Fitness and Thinking

Comics That Changed How I Think About Life | Jack Mann | F&T56

For over a year, Fitness & Thinking has asked experts, practitioners and interesting people what it means to live well.This week, I wanted to ask the same question of two fictional characters.Tom King's Mister Miracle and The Human Target are, on the surface, superhero comics.Underneath, they're stories about freedom, avoidance, mortality, love, identity and the quiet courage of staying present when life gets difficult.In this episode we explore:• Why freedom isn't the same as escape• What Darkseid Is might really represent• Why ordinary domestic life might be the greatest superpower of all• What changes when you know your time is limited• Why stories often teach us more than advice• The Fitness & Thinking themes these books unexpectedly reinforceWhether you've read these books or never picked up a comic in your life, I hope this leaves you thinking a little differently about what it means to live well.I'd love to know: what's a story that quietly changed your life?📸 Instagram: @fitnessandthinkingFitness & Thinking explores six pillars of wellbeing:PhysicalMentalSocialEmotionalSpiritualFinancialJust trying to work out what helps us all live a little better.Newsletter out every Wednesday morning; podcast out every Thursday morning.Dream guests:Vittorio AngeloneTerrence RuffinTom KingFrancesca HogiHannah FryDream sponsors:Riverside.fmMonster energy drinksNikeA popular German supermarketElla al Shamani

Jason Smith | It's Never Too Late To Be Someone Else | F&T55

Jason Smith is the founder of Fit In Midlife and proof that reinvention doesn't come with an expiry date. After years of drifting through work, stress, poor habits and low energy, Jason made a decision that changed everything. Since then he's transformed his health, appeared on the cover of Men's Fitness magazine in his fifties, built a community around midlife fitness and helped thousands of people realise that it isn't too late. But this episode isn't really about abs. It's about: identity, why men drift, why some of us quietly retire from challenge and society long before we retire from work, why aging isn't necessarily decline, and what happens when somebody decides to become someone else. We discuss: • Reinvention in midlife • Men's mental health and loneliness • Identity and self-belief • Sustainable fitness habits • Why motivation is overrated • Fitness, purpose and adventure • Why many men drift physically and socially • Nutrition without obsession • Why it is never too late to start If you've ever thought: "It's probably too late for me", this episode is for you. More from Jason: https://www.instagram.com/fitinmidlife/ https://www.fitinmidlife.com/ Chewing the F&T Each week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from the UK and beyond to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age. 📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube 🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify & Apple Podcasts 📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morning Follow along: Instagram: @fitnessandthinking Coaching: coachjackmann@gmail.com Podcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

Lottie Renzi | What If You Already Have Enough? | F&T54

In Episode 54 of Fitness & Thinking, I'm joined by business owner, mum and keen gymgoer, Lottie, for a conversation about motherhood, identity, pregnancy, fitness and the strange guilt that can come with actually liking the life you've built.We discuss training during pregnancy and postpartum, fertility treatment, the pressure to "bounce back", women-only spaces, body image, and why becoming a mother doesn't have to mean losing yourself.Along the way, we explore ambition, contentment, over-optimisation, and why it's important to maintain things that are yours, even when life becomes busy.Topics include:• Fertility treatment and pregnancy• Strength training during pregnancy and postpartum• Whether personal trainers are equipped to coach pregnant clients• Identity and motherhood• Women-only gyms and women's spaces• Body image and "bouncing back"• Why you don't have to be gym obsessed to go to the gym• Over-optimisation and learning to enjoy what you already have• Building a life you don't constantly need escaping from Lottie's links: The 4Cs for fuller lives: Consume, Create, Cavort, Communehttps://www.instagram.com/fiercestudiossheffield/https://www.instagram.com/enhancecoaching.sheffield/If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Coaching & Training As A Woman In Mixed & Women's Spaces | Leah Brooks & Karl Finch | F&T28Purpose & Choices Are Big Parts Of Living Well | Dr. Mohit Khera F&T48Chewing the F&TEach week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from across the globe to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age.📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morning on SubstackFollow along:Instagram: @fitnessandthinkingCoaching: coachjackmann@gmail.comPodcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

Johnny Wilson | You Didn't Go Bankrupt Overnight | F&T53

Most injuries don't happen in a moment.According to physiotherapist Johnny Wilson, they start long before the pain appears.In this episode of Fitness & Thinking, we explore why so many people get injured: clue "too much, too soon", why speed is just as important as strength, and how a hip break and a heart break can be so (similarly) lethal the older we get.Johnny has worked with everyone from recreational runners to professional footballers, and his approach goes far beyond sore knees and tight backs. We discuss the hidden cost of modern lifestyles, whether sitting is the new smoking, why apps like Runna are brilliant for me and Johnny...but maybe not for new runners, and the role of AI in both the physio and PT game.Topics include:• Too much, too soon and injury risk• Speed, strength, power and ageing• Running injuries and training load• Sitting, movement and modern life• Elite athletes versus everyday exercisers• AI, expertise and coaching• Building bodies that last.More from Johnny:https://nottinghamphysio.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmkwZ3lQZUZGRFlRczdiNGhQcjdObGE4azhyQXxBQ3Jtc0ttT0xkTzNJbTdWV0F6U0hvdU1Jbkp5ZkpiSGZyRVh0NDlmOWNhNS1uR2xvRlZOLW53VXQ2OEJTUl9FRGVJUXk4RGhMcm1SUDFGSUpQczlhem9ZNjlVZlo2YVhBV0x1MDNiTFA0UjJuVkgzZHdOaTNjTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fnottinghamphysio.com%2F&v=LnEhb0K_I3w] https://www.instagram.com/notts_physioChewing the F&TEach week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from the UK and beyond to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age.📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify & Apple Podcasts📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morningFollow along:Instagram: @fitnessandthinkingCoaching: coachjackmann@gmail.comPodcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

Helen Woodford - When Did You Stop Making Things? - F&T52

Why do so many adults stop making things? This week on Fitness & Thinking, I'm joined by Helen Woodford, artist, teacher, and founder of creative workshops that help people reconnect with something many of us lose somewhere between school and adulthood: the ability to create without needing a reason. We explore why adults struggle with beginnerhood, how perfectionism kills creativity, and why so many people arrive looking for an art class but leave having found something much deeper. From painting birds on a Friday afternoon to building community through shared activity, Helen reflects on creativity as play, recovery, connection, and self-expression in a world increasingly obsessed with productivity. We discuss: Why adults stop making art Perfectionism, creativity, and fear of getting things wrong Why analogue hobbies feel so restorative in a screen-heavy world Community, belonging, and the power of making things together Why women often give themselves permission for creative spaces more readily than men Identity beyond work, parenting, and productivity What creativity can teach us about wellbeing Along the way, we talk about motherhood, self-belief, reinvention, the importance of curiosity, and why some of the most meaningful things we do never need to become businesses. If you've ever thought "I'm not creative", this one's for you. More from Helen: https://www.createartschool.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/createartschool Chewing the F&T Each week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from the UK and beyond to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age. 📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube 🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify & Apple Podcasts 📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morning Follow along: Instagram: @fitnessandthinking Coaching: coachjackmann@gmail.com Podcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com