Fitness and Thinking

Jack Mann

There's more to fitness than lifting weights, and if you've achieved your sports or body goals – or you're on you way to them – you'll likely have found yourself wondering alternately: is this it or what's next? Some of you might even self-sabotage before you get to this point because not knowing is a scary place to be. F&T tackles the big and small, the fat and the skinny and the completely delulu, and is hosted by a PT and online coach with a masters in Psychology, who's sick of fitness being reduced to: do you have a six pack?

  1. 4 days ago

    Jason Smith | It's Never Too Late To Be Someone Else | F&T55

    Jason Smith is the founder of Fit In Midlife and proof that reinvention doesn't come with an expiry date. After years of drifting through work, stress, poor habits and low energy, Jason made a decision that changed everything. Since then he's transformed his health, appeared on the cover of Men's Fitness magazine in his fifties, built a community around midlife fitness and helped thousands of people realise that it isn't too late. But this episode isn't really about abs. It's about: identity, why men drift, why some of us quietly retire from challenge and society long before we retire from work, why aging isn't necessarily decline, and what happens when somebody decides to become someone else. We discuss: • Reinvention in midlife • Men's mental health and loneliness • Identity and self-belief • Sustainable fitness habits • Why motivation is overrated • Fitness, purpose and adventure • Why many men drift physically and socially • Nutrition without obsession • Why it is never too late to start If you've ever thought: "It's probably too late for me", this episode is for you. More from Jason: https://www.instagram.com/fitinmidlife/ https://www.fitinmidlife.com/ Chewing the F&T Each week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from the UK and beyond to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age. 📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube 🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify & Apple Podcasts 📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morning Follow along: Instagram: @fitnessandthinking Coaching: coachjackmann@gmail.com Podcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

    1hr 6min

  2. 18 Jun

    Lottie Renzi | What If You Already Have Enough? | F&T54

    In Episode 54 of Fitness & Thinking, I'm joined by business owner, mum and keen gymgoer, Lottie, for a conversation about motherhood, identity, pregnancy, fitness and the strange guilt that can come with actually liking the life you've built.We discuss training during pregnancy and postpartum, fertility treatment, the pressure to "bounce back", women-only spaces, body image, and why becoming a mother doesn't have to mean losing yourself.Along the way, we explore ambition, contentment, over-optimisation, and why it's important to maintain things that are yours, even when life becomes busy.Topics include:• Fertility treatment and pregnancy• Strength training during pregnancy and postpartum• Whether personal trainers are equipped to coach pregnant clients• Identity and motherhood• Women-only gyms and women's spaces• Body image and "bouncing back"• Why you don't have to be gym obsessed to go to the gym• Over-optimisation and learning to enjoy what you already have• Building a life you don't constantly need escaping from Lottie's links: The 4Cs for fuller lives: Consume, Create, Cavort, Communehttps://www.instagram.com/fiercestudiossheffield/https://www.instagram.com/enhancecoaching.sheffield/If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: Coaching & Training As A Woman In Mixed & Women's Spaces | Leah Brooks & Karl Finch | F&T28Purpose & Choices Are Big Parts Of Living Well | Dr. Mohit Khera F&T48Chewing the F&TEach week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from across the globe to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age.📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morning on SubstackFollow along:Instagram: @fitnessandthinkingCoaching: coachjackmann@gmail.comPodcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

    1hr 17min

  3. 11 Jun

    Johnny Wilson | You Didn't Go Bankrupt Overnight | F&T53

    Most injuries don't happen in a moment.According to physiotherapist Johnny Wilson, they start long before the pain appears.In this episode of Fitness & Thinking, we explore why so many people get injured: clue "too much, too soon", why speed is just as important as strength, and how a hip break and a heart break can be so (similarly) lethal the older we get.Johnny has worked with everyone from recreational runners to professional footballers, and his approach goes far beyond sore knees and tight backs. We discuss the hidden cost of modern lifestyles, whether sitting is the new smoking, why apps like Runna are brilliant for me and Johnny...but maybe not for new runners, and the role of AI in both the physio and PT game.Topics include:• Too much, too soon and injury risk• Speed, strength, power and ageing• Running injuries and training load• Sitting, movement and modern life• Elite athletes versus everyday exercisers• AI, expertise and coaching• Building bodies that last.More from Johnny:https://nottinghamphysio.com/ https://www.instagram.com/notts_physioChewing the F&TEach week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from the UK and beyond to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age.📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify & Apple Podcasts📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morningFollow along:Instagram: @fitnessandthinkingCoaching: coachjackmann@gmail.comPodcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

    1hr 2min

  4. 4 Jun

    Helen Woodford - When Did You Stop Making Things? - F&T52

    Why do so many adults stop making things? This week on Fitness & Thinking, I'm joined by Helen Woodford, artist, teacher, and founder of creative workshops that help people reconnect with something many of us lose somewhere between school and adulthood: the ability to create without needing a reason. We explore why adults struggle with beginnerhood, how perfectionism kills creativity, and why so many people arrive looking for an art class but leave having found something much deeper. From painting birds on a Friday afternoon to building community through shared activity, Helen reflects on creativity as play, recovery, connection, and self-expression in a world increasingly obsessed with productivity. We discuss: Why adults stop making art Perfectionism, creativity, and fear of getting things wrong Why analogue hobbies feel so restorative in a screen-heavy world Community, belonging, and the power of making things together Why women often give themselves permission for creative spaces more readily than men Identity beyond work, parenting, and productivity What creativity can teach us about wellbeing Along the way, we talk about motherhood, self-belief, reinvention, the importance of curiosity, and why some of the most meaningful things we do never need to become businesses. If you've ever thought "I'm not creative", this one's for you. More from Helen: https://www.createartschool.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/createartschool Chewing the F&T Each week, I sit down with experts, practitioners and interesting folk from the UK and beyond to better understand what it means to live well in the modern age. 📺 New episodes every Wednesday on YouTube 🎧 Available Thursday on Spotify & Apple Podcasts 📩 Newsletter every Wednesday morning Follow along: Instagram: @fitnessandthinking Coaching: coachjackmann@gmail.com Podcast enquiries: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

    1hr 8min

  5. 28 May

    Your Idols Were Clueless (And Some Still Are) | Fitness & Thinking #51

    Your idols were clueless, some of them might still be. Welcome to Fitness & Thinking 51 from the secret garden, somewhere in the middle of England. This week, we delve into six-ish lessons I've learned since our last round-up. New episodes: 📺 YouTube: Wednesdays 🎧 Spotify & Apple: Thursdays 📩 Newsletter: Wednesday mornings Follow along: Instagram: @fitnessandthinking Coaching: coachjackmann@gmail.com Podcast/guest ideas: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

    43 min

  6. 21 May

    How Do You Know You’re On The Right Path? | 50 Episodes of Fitness & Thinking

    50 episodes. I didn’t know a year ago how I was going to make it to three! Over the last year 50 weeks of Fitness & Thinking, I’ve sat down with researchers, athletes, therapists, doctors, coaches, founders, artists and genuinely brilliant people to ask a deceptively simple question: What does it mean to live well in 2026? Across six pillars — physical, mental, social, spiritual, emotional and financial wellbeing — we’ve talked about everything from testosterone to trauma, loneliness to love, money to meaning, and why so many of us feel simultaneously healthier and more lost than ever.And underneath almost every conversation – no matter the specialist across from me – sat the same quieter question: How do you know you’re on the right path? If you’ve listened, watched, commented, shared an episode, suggested a guest or quietly followed along: Thank you. If you're interested in keeping it going, I’d love to know: What topic should we explore next? Who should come on the podcast? What conversations are we not having enough of?

    57 min

  7. 14 May

    Jack Mann | The Tuesday Evening Theory | Ritual Disruptions, Nostalgia & Living Well | F&T49

    Many moments in life don’t feel magical while they’re happening. Tuesday evenings.Fish and chips.Watching TV with a parent.Laughing at jokes you maybe didn’t fully understand yet.And somehow, years later, those become the things you remember, alternately things you can recreate and things you wish you still had.In this solo episode of F&T, I explore the idea of “Tuesday evenings” — the on-the-surface very ordinary but infrequent moments that disrupt the routine and make life feel richer. Another framing too is to bring yourself back to where you are and remind yourself that you "get" to do whatever it is you are/n't doing right now. We talk about: The importance of low stakes, low budget ritualsGrowing up between homes and finding safety in routineWhy modern life makes ordinary moments harder to noticeShared attention, family, food and feeling groundedWhat wellbeing looks like in real lifeBecause maybe living well isn’t always optimisation. Maybe it’s building small things worth staying around for. I’d love to know: What’s your version of a Tuesday evening?What ordinary thing from your childhood or life now still feels quietly magical? — Fitness & Thinking explores six pillars of fitness: Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual, Emotional & Financial. New episodes: 📺 YouTube: Wednesdays 🎧 Spotify & Apple: Thursdays 📩 Newsletter: Wednesday mornings Follow along on Instagram: @fitnessandthinking Coaching: coachjackmann@gmail.com Podcast/guest ideas: fitnessandthinking@gmail.com

    7 min

  8. 7 May

    Dr. Mohit Khera - Don't Miss This Early Health Warning Sign - There's No Pill In The World More Effective Than These 4 Things Together | F&T48

    Most people don’t take their health seriously until something goes wrong. In this conversation with Dr. Mohit Khera, we go far beyond testosterone. Dr Khera has spent 25+ years researching hormones, sexual health, and long-term outcomes, and what becomes clear very quickly is this: Erectile dysfunction isn’t just about sex. Low testosterone isn’t just about muscle. And “feeling off” is rarely random. It’s information. We talk about why ED is often a check engine light for deeper issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mental health – and why treating symptoms without asking better questions can cost you years. We also get into: How testosterone went from “dangerous” to potentially therapeutic Why lifestyle (diet, exercise, sleep, stress) is still the most powerful intervention The truth about TRT, fertility, and whether you’re on it for life Why “normal ranges” don’t tell the full story The risks of chasing supraphysiological levels Peptides, black market hormones, and what people are getting wrong Why women need testosterone too – and why it’s often overlooked The Mediterranean diet, blue zones, and what actually drives longevity Health span vs lifespan vs sex span Why most people wait too long to care about their health. This conversation is neither just for men or solely about hormones.It’s about learning to see your health earlier – before something forces you to. Read more from Dr. Khera https://drmohitkhera.com/ https://testosteroneproject.com/ Fitness & Thinking We explore six pillars of fitness: physical, mental, social, emotional, spiritual, and financial. New newsletter every Wednesday morning. New episodes Wednesday (YouTube), Thursday (Spotify & Apple). Follow: https://www.instagram.com/fitnessandthinking/

    1hr 1min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

There's more to fitness than lifting weights, and if you've achieved your sports or body goals – or you're on you way to them – you'll likely have found yourself wondering alternately: is this it or what's next? Some of you might even self-sabotage before you get to this point because not knowing is a scary place to be. F&T tackles the big and small, the fat and the skinny and the completely delulu, and is hosted by a PT and online coach with a masters in Psychology, who's sick of fitness being reduced to: do you have a six pack?

Information

  • Creator
    Jack Mann
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    83
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jack Mann
  • Show Website
    Fitness and Thinking