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- 🇳🇿NZ · Health & Fitness#194500 to 3K
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250 to 1.5K🎙 ~2x weekly·41 episodes·Last published 2d ago - Monthly Reach
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200 to 1.2K
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On the show
Recent episodes
#44. Graham Tuttle. Building capabilities over optimisation
May 14, 2026
Unknown duration
# 42. Laurel Beversdorf. Fear sells; How the fitness industry limits agency
Apr 25, 2026
Unknown duration
#41. Dr. Ciaran Fairman. Anchoring strength training in the real world.
Apr 12, 2026
Unknown duration
#40. Dr Katy Gutierrez. The power of walking together.
Apr 2, 2026
Unknown duration
#38. Dan Edwardes. How to let the environment be the teacher.
Mar 16, 2026
Unknown duration
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/14/26 |  #44. Graham Tuttle. Building capabilities over optimisation | In this episode of the Playful Nature Podcast, Andrew is joined by movement coach and author Graham Tuttle, also known as The Barefoot Sprinter. Together they explore what happens when movement stops being about performance, punishment, or optimisation - and starts becoming something more connected to real life.The conversation moves through athleticism, capability, pain, fitness culture, meaning, modern society, and the difference between training for life versus training as an escape from it.Graham reflects on his own journey from chronic pain and rigid training systems towards a broader understanding of movement - one rooted in adaptability, resilience, play, and usefulness.They discuss:why many people feel disconnected from their bodiesthe limitations of hyper-quantified fitness culturemovement as skill rather than punishmentwhy “hard” isn’t always betterthe importance of real-world capabilitycommunity, usefulness, and feeling connected to something bigger than yourselfThis episode asks an important question:👉 What if strength wasn’t measured by numbers in the gym - but by how fully you can engage with life?Further Reading & References MentionedAnatomy Trains — Thomas Myershttps://www.anatomytrains.comGreen Gym programme (The Conservation Volunteers) https://www.tcv.org.uk/green-gym/Born to Sprint — Graham Tuttlehttps://www.amazon.com/Born-Sprint-Graham-Tuttle/dp/B0D6XWQWQ8 | — | ||||||
| 4/25/26 |  # 42. Laurel Beversdorf. Fear sells; How the fitness industry limits agency | What does it really mean to be strong?In this conversation with Laurel Beversdorf from The Movement Logic, we explore the gap between being active and actually building strength - and why so many people (especially women) have been left out of that understanding.We talk about the rise of strength training inside spaces like yoga, the tension between different movement worlds, and why blending practices isn’t always as simple as it sounds.We also get into the bigger picture: – why strength training still feels intimidating – how fear and misinformation shape the fitness industry – and the real-life barriers that stop women from getting startedThis is a grounded, honest look at movement - not as performance or aesthetics, but as something that builds confidence, capability, and long-term health.If you’ve ever felt like you’re “doing loads” but not feeling stronger… this one’s for you.See more about the Movement Logic here: https://themovementlogic.com/Further reading mentioned in this episode:– The LIFTMOR trial (Watson et al.) on high-intensity resistance training and bone health– Kistler-Fischbacher et al. systematic review on resistance training and bone mineral densityMusic: Exercise by Mary Erskine (Me for Queen) | — | ||||||
| 4/12/26 |  #41. Dr. Ciaran Fairman. Anchoring strength training in the real world. | Andrew had a great conversation with Dr. Ciaran Fairman, PhD, CSCS about how to make exercise meaningful and why so many assumptions about exercise optimisation don't resonate with regular people. Ciaran spoke about the difference between applying either a physiological or behavioural lens to exercise prescription and how sometimes exercise specialists fail to think about real life barriers and enablers.We discussed Ciaran's paper, 'A practical framework for the design of resistance exercise interventions in oncology research settings—a narrative review.', which he describes as a distillation of everything he's learned over his career.I wanted to speak with Ciaran because during our research in developing Strong For Life, we realised the most exercise programmes don't consider the needs and limitations of people who are trying to engage with exercise for the first time. His paper aligns with a lot of what we have learned regarding how to structure home programmes for people who aren't interested in going to a gym. His ideas also tie into our next project, Capabilities for Life. It's an episode that we'll end up using in our courses as a resource for discussing public health, exercise prescription, implementation science and social determinants of health. | — | ||||||
| 4/2/26 |  #40. Dr Katy Gutierrez. The power of walking together. | In this episode, Andrew Telfer speaks with Dr Katy O’Neill Gutierrez, founder of Blaze Trails - a UK-based parent and baby walking community that has grown from a small local group into a nationwide movement supporting over 28,000 parents.Katy shares how Blaze Trails began as a way to stay connected to the outdoors after becoming a parent, and how it evolved during COVID into a support system for new parents facing isolation, anxiety, and loss of confidence.The conversation explores the power of peer-led communities, the barriers parents face in getting outdoors, and why something as simple as walking can have a profound impact on mental health, identity, and connection.Music: Exercise by Mary Erskine (Me for Queen)Read more about Blaze Trails here. | — | ||||||
| 3/16/26 |  #38. Dan Edwardes. How to let the environment be the teacher. | Dan Edwards returns to the podcast to talk what he calls a “quiet crisis” in parkour coaching - a drift from a real-world practice into something more standardised.Andrew and Dan explore why this drift is understandable (insurance, schools, certifications, parent expectations, safety rules, social media), but also what gets lost when coaching becomes too legible: the spirit of parkour as a practice of adaptability and growing up capable.They talk about outdoor training as the main event (not the optional extra), how adversity and uncertainty are central to real learning, why “perfect” technique can become a trap, and what it means to coach as a provocateur rather than a lecturer.They finish on the bigger picture: declining physical literacy, shrinking spaces for children to roam, and why the long-term solution is rebuilding environments where kids can play, struggle, negotiate risk, and become capable. Really recommend taking the time to read Dan's blog:Dan Edwardes BlogMore about Parkour Generations can be found here.If you've not listened to the first conversation with Dan, you can find it here - have a look at Episode Number 4 of the Playful Nature Podcast. | — | ||||||
| 3/1/26 |  #36. Gareth Williams. Belonging before performance. | Andrew chats with Gareth Williams, a primary school PE teacher on the Kent coast who’s built Play Folke, a weekly “playground games for adults” session designed for people who do not feel at home in gyms, bootcamps, or traditional sport.Gareth’s story starts in the familiar place of someone who lived inside sport. He trained full-time for a year at Crystal Palace, played semi-professional football for a decade, then tried hard not to become “the tracksuit coach” before eventually leaning into what he was good at. A headteacher nudged him towards teacher training, and after qualifying as a primary teacher, Gareth began to notice something that changed his approach. The kids who loved PE would always be fine. The ones who felt awkward, judged, or left behind were the ones who needed PE to work.During COVID, Gareth found a different style of PE through teachers and resources that emphasised inclusion, simplicity, and play. He describes a shift away from sport-heavy, match-based lessons towards activities that “let it breathe”, giving children freedom to explore, adapt, and find success without being singled out. That same insight became the seed for Play Folke: if these games create confidence and joy for kids, why would they not work for adults who have carried a negative relationship with movement since school?Play Folke began with three people, two of whom Gareth already knew. One new person turning up, and enjoying it, was the difference between stopping and continuing. Since then, Gareth has learned the slow reality of building community, the mismatch between online interest and in-person attendance, and the value of keeping sessions loose, social, and low-pressure. This episode is a look at what many movement spaces miss: belonging, permission, and play as a genuine route back to physical capability.Links for more about Play Folke:SubstackInstagramFacebookGareth on LinkedIn | — | ||||||
| 2/5/26 |  #35. Becky Dunphy. Learning to trust your body | In this conversation, Andrew sits down with physiotherapist and first-year PhD student Becky Dunphy to explore what changes when you stop treating movement like a neat mechanical problem.Becky traces her journey from a “black and white” early-career physio mindset (find the faulty part, prescribe the fix) toward a public health lens shaped by COVID-era NHS strain, inequality, and the reality that bodies don’t behave like textbooks. We go into how an “injury” makes sense on the surface, but when you widen the frame to stress, sleep, workload, and skipped meals, you start to see why the body might protect itself — and why a purely biomechanical explanation often fails people.From there the conversation moves into Cognitive Functional Therapy and the practical art of helping someone “make sense” of pain, reduce fear, and rebuild trust through experiential learning. Becky also challenges the idea that there is one correct way to move — pointing to everyday labour, the Paralympics, and sport itself as evidence that humans self-organise brilliantly. The deeper risk, she argues, is when credentialism and “optimal form” narratives become barriers that stop people moving at all.The episode closes with Becky’s current research focus: peri- and post-menopausal women with multiple long-term conditions (especially osteoarthritis), and why the gap in strength training may be biological, social, and structural — not a motivation problem. She ends with heuristics for exercising with pain: aim for tolerable discomfort, watch the after-effects, and keep it functional. | — | ||||||
| 1/21/26 |  #34. Dr Gillian Bartle. Learning to value movement throughout our lives | In this episode, Andrew is joined by Dr Gillian Bartle, lecturer in education, researcher, and Research Lead for the International Physical Literacy Association. Drawing on decades of experience across physical education, teacher education, further education, and academia, Gillian reflects on how we learn to move and what gets lost when movement is over-structured, over-measured, or over-scripted.The conversation begins with Gillian’s journey from PE teacher to philosopher of physical education, shaped by early discomfort with assessment systems that valued written knowledge over embodied knowing. Together, Andrew and Gillian explore physical literacy as a disposition rather than a programme or policy: an ongoing relationship with movement rooted in meaning, confidence, curiosity, and lived experience. They discuss the risks of normalising developmental benchmarks, the limits of fitness-led approaches, and why valuing movement cannot be reduced to sets, reps, or gym memberships.Woven throughout is a broader question: do we, as a society, actually value movement — and if not, what might help restore it as part of everyday life? Related links:IPLAExploring the Notion of Literacy Within Physical Literacy: A Discussion PaperPhysical Literacy as a Foundation for Physical Education in Scottish Primary Schools | — | ||||||
| 12/17/25 |  #31. Lorraine Close. How can we make movement accessible to everyone? | In this powerful conversation, Andrew speaks with Lorraine Close, Outreach Director of Edinburgh Community Yoga, nurse educator at the University of Edinburgh, and long-time facilitator of trauma-informed movement programs across prisons, the NHS, psychiatric hospitals, addiction recovery centres, and local communities.Lorraine shares her personal journey into yoga - from teenage drinking culture in Glasgow to yoga communities in San Francisco, India, and Thailand - and how those experiences shaped her understanding of belonging, class, agency, and the deep inequities in Scotland’s health landscape.She explains the principles of trauma-informed practice, why “choice” and “agency” matter far more than perfect poses, and how the yoga and wellness worlds often unintentionally reinforce exclusion, coercion, or pseudo-spiritual dogma.In the second half, Lorraine speaks openly about the coming closure of Edinburgh Community Yoga after 11 years of impact, and the brutal pressures that community-based organisations face in a funding landscape that increasingly rewards commodification and influencer culture over grassroots relational work. What emerges is an honest exploration of what it means to do meaningful practice in an increasingly extractive system and where hope lives now. | — | ||||||
| 12/13/25 |  #30 Dr. Lawrence Foweather. Building a life-long relationship with movement | In this episode, Andrew speaks with Dr. Lawrence Foweather, researcher and lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and one of the key contributors to the Physical Literacy Consensus Statement for England (2023). Lawrence has spent two decades researching how children, adolescents, and adults engage with movement and physical activity.They explore:the origins and evolution of physical literacywhy it resonates across policy, practice, and real-world movement settingshow the concept differs from “moving more”how physical literacy unfolds across the life course, from early years to older adulthoodthe role of motivation, enjoyment, capability, and relationshipsthe Thrive principles (Tailored, Holistic, Reflective, Inclusive, Varied, Empowering)emerging research on balance, falls prevention, and middle-age “prevention windows”why not all minutes of activity are equalThis conversation offers a clear, accessible, and profoundly human take on why movement matters - not as a set of guidelines, but as a lifelong relationship.Sport England Consensus StatementInternational Physical Literacy Association WHO GLOBAL ACTION PLAN ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 2018-2030 | — | ||||||
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| 11/30/25 |  #29. Dr. Charlotte Marriott. Why We Need Nature to Feel Well | This week, Andrew speaks with Dr Charlotte Marriott - NHS Consultant Psychiatrist, Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, medical educator and nature-based coach. Charlotte works with people living with complex mental health challenges, while also championing evidence-based lifestyle change and accessible, community-led movement.Together they explore why health is simple but society makes it hard, and how nature, physical activity and social connection transform mental wellbeing. They discuss the pitfalls of optimisation culture, smartwatches, hustle wellness, and the systems-level barriers that shape our choices long before willpower ever enters the picture.Charlotte shares stories from her NHS practice, explains how movement changes the brain, and makes the case for designing environments - not just interventions - that help people thrive.In this episode:• The six pillars of lifestyle medicine, without the guilt• Nature as a core mental health intervention• Why enjoyment may be the most important metric in movement• The dark side of trackers, optimisation and wellness grift• How movement boosts brain health, mood and memory• Social determinants of health and the limits of “better choices”• Real patient stories: from ready-meals to boxing gyms• Why the first small step always matters the most.Books, articles, projects that came up in conversation and you might find interesting: 1. Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild — Lucy Jones2. British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM)4. Nutri-Tank (Nutrition in Medical Education)5. SHAPE Programme – Supporting Health and Promoting Exercise6. Bee Network – Greater Manchester Active Travel | — | ||||||
| 11/6/25 |  #28. Jarlo Ilano. Making movement meaningful to you | Andrew sits down with Jarlo Ilano, Physical Therapist (MPT) since 1998, former Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), Certified Therapeutic Pain Specialist (TPS), co-founder of GMB Fitness, and martial-arts teacher of 20 years — to explore how people actually learn to move, heal, and keep moving across a lifetime.Jarlo traces three decades in physiotherapy: from a rigid, structural, biomedical model to the more nuanced biopsychosocial approach that recognises the interaction between body, mind, and context.He explains how good clinicians and coaches blend both — the bio still matters, but so do people’s stories, expectations, and environments. That shift, he says, makes practice multimodal and genuinely human.The conversation ranges through:Why evidence-based practice often misses lived complexity.The tension between efficacy (in controlled trials) and effectiveness (in the real world).How clinical equipoise, belief, and placebo/nocebo effects shape recovery.Why contextual effects aren’t noise — they’re the real environment of movement and health.From there, we explore GMB’s evolution from gymnastics to movement culture, the design of its Elements programme built on locomotion, auto-regulation, and reflection, and how scaffolded play and minimum effective dose thinking help people rediscover capability and confidence.TakeawaysGood practice balances biological, psychological, and social realities.Play needs scaffolding: constraints + feedback → learning without frustration.Functional independence — floors, stairs, shopping, confidence — is the best progress marker.More on GMB Fitness HereWildStrong Webinar on Using Games & Play to Teach MovementTransitional Movement: Where Strength Becomes Skill (You CANNOT Skip This) | — | ||||||
| 10/22/25 |  #27. Tim Gill. Let Them Play, Designing Cities for People | Tim Gill is a writer, consultant and independent researcher championing children’s everyday freedoms, especially their freedom to move and play outdoors. He’s the author of No Fear (on risk aversion) and Urban Playground (child-friendly planning and design), and has worked with NGOs and cities internationally to put children at the heart of neighbourhood design.Tim is particularly focused on the fundamental conflict between cars and children, and the urgent need to reframe how we think about cars, streets and neighbourhoods.While some of this may seem remote from children’s outdoor play, he sees these issues as connected: we will only give children the spatial freedoms they deserve when we reduce the dominance of the car - both in the places where we live and inside our heads.Designing for children isn’t a niche add-on, it’s a way to build safer, calmer streets, stronger communities, and lifelong confidence, with benefits that reach every age.Resources mentioned Tim Gill — No Fear (free download) Tim Gill — Urban Playground Vauban, Freiburg case studyGreat Kneighton (Cambridge) overview Playout Play Streets Toolkit School Streets (toolkits) Dinah Bornat — All to Play For Childhood and nature: a survey on changing relationships with nature across generations | — | ||||||
| 10/10/25 |  #26. Dr Katie Rose Hejtmanek. When Fitness Becomes a Moral Audit | What if fitness isn’t really about exercise, but about belonging?Katie Rose Hejtmanek is professor of Anthropology and Children and Youth Studies at Brooklyn College, CUNY. She is the author of Friendship, Love, and Hip Hop (Palgrave Macmillan 2015) and co-editor of Gender and Power in Strength Sports (Routledge 2023). Hejtmanek’s work investigates cultures and processes of self-transformation and American and popular culture. She is also world and national champion in masters weightlifting. In this episode, Katie joins Andrew to explore how a workout became a worldview.They trace CrossFit’s surprising roots in American new-thought religion, garage-founder myth, and military culture, and unpack how ideas like “hard work” and “self-improvement” turned into moral codes. Katie explains what she calls “audit culture” - when counting reps and tracking data stop being neutral and start defining our worth - and why that mindset still shapes much of modern fitness.The conversation also looks beyond CrossFit: at the early internet’s role in creating global community, at how women rebuilt outdoor movement networks during lockdowns, and at what strength really means in a culture obsessed with optimisation.It’s thoughtful, challenging, and full of insight into why we move, and what we might build in its place.You can find out more about Katie here. | — | ||||||
| 9/17/25 |  #25. Alison Crouch. Learning to Thrive with Osteoporosis | This week Andrew speaks with Alison Crouch, a Pilates & movement teacher of 25+ years, osteoporosis specialist, and creator of the MoveSmart Method. Alison shares her personal story of reversing early bone loss, navigating a genetic predisposition to osteoporosis, and later facing her own diagnosis.We cover:Why the “fear-based” diagnosis conversation is so harmful, and how to replace it with empowering action.What bone mineral density scores really mean (osteopenia, osteoporosis, fracture risk).The truth about Pilates, yoga, and walking for bone health and why strength and impact matter.The LIFTMOR trial and what newer research tells us about heavy vs. moderate lifting.Practical guidelines: push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, plus the overlooked importance of balance and footwork.Why “limit, don’t eliminate” should be the guiding principle for movement with osteoporosis.Alison also talks about her new course and the resources she’s building for people who want a holistic approach to bone health that includes strength, balance, nutrition, and mobility.📍 Find Alison at:alisoncrouch.commovesmartmovement.com | — | ||||||
| 9/3/25 |  #24. Matthew Remski. Interrogating Self Care Culture | In this episode, Andrew speaks with writer and researcher Matthew Remski — co-host of the Conspirituality podcast and author of Practice and All Is Coming and Surviving Modern Yoga. Matthew shares his journey from cult involvement to cult journalism, yoga teaching, and now writing on antifascism. Together they explore cult dynamics, the contested language of “high demand groups,” abuse in modern yoga, and how wellness and fitness cultures often reflect broader social and political forces.This conversation unpacks why cultic dynamics aren’t aberrations but common features of human organisations, how situational vulnerability draws people in, and why physical culture so often echoes anxieties of the time. From yoga studios and CrossFit boxes to gentrification and public housing gyms, Matthew shows how our spaces for movement reflect both the possibilities and pitfalls of community.Themes:Cult dynamics and contested language (“cult,” “high demand group,” “new religious movement”)Alexandra Stein’s model of disorganised attachmentSituational vulnerability and recruitment into exploitative groupsSystemic abuse in modern yoga — Pattabhi Jois, Iyengar, Bikram, and beyondThe hidden history of yoga’s modern form and its ties to nationalism and European physical cultureCult-like tendencies in fitness and wellness spaces, including CrossFitGentrification, yoga studios, and why community assets matterWhy physical culture should serve the neighbourhood, not just the individualAntifascist fight clubs and reclaiming physical braveryTimestamps:00:01 – Mathew’s introduction and personal background05:13 – What do we mean by “cult” and why the language matters10:22 – Disorganised attachment and abusive relationships14:57 – The “true crime” cult industry vs political realities17:36 – Cults as logical outcomes of capitalism20:03 – Situational vulnerability and why people join24:32 – Victim–perpetrator narratives and the complexity of agency26:25 – Systemic abuse in modern yoga communities36:12 – Modern yoga’s hidden history and links to nationalism and physical culture49:15 – CrossFit and cult dynamics in fitness spaces54:17 – Gentrification, yoga studios, and community access01:05:19 – Public health, planning, and simple solutions (bike lanes, basketball courts)01:09:13 – Antifascist fight clubs and reclaiming physical braveryLinks:Conspirituality PodcastSurviving Modern YogaPractice and All Is ComingAlexandra Stein – Terror, Love and BrainwashingRobert Putnam – Bowling AloneMusic by Me for Queen. | — | ||||||
| 8/20/25 |  #23. Dr William Bird. Creating Health Through People, Place and Purpose | ShownotesSummaryIn this episode, Andrew speaks with Dr William Bird MBE, GP, health innovator, and the creator of Health Walks, the Green Gym, and Beat the Street. They explore how true health is built through belonging, safety, and feeling valued, and why community connection and a sense of place matter more than ticking boxes on exercise guidelines.William shares his journey from pioneering social prescribing in the 1990s to leading large-scale programmes that change how towns think about health. The conversation covers the science behind stress and motivation, the pitfalls of infrastructure without engagement, and the practical steps that help people not just be more active, but live better lives.Main themes:Why physical activity is the outcome of a connected, hopeful community, not just a prescription.The early days of Health Walks and the Green Gym and what they taught about behaviour change.How chronic stress rewires the brain, suppresses motivation to move, and shapes perceptions of safety.The importance of place, heritage, and local identity in health creation.Why “build it and they will come” often fails without community activation.The Health Creation Matrix: measuring safety, belonging, and feeling valued across people, place, and purpose.Beat the Street as a catalyst for change, and what communities do after the game ends.Supporting older adults to stay active safely and confidently.LinksBeat the Street – Intelligent HealthWorld Health Organization – Physical ActivityCormac Russell – Asset-Based Community Development Also see previous episode of Playful Nature with Cormac Russell.Music by @Me for Queen | — | ||||||
| 8/7/25 |  #22. Todd Hargrove. Reclaiming Lost Movement Territory | In this really thoughtful conversation, Andrew Telfer speaks with writer and movement educator Todd Hargrove, whose books and blog have helped thousands rethink how they move, feel, and learn. They explore somatic traditions like Feldenkrais and Rolfing, ecological dynamics, affordances, pain perception, and the limitations of top-down movement instruction. Todd also shares insights from his new book Healthy Movement for Human Animals, which offers an evolutionary lens on movement that’s both accessible and grounded.Expect reflections on growing your “movement map,” changing your environment to change your behaviour, and how pain is often more a perception issue than a structural one. There’s also a fair bit of healthy critique for gyms, blueprints, and the fantasy of precision in movement coaching.Todd’s Book – Healthy Movement for Human AnimalsFrank Forencich – Human AnimalKaty Bowman – Nutritious MovementDaniel Lieberman – Exercised Harvard Gazette articleGibsonian Psychology & Ecological Dynamics (Affordances)Wikipedia entry on affordancesFeldenkrais Method – Official SiteRolfing Structural Integration – Official SiteBook – Paleofantasy by Marlene Zuk | — | ||||||
| 7/25/25 |  #21 Dom Higgins: Rethinking Health Through Nature & Community | In this new episode of the Playful Nature Podcast, we’re joined by Dom Higgins, to talk about green social prescribing and what it really means to build a Natural Health Service.Dom Higgins is Head of Health and Education at The Wildlife Trusts and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health. Over the past 20 years, he has worked to integrate nature into education, health services, and everyday life.Before joining The Wildlife Trusts, he was Director of External Affairs at TCV, where he played a key role in the development of Green Gyms. Dom currently chairs Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Nature and Wellbeing Strategy Group, and sits on advisory panels for Cambridge OCR and the Department for Education’s Climate Ambassadors Programme.Links for more:The Wildlife Trusts – Natural Health ServiceThe Conservation Volunteers – Green GymNextdoor Nature ProjectWildlife and Countryside Link – Nature and WellbeingNational Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP)Climate Ambassadors Programme – DfE | — | ||||||
| 7/9/25 |  #20 Katy Bowman: Aging into the Shape of Our Habits | Biomechanist, bestselling author, and parent Katy Bowman joins Andrew Telfer to talk about how modern culture has stripped movement of its context, and how we can get it back. In this conversation, Katy shares her frameworks for “nutritious movement,” behavioural stretching, and parenting with physical variability in mind. Katy and Andrew explore how movement habits shape not only our bodies but our values, our stress tolerance, and our sense of self. From the callus metaphor to the role of discomfort in learning, this is a thoughtful, practical, and timely conversation for anyone looking to move better and live better.New Book: I Know I Should Exercise, But...Katy’s Podcast: Move Your DNAWebsite: NutritiousMovement.comBooks (UK): Katy Bowman on Amazon UKSocial Media:Instagram & Facebook: @nutritiousmovementYouTube: @nutritiousmovementofficialPublisher: @uphillbooks on IG and X | — | ||||||
| 6/24/25 |  #19 Clif Harski: Rejecting Dogma and Finding What Works for You | Clif Harski has been at the heart of fitness education for over a decade, teaching for MovNat, Animal Flow, and Spartan, running a seven-location boutique gym business in California, and now leading the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification (PPSC) as COO.So while he’s been deep inside the fitness world, and part of many of its most influential movements, he’s also uniquely placed to step back and ask the bigger questions. What’s really useful? What’s just trend-following? And what are we missing when we make movement too prescriptive?In this honest and often funny conversation with Andrew Telfer, Clif shares what he's learned from coaching over 11,000 professionals, and why he still turns up to coach regular folks every week.The trap of over-correction in fitnessWhy orthodoxy and dogma still dominate the industryRethinking kettlebells, strength, and athleticismThe difference between coaching coaches and coaching clientsWhat he’d change with a billion dollars and a blank slateThis episode is packed with insights for anyone coaching others, building movement communities, or just trying to keep themselves moving for life. It's a reminder that you’re allowed to question trends, and that just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for you.Clif Harski is a coach, educator, and kettlebell experimenter who’s spent the last 15+ years helping people build useful strength and enjoy moving again. As Chief Operating Officer at PPSC, he leads both their flagship certification and the Functional Kettlebell Training course.Since 2010, he’s taught over 450 workshops around the world to more than 11,000 trainers, coaches, and therapists. He’s worked with MovNat, Animal Flow, Spartan, and Kettlebell Athletics, and brings a deep, practical understanding of movement education that goes beyond sets and reps.Before 2020, Clif ran a seven-location gym business in California, serving over 2,000 members each month. His experience as an athlete, coach, business owner, and teacher gives him a rare ability to cut through jargon and meet people where they are.These days, he still coaches in-person regularly, often barefoot, usually swinging a kettlebell in a slightly unconventional direction, and always advocating for strength with a sense of humour.📎 More on Clif’s work:getppsc.com/kb-fkt-home-pageMusic: MeforQueen | — | ||||||
| 6/1/25 |  #18 Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi Movement as Medicine: What Primary Care Could Be | This week’s guest is Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, a GP who’s challenging the way primary care approaches health, ageing, and behaviour change. This episode is not about tips or techniques, it’s about rethinking how we structure support.Andrew and Hussain explore what happens when we stop asking people to ‘try harder’ and start changing the environments around them. They talk about the limits of the 10-minute appointment, why traditional advice-based models often fall flat, and the power of social prescribing, group consultations, and joy-led activity.Hussain shares his personal story, from receiving a fatty liver diagnosis in his twenties to attending his first Park Run in a pair of paint-stained joggers, and how this experience reshaped his practice as a GP.This is a conversation about ladders, not lectures. Strength, not prescriptions. And the vital difference between telling people what to do- and helping them build the confidence to try.Bio:Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi is a GP with an extended role in lifestyle medicine (GPwERLM). He has always endeavoured to take a holistic view on healthcare and is the personalised care lead for the Leamington PCN. He leads the RCGP’s lifestyle and physical activity team; heads the UK’s first PCN-based fitness club; works as a TV doctor on This Morningand Good Morning Britain; leads on health partnerships for parkrun UK; is a trustee at ThinkActive (the regional active partnership); and sits on the advisory board for SWIM England. When not working, Hussain is a keen triathlete, representing his country.Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction and Hussain’s early story01:40 – Barriers to movement growing up04:30 – A wake-up call: fatty liver diagnosis06:00 – Parkrun with no trainers: a new chapter08:00 – Identity shift through movement10:45 – Behaviour change: ladders vs mountains14:30 – How group consultations change outcomes18:20 – Why the 10-minute model is failing25:00 – The structure of Leamington’s lifestyle clinics33:00 – The TOY method: Trust – Observe – Yield42:00 – Challenging well-meaning but limiting advice45:00 – Strength and age: doing more, not less51:00 – Building social options for meaningful strength55:00 – What gives Hussain hope about the system60:00 – Final reflections and a story of reversalResources & Links:RCGP GP with extended role in lifestyle medicineRCGP Physical Activity HubRed Whale Lifestyle Medicine CourseParkrun Practice InitiativeMental Health SwimsThink ActiveMusic: Opening and closing music by Mary Erskine aka Me for Queen, from the track Exercise. Used with kind permission. | — | ||||||
| 5/16/25 |  #17 Charlotte Blake. Movements as Therapy: Parkour, Mental Health & Reclaiming Space | Charlotte Blake, parkour coach, researcher, and founder of Free Your Instinct (now Esprit Concrete) joins Andrew Telfer to unpack how parkour can support mental health, especially in people often left out of traditional fitness or therapy models. From the urban environment’s role in wellbeing to ecological dynamics, movement as non- verbal communication, and parenting through risk, this conversation is rich, real, and reflective. Charlotte shares how ‘failing small’ builds confidence, why parkour is misunderstood, and what she’s learned working in forensic mental health settings.Key Themes:Parkour as therapeutic interventionEcological dynamics and the person–environment relationshipReframing urban environments through playMovement as dialogue, not prescriptionParenting, fear, and letting kids take risksRedefining progress in mental health contextsTimestamps:00:00 – Intro & Charlotte’s background03:20 – Getting into parkour and early impressions05:30 – Gender, risk, and reclaiming space08:45 – The changing image of parkour10:00 – Making movement inclusive and adaptable12:15 – What parkour really is14:40 – Ecological dynamics explained18:15 – Parkour in forensic mental health services26:00 – Person–environment relationships & urban health35:00 – Non-verbal progress and ‘can cycles’39:30 – Being a parkour coach and a mum44:30 – Navigating screen time and outdoor play47:20 – How to get started in parkour or community movement50:30 – What’s next for Charlotte and Esprit ConcreteLinks:Esprit ConcreteFollow Charlotte on Instagram: @esprit_concreteBackground track by Mary Erskine aka Me for Queen, from the song Exercise: meforqueen.comLearn more about WildStrong: wildstrong.co.uk | — | ||||||
| 2/13/25 |  #11 Cormac Russell. It Takes a Village: Why Health Starts with Connection | In this episode of thePlayful Nature Podcast, Andrew sits down withCormac Russell, a social explorer, author, and global expert inAsset-Based Community Development (ABCD). Cormac is the founder ofNurture Development and a faculty member of theABCD Institute at DePaul University.His work has impacted communities inover 35 countries, helping people reclaim their power, build local resilience, and redefine what health and well-being truly mean.Together, Andrew and Cormac talk about:🌿Why health isn’t just about medicine—it’s about community🏡How modern life has pulled us apart—and what we can do about it💡The difference between prescriptive models vs. descriptive approaches to movement and health🔄Why the fitness industry thrives on transactional relationships—and what’s missing🤝The real power of reciprocity: feeling like you belong and are needed🛠Practical ways we can reshape our communities to prioritise connection and collective well-beingCormac challenges the dominant narratives around health and fitness, urging us to move beyondservice provision and towardcommunity-led solutions. This is a must-listen for anyone passionate aboutrethinking movement, health, and the way we live together.More of Cormac's work:www.nurturedevelopment.orgCormac’s books:His most recent books areThe Connected Community- Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods (Coauthor John McKnight);Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2022Rekindling Democracy – A Professional’s Guide to Working in Citizen Space; Cascade Books, 2020.Cormac’s TEDx talk can be viewedhere | — | ||||||
| 12/10/24 |  #6 Dr Callum Leese: Thinking about Health at a Community Level | In this conversation, Andrew and Dr. Callum Lease chat about the importance of community in health, the impact of individualism, and the challenges posed by inequality in health interventions. They discuss the role of social media, the significance of physical activity, and how to create inclusive communities. The conversation emphasizes the need for empathy, understanding, and engagement at the community level to foster better health outcomes.Takeaways Callum Leese: This episode is with Dr Callum Leese. Callum medically qualified at the University of Edinburgh, now training in general practice in Aberfeldy, whilst working part-time at the University of Dundee undertaking research with the division of population health and genomics. He is co-founder of the community-based initiative 'Healthiest Town' in Aberfeldy, Scotland where they try to enact and inspire local change and involved with the charity RunTalkRun. Callum is an honorary support fellow in physical activity and lifestyle medicine at the RCGP, and spent time in 2023 with WHO Regional Office for Europe addressing physical activity promotion in primary care. His research interest is physical activity, and specifically physical activity promotion in primary care. Healthiest Town https://www.healthiesttown.org/ Key Points: Community is the smallest unit of health.Social influences significantly impact individual health behaviors.Empathy is crucial for understanding others' perspectives.Cultural differences shape our understanding of health.Engagement in community activities fosters social connections.Social media can both connect and isolate individuals.Creating inclusive communities is essential for collective well-being.Physical activity should be accessible to all demographics.Understanding the social determinants of health is vital.Local initiatives can drive positive change in communities. Keywords: community health, individualism, public health, social media, inequality, physical activity, health interventions, community engagement, lifestyle medicine, social determinants of health | — | ||||||
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