Better Never Ends: Health & Performance

After a few months off, we are back to bring you the wisdom of Richard Tucker, the director of The Human Performance Lab, to find out to achieve that all important personal best in endurance sport. Richard is an Exercise Physiologist, Strength & Conditioning Coach and Nutritionist... could he be any more qualified for this episode?? If you participate in endurance sport then this is the episode for you! Pushing for a Personal Best can be tough, and believe it or not, there's more to it than just trying your hardest. Richard utilises the latest in Sports Science research and technology to understand the nuance of designing training and nutrition plans bespoke to the individual. Richard's favourite saying is "If you are not testing, you are guessing". Listen in to find out how you can put this into practice to help you push for your own personal best! To find out more about Richard's services, check out his website: https://www.humanperformancelab.co.uk/

James Phillips, a Strength & Conditioning Coach also known as @optimalstrength_ joins Charlie & Andy for episode 17 fresh off the back of completing the London Marathon, one of the greatest challenges of all. The three discuss their recent exercise challenges, sharing their tips to help you succeed with your future challenges.  Starting with the Three Peaks 24 Hour Challenge in 2019, Andy & Charlie have since fallen in love with the world of exercise challenges. But these things don't always go to plan. Listen in to find out how they are using these experiences to help them learn and also why they can't striving for more!

In this episode Charlie & Andy cover some serious ground with the fantastic Mike James, aka @the_endurance_physio. Drifting through the world of an endurance athlete, busting some myths along the way, they talked training plans, nutrition, injuries and discuss the concept of periodisation. The discussion about the distinctive psychology of the endurance athlete is worth a listen on its own. Mike really is an expert in this field, don't miss it!

WE ARE BACK!! After a few weeks off over the summer, we're back with a bang! Dr James Noake is a Sport & Exercise Medicine Consultant who really knows his scans. But before we got to the business end, we wanted to know what a Sport & Exercise Medicine Consultant does... listen in to find out why they are such a crucial part of the injury recovery journey. The big question we had for James was this: can you find pain using a scan? The answer to this might not be as straight forward as you think. We bust some myths, chat some theory and most importantly, we finished the episode smarter than we started. This is a cracker!

In this episode, we call on our favourite cycling nerd Bryan to tell us everything we need to know about cycling. Starting with spandex tips, then going deep on cycling snack suggestions, we cover a lot of ground. Bryan is a physiotherapist and certified bike fitter, and he is perhaps better known by his company name "The Bike The Body". We ask about the health benefits, the injury risk, the best way to get started and even find out an easy way to get faster on the bike (ps. this isn't just about buying an expensive bike). If you cycle, you should listen. If you don't cycle, you might just want to after hearing this.

Claire was on our list of speakers we wanted on the show right from the moment we started. She really does live up to expectations in this episode. The main question we ask is: Should We All Be Strength Training? Spoiler alert, if you want to live a longer, healthier life, then you might want to start now...  If you are already strength training, then make sure you listen to this to find if you're doing the right things. As always, we explore the evidence and bust myths. We break it down so that you can take away the key nuggets of info to set you up on your journey to a healthy life. Listen in to find out the best way to integrate strength training in to your life.

When it comes to Sports Podiatry, Ian is the voice of reason. For those who don't know what Podiatry is, let alone Sports Podiatry, worry not, he explains that too. He knows the field like no other and casts a skeptical eye at some of the long held beliefs that exist regarding running shoes, orthoses and foot posture. In some ways aided by a wardrobe filled with running shoes (this is no exaggeration), Ian has lots of tips to share with runners looking to optimise their own running shoe collections. Guided by the science, we delve into a number of topics to discuss comfort, performance and injury risk.  If you run, this episode is guaranteed to be a winner!

Welcome to Season 2! In this season we will be exploring Exercise! In the opening episode of the season invited runner, physiotherapist and running coach Alex Quinn to speak about getting ready for running. Alex gives tips on how you can not just get faster, but also on how to help you stay injury free in the process. If you're new to running, keen on getting started, wondering why you're not getting faster or picking up injuries every other week, then this is the episode for you!

In the final episode of the season, hosts Andy & Charlie close it out by looking back on their first attempts at putting together a podcast. The aim is to challenge myths and educate, this first season was about breaking down the barriers that block your journey to a healthy life. You'll hear clips of some of the best bits from season 1, plus plenty of epic fails that show them up for the amateurs they really are... but we are learning! But just like they always say: "better never ends". Enjoy the best bits, and season 2 is just around the corner! 

We speak to Darren Brown, a physiotherapist specialising in HIV, oncology and infectious diseases. Darren contracted Corona Virus in March 2020, then after making a full return to work, suffered a major crash 6 months later due to the effects of Long COVID. Darren speaks about his traumatic life-changing experience, then explains what Long COVID actually is. He reveals some fascinating truths about the condition and the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine on Long COVID, and what shines through is his remarkable optimism and hope for the future. After an incredibly challenging year, Darren has turned his attention to using his experience and learnings for good by supporting others suffering with the symptoms of Long COVID. For more information on resources he has helped put together, check out his website: https://longcovid.physio/

In this episode we talk to Rachel Evans PhD in a quest to better understand eating disorders and debunk the myths and dogma around them.  Rachel kindly shares her experience with bulimia and her recovery journey. Rachel shares key insights into her role as a chartered psychologist specialising in helping people with eating disorders and how we can better approach discussions around this topic Check out her Instagram page and listen to her amazing podcast: Just Eat 'Normally'

In our most personal episode yet we welcomed Vicki Goodall, wife of host Andrew, to speak about her experience of becoming a Mum in the COVID era.  Inspired by episode 4 with Serena Simmons, where we discussed how COVID lockdowns can affect Mental Health, we wanted to explore what it meant on a more personal level. 3 weeks after we locked down in the UK, April 2020, Vicki became a Mum. We learn about her expectations, her struggles and how, 1 year on, she now feels confident and strong

In this episode we ask why discrimination affects health. We talk about the statistics relating to COVID deaths & willingness to accept the vaccine Plus, don't miss the fantastic discussion on the differences between equality & equity… and why that matters! Manni then explains what he plans to do about it

In this episode we host physiotherapist & running coach Manni Ovola, creator of @culturalhealthclub. He preaches the life motto: "live better", with a focus on bringing health to ethnic communities. Manni talks about his life, his career & his frustrations with how how race affects health. Listen to why Manni thinks understanding the history is so important, and why he worries things will never be the way they should.

We spoke to Psychologist Serena Simmons, owner of www.thepsychologyschool.co COVID Lockdowns have caused significant stress to many of us. We wanted to find out what to do to help manage this and how to think about recovery. Serena speaks a lot about building your protective factors, listen in to find how what these are.

In part 2 of our discussion about supplements with Ben, we discussed their performance enhancing effects providing marginal gains in elite sport, and why this can muddy the water for the average person. We also talk about the times when supplements really aren't needed, and why Haribo might be a suitable alternative to give us a boost in the gym. We finish with a really important discussion about the role of Omega-3 fish oils in health. Enjoy the show!

In this first guest episode, we welcome Ben Steele-Turner, a hybrid physiotherapist & nutritionist. We know Ben via his Instagram profile @physiutrition. He posts excellent content, which prompted us to invite him onto the show. In this episode, we asked Ben his thoughts on supplements. It's a huge industry that has come under scrutiny in recent years. In part 1, Ben gives his thoughts on the role of supplements. A health essential or just an expensive ingredient to our pee?

Andrew and Charlie launched The Health Space project soon after the first COVID Lockdown started in the UK. Their aim was to share high quality, evidence based health information to the masses.  They will be busting myths, challenging misconceptions by exploring the evidence, chatting to experts along the way. This episode introduces Andrew and Charlie as they share their career journey so far and discuss how they Started With Why.