Modern Rituals by Exhale – Details, episodes & analysis

Are your morning habits helping you – or quietly draining your energy?

Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, Alex sits down with doctor and nutrition expert Dr Rupy Aujla to cut through the wellness noise. From breakfast myths to caffeine timing, supplements, hydration and everyday routines, Rupy breaks his own weekly wellness routine into simple steps that you can follow too.

About the guest:

Dr Rupy Aujla is an NHS doctor, founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen, bestselling author and TV presenter. He’s known for turning evidence-based nutrition into everyday tools that help people eat, move and live better.

Rupy's Modern Rituals:

• Luke warm water

• 15g creatine

* 2.5g fish oil

• CoQ10 (Ubiquinone)

• Venison

• Tofu and tempeh

• Oats, flax seeds, Chia, nuts & seeds, raisins, raw cacao, raw honey

• 7-8 eggs a week

• Black coffee

• Raw cacao, collagen and raw honey

• Candescent light bulbs

Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Dr Rupy:

Instagram: @doctors_kitchen

TikTok: @doctors_kitchen

YouTube: @TheDoctorsKitchen

Try Rupy's free recipes app for inspiration for a quick high protein healthy meal: https://www.thedoctorskitchen.com/?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=exhale-podcast-launch-dec2025&utm_source=exhale-comms

00:00 – Upgrade your staples, not your supplements

00:52 – Meet Dr Rupy (intro)

01:38 – Quickfire round: ice baths, alcohol, creatine and breakfast

02:56 – Realistic morning routine

07:42 – Zone 2 cardio explained

08:45 – Do you really need electrolytes?

09:06 – Omega-3 for heart health: how much do you need?

12:56 – Creatine benefits and how much to take

17:57 – Time-restricted eating for weight loss and gut rest

21:26 – Are morning people actually healthier?

24:36 – Red meat and cancer risk

26:32 – What a doctor actually eats in a week

27:36 – High protein breakfast ideas

30:13 – Grounding, morning light and no-phone time

33:23 – Strength training over 40 (home and gym)

36:30 – The Murph workout explained

39:23 – Coffee routine: timing, tolerance and decaf month

44:43 – Bedtime routine fixes for better sleep

48:52 – How lighting affects your sleep

50:03 – Overrated health hacks: ice baths and supplements

51:38 – The one daily habit everyone needs: more protein

53:00 – Whole food protein sources that actually work

54:08 – Closing thoughts and what to try

#nutrition #healthpodcast #morningroutine

Are your morning habits helping you – or quietly draining your energy?

Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, Alex sits down with doctor and nutrition expert Dr Rupy Aujla to cut through the wellness noise. From breakfast myths to caffeine timing, supplements, hydration and everyday routines, Rupy breaks his own weekly wellness routine into simple steps that you can follow too.

About the guest:

Dr Rupy Aujla is an NHS doctor, founder of The Doctor’s Kitchen, bestselling author and TV presenter. He’s known for turning evidence-based nutrition into everyday tools that help people eat, move and live better.

Rupy's Modern Rituals:

• Luke warm water

• 15g creatine

* 2.5g fish oil

• CoQ10 (Ubiquinone)

• Venison

• Tofu and tempeh

• Oats, flax seeds, Chia, nuts & seeds, raisins, raw cacao, raw honey

• 7-8 eggs a week

• Black coffee

• Raw cacao, collagen and raw honey

• Candescent light bulbs

Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Dr Rupy:

Instagram: @doctors_kitchen

TikTok: @doctors_kitchen

YouTube: @TheDoctorsKitchen

Try Rupy's free recipes app for inspiration for a quick high protein healthy meal: https://www.thedoctorskitchen.com/?utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=exhale-podcast-launch-dec2025&utm_source=exhale-comms

00:00 – Upgrade your staples, not your supplements

00:52 – Meet Dr Rupy (intro)

01:38 – Quickfire round: ice baths, alcohol, creatine and breakfast

02:56 – Realistic morning routine

07:42 – Zone 2 cardio explained

08:45 – Do you really need electrolytes?

09:06 – Omega-3 for heart health: how much do you need?

12:56 – Creatine benefits and how much to take

17:57 – Time-restricted eating for weight loss and gut rest

21:26 – Are morning people actually healthier?

24:36 – Red meat and cancer risk

26:32 – What a doctor actually eats in a week

27:36 – High protein breakfast ideas

30:13 – Grounding, morning light and no-phone time

33:23 – Strength training over 40 (home and gym)

36:30 – The Murph workout explained

39:23 – Coffee routine: timing, tolerance and decaf month

44:43 – Bedtime routine fixes for better sleep

48:52 – How lighting affects your sleep

50:03 – Overrated health hacks: ice baths and supplements

51:38 – The one daily habit everyone needs: more protein

53:00 – Whole food protein sources that actually work

54:08 – Closing thoughts and what to try

#nutrition #healthpodcast #morningroutine

What healthy habits should you be prioritising when the media is throwing EVERYTHING at us?

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, registered nutritionist and Live Well, Be Well podcast host Sarah Ann Macklin reveals just how different women’s bodies really are – and why most health advice still ignores that. She and Alex dig into why women shouldn’t be skipping breakfast, the role of protein in stabilising hormones, and how to tweak training across the month without becoming obsessive.

Sarah also shares how omega-3, B12 and creatine fit into a sane supplement routine, what neurodiversity (ADHD, dyslexia) has taught her about food and the brain, and why self-compassion might be the most powerful “health hack” of all.

This is a must-listen if you're trying to improve your own daily rituals, but don't know what to believe online or where to start. Sarah cuts through the noise and delivers hard-hitting, well researched facts.

🎙️ About the guest:

Sarah Ann Macklin is a registered nutritionist (AFN), host of the Live Well, Be Well podcast and former model with a first-class degree in human nutrition. She writes The Compassionate Cure Substack, exploring the intersection of food, psychology and modern wellbeing.

✍️ Sarah Ann's Modern Rituals:

• Zone 2 walking pace

• 1-2 runs a week

• Strength training

• Protein in the morning

• Eggs

• Greek yogurt, chia & flax seeds, berries, kiwi

• Protein smoothie

• Form Nutrition protein powder

• Omega 3 (from algae or fish oil)

• Oily fish 3 times a week

• Minami supplements

• B12

• Creatine

• Electrolytes every morning

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Sarah Ann:

Instagram:@sarahannmacklin

TikTok: @livewellbewellpodcast

Sarah's substack: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

Sarah's podcast Live Well, Be Well: @livewellbewellsarah

00:00 – Quick-fire intro: phones, breakfast & male vs female nutrition

00:43 – Sarah’s morning routine & phone use limits

02:30 – Welcome Sarah Ann Macklin: nutritionist & Live Well Be Well host

03:17 – Why Sarah ditched “optimization culture” & discovered zone 2

05:12 – How Sarah structures zone 2 vs zone 4 training

07:31 – Strength training, muscle mass & women’s fear of “bulking”

09:59 – What a nutritionist actually eats for breakfast (and why protein wins)

13:51 – Intermittent fasting: why Sarah stopped (especially for women)

18:13 – Multi-day fasting: benefits, risks & who it might help

22:42 – Food psychology, disordered eating & why mindset changes metabolism

30:50 – Neurodiversity, ADHD/dyslexia & the power of omega-3s

36:23 – Supplements 101: omega-3, vitamin D, B12, creatine & electrolytes

42:21 – Travel, jet lag & Sarah’s recovery toolkit

47:11 – Male vs female nutrition, cycle tracking & training with your hormones

53:26 – Eating with your menstrual cycle: cravings, carbs & comfort food

56:17 – Habits Sarah is trying to stop (hello, bedtime phone…)

58:19 – Most overrated health advice & why discipline isn’t everything

1:00:14 – The #1 habit Sarah recommends: self-compassion

1:02:55 – Outro & where to find Sarah online

Could ditching the shoes & ditching your furniture be the best thing for your mind and body?

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, Alex sits down with natural lifestyle pioneer Tony Riddle to explore the daily habits that reconnect us with how our bodies are meant to move, breathe and live. From barefoot running to posture, breathwork, cold exposure and rewilding our routines, Tony breaks down what we’ve lost in modern life – and how this is impacting our minds and bodies.

🎙️ About the guest:

Tony Riddle is a natural lifestyle coach, ultra-endurance athlete and author of Be More Human. His work focuses on rewilding modern life through movement, breath, nature and grounded, human-first habits.

✍️ Tony's modern rituals:

* No sitting furniture

* Run barefoot

* Wildsole or Earth runners shoes

* Red light therapy

* Daily grounding

* Wake up at 5am

* No eating after 6pm

* Train in the morning

* Circadian light bulbs

* The Breathing app

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Tony Riddle

Instagram: @thenaturallifestylist

TikTok: @naturallifestylist

YouTube: @thenaturallifestylist

Website: https://www.tonyriddle.com/home

Tony's next 10-month transformation program 'Redefining 50' starts in January 2026 so do check it out!

#naturalist #dailyroutine #grounding

What really happens to your mind and body in just two minutes of cold water?

📧 Hear more health hacks and wellness news by subscribing to our (free!) newsletter: https://exhalecoffee.com/pages/email

In this episode of Modern Rituals, Alex sits down with Fenwick Ridley, AKA the 'Ice Viking', to separate cold water facts from fiction. Fenwick shares what cold exposure actually does for stress, focus and resilience – why longer isn’t better, how to avoid common mistakes, and how anyone can safely build cold tolerance at home.This is cold therapy without the macho nonsense.

🎙️ About the guest:

Fenwick Ridley is the captain of Team GB Ice Swimming and an extreme cold exposure coach. Known as the “Ice Viking”, he competes in sub-zero waters and helps people use cold and heat to build resilience, recovery and mental strength — safely.

✍️ Fenwick's modern rituals:

• pool and open water swimming

• Ice bath & gym

• Sauna

• Burst training

• 30 sec - 2 min of cold water exposure

• Wearing shorts and T-shirts all year round

• Cold shower on shoulders first

• Conscious breathing

• Music & mantras

• Elite Hydrate

• Sugary drink

• Cocooning to warm up

• 10 min sauna at 100 degrees

• 3-4 reps of hot and cold

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Fenwick Ridley:

Instagram: @fenwickridley

TikTok: @gbiceviking

YouTube: @fenwickridley

Saunas with Fenwick: https://www.northumbriansauna.co.uk/about-5

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

00:00 Ice swimming in sub-zero temperatures (cold open)

02:32 Is there a temperature that’s too cold for the human body?

05:51 The mindset needed for cold water swimming

08:08 What competitive ice swimming actually involves

10:36 How ice swimmers train week to week

13:02 Chopping ice and training safely in frozen lakes

14:59 Listening to your body vs pushing through discomfort

17:16 Becoming friends with discomfort and pain

19:30 How sauna training improves cold tolerance

21:36 Why longer ice baths don’t mean more benefits

23:04 Brown fat explained and how to build it

26:01 Daily habits that increase cold tolerance

27:42 How beginners should start cold exposure

30:22 How long you actually need in cold water

32:22 Using cold exposure as a daily ritual

34:48 Breathing and mental preparation before cold exposure

36:40 Is cold exposure safe if you have Raynaud’s?

40:27 Understanding cold shock and afterdrop

44:17 The safest way to rewarm after cold water

48:03 Why jumping around after cold exposure can be dangerous

52:12 How to use sauna and cold for contrast therapy

55:01 Beginner guide to sauna and cold cycles

57:34 How often to do contrast therapy

1:00:43 Why hydration matters for cold and heat exposure

1:03:27 Swimming in the Arctic and extreme cold adventures

1:05:13 Habits to stop for better resilience

1:07:25 The daily habit everyone should build: discomfort

#icewater #coldwater #iceswimming

Is everything you’ve been told about fertility, pregnancy and “healthy routines” actually helping – or quietly working against you?

📧 Hear more health hacks and wellness news by subcribing to our (free!) newsletter: https://exhalecoffee.com/pages/email

In this episode of Modern Rituals, Alex sits down with Grace Kingswell to cut through the noise around fertility, pregnancy and everyday health habits. From protein-first breakfasts and fasting myths, to caffeine, supplements, light exposure and oral health, Grace shares what actually matters — and what’s wildly overhyped. Expect practical, sometimes uncomfortable truths about food, stress, exercise and modern wellness advice, grounded in real-world experience and current science.

🎙️ About the guest:

Grace Kingswell is a nutritional therapist (BANT, CNHC) with 7 years clinical experience. She supports couples on their fertility journey either trying naturally or with ART (IVF, ICSI) cycles. She specialises in fertility and complex cases (Autoimmunity, Mould etc) as well as early years childhood and starting solids.

✍️ Grace's modern rituals:

• Breakfast with protein, fat, fibre & carbs

• Eggs, veg, ferments, meat, sourdough

• Yogurt with whey protein, seeds & fruit

• 70% beef 30% beef liver mince meat

• Jump up and down x 100

• Morning daylight exposure

• Red lighting

• Oil pulling

• Fluoride free toothpaste

• High quality pre-natal

• Vaginal probiotic

• Oura ring

• Sensate

• Turn your wifi off overnight

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Grace Kingswell:

Instagram: @gracekingswell

Grace's website: https://www.gracekingswell.com/

Grace's podcast State of Mind: https://www.gracekingswell.com/my-podcast

Grace's podcast Two's Company: https://open.spotify.com/show/77x1bItC7xvo0UHs9Glgtg

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

00:00 – NHS pregnancy guidance is outdated + why Grace “bashes” Pregnacare

02:05 – Grace’s story: IVF, second pregnancy + what’s different this time

04:17 – “Breakfast doesn’t have to look like breakfast”: what to eat for fertility

06:06 – Eggs & veg, choline for fertility + Grace’s egg intolerance workaround

09:58 – First trimester survival mode + why prep before conception matters

12:09 – Pregnancy food fearmongering

13:14 – Caffeine debate: NHS guidance vs research + what Grace recommends

14:46 – Coffee & fertility: tolerance, cortisol, and exercise intensity considerations

18:33 – Fasting: why Grace is cautious (especially for women) + better timing if you do fast

21:09 – Trendy “intermittent fasting” patterns + should pregnant women avoid fasting?

23:26 – Ice baths & sauna in pregnancy: what’s safe, what’s not

25:03 – Lymph health: the “100 jumps” morning routine + why it matters

26:25 – Morning routine + circadian health: daylight exposure and avoiding blue light

27:22 – LEDs, circadian lighting, blue blockers + evening light hygiene

31:19 – Oil pulling & oral microbiome: why mouth health matters for fertility

33:42 – Morning brushing, tongue scraping + oil pulling best practices

35:33 – Fluoride vs hydroxyapatite toothpaste + mouth breathing and oral biofilm

37:50 – Fertility supplements: why quality matters + what Grace prioritises

39:25 – Sleep in pregnancy: progesterone effects, magnesium, glycine + realistic expectations

42:16 – Sleep trackers (Oura/Garmin), stress scores + what actually helps

44:10 – Sensate/vagus nerve stimulation + HRV improvements

46:54 – What HRV is + how to interpret it properly

48:32 – Closing Q1: habit to stop (and why Grace wants more weight training)

49:22 – Exercise in pregnancy: what to avoid starting mid-pregnancy + why strength matters

52:06 – Closing Q2 + Q3: veganism, daylight exposure + turning Wi-Fi off at night

52:54 – Where to find Grace + her podcasts & next steps

#icewater #coldwater #iceswimming

At 61, Laird Hamilton is still performing at a level most people never reach – at any age. Here’s how.

📧 Hear more health hacks and wellness news by subscribing to our (free!) newsletter: https://exhalecoffee.com/pages/email

In this episode of Modern Rituals, Alex sits down with big-wave surfing pioneer Laird Hamilton to unpack the daily rituals that keep him strong, resilient, and fully alive well into his sixties. From breathwork, heat and cold exposure, and ocean movement, to mindset, recovery, and redefining what “ageing well” really means — this is a masterclass in long-term performance without shortcuts or gimmicks.

🎙️ About the guest:

Laird Hamilton is widely regarded as one of the greatest surfers of all time and a pioneer of tow-in surfing. Beyond the waves, he’s an entrepreneur, father of three, and lifelong advocate for movement, nature-based training, and sustainable high performance.

✍️ Laird's modern rituals:

• 4-6 espresso shots in the morning

• Shilajit and ocean minerals

• Morning shower

• Mineral water and lemon water

• High fat diet

• Protein and fats in coffee

• MCT oil, palm oil

• 6 raw eggs

• Breath work

• Strength training to failure

• Stick to a sleep schedule

• Hyperbaric chamber

• Red bed

• Solargaze every morning

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Laird Hamilton:

Instagram: @lairdhamilton

TikTok: @thereallaridhamilton

Website: https://lairdhamilton.com/

Laird's wife Gabby Reece's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3KWrxXEWEJ5MTsA6tyDGTh

00:00 – Surfing 100-foot waves

02:16 – What “real” big-wave surfing means

04:32 – Quitting alcohol + patience in midlife

06:38 – Beginner mindset: Curiosity over ego

08:44 – How surfers read waves

11:10 – Why routines matter after 60

13:25 – Laird Hamilton’s morning routine

15:47 – High-fat coffee + fasted training

18:16 – Endurance fuel: Fat vs protein

21:29 – Training intuitively after injuries

23:48 – Breathwork, heat + cold for durability

27:33 – Lifestyle training vs rigid routines

31:21 – Strength training for longevity

37:44 – Pool training: Lifting in water

39:59 – Cold exposure: Ice baths vs cold pools

43:13 – Food flexibility + metabolic resilience

45:56 – Sleep rules for recovery

50:22 – Sunlight, solar gazing + health

53:33 – Health hacks for city living

56:24 – Why nature is non-negotiable

1:00:25 – One habit to start tomorrow

1:04:19 – Where to find Laird Hamilton

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

#lairdhamilton #exhalecoffee #health

What are most people getting wrong when it comes to cold water therapy?

📧 Hear more health hacks and wellness news by subscribing to our (free!) newsletter: https://exhalecoffee.com/pages/email

In this episode of Modern Rituals, Alex is joined by Kevin O’Neill – one of the UK’s leading cold water and breathwork practitioners – to cut through the noise around ice baths, cold showers and breathwork. Kevin explains why most people are doing cold exposure wrong, how stress, trauma and immunity all intersect, and how to use cold water as a tool for resilience rather than burnout. From breathwork safety to ideal temperatures, intention setting and common mistakes, this episode is essential listening for anyone experimenting with the cold.

🎙️ About the guest:

Kevin O’Neill is the founder of Breathevolution and a trauma-informed cold water therapist. He trains practitioners across the UK, works with PTSD, ADHD and anxiety, and is often described as the UK’s answer to Wim Hof – with a far more cautious, therapeutic approach.

✍️ Kevin's modern rituals:

• Cold shower every morning

• Wait an hour until cold water therapy

• ECG before cold water therapy

• Add cold to the end of your warm shower

• Start cold water therapy in the summer

• Wait an hour after coffee for cold water

• Empty stomach before cold water

• Step in on the exhale

• Change your seating in your sauna

• Altitude mask

• Mouth taping before sleep

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Kevin O'Neill:

Instagram: @breatheolution

TikTok: @breatheolution

Website: https://breatheolution.com/

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

00:00 – Ice bath or sauna: Which should you choose?

02:30 – What temperature is best for cold water therapy?

05:10 – Why cold water triggers fight-or-flight

07:45 – Response vs reaction: The real goal of cold exposure

10:30 – Do cold showers improve immunity and resilience?

13:50 – Why breath work before ice baths can be dangerous

16:20 – How posture and body language affect cold tolerance

18:55 – Is colder always better? The truth about 5°C plunges

22:10 – Cold exposure, stress stacking and burnout risks

25:45 – Why cold water therapy isn’t for everyone

28:20 – Should you eat or drink coffee before cold exposure?

31:10 – How to breathe properly during cold water immersion

34:00 – Common cold water mistakes most people make

37:30 – Using heat and sauna to train stress resilience

40:20 – Breaking stress habits through discomfort

43:40 – Mouth taping, breathing and nervous system health

47:10 – CO₂ tolerance and the Bolt score explained

51:00 – One habit Kevin is trying to stop

54:00 – The most overrated health advice

55:40 – One daily ritual everyone should add

56:20 – Where to find Kevin and his work

#coldwater #coldwatertherapy #exhalecoffee

How do you actually build resilience and reduce stress in today's world?

📧 Hear more health hacks and wellness news by subscribing to our (free!) newsletter: https://exhalecoffee.com/pages/email

In this episode of Modern Rituals, functional medicine practitioner Alex Manos breaks down the science of resilience and how to build it through simple daily habits. We cover HRV and stress, gut health and fibre, breathwork, strength training, cold water therapy, and why most people are overcomplicating health. This is a practical, evidence-led conversation on how to improve your nervous system, immune resilience and long-term health – without chasing endless biohacks.

🎙️ About the guest:

Alex Manos is a functional medicine certified practitioner with a master’s in personalised nutrition. He’s the founder of Healthpath and creator of the Resilience Programme, specialising in gut health, breathwork and nervous system regulation.

✍️ Alex's modern rituals:

• Track your HRV

• Fermented foods

• Fruit, veg, wholegrains, lentils, chickpeas

• Psyllium Husk, PHGG

• Strength training

• Resistance training

• Values list

• Breath work and therapy

• Calm or Headspace app

• 5 mins of breathwork in the morning

• Cold water on your face daily

• Journal straight from the mind

Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Alex Manos on:

Instagram: @alexandermanos

YouTube: @healthpath

Alex's resiliency program: https://www.alexmanos.co.uk/the-resiliency-program/

Gut microbiome testing: https://healthpath.com/gut-health-test/?referral=15

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

00:00 – Quick-fire health questions: Sleep trackers, supplements and gut myths

01:50 – What resilience really means (and why it’s hard to define)

04:30 – Hormesis explained: Why small stress builds long-term resilience

07:50 – How to know when stress becomes harmful (and where people go wrong)

08:55 – HRV explained: What heart rate variability actually tells you

11:20 – Low vs high HRV: Stress, burnout and nervous system states

14:40 – Using HRV to guide training, recovery and illness

17:45 – Why health tracking can increase anxiety for some people

18:55 – Physical resilience explained: Returning to baseline vs burnout

21:20 – Gut health and microbiome resilience

24:05 – Fibre intake explained: The most underrated longevity tool

26:25 – Supplements vs foundations: Why fibre beats biohacks

27:50 – Exercise and resilience: Strength, muscle and ageing

30:15 – Do you really need the gym to stay strong?

32:00 – Movement, strength and everyday resilience

34:35 – Mental resilience: Values, focus and decision-making

37:10 – How to identify your values and long-term direction

39:45 – Emotional resilience and managing stress responses

42:35 – Social connection and community as a health pillar

45:15 – Breathwork for nervous system regulation

47:10 – Why most people add too many habits (and should subtract instead)

49:10 – Cold water therapy explained: Benefits, risks and myths

51:20 – Cold exposure for immunity, recovery and mental resilience

54:00 – How often to do cold water therapy (and who should avoid it)

56:00 – Face dunking, vagus nerve stimulation and cold showers

58:40 – Building mental resilience through discomfort

01:01:00 – Simple daily breathwork practices anyone can start

01:03:40 – Spiritual resilience and staying grounded during stress

01:06:55 – Preparing for adversity before it happens

01:09:40 – The most overrated health advice

01:11:00 – One daily habit everyone should add

01:14:00 – Where to find Alex + current projects

#longevity #chronicstress #exhalecoffee

What does it really take to stay strong, fast and resilient as we age?

📧 Hear more health hacks and wellness news by subscribing to our (free!) newsletter: https://exhalecoffee.com/pages/email

In this episode of Modern Rituals, Alex sits down with double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes to unpack the habits, routines and mindset that have kept her moving for decades – long after elite sport.

From Parkrun and injury recovery to strength training, mobility, menopause and mindset, Kelly shares what she’s learned through the highs of Olympic success and the lows of long-term injuries and hormonal change. This is a grounded, honest conversation about adapting your training, letting go of perfection, and building a body that lasts.

🎙️ About the guest:

Dame Kelly Holmes is a double Olympic champion, former British Army physical training instructor, speaker and founder of Athena Effect – an annual event supporting and inspiring women through key life transitions.

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast:

Instagram: @yourexhale

TikTok: @yourexhale

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Dame Kelly Holmes:

Instagram: @damekellyholmes

✍️ Kelly's Modern Rituals:

• Hot bath and magnesium evening fore a big event

• Park run

• Couch to 5K

• Ice injuries immediately

• Hot and cold for injuries after 24 hours

• Creatine

• Turmeric and cumin

• Vitamin D

• Collagen

• Ashwagandha

• Interval training and fartleks to rebuild fitness

• 3-4 runs a week

• HIIT training

• Mobility every day

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

00:00 – Dame Kelly Holmes: Olympic Gold Mindset, Motivation & Quickfire Qs

03:36 – Parkrun Power: 100+ Runs, Community Stories & Grace’s Finish-Line Bench

07:32 – It’s Never Too Late to Start Running (Couch to 5K + Confidence Shifts)

10:14 – Injuries & Comebacks: How to Adapt Training Instead of Quitting

13:20 – Recovery Protocol for Runners: Ice First, Then Heat + Cold & Compression

15:58 – Best Supplements for Recovery: Creatine, Collagen, Turmeric, Vitamin D, Magnesium

20:33 – British Army PT Lessons: Discipline, Leadership, Resilience & Training Everyone

23:55 – Army to Olympics: “Corporal Holmes”, Qualifying Fast & The ‘What If’ Mindset

27:56 – Pro Runner Training Week: Twice-a-Day Sessions, Speed Endurance & Intensity

30:01 – Heart Rate Training Myth: Why “Numbers-Only” Can Hold You Back

33:35 – Training Now: Long Runs, Intervals & Fartlek (Plus Gym Alternatives in Winter)

43:21 – Strength Training for Longevity: Bone Density, Menopause & Lifting Smarter

51:58 – Daily Mobility Routine: Staying Supple, Preventing Injury & Running Consistently

55:01 – Nutrition for Performance (and Real Life): Balance, Protein, Race Prep & Recovery

1:04:29 – Menopause & Training: Strength Loss, Joint Pain, HRT + Anti-Inflammatory Support

1:10:04 – Final 3: Stop Procrastinating, Protect “Me Time” + Athena Effect Event

#kellyholmes #damekellyholmes #exhalecoffee