2d ago

E42 - Keep It Simple: Building Healthy Habits That Last

We have more health and fitness information available than ever before, yet staying healthy often feels more complicated than it needs to be. In this episode of Strong After 50, I sit down with Chris Deavin of the Substack - The Resilient Life, to discuss why getting back to basics might be the most effective approach to improving our health, fitness and longevity. We explore the importance of eating natural, nutrient-dense foods, reducing ultra-processed foods, moving consistently and building simple habits that fit around everyday life. Chris shares his experience experimenting with keto, why he believes in doing something challenging every day, and how small, non-negotiable habits can build resilience over time. We also discuss why consistency matters more than perfection, particularly as we get older, and why something as simple as a 10-minute walk after dinner can make a difference. The takeaway? You don’t need another complicated diet or training program. You need a handful of good habits you can stick with for years. Confused about what to eat? Not sure which gym program to follow? Start here: 14 programs and counting, with a new one added every month. Paid members also get the members-only chat, where you can ask me your health and training questions directly. Stay consistent. Rod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Oct 12

E41 - Ultra-Processed Foods: If It Comes in a Packet, It’s Probably Not Food

Here’s a stat that stopped me in my tracks the other day. In Australia, 42% of our calories now come from ultra-processed food. The US is at 59%. The UK at 57%. Canada at 48%. Even Japan, a country we think of as eating clean, sits at 38%. Close to half of what we eat isn’t really food. 🤦‍♂️ In this episode * The label test. I stumbled across a review of the best Greek yogurts in Australia, and it surprised me. The good ones have only two or three ingredients: milk, live cultures, sometimes cream. The rest add milk powder, starch, gums, gelatin and sugar. Once you get to the fruit-flavoured ones, it’s barely yogurt anymore. It’s a sugary dessert we think is healthy because of the name. * Bread is the same story. A proper sourdough is flour, water, salt and starter. Some of the soft, long-life supermarket breads have up to 15 ingredients, most of them there to keep it on the shelf longer. * The rule I keep coming back to. A doctor friend who worked on the Australian Biggest Loser would say: if it comes in a can or a packet, it’s probably not food. There are exceptions, like tinned tuna, but as a rule of thumb it’s hard to beat. * Ultra-processed food and the ageing brain. Researchers are looking at whether ultra-processed food is contributing to the rise in Alzheimer’s. I’ll dig into that research properly in a future newsletter. * Count your calories for two weeks. This is worth doing for everyone. Don’t change your eating, just track what you normally eat with an app. Most people will be genuinely surprised by what they find. * What bodybuilders get right. I learned a lot about food at a very young age when I coached my best friend for a bodybuilding competition. I read Arnold’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding and The Scientific Approach to Bodybuilding. Bodybuilders understand how food affects their body better than most people. * How I actually eat. Same breakfast every day. Two or three lunches on rotation. Food prep on Sunday afternoon. The same shopping list every week. And no planned cheat meals, because life always throws one at you anyway. Key takeaways * Read the ingredient list. Fewer ingredients usually means less processing. * Pick plain over flavoured. Add your own fruit. * Swap soft supermarket bread for real sourdough. * Track your food for two weeks without changing anything. Awareness comes first. * Build a routine: a set breakfast, a shopping list and a Sunday prep session. * Don’t schedule cheat meals. They’ll find you anyway. Coming up on the podcast * Chris is back this week to talk about the clients he’s training and how he coaches different groups. * Patricia, a US-based personal trainer, joins me to talk about training through menopause and perimenopause. * Anna will be back to talk about the injuries she’s seeing in clinic. * Mick is coming on after two knee surgeries in quick succession, to talk about what went wrong and what he’s learned. If you’ve missed the podcast, let me know in the chat. It’s good to be back. Join the Strong After 50 Members Hub for a library of training, eating and recovery programs. New programs added every month. Everything included for only $7US per month. Stay consistent,Rod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 7

E40 - Healthy Eating Starts With a Simple Routine

Prepping a few meals on the weekend got me thinking about how much easier eating well becomes when you have a little structure to your meals for the week. In this episode of the Podcast, I share what works for me: a shopping list on my phone, weekend meal prep and a handful of meals I enjoy on rotation. It means fewer decisions during the week and lunch ready to take to work when things get busy. But there’s room for flexibility. Dinner with friends or an unexpected meal out is part of life. I don’t plan “cheat days” because those occasions tend to find their own way into the week. My takeaway? Keep your meals simple, prepare a little ahead and cut back on ultra-processed food. Find a routine you enjoy and can keep coming back to. Click on the full episode above if you want the whole ramble — Episode 39. Stay Consistent Rod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Aug 9

E38 - Tendon Injuries and Strength Training After 50

Episode Summary Health and fitness is changing quickly. Every week there seems to be a new wearable, recovery tool or training trend promising better results. The challenge is knowing what is genuinely useful and what is simply adding more noise. In this episode, I discuss some of the biggest trends I’m seeing in health and fitness, from the growing popularity of recovery tools and health tracking to why strength training remains one of the best investments you can make after 50. I also share my recent experience managing quadriceps tendinopathy, the loading approach that has dramatically improved my symptoms, and why tendon injuries often require ongoing management rather than a quick fix. We also talk about the changing role of personal trainers, why flexibility in your training becomes more important as you get older, and why consistency will always beat chasing the latest fitness trend. If you’re trying to stay healthy, strong and active after 50, this episode will help you focus on what matters and ignore what doesn’t. Dr Keith Baar - * Tendon Rehab * Isometric Exercises Stay Consistent. Rod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 12

Training After 50: What We’ve Changed Our Minds About

Fitness after 50 isn’t about doing less. It’s about becoming smarter about how, when and why you train. This week, Chris and I sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about how our approach to training has changed as we’ve got older, and the lessons we’ve learned from decades of coaching, competing and making plenty of mistakes along the way. We discuss whether you can train too much after 50, the importance of recovery, and why rigid training programs don’t always survive contact with real life. Consistency matters, but so does learning how to adjust your training when work, travel, fatigue or injury gets in the way. We also explore the growing role of technology and training data. Wearables and training apps can provide valuable insights into recovery and performance, but they should support your judgement rather than replace it. Chris and I share exercises we’ve changed our minds about over the years, how our training priorities have evolved, and why knowledge and confidence are particularly important for people starting strength training later in life. We also get into the mental side of training: ego, competition, setting meaningful goals and learning to enjoy movement without constantly chasing another PB. Finally, Chris shares his experiences with ultra-endurance events, the camaraderie and mental challenge of pushing beyond perceived limits, and how setbacks can force us to reconsider why we train in the first place. If you want to keep training, progressing and enjoying fitness for decades to come, this episode is a conversation about adapting your training without lowering your standards. Stay Consistent Rod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 7

E36 - The Frozen Shoulder Nobody Warned You About (It's Your Hormones)

Podcast Summary Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is far more common in women over 50 than most people realise, and menopause is a big reason why. In this episode, we unpack the link between hormonal change and shoulder health, and what you can actually do about it. We cover why declining estrogen matters: it reduces collagen, which affects the connective tissue in your shoulder and makes it more prone to stiffening and pain. We walk through the early warning signs, how a diagnosis is confirmed (including when imaging like MRI is useful), and the typical stages a frozen shoulder moves through, from freezing to thawing. On treatment, we go through the full spectrum, from gentle movement and physiotherapy through to injections and, as a last resort, surgery. The key message: early, consistent, gentle movement matters, and conservative approaches come first. We also talk honestly about the timeline, because recovery can stretch out to two years or more, and how to stay active and motivated when progress feels slow. If you’re over 50 and dealing with unexplained shoulder stiffness, this one’s worth your time. Key takeaways: * Gentle movement early on is critical, don’t let the shoulder go completely still * Menopause-driven collagen loss makes shoulder tissues more vulnerable * MRI can confirm the diagnosis when it’s unclear * Patience matters: recovery can take up to 26 months * Surgery is a last resort, only after conservative treatment fails Want more from Strong After 50? Paid members get access to training programs, practical guides and deeper resources designed to help you stay strong, fit and capable after 50. Stay Consistent Rod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 29

E35 - Train for your goals, not your ego.

Episode Summary This week I talk about one of the most important lessons I’ve learned over decades of training: your path is your own. I share a couple of observations from the gym that reminded me why comparing yourself to others is one of the biggest barriers to long-term progress. Whether you’re building strength, returning from injury or simply trying to stay active after 50, I believe the best training program is the one that fits your body, your goals and your lifestyle. I also discuss how our bodies change as we age, why recovery should be personal rather than compared, and why leaving your ego at the door can help you make better progress and stay healthier for longer. To finish the episode, I explore an new development in wearable technology and discuss why I believe the future of fitness is about improving the quality of the way we move. Key Takeaways * Everyone’s body responds differently to training and recovery. * Build your training around your current stage of life, not your past. * Use technology as a guide, but always listen to your body. * Focus on movement quality, not just activity levels. * Own your path and trust the process. Enjoy the episode Rod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 22

E34 - The Best Exercise Program Is The One You Need Today

Podcast Summary in 1 Min In this solo episode of Strong After 50, I explore why there is no such thing as the perfect training program and why the best workout is often the one that addresses your current needs, goals, and limitations. I share my own recent experiences adapting my training as mobility and stiffness have become a greater focus. Rather than blindly following the same routine year after year, I discuss the importance of assessing what your body needs most right now and adjusting your training accordingly. Whether your priority is strength, cardiovascular fitness, mobility, weight loss, injury prevention, or overall health, your program should evolve as you do. I also talk about the role of coaches and trainers in helping people navigate these challenges and explain why personalised assessments often produce better results than generic online programs. The episode also explores emerging health technologies, including AI-driven body scanning and advances in MRI imaging that may soon provide individuals with affordable, detailed insights into their health, movement, muscle mass, body composition, and injury risk. Finally, I discuss why prioritising your health after 50 is one of the most important investments you can make. Health is the foundation that supports everything else in life, including work, relationships, travel, hobbies, and independence. Whether you’re looking to improve mobility, build strength, lose weight, or simply stay active for decades to come, this episode offers practical advice to help you focus on what matters most right now. Stay ConsistentRod Get full access to Strong After 50 at strongafter50.substack.com/subscribe

Strong After 50 Podcast

E42 - Keep It Simple: Building Healthy Habits That Last

E41 - Ultra-Processed Foods: If It Comes in a Packet, It’s Probably Not Food

E40 - Healthy Eating Starts With a Simple Routine

E38 - Tendon Injuries and Strength Training After 50

Training After 50: What We’ve Changed Our Minds About

E36 - The Frozen Shoulder Nobody Warned You About (It's Your Hormones)

E35 - Train for your goals, not your ego.

E34 - The Best Exercise Program Is The One You Need Today

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Strong After 50 Podcast

Episodes

E42 - Keep It Simple: Building Healthy Habits That Last

E41 - Ultra-Processed Foods: If It Comes in a Packet, It’s Probably Not Food

E40 - Healthy Eating Starts With a Simple Routine

E38 - Tendon Injuries and Strength Training After 50

Training After 50: What We’ve Changed Our Minds About

E36 - The Frozen Shoulder Nobody Warned You About (It's Your Hormones)

E35 - Train for your goals, not your ego.

E34 - The Best Exercise Program Is The One You Need Today

About

Information

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