Ep. 195: Ruck & Roll: The Complete Guide
Rucking, or wearing a weighted “rucksack” while walking or jogging, started as a training technique to prepare soldiers to carry their gear long distances. Lately, civilians are praising its health benefits too—the hashtag #rucking currently has 23 million views on TikTok. Here, get the rundown on rucking and whether it’s right for you, with Move Host Dr. Andrew Miners and BackFitPro CSO Dr. Stuart McGill, the world’s leading back pain expert (pictured above).
Ep. 177: Summer Weekend Wellness
Between all the plans and trips you might have in store this summer, it can be easy to let your healthy habits and routines fall by the wayside. So how can you optimize your wellness while you’re away? Join fitness managers Anna Topali and Tyler Kerr and their fitness team leads to find out. They provide tips and tricks to help you turn your weekend trip from a wellness challenge to a healthy cross-training opportunity, and come back to the city feeling as great as you did when you left. (Left to right: Medcan trainers Erol Ivanov, Stephanie Tzemis & Kurt Morrison.)
Ep. 162: Walking for Fitness
Medcan trainers and doctors say that the single biggest change you can do for your wellness is to go from doing nothing, to doing something. Walking is one of the best ways to get that routine going. Here, Move host Dr. Andrew Miners chats with Dr. Nelson Ferreira. They break down the physical and mental benefits of walking, and share some inspiring fitness stories from walking podcaster Dave Paul, (pictured above) and Medcan client Raysa Hidalgo.
Ep. 157: What Is Zone 2 Training, and How to Do It Right
Everyone from Peter Attia to the Global Cycling Network is talking about zone-based fitness training. It’s gaining popularity as a way to optimize your workouts and train like an endurance athlete, all while making sure you don’t work too hard. What is Zone 2 training, and how can you do it effectively— no matter your fitness level? Dr. Stephen Seiler is a professor at Norway’s University of Agder, and for decades he’s been researching the concept of the “polarized training” that separates training styles by lactate range and heart rate. Here, he explores the benefits of slowing down with Medcan CEO Shaun Francis.
Ep. 144: Can Strength Training Help You Live Longer?
Conventional wisdom (and plenty of research) says engaging in aerobic activity like running, swimming, or cycling can lengthen your life. Now, a new study suggests that adding strength-training exercises to your aerobic fitness routine will provide an added boost when it comes to living longer. Join Dr. Andrew Miner as he chats with the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Jess Gorzelitz, (pictured above) an associate professor at the University of Iowa with expertise in kinesiology and epidemiology. Learn how older people can start strength training, why lifting weights provides longevity benefits—and why strength training is most beneficial for women.
Ep. 134: What’s The Deal with Stretching?
The debate has been going on for years: while some swear by the benefits of a stretching routine, others will say there is little to no point. What does the research say, and how much of a difference could a stretching routine make on our range of motion and physical health as we age? Can you use stretching to help heal an injury, or prevent future injuries? What sort of stretches should you be doing on a daily basis, if any? Here, Medcan’s Dr. Andrew Miners talks to physiotherapist and chiropractor Dr. Greg Lehman, (pictured above) a global expert on movement and flexibility. Learn what’s happening in your body when you stretch, how to know which stretches are right for you, and how to use stretching to improve your flexibility over time.
Ep. 131: How Your Wearable Data Will Improve Healthcare
Wearables like the Apple Watch, Fitbit, the WHOOP band and the Oura Ring help us track our exercise and lifestyle habits, collecting loads of data as we use them. So what’s happening with all that information, and how can wearable data help to promote optimal human wellness? Evidation is a Silicon Valley-based company that aggregates the data from wearables and enables its users to participate in groundbreaking research and health programs. In conversation with our Move host, Dr. Andrew Miners of Medcan, Evidation COO Leslie Wilberforce (pictured above) explores the ways wearable data can help us maintain healthy habits, and help us detect medical conditions earlier than ever before.
Ep. 130: Prevent Weight Gain with the Small Change Approach
Adults tend to gain weight as they age — about one to two pounds a year, research shows. A recent study indicates that small changes to one’s diet and/or exercise routine can prevent that incremental accumulation. In this episode, our Eat host, Leslie Beck, interviews the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Robert Ross of Queen’s University (pictured above), a global expert on sustainable positive lifestyle change for weight loss and better health. He shares the study’s findings, and discusses tips on how to halt age-related weight gain.
Ep. 117: Busting Sports Nutrition Myths with Leslie Beck, RD & Dr. Stuart Phillips
Which supplements actually help your muscles grow? Is all protein built the same? Do you need to drink Gatorade while exercising? Is chocolate milk the perfect post-workout drink?
Medcan’s director of food and nutrition and Chair of Dieticians of Canada Board of Directors Leslie Beck joins Canada Research Chair and McMaster University kinesiology professor Dr. Stuart Phillips (pictured above)—two of the most prominent names in Canadian nutrition— separate the most popular misconceptions from the proven methods to help you be better at building muscle and staying fit.
Ep. 111: Move The Body, Heal The Mind with Dr. Jennifer Heisz
You know that exercising is good for your muscles and bones. But exercise can also improve brain health. In her new book, Move The Body, Heal The Mind, Dr. Jennifer Heisz of McMaster University’s NeuroFit Lab shares the latest research about how to use physical activity to optimize mental and cognitive wellness. Here, she speaks with Dr. Andrew Miners, Medcan’s clinical and product director of sports medicine, therapy, rehabilitation and fitness.
Ep. 105: Should Women Approach Exercise Differently from Men?
Lots of studies have been done on the effects of exercise on men. But when it comes to exercise and women’s health, there’s still so much we don’t know. Here, exercise physiologist Dr. Michaela Devries-Aboud and Medcan’s Clinical and Product Director of Sports Medicine, Therapy, Rehabilitation and Fitness, Dr. Andrew Miners, explore what we do know about women and exercise, and how that knowledge could change the way you approach your workouts.
Ep. 103: What’s So Great About Cross-Country Skiing?(Olympic Special)
One measure of aerobic fitness is VO2max—and one ranking of the best-ever VO2max scores features five cross-country skiers in the top 10 results. So for our Winter Olympic special, host Shaun Francis and his team investigated what’s so great about cross-country skiing.
Ep. 91: All About Exercise Snacking with Martin Gibala
Should we break up our days with short bouts of exercise? Should we trade the single 45-minute workout with three 15-minute bouts, or even smaller units of physical activity? According to The One-Minute Workout author and McMaster kinesiology professor Martin Gibala, a series of short exercise bursts distributed throughout the day provides a wide variety of health and longevity benefits. In this episode, Prof. Gibala chats with host Shaun Francis about the benefits of exercise snacking, and how to do it right.