The best health, wellness and fitness podcasts

Reader request coming at you, and it’s about time I share my thoughts on the best health, wellness and fitness podcasts out there!

What did we do before podcasts? Okay, true story: Did you know that podcasts tried to be cool many, many years ago and they didn’t really take off? That was back when you had to download the whole episode and take it to go on your iPod. Whereas now, you can stream podcasts from your phone or computer any time, any place and subscribe to shows you enjoy. Podcasts are back in a BIG way, and I love it. Just head to iTunes and find a world of entertainment at your fingertips, totally free.

I used to listen to podcasts on walks and when I was doing solo workouts at the gym, however, lately, I’ve started listening to them in the car, when I get my nails done and even when I’m folding laundry (which I have to do a lot around here). I saw someone shopping in Zara yesterday who appeared to be listening to a podcast too — I mean, you can do it anywhere.

And I thought it was finally time to share my favorites. This list is not exhaustive, because there are so many amazing podcasts out there that I may have never even heard of, but I thought it would be fun to show you what I listen to.

The best health, wellness and fitness podcasts

 

By the way, I only seem to listen to health, wellness and fitness podcasts, but I know there’s a whole world of business, entrepreneurial and even fictional podcasts that many people enjoy.

The Model Health Show 

You expected this, right? Some how, some way, The Model Health Show was the first podcast I ever discovered, and I listened to so many episodes one after another those first few weeks, and I’ve mentioned it tons of times on the blog over the past two years. In fact, I attribute some of the inspiration for my own personal hormonal healing to Shawn Stevenson, the creator and host of the show. His “masterclass” episodes taught me to start understanding balance, stress and hormones, which ultimately helped me to overcome hypothalamic amenorrhea (with a lot of other stuff thrown in too, of course). 

I had the pleasure of meeting, interviewing and hanging out with Shawn a couple of times too, as our paths crossed through work in L.A., and he is the most humble and sweet man in person. What a good dude! 

Anyways, back to the podcast — Shawn — who was once NOT the model of health — covers fitness, food, nutrition, disease, sleep (and he wrote a book about sleep, which I read) and mindset in very in-depth episodes. He has great guests and sometimes he does solo podcasts as well, and he’s a wealth of knowledge. If you are just starting on your health journey, there’s a chance some of the shows could be a little overwhelming or too high-level for you, although Shawn certainly takes complicated topics and walks you through them so that anyone can understand. I often find that I have to slow down and truly listen to his solo episodes while NOT multi-tasking, because he gives you actual scientific evidence to back his claims, and I like to make sure I fully absorb it all. 

This podcast is top-notch, and I look forward to every new episode. And truth be told, he used to have his producer as his on-air co-host, and she left the show last year. I don’t miss her. I like it even more now!

The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast

I don’t always read The Skinny Confidential blog, because sometimes I’m not into it, but I’m almost always into The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast episodes. The podcast is hosted by Lauryn Evarts, the creator of the blog of the same name, and her husband, Michael Bosstick. They are a great match for a podcast, because Lauryn says whatever is on her mind, Michael is a little eccentric, and they often have differing opinions. They have guests ranging from plastic surgeons, to personal trainers, to social media personalities and more, and they say they bring you major “realness” — which they do.

While there are times that the Him & Her podcast is not totally about health, I do feel like Lauryn makes it a point to tie some healthy lifestyle tips into her intro or her questions. And she’s funny. She has trouble pronouncing a lot of words and asks stupid questions — and we all know that we probably have those same stupid questions in our head too. That’s the realness there.

Beware — the language and the topics can be totally edgy on this podcast. And sometimes you have to laugh at how Lauryn talks about getting Botox since the age of 22. She’s majorly into looking good and living her blog-celebrity-SoCal-life, but she’s not shallow. Nonetheless, I enjoy this one, for totally different reasons than I enjoy the other podcasts on this list, so it had to be mentioned.

The Mindbodygreen Podcast

As you guys know, I read the Mindbodygreen wellness website almost every day, and I love the short articles and interviews on all things wellness and clean living (and I had my own piece published on there last year). When the creator of Mindbodygreen launched a podcast, I had to give it a try. Truth be told, at first, I was a little turned off by the host’s voice. Jason Wachob, who started the Mindbodygreen empire, has a deep and somewhat raspy relaxed sound to him, but you quickly get over that when you see the list of guests he has on the show. 

Whereas The Model Health Show brings totally real-world topics to the people, the Mindbodygreen Podcast sometimes touches on things like crystals, meditation, herbs and greenwashing — with some more basic content thrown in too. However, the interviews are great! I love to learn from the experts, and Jason always asks each guest to talk about their back story as well, which is pretty fascinating.

Some of my favorite guests have included FlyWheel CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan (whom I met when I worked at Equinox in San Francisco) and Whole30 Founder Melissa Hartwig (whom I saw speak at my first BlogFest in L.A. a few years ago). I’m a little behind on this podcast right now, but hope to get caught up soon.

The Almost 30 Podcast

How did I hear about this podcast? Actually, I think I stumbled upon the blog of one of the hosts and liked her style so decided to check it out. I have to say that this podcast is definitely better suited for ladies. It’s a lot of girl talk, and the first 10 minutes of each show features nothing but the two hosts gabbing and being sarcastic, and some of their conversations sound like ones I would have with close friends. Lindsay Simsick and Krista Williams host the Almost 30 Podcast — a place where they discuss topics that come up as you move from your twenties to thirties in age.

This podcast has been around for only a year-and-a-half, and it’s had huge growth lately. These girls are Southern California based as well, and they have a lot of women on the show to talk about spirituality, hormones, fitness, food, social media, meditation, yoga and everything in between. My favorite episodes have been the ones about acupuncture, Eastern medicine and how to monitor your menstrual cycle in its natural state with Alisa Vitti (who wrote the awesome book, Woman Code). As you know, I’m ALL into listening to and understanding our natural bodies and rhythms, and there’s a lot of that goodness on this show.

This one also needs a major language disclaimer, because Krista and Lindsay say a lot of words that are not in my vocabulary, but I laugh and enjoy it nonetheless. If you start this one and can’t get into it, just skip around for the topics you enjoy. The girls weren’t super professional at first, but the later episodes are solid. And I so appreciate what they’re doing to help young-ish ladies feel empowered and inspired and knowledgable about how to feel good in their bodies.

Some honorable mentions for the best health, wellness and fitness podcasts

So that concludes the list of podcasts that I actually subscribe to and listen to every single week, however, there are a few more really good health, wellness and fitness podcasts that I just started getting into and would like to recommend …

• Bulletproof Radio by Dave Asprey — Hosted by the creator of the company of the same name, famed for their butter coffee, the Bulletproof Radio podcast is a good one. Dave Asprey has big-name guests to talk about all things fitness, nutrition, mindset and more. I like his voice and his straightforward approach to interviews.
• Happier Podcast by Gretchen Rubin — I haven’t listened to very many episodes of this Happier Podcast, but it’s all about ways to make yourself feel happier with lots of real-life tips. And that’s an element of true wellness. Not a lot of guests, just a lot of advice.
• Soul on Fire Podcast by Jordan Younger — Okay, I used to love listening to this podcast, by famed vegan-turned-yogi-blogger Jordan Younger, who writes The Balanced Blonde. However, her voice is almost too fluffy, and I feel like she tends to quickly change her focus, mind and passions a lot. One day she’s all about mindful eating, the next day she is doing the keto diet and fasting on a retreat. Nonetheless, she does get some pretty cool guests, so the Soul on Fire Podcast is one that I pick and choose when I want to listen, and I don’t subscribe. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I don’t. You can decide for yourself.
• The Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well — This is a great podcast for a new-to-health and new-to-podcast listeners to start, because the episodes are super short and answer simple questions about health. The topics and the commentary on The Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips are not advanced — it’s just straight information, which is sometimes all you need.

That about wraps up my list! Honestly, I wish I had listened to nearly every single episode of all of these and more, because I love listening to podcasts so much!

And just between you and me, I’ve often thought about starting my own show, and having a podcast is on my lofty-probably-won’t-ever-do goal lists for the future too. I mean, would you guys listen? 🙂

Now, before I go, remember — there are a ton of podcasts and experts out there. It’s great to soak up as much knowledge as you can while listening, but try not to get overwhelmed with all the advice that’s coming at you — you don’t have to take all of it, or any of it for that matter. Do what you can, and listen to your body as your number one guide.

Thanks for stopping by the blog to see my picks for the best health, wellness and fitness podcasts, my friends!

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