Advertise on podcast: The Science of Fitness Podcast

We guide a five‑minute breathwork session to shift state on demand, using simple counts, contrasts, and stillness to teach control over the nervous system. You learn to breathe low and wide, lengthen your exhale, and use brief breath holds to settle fast. • body awareness and rib expansion cues • 3‑in 5‑out pattern for downregulation • gentle pauses to relax face and jaw • 2‑in 1‑out set to upregulate safely • comfortable inhale hold to build tolerance • return to neutral breathing and body scan • when to use it for sleep, work, recovery Save it in your favourites, listen whenever you need a slowdown, before bed, before work, or after a long day when you get home

Surgery isn’t a Netflix nap. It’s a high‑stakes team effort where your anaesthetist runs the room, balances risk, and quietly steers you from fear to recovery. We sit with Dr Conrad Makrikanis to decode what really happens before the first dose, why obesity is a medical emergency, and how prehab can slash complications by half. Conrad traces a path from rural retrievals to Brisbane theatres, revealing how prevention often lives in a bubble while most patients arrive in crisis. He breaks down GLP‑1 agonists—how they silence food noise, why they’re not a quick fix, and how to protect muscle with resistance training and protein. We go deep on NEAT, the underrated daily movement that improves endothelial health, lowers clot risk, sharpens insulin sensitivity, and speeds wound healing. If you’ve got joint pain or a surgery date, his blueprint is clear: two strength sessions, two aerobic sessions, eight hours of sleep, six to eight weeks off smoking, minimal alcohol, and a plan for post‑op care at home. We also talk anxiety. Information lowers fear, and a simple pre‑op call with your anaesthetist can change your whole day. Learn the real risks—nausea, soreness, rare awareness—and why timing, age, urgency, and even after‑midnight cases influence outcomes. From Indigenous health contrasts to the power of community programs that drive prehab compliance, this is a candid look at what moves the needle in modern care. The future? Personalised anaesthesia guided by pharmacogenetics and CNS profiles. Until then, prepare like an athlete and recover like a pro. If this conversation helped you feel more prepared, follow the show, share it with a friend facing surgery, and leave a review so more people can find it. Your next best outcome starts with one small step today.

What if recovery wasn’t a luxury but the easiest way to upgrade sleep, focus, training, and mood? We sit down with TH7 co-founder Tom Harvey to map the shift from novelty wellness to purpose-built protocols that respect time, deliver clarity, and actually make your week feel better. Over the last 18 months Tom’s team opened four clinics and learned why consistency beats variety, how to turn protocols into habits, and what separates a true recovery experience from a sauna and ice bath shoved in a corner. Tom pulls back the curtain on the operational details that change outcomes: CO2-managed saunas that keep you clear-headed, pristine hot and cold pools auto-tested every ten seconds, and a custom booking system that sequences each step so you’re never stuck waiting. We break down the Nordic protocol—20 minutes heat, guided hot-cold cycling, steam, and a final cold hit—and explain why it remains the most copied format in the space. We also dig into what they scrapped (float tanks, certain mix-and-match combos), what scales and what doesn’t (cryo), and why hyperbaric oxygen therapy pairs so well with full-body red light for return-to-play and deep work focus. You’ll hear how heat before bed can set up deeper sleep through a thermal drop, why cold in the morning sharpens alertness, and how breath-led exposures make you calmer under pressure in daily life. Most of all, you’ll get a realistic playbook: make it social, lock a weekly slot, aim for the minimum effective dose, and let recovery become a multiplier for training, work, and home. If you want wellness that fits your life—not the other way around—this conversation gives you the framework to start today. Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a mate, and leave a review so we can help more people build smarter recovery habits.

What if the most valuable performance upgrade isn’t more effort, but more honesty with yourself? We sit down with Tama Barry — former principal dancer turned sport and exercise psychologist — to map the messy terrain between certainty and growth, and how language, values, and attention shape every outcome you care about. Tama opens up about the intensity of professional ballet, the abrupt end through knee injury, and the long stretch of highly functional depression that followed. From there, we dig into adjustment disorder, identity beyond a job title, and the often invisible work of rebuilding a purpose-led life. Along the way we challenge sloppy mental health language, separate “conflict” from “a hard conversation,” and show how precise words can calm the nervous system and unlock better behaviour. If you lead teams, coach athletes, parent, or just want to get unstuck, you’ll find practical tools: emotion check-ins, values clarification, and the ACT framework for psychological flexibility. We also zoom out to the system: why teams need shared language for buy-in, how coaches can cue “hold it lighter” instead of “do it perfectly,” and why friendships deserve the same repair as romantic relationships. Tama speaks candidly about dehumanisation, queer rights, and how policy shapes wellbeing, urging critical thinking as a health skill. The pattern is consistent across sport and everyday life: notice what’s real, align actions to who you want to be, and carry difficult feelings without letting them drive. If you’re ready to move from coping to flourishing, this conversation gives you a map and the first steps. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with one value you’ll act on this week.

The gap between training hard and feeling great is often one thing: enough fuel. We’re joined by sports dietitian Hanah Mills for a candid, practical tour of performance nutrition that ditches extremes and focuses on what actually moves the needle—energy availability, smart carb timing, and habits you can live with. We start by challenging hustle culture and the pressure to chase body fat at all costs. If you’re not paid to perform, you’re paying to participate—so recovery, consistency, and mental health come first. Hannah shares how she screens for a compromised relationship with food, why maintenance calories can be medicine, and how to choose off‑season windows for moderate, percentage‑based deficits that protect muscle and performance. From there, we get tactical. Learn how resting metabolic rate anchors daily energy needs, why protein and essential fats set your floor, and how carbs unlock better sessions, less DOMS, and steady motivation. We unpack low energy availability (LEA), the hormone-bone connection, and the very real risk of stress fractures in underfueled runners. Rehab gets a reality check too: cuts slow tissue repair, while fueling up speeds the path back to sport. On electrolytes, we separate signal from noise—most sweat loss is sodium and chloride, cramp is usually neuromuscular fatigue, and hydration is best judged by urine colour, not giant water bottles. You’ll leave with simple upgrades that stick: sultanas in the car door for pre‑session carbs, high‑protein versions of everyday staples, extra virgin olive oil as your go‑to fat, and a practical way to spread carbs across the day. Whether you’re chasing a 5K PB or building longevity, this is nutrition that respects real life and delivers results. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a training mate, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find evidence‑based, no‑nonsense guidance.

Ever felt “stuck in the mud” mid-run or trapped by a watch that insists you’re in zone two while your lungs disagree? We sat down with sports physio Dominic Morissini to unpack what efficient running really looks like, how to build it, and why the smartest changes often start away from the track. Dom breaks running down into what you see and what you load: kinematics and kinetics. From there, we explore two common archetypes. The springy runner who collapses at the hips under fatigue needs targeted strength and mid-stance control before any technique cues. The strong hybrid runner who overstrides and lingers on the ground needs reactivity, rhythm, and short-contact plyometrics to learn “hit and go.” Instead of forcing a new stride overnight, Dom shows how concise drills and simple lifts teach your nervous system to self-organise, producing smoother form and fewer niggles in weeks. We also tackle the truths most runners miss. Heel striking isn’t evil unless it comes with overstriding. Pronation is a feature, not a flaw, when your foot stores and releases energy. Barefoot strength in the gym reveals balance and loading errors, and the big toe is a hidden power source for toe-off. If you want one starting point that helps almost everyone, begin with hips and abs: stack the pelvis, free the hip flexors, and wake up glutes to stabilise mid-stance. For data lovers, Dom brings lactate testing into focus. Heart rate is useful but noisy; heat, sleep, and caffeine skew it. Lactate thresholds pinpoint real training zones by speed, reducing “grey zone” slog and making easy runs truly easy. Pair those zones with breath checks and perceived effort, and you’ll train smarter in all seasons. When analysis overload creeps in, leave the watch at home and head for trails. Joy is a performance enhancer. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a running mate, and leave a quick review so others can find these practical tools. Got a myth you want busted or a topic you’re curious about? Send us a message and we’ll dive in next.

Most people think recovery is an ice bath or a day off. We make the case that the most accessible recovery tool is already with you: a diaphragm-led breath that can steady your heart, calm your nervous system, and teach your body to move better under load. We break down how breathing sits at the crossroads of mechanics and neurology. You’ll learn why shallow, chesty breaths keep you wired, why longer exhales can lower heart rate and lift HRV, and how rib cage motion links to spinal loading in squats and deadlifts. We share simple self-assessments—hand on chest and belly, lower rib expansion tests—and show how to cue the diaphragm so the pelvis, abdominal wall, and thoracic spine share the work. Expect practical frameworks, not fluff: short protocols you can use before bed to fall asleep faster, between sets to downshift arousal, and at your desk to release neck tension and headaches. We also tackle the debate around “just lift heavier” versus so-called stabiliser work. Our view is clear: build strength, but earn it with awareness. Low-threshold drills, Pilates-inspired control, and breath-led positioning prepare you for heavier, more complex movements with fewer setbacks. The result is a training week that feels more balanced—high output when you need it, and genuine recovery when you don’t. Along the way, we connect evidence on paced breathing and HRV with real gym outcomes: better posture, fewer niggles, improved sleep, and more confident lifting. Ready to try it yourself? Start with five rounds of three seconds in and five seconds out, then layer those cues into your next session. If you’re in Brisbane, drop into our breathing class to experience it live. If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a training partner, and leave a review telling us which drill helped you most.

Most training advice skips the unsexy steps and sprints straight to sweat. We flip the script with a clear, usable hierarchy that protects your body, multiplies your gains, and keeps you training for years: robustness first, strength second, aerobic third, and anaerobic last. You’ll hear why you can’t build performance on dysfunction, how simple daily activation changes your ceiling, and where strength slots in to help joints share load instead of take the hit. We walk through real examples—from older adults who want to lift grandkids without fear to athletes who need to decelerate and change direction at speed—and show how mobility, control, and technique become the bridge between rehab and heavy training. Then we map out the aerobic base that actually supports recovery and long-term heart health, and explain why HIIT should be the icing on a well-baked cake, not the batter itself. Along the way, we dig into pain as useful feedback, share how to scale load with confidence, and outline a weekly structure that survives busy schedules without sacrificing progress. You’ll leave with a practical blueprint: get assessed, target weak links with daily robustness work, build strength you can use, expand your engine with steady efforts, and only then push peak output. It’s a smarter path to longevity, resilience, and performance—whether your “event” is a Saturday hike, a local triathlon, or simply pain-free play with the kids. If this helps re-order your week for the better, tap follow, share it with a mate who keeps getting niggles, and leave a quick review so more people can train without breaking.

If you’ve ever pushed the pace for a cleaner Strava graph, you’ve felt the tug-of-war between ambition and anatomy. We invited physiotherapist and Trail Kings host Shale Coranda to unpack how runners actually get better: not with hacks, but with small mechanical tweaks, heavy strength done right, and a stubborn commitment to patience. Shale’s blend of clinical insight and real-world running culture cuts through noise and offers clear steps you can use on your very next run. We dig into first-line physio care for musculoskeletal issues and why waiting for GP triage can delay outcomes. Shale explains how a simple 10% cadence increase reduces patellofemoral load, and why pairing it with a 5% incline can drop knee stress dramatically. From Achilles to shins, he outlines effective progressions: heavy calf work that exceeds bodyweight, quad strength for knee resilience, and hands-on treatment to create rapid relief and better engagement. He also shares his own osteitis pubis story—how sprinting too much, too soon, forced him to respect timelines and load management the hard way. The conversation also addresses the culture that shapes our choices: ultra envy, HIROX hype, and super-shoe symbolism. We talk stack height, shoe drop, and how footwear shifts load, plus the recovery trend that sometimes sells comfort more than capacity. Diet, sleep, and stress show up as silent drivers of pain, with practical referral pathways for REDs and bone stress risk. On the data front, we highlight the value of objective measures without letting them override clinical reasoning or the human in front of you. Perhaps most myth-busting of all: knee pain often inhibits glutes rather than weak glutes causing knee pain—load management still leads. Walk away with a plan you can trust: keep running when you can, just less; increase cadence for knee relief; lift heavy with quality; pick one primary goal and accept trade-offs; recover like it matters; and filter social media with a critical eye. If this helped clarify your next step, follow the show, share it with a runner who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us.

What if the end of one identity is the start of a stronger one? We sit down with coach and former NZ footy player Matthias Hemoulli to chart the messy, human path from bricklaying and burnout to building a life around health, coaching, and community. No highlight reel, just honest moments: losing the routine of sport, slipping into bad habits, hitting reset with a single choice to get fitter, and discovering a deep love for helping people move well. Matthias pulls the curtain back on what real coaching looks like. Beyond programming and cues, it’s the intangibles: how you greet someone, the song you pick first, and how you tailor a session so a first-timer and a seasoned athlete both feel challenged and safe. We talk longevity, injury risk, and why detail matters when guiding people from their first squat to confident training weeks. The conversation also tackles social media noise and what it truly takes to last six years in the fitness industry. You’ll hear how shifting from CrossFit competition to endurance rebuilt his body and mindset—less volume, more quality, smarter intensity. We dig into routine, balance, and the joy of seasons: marathon blocks, strength phases, and actual downtime. For beginners, we bust the “get fit before you start” myth and show how accountability and scaling make progress accessible at any age. For veterans, we explore generalist-first training—being broadly capable before specialising—so life, not just workouts, gets easier. We also share some wild benchmarks that prove capacity can be wide: a sub-four marathon at 103 kilos, heavy squats, strong Olympic lifts, and a brutal 2k row. But the heart of the chat is belief. Back yourself, start small, and let community multiply your effort. If this story lights a spark, subscribe, share it with a mate who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help others find the pod.

Start with a simple truth: progress belongs to the people who take the first step and ask better questions. That’s the heartbeat of our chat with exercise physiologist Oscar Munro, whose journey runs from childhood sport and an early uni stumble to a thriving practice across NDIS, DVA, ageing strength, and elite rugby programs. We explore how the EP role sits between diagnosis and performance—where exercise is prescribed like medicine. Oscar breaks down the practical handover from physio to EP, why timing matters for post‑op and acute injuries, and how to “dose” strength and conditioning with sets, reps, tempo, and progression. You’ll hear real stories that make it tangible, including a 92‑year‑old who cut sit‑to‑stand time from 24 to 15 seconds and ditched reliance on the chair, proof that targeted training and patient education beat guesswork every time. Beyond clinic walls, we dig into Fit Over Fifties classes, a data‑driven Army block that blends testing, reports and tailored programming, and the communication rules that speed results—like ditching headphones during coached sessions so feedback can actually land. Oscar also shares his own Hyrox prep and how he swapped junk volume for smarter intensity, showing how to stay strong, fit, and fresh inside a busy coaching schedule. If you want to understand the difference between physio and exercise physiology, how to build confidence after injury, or how to find your lane in a growing field, this conversation delivers clear, practical insight. Listen, share it with a friend who needs a nudge, and if it helped, follow the show and leave a quick review so more people can find evidence‑based training that works.

Joined by Nicole Gibson from MeasureUp, we unpack how precise testing of DEXA, VO2 max, and resting metabolic rate, turns longevity from a buzzword into an actionable plan. Nicole shares why early measurement prevents fractures, guides smart training, and keeps you accountable without fear of numbers. • What MeasureUp tests and why it matters? • the Bone Bus and population bone density screening • hip fracture risk, costs, and prevention levers • strength training as the foundation for bone health • how to read DEXA beyond scale weight • using symmetry data to fix gait and injuries • resting metabolic rate and fuelling for adaptation • VO2 max for health, not just athletes • choosing reliable labs and repeatable protocols • baselines, retesting, and building a plan Book at measureup.com.au

We examine the crucial role of attendance in achieving fitness success and maintaining business sustainability, demonstrating how member attendance is directly linked to retention rates and health outcomes. • Gym members typically see their trainers more frequently than any other professional service provider • Analysis showing 39 of 40 cancelled memberships were attending less than twice weekly • Reducing churn from 8% to 5% dramatically improves business sustainability • Minimum effective exercise dose is 150-180 minutes weekly (three 60-minute sessions) • Long-term client relationships require evolving goals and periodic introduction to fresh training approaches • Integrated approach to rehabilitation combines physiotherapy expertise with strength training for better outcomes • Relationship-building between practitioners and clients is often more important than technical expertise • Attendance tracking provides critical insights for both business management and client outcomes We encourage you to track your own attendance patterns and commit to at least three training sessions weekly to maximise both value and health outcomes.

The wellness and longevity market has exploded, with luxury facilities charging upwards of $500 weekly for comprehensive health services. But beneath the polished veneer of infrared saunas and cold plunges lies a crucial question: are these investments worth it, or are we overlooking the fundamentals? As facility owners who've witnessed the industry's evolution first-hand, we've observed a parallel development of high-quality practitioners working alongside aesthetically beautiful but sometimes substance-lacking wellness spaces. The Australian fitness landscape offers a unique perspective, as our strength and conditioning professionals typically develop comprehensive skill sets rather than hyper-specialisation, bringing elite athletic approaches to everyday people. What truly drives results? Our conversation reveals that the foundations remain remarkably simple: sleep quality, consistent strength training (2-4 sessions weekly), cardiovascular work (2-4 sessions weekly), and nutritional basics. These pillars deliver far greater returns than peripheral interventions like recovery gadgets or trendy supplements. Surprisingly, we've found that today's clients often arrive well-informed, seeking validation and clarity rather than education. The most powerful revelation? Social connection might be the secret ingredient to fitness adherence. We share stories of training groups that evolved into friendship circles, where people show up as much for each other as for the workout. This social dimension creates sustainable motivation that expensive memberships alone cannot provide. For busy professionals and parents, we offer practical frameworks to maintain fitness with minimal time investment, proving you don't need boutique studios to stay healthy during life's most demanding chapters. Before splurging on that premium wellness membership, ask yourself: Have you mastered the basics? Are you consistently hitting your foundational targets? The peripheral elements can enhance results, but only when built upon solid foundations. The journey to health and longevity doesn't necessarily require a hefty price tag – just consistent application of proven principles and perhaps a good friend to share the journey.

Discover how the Science of Fitness Women's Health Program is transforming female wellness through education, community, and personalised approaches. What began as a focused intervention for pelvic health has blossomed into a comprehensive framework that addresses women's wellbeing across all life stages. Dr. Meg Doohan and exercise physiologist Emily Adams share the powerful evolution of their program, which brings together women from ages 17 to 50+ in an environment where knowledge flows freely and barriers to discussing female health dissolve. The magic happens when generations connect – younger participants gain wisdom from those with lived experience, while older women express both frustration about what they weren't taught and gratitude for finally understanding their bodies better. "I've been driving the lady bus for 54 years and I'd never heard the word luteal before," confessed one participant, highlighting the significant gaps in women's health education that have persisted across generations. This program bridges those gaps, creating profound moments of realisation that ripple beyond the participants to their wider communities. The conversation explores how tracking cycles, symptoms, and energy levels allows women to develop personalised approaches to training rather than adhering to rigid, one-size-fits-all protocols. Participants learn to alternate between higher intensity training periods and recovery-focused weeks based on their individual needs, embracing down-regulation strategies that help manage stress and optimise performance. Most importantly, the program encourages women to question their motivations, asking whether they would train the same way if their bodies never changed physically. This shift toward intuitive, responsive fitness represents the future of women's health – meeting your body where it is rather than forcing it to conform to external expectations. Ready to transform your understanding of female health and fitness? Join the Women's Health Blueprint Workshop on May 31st at Science of Fitness HQ in West End, Brisbane, or secure your spot for the next Women's Health Program beginning June 16th.