Advertise on podcast: The Coaching Lab: Health, Wellness & Performance (Brad Cooper, PhD)

In a world of constant noise, endless distraction, and performative busyness, what does it mean to pursue true excellence? Not hustle-for-hustle’s-sake kind—but the kind rooted in values, meaning, and sustainable high performance. Today’s guest is one of the clearest voices on that question: Brad Stulberg—bestselling author, performance coach, and researcher on sustainable excellence. Brad is a rare returning guest to The Coaching Lab for good reason. His work regularly appears in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic, and he serves on faculty at the University of Michigan. His new book, The Way of Excellence, reframes excellence not as a finish line—but as a process of mastery, meaning, and becoming. Drawing on modern science, timeless philosophy, and real-world stories of elite performers, Brad shows us how to integrate mastery and mattering—so we can perform at our best without burning out or losing what truly matters. In this conversation, we explore: ·       Why excellence is not about outcomes—but about process ·       How to build real confidence through consistency ·       The difference between “pseudo-excellence” and the real thing ·       How focus, discipline, and values alignment create sustained performance ·       And how to pursue greatness without sacrificing well-being, relationships, or meaning Whether you’re an athlete, coach, leader, entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to live with greater intention, this episode delivers a clear, grounded roadmap for what it really means to be at your best—day after day. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

One of the most common questions among both new and established coaches is how to establish your pricing. In this episode, Leigh, Suzy and Brad provide a round-table discussion on a range of pricing-related topics ranging from how the market affects your pricing to how to land on "your" number, the role of packages and much more. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

What is a clear, personal vision? How does it overlap (or influence) goals? Why does it matter? What are the steps to discovering and clarifying a vision? What does this have to do with my life? Why not just set goals or resolutions? In this special bonus episode, Dr. Cooper shares a range of insights and "how-to's" related to the powerful, life-shifting step of clarifying and creating a clear personal vision! Accompanying notes utilized for this special episode, including examples, are available here. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

The use of saunas is exploding in popularity in the US, but they’ve been a standard part of life in other parts of the world. Finland is the best example, with more than one sauna for every 2 people! What is it about the health, wellbeing and high performance benefits that are driving such engagement? Is it a fad? Or is the trend driven by dependable evidence? What frequency, duration and temperature are recommended for better health & wellbeing? How about for athletic performance? What’s the difference between infrared and traditional saunas? Today’s guest, Dr. Daniel Gagnon is a thermal physiologist who has been studying the effects of heat exposure on human health & performance for over 2 decades! He is an associate professor at the University of Montreal and researcher at the Montreal Health Institute. If you’ve been curious about what the evidence is saying about saunas, you’ve come to the right place. Here are the two studies Dr. Gagnon mentioned during the discussion:  Meta-analysis 1 Meta-analysis 2 Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

This special episode, hosted by Leigh Baker, with nationally board certified health & wellness coach (and business owner) Suzy Destarac and Dr. Brad Cooper, takes a deep dive into the business side of coaching. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

Are we destined to lose our muscle mass over time? Is protein intake important? If so, what are the best forms of it? Does that amount change as we age? Is it influenced by physical activity? These – any related questions continue to dominate the world of health, wellness & peak performance, and there’s no better source for providing the answers than Professor Stuart Phillips from the school of medicine at McMaster University in Canada. He has published over 600 papers and is among the most referenced experts on the subject, with 70,000 citations. Professor Phillips joined us in 2020, and I thought it was time we brought him back. I was grateful when he said yes! Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

Brady & Brad hit record and let it fly! If you're a runner, coach a runner, have considered adding running into your fitness routine or are simply curious about the latest insights and developments about getting the most out of your run, you will LOVE THIS EPISODE!! From saunas to strength training, fueling to rowing machines, avoiding injuries, maximizing time, integration of rest & recovery, scheduling the perfect week and more!! Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

If you're a current or future health, wellness & high performance coach, this is an absolute must hear episode! Coaches are helping change the world for the better, and yet we often find ourselves isolated from the world in the process. Experienced coaches Lindsay and Leigh (with occasional insights from Brad) discuss life as a coach, how to find - or build - community and some of their favorite options for doing so in their own lives. For details about the Coaching Retreat & Symposium Lindsay mentions, please visit https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/retreat/  For any other follow-up details or questions, feel free to contact us [email protected] Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

Deanna Fournier, Executive Director of the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching joins Leigh Baker and Brad Cooper for a deep dive into the past, present & future of credible, quality health & wellness coaching. Links mentioned during our discussion include:  NBHWC home pageAnnual Coaching Retreat & SymposiumCatalyst Coaching InstituteInfo re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

Curious about the realities of coaching? Why does it matter? What differentiates a credible coach from someone who's simply charismatic or hosts a popular social media site? What should you look for in a coach (or a coach for your employee team members)? What role does AI play in coaching? Nationally Board-Certified health, wellness & performance coaches Sabryna Liddle and Leigh Baker are here to pull back the curtain! For details about the CatalystElite coaching briefly mentioned, email [email protected]. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

One of our all-time favorite episodes, with a pair of LEGENDS in our profession and world, Dr. James and Dr. Janice Prochaska. Here is link to their most recent book Here is link to the video version mentioned in the intro: https://youtu.be/Vowpa6T4_PA Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

What if the research indicated there was an inexpensive breathing exercise device that, if utilized about 5 minutes/day, could significantly reduce blood pressure and improve exercise performance? Resisted breathing – or what the science refers to as “inspiratory muscle strength training” – or IMST - isn’t new. I remember reading about it, but at the time it appeared to be all fluff as our intercostal breathing muscles were almost never utilized at capacity, so who cares if we strengthen them? Fast forward a decade or so and it turns out we might all care. Whether you or a loved one has high blood pressure and would like to access options beyond just medications, or you’re a runner, triathlete, swimmer or cyclist looking to optimize your performance – IMST may be worth a closer look. Today we’ll take that closer look with Dr. Daniel Craighead, who’s groundbreaking work in this area is both fascinating and eye-opening.  Dr. Craighead is a leading exercise physiologist and cardiovascular health researcher at the University of Minnesota, where he focuses on innovative, time-efficient interventions to combat age-related declines in cardiovascular and metabolic health. His research on high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training has shown that just five minutes a day of targeted breathing exercise can significantly lower blood pressure, enhance vascular function, and improve exercise tolerance — all without traditional aerobic training. Today, he joins The Coaching Lab to unpack how this simple, science-backed technique is reshaping approaches to both peak performance and everyday health. The Powerbreathe unit Dr. Cooper has been using available here. You can stay up to date on Dr. Craighead's latest research via his lab website and if you'd like to tune into another interview he provided for NPR, it is available here. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

There are a lot of voices out there in the world of health, wellness & performance. Some – probably most of what we see on Instagram and Youtube – involve more show than go, more staged than engaged. Too often, it involves charismatic individuals who talk a very good talk but provide little insight into their actual walk. Or worse yet, we discover the healthy lifestyle claims made to sell supplements, exercise equipment or coaching resources turn out to be the result of performance enhancing drugs that never quite get mentioned in their script. Does those things matter? I hope so. We ALL have plenty of room for growth – and some things are, frankly, none of our business. But what if you could pull back the curtain, learn about the daily details of life beyond the sound bites? Would it make a difference? Provide some additional encouragement? In this special episode, Dr. Cooper shares his recent bloodwork results, biometrics and the daily routines he's implemented as he approaches turning 60. If you'd like to learn more about the annual physical assessment Brad mentions (pushups/pullups/plank/5K combo), you can access that here. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

This special episode provides you the opportunity to be a fly on the wall during a real live coaching session with a NBHWC nationally board certified health & wellness coach. Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.

In 2003, I was in New Zealand to compete in the Triathlon world championships. It was an amazing time. I met some amazing athletes from around the world, most notably Champion Barb Lindquist and Sheila Taormina, who went on to become the first person to qualify for the Olympics in THREE different sports. But the most interesting person I met? Today’s guest, Tricia Downing. Among a sea of mental toughness, resilience and grit, none exceeded Trish. She’d become a triathlete after a serious bike wreck left her paralyzed from the waist down. While the rest of us swam, cycled and ran the course, Trish did it with just her upper body. Incredible. We continued crossing paths after that trip, and she was actually one of our first coaches when we launched Catalyst Coaching to serve employees nationwide back in 2007. Her amazing life journey has continued, and when I saw she was launching into yet another new adventure, I immediately reached out to see if she’d be willing to share her story with you. You’re going to soak this one in. You can access more insights from Tricia, including her books and how to bring her to your next conference or event at https://triciadowning.com/ Info re earning your health & wellness coaching certification, annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium & more via https://www.catalystcoachinginstitute.com/ Best-in-class coaching for Employers, EAPs & wellness providers https://catalystcoaching360.com/ Tap into the home of the (freely available) Not Done Yet! articles on unlocking life's 2nd half here. YouTube Coaching Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/CoachingChannel Contact us: [email protected] Twitter: @Catalyst2Thrive Website: CatalystCoaching360.com If you are a current or future health & wellness coach, please check out our Health & Wellness Coaching Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/278207545599218. This is a wonderful group if you are looking for encouragement, ideas, resources and more.