Health & Fitness Podcasts

Listening to podcasts is becoming popular information source for many people, and I am a big fan of several of them. The podcasts I will feature in this post are the ones that give me the most value for my health and fitness goals. Even for someone who does not share my interest in endurance sports, these shows can provide lots of actionable life advice. Absorbing this information creates a huge positive impact on my overall wellbeing, and I highly recommend learning about strategies to take care of our bodies and minds.

Huberman Lab

This podcast is hosted by Dr. Andrew Huberman, a professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford. Huberman only started his podcast a little over a year ago, and its popularity has spread like wildfire. Most episodes function as audio lectures in which Dr. Huberman unpacks a scientific field. A podcast that is like a "scientific lecture" may sound intimidating, but Huberman will ease the fear of learning complicated science. Huberman is extremely adept at explaining scientific concepts in an approachable way and making the knowledge applicable and actionable in the listeners’ lives. The podcast's online description sums it up well:

The Huberman Lab Podcast discusses neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. We also discuss existing and emerging tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.

 For example, one of his first and most popular episodes titled "Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake" goes into extreme detail on the biological mechanisms of sleep, but also provides the listener with concrete tools and tactics for improving sleep. One of those tactics that I implement is to seek exposure to sunlight very soon after waking up. Getting early morning sunlight helps to set your internal clock and go through a natural ~16 hours of wakefulness that will make it more likely to be tired that night when time for bed. I will go on a brief 10-minute walk upon waking up, which also helps to get the body moving and blood flowing. This episode is just one of many episodes to uncover fascinating, actionable knowledge and tactics for improving our well-being.

The Peter Attia Drive 

Dr. Peter Attia's "The Drive" podcast provides another wealth of information on optimizing our health. Dr. Attia is one of the foremost scientific experts on human longevity, so this podcast centers on discussions about scientific research and health strategies for increasing longevity. He consistently interviews the top scientific researchers in aging-related fields, allowing listeners to receive the novel science from its source. Attia is very interested in potential breakthroughs in increasing our "lifespan," the lengths of our lives, but he is equally (if not more) interested in improving our "healthspan." Healthspan is the length of time that we maintain good health with minimal physical limitations (i.e. the quality of our lifespan). Extending lifespan is less meaningful if the additional years of our life involve a panoply of health difficulties. Here is the summary of the show on Spotify:

The Peter Attia Drive will feature guests and experts that will offer advice and insight to help you optimize performance, health, longevity, critical thinking, and life.  It's hosted by Stanford M.D., TED Speaker, and longevity expert Dr. Peter Attia, founder of Attia Medical, PC, a medical practice with offices in San Diego and New York City.

This podcast goes into even more detail on scientific and research topics than the Huberman Lab, and thus is less approachable for people without a science background.  That said, engaging with the complexities of biology that Dr. Attia and his guests discuss can be very rewarding. The topics discussed are highly relevant to improving human health, and Attia's dedication to being an elite expert in human longevity shines through. Attia allows the scientific facts to guide his discussions and recommendations, demonstrating his dedication to the truth in an area that is prone to bold, unrealistic claims.

One of my favorite episodes is a recent interview with Dr. Nir Barzilai, who has led the largest ever studies on "centenarians" (people over 100 years old) over the past several decades. Barzilai speaks to the genetic and lifestyle factors that have allowed his research participants to have incredible longevity, and he discusses the ongoing research on a compound called metformin.

The Rich Roll Podcast

In my most recent post, I mentioned that Rich Roll's book, Finding Ultra, was a big inspiration and valuable resource for my endurance athletic goals and overall goal to improve my well-being. Roll's podcast is an even greater wealth of information on health and fitness and inspirational stories of incredible athletic achievement. Roll has been making his podcast since 2012, so he has hundreds of episodes with a huge variety of guests interviewed. Here is the podcast description:

A master-class in personal and professional development, ultra-athlete, wellness evangelist and bestselling author Rich Roll delves deep with the world's brightest and most thought provoking thought leaders to educate, inspire and empower you to unleash your best, most authentic self.

Roll's podcast is fairly wide-ranging in subject matter, but he consistently emphasizes strategies to improve wellness and optimal health. Rich Roll is a proud vegan as the transition to that diet was foundational for turning his life around and for launching his pursuit of ultra-endurance races. Even if you are a skeptic and believe that you would never try a vegan diet, listening to many of his guests will make you understand the potential health benefits and have understanding for those that pursue that lifestyle. Last Fall, I had a failed attempt to try a vegan diet, but I have hopes to give it another shot at some point this year.

That said, his guests have diversity of thought and expertise. For example, I am a big fan of the work of James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, and Rich interviewed him in 2018 after the book release. This is a great example of the kinds of guests that Rich interviews to explore wide-ranging strategies to improve our lives.

SuperAge

 SuperAge is hosted by David Stewart, the founder of AGEIST magazine. AGEIST is a publication focused on providing thought leadership on topics essential to aging well. His interviews provide conversations with a variety of experts in wellness, health, fitness, and relationships. Of the four podcasts I am featuring, this one is likely the most approachable and digestible. The episodes are shorter compared to the other three, and Stewart does not often delve deep into scientific complexities. Importantly, Stewart's joyful personality shines through during his interviews. Some of the topics are geared more toward an older, middle-aged audience, but listeners of all ages can find value from all episodes.

Recently, I have used a sauna on a regular basis, and I loved the recent SuperAge episode on the health benefits of using a sauna. I will likely dive deep into the benefits of heat and cold exposure and my recent experiences with those practices in a future 8th Summit post.

Someday I may explore doing an 8th Summit Podcast… As always, thank you so much for reading!