Pursuing Health

At age 18 and finishing high school, Alan Fredendall topped the scales at over 400 pounds.  Climbing a single flight of stairs to attend class on the second story of his school left him wheezing and breathless.   During college, he began a weight loss journey involving body building and lots of cardio, but he hadn’t yet found a way to make sustainable, long term changes.  A stent in the Army gave him the motivation he needed to maintain a healthier weight for several years, but it also left him looking forward to the day when he would get out so that he could “never exercise again.”   Once Alan left the Army and went back to college to finish his exercise science degree, he continued the cycle of inconsistent exercise, yo-yo dieting and huge weight fluctuations.    It wasn’t until a friend introduced him to CrossFit that he finally developed healthy habits that stuck.  Although he was reluctant to start, Alan soon ramped up his attendance and quickly learned that good nutrition outside the gym helped him feel better inside the gym.   He came to love being part of a tribe of individuals looking to improve themselves, and appreciates that training with CrossFit allows him to be better in activities outside the gym.   Not only has Alan used CrossFit to improve his own health, he splits his time between working as a doctor of physical therapy and as a Level 2 trainer using CrossFit methodologies to help others who are in his old shoes.  He often sees his clients transition from being physical therapy patients to affiliate members attending the classes he coaches.   I first connected with Alan via a virtual physical therapy conference for the Institute of Clinical Excellence, and I was excited to learn more about his remarkable transformation story in this episode.  We talk about the approach his friends used to encourage him to make major lifestyle changes, and how he sees CrossFit and physical therapy working together to help individuals stay functionally fit throughout their lives.   You can connect with Alan via Instagram @alan.fred.dpt and the Institute of Clinical Excellence at @icephysio   Related Episodes:   Ep 116 - How Healing Works with Dr. Wayne Jonas   Ep 132 - Healing Through Functional Movement with Dr. Amy West If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns

Despite being the youngest Individual competitor at the 2020 CrossFit Games, Haley Adams brought a wealth of experience to the field, including three CrossFit Games podium finishes as a teen competitor.   In 2019, Haley’s first year participating in the Women’s division, she finished in 6th and earned the title “Rookie of the Year.” In 2020, she continued to climb her way up the leaderboard and left no doubt that even at a young age, she’s ready to be one of the top CrossFit athletes in the world.   Despite a tumultuous and uncertain training season, she gave a strong performance and finished 4th, just a few points out of podium contention. The 2021 season finds her back hard at work in Cookeville, Tennessee where she balances studying at Tennessee Tech with training alongside the likes of Rich Froning and Tascia Percevecz at CrossFit Mayhem. Haley last joined me on the podcast shortly before she won the title of Fittest Teen on Earth in 2017, so I was excited to catch up with her again and hear how her training has evolved as she’s grown up in the sport, what her 2020 training season looked like, and what’s in store for 2021. You can connect with Haley via Instagram @haleyadamssss   Related Episodes: Ep 64 - Haley Adams: A CrossFit Teen with Talent Ep 79 - Sam Briggs on Going Back to Basics and Training for Longevity   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns

Maddie Tretter was an accomplished Division 1 swimmer at Cleveland State, preparing for the Olympic Trials, when she she started coming down with a laundry list of seemingly unrelated symptoms: panic attacks, nausea, migraines, swollen joints and more. After trying several treatments with no success, Maddie was encouraged when she finally tested positive for Lyme disease - she figured now that she had a diagnosis, she’d complete a course of antibiotics and be back in the pool. Despite treatment, her symptoms continued to worsen to the point where she could barely keep down food or walk to the mailbox.  At the encouragement of a family friend, she began working with a functional medicine practitioner who used an array of traditional, alternative, and integrative therapies, and slowly her symptoms began to improve. Says Maddie, “Treating my whole body and not just trying to cover it up with a pill changed my life.” After nearly two years of treatment, Maddie was finally able to re-join her collegiate swim team and finish out her senior year. These days Maddie credits prioritizing her nutrition and active lifestyle with helping her remain symptom-free.  “I know to stay healthy and functioning I can’t sacrifice the little easy things. Advice I would give to other people going through my experience are not to give up and to always always advocate for yourself.” You can connect with Maddie via Instagram @maddietretter Related Episodes: Ep 73 - Caroline Burckle & Rebecca Soni: Olympic Swimmers RISEing to the Occasion Ep 104 - Physical Therapist & CrossFit Games Athlete Amanda Barnhart

“If a woman can understand how she feels on different days her cycle, then she can start dialing and being more personalized with her training. When the hormones are low, this is where women have more power, more speed, recover better, have more “mojo” because they have less central nervous system fatigue. Around ovulation, with that boost of estrogen, some women feel bulletproof and other women feel a little bit flat, and then a couple days later they’ll feel bulletproof, so, understanding that as well. And then when you get into the high hormone phase, with estrogen and progesterone being the highest, this is where we want women to deload more, where they’re working functional technique and they’re not doing too much high intensity, they’re not trying to do top-end VO2 work because physiologically you’re fighting your body because there’s so many different metabolic and thermoregulatory and metabolic shifts that happen with the hormones. It’s really hard to do that high, high intensity in the high hormone phase.” - Dr. Stacy Sims In the words of Stacy Sims, Ph.D, women are not small men.  Dr. Sims is an applied researcher, innovator, and entrepreneur in human performance, specifically sex differences in training, nutrition, and environmental conditions.   She is dedicated to educating women so that they can use their natural cycle to their advantage and train with their physiology, not against it. Dr. Sims earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition from the University of Otago in New Zealand.  From there, she began work as an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University, where she specialized women's health and performance. During her tenure at Stanford, she had the opportunity to translate earlier research into a science-based layperson's book, ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life.   In the book, she provides insights into how women can adapt their nutrition, hydration, and training to optimize their performance across the lifespan. Dr. Sims's contributions to the international research environment and the sports nutrition industry have established a new niche in sports nutrition and established her reputation as an expert in sex differences in training, nutrition, and health. She is a regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those hosted by US Olympic Committee, High-Performance Sport NZ, and USA Cycling, and is a Senior Research Associate at AUT University. I was first introduced to Dr. Sims's work by Dr. Matt Dawson and today's co-host, Dr. Mike Mallin of Wild Health, and since then, it's seems like I've heard her name everywhere!  So many Pursuing Health listeners have suggested an episode with Dr. Sims, so I was excited to have a chance to chat with her to learn more about her work.  We discuss the general differences between male and female physiology, how women can tailor their nutrition, fitness, and hydration to optimize their performance at different times in their cycle, and considerations for peri- and post-menopausal as well as pre- and post-partum athletes. *Dr. Sim's bio adapted from her website     In this episode we discuss: Dr. Sims's background and how she became interested in women's health and performance The general physiological differences between men and women and the female hormone phases Ways women can adapt their training around their cycle Methods Dr. Sims's likes for tracking the female cycle How macronutrient consumption should be adjusted for different times in the cycle How hormones can affect thirst, and considerations for hydration The importance of adjusting training intensity at different times during the cycle Tips to help female CrossFit athletes optimize their training Changes women experience during peri- and post-menopause and exercise changes that should be considered Pregnancy and post-partum training and nutrition considerations for athletes Why fasting is not ideal for female athletes Lessons Dr. Sims would share with her younger self     You can connect with Dr. Sims on her website, Instagram, and Facebook. Links: Women are Not Small Men: a paradigm shift in the science of nutrition | Stacy Sims | TEDxTauranga Research publications by Dr. Sims Wild.ai FitrWoman Clue Flo Related episodes: Ep 83 - Pelvic Floor Health for Athletes with Julie Wiebe, PT Ep 126b - Nicole Christensen on Coaching Pregnant Athletes Ep 155 - FACTS about Fertility with Dr. Marguerite Duane Ep 172 - Optimal Health through Genomics Based Personalized Medicine   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

“I think the biggest thing that I take away are these transferable skills where, you would think that touring the country and hustling and making it happen in that way is specific to music, but it’s really not. That’s going to help us in the future with our gym, it has already as we bootstrapped the gym and figured that whole thing out, and even with our kids, just that idea of one step at a time. All you have control over is your next step. And that was all the music ever was, too, what’s my next step? What’s my next step? I never… It took me probably five years of doing music full-time to actually admit that I was a musician. I was always like, “Well, I’m doing music until I have to get a real job.” And then maybe five years later I was like, “I guess I’m a musician, I guess I should own that.” So yeah, it’s been fun to see how those skills kind of move into to different areas as well.” - Jonny Diaz Jonny Diaz is a contemporary Christian singer and songwriter with a number of chart topping albums, including  More Beautiful You which has appeared on several Billboard magazine charts, but his heart wasn't always set on being a musician.  He originally planned to focus his efforts on baseball, and attended Florida State University on a baseball scholarship.  As the fourth of four brothers to attend college on a baseball scholarship, two of whom have played professionally, a career in baseball seemed a natural fit.  However, while Jonny was in school, he also began to develop his musical talent.   Ultimately, he discovered that by working hard and pouring his time and energy into his passion for music, he was able to turn something he loved into his professional career. Libby Diaz grew up in Florida and fell in love with movement mechanics at a young age when she began using functional fitness to elevate her soccer training.  She went on to play collegiate ball at Florida State University, and after graduation she slowly grew her hobby of leading fitness classes for friends into her own business.  She started small, with an outdoor boot camp, and as her clientele grew she began renting space from other facilities until it became clear it was time to go all-in and pursue her passion. Together Jonny and Libby opened Fit Factory Nashville, a huge functional fitness gym with an incredibly close-knit community. I first met Jonny on an airplane, and over the years we've kept in touch through social media.  I'm so impressed and inspired by the way he and Libby have charted their own course as they've established non-traditional careers.  In this episode, we chat about how they turned their hobbies into thriving careers, how they navigate the challenges of owning their own businesses, and how they create balance in their lives as parents and busy entrepreneurs.   In this episode we discuss: Jonny and Libby's backgrounds and how they met The road to pursuing their passions after college How Libby turned her hobby into a business she’s passionate about How Jonny started a career in the music industry How Jonny and Libby started CrossFit The rewards and challenges of turning their passions into their careers How they protect their time to create balance in their lives Things that have helped them navigate some of the challenges of owning their own businesses The power of having a mentor What their fitness routine looks like now that they have three kids and two businesses Lessons they’ve learned from the challenge associated with COVID Creative solutions to keep their coaches members bought into the business during COVID Three things Jonny and Libby do on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on their health One thing they struggle to implement that could have a big impact on their health What a healthy life looks like to Jonny and Libby You can follow Jonny on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.  You can follow Libby on Instagram, and you can follow Fit Factory Nashville on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Links: Jonny Diaz on Spotify Logan Gelbrich, Deuce Gym BirthFit ROMWOD Whole30 Some of Libby's favorite toe mobility: Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4 Related episodes: Ep 01 - Rich Froning on Competition, Shifting Priorities, and Discovering His Purpose Ep 51 - Dick Costolo on Taking Risks and Finding Fitness Ep 41 - Graham + Savanna Holmberg: From Fittest Man, to Faith and Family   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

We noticed her speech was definitely years ahead of her age, her confidence, her ability to walk into a room and own it, and other people started noticing all of these social, emotional, physical things about her, and we’re like, “yeah, it really works.” Through physical activity you can really have an impact on a child’s social-emotional health, you can. Mental health, speech, everything. So, Matt said, if we want this for her, imagine how many parents would also be interested in this? This was five years ago, exactly five years ago, when we started KidStrong.” - Megin Sharp, KidStrong Founder Observe a KidStrong class, and you'll see what looks like a child's dream playground.  Kids climbing ropes, swinging from rings, crawling around obstacles.  While you can immediately see that these kids are becoming physically stronger and more capable, they're also developing life skills that aren't immediately visible to the naked eye. KidStrong is a child development training center focused on brain, physical  & character development for young children. Their curriculum is designed with the goal of promoting a strong body, strong brain, and strong character.  Based on developmental science, they leverage knowledge from experts in the fields of pediatric occupational therapy, child development, sports physiology, and physical education to create a program focused on helping the entire family.  Classes include physical activity, public speaking, affirmations and more. Founders Matt and Megin Sharp originally created KidStrong for their daughter Ella, to help her become strong and independent.  Megin has a Masters Degree in Physical Education, and Matt has a wealth of professional coaching and tech experience.  When Ella became old enough for play groups, they was dissatisfied with the un-structured approach of the options available to her, so they put their heads together and developed the beginnings of KidStrong.  What started as a small class of children in a warehouse has grown into a nationwide program empowering kids and families. Matt and Megin have created an amazing program in KidStrong, and I was excited to learn more about how they developed the curriculum, the science behind the program, and to hear some incredibly heartwarming stories of how KidStrong is helping kids excel at life. In this episode we discuss: Matt and Megin’s background and the inception of KidStrong Skills that children learn in KidStrong and how it helps their mental, physical and emotional development The importance of parents being part of the community, too How Matt and Megin protect the culture of KidStrong to ensure excellence across all locations The structure of a typical class Ways KidStrong helps children excel at life Stories of how KidStrong has helped families The importance of kids having coaches and role models beyond beyond their parents How families can get involved in KidStrong Three things Matt and Megin do on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on their health One thing they struggle to implement that could have a big impact on their health What a healthy life looks like to Matt and Megin You can follow KidStrong on their website, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Links: CrossFit Maximus The Broad Jump as a Developmental Milestone A 19-Year Study Reveals Kindergarten Students With These 2 Skills Are Twice as Likely to Obtain a College Degree (and They Have Nothing to Do With Reading) Related episodes: Ep 17 - Juliet and Kelly Starrett on Standing Desks and Movement for Kids Ep 68 - Pat and Taz Barber on CrossFit, Coaching, and Kids Ep 73 - RISEing to the Occasion with Olympic Swimmers Caroline Burckle and Rebecca Soni   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

“For all my friends who are struggling to find where to get started, just do something. Just find something you love. It does not have to be CrossFit. I love CrossFit, and I would love if you loved CrossFit, too, so we could talk that language together, but just find something. Just start. Baby steps. You’ll be far more successful just by taking baby steps instead of trying to do everything all at once.” - Carrie McCall   “I knew I was overweight and it wasn’t healthy but I didn’t know what to do about it.”  At just over 5 feet tall and over 220 pounds, Carrie McCall spent the first 25 years of her life struggling with being overweight. Carrie’s childhood got off to a tumultuous start when, at just 18 months old, her mother passed away.  Then, as a young girl, her brother was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes.  Too young to fully comprehend these illnesses, Carrie grew to be fearful and anxious of doctors and hospitals.  Says Carrie, “I lived in fear that something was going to happen to me and I was going to die early. I became fearful of going to the doctor. If I never went to the doctor, they couldn’t tell me bad news. If I didn’t know about a problem, I could ignore it, right?” It was at about this same age when Carrie began to notice she looked different from other kids and started getting teased for her size.  Her family was loving and encouraged her to take up physical activities, but Carrie continued to gain weight, and continued to grow more uncomfortable in her own skin.  She turned to food for comfort, and a habit of emotional eating began, fueled by her fear of dying young like her mother. Then, at age 25, Carrie had an epiphany.  She was severely overweight, on the couch watching The Biggest Loser while eating McDonald’s, and she realized she had outlived her mother!  Still fearful of the medical world, she knew she needed to make a change if she was going to avoid the doctor in the future. She started her journey very simply, by walking three days per week and reducing her calories.  As she became more comfortable with exercise, she added in the elliptical, then fitness videos with light weights.  She started planning her meals and cooking more.  Slowly, the weight began to come off. A move to a new city prompted Carrie to join a globo gym where she began working with a trainer who encouraged her to lift heavier weights and introduced her to CrossFit-style workouts.  Carrie loved how strong and capable it made her feel! She’s also quick to note that her progress hasn’t always been linear.  While attending seminary, Carrie struggled with stress and academic pressure and her emotional eating returned, leading to re-gain some weight. Luckily, this time she had tools to help her succeed.  She remembered how much she loved CrossFit, and after finishing school she joined an affiliate.  Being surrounded by a community invested in healthy living has made all the difference as Carrie works daily to find a healthy balance. Carrie says, “My journey isn’t one that paints a picture of perfection.  My weight is always fluctuating.  Some years, it is higher than I want it (or where my doctor would even like it).  There are still times where I allow stress and emotional tendencies to creep back into my coping mechanism.  However, I am so proud of the progress I have made.  I get up every morning and I move my body.  I try to plan my meals in advance especially in seasons of high stress.  Looking back to where I was 10 years ago, I can see how far I have come.  I may have lost several pounds but I have gained so much more.  I can see what was hiding behind the excess weight… a strong, sassy, and capable young lady.” Carrie has been a member of the Pursuing Health community since the beginning, and I'm so excited that she's been willing to share her story.  I think it’s so inspiring and will ring true for so many people who know they need to make a change, but aren’t sure how to get started. In this episode, we chat about how the loss of her mother at an early age shaped her views on health, how Carrie manages her emotional eating, and why she considers herself a professional scaled athlete. In this episode we discuss: Carrie’s experiences growing up as an overweight child How Carrie approached her weight loss with a strategy of small steps What prompted her to join a gym and start working with a trainer What led Carrie to attend seminary and how the stresses that came with pursuing that path led her to regain some of her weight Her introduction to CrossFit How Carrie benefited from the community aspect of CrossFit How CrossFit has helped her ministry How Carrie forges ahead when the challenges of her work feel overwhelming Advice she would give to her 12-year old self Advice she would give to someone who knows they need to make a change, but who is struggling on where to start Three things Carrie does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on her health One thing she struggles to implement that could have a big impact on her health What a healthy life looks like to Carrie You can connect with Carrie on Instagram.   Related episodes: Ep 33 - Bob Harper on CrossFit, The Biggest Loser, and Prioritizing Health Ep 48 - Jen Widerstrom: Health, Habits, and Why you are Enough   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

“The model of medicine where you base treatment of patients on statistics and epidemiology- what works for most people- we felt like we could do better as a society and as a group of physicians, and that’s what took us down the route of creating Wild Health and focusing on precision medicine.” - Dr. Matthew Dawson, Wild Health CEO Can human performance be optimized by tailoring medical care to each patient’s unique genetic makeup? Matt Dawson, MD and Mike Mallin, MD are the co-founders of Wild Health, a healthcare clinic using a genomics-based personalized medicine approach. Dr. Dawson has been a life-long athlete focused on optimizing performance.  He received scholarships to play two sports in college even with self-professed "minimal talent" because of his voracious reading and implementation of any fitness or nutritional techniques that would give him an edge.  He continued that obsession into medical school at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and as a physician he has won numerous national awards for education, innovation, and leadership. Dr. Mallin has been in medical practice for 10 years, but obsessed with health, physical performance, and longevity his entire life. He attended the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and currently practices in Bend, Oregon. Dr. Mallin is board certified in emergency medicine and has completed a fellowship in point-of-care ultrasound. Dr. Dawson and Dr. Mallin met during their Emergency Medicine residency in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they bonded over their life-long passion for optimizing performance.  Throughout their residency, they continuously self-experimented with nutrition, fitness, and recovery techniques to give themselves a competitive edge. Together they have gone on to grow several businesses, create apps, and author two textbooks.  Most recently they founded Wild Health where they use a medical approach rooted in the lessons they learned during their time self-experimenting as residents. Wild Health utilizes a team of medical professionals to look at an individuals unique genetics, lab results, microbiome, and lifestyle factors in order to craft a precision treatment plan that fits the patient's health, fitness, and longevity goals. I recently had the opportunity to appear on Dr. Dawson and Dr. Mallin’s Wild Health podcast, and I was excited to catch up with them at their home base in Lexington, Kentucky to have them as guests on Pursuing Health.  We talked about how they became interested in genomics and personalized medicine, how using an objective Health Score can motivate patients to make lifestyle changes, and the processes they’re implementing to make precision treatment plans the future of medicine. In this episode we discuss: Dr. Dawson and Dr. Mallin’s backgrounds in health and fitness, and why they decided to go into medicine How Dr. Dawson and Dr. Mallin met and some of the adventures they shared during residency The nutrition and biohacking they experimented with as they went through their medical training How Dr. Dawson and Dr. Mallin came to recognize that genomics were integral to practicing medicine What personalized medicine/genomics-based medicine means What the patient process looks like Using an objective Health Score to help motivate patients and give them a way to track progress How Wild Health uses health coaches to be more hands-on with their patients The Wild Health Fellowship The tipping point that allowed them to go all-in with Wild Health, and what their vision for the future looks like Three things Dr. Dawson and Dr. Mallin do on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on their health One thing they struggle to implement that could have a big impact on their health What a healthy life looks like to Dr. Dawson and Dr. Mallin You can follow Wild Health on their website, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Links: Gym Jones HIIT benefits for brain optimization with Physician and Crossfit athlete Dr. Julie Foucher. Jeff Volek on Ketogenic Diets and Athletic Performance The Effects of Sleep Extension on the Athletic Performance of Collegiate Basketball Players Oura Ring Ooler Sleep System Leif Heart Rate Variability Monitor Heart Math Ben Greenfield Fitness: Why Your DNA Is Worthless (& What You Need To Focus On Instead). ReWild Yourself Podcast with Daniel Vitalis Related episodes: Ep 78 - Lifestyle and Brain Health with Dr. David Perlmutter Ep 109 - All About Functional Medicine with Dr. Elizabeth Bradley, Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine Ep 120 - All About Keto with Dom D'Agostino   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

“When we think about exercise in general as sort of a hermetic stressor, it just makes sense to think about, if you’re going to do it at a higher intensity and have these repeated hormetic stressors, you’re going to get an overall greater response. It’s a lot of the same mechanisms that we see for exercise causing a lot of great brain health and cognitive benefits, but we’re just seeing it to a greater degree.” - Julie Foucher-Urcuyo, MD   In this special edition of Pursuing Health Pearls, I'm joining Dr. Matt Dawson and Dr. Mike Mallin at the Wild Health Brain Optimization Summit for an interview-style discussion focused on how high intensity interval training (HIIT) can optimize brain health. The Brain Optimization Summit featured doctors, scientists, biohackers, and nootropics professionals discussing lifestyle habits and methods to improve mental performance, memory formation, concentration, and professional creativity. This was a really fun conference, and they’re planning to hold another similar conference on athletic optimization which I plan to participate in, so stay tuned.  I’m also excited to share more with you about Matt and Mike when I interview them in next week's episode so stay tuned for that as well! In this episode we discuss: The definition of high intensity interval training (HIIT) How HIIT relates to brain health and why it's advocated to improve brain health How HIIT can reduce risk of stroke and improve stroke recovery rates The amount of HIIT required to receive health benefits The mechanism behind getting brain health benefits from HIIT High intensity exercise versus moderate intensity exercise The impact of HIIT on dementia, depression, Parkinson's, and ADHD How to minimize the risks of HIIT How to safely introduce it to a sedentary individual How much HIIT is too much? The target heart rate for a sedentary ramp up How to cycle HIIT into your weekly routine Quick workout recommendations Supplements to help with joint health Thoughts on fasted HIIT A Burpee Challenge!  5 rounds of:1 minute of burpees, 1 minute of rest You can follow Wild Health on their website, podcast, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Links: The feasibility of an acute high-intensity exercise bout to promote locomotor learning after stroke Multimodal Therapy Involving High-Intensity Interval Training Improves the Physical Fitness, Motor Skills, Social Behavior, and Quality of Life of Boys With ADHD: A Randomized Controlled Study Related episodes: Ep 78 - Lifestyle and Brain Health with Dr. David Perlmutter Ep 159 - Pursuing Health Pearls: Exercise and Why It's So Good For Us   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns. This post was originally published on November 23, 2020.

Six-time CrossFit Games athlete Brooke Wells was just 19 when she qualified for her first CrossFit Games in 2015, and she's competed at every CrossFit Games since, always placing inside the top 20.  This year, at the 2020 CrossFit Games, Brooke earned her best finish yet, placing 5th amongst an elite field of competitors. When Brooke started CrossFit, she had a natural gift for strength and lifting heavy weights.  Combine that with a background in track and gymnastics, plus several years of hard work to improve on her weaknesses, and Brooke has become an incredibly well-rounded athlete who is a consistent podium threat.  In Stage 1 of the 2020 CrossFit Games, she finished in the top 10 on every event, proving there are very few holes in her game. Looking ahead to the 2021 season, she's excited to start improving upon her strength numbers again and to inch her way up the leaderboard even further. She's also excited to be surrounding herself with a training community to help her achieve that goal.  Brooke recently relocated from Tulsa to Nashville and has teamed up with several other high level athletes including Will Morad, Alec Smith and Streat Horner to form an environment where she can be challenged to give her best with each session. In Brooke's second appearance on the podcast, we caught up just a week after Stage 2 of the 2020 CrossFit Games to talk about her experience at the 2020 Games, her plans for the 2021 season, and the legacy she hopes to leave on CrossFit. In this episode we discuss: Areas where Brooke feels she has grown the most over the past 6 years Her 2020 training season How Brooke decided to move to Nashville Brooke’s approach to preparing for Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the 2020 CrossFit Games Her typical daily routine Brooke's experience at Stage 2 of the CrossFit Games Her impressions on the changes in leadership within CrossFit HQ How Brooke is preparing for the 2021 training season How she plans to spend her downtime during the off-season The legacy Brooke hopes to leave on CrossFit Three things Brooke does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on her health One thing she thinks could have a big impact on her health, but she has a hard time implementing What a healthy life looks like to Brooke You can follow Brooke on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Links: Brooke Wells is Ready to Make History Brooke Wells - 2020 CrossFit Games Preview CrossFit Trivium New Morning Mercies Related episodes: Ep 47 -Coffee Talk with Katrin, Jen, and Kelley at the Reebok Athlete Summit Ep 64 -Haley Adams: A CrossFit Games Teen with Talent Ep 74 - Brooke Wells & Jessica Griffith on Forging Friendships & Striking a Balance Ep 166 - Three-time Fittest American Woman Kari Pearce on Preparing for the 2020 CrossFit Games   If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.