Over the past decade, yoga participation in the United States has nearly tripled. This comes as no surprise to Fabian Domenech, who found his practice when he was juggling an aspiring fashion career, a full-time service industry job, and a CrossFit coaching schedule in the fast-paced city of London. Thanks to yoga, meditation and his extensive world travels, he’s since learned the power of self-love and the importance of detachment. On this episode, the Nike yoga teacher and CrossFit coach gets real about mental health, shares the feeling of community and belonging he finds in sport, and tells us what we can expect from each of his classes.

With three solid years on the New York Times bestseller list, James Clear’s Atomic Habits has made a habit of success. On this episode, the author and entrepreneur who has inspired millions of readers to change their health behaviors for the better puts it simply: Who we are reflects our habits. With his helpful metaphors and refreshingly straightforward and sustainable mindset techniques inspired by psychology greats, we can all build habits that make us shine.

Nike yoga teacher Maria Wada used to be all about chasing dreams. That’s why she left her home country of Japan to pursue — and achieve — a career as a professional dancer in the United States. But in the face of success, she realized the sacrifices she made to get there weren’t always worth it. On this episode, she shares how her practice helped her reconnect with herself and strengthen her relationships with others. She also tells us how she’s been shaped by both Japanese and American culture, and how everyone can let go of ego, perfectionism and expectation to find fulfilment in movement.

The ideal human body has been commercialized, stigmatized, fetishized and, yes, even racialized. For women, trying to achieve the “perfect” body is an unattainable and often traumatic pursuit that never seems to end. On this episode, Sabrina Strings, PhD, an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Irvine, explains why this is and helps us understand its impact on our individual and collective sense of well-being. Drawing from her book, Fearing the Black Body, she dives deep into diet culture, fat phobia, body positivity and the unsettled debate: Is obesity a disease?

Anna Kessel has been writing about women in sports for nearly two decades. Her work — especially when it comes to women’s football — has been so impactful, she was awarded a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as part of the 90th birthday honors of Queen Elizabeth II. Many consider her book, Eat Sweat Play, to be a must-read at the nexus of feminism and fitness. On this episode, Kessel breaks down the history of women’s athletics, tells us why societal views are largely to blame for barriers to entry, and shares how we can all play a role in evolving the narrative of women’s place in sports.

In 2013, Monica Garrison rediscovered cycling as a means to manage stress, stay fit and spend time with her kids. What she gained were mental and physical benefits so powerful that she founded Black Girls Do Bike (BGDB) that same year. An organization that empowers all women to connect and experience the joy of cycling, it’s especially dedicated to opening doors for women of color and addressing health disparities. Now with over 100 chapters, BGDB allows women from across the world to form a deep sense of community through their passion for cycling and for giving back. On this episode, we hear from Monica and other inspiring BGDB members about their experiences with the group and their mission to democratize wellness.

During pregnancy, your blood volume and energy expenditure can roughly double, your heart rate increases 10 to 15 beats per minute…and there are even more changes after you give birth to the human inside of you. So how do you navigate exercise during the endurance event of a lifetime? Enter Laurel Proulx, DPT, PhD, the founder of FEM Physical Therapy and a Nike (M)ove Like a Mother advisory board member. On this episode, she explains the inner workings of the pelvic floor and deep core and how to keep them strong. She also sets the record straight about pre- and postnatal myths and shares how to get back into movement after delivery.

Derrick Henry loves working out — and not just because he’s heading into his seventh NFL season. The gym is where he finds inspiration, passion and pride. On this episode, he and host Jaclyn Byrer geek out over their fitness favorites. The Tennessee Titans running back also shares how his family has motivated him through ups and downs, how he found success despite the people who said he wouldn’t, and how all of us — whether we’re dreaming of running a half or determined to try out a new fitness class — can push past doubt and achieve our goals.

Whether it’s the struggle to reduce screen time or the battle against overeating sugar, many of us know how hard it is to kick unhelpful habits. And according to Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, the best-selling author of The Craving Mind, it’s not so much about willpower as it is about mindfulness. On this episode, the director of research and innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center explains what happens in the brain when we break and form habits. He also shares habit-mapping tools, acronyms and reframing techniques that can help anyone take better control of their behaviors — for good. 

Though rarely talked about today, the Tigerbelles, Tennessee State University’s women’s track and field team, is one of the most accomplished sports clubs in the state’s history. During the reign of legendary coach Ed Temple, the all-Black team produced 40 Olympic athletes who took home 23 medals — many while living in the Jim Crow South pre-Title IX. One of those barrier-breaking sprinters is Olympic gold medalist and TSU track and field director Chandra Cheeseborough, or Coach Cheese. On this episode, she recounts stories of her time as a Tigerbelle and shares how Ed Temple impacted her as an athlete and highly successful coach. She also tells us how she’s keeping the history of the club alive and shares advice for other athletes hoping to leave a mark.

In 2017, Sloane Stephens didn’t just secure her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. She did it after an injury benched her for 11 months and sunk her world ranking, earning her the World Tennis Association’s Comeback Player of the Year award. On this episode, she tells us how she maintains a positive mindset in the face of obstacles and how she’s become a champion of change in the cyberbullying space. She also describes the unconventional training regimen that took her from surgery to victory and why having an identity outside of sports can make anyone a stronger athlete.

Golfer Michelle Wie West reflects on her mental health journey over the course of her extraordinary and groundbreaking career. From 10-year-old phenom to U.S Women’s Open champion to emerging industry leader, Michelle has witnessed, and been at the center of a mental health evolution in her sport. She shares what’s kept her grounded and what she’s learned about tenderness, resolve and raising her own voice along the way.

Becoming your most athletic self isn’t just about going harder, lifting heavier or running faster. According to Kelly Starrett, a doctor of physical therapy, improving your performance starts with nailing the basics. On this episode, the CrossFit trainer and co-founder of The Ready State tells us how to build a solid fitness foundation by maximizing our movement and mobility. He explains the basic skills that can help prevent injury and how they’re consistently utilized across all areas of sport and fitness. He also breaks down how anyone can stay fit — in or out of the gym.

Sprinter and two-time Paralympic medalist, Blake Leeper shares a story of perseverance, survival, and speed as he learns to navigate a life without legs, a bout with substance abuse and a legal battle that would force him to learn to run all over again. As Blake prepares to return to the world stage, he explains why his mental health toolkit, painstakingly developed over a number of years, is more important to him than ever.

Like many of us, Jaelin Howell started playing sports before she could even read. Unlike most of us, she went on to rep jerseys for the U.S. National Women’s Team and Racing Louisville FC. On this episode, the up-and-coming soccer star details every step of that journey. She shares the benefits of coming from a family of athletes, gets real about the struggles of collegiate sports, and explains the training it takes to transition from club to NCAA to pro. She also tells us what she’s learned from the women who came before her, what it’s like to play with her childhood idols, and what kind of legacy she hopes to leave.

As founder of the Center for Healing & Justice Through Sport, Megan Bartlett engages with sport at every level. From community centers and juvenile detention centers to major college athletic conferences and professional leagues, Megan and her team put a premium on teaching coaches to deliver healing-centered sport experiences while protecting, nurturing, and embracing athletes for every bit of who they are. In this conversation with Crisis Text Line’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shairi Turner, Megan talks about addressing all types of trauma, building resilience through dosed stress, and her game-changing blueprint for the future of coaching.

With continuously emerging fads like macrobiotics, vitamin IVs and cryotherapy, the wellness industry has been rapidly growing for decades. And the more its monetary value and list of buzzwords grows, the blurrier the line between scientific truth and pseudoscience hype gets. That’s why Timothy Caulfield, a Canadian professor of health law and science policy, has focused his career on clearing up the difference between fact and fiction. On this episode, the bestselling author tells us why the wellness industry is prone to misinformation, how we can spot it and what we can do about it. He then lays out some common misconceptions about the five facets of fitness — mindset, movement, nutrition, recovery and sleep — and shares simple tricks to help us recognize accurate research.

Yoga teacher and human-performance coach Branden Collinsworth knows what it means to push your potential. Through his journey with movement, he unlocked the perseverance to escape poverty, the tenacity to achieve an Ivy League master’s degree in psychology, and the capacity to connect to the self. Now the Nike trainer is showing us how the skills learned through yoga can help us transcend our own limits. On this episode, he tells us why yoga is a missing link in sport performance and how it bridges the gap between the internal and the external. He also gives us simple steps for turning a flow into a daily habit.

Most of us equate feeling tired with needing more sleep. But according to Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD, that only scratches the surface of what it really means to be rested. Through her research, the internal-medicine physician and founder of Restorasis identified seven types of rest that cut across all socioeconomic, cultural and racial barriers. On this episode, she gives us a thorough break-down of what these are and how to know when we’re getting enough of each. Whether you’re a worn-down athlete, a worn-out parent or an overworked employee, Dr Dalton-Smith assures us that her restorative practices aren’t additions to our to-do lists, they’re daily habits that can help us all become our optimal selves.

As a mental health crisis unfolds amongst American teens, 19-year-old breaking sensation and Olympic hopeful Logan Edra, aka Logistx, joins No Off-Season to share her own experience and to advocate for a more open dialogue about mental health and young people. Identifying as an artist-athlete, Logan is partnering with Nike to help expand and redefine what the future of sport looks like. That includes trailblazing a new normal: a culture where winning and self-worth are separate measures and one in which mental health is perpetually discussed with openness and empathy. For Logan, this means sharing ways she’s navigated stigma in her BIPOC community, confronted generational trauma, and how she’s found the resolve to talk publicly about episodes of self-harm. Ultimately, Logan hopes to share a message of healing as she walks listeners through the tools and practices she relies on to heal herself.