PODCAST REVIEW: Putting the focus on health and fitness

This article previously featured in The Tribune of August 19. 

Have you been inspired by the Olympics to focus on your own health and fitness? This week, we check out podcasts that look at three very different aspects of health.

Too Fit

The Too Fit team aims to, as they say, "extract tools and tricks of the trade that you can use on your journey to becoming Too Fit".
They do that by inviting a host of guests onto the show - from doctors to athletes, coaches to, in the latest podcast, entrepreneur Steven Sashen.
Sashen is the founder of Xero Shoes, shoes that replicate the feeling of barefoot running as closely as possible, and he's a great guest - the level of expertise with which he talks about running is probably hard to match.
He came to barefoot running after suffering a number of injuries while using regular training shoes, and found switching to barefoot solved his problems. He discusses why that is, how the design of shoes can affect your running, and also how it has benefited older people who find it puts less strain on their leg muscles.
It's a smashing listen, and for those who are entrepreneurs themselves, there's a bonus to it in the wealth of business knowledge that Sashen, a former participant in the business TV show Shark Tank, has to share.
If you don't end up wanting to hit the streets or start a business after this show, I'd be surprised.
A great listen, with thoughtful hosts who ask the right questions and let their guest's answers take the spotlight.

Website: https://toofitusa.com/blogs/podcast

Marta on the Move
This is a show very much centred on the Pittsburgh area, but the latest episode, on sensory deprivation tanks, is of interest wherever you might be.
Host Marta is a bubbly presence, and she is invited to try out a sensory deprivation tank at a spar in the area.
The show is divided into two parts, chatting with the owner of the business beforehand and then sharing her own experiences afterwards - and both parts are equally fascinating.
The owner, David, describes how he tried it out and found it a life-changing experience, and talks about the process through which people go before they enter the floatation tank where they find the light and sounds of the world blocked out and focus on themselves.
Afterwards, Marta sounds still adrift, and you can hear the relaxation in her voice.
The sensory deprivation tank is hailed as particularly a tool for tackling the likes of stress.
It's a smashing show, genuine and heartfelt in discussing an alternative way to tackling issues that might be a problem for individuals and aiming towards a better, healthier life.

Website: http://martaonthemove.com/wp/36-levity-pgh-floating-in-a-sensory-deprivation-tank/

Stay Young America
This is a more traditional, radio show format, which puts the spotlight on one health issue each week.
This week, the subject is sleep - again, a problem area for those suffering from stress, and the show offers suggestions for how to help make sure you get a good night's sleep.
Lack of sleep has been linked with a shorter lifespan, and disruption can be caused by the likes of stress, sleep apnoea and even modern electronics. The hosts chat with a sleep expert who points out that blue light from electronic devices - even your alarm clock - can disrupt your sleep patterns, and they offer other suggestions for how to help get some shuteye.
The radio show style extends to a noticeable number of adverts, so be warned there's plenty of those, and a chatty style that shows the group have been doing this for a long time. It seems geared more towards an older audience, but there's useful advice here for any generation.

Website: http://www.stayyoungamerica.com/

Got a podcast suggestion? Drop a link to either @AlteredInstinct or @chippychatty, or in the comments below.