Healthspan Academy – Year 1 Highlights and Revelations with Kyle and Craig



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I chatted with Mindset Coach and former co-host of HSA, Kyle Freiburger.  We discussed some of our favourite stories and interviews from the past year. We dug into the archives of episodes discussing key lessons, health habits, and coaching tidbits shared by world-class health experts, medical professionals, scientists, coaches, and athletes. We also chatted about some of our newest interests in the field of longevity, including blood-flow restriction, resonance therapy, and much more.

Kyle is mindset coach with Grow2Gold. He helps his clients find a winning mindset to improve their lives. They run multiple group calls per week and discuss the core principles and applications of self-improvement. You can learn more about their programs at grow2gold.com.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


Discussing Health and Longevity Benefits of Olympic Weightlifting with Greg Everett



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I chatted with Greg Everett, who is a world-renowned coach in the sport of weightlifting. Greg and I discussed the key elements of weightlifting for slowing or reversing the aging process, some of the barriers for getting started, as well as the technical aspects of improving the lifts. We talked about programming, mobility, and injury prevention. Greg also passed on some key golden nuggets from his latest book, Tough, which is a fantastic read for developing a winning mindset and finding greater success in life. 

Greg Everett is the owner of Catalyst Athletics, coach of the USA Weightlifting National Champion team Catalyst Athletics and author of the books Olympic Weightlifting and Tough. He is also the director/writer/producer/editor/everything of the documentary American Weightlifting, a co-host of the Weightlifting Life Podcast, and publisher of The Performance Menu journal. As a USA Weightlifting international coach, he has trained over 30 senior national level or higher lifters, including multiple national champions and national record holders.

For more about Greg, visit his website at CatalystAthletics.com and follow him on Instagram @catalystathletics.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


Developing Peak Fitness, Aesthetics, and Function with CrossFit Games Legend Kari Pearce



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I chatted with 7x Elite CrossFit Games Competitor Kari Pearce. Kari talked about her athletic background and the transition to CrossFit. We chatted about her CrossFit games experience, including her training, diet, recovery, and mindset approach. We also chatted about her post-CrossFit career and her initiatives for helping her clientele find better health and function. 

For many years, Kari Pearce has been considered one of the best CrossFit athletes on Earth. She began her athletic career 18 years as a gymnast at the age of 3. She competed for the Michigan Varsity Gymnastics team from 2008 to 2011 where her team won 4 Big Ten Championships. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Movement Science at the University of Michigan, she continued to fuel her competitive nature and began exploring CrossFit.

Kari competed at the CrossFit Games 7 times, including 5 top 10 finishes. Her top finish was 3rd fittest in the world in 2020. Kari was also crowned as America’s Fittest Woman four times in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020. 

As a former CrossFit Games Athlete, Kari inspires and encourages her followers by sharing personal experiences in one of the most physically demanding industries. In addition to being an athlete, she has developed her own training program and personal training company called PowerAbs program where she teaches thousands of people how to build a strong core. She is also a nutrition expert and has a strong focus on mental performance.

You can find more about Kari at karipearce.com and on Instagram @karipearcecrossfit.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


Functional Gymnastics as a Longevity Tool with Carl Paoli



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I sat down with entrepreneur and Former Elite Gymnast, Carl Paoli, as we spoke about a range of fitness topics and their impact on longevity. We discussed aesthetic vs functional gymnastics and working through progressions. Carl also detailed his take on emotional fitness as the foundation for developing health and longevity. 

Carl Paoli is a Swedish-American Life Teacher who grew up in Spain as an Elite gymnast, where even as a kid, his passion for physical activity led him to delve into action sports such as snowboarding and wakeboarding. It was gymnastics, however, that shaped his discipline for hard work, determination, and now his professional career. Throughout his career, he trained and competed on the national circuit for over fifteen years as an Elite Gymnast and achieved various honors, including a National Gold Medal for Vault.

After retiring from gymnastics, Carl graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche specializing in Genetic Engineering and Coral Reef Ecology. Afterward, he pursued a career in Marine Biology. Even though he found work relevant to his studies, his mind was never far from sports and fitness. It was Carl’s entrepreneurial spirit that brought him back to the US in 2004 where he pursued his passion for coaching, led him to find CrossFit, and launched GymnasticsWOD in 2010. Together with Jami Tikkanen, he assisted in coaching Annie Thorisdottir to win back-to-back CrossFit Games titles in 2011 and 2012. Carl also became a member of the Ownership Group of STRIKE MVMNT, a footwear and apparel brand where he currently serves as their Global Ambassador. Shortly thereafter, he used his background in gymnastics and fitness to write his New York Times Bestselling book “Free+Style”. 

Since the launch of GymnasticsWOD, Carl has virtually and physically coached thousands of athletes around the world through the website and by way of his Freestyle Connection seminars. He is also the founder of Freestyle Connection – a Media and Digital Learning company based in San Francisco, California established in 2012 dedicated to helping people design a life worth living through fitness and personal development.

You can check out more about Carl through his website and his bestselling book here.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


A Snapshot of the Current State of Sports Medicine with Dr. Patti Galvin



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I chatted with Dr. Patti Galvin about the world of sports medicine. Patti discussed some of the common injuries she sees clinically. We chatted about the range of cutting edge treatment options, including viscosupplementation and stem cell therapy. Patti also outlined some key preventative measures to minimize the risk of sports and training injuries. 

Dr. Patti Galvin is a physician specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR), a subspecialty in Internal Medicine. She started her academic career with a Bachelor of Science in Honours Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo in 1981 and went on to earn a master’s degree in Kinesiology in 1986. By 1989, she completed her Doctor of Medicine from McMaster University. Dr. Galvin has also served as the Team Physician for Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team for four years since 2006 and for the Canadian Amputee Hockey Team attending World Championships and Olympic competitions. 

Later, she obtained a Sports Medicine subspecialty with the American Board of PMR and Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine in 2010, providing care to adult and pediatric patients. Since then, Dr. Galvin has worked with high-level athletes. Her clinical expertise includes Platelet Rich Plasma and Viscosupplementation injections, osteoarthritis and joint disease, orthotics, general musculoskeletal/sports medicine injuries, and electromyography (EMG). Currently, she also serves as an Associate Professor at McMaster University.

To learn more about Patti Galvin and her services, you can check out Wellington Ortho & Rehab.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


The Future of Injury Management with Dr. Ray Gorman



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I caught up with Dr. Ray Gorman, who is a physical therapist and entrepreneur. We chatted about pain management and the roles of the therapist, coach and athlete in rehabilitation. Ray gave some really insightful info on understanding pain vs soreness. We talked about how and when to prescribe rest and/or active recovery as well as the transition from rehabilitation to regular training. 

Dr. Ray Gorman is a physical therapist from Nevada, who has spent the recent years of his career leading countless coaches and has worked on creating an education system on how to take effective measures toward getting athletes and everyday people out of pain and improve their performance and function. 

Earning a bachelor’s degree in Community Health Science at the University of Nevada and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at Touro University Nevada, Dr. Ray draws on his experience as a Physical Therapist where he’s worked in the typical day-to-day outpatient clinic and in Division 1 Sports. Over time, he began to understand that to feel true fulfillment it was time to grow. He scaled the impact he had on the world by helping the people who help people. His interests include outpatient orthopedic, inpatient rehabilitation, sports performance, strength and conditioning, athletic performance, and managerial and business management. 

You can find more about his work on his website.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


Latest Developments in Our Understanding of Mitochondrial Function and The Physiology of Aging



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, Dr. Joseph Baur and I chatted about his research in the field of aging. We discussed his graduate work on the role of telomeres on the prospect for cell immortality, and his more recent research on the role of NAD on cellular aging. Dr. Baur outlined his breakthrough discovery of a specific gene responsible for the NAD synthesis. He also discussed the role of intermittent fasting and other lifestyle activities that have been linked to slowing or reversing the aging process. 

Dr. Joseph Baur is an Associate Professor of Physiology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. He is considered as one of the world’s leading NAD (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) researchers who made key contributions to the understanding of how metabolism and dietary factors influence longevity. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas where he studied mechanisms that limit the lifespan of cultured animals. 

Moving into Harvard University, Dr. Baur trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. David Sinclair where he developed a strong interest in the regulation of aging and metabolisms by sirtuins. Together with his team at The Baur Lab, he currently studies metabolic and signaling pathways by which nutrient intake can influence longevity, with a particular emphasis on NAD and mTOR.

He has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications, including seminar papers in Nature and Science. Findings from his work have been reported by leading news media, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

You can find more about his team’s research and work on their Buar Lab website

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


Developing Explosive Power with Olympic Silver Medal Speed Skater Laurent Dubreuil



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I chatted with Olympic Silver Medalist Laurent Dupreuil. We talked about Laurent’s athletics environment growing up, his training and recovery practices, and his nutrition strategy for optimizing performance. Laurent also talked about how he has fine-tuned and improved his training practices over the years to become one of the top skating athletes in the world. 

Laurent Dubreuil, the current world champion in the 500m, continues to dominate on the international stage and has become Canada’s most successful sprinter in the last decade. He was named the Speed Skating Canada’s long track Rising Star in 2011 and received the Jeremy Wotherspoon Award for Male Long Track Athlete of the Year in 2015 and 2021.

The son of Canadian long track Olympians Robert Dubreuil and Ariane Loignon, Laurent had early success, running in three World Junior Championships from 2010 to 2012 and winning four medals, including 500m gold in 2012. He finished on the podium five times for Team Quebec in the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax.

The Lévis native made his World Cup debut during the 2011-2012 season and has since won a remarkable 29 medals. Despite only skating a few times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dubreuil finished his 2020-2021 season with four World Cup medals and two podium positions at the World Championships, including gold in the 500m. He became only the second Canadian male to win the 500m world title, following three-time winner Jeremy Wotherspoon. In addition, he made history by winning silver at the 2020 World Sprint Championships, becoming one of only four Canadians to reach the men’s podium in the event’s 50-year history.

You can find more about Laurent Dubreuil on his Instagram @laurent_dubreuil

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


Unlocking Your Movement Potential with Dr Kelly Starrett



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I chatted with Dr. Kelly Starrett, who is a world-renowned physical therapist and best-selling author. We talked about the importance of mobility for improving movement, function, and prospective healthspan. We discussed the most critical fundamental concepts of mobility and how to build habits for resolving joint pain, and preventing injuries. Dr. Starrett and I also chatted about some of the most common miscues and underutilized types of mobility exercises.

Dr. Kelly Starrett is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a two-time New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and CrossFit trainer. His 2013 fitness book, Becoming a Supple Leopard, was featured on The New York Times’ bestselling sportsbooks list. With his wife Juliet Starrett, he co-founded the fitness website The Ready State, formerly known as the MobilityWOD.

Dr. Starrett is one of the world’s leaders in developing movement patterns congruent with optimal joint function. His clients include Olympic gold medalists, Tour de France cyclists, world and national record holders in Olympic lifting and powerlifting, CrossFit Games medalists, ballet dancers, and elite military personnel.

Since 2013, his fitness career has focused primarily on publishing and continued CrossFit and mobility training. In 2014, he was featured on 60 Minutes Sports for his work on posture and mobility. His work has also appeared on The View, The Joe Rogan Experience, CBS Sports, Outside Magazine, Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, and several more podcasts, publications, and books.

To learn more about Dr. Starrett and his work, you can check him out on his website The Ready State.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.


The Healing Power of Resonance Therapy with Dr ​Leilani van Koten



In this week’s episode of Healthspan Academy, I chatted with Executive Director of Source Medicine, Dr. Leilani van Koten. Leilani chatted about her history as a medical doctor and psychotherapist and how that lead her into the field of resonance therapy. We talked about some of the astounding clinical outcomes she has seen in treating both infectious and chronic disease. Leilani discussed some of the research and development that has gone into developing this practice, including some of the principles of energy transfer and quantum physics. 

Dr. Leilani’s academic career started with a Medical Degree from Edinburgh University. She practiced for a number of years as a medical doctor and psychotherapist. Over time, Dr. van Koten has progressed from a focus on illness towards more focus on achieving a higher level of health and well-being. With her desire to work consciously with the issue of holistic healing, she met with Peter Chappell, originator of the Source Resonance initiative. The two of them started working together on research and organizational development of Source Medical. 

You can find more about Dr. van Koten and her work at Source Medicine.

*** Please note that the content discussed in this podcast is intended for self-education and is not to be interpreted as medical advice.