In this episode, Rachel Frances Thomson breaks down biomechanics in a way that actually makes sense, and matters for everyday life. From why your body might feel “off” even when you’re doing everything right, to the overlooked realities of postpartum recovery, desk life, and training imbalances, Rachel shares practical insights you can apply immediately.

She dives into simple movement benchmarks, the power of walking, why “perfect posture” is a myth, and how small daily habits can transform your long-term health. Whether you’re an active parent, a desk worker, or someone trying to move and feel better, this conversation is packed with actionable takeaways to help you build a stronger, more resilient body for life.

What can your walking pattern reveal about your health?

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Courtney Conley, founder of Gait Happens and one of the leading voices in foot health and human movement.

Dr. Conley shares how her own experience with chronic foot pain led her to specialize in gait mechanics and build a practice focused entirely on the foot and ankle. The conversation dives deep into why walking is one of the most powerful and under-prescribed forms of medicine available to us.

You’ll learn why strong feet are essential for performance, injury prevention, balance, and even long-term brain health.

Dr. Conley also explains:

• Why most modern shoes weaken our feet

• How poor gait mechanics can lead to knee, hip, and back pain

• Simple foot strength tests everyone should try

• The safest way to transition to minimalist footwear

• Why walking may reduce risks for dementia and chronic disease

• How your walking pattern reflects your nervous system and emotional state

From elite athletes to everyday walkers, Dr. Conley explains why strengthening the foundation of the body, our feet, may be one of the most important things we can do for lifelong health.

Sometimes the simplest medicine is also the most powerful: just start walking.

Dr. Conley’s website: https://www.drcourtneyconley.com/

Dr. Conley’s new book, Walk: available on Amazon and here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/courtney-conley-dc/walk/9780306837531/

What if the thing keeping you stuck isn't your circumstances, it's your inability to see past them? In this episode, we sit down with celebrity mindset coach Laura St. John, founder of Strong Confident Living, to explore the practical tools she's used to transform the lives of elite athletes, Fortune 500 leaders, and everyday people around the world, including her niece, Olivia "Livvy" Dunne, the #1 paid female athlete in college sports.

Laura shares the moment her philosophy was born, watching her mother sign herself out of the hospital after being given two years to live, and how that early lesson in the power of mindset shaped everything she now teaches. We dive into her signature tools including the Flip It List, the House of Manifesting, and Snack on Happy, exploring how each one helps people move from guilt, doubt, and anger toward genuine happiness, confidence, and trust.

We also get into the difference between toxic positivity and real mindset shifts, why high achievers often think too small, what separates people who grow exponentially from those who stay stuck in the same loop, and how to stop outsourcing your emotional power to other people, social media, or outcomes outside your control.

Whether you're 28 and lost, running a company, or rebuilding from scratch, this episode will give you a practical, honest, and deeply human roadmap for getting unstuck.

"Stuck is your inability to see past your current moment. It's just a feeling, and feelings can be flipped." — Laura St. John

Explore more mindset resources from Laura St John, Strong Confident Living:

7-Day Manifesting Challenge – a practical reset to strengthen clarity and focus.

Online Mindset Courses – deeper frameworks to accelerate your growth.

Executive Coaching –  private, custom-designed content on leadership, vision-casting, and getting unstuck. Limited spots.

Free Community

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurastjohn_44/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurastjohn44

Learn more or connect with Laura: Contact Laura

Dr. Corey Keller, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and clinician at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, joins the ALWELLCO Podcast for a deep, thoughtful conversation on the future of brain based mental health care.

As the leader of the Stanford Precision Neurotherapeutics Lab, Dr. Keller’s work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, engineering, and psychiatry, with a focus on understanding how brain stimulation technologies actually alter neural circuits and how those treatments can be made more precise, personalized, and effective. His research combines invasive and noninvasive human electrophysiology to uncover the mechanisms behind neuromodulation and improve outcomes for individuals with treatment resistant depression and other neurological and psychiatric conditions.

In this episode, we explore what brain stimulation truly is and how it differs from medications and historical portrayals of psychiatry, where TMS fits into modern mental health care, and why access, personalization, and measurement remain some of the field’s biggest challenges. Dr. Keller shares insights on biomarkers, brain mapping, state dependent stimulation, and closed loop systems, and how these advances may shape the next 5 to 10 years of treatment.

The conversation also touches on how brain stimulation can integrate with medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle interventions rather than replace them, and what individuals should consider when exploring neuromodulation as a treatment option.

This episode offers a grounded, science driven look at where mental health treatment is today and where it may be headed next.

What does it take to build lasting strength, not just chase short term results? In this episode of the ALWELLCO Podcast, Nicole Zapoli of NZ Fitness shares how 25+ years of coaching across gymnastics, cheer, personal training, and CrossFit shaped her “no nonsense” approach to movement, progressions, and real world performance. 

Nicole breaks down the NZ Fitness Method: a system that blends functional strength, gymnastics foundations, simple nutrition, and a holistic lifestyle lens to build strength, energy, resilience, and longevity. We get practical on what actually matters, including baseline assessment principles, core and midline stability (hello hollow holds), and why most people waste effort in the gym when they do not have a plan or feedback.

We also dig into her 6 SHIFTS framework (Sleep, Hydration, Intake, Fitness, Thoughts, Sunshine) and what “minimum effective consistency” looks like when life is busy. Plus, a real conversation on postpartum training: why movement (safely scaled) can be supportive physically and mentally, and how women can measure progress beyond the mirror. 

Nicole’s book Live FIT From the Inside Out is available on her website: https://nicolezapoli.com/book/

and Amazon at this link here

Nicole's newest addition, The WellNZ Collective (free for the first 100 members - includes onramp protocol + 12+ bonus tools and resources typically only available for her private coaching clients + her new WellNZ Movement Foundations Course + an online community of coaching and fit fam support)

Remote Coaching + Individual Design

NZ Meals (her curated menu with delivery up to twice/week)

NZ x Spren Body Composition & Nutrition

NZ NutritionFIT App

In this conversation, Lisa Hendrickson-Jack shares her journey into fertility awareness and the importance of charting menstrual cycles. She discusses the misconceptions surrounding the menstrual cycle, the significance of understanding it as a vital sign, and how charting can empower women to advocate for their health. The discussion also covers the phases of the menstrual cycle, common myths, and the impact of lifestyle factors on cycle health. Lisa emphasizes the need for supportive partners and the importance of seeking specialized healthcare for women's health issues.

Takeaways

• Fertility awareness can empower women to understand their bodies.

• Charting menstrual cycles provides valuable health data.

• The menstrual cycle is often misunderstood and stigmatized.

• Nutrition and lifestyle significantly impact menstrual health.

• Men can be supportive and curious about women's health issues.

• Understanding cervical fluid is key to tracking fertility.

• The pill does not fix underlying menstrual issues.

• Women should advocate for themselves in healthcare settings.

• Specialized practitioners can provide better support for women's health.

• Education about the menstrual cycle should start early.

Annie Cooper is a former collegiate track athlete turned coach, creator, and founder of Tune Into Fitness. In this episode, Annie shares how her fitness journey began with chasing faster mile and 5K times, then evolved into coaching after she started posting her workouts and fielding requests for plans, form help, and nutrition guidance.

We dig into her “do less, do it better” philosophy: why she stopped the 4 hour gym sessions, cut back volume, added cross training, ate more for recovery, and ultimately got faster and healthier. Annie breaks down how she onboards clients (two-week food and habit tracking, then small sustainable changes), how she structures high-impact 20 to 30 minute workouts, and the most common training mistake she sees in the gym: resting too long between sets.

On the business side, Annie walks us through going from $5 workout plans to building a multi-channel brand, including eco-minded fitness equipment sold online. She also shares what actually grew her following during COVID (consistent lives, weekly recipes, and repeatable series), why TikTok and YouTube matter, and how authenticity beats “perfect” content. We close with her vision for the next decade: global workout events, deeper sports involvement, and creating a life with freedom, impact, and community.

Jon Brady’s career has taken him from teaching aerobics at a YMCA in New Zealand, to building a professional rugby club from scratch, to leading one of the most iconic premium health clubs in the United States as President of Midtown Athletic. In this conversation, Jon joins Andy to unpack how sport, education, and community shaped his philosophy on leadership and wellness.

He shares how he helped transform Midtown from a mid-market tennis and fitness business into a high-end, multi dimensional social wellness club, why “better than yesterday” is a core value, and how his team uses machine learning and data to keep members consistent without feeling creepy. Jon also goes deep on vulnerability based leadership, culture as a daily practice, and why the future of fitness is less about aesthetics and more about how people feel, connect, and belong.

If you lead teams, work in fitness or hospitality, or care about building real community in a lonely world, this episode will resonate.

Robert Rettmann, VP of Education at Crunch Fitness, takes us inside the playbook that helped his franchise group grow from 28 to 86 clubs within a network of 500 plus locations. We trace his journey from NASM and PTA Global to building a modern education engine at Crunch with three day training camps, an in house LMS, and a head coach model that keeps learning alive on the gym floor. Rob shares how they turn new hires into confident coaches, why sales, science, and service belong in the same sentence, and how simple habit changes beat extreme programs for long term results. We dig into culture at scale, the importance of a real hello at the front desk, and a new tech platform that gives clients full visibility on sessions, logs, scheduling, and ratings while helping managers coach from live data. We close with trends he is betting on, why in person still wins, and practical advice for any trainer who wants to become indispensable.

Physical therapist and Perfect Stride founder Vikash Sharma joins us to unpack how a one-on-one, education-first model can take people from pain to performance. We trace his origin story in NYC, why “perfect” is a moving target, and how clinical reasoning plus honest communication outperforms cookie-cutter protocols. Vikash breaks down bridging rehab and sport, VO₂ max as a practical longevity tool, when recovery trends help or hurt, and why most injuries come from doing more than your tissues are prepared to handle. We talk about tech he loves, coaching runners through busy life seasons, and the identity side of long-term pain. He also shares how to build trust, mentor clinicians, and bring community education outside the clinic. A valuable listen for PTs, coaches, runners, and anyone who wants to move well for life.