand that physical distress can stem from unaddressed emotional conflict — and by getting the latter in check, you won’t just live with less pain, you’ll also be happier. After a doctor told her she’d need major surgery for a serious spinal condition and still would never be able to move the way she wanted to, Sachs started conducting mind-body experiments on ...
Jun 10, 2021•42 min•Season 8Ep. 3
How does the leader of the world’s largest sports company navigate corporate life during an unprecedented year — while juggling being a father, husband, grandfather and friend? By practicing a skill not usually taught in business school: asking for support. Nike president and CEO John Donahoe has spent the past three decades sharpening this ability, realizing that it’s a strength — not a weakness — to lean on others in times of mental and emotional stress. In this episode, the four-time CEO shar...
May 27, 2021•30 min•Season 8Ep. 2
CrossFit star Chandler Smith seems to have it all: the muscles and the mindset to challenge himself — and the morality to challenge the status quo by speaking out for equality in his sport. But that doesn’t mean the former U.S. Army soldier (as of this year!) doesn’t have weaknesses like the rest of us. In this episode, CrossFit’s highest-ranked Black athlete reveals his favorite junk foods, his secret to keeping cool under pressure, and his advice for realizing our potential in sport — and life...
May 13, 2021•42 min•Season 8Ep. 1
After a short break, Ryan Flaherty returns with a seriously stacked new season of Trained. Need proof? It’s all in this trailer, where we hear from CrossFit athlete ChandlerSmith, who opens up about what it means to maximize potential and perspective. Then we tackle a misunderstood condition in sport and life — chronic pain — with therapist and author Nicole Sachs. From there, we meet School of Greatness host Lewis Howes and learn his surprisingly simple secret to success. Also this season, Nike...
May 06, 2021•4 min
Dance is about more than just moving your body — it’s about moving your soul. Nike trainer and choreographer Joelle D’Fontaine learned that firsthand when he more or less fell into a dancing gig at a gay nightclub, then fell so in love with the art form that he quit his desk job and put his (seemingly endless) energy into teaching dance full-time. In this episode, the founder of London and New York City dance studio At Your Beat shares how we can use dance to clear away anxiety, connect with our...
Apr 08, 2021•37 min
If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that there’s no single roadmap for getting through this messy, unpredictable, often unfair ride called life. But what some of our smartest guests have taught us is that there are many . In this special episode, we’ve gathered the best advice for bouncing back when things get tough, scary or uncertain (or all three) from our seriously resilient experts, including Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe, “Grit” author Angela Duckworth, and an All-Star ath...
Mar 11, 2021•25 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Being in the moment is powerful, but sometimes you have to think ahead. That’s the balancing act that has helped NBA All-Star and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday become one of the best defensive players in the game. He studies his opponents before they meet in order to read their minds in real time, anticipating their play so they have no choice but to rethink and recalibrate their next move. In this episode, the defensive mastermind reveals his strategies for winning — on the court and as a ...
Feb 25, 2021•30 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Sometimes, in sports — and in life — we’re living five minutes ago, or we’re worried about something that hasn’t happened yet. But according to author, sports psychologist and mental-performance coach Graham Betchart — who’s trained some of the best players in the NBA — it’s our ability to stay with the present moment that separates the great from the good. In this episode, Betchart explains how, just as we train our bodies for strength, speed and agility, we can also train our minds to always c...
Feb 11, 2021•36 min•Season 7Ep. 7
According to rogue dietitian Reshaunda Thornton, we’re all in a relationship with food, till death do us part. It’s just a question of whether we’re willing to work to make that relationship happy and sustainable, or whether we’re content to keep arguing at every meal. On this episode, the nutrition expert and host of the podcast “The Dietitian Against Diets” dishes on how food relationships go wrong and what we can do to get them back on track. She digs into the reasons we resort to restrictive...
Jan 28, 2021•33 min•Season 7Ep. 6
Two-time World Cup champion Alex Morgan has never seen a challenge she didn’t drive at full speed. In 2019, her U.S. Women’s National Team broke viewership records, scoring records, and glass ceilings. She kept up the momentum with big changes in 2020, having her first baby and moving halfway around the world — all during a global pandemic. As the first guest of 2021, the star forward shares how she’s kept her mind in the game even when the play stopped, and she gives us a peek into daily nutrit...
Jan 14, 2021•29 min•Season 7Ep. 5
