In this powerful conversation, Andrew speaks with Lorraine Close, Outreach Director of Edinburgh Community Yoga, nurse educator at the University of Edinburgh, and long-time facilitator of trauma-informed movement programs across prisons, the NHS, psychiatric hospitals, addiction recovery centres, and local communities.Lorraine shares her personal journey into yoga - from teenage drinking culture in Glasgow to yoga communities in San Francisco, India, and Thailand - and how those experiences shaped her understanding of belonging, class, agency, and the deep inequities in Scotland’s health landscape.She explains the principles of trauma-informed practice, why “choice” and “agency” matter far more than perfect poses, and how the yoga and wellness worlds often unintentionally reinforce exclusion, coercion, or pseudo-spiritual dogma.In the second half, Lorraine speaks openly about the coming closure of Edinburgh Community Yoga after 11 years of impact, and the brutal pressures that community-based organisations face in a funding landscape that increasingly rewards commodification and influencer culture over grassroots relational work. What emerges is an honest exploration of what it means to do meaningful practice in an increasingly extractive system and where hope lives now.
In this episode, Andrew speaks with Dr. Lawrence Foweather, researcher and lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and one of the key contributors to the Physical Literacy Consensus Statement for England (2023). Lawrence has spent two decades researching how children, adolescents, and adults engage with movement and physical activity.They explore:the origins and evolution of physical literacywhy it resonates across policy, practice, and real-world movement settingshow the concept differs from “moving more”how physical literacy unfolds across the life course, from early years to older adulthoodthe role of motivation, enjoyment, capability, and relationshipsthe Thrive principles (Tailored, Holistic, Reflective, Inclusive, Varied, Empowering)emerging research on balance, falls prevention, and middle-age “prevention windows”why not all minutes of activity are equalThis conversation offers a clear, accessible, and profoundly human take on why movement matters - not as a set of guidelines, but as a lifelong relationship.Sport England Consensus StatementInternational Physical Literacy Association WHO GLOBAL ACTION PLAN ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 2018-2030
This week, Andrew speaks with Dr Charlotte Marriott - NHS Consultant Psychiatrist, Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician, medical educator and nature-based coach. Charlotte works with people living with complex mental health challenges, while also championing evidence-based lifestyle change and accessible, community-led movement.Together they explore why health is simple but society makes it hard, and how nature, physical activity and social connection transform mental wellbeing. They discuss the pitfalls of optimisation culture, smartwatches, hustle wellness, and the systems-level barriers that shape our choices long before willpower ever enters the picture.Charlotte shares stories from her NHS practice, explains how movement changes the brain, and makes the case for designing environments - not just interventions - that help people thrive.In this episode:• The six pillars of lifestyle medicine, without the guilt• Nature as a core mental health intervention• Why enjoyment may be the most important metric in movement• The dark side of trackers, optimisation and wellness grift• How movement boosts brain health, mood and memory• Social determinants of health and the limits of “better choices”• Real patient stories: from ready-meals to boxing gyms• Why the first small step always matters the most.Books, articles, projects that came up in conversation and you might find interesting: 1. Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild — Lucy Jones2. British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM)4. Nutri-Tank (Nutrition in Medical Education)5. SHAPE Programme – Supporting Health and Promoting Exercise6. Bee Network – Greater Manchester Active Travel
Andrew sits down with Jarlo Ilano, Physical Therapist (MPT) since 1998, former Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), Certified Therapeutic Pain Specialist (TPS), co-founder of GMB Fitness, and martial-arts teacher of 20 years — to explore how people actually learn to move, heal, and keep moving across a lifetime.Jarlo traces three decades in physiotherapy: from a rigid, structural, biomedical model to the more nuanced biopsychosocial approach that recognises the interaction between body, mind, and context.He explains how good clinicians and coaches blend both — the bio still matters, but so do people’s stories, expectations, and environments. That shift, he says, makes practice multimodal and genuinely human.The conversation ranges through:Why evidence-based practice often misses lived complexity.The tension between efficacy (in controlled trials) and effectiveness (in the real world).How clinical equipoise, belief, and placebo/nocebo effects shape recovery.Why contextual effects aren’t noise — they’re the real environment of movement and health.From there, we explore GMB’s evolution from gymnastics to movement culture, the design of its Elements programme built on locomotion, auto-regulation, and reflection, and how scaffolded play and minimum effective dose thinking help people rediscover capability and confidence.TakeawaysGood practice balances biological, psychological, and social realities.Play needs scaffolding: constraints + feedback → learning without frustration.Functional independence — floors, stairs, shopping, confidence — is the best progress marker.More on GMB Fitness HereWildStrong Webinar on Using Games & Play to Teach MovementTransitional Movement: Where Strength Becomes Skill (You CANNOT Skip This)
Tim Gill is a writer, consultant and independent researcher championing children’s everyday freedoms, especially their freedom to move and play outdoors. He’s the author of No Fear (on risk aversion) and Urban Playground (child-friendly planning and design), and has worked with NGOs and cities internationally to put children at the heart of neighbourhood design.Tim is particularly focused on the fundamental conflict between cars and children, and the urgent need to reframe how we think about cars, streets and neighbourhoods.While some of this may seem remote from children’s outdoor play, he sees these issues as connected: we will only give children the spatial freedoms they deserve when we reduce the dominance of the car - both in the places where we live and inside our heads.Designing for children isn’t a niche add-on, it’s a way to build safer, calmer streets, stronger communities, and lifelong confidence, with benefits that reach every age.Resources mentioned Tim Gill — No Fear (free download) Tim Gill — Urban Playground Vauban, Freiburg case studyGreat Kneighton (Cambridge) overview Playout Play Streets Toolkit School Streets (toolkits) Dinah Bornat — All to Play For Childhood and nature: a survey on changing relationships with nature across generations
What if fitness isn’t really about exercise, but about belonging?Katie Rose Hejtmanek is professor of Anthropology and Children and Youth Studies at Brooklyn College, CUNY. She is the author of Friendship, Love, and Hip Hop (Palgrave Macmillan 2015) and co-editor of Gender and Power in Strength Sports (Routledge 2023). Hejtmanek’s work investigates cultures and processes of self-transformation and American and popular culture. She is also world and national champion in masters weightlifting. In this episode, Katie joins Andrew to explore how a workout became a worldview.They trace CrossFit’s surprising roots in American new-thought religion, garage-founder myth, and military culture, and unpack how ideas like “hard work” and “self-improvement” turned into moral codes. Katie explains what she calls “audit culture” - when counting reps and tracking data stop being neutral and start defining our worth - and why that mindset still shapes much of modern fitness.The conversation also looks beyond CrossFit: at the early internet’s role in creating global community, at how women rebuilt outdoor movement networks during lockdowns, and at what strength really means in a culture obsessed with optimisation.It’s thoughtful, challenging, and full of insight into why we move, and what we might build in its place.You can find out more about Katie here.
This week Andrew speaks with Alison Crouch, a Pilates & movement teacher of 25+ years, osteoporosis specialist, and creator of the MoveSmart Method. Alison shares her personal story of reversing early bone loss, navigating a genetic predisposition to osteoporosis, and later facing her own diagnosis.We cover:Why the “fear-based” diagnosis conversation is so harmful, and how to replace it with empowering action.What bone mineral density scores really mean (osteopenia, osteoporosis, fracture risk).The truth about Pilates, yoga, and walking for bone health and why strength and impact matter.The LIFTMOR trial and what newer research tells us about heavy vs. moderate lifting.Practical guidelines: push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, plus the overlooked importance of balance and footwork.Why “limit, don’t eliminate” should be the guiding principle for movement with osteoporosis.Alison also talks about her new course and the resources she’s building for people who want a holistic approach to bone health that includes strength, balance, nutrition, and mobility.📍 Find Alison at:alisoncrouch.commovesmartmovement.com
In this episode, Andrew speaks with writer and researcher Matthew Remski — co-host of the Conspirituality podcast and author of Practice and All Is Coming and Surviving Modern Yoga. Matthew shares his journey from cult involvement to cult journalism, yoga teaching, and now writing on antifascism. Together they explore cult dynamics, the contested language of “high demand groups,” abuse in modern yoga, and how wellness and fitness cultures often reflect broader social and political forces.This conversation unpacks why cultic dynamics aren’t aberrations but common features of human organisations, how situational vulnerability draws people in, and why physical culture so often echoes anxieties of the time. From yoga studios and CrossFit boxes to gentrification and public housing gyms, Matthew shows how our spaces for movement reflect both the possibilities and pitfalls of community.Themes:Cult dynamics and contested language (“cult,” “high demand group,” “new religious movement”)Alexandra Stein’s model of disorganised attachmentSituational vulnerability and recruitment into exploitative groupsSystemic abuse in modern yoga — Pattabhi Jois, Iyengar, Bikram, and beyondThe hidden history of yoga’s modern form and its ties to nationalism and European physical cultureCult-like tendencies in fitness and wellness spaces, including CrossFitGentrification, yoga studios, and why community assets matterWhy physical culture should serve the neighbourhood, not just the individualAntifascist fight clubs and reclaiming physical braveryTimestamps:00:01 – Mathew’s introduction and personal background05:13 – What do we mean by “cult” and why the language matters10:22 – Disorganised attachment and abusive relationships14:57 – The “true crime” cult industry vs political realities17:36 – Cults as logical outcomes of capitalism20:03 – Situational vulnerability and why people join24:32 – Victim–perpetrator narratives and the complexity of agency26:25 – Systemic abuse in modern yoga communities36:12 – Modern yoga’s hidden history and links to nationalism and physical culture49:15 – CrossFit and cult dynamics in fitness spaces54:17 – Gentrification, yoga studios, and community access01:05:19 – Public health, planning, and simple solutions (bike lanes, basketball courts)01:09:13 – Antifascist fight clubs and reclaiming physical braveryLinks:Conspirituality PodcastSurviving Modern YogaPractice and All Is ComingAlexandra Stein – Terror, Love and BrainwashingRobert Putnam – Bowling AloneMusic by Me for Queen.
ShownotesSummaryIn this episode, Andrew speaks with Dr William Bird MBE, GP, health innovator, and the creator of Health Walks, the Green Gym, and Beat the Street. They explore how true health is built through belonging, safety, and feeling valued, and why community connection and a sense of place matter more than ticking boxes on exercise guidelines.William shares his journey from pioneering social prescribing in the 1990s to leading large-scale programmes that change how towns think about health. The conversation covers the science behind stress and motivation, the pitfalls of infrastructure without engagement, and the practical steps that help people not just be more active, but live better lives.Main themes:Why physical activity is the outcome of a connected, hopeful community, not just a prescription.The early days of Health Walks and the Green Gym and what they taught about behaviour change.How chronic stress rewires the brain, suppresses motivation to move, and shapes perceptions of safety.The importance of place, heritage, and local identity in health creation.Why “build it and they will come” often fails without community activation.The Health Creation Matrix: measuring safety, belonging, and feeling valued across people, place, and purpose.Beat the Street as a catalyst for change, and what communities do after the game ends.Supporting older adults to stay active safely and confidently.LinksBeat the Street – Intelligent HealthWorld Health Organization – Physical ActivityCormac Russell – Asset-Based Community Development Also see previous episode of Playful Nature with Cormac Russell.Music by @Me for Queen
In this really thoughtful conversation, Andrew Telfer speaks with writer and movement educator Todd Hargrove, whose books and blog have helped thousands rethink how they move, feel, and learn. They explore somatic traditions like Feldenkrais and Rolfing, ecological dynamics, affordances, pain perception, and the limitations of top-down movement instruction. Todd also shares insights from his new book Healthy Movement for Human Animals, which offers an evolutionary lens on movement that’s both accessible and grounded.Expect reflections on growing your “movement map,” changing your environment to change your behaviour, and how pain is often more a perception issue than a structural one. There’s also a fair bit of healthy critique for gyms, blueprints, and the fantasy of precision in movement coaching.Todd’s Book – Healthy Movement for Human AnimalsFrank Forencich – Human AnimalKaty Bowman – Nutritious MovementDaniel Lieberman – Exercised Harvard Gazette articleGibsonian Psychology & Ecological Dynamics (Affordances)Wikipedia entry on affordancesFeldenkrais Method – Official SiteRolfing Structural Integration – Official SiteBook – Paleofantasy by Marlene Zuk
In this new episode of the Playful Nature Podcast, we’re joined by Dom Higgins, to talk about green social prescribing and what it really means to build a Natural Health Service.Dom Higgins is Head of Health and Education at The Wildlife Trusts and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health. Over the past 20 years, he has worked to integrate nature into education, health services, and everyday life.Before joining The Wildlife Trusts, he was Director of External Affairs at TCV, where he played a key role in the development of Green Gyms. Dom currently chairs Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Nature and Wellbeing Strategy Group, and sits on advisory panels for Cambridge OCR and the Department for Education’s Climate Ambassadors Programme.Links for more:The Wildlife Trusts – Natural Health ServiceThe Conservation Volunteers – Green GymNextdoor Nature ProjectWildlife and Countryside Link – Nature and WellbeingNational Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP)Climate Ambassadors Programme – DfE
Biomechanist, bestselling author, and parent Katy Bowman joins Andrew Telfer to talk about how modern culture has stripped movement of its context, and how we can get it back. In this conversation, Katy shares her frameworks for “nutritious movement,” behavioural stretching, and parenting with physical variability in mind. Katy and Andrew explore how movement habits shape not only our bodies but our values, our stress tolerance, and our sense of self. From the callus metaphor to the role of discomfort in learning, this is a thoughtful, practical, and timely conversation for anyone looking to move better and live better.New Book: I Know I Should Exercise, But...Katy’s Podcast: Move Your DNAWebsite: NutritiousMovement.comBooks (UK): Katy Bowman on Amazon UKSocial Media:Instagram & Facebook: @nutritiousmovementYouTube: @nutritiousmovementofficialPublisher: @uphillbooks on IG and X
Clif Harski has been at the heart of fitness education for over a decade, teaching for MovNat, Animal Flow, and Spartan, running a seven-location boutique gym business in California, and now leading the Pain-Free Performance Specialist Certification (PPSC) as COO.So while he’s been deep inside the fitness world, and part of many of its most influential movements, he’s also uniquely placed to step back and ask the bigger questions. What’s really useful? What’s just trend-following? And what are we missing when we make movement too prescriptive?In this honest and often funny conversation with Andrew Telfer, Clif shares what he's learned from coaching over 11,000 professionals, and why he still turns up to coach regular folks every week.The trap of over-correction in fitnessWhy orthodoxy and dogma still dominate the industryRethinking kettlebells, strength, and athleticismThe difference between coaching coaches and coaching clientsWhat he’d change with a billion dollars and a blank slateThis episode is packed with insights for anyone coaching others, building movement communities, or just trying to keep themselves moving for life. It's a reminder that you’re allowed to question trends, and that just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for you.Clif Harski is a coach, educator, and kettlebell experimenter who’s spent the last 15+ years helping people build useful strength and enjoy moving again. As Chief Operating Officer at PPSC, he leads both their flagship certification and the Functional Kettlebell Training course.Since 2010, he’s taught over 450 workshops around the world to more than 11,000 trainers, coaches, and therapists. He’s worked with MovNat, Animal Flow, Spartan, and Kettlebell Athletics, and brings a deep, practical understanding of movement education that goes beyond sets and reps.Before 2020, Clif ran a seven-location gym business in California, serving over 2,000 members each month. His experience as an athlete, coach, business owner, and teacher gives him a rare ability to cut through jargon and meet people where they are.These days, he still coaches in-person regularly, often barefoot, usually swinging a kettlebell in a slightly unconventional direction, and always advocating for strength with a sense of humour.📎 More on Clif’s work:getppsc.com/kb-fkt-home-pageMusic: MeforQueen
This week’s guest is Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, a GP who’s challenging the way primary care approaches health, ageing, and behaviour change. This episode is not about tips or techniques, it’s about rethinking how we structure support.Andrew and Hussain explore what happens when we stop asking people to ‘try harder’ and start changing the environments around them. They talk about the limits of the 10-minute appointment, why traditional advice-based models often fall flat, and the power of social prescribing, group consultations, and joy-led activity.Hussain shares his personal story, from receiving a fatty liver diagnosis in his twenties to attending his first Park Run in a pair of paint-stained joggers, and how this experience reshaped his practice as a GP.This is a conversation about ladders, not lectures. Strength, not prescriptions. And the vital difference between telling people what to do- and helping them build the confidence to try.Bio:Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi is a GP with an extended role in lifestyle medicine (GPwERLM). He has always endeavoured to take a holistic view on healthcare and is the personalised care lead for the Leamington PCN. He leads the RCGP’s lifestyle and physical activity team; heads the UK’s first PCN-based fitness club; works as a TV doctor on This Morningand Good Morning Britain; leads on health partnerships for parkrun UK; is a trustee at ThinkActive (the regional active partnership); and sits on the advisory board for SWIM England. When not working, Hussain is a keen triathlete, representing his country.Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction and Hussain’s early story01:40 – Barriers to movement growing up04:30 – A wake-up call: fatty liver diagnosis06:00 – Parkrun with no trainers: a new chapter08:00 – Identity shift through movement10:45 – Behaviour change: ladders vs mountains14:30 – How group consultations change outcomes18:20 – Why the 10-minute model is failing25:00 – The structure of Leamington’s lifestyle clinics33:00 – The TOY method: Trust – Observe – Yield42:00 – Challenging well-meaning but limiting advice45:00 – Strength and age: doing more, not less51:00 – Building social options for meaningful strength55:00 – What gives Hussain hope about the system60:00 – Final reflections and a story of reversalResources & Links:RCGP GP with extended role in lifestyle medicineRCGP Physical Activity HubRed Whale Lifestyle Medicine CourseParkrun Practice InitiativeMental Health SwimsThink ActiveMusic: Opening and closing music by Mary Erskine aka Me for Queen, from the track Exercise. Used with kind permission.
Charlotte Blake, parkour coach, researcher, and founder of Free Your Instinct (now Esprit Concrete) joins Andrew Telfer to unpack how parkour can support mental health, especially in people often left out of traditional fitness or therapy models. From the urban environment’s role in wellbeing to ecological dynamics, movement as non- verbal communication, and parenting through risk, this conversation is rich, real, and reflective. Charlotte shares how ‘failing small’ builds confidence, why parkour is misunderstood, and what she’s learned working in forensic mental health settings.Key Themes:Parkour as therapeutic interventionEcological dynamics and the person–environment relationshipReframing urban environments through playMovement as dialogue, not prescriptionParenting, fear, and letting kids take risksRedefining progress in mental health contextsTimestamps:00:00 – Intro & Charlotte’s background03:20 – Getting into parkour and early impressions05:30 – Gender, risk, and reclaiming space08:45 – The changing image of parkour10:00 – Making movement inclusive and adaptable12:15 – What parkour really is14:40 – Ecological dynamics explained18:15 – Parkour in forensic mental health services26:00 – Person–environment relationships & urban health35:00 – Non-verbal progress and ‘can cycles’39:30 – Being a parkour coach and a mum44:30 – Navigating screen time and outdoor play47:20 – How to get started in parkour or community movement50:30 – What’s next for Charlotte and Esprit ConcreteLinks:Esprit ConcreteFollow Charlotte on Instagram: @esprit_concreteBackground track by Mary Erskine aka Me for Queen, from the song Exercise: meforqueen.comLearn more about WildStrong: wildstrong.co.uk
In this episode, Andrew speaks with Sean Longhurst – a coach developer and play advocate whose career has spanned academia, elite football, and grassroots community sport. Sean is a programme director at ParkPlay, as well as a coach development consultant across the sports and physical activity sector. Sean’s work focuses on developing those who develop others, and using the power of play to do it. Sean reflects on how his early academic work helped shape the way we think about play and movement learning – including his role in Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition – and what happens when you try to apply those ideas in the wild.They explore how play builds connection, what makes a great game, the limits of structured sport, and how to meaningfully support volunteers and coaches. It’s a thoughtful, funny, and grounded conversation for anyone interested in physical literacy, coaching, or movement that matters.Key Themes:What is play really for?Nonlinear pedagogy and ecological dynamics - from theory to muddy bootsSupporting volunteers without imposing top-down ideasLetting people shape their own learning environmentsGame design: 5 principles to guide any age groupBuilding playful training for adults and older peopleLinks to resources that came up:Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition (Chapter 11 – includes Sean's work)Boing PlayMusic: Mary Erskine (Me for Queen), Exercise
In this conversation, Andrew Telfer (WildStrong) speaks with Eugene Minogue, Executive Director of Play England, about the state of play in the UK and beyond. From free-range childhoods to the rise of 'No Ball Games' signs, they explore how societal shifts and adult fears have squeezed play out of children's lives. Eugene shares personal insights, policy changes, and practical actions we can all take to restore play as a right for both children and adults. Expect reflections on parkour, digital play, physical literacy, public policy, and why your childhood memories might be the key to fixing the future.Themes:The shrinking free-range of children’s movementBuilt environment vs play opportunityThe “Know Ball Games” campaign and public spaceParkour and adult playRisk, fear, and liabilityISO standards on risk–benefit assessmentsDigital play and its limitsWhy physical literacy begins with unstructured playHow we design for children… and forget adultsLinks Mentioned:Play EnglandNo Ball Games / #MoreBallGames campaignThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtTaming Gaming by Andy RobertsonStolen Focus by Johann HariISO 45003: Benefit–Risk Assessment in PlayWildStrong🎵 Music: Exercise by Mary Erskine (aka Me for Queen) – used with permission.
In this episode, Andrew Telfer chats with Tom Morrison, known for his playful, relatable approach to mobility and strength. Tom shares his personal journey from chronic pain and immobility to becoming a coach who helps others rediscover what their bodies can do. They explore cultural ideas around pain, how strength and flexibility can co-exist, and why the fitness industry often gets it wrong and what it means to feel capable again.Whether you're working through back pain or just tired of rigid fitness rules, this conversation offers practical guidance and hope.Tom Morrison YouTubeSimplistic Mobility MethodFollow Tom on InstagramJoin Tom’s Facebook groupMusic by Mary Erskine aka Me For Queen
In this episode Andrew speaks with Rafe Kelley, the founder of Evolve Move Play. Rafe shares his journey from parkour and martial arts into developing a movement practice deeply rooted in evolutionary biology, nature, and play. They discuss the tension between structured fitness models and natural movement, the role of meaning in physical practice, and how modern fitness and social structures often strip people of their innate playfulness and movement capabilities. The conversation also touches on the evolution of fitness culture, the importance of community, and the challenges of maintaining movement longevity as we age.Evolve Move Play WebsiteRafe Kelley on YouTubeFrank Forencich – Exuberant AnimalJohn Vervaeke – Meaning Crisis & MovementParkour & Movement Culture ResourcesThanks for Listening, let us know what you thought and if you liked it, please like and subscribe!Music by Me For Queen
In this episode, Andrew speaks to physiotherapist, Joanna Myers, about working with individuals in chronic pain management. They talk about how the definition of pain has evolved, the critical role of neurophysiology in chronic pain, and how resilience-building through movement can significantly improve the quality of life for those living with pain. Whether you're experiencing pain yourself or want to understand how to help others, this episode offers valuable insights.Joanna shares practical tools for managing pain, her holistic approach to patient care, and the importance of community and support in the healing process. We also discuss how pain management has shifted from a purely physical focus to a more holistic, person-centered approach that includes emotional and psychological well-being.Talking Points: How pain is not just physical but an emotional experience, and why it’s crucial to understand the neurophysiology behind it. The shift in pain management from acute injury models to chronic pain models. The importance of resilience in overcoming chronic pain and why movement is such a powerful tool. Real-life examples of how pain impacts day-to-day activities and strategies for improving quality of life. Resources to help you or someone you know better manage pain, including useful websites and videos.Resources Mentioned: Tame the Beastvideo by Laura Mosley FlippinPain (website) Pain Concern (website) Lorimer Moseley. Why Things Hurt Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review—your feedback helps us reach more people and continue sharing helpful insights on health and movement.