What if everything you thought you knew about balance and mobility was flat-out wrong?
Dan Metcalfe was a Broadway performer at the top of his game when he suddenly became paralyzed mid-performance. What followed—partial brain death, a long recovery, and a total reinvention—sounds impossible, until you hear him tell it.
Dan didn’t just survive. He discovered something that changed everything: balance isn’t just about strong muscles—it’s about rewiring the brain. And the conventional ways we train for stability and fall prevention? They’re missing the mark.
In this eye-opening episode, Dan shares how his recovery led to a revolutionary brain-first approach to movement and mobility that’s helped over 70,000 people—from stroke survivors to seniors battling Parkinson’s—regain confidence, coordination, and independence.
Dan’s story is powerful proof that it’s never too late to rebuild strength, restore balance, and reclaim vitality. His work challenges everything we’ve been taught about aging and shows us what’s truly possible. In this conversation, he breaks down his seven pillars of natural health—simple, transformative principles you’ll want to live by.
Want to learn more? Visit totalbalancecompany.com to explore Dan’s Total Balance program and Born Superhuman framework. Or reach out through the show notes to connect directly.
Follow Dan Metcalfe at https://www.instagram.com/bornsuperhuman/
Dan's book, Born Superhuman, is available at booksellers.
_________________________________________
Are you ready to reclaim your midlife body and health? I went through my own personal journey through menopause, the struggle with midsection weight gain, and feeling run-down. Faster Way, a transformative six-week group program, set me on the path to sustainable change.
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=MicheleFolan
Have questions about Faster Way? Please email me at:
mfolanfasterway@gmail.com
Sign up for Michele's weekly newsletter for more health and fitness tips and insights. https://michelefolanfasterway.myflodesk.com/i6i44jw4fq
RIMAN skincare finally gave me real, visible results—restoring my glow, firmness, and confidence in my skin at 61. RIMAN Korea's #1 Skincare Line - https://michelefolan.riman.com
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Episode Transcript
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Michele Folan (00:00):
Okay, ladies, I know how this goes because I did
the exact same thing.
You've saved recipes, you'vebookmarked the workouts, but now
what?
How do you actually put it alltogether in a way that works for
your life, your body and yourgoals, especially in midlife?
That's where Faster Way comesin.
This isn't random tips fromsocial media.
(00:22):
It's a strategic plan built forwomen in midlife, one that
helps you burn fat, build muscle, balance hormones and feel like
yourself again.
No gimmicks, no extremes, justsmart nutrition, effective
workouts and real coaching thatgets results.
Ready to stop starting overevery single Monday?
(00:42):
Let's do this the right way.
Email me through the link inthe show notes or DM me on
social media.
I look forward to hearing fromyou.
Health, wellness, fitness andeverything in between.
We're removing the taboo fromwhat really matters in midlife.
(01:03):
I'm your host, Michele Folan,and this is Asking for a Friend.
Did you know that one in fourwomen over 65 falls each year
and more than 50% of those whofall and fracture hip never
fully recover?
Even more alarming 20 to 30% ofolder adults who suffer a
(01:25):
serious fall die within a year,often due to complications
stemming from immobility,surgery or subsequent decline.
Balance isn't just aboutfitness.
It's about freedom,independence and longevity.
Today's guest knows thatfirsthand His story is nothing
short of miraculous.
A former Broadway performerwho became paralyzed
(01:49):
mid-performance, faced partialbrain death and somehow came
back stronger, dedicating hislife to helping people,
especially older adults andthose with neurological
challenges, regain their balance, mobility and quality of life.
From celebrities like ShirleyMacLaine to everyday warriors,
navigating Parkinson's and MS,he's worked with over 70,000
(02:11):
people and counting.
He's the founder of the TotalBalance Company and the Born
Superhuman program, and he'shere today to help us reclaim
our power from the ground up.
Dan Metcalfe, welcome to Askingfor a Friend from the ground up
.
Dan Metcalfe (02:26):
Dan Metcalf, welcome to Asking for a Friend.
Thanks, Michele.
Brilliant title Asking for aFriend because we're bored up to
never admit our own frailtiesor curiosities or judgment.
And that intro it really gaveme the shivers, actually,
because sometimes we forget whatwe do and the impact that we
have on people.
And yet my mission is to helpevery single person that's
(02:47):
willing to put in the work for abetter future.
Michele Folan (02:49):
Yeah, you and me both, and I think willing to put
in the work is a key part ofthat human dynamic that we hope
for when we get to work withpeople.
I want to talk a little bitfirst about the origin story,
right, who you are and where youare from, because obviously you
(03:11):
weren't born here in the UnitedStates, and a little bit about
the genesis of where you aretoday.
Dan Metcalfe (03:18):
Yeah, thanks, I'll try and keep this really short
because it's an incredible story, not because it's mine, it's
because I got to experience itand it does inspire, speak
around the country and inspireso many people.
So I grew up as an athlete backin England in a little town
called Bournemouth.
That's beautiful, it's probablygot one of the best beaches in
the world.
The sand's so soft.
We just don't have the sun, sothat's a bit of a problem when
(03:40):
it comes to it.
And then I left sports and wasgoing to go into the military
because I'd done eight yearstraining and I started doing
aerobics to get supple formountain climbing.
And the teacher there said youshould become a dancer.
And I'm like a dancer.
What do you mean a dancer?
I'm a man's man, shaved head,backpacks, running through the
sand and water.
So she dared me and I went upto a place called Lane Theatre
(04:02):
Arts just outside London, justas a joke really, and two and a
half hours later, doing a funaudition because I'll be signing
for the Marines in two weekstime they offered me a full
three-year scholarship to startin two weeks time and the next
thing I know, never having doneit before I'm in ballet tights,
learning tap, jazz, modern,because my curiosity in life was
(04:23):
always go for it If there'ssomething that you love.
So the next thing, I know, youknow, I'm dancing and my dad had
actually taken me to see a showAndrew Lloyd Webber show called
Starlight Express.
I didn't even know my dad likedtheater, but it was his
favorite show and I was 18 atthe time, almost 19.
And at the end of the show hesaid eight words that changed my
(04:46):
life and I use these eightwords to change everybody's life
.
So anybody that's listening,please take these words in,
because even if you don't engagethem now, the seed is planted,
which is what happened with me.
We finished watching StarlightExpress and my dad looked at me
and what do you think I'm like,dad?
This is incredible.
I was like blown away.
(05:07):
They were like demigods andgoddesses on the stage, you know
, skating and singing anddancing.
And then he goes one day you'llbe in this show and I said I'll
never be good enough.
And he said the eight words tome that changed my life, that I
live my life by.
He said somebody has to do it,why not you?
Somebody has to do it, why notyou?
(05:32):
A year and a half later I wasin the show, went on to play the
lead in Lloyd Webber shows andthen opened the show for him out
here in Las Vegas.
And I'm going to jump throughthis really quick Now.
During a performance, I had anaccident, fractured my spine.
I was paralyzed on stage andthe doctor said I'd be disabled
for life.
Well, I didn't want to acceptthat, because the brain and this
is where we're going to come toas we talk the brain is your
(05:54):
power force in life, but it canonly go off of the information
that's told to you.
So when we were born and thisis where born superhuman comes
in and the umbilical cord is cut, baby is immediately on its own
looking after itself with ateam around it.
But the whole brilliance of thebaby is that it learns to
survive.
(06:14):
And, for people that maybedon't know, we have roughly 86
billion brain cells, but almostall those brain cells are in a
baby when they're born.
What we don't have is theconnections, the synapse that
allows the thought processes tothen function the baby.
So, whatever we're taught andwe believe it's for our good we
(06:35):
end up doing so.
I had to fight back.
I came back.
I became a head coach on theOlympic program open my own
sports performance gyms.
I'm a head coach on the Olympicprogram, open my own sports
performance gyms, master trainerin gyms and all the other stuff
, and started racing the Ironman.
Well, bringing the story here toan end, I was out in 2018, out
on a bike ride and I camethrough a guard gated security
(06:58):
gate and the guard brought themetal gate down on my head.
I was immediately knockedunconscious, had a secondary
impact on the ground that brokemy helmet open.
Already unconscious, I was outfor about three minutes and part
of my brain died.
I had to learn to talk again.
I had to learn to function.
I had to learn to move and, asI tell everyone, everything that
happens to us in life is a giftif we wrap it correctly.
(07:22):
I would never be where I amtoday if I hadn't suffered, and
so now I can relate and help somany people understanding to be
a champion, you just have tostep over the start line.
You don't have to finish, justget going.
Michele Folan (07:37):
Dan, we're going to take a quick break, but when
we come back, I want to reallydig into your recovery and what
that looked like.
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(08:22):
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isn't too much to ask.
We are back.
Okay, I've got so manyquestions here.
(08:44):
What did your recovery looklike?
Because we're talking bothphysically and mentally.
Did you ever imagine, first ofall, that you would return to
performing or doing all thosewonderful things, working with
the Olympic team and becoming acoach but then you have this
(09:05):
happen?
I mean, I have to know moreabout your mindset and how you
were able to get through allthis.
Dan Metcalfe (09:11):
Yeah, it's fascinating because again I go
back to what the words my dadtold me.
I didn't have a greatrelationship with my dad growing
up, but he impacted my wholefuture with just eight words.
But I never accepted what I wastold, and that may have been a
problem with me growing up aswell, because my mom would be
like go clean your room and I'mlike I got busier things to do,
but I didn't hear the doctorswhen they said I couldn't, even
(09:34):
though I was lying in bed.
This was probably the toughestpart of everything.
The night I was paralyzed, I'min the hospital bed and I lost
sight in my right eye because ofthe swelling to the brain and
the optical nerve shutting down.
And I lay there that night notwanting to go to sleep because
my left eye was stillfunctioning and I didn't know if
I wake up in the morning blind.
(09:54):
And I didn't want to go tosleep because I wanted to
remember my last vision, and nota pretty last vision hospital
walls.
But with that being said, whenI woke up the next morning and I
could see out of my right eye,I knew we're made to heal.
And this is where we get thiswrong in here, Michele, if you
cut your arm on the outside andit's a slight cut or even a
(10:17):
relatively bad cut, we stitch itup or we clean it and bandage
it or band-aid it, and we neverworry.
It's going to heal.
We watch it, the scab goes on.
As long as we don't pull thescab off, the chances are we're
never going to have a scar thereand we're healed With the same
system that heals us on theoutside.
It's healing us on the insidewith even more power, because it
(10:38):
doesn't have all the potentialinfections coming in from the
outside like a wound does.
Once we trust ourselves and givethe information to the brain to
go to work and this is what Ilearned with my brain injury as
long as you're again willing todo that, the magic we seek is in
the work we avoid.
So we're waiting for someoneelse.
And one thing that I reallylove to get across in here is
(11:02):
that if we're made to heal, ifwe're born to heal, what is it
that's stopping us?
Because there's a magic, themiracle within, that will allow
us to or this goes on evenfurther for everyone watching
pursue the dreams that we gaveup, and I see this so much with
so many amazing ladies that I'veworked with who sacrificed
(11:25):
their dreams for their family.
They continue to sacrificelooking after their parents.
They continue to sacrificetheir own power by giving,
because society taught them togive and be the one that carries
the weight.
Women are incredible with thestrength they have, but if we
tap back into our brilliance andgive ourselves love because
(11:47):
self-love isn't selfish, it'sessential and give time for
ourselves, everybody elsebenefits through our own
empowerment.
Michele Folan (11:56):
You know I say this all the time it is never
too late to do that thing thatyou've always wanted to do, and
I have so many guests on thisshow, men and women who are
doing things later in life thatthey never thought they would be
(12:16):
doing.
And I think what you're tellingme is it's really mindset and
belief that carried you throughyour recovery, because you were
healing from the inside.
Dan Metcalfe (12:29):
Yeah, everybody has the same tools available to
them when we start looking atourselves first.
And that's why, in the BornSuperhuman program, I have seven
pillars to natural health andincredible results We've had.
Number six is mindset.
Yet I teach it first, becausemindset won't keep you alive
(12:50):
more than getting your sleep,drinking your water, breathing
oxygen.
And yet it's the most criticalto who we are.
Can I share a story, becauseyou talk about doing things
later in life.
Michele Folan (13:01):
Yeah.
Dan Metcalfe (13:01):
Okay, and I'm excited to share this one.
So, if I go back, I created theTotal Balance program just for
a gentleman by the name of BobEubanks.
Many would know him from theNewlywed Game or the Rose Parade
.
Michele Folan (13:13):
Oh heck yeah.
Dan Metcalfe (13:14):
Yeah, and so he was falling a lot and I had
written a movie we're down atNetflix and at the end of the
meeting, like I said, he was 79.
He had had hip surgeries, backsurgeries, and he couldn't get
out of the chair properly andwalk.
And then he did what I call thesenior shuffle, which is the
feet barely come off of theground and he's hunched over.
(13:34):
We'll come back to that storybecause I want to explain what
happened with Bob when we talkabout the actual training
program.
But I never created this tosell.
Now my mother, who's a doctorand still works six days a week,
12 hours a day I can't say herage because she doesn't like it
when I say that because she'sbetween 86 and 88.
So I went back for her 80thbirthday back in England to
(13:59):
visit and she said Dan, she goes.
I had a stroke a year ago and Isaid oh, mom, you're actually
doing really well.
I noticed that you slowed down.
But this is the problem withhow we're educated.
We think it's just because ofage.
So I said I thought you weredoing great, I thought you're
just aged, I hadn't seen her infour years and I saw a slight
tightness in the right side ofher face, but she was good.
(14:21):
I said what's the hardest thing, mom, cause I think you're
doing great she goes.
I had to give up line dancing.
That was her only passion,cause she she grew up as a war
child in the second world warWasn't allowed to dance.
My sister was a professionalballet dancer.
I went on to become a balletdancer and performer but she had
never done anything but linedancing.
So I said why can't you stilldo it?
She goes well, because my rightfoot won't move.
(14:43):
I think about it, but there's adisconnect in the speed of me
thinking and moving.
So either people are fallinginto me and I'm a danger to them
or they're a danger to me.
So I went back and I createdthis board that I'd got for.
Bob made a second one and theresults were phenomenal.
I sent it to her in England.
Five days later she went backto line dancing.
(15:03):
You're kidding.
I sent it to her in EnglandFive days later she went back to
line dancing.
You're kidding Unbelievable.
But this is the part that'samazing.
She came to visit me when shewas 84.
And this may be the greatestgift I've been able to give,
because here's the lady thatgave birth to me.
I gave her life back becauseshe could move.
At 84, she did her very firstballet class ever and she rode a
(15:25):
bicycle for the first time inher life ever.
Wow.
So, stroke at 79, recovery infive days, but she worked it.
And we have very specificprograms.
Four years later, five yearsafter stroke and we're not
talking about a ballet classwhich is, you know, for old
people she, I got her a privatelesson so I wanted to make sure
(15:45):
she was safe and got theattention.
She's in the center doing jumps, she's doing her pirouettes
because she had watched, sheknew it so much and she loved a
show called the Turning Point,which was Shirley MacLaine was
in that, and then I ended uptraining Shirley MacLaine.
But to your point and I'mtalking a little bit too much,
but it's never too late untilwe've gone past the point of
(16:09):
recovery, which means we don'twant to do it anymore because
it's too painful.
Michele Folan (16:13):
Yeah, she is amazing.
By the way, If you have hergenetics, you're in a good place
.
The fact that she's doing thatwell, that's tremendous.
I love that story.
Thank you for sharing that.
I am a little curious, thoughat what point did you realize
that your personal journey couldbe a catalyst for helping
(16:36):
others?
I mean, when did that lightbulb go on?
Dan Metcalfe (16:39):
Yeah, that's a pretty heavy question because
there's things that I don'tnormally talk about.
I had a sports performancetraining center and I was
training a lot of professionalathletes.
They'd fly in from around theworld and I was taking athletes
that were told they'd never playagain.
I was focused mainly in soccerand after I trained with them
for like three months they wereback playing on the national
(16:59):
team and we had great successstories.
But I had some business issuesthat went on and it was very
heavy, I'll just put it that wayand I had false lawsuits filed
against me that they knew that Icouldn't defend financially and
so I went to end my life.
(17:20):
I'll just say in there oh Lord,it's a beautiful story from the
point of view of inspiration,and this is because you asked
the question where did it change?
I had lost everything.
You know, I always had a reallyhard working life.
I always took the challenge, Ialways rose to the highest level
and was successful, andsuddenly I was taken out by a
(17:43):
con man, basically, and wassuccessful, and suddenly I was
taken out by a con man,basically, and I didn't know how
to survive.
Everywhere I turned I wasgetting beaten down.
I'd lost everything, like Isaid, and I used to race bikes.
Like I said, I've done theIronman and I've raced bikes and
I went to ride up this hill togo and jump off the top of the
mountain and there's a reallysteep place.
I used to race up this reallysteep part called the wall and I
(18:09):
couldn't even get up it.
I was so exhausted and mentallydone that I got off my bike.
I threw my bike in the busheson the opposite side because
there's a cliff there, and Istood on the side and a part of
me was saying just do it, yourlife's over, You've had all
these accomplishments, You'vebeen successful.
And we see all the time peoplethat are successful when they're
(18:31):
younger and then they lose itwhen they're older and they feel
they don't have any value orpurpose.
So I kind of edged closer tothe edge and another voice
inside said Dan, get back on thebike and get to the top of the
mountain.
And I just didn't want to do itvoice and I said Dan, get back
on the bike and get to the topof the mountain.
And I just didn't want to do it.
I was too exhausted, too tired,so I edged a little bit closer.
My toes are over the edge now.
And the voice was Dan, get backon the bike and get to the top
(18:52):
of the mountain.
Well, this went on for about aminute and I went oh forget it.
I went back, grabbed my bikeout of the bushes, got back on
and went to the top of themountain.
And it was about another 20minute ride to the top.
And when I got there, it wasn'telation, it wasn't oh yeah,
this is great, this is amazing.
I made it.
I was numb, but a voice insidemy head said if the pilot light
(19:15):
is still on, the flame can beimmense.
If the light is still on, theflame can be immense.
I just needed to put the fuel.
And I say that for everyonelistening You're still here, you
can do anything.
Well, I went back down themountain.
I went the slowest I've evergone down.
I wasn't excited, I wasn't likeyes, but it was an opening of
(19:36):
my mind to say what's next forme.
And I still loved performing.
I still went on from that andand I still loved performing.
I still went on from that and Iwas a head judge on a reality
TV show on Nickelodeon and stillwant to, but it was no longer
my passion.
I was like, okay, why am I goingthrough what I'm going through?
Because I hugely believeeverybody.
Why be the victim when you canbe the hero?
(19:57):
All it is is a mind shift,change from victim to hero.
And what we don't realize iswhat we're living through will
be inspirational for somebodyelse that doesn't have the power
, the strength or the confidencebut you give that to them, for
them to overcome their struggles.
So when you admit where you'reat and you say I'm willing to
(20:20):
take those steps and step overthe start line, not knowing the
journey ahead, but I'm willingto take that step, it's amazing
what we see and find in life.
Michele Folan (20:37):
And that was really the change, Michele.
Dan, this is incrediblyinspiring.
I mean I could stop the podcastright now.
I'm not going to, but I couldstop the podcast right now
because that is so powerful.
I have to kind of like sit backand let that sink in.
You decided to then go on tohelp others and that's when you
(20:59):
started your Born Human.
Dan Metcalfe (21:02):
It's actually.
It took me about four years,Michele.
This wasn't a quick turnaround.
Michele Folan (21:06):
Okay.
Dan Metcalfe (21:07):
There was.
It was a long process I wasgoing through you know what we
would term major depression.
I put on a load of weight, justyou know, I went on to my brain
injury as well.
But along the way, this iswhere I met Bob Eubanks and I
went against the grain.
This is what.
This is where I get excited now, and I'm glad you didn't stop
(21:28):
the podcast, because this is themeat of what people can.
This is just my story.
I'm interested as well ineverybody's story.
So when Bob was falling, I saidlet me train you.
And he said, nah, you're cause.
I was known as a really toughcoach, really tough train, but I
wasn't really training people.
I was still going through myown recovery if that's the right
(21:48):
way to put it mentally andfinding my purpose.
And on the Monday, Sunday night, Bob called me and said Dan,
I've been thinking about it, I'min a much worse state than I
thought I was.
I want you to train me.
I said, Bob, I'm just going tomeet you where you're at.
I'm not going to train you likea pro athlete.
We're going to start whereyou're comfortable to start
improving.
So he came over to my house andhere's Bob, who was falling
(22:09):
regularly, scared to get out ofbed.
Every day we don't know whatthe day's ahead and, as you said
, so spot on with the statisticsIf you fall, there's a 50%
chance you'll fall again in thenext two weeks.
One in three people over 65fall every year.
10% of those are going to diefrom the result of the fall if
(22:29):
they don't die during the fall.
Hip fractures, brain injuries,all these different things, and
it affects their whole familybecause now they become
dependent and everyone losestheir independence and fun.
So I said, Bob, come on, we'regoing to do what any great
trainer is going to do, orphysical therapist we're going
to strengthen your legs,strengthen your hip flexors,
strengthen your core and you'regoing to walk great again.
(22:51):
So he came to my house.
I set up this course that tookme about 40 minutes.
But the first thing we did wasthose speed ladders.
People may have seen them.
They look like ladders on theground that athletes run
through, and I'm sure a lot oflisteners have their kids go
through them in all sports.
Bob couldn't get through it.
He couldn't lift his foot offof the ground because he wanted
to shuffle.
So I said, okay, this is theproblem.
(23:11):
I figured it out.
I'm super, Dan.
Put your hands against the wall.
We're going to get you liftingyour knees.
We're going to strengthen thehip flexors first so you can
lift your legs.
As soon as he put his hands onthe wall, his legs were like
pistons up and down.
Light went on in two minutes.
(23:32):
My whole training, my program,what I'm teaching now with so
much success changed because Isaid the problem's not the body.
Everybody trains the body tofix balance and mobility.
It has nothing to do withmuscles until the brain is
re-engaged.
Nothing to do with musclesuntil the brain is re-engaged.
So if you look at babies andI'm sure so many people that
listen have gone throughchildbirth and watching their
(23:52):
babies grow up or friends'babies and stuff we didn't take
a baby to the gym to help themlearn to walk.
They tried to figure it out andwhat we built was neural
pathways of movement for ourmotor cortex and the motor
neurons, and I'm going to throwthis bit in here as a little bit
of an ideology.
That's proven.
(24:13):
We talk about muscle memory.
I coached muscle memory.
I talked about muscle memory.
There's no such thing as musclememory.
So when people say, well, hangon, we've got to have muscles to
walk and move.
They've got muscle memory.
Let me explain this reallyquickly.
If you took a muscle and askedit to move or try to make it
move on its own, it refuses tomove.
It can't.
It's just a piece of meat.
(24:34):
It has to have an electricalimpulse.
So an electrical impulse tomake the muscle move means then
the muscle comes from adirective.
That means it's the neuronsthat come from thought into the
cerebellum, to the motor cortex,down through the motor neurons.
The speed of it's incredible.
And then the muscle goes.
(24:55):
If we want to move better, wehave to make sure that the
memory comes from neuron memory,not from muscle memory.
So by training the brain-bodyconnection.
It's incredible.
That's what I did with Bob andin three weeks Bob went from an
old man, shuffling and fearful,in three weeks to running six
miles an hour on a treadmill.
Fearful in three weeks torunning six miles an hour on a
(25:16):
treadmill, running up anddownstairs, back walking with
his wife, getting out of bed,getting on stage and TV without
any fear.
And I went in because of mybrain injury and this is why you
have this whole brilliance, ifthat's the right way to put it
of my own accident, becauseafter my brain injury, I studied
the brain because nobody washelping me, and then, from real
(25:39):
life experience and trainingtens of thousands of people,
we've seen success by focusingon brain-body connection based
on how does a baby learn to walk?
Because our system doesn'tchange as we age, it just slows
down.
Michele Folan (25:53):
Wow, is Bob Eubanks still alive.
Dan Metcalfe (26:00):
Yeah, Bob's 87.
Michele Folan (26:02):
Oh wow, that is an incredible success story.
I know you have probably manyhere's the conundrum, or like
what just is now befuddling me,right Is falls are the leading
cause of injury-related deathfor seniors.
Right, right.
Why do you think balance andmobility training is still so
(26:27):
underutilized in mainstreamfitness, especially for midlife
women?
Dan Metcalfe (26:33):
Yeah.
So let's go straight to midlifewomen Incredible what they've
gone through to be where theyare today.
We know that women havestronger lower bodies than men
do.
Right, physiologically, theycarry babies.
Their body has done miracles.
But what happens?
We begin to get tired and whenwe get tired we move less.
(26:54):
And this goes across the board.
But I'm going to bring thisback to the ladies when we are
kids, we play and we don't age,or we don't stop playing because
we age.
We age because we stop playing,and that's the neurological
connection of movement.
So if we look at the agesbetween 10 and 20, it was
probably when we were the mostactive in control of our bodies,
(27:16):
and then between 20 and 30, weget either stuck in motherhood
and when I say stuck I mean that, respectfully, it's taken away
our freedom rather than stuckbecause we love, motherhood.
Michele Folan (27:26):
Sometimes we feel stuck, but you could say stuck.
Dan Metcalfe (27:30):
Okay, let's go back and start again.
So sometimes we get stuck inmotherhood and our exercise
comes from chasing our childrenaround.
Or we're in an office sittingat a desk and then we go home
and we've got to do the washing,We've got to do the cleaning,
We've got to do all thehousework that was expected
because society said do it.
So what happens?
(27:50):
We become linear in ourmovement, straightforward, turn
sideways, we're not jumping,we're not playing, which created
the neural pathways in children.
That's why dance is so good.
Look how many girls have doneballet growing up and it served
their purpose because theyweren't as involved in other
sports from society.
Push until Title IX came in andopened up equal amount of girls
(28:14):
and boys sports, which wascritical as well.
Then we sit more, we don't moveas much and what's happening
that we're not even cognizant ofbecause the brain and the body
are so brilliant wherever we are, it makes it feel normal.
So we're slowly taking out theability to feel quickly what's
happening and the freedom orconfidence to just move and jump
(28:36):
.
We become more stoic in ourmovement from the point of view
that we become conscious of it.
A movement should beunconscious, almost autonomic
within our brain.
So there's a study that cameout they did in France that has
been published, where theyfollowed 1,800 ladies over the
(29:00):
age of 65 and they followed themfor 10 years.
Those that had good balance andthis is proven, this is
clinical, this is data that'scaptured, this is not an opinion
those people that had goodbalance with a lot of the
exercises that we now teach,they lived eight years longer
across the board.
We're not talking about in ahospital bed being kept alive.
(29:24):
Those with good balance livedeight years longer of active,
full life.
Now, when I started looking atthis and as you've again
beautifully brought up, why isit so minimalized in part of our
everyday life?
And we're told when you loseyour, oh, it's just part of
aging.
My dad went to the doctor theother day and he goes.
My right leg's hurting and thedoctor goes well malcolm, you're
(29:46):
just getting older he goes well.
My left leg's the same age.
How come that one's not hurting?
And I loved it.
Because.
Why is it not utilized?
Because I don't believe there'sanything out there that if you
did it for yourself, no money,no cost would give you eight
years longer of quality, engaged, interactive life.
(30:09):
Well, why?
I believe and I'm not aconspiracy theorist, but I
believe it's because we'retaught to need medication,
there's money behind it and wetake out the ability of people
to take care of themselvesbecause there's no functionality
.
Michele Folan (30:27):
But you know, we have been trained to accept
things as they are.
So, women going throughmenopause oh, it's, it's just
menopause.
Everybody goes through it.
Right here, take, take thispill.
You know we're, we're notalways given that.
(30:49):
Hey, I think you need to get up, move more.
I think you would benefit fromdoing some training, all those
things, because we get the jointpain, we get that creeping
sense of physical decline, right, how do we get out of that?
How do we pull ourselves out ofthat so that we can do this?
(31:11):
Because this is where self-careand self-help comes in.
Dan Metcalfe (31:16):
Yeah, it's not hard.
It's a decision A little bitevery day Because, again, as I
said, aging is the excessivepursuit of sedentary comfort.
We'd prefer to sit on the sofaand watch TV than we would to
get up and go for a walk.
When we get to the point wherewe begin to feel pain or we
begin to experience fear becausewe've lost a little bit of our
(31:39):
balance, we suddenly feel offand doctors will say sit down,
take it easy, be careful.
This is a classic example.
When someone is at full risk orthey're falling, what do they
tell them to do?
Go through your house, removethe rugs.
What do they tell them to do?
Go through your house, removethe rugs, get rid of toys, open
(32:00):
the pathways, put handles on thewalls to help you in the
bathroom.
All they're doing is they'reallowing the decline, rather
than saying how do we increaseyour potential to success?
And that's what I specialize in, right For all ages.
And I will tell you, I haveOlympic athletes, world record
holders, that also use thetraining method, because what
(32:21):
we're doing is we'restrengthening up the
neurological pathways formovement and the speed.
So even more I can break thisdown.
We have a thought goes into ourfrontal cortex, our frontal lobe
, we want to move.
That then goes to thecerebellum and a couple of other
areas within the brain.
That then goes to thecerebellum and a couple of other
areas within the brain.
That then goes to the motorcortex, sends down the messages,
flies through our neurologicalpathways.
(32:44):
But this is where it's socritical Because we don't move
as much.
There's a sensory messagingafter action, the proprioception
of feeling what's happening.
That goes back to the brain andsays I'm off balance or I'm
doing good, and the freedom.
And that's so quick itshouldn't be cognitive.
In fact, every lady listeningand man listening will know I
(33:07):
walk down the street on my cellphone, looking in a shop window,
going I like that pair of shoesor I like that purse or I like
that dress, while they'reholding a conversation, while an
ambulance is going by with thesirens on, while a couple are
arguing ahead of you, while adog's chasing a cat, and we
never think of our balancebecause we're just moving.
That's the speed of every stepgoing in this circle from
(33:30):
thought to move to brain.
I'm doing good and round again.
If we don't keep improving thespeed of neurological messaging
and the sensory messaging goingback to the brain.
That's when we become cognitive, we begin to think about it,
and when we think about it, it'stoo late to react because we're
already in the process oflosing our balance by the time
we feel it.
So we can increase that ability.
(33:54):
And why is it that we havepeople in Japan or these blue
zones that are, or you see,people that are a hundred years
old, running marathons, or 90years?
They're no better than anybodylistening.
They've just made a commitmentto maximize their potential and
and I love you giving me theopportunity to speak because I,
(34:15):
every single person I say thiswith full confidence every
single person listening to thiscan improve and will improve and
have a better quality of lifeor those that they're looking
after, if they help them gothrough the proper steps.
We can recover, because we'remade to live for 122 years,
(34:39):
fully functional, which goesinto a whole other thing I won't
go into now, but because of thetelomeres at the end of our
cells that are being broken downand for me, like you said, it
starts with our mindset.
We go where we think.
We are what we believe.
Michele Folan (34:55):
Yes, I'm over here, I'm just letting you go
because I'm like, yeah, yeah,yeah, I love this, I love this.
I mean, I hope my clientslisten to this podcast because
it's this empowering voice thatwe need to have in our heads.
I do have a question for you,dan Are there any signs that we
(35:20):
should be watching for thatsuggest that our balance or
neurological coordination isstarting to decline?
Dan Metcalfe (35:29):
The first thing I would do is take five minutes to
think what were you doing inyour 20s and what are you doing
today?
Because I think that's thefirst sign, because I believe
it's a slow, ticking declinethat's going on, that we're not
cognitive of it until we feel it, and when we feel it we begin
to ignore it to begin withbecause we don't want to face
(35:51):
we've got a problem.
So I would say, just take fiveminutes.
What did I do in my 20s?
Because it's hard to judge whatwe were doing in our teens.
Michele Folan (35:58):
I'm going.
I don't know if I want to goback and do what I did in my 20s
, Dan, but if you evaluate itand just take a minute, what
kind of stuff.
Dan Metcalfe (36:08):
I used to go out running.
I used to go out partying.
I used to go to all thesethings.
Now what am I doing at the ageI am now?
And don't break it down by theevent, break it down by the
movement of the event.
So we used to maybe go tonightclubs or go to a live
concert and you stand and danceall night.
Now we sit on the sofa so webegin to see things.
So in that example I would sayyou're not going to go to a
(36:31):
concert now and dance all night,but put on music at home that
reminds you that and dancearound while you're doing it.
If you're doing your I can seeyou doing this.
If you put music on, it wakesup neurological memory neurons
that also encourage us to move.
(36:51):
But I would say the first signyou'll feel it when you wake up
one morning and get out of bedand you suddenly feel a little
off balance for the first time,and then it's okay because the
brain's woken up and then it'sworking again.
But the fact that you've wokenup without having it alive
already, to correct, is thebeginning sign.
(37:13):
Take action right then.
Don't wait or ask for help whenit gets to the point where now
we're in trouble.
Now I've got a little fear, nowI don't feel confident.
As soon as you feel it, takeaction.
Michele Folan (37:27):
What are two to three simple things that my
listeners can do at home todayto start to improve their
balance?
Dan Metcalfe (37:37):
So dancing is one of them.
Okay, if I go into this, if Ican go just a little bit deeper
into this, the brain will onlygo off of the information it's
given.
Like any computer, if you don'tput the right programming in,
it's going to default to theminimum or it won't work.
When you've had a fall and thiscame out in a study from
(37:58):
Bristol University or whenyou've had an accident of any
kind and people, if they've beenin a car crash, you're going to
know this as well, because it'snot just about movement.
The cerebellum, which is thepart of the back of the brain,
it's called the mini brain orthe little brain the back is
what controls our movement.
But what they discovered fromBristol University was in the
(38:20):
cerebellum there's a part calledthe pyramus and the pyramus
connects to a part called thePAG, the P-A-G, and that has its
own fear sensor in the brain.
So if I explain this, when youwalk close to the edge of a
sidewalk and it's a six-inchdrop, you walk really fast, you
stop, you look around and youcross.
But if that edge is now a200-meter drop off of a cliff,
(38:43):
we naturally walk slower to theedge because the brain is going.
This is danger.
We need to slow down.
So let's go back to thepyramids, because you've had an
accident or a movement that'sgone on and you've had an injury
that's created a fear, likeeven a car crash.
Now I'm more careful when I'mdriving because now I'm looking
more left and right.
(39:03):
That's not because we'reconscious of the accident.
It's the brain retaining thememory.
So we have to train in anenvironment that if we have a
fear, we remove the fear.
Otherwise the body wouldnaturally slow down off of
memory.
So the first thing is move morein things that are not fearful.
(39:23):
So if you feel a little offbalance but you like to dance
and I keep going back to dancingright Move more, get moving
much quicker steps.
And this is the second one.
But let me finish that up realquick If the brain feels fear,
it will slow down the messagingof the neurological pathways.
So it's really important thatwe do things we're not fearful
(39:47):
of.
But venturing into the area offeeling the off balance or not
movement as much.
Getting on a treadmill is notas good for our movement because
it's linear.
It's one way we're actuallykeeping as we go.
Okay, I'm out for a walk,that's great, but we're walking
in one way, so we're losing theability to feel different parts
(40:08):
of movement.
So the second thing which I sayis take lots of small steps as
part of a cardio workout changein direction.
So one of the programs that Iteach with the total balance
system is just quick littlesteps, taking your feet three
millimeters off the ground andturning left and turning right,
but keeping your head forward,and then doing the quick little
(40:31):
forward, quick little back,forwards and backwards, going in
different directions,sidestepping, but everything
with small feet.
And the reason I say small feet, do as many remember when we
were kids and they'd say pretendyou're killing ants.
What a horrible thing to do.
I love ants, but you're inballet.
Take small little.
What are they called Fairysteps or those different things?
(40:52):
Do that because the speed ofyour small movements forces the
brain to have to increase itsability to process fast
messaging.
Taking big, long, slow steps isgood for proprioception and
pressure point stability, butit's not good for the quick
movement.
So first one dance, second onedo lots of small steps in
(41:14):
different directions.
You can do it while you'rewatching your TV.
Put on the clock one minute,just taking different small
little steps almost in the samespot.
And the third one that I thinkis critical is going onto the
slightly bigger steps of weighttransference, so jumping to the
side, jumping forwards, jumpingslightly backwards, with
(41:36):
slightly more steps, because itputs the brain in a dynamic
action, movement, the thingsthat I say, that I don't agree
with, and I'm taking on societyand I'm taking on the medical
world with this and I wassurprised at the resistance I
got because it's brain proven.
But our results speak forthemselves, where people in
stroke centers are calling me into train their clients with
(41:58):
severe strokes and I'm gettingmore out of them in 15 minutes
than they have in three monthsand the patients love it.
Single leg standing is nothingto do with mobility and if I
break this down, it's good as alittle test.
I'm not anti it, but it's notthe way to determine if
someone's a full risk.
When we stand on one single leg, there's only three parts of
the brain that are working.
(42:18):
That's the frontal lobe sayingdon't move.
It's the cerebellum sayingdon't move and it's the corpus
callosum, the right and leftside that join, the right and
left side saying okay, this iswhere I am.
How do we get the pressure.
Don't move as soon as we start.
(42:39):
It's something as simple asthis.
Remember as a kid when youstand in the playground and they
say, okay, be a tree.
And you stand on the leg andyou start moving your arms and
trying to keep your balance.
At least 18 parts of the brainare now engaged in trying to
keep your balance and it'smobility training, not
stationary, which is the staticbalance and dynamic balance and
I know I'm going on because Iget so excited talking about
this, but so that's what I wouldsay Dance, small steps,
(43:03):
changing directions, forward,backwards, sideways, diagonals,
turning left and right, facingdifferent.
And then the last one, like Isaid, is taking slightly bigger
steps of jumps.
And if you say, well, I'm kindof not at that point yet, then
just start with the small steps,don't do the jumps yet, and
you'll be amazed.
I've got so many letters ofpeople tripping on a sidewalk
(43:24):
and staying up, my mothersliding on a walk that she had
out in the woods and the groundgave way.
Or her grandkids jumping on herand she thought she was falling
.
And she said at the end Irealized I'm still up.
I didn't know how it's, becauseyou've trained your brain to
react before you're conscious ofit.
Wow.
Michele Folan (43:42):
Okay, so you're giving me homework, because now
I'm going to be doing this stuffright.
And it's funny, dan, becausetraditionally, if any woman
listening has been on Instagram,you've heard the trick for
balance mobility was to brushyour teeth standing on one foot
(44:03):
Right.
So I kind of like the dancingand the small steps much better.
I will tell you, my husband andI have dance party at the house
.
We'll put on the Bee Gees orsomething fun to dance to and we
will dance around like idiotsand have a great time.
(44:25):
We used to do this with thekids when they were in high
school and they'd have friendsover and we'd do dance party.
Now I'm thinking we got to makesure that we do more dance
parties, but these are all suchpractical things and easy to do.
You don't have to join a gym todo these very small things.
You have coined a phrase calledborn superhuman, and Could you
(44:52):
tell us a little bit about whatthat means to you?
Dan Metcalfe (44:56):
Yeah, do you want me to do?
You want to put a time limit onme, cause I get again so
excited because I see theresults in other people?
Born superhuman comes from themoment that I realized that
we're born to heal.
We're slowly numbed down ordumbed down by society that we
trusted had our best interest,and then we find out that maybe
(45:21):
they weren't building me as muchas they were building
themselves.
And I go back to the umbilicalcord, the cutting the baby, the
incredible abilities, and thenthrough the rest of our life.
We still have teams around us,but we have to be willing to
step into the ring.
When we understand where wecome from and we understand the
(45:43):
brilliance of our body and thatwe're actually hurting ourselves
by the habits that we're havingor going through, and we're
willing to make the difference.
The change is for you andeverybody else benefits, but you
will feel it every single daywhen you do the right thing.
So I'll go through the sevenpillars really quickly, right,
and these are in order ofimportance for life, not my own
opinion.
(46:03):
This is what's scientificallyproven and practically
successful.
Number one is oxygen.
If we don't have oxygen, we'regoing to die bottom line.
But what's the quality?
How are we breathing?
What's the breath work thatwe're doing?
We know that we can change ouremotional state and go from a
(46:24):
stress state to a calm statejust by breathing, yet nobody
teaches it.
We'll go and pop a pill to getrid of depression right and help
with the serotonin, whereas ifwe were moving and breathing we
would have that neurologicalrelease of chemicals in the
brain which then are morepowerful than any drugs out
there, when we're developing andcreating those ourselves.
(46:46):
Secondly is hydration, and Iwould say for me this is the
easiest to get.
75% of adult Americans are in achronic state of dehydration.
This is scientific data.
Again, this isn't me making itup.
We've replaced water and whatour cells need by sugar drinks,
(47:07):
by the coffee, by the Well.
It's got water in it, it's gotfluid, it's got liquid in it.
It damages our brain comparedto the water we need, and even
greater when I combine the two.
When we're dehydrated at theathlete level, 3% dehydration
can be up to 20%underperformance.
When we're dehydrated, ourblood thickens.
(47:28):
When our blood thickens, theheart has to and now you're
drinking water.
Our heart has to work harderbecause the blood's thicker, we
can't get the oxygen around thebody quick enough, it will hurt
our sleeping at nighttime.
We're not able to heal.
So I have certain protocols andI have a free giveaway hydration
(47:49):
challenge.
That is dynamic, because Idon't believe in drinking water,
I believe in sipping water whenwe're thirsty.
When we know it, we're alreadypast hydration, we're in a bad
state of dehydration and then weglug down a whole glass.
Or we're told to drink eightglasses a day or 12 glasses a
day.
Well, we drink it, we feelbloated, we don't feel better,
(48:11):
we suddenly feel like out ofsorts, and we can actually swamp
the cells rather than fuel themwith energy through being
hydrated.
So second is hydration.
Third, probably the hardest formothers and people that are
going through stress is sleep.
Sleep is critical.
That's when the brain recovers,that's when the body recovers,
(48:34):
that's when we re-energize thecells to be able to be ready for
the task the next day.
And if you don't sleep, itwould take you down faster than
number four, which is nutrition.
Right, we cannot eat for 40days, but if you don't sleep for
40 days, you lost all mentalability and stability and you'll
either be in some sort of homeor craziness.
But with nutrition I'm going togive a great tip here that made
(48:57):
the difference to me.
Six months ago I was at a 21.4%body fat Not good.
Today I'm at an 8.5% body fatwithout even trying.
I'm not focused on it, I'm justdoing the right things.
Wow, when we get hungry, whatdo we do?
Michele Folan (49:13):
We eat, we eat, and sometimes we make poor food
choices when we're really hungry.
Dan Metcalfe (49:19):
Right, so we just eat.
This is what the one word thatchanged everything and I've had
so many success stories comingback to me Change the word from
eat to nourish.
That's it.
Change the word from eat tonourish.
So when I'm hungry, if I'mgoing to eat, I'll grab a bag of
cookies, I'll grab somechocolate, I'll grab some candy,
(49:41):
I'll grab the bread and make asandwich, but if I change that
word, I'm hungry, I'm going tonourish.
It changed the way that I sawfood and didn't want to eat the
bad stuff which was part of themakeup of the cortisol release,
from the stress.
We don't feel good, and thecalories, the sugar and fats are
actually good for us.
The good fats are.
(50:01):
So just look at it that simplechange with hydration and
nourish.
I would put money on everybodycommitting to that losing
unbelievable amounts of not justvisceral fat, which is the
subcutaneous fat, but thevisceral fat.
The visceral fat is the onethat goes around our organs,
(50:22):
that stops them working properly, and you will get better, so
much more.
So that's number.
Well, we've got oxygen,hydration, sleep.
Then we've got nutrition.
Then we've got mindset isnumber, that's right.
What is number five?
Oh, exercise, of course.
What?
Michele Folan (50:40):
are you talking about?
I was like no, six is mindset.
Dan Metcalfe (50:43):
I knew that exercise brings it all together,
we can't grow.
We need to stress our bodies tohave success.
We're not talking aboutnegative stress.
We're talking about all of youknow, if you go walk stairs
every day as part of yourtraining, your legs get stronger
.
It's not negative, it'spositive stress.
Negative is where you sit andgo.
I can't do this.
It's hurting.
I don't want to do this.
(51:03):
I'm angry.
That's negative stress.
Exercise is critical for thebrain.
The brain is made of movement.
The neural chemicals come frommovement.
Those that move longer livelonger better, and we they've
had studies.
You sit at a desk for eighthours a day.
You do better smokingcigarettes and moving than you
(51:25):
would sitting at a desk.
Yeah, um, we know that thesethings are critical.
I'll give a little tip hereevery hour, if you can't get out
and walk, get up, hold on tothe side of your desk and do 10
deep knee squats, because those10 deep knee squats give a
similar effect in muscularactivity that it would do going
(51:46):
out and walking for 10 minutes.
Michele Folan (51:48):
You're singing my song.
So much of this is stuff that Itell my clients I'm like you
take the long way back from thebathroom, set your timer on your
phone, get up at least everyhour and move your body, right,
I mean, it seems so simple, butwe get so programmed and get so
(52:08):
into what we're doing.
We forget that our bodies needto move.
Dan Metcalfe (52:12):
It's essential.
It's essential, I mean, look atwhen someone comes out of a
coma.
The first sign of them comingout of a coma is a movement.
It is a finger movement, an eyebatting, the feet start moving,
Same as when someone'srecovering from a stroke
neuropathy, all these differentthings, it's all movement Move.
Number six is mindset.
(52:34):
As we know, we are what webelieve we are.
We think and I'll say this aswell, I can't stand the word
hope.
I think hope is the worst wordin the world, the reason being
it's a procrastinator.
Right, I hope I have a good day.
I hope someone helps me.
I hope I can find the rightdoctor.
I hope what that does is itsays to the brain okay, I need
(52:57):
to sit back and wait Now forother people.
I love the word hope.
Michelle, I hope you have themost beautiful day.
I hope your next dance party isthe best ever.
I hope everyone listening tothis understands their own power
, because that's not my control,but for me it has to be belief.
I believe I'll have a great day.
(53:18):
I believe I can get better.
I believe my life is going toimprove.
I believe I'll lose the weightand this goes into a whole
nother topic that we won't touchon today, but it's about
self-love.
That's so important because itimpacts how we think and how we
are.
But if you can get your mindsetright and strong and
bulletproof, that the noisearound you doesn't take you down
(53:41):
and the naysayers are removedfrom your environment, because
we become our environment.
But the most importantenvironment you will ever create
is the one inside you, Becausewhen your environment is strong,
nobody can penetrate it.
Because when your environmentis strong, nobody can penetrate
it.
And then you're in control andyou give yourself the freedom to
say no, which is so dynamic.
(54:03):
For me, it's the second mostpowerful word in the world
behind yes.
No is a capital N, capital Oand it stands for next
opportunity.
Thank you very much.
I'm walking away, or it standsfor and it goes here no
(54:24):
obligation yeah, oh, that'sgreat.
Michele Folan (54:25):
No obligation, yeah, setting those boundaries.
Dan Metcalfe (54:27):
And yeah, I feel so good when I can say no to
something and feel good, youknow and know it's the right
decision, right A hundredpercent for you, yeah, and
somebody else will find somebodyelse to help them in something
that's not right for you.
Don't feel guilt and wish themluck.
It's not bad.
And the last one which we'regoing to come down to is
challenges in the seven pillars.
(54:47):
If you don't challenge yourselfto do more, you will decline,
and we're not talking aboutcrazy challenges.
But if someone says I've got abalance issue, or maybe
someone's parents are strugglingand they say I just love to
walk around the block again,don't say I want to walk around
the block again.
I want to go to the beach andwalk on the sand.
I want to walk that hill that Iused to walk to see the view.
Because on the way you willaccomplish easily walking around
(55:12):
the block.
Set your challenges at thehighest level of excitement,
something you'd be passionateabout doing again, or like my
mother at 84 doing for the firsttime.
Set those goals and commityourself to them because you're
so powerful.
You've got so much potential.
We are not who people say weare.
(55:32):
Every single person listeningknows inside that there's more
to them.
I wish somebody saw more of whoI am.
I wish somebody understood morethe power that I know I've got.
I just can't access it.
And everybody listening if youturn around and realize this
goes on to a whole another thingI do when I go talk on keynotes
(55:55):
that I can't go into time-wisenow.
But you are born of the best ofthe best.
You're absolutely incredible.
If somebody hasn't championedyou, you haven't found the
ability to champion yourself.
And so many people were put down, like my girlfriend who has MS
and went from on a walker to 10minutes to go 10 feet, to now
(56:19):
running 10 miles on a treadmill,climbing 40 foot trees, doing
agility courses, being told whenshe was a little girl she
couldn't sing and that took awayher whole confidence.
When you go to the choir, justmove your mouth, don't sing.
You've got a horrible voice.
You can't do that.
You can't dance.
Now she does ballet classes.
Now she dances.
Now she's fantastic.
She now has singing lessons andshe's singing on stage and you
(56:46):
know, doing things that shedreamt she could do as a little
girl and all she had to do ishave someone believe in her.
And then that self-belief Well,I believe in every single
person listening because I'veseen it over 70,000 people that
I've trained.
I see it time and time again.
If someone believes in you andI do believe, because it's not
(57:10):
who you are it's the potentialof everything you were born to
be, and you were born superhuman.
Michele Folan (57:18):
That's so awesome .
We all need to hear this everyonce in a while.
So I'm going to put much ofwhat Dan just laid out in the
show notes, but certainly youcan go back and listen to this.
But this is so inspiring and ifyou're having one of those days
where your little woe is me,this is exactly what you need to
(57:42):
hear Before we wrap up.
I do want to talk about TotalBalance Company and your mission
and how you work with clients.
Dan Metcalfe (57:51):
Yeah, thank you very much.
So Total Balance is a verysimple system that is created by
accident.
I actually had a dream about ittrying to help Bob and I woke
up from the dream, built it andthat's what we have today.
It's not a balanced board, butit comes with a balanced board
that's created to give you fullmobility.
This is again Olympic athletesand people 100 years old that
(58:11):
are back walking, that haven'twalked in five years.
It's incredible because all wedo is we tap into the brain.
The mission there is trifold.
So we have the pro program,which is for the athletes.
But, talking to your audience,this is a passion for me.
I used to teach abs, thighs andbuns classes in LA and had the
biggest classes out here Formothers that are given birth.
(58:34):
You need to move, you need toinvest in yourself and this
system that I have, the PROsystem, will strengthen your abs
, thighs, buns.
It will get you moving and youcan do it next to a baby's crib
while they're sleeping, becausewe don't want to leave the baby.
10-minute workouts, 15-minute.
It will get you so muchstronger.
The second one is Neuro 360.
So, anyone with MS we've hadincredible success with MS,
(58:57):
parkinson's, ataxia, strokesurvivors, tbis.
We have the Neuro360 program,which is brain to body
connection, and then we have theBalance360 Up, which comes off
of our original, which isanybody aging, anyone feeling
they're off.
We've got kids with a genesisof the corpus callosum.
They were born without theability to connect right and
left side.
They're off.
We've got kids with a genesis ofthe corpus callosum.
They were born without theability to connect right and
(59:18):
left side.
They're improving.
We train the brain by doingphysical movements safely and
the results are off the charts.
And I don't say this from anego point of view.
I do this because I see it dayin, day out.
And what you're changing isn'tyour physical as much as you're
changing your emotional state ofexcitement, of living again,
(59:40):
living better, and so I see itas a two-pronged attack.
You're going to get physicallybetter, but the result is you're
happier and able to doeverything again that life
offers you, because the bestmemories should be the ones
ahead.
Michele Folan (59:57):
This is beautiful .
I'm so like I want to getmoving, Like I want to get out
of my chair.
Dan Metcalfe (01:00:05):
These two put on the music.
Michele Folan (01:00:06):
Yeah Well, we'll have to do that tonight.
Dan Metcalfe, where can mylisteners find you and the
resources that you offer?
Dan Metcalfe (01:00:16):
Yeah, thank you so much.
We have totalbalancecompanycomthat's the four words
totalbalancecompanycom which iswhere we have our program for
balance, mobility and braintraining.
And then I havebornsuperhumancom, which is my
what I call.
That's a passion for me becauseit's unleashing the miracle
within you to go.
(01:00:36):
So if you don't have balanceissues or your mobility is great
, but you have this emotionaldesire to get even better in
what you're doing or you've gotthese goals, that's where you
can go to, and then I'm.
We have both those on a totalbalance Born Superhuman and on
Instagram.
And then my own personal is DanMetcalfe, with an E underscore
(01:01:00):
official.
So it's Dan Metcalf e official.
I also have a program for kidsthat I love.
I have a nonprofit for kids.
That's been phenomenal, but Ihave a program.
So anybody knows anyone that'splaying soccer, go to
supersoccerskillscom, because ifwe can train our youth to have
that mindset and ability basedaround sports and performance,
(01:01:21):
which is really a mirror ofeveryday life, that's
supersoccerskillscom.
I've got a great program therefor kids as well.
Michele Folan (01:01:28):
Fantastic.
Again, I will put all that inthe show notes.
Dan Metcalfe, I'm just likeblown away.
I had no idea where thisconversation was going to go.
I'm pleasantly surprised and sohappy that you could be here
today, Dan Metcalfe.
Thanks for being here.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for listening.
(01:01:51):
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, where I share midlife wellnessand fitness tips, insights, my
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Okay, ladies, I know how this goes because I did
the exact same thing.
You've saved recipes, you'vebookmarked the workouts, but now
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How do you actually put it alltogether in a way that works for
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That's where Faster Way comesin.
This isn't random tips fromsocial media.
(00:22):
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Health, wellness, fitness andeverything in between.
We're removing the taboo fromwhat really matters in midlife.
(01:03):
I'm your host, Michele Folan,and this is Asking for a Friend.
Did you know that one in fourwomen over 65 falls each year
and more than 50% of those whofall and fracture hip never
fully recover?
Even more alarming 20 to 30% ofolder adults who suffer a
(01:25):
serious fall die within a year,often due to complications
stemming from immobility,surgery or subsequent decline.
Balance isn't just aboutfitness.
It's about freedom,independence and longevity.
Today's guest knows thatfirsthand His story is nothing
short of miraculous.
A former Broadway performerwho became paralyzed
(01:49):
mid-performance, faced partialbrain death and somehow came
back stronger, dedicating hislife to helping people,
especially older adults andthose with neurological
challenges, regain their balance, mobility and quality of life.
From celebrities like ShirleyMacLaine to everyday warriors,
navigating Parkinson's and MS,he's worked with over 70,000
(02:11):
people and counting.
He's the founder of the TotalBalance Company and the Born
Superhuman program, and he'shere today to help us reclaim
our power from the ground up.
Dan Metcalfe, welcome to Askingfor a Friend from the ground up
.
Dan Metcalfe (02:26):
Dan Metcalf, welcome to Asking for a Friend.
Thanks, Michele.
Brilliant title Asking for aFriend because we're bored up to
never admit our own frailtiesor curiosities or judgment.
And that intro it really gaveme the shivers, actually,
because sometimes we forget whatwe do and the impact that we
have on people.
And yet my mission is to helpevery single person that's
(02:47):
willing to put in the work for abetter future.
Michele Folan (02:49):
Yeah, you and me both, and I think willing to put
in the work is a key part ofthat human dynamic that we hope
for when we get to work withpeople.
I want to talk a little bitfirst about the origin story,
right, who you are and where youare from, because obviously you
(03:11):
weren't born here in the UnitedStates, and a little bit about
the genesis of where you aretoday.
Dan Metcalfe (03:18):
Yeah, thanks, I'll try and keep this really short
because it's an incredible story, not because it's mine, it's
because I got to experience itand it does inspire, speak
around the country and inspireso many people.
So I grew up as an athlete backin England in a little town
called Bournemouth.
That's beautiful, it's probablygot one of the best beaches in
the world.
The sand's so soft.
We just don't have the sun, sothat's a bit of a problem when
(03:40):
it comes to it.
And then I left sports and wasgoing to go into the military
because I'd done eight yearstraining and I started doing
aerobics to get supple formountain climbing.
And the teacher there said youshould become a dancer.
And I'm like a dancer.
What do you mean a dancer?
I'm a man's man, shaved head,backpacks, running through the
sand and water.
So she dared me and I went upto a place called Lane Theatre
(04:02):
Arts just outside London, justas a joke really, and two and a
half hours later, doing a funaudition because I'll be signing
for the Marines in two weekstime they offered me a full
three-year scholarship to startin two weeks time and the next
thing I know, never having doneit before I'm in ballet tights,
learning tap, jazz, modern,because my curiosity in life was
(04:23):
always go for it If there'ssomething that you love.
So the next thing, I know, youknow, I'm dancing and my dad had
actually taken me to see a showAndrew Lloyd Webber show called
Starlight Express.
I didn't even know my dad likedtheater, but it was his
favorite show and I was 18 atthe time, almost 19.
And at the end of the show hesaid eight words that changed my
(04:46):
life and I use these eightwords to change everybody's life
.
So anybody that's listening,please take these words in,
because even if you don't engagethem now, the seed is planted,
which is what happened with me.
We finished watching StarlightExpress and my dad looked at me
and what do you think I'm like,dad?
This is incredible.
I was like blown away.
(05:07):
They were like demigods andgoddesses on the stage, you know
, skating and singing anddancing.
And then he goes one day you'llbe in this show and I said I'll
never be good enough.
And he said the eight words tome that changed my life, that I
live my life by.
He said somebody has to do it,why not you?
Somebody has to do it, why notyou?
(05:32):
A year and a half later I wasin the show, went on to play the
lead in Lloyd Webber shows andthen opened the show for him out
here in Las Vegas.
And I'm going to jump throughthis really quick Now.
During a performance, I had anaccident, fractured my spine.
I was paralyzed on stage andthe doctor said I'd be disabled
for life.
Well, I didn't want to acceptthat, because the brain and this
is where we're going to come toas we talk the brain is your
(05:54):
power force in life, but it canonly go off of the information
that's told to you.
So when we were born and thisis where born superhuman comes
in and the umbilical cord is cut, baby is immediately on its own
looking after itself with ateam around it.
But the whole brilliance of thebaby is that it learns to
survive.
(06:14):
And, for people that maybedon't know, we have roughly 86
billion brain cells, but almostall those brain cells are in a
baby when they're born.
What we don't have is theconnections, the synapse that
allows the thought processes tothen function the baby.
So, whatever we're taught andwe believe it's for our good we
(06:35):
end up doing so.
I had to fight back.
I came back.
I became a head coach on theOlympic program open my own
sports performance gyms.
I'm a head coach on the Olympicprogram, open my own sports
performance gyms, master trainerin gyms and all the other stuff
, and started racing the Ironman.
Well, bringing the story here toan end, I was out in 2018, out
on a bike ride and I camethrough a guard gated security
(06:58):
gate and the guard brought themetal gate down on my head.
I was immediately knockedunconscious, had a secondary
impact on the ground that brokemy helmet open.
Already unconscious, I was outfor about three minutes and part
of my brain died.
I had to learn to talk again.
I had to learn to function.
I had to learn to move and, asI tell everyone, everything that
happens to us in life is a giftif we wrap it correctly.
(07:22):
I would never be where I amtoday if I hadn't suffered, and
so now I can relate and help somany people understanding to be
a champion, you just have tostep over the start line.
You don't have to finish, justget going.
Michele Folan (07:37):
Dan, we're going to take a quick break, but when
we come back, I want to reallydig into your recovery and what
that looked like.
After menopause, my skin hit amidlife identity crisis.
I was dry, I was dull andmissing that healthy glow.
I was layering on products,hoping for magic and just
(07:59):
getting, eh, so-so results.
Then I found RIMAN.
It's Korea's number oneskincare line and let me tell
you, game changed Cleaningredients, visible results and
products that actually getmidlife skin Hydration, yep,
brightness Absolutely, and glow.
(08:22):
Oh, she is back.
If your skincare routine feelslike a science experiment gone
wrong, it's time for a smarterswitch.
Check the link in the shownotes or DM me.
I'll hook you up with mymust-haves, because better skin
isn't too much to ask.
We are back.
Okay, I've got so manyquestions here.
(08:44):
What did your recovery looklike?
Because we're talking bothphysically and mentally.
Did you ever imagine, first ofall, that you would return to
performing or doing all thosewonderful things, working with
the Olympic team and becoming acoach but then you have this
(09:05):
happen?
I mean, I have to know moreabout your mindset and how you
were able to get through allthis.
Dan Metcalfe (09:11):
Yeah, it's fascinating because again I go
back to what the words my dadtold me.
I didn't have a greatrelationship with my dad growing
up, but he impacted my wholefuture with just eight words.
But I never accepted what I wastold, and that may have been a
problem with me growing up aswell, because my mom would be
like go clean your room and I'mlike I got busier things to do,
but I didn't hear the doctorswhen they said I couldn't, even
(09:34):
though I was lying in bed.
This was probably the toughestpart of everything.
The night I was paralyzed, I'min the hospital bed and I lost
sight in my right eye because ofthe swelling to the brain and
the optical nerve shutting down.
And I lay there that night notwanting to go to sleep because
my left eye was stillfunctioning and I didn't know if
I wake up in the morning blind.
(09:54):
And I didn't want to go tosleep because I wanted to
remember my last vision, and nota pretty last vision hospital
walls.
But with that being said, whenI woke up the next morning and I
could see out of my right eye,I knew we're made to heal.
And this is where we get thiswrong in here, Michele, if you
cut your arm on the outside andit's a slight cut or even a
(10:17):
relatively bad cut, we stitch itup or we clean it and bandage
it or band-aid it, and we neverworry.
It's going to heal.
We watch it, the scab goes on.
As long as we don't pull thescab off, the chances are we're
never going to have a scar thereand we're healed With the same
system that heals us on theoutside.
It's healing us on the insidewith even more power, because it
(10:38):
doesn't have all the potentialinfections coming in from the
outside like a wound does.
Once we trust ourselves and givethe information to the brain to
go to work and this is what Ilearned with my brain injury as
long as you're again willing todo that, the magic we seek is in
the work we avoid.
So we're waiting for someoneelse.
And one thing that I reallylove to get across in here is
(11:02):
that if we're made to heal, ifwe're born to heal, what is it
that's stopping us?
Because there's a magic, themiracle within, that will allow
us to or this goes on evenfurther for everyone watching
pursue the dreams that we gaveup, and I see this so much with
so many amazing ladies that I'veworked with who sacrificed
(11:25):
their dreams for their family.
They continue to sacrificelooking after their parents.
They continue to sacrificetheir own power by giving,
because society taught them togive and be the one that carries
the weight.
Women are incredible with thestrength they have, but if we
tap back into our brilliance andgive ourselves love because
(11:47):
self-love isn't selfish, it'sessential and give time for
ourselves, everybody elsebenefits through our own
empowerment.
Michele Folan (11:56):
You know I say this all the time it is never
too late to do that thing thatyou've always wanted to do, and
I have so many guests on thisshow, men and women who are
doing things later in life thatthey never thought they would be
(12:16):
doing.
And I think what you're tellingme is it's really mindset and
belief that carried you throughyour recovery, because you were
healing from the inside.
Dan Metcalfe (12:29):
Yeah, everybody has the same tools available to
them when we start looking atourselves first.
And that's why, in the BornSuperhuman program, I have seven
pillars to natural health andincredible results We've had.
Number six is mindset.
Yet I teach it first, becausemindset won't keep you alive
(12:50):
more than getting your sleep,drinking your water, breathing
oxygen.
And yet it's the most criticalto who we are.
Can I share a story, becauseyou talk about doing things
later in life.
Michele Folan (13:01):
Yeah.
Dan Metcalfe (13:01):
Okay, and I'm excited to share this one.
So, if I go back, I created theTotal Balance program just for
a gentleman by the name of BobEubanks.
Many would know him from theNewlywed Game or the Rose Parade
.
Michele Folan (13:13):
Oh heck yeah.
Dan Metcalfe (13:14):
Yeah, and so he was falling a lot and I had
written a movie we're down atNetflix and at the end of the
meeting, like I said, he was 79.
He had had hip surgeries, backsurgeries, and he couldn't get
out of the chair properly andwalk.
And then he did what I call thesenior shuffle, which is the
feet barely come off of theground and he's hunched over.
(13:34):
We'll come back to that storybecause I want to explain what
happened with Bob when we talkabout the actual training
program.
But I never created this tosell.
Now my mother, who's a doctorand still works six days a week,
12 hours a day I can't say herage because she doesn't like it
when I say that because she'sbetween 86 and 88.
So I went back for her 80thbirthday back in England to
(13:59):
visit and she said Dan, she goes.
I had a stroke a year ago and Isaid oh, mom, you're actually
doing really well.
I noticed that you slowed down.
But this is the problem withhow we're educated.
We think it's just because ofage.
So I said I thought you weredoing great, I thought you're
just aged, I hadn't seen her infour years and I saw a slight
tightness in the right side ofher face, but she was good.
(14:21):
I said what's the hardest thing, mom, cause I think you're
doing great she goes.
I had to give up line dancing.
That was her only passion,cause she she grew up as a war
child in the second world warWasn't allowed to dance.
My sister was a professionalballet dancer.
I went on to become a balletdancer and performer but she had
never done anything but linedancing.
So I said why can't you stilldo it?
She goes well, because my rightfoot won't move.
(14:43):
I think about it, but there's adisconnect in the speed of me
thinking and moving.
So either people are fallinginto me and I'm a danger to them
or they're a danger to me.
So I went back and I createdthis board that I'd got for.
Bob made a second one and theresults were phenomenal.
I sent it to her in England.
Five days later she went backto line dancing.
(15:03):
You're kidding.
I sent it to her in EnglandFive days later she went back to
line dancing.
You're kidding Unbelievable.
But this is the part that'samazing.
She came to visit me when shewas 84.
And this may be the greatestgift I've been able to give,
because here's the lady thatgave birth to me.
I gave her life back becauseshe could move.
At 84, she did her very firstballet class ever and she rode a
(15:25):
bicycle for the first time inher life ever.
Wow.
So, stroke at 79, recovery infive days, but she worked it.
And we have very specificprograms.
Four years later, five yearsafter stroke and we're not
talking about a ballet classwhich is, you know, for old
people she, I got her a privatelesson so I wanted to make sure
(15:45):
she was safe and got theattention.
She's in the center doing jumps, she's doing her pirouettes
because she had watched, sheknew it so much and she loved a
show called the Turning Point,which was Shirley MacLaine was
in that, and then I ended uptraining Shirley MacLaine.
But to your point and I'mtalking a little bit too much,
but it's never too late untilwe've gone past the point of
(16:09):
recovery, which means we don'twant to do it anymore because
it's too painful.
Michele Folan (16:13):
Yeah, she is amazing.
By the way, If you have hergenetics, you're in a good place
.
The fact that she's doing thatwell, that's tremendous.
I love that story.
Thank you for sharing that.
I am a little curious, thoughat what point did you realize
that your personal journey couldbe a catalyst for helping
(16:36):
others?
I mean, when did that lightbulb go on?
Dan Metcalfe (16:39):
Yeah, that's a pretty heavy question because
there's things that I don'tnormally talk about.
I had a sports performancetraining center and I was
training a lot of professionalathletes.
They'd fly in from around theworld and I was taking athletes
that were told they'd never playagain.
I was focused mainly in soccerand after I trained with them
for like three months they wereback playing on the national
(16:59):
team and we had great successstories.
But I had some business issuesthat went on and it was very
heavy, I'll just put it that wayand I had false lawsuits filed
against me that they knew that Icouldn't defend financially and
so I went to end my life.
(17:20):
I'll just say in there oh Lord,it's a beautiful story from the
point of view of inspiration,and this is because you asked
the question where did it change?
I had lost everything.
You know, I always had a reallyhard working life.
I always took the challenge, Ialways rose to the highest level
and was successful, andsuddenly I was taken out by a
(17:43):
con man, basically, and wassuccessful, and suddenly I was
taken out by a con man,basically, and I didn't know how
to survive.
Everywhere I turned I wasgetting beaten down.
I'd lost everything, like Isaid, and I used to race bikes.
Like I said, I've done theIronman and I've raced bikes and
I went to ride up this hill togo and jump off the top of the
mountain and there's a reallysteep place.
I used to race up this reallysteep part called the wall and I
(18:09):
couldn't even get up it.
I was so exhausted and mentallydone that I got off my bike.
I threw my bike in the busheson the opposite side because
there's a cliff there, and Istood on the side and a part of
me was saying just do it, yourlife's over, You've had all
these accomplishments, You'vebeen successful.
And we see all the time peoplethat are successful when they're
(18:31):
younger and then they lose itwhen they're older and they feel
they don't have any value orpurpose.
So I kind of edged closer tothe edge and another voice
inside said Dan, get back on thebike and get to the top of the
mountain.
And I just didn't want to do itvoice and I said Dan, get back
on the bike and get to the topof the mountain.
And I just didn't want to do it.
I was too exhausted, too tired,so I edged a little bit closer.
My toes are over the edge now.
And the voice was Dan, get backon the bike and get to the top
(18:52):
of the mountain.
Well, this went on for about aminute and I went oh forget it.
I went back, grabbed my bikeout of the bushes, got back on
and went to the top of themountain.
And it was about another 20minute ride to the top.
And when I got there, it wasn'telation, it wasn't oh yeah,
this is great, this is amazing.
I made it.
I was numb, but a voice insidemy head said if the pilot light
(19:15):
is still on, the flame can beimmense.
If the light is still on, theflame can be immense.
I just needed to put the fuel.
And I say that for everyonelistening You're still here, you
can do anything.
Well, I went back down themountain.
I went the slowest I've evergone down.
I wasn't excited, I wasn't likeyes, but it was an opening of
(19:36):
my mind to say what's next forme.
And I still loved performing.
I still went on from that andand I still loved performing.
I still went on from that and Iwas a head judge on a reality
TV show on Nickelodeon and stillwant to, but it was no longer
my passion.
I was like, okay, why am I goingthrough what I'm going through?
Because I hugely believeeverybody.
Why be the victim when you canbe the hero?
(19:57):
All it is is a mind shift,change from victim to hero.
And what we don't realize iswhat we're living through will
be inspirational for somebodyelse that doesn't have the power
, the strength or the confidencebut you give that to them, for
them to overcome their struggles.
So when you admit where you'reat and you say I'm willing to
(20:20):
take those steps and step overthe start line, not knowing the
journey ahead, but I'm willingto take that step, it's amazing
what we see and find in life.
Michele Folan (20:37):
And that was really the change, Michele.
Dan, this is incrediblyinspiring.
I mean I could stop the podcastright now.
I'm not going to, but I couldstop the podcast right now
because that is so powerful.
I have to kind of like sit backand let that sink in.
You decided to then go on tohelp others and that's when you
(20:59):
started your Born Human.
Dan Metcalfe (21:02):
It's actually.
It took me about four years,Michele.
This wasn't a quick turnaround.
Michele Folan (21:06):
Okay.
Dan Metcalfe (21:07):
There was.
It was a long process I wasgoing through you know what we
would term major depression.
I put on a load of weight, justyou know, I went on to my brain
injury as well.
But along the way, this iswhere I met Bob Eubanks and I
went against the grain.
This is what.
This is where I get excited now, and I'm glad you didn't stop
(21:28):
the podcast, because this is themeat of what people can.
This is just my story.
I'm interested as well ineverybody's story.
So when Bob was falling, I saidlet me train you.
And he said, nah, you're cause.
I was known as a really toughcoach, really tough train, but I
wasn't really training people.
I was still going through myown recovery if that's the right
(21:48):
way to put it mentally andfinding my purpose.
And on the Monday, Sunday night, Bob called me and said Dan,
I've been thinking about it, I'min a much worse state than I
thought I was.
I want you to train me.
I said, Bob, I'm just going tomeet you where you're at.
I'm not going to train you likea pro athlete.
We're going to start whereyou're comfortable to start
improving.
So he came over to my house andhere's Bob, who was falling
(22:09):
regularly, scared to get out ofbed.
Every day we don't know whatthe day's ahead and, as you said
, so spot on with the statisticsIf you fall, there's a 50%
chance you'll fall again in thenext two weeks.
One in three people over 65fall every year.
10% of those are going to diefrom the result of the fall if
(22:29):
they don't die during the fall.
Hip fractures, brain injuries,all these different things, and
it affects their whole familybecause now they become
dependent and everyone losestheir independence and fun.
So I said, Bob, come on, we'regoing to do what any great
trainer is going to do, orphysical therapist we're going
to strengthen your legs,strengthen your hip flexors,
strengthen your core and you'regoing to walk great again.
(22:51):
So he came to my house.
I set up this course that tookme about 40 minutes.
But the first thing we did wasthose speed ladders.
People may have seen them.
They look like ladders on theground that athletes run
through, and I'm sure a lot oflisteners have their kids go
through them in all sports.
Bob couldn't get through it.
He couldn't lift his foot offof the ground because he wanted
to shuffle.
So I said, okay, this is theproblem.
(23:11):
I figured it out.
I'm super, Dan.
Put your hands against the wall.
We're going to get you liftingyour knees.
We're going to strengthen thehip flexors first so you can
lift your legs.
As soon as he put his hands onthe wall, his legs were like
pistons up and down.
Light went on in two minutes.
(23:32):
My whole training, my program,what I'm teaching now with so
much success changed because Isaid the problem's not the body.
Everybody trains the body tofix balance and mobility.
It has nothing to do withmuscles until the brain is
re-engaged.
Nothing to do with musclesuntil the brain is re-engaged.
So if you look at babies andI'm sure so many people that
listen have gone throughchildbirth and watching their
(23:52):
babies grow up or friends'babies and stuff we didn't take
a baby to the gym to help themlearn to walk.
They tried to figure it out andwhat we built was neural
pathways of movement for ourmotor cortex and the motor
neurons, and I'm going to throwthis bit in here as a little bit
of an ideology.
That's proven.
(24:13):
We talk about muscle memory.
I coached muscle memory.
I talked about muscle memory.
There's no such thing as musclememory.
So when people say, well, hangon, we've got to have muscles to
walk and move.
They've got muscle memory.
Let me explain this reallyquickly.
If you took a muscle and askedit to move or try to make it
move on its own, it refuses tomove.
It can't.
It's just a piece of meat.
(24:34):
It has to have an electricalimpulse.
So an electrical impulse tomake the muscle move means then
the muscle comes from adirective.
That means it's the neuronsthat come from thought into the
cerebellum, to the motor cortex,down through the motor neurons.
The speed of it's incredible.
And then the muscle goes.
(24:55):
If we want to move better, wehave to make sure that the
memory comes from neuron memory,not from muscle memory.
So by training the brain-bodyconnection.
It's incredible.
That's what I did with Bob andin three weeks Bob went from an
old man, shuffling and fearful,in three weeks to running six
miles an hour on a treadmill.
Fearful in three weeks torunning six miles an hour on a
(25:16):
treadmill, running up anddownstairs, back walking with
his wife, getting out of bed,getting on stage and TV without
any fear.
And I went in because of mybrain injury and this is why you
have this whole brilliance, ifthat's the right way to put it
of my own accident, becauseafter my brain injury, I studied
the brain because nobody washelping me, and then, from real
(25:39):
life experience and trainingtens of thousands of people,
we've seen success by focusingon brain-body connection based
on how does a baby learn to walk?
Because our system doesn'tchange as we age, it just slows
down.
Michele Folan (25:53):
Wow, is Bob Eubanks still alive.
Dan Metcalfe (26:00):
Yeah, Bob's 87.
Michele Folan (26:02):
Oh wow, that is an incredible success story.
I know you have probably manyhere's the conundrum, or like
what just is now befuddling me,right Is falls are the leading
cause of injury-related deathfor seniors.
Right, right.
Why do you think balance andmobility training is still so
(26:27):
underutilized in mainstreamfitness, especially for midlife
women?
Dan Metcalfe (26:33):
Yeah.
So let's go straight to midlifewomen Incredible what they've
gone through to be where theyare today.
We know that women havestronger lower bodies than men
do.
Right, physiologically, theycarry babies.
Their body has done miracles.
But what happens?
We begin to get tired and whenwe get tired we move less.
(26:54):
And this goes across the board.
But I'm going to bring thisback to the ladies when we are
kids, we play and we don't age,or we don't stop playing because
we age.
We age because we stop playing,and that's the neurological
connection of movement.
So if we look at the agesbetween 10 and 20, it was
probably when we were the mostactive in control of our bodies,
(27:16):
and then between 20 and 30, weget either stuck in motherhood
and when I say stuck I mean that, respectfully, it's taken away
our freedom rather than stuckbecause we love, motherhood.
Michele Folan (27:26):
Sometimes we feel stuck, but you could say stuck.
Dan Metcalfe (27:30):
Okay, let's go back and start again.
So sometimes we get stuck inmotherhood and our exercise
comes from chasing our childrenaround.
Or we're in an office sittingat a desk and then we go home
and we've got to do the washing,We've got to do the cleaning,
We've got to do all thehousework that was expected
because society said do it.
So what happens?
(27:50):
We become linear in ourmovement, straightforward, turn
sideways, we're not jumping,we're not playing, which created
the neural pathways in children.
That's why dance is so good.
Look how many girls have doneballet growing up and it served
their purpose because theyweren't as involved in other
sports from society.
Push until Title IX came in andopened up equal amount of girls
(28:14):
and boys sports, which wascritical as well.
Then we sit more, we don't moveas much and what's happening
that we're not even cognizant ofbecause the brain and the body
are so brilliant wherever we are, it makes it feel normal.
So we're slowly taking out theability to feel quickly what's
happening and the freedom orconfidence to just move and jump
(28:36):
.
We become more stoic in ourmovement from the point of view
that we become conscious of it.
A movement should beunconscious, almost autonomic
within our brain.
So there's a study that cameout they did in France that has
been published, where theyfollowed 1,800 ladies over the
(29:00):
age of 65 and they followed themfor 10 years.
Those that had good balance andthis is proven, this is
clinical, this is data that'scaptured, this is not an opinion
those people that had goodbalance with a lot of the
exercises that we now teach,they lived eight years longer
across the board.
We're not talking about in ahospital bed being kept alive.
(29:24):
Those with good balance livedeight years longer of active,
full life.
Now, when I started looking atthis and as you've again
beautifully brought up, why isit so minimalized in part of our
everyday life?
And we're told when you loseyour, oh, it's just part of
aging.
My dad went to the doctor theother day and he goes.
My right leg's hurting and thedoctor goes well malcolm, you're
(29:46):
just getting older he goes well.
My left leg's the same age.
How come that one's not hurting?
And I loved it.
Because.
Why is it not utilized?
Because I don't believe there'sanything out there that if you
did it for yourself, no money,no cost would give you eight
years longer of quality, engaged, interactive life.
(30:09):
Well, why?
I believe and I'm not aconspiracy theorist, but I
believe it's because we'retaught to need medication,
there's money behind it and wetake out the ability of people
to take care of themselvesbecause there's no functionality
.
Michele Folan (30:27):
But you know, we have been trained to accept
things as they are.
So, women going throughmenopause oh, it's, it's just
menopause.
Everybody goes through it.
Right here, take, take thispill.
You know we're, we're notalways given that.
(30:49):
Hey, I think you need to get up, move more.
I think you would benefit fromdoing some training, all those
things, because we get the jointpain, we get that creeping
sense of physical decline, right, how do we get out of that?
How do we pull ourselves out ofthat so that we can do this?
(31:11):
Because this is where self-careand self-help comes in.
Dan Metcalfe (31:16):
Yeah, it's not hard.
It's a decision A little bitevery day Because, again, as I
said, aging is the excessivepursuit of sedentary comfort.
We'd prefer to sit on the sofaand watch TV than we would to
get up and go for a walk.
When we get to the point wherewe begin to feel pain or we
begin to experience fear becausewe've lost a little bit of our
(31:39):
balance, we suddenly feel offand doctors will say sit down,
take it easy, be careful.
This is a classic example.
When someone is at full risk orthey're falling, what do they
tell them to do?
Go through your house, removethe rugs.
What do they tell them to do?
Go through your house, removethe rugs, get rid of toys, open
(32:00):
the pathways, put handles on thewalls to help you in the
bathroom.
All they're doing is they'reallowing the decline, rather
than saying how do we increaseyour potential to success?
And that's what I specialize in, right For all ages.
And I will tell you, I haveOlympic athletes, world record
holders, that also use thetraining method, because what
(32:21):
we're doing is we'restrengthening up the
neurological pathways formovement and the speed.
So even more I can break thisdown.
We have a thought goes into ourfrontal cortex, our frontal lobe
, we want to move.
That then goes to thecerebellum and a couple of other
areas within the brain.
That then goes to thecerebellum and a couple of other
areas within the brain.
That then goes to the motorcortex, sends down the messages,
flies through our neurologicalpathways.
(32:44):
But this is where it's socritical Because we don't move
as much.
There's a sensory messagingafter action, the proprioception
of feeling what's happening.
That goes back to the brain andsays I'm off balance or I'm
doing good, and the freedom.
And that's so quick itshouldn't be cognitive.
In fact, every lady listeningand man listening will know I
(33:07):
walk down the street on my cellphone, looking in a shop window,
going I like that pair of shoesor I like that purse or I like
that dress, while they'reholding a conversation, while an
ambulance is going by with thesirens on, while a couple are
arguing ahead of you, while adog's chasing a cat, and we
never think of our balancebecause we're just moving.
That's the speed of every stepgoing in this circle from
(33:30):
thought to move to brain.
I'm doing good and round again.
If we don't keep improving thespeed of neurological messaging
and the sensory messaging goingback to the brain.
That's when we become cognitive, we begin to think about it,
and when we think about it, it'stoo late to react because we're
already in the process oflosing our balance by the time
we feel it.
So we can increase that ability.
(33:54):
And why is it that we havepeople in Japan or these blue
zones that are, or you see,people that are a hundred years
old, running marathons, or 90years?
They're no better than anybodylistening.
They've just made a commitmentto maximize their potential and
and I love you giving me theopportunity to speak because I,
(34:15):
every single person I say thiswith full confidence every
single person listening to thiscan improve and will improve and
have a better quality of lifeor those that they're looking
after, if they help them gothrough the proper steps.
We can recover, because we'remade to live for 122 years,
(34:39):
fully functional, which goesinto a whole other thing I won't
go into now, but because of thetelomeres at the end of our
cells that are being broken downand for me, like you said, it
starts with our mindset.
We go where we think.
We are what we believe.
Michele Folan (34:55):
Yes, I'm over here, I'm just letting you go
because I'm like, yeah, yeah,yeah, I love this, I love this.
I mean, I hope my clientslisten to this podcast because
it's this empowering voice thatwe need to have in our heads.
I do have a question for you,dan Are there any signs that we
(35:20):
should be watching for thatsuggest that our balance or
neurological coordination isstarting to decline?
Dan Metcalfe (35:29):
The first thing I would do is take five minutes to
think what were you doing inyour 20s and what are you doing
today?
Because I think that's thefirst sign, because I believe
it's a slow, ticking declinethat's going on, that we're not
cognitive of it until we feel it, and when we feel it we begin
to ignore it to begin withbecause we don't want to face
(35:51):
we've got a problem.
So I would say, just take fiveminutes.
What did I do in my 20s?
Because it's hard to judge whatwe were doing in our teens.
Michele Folan (35:58):
I'm going.
I don't know if I want to goback and do what I did in my 20s
, Dan, but if you evaluate itand just take a minute, what
kind of stuff.
Dan Metcalfe (36:08):
I used to go out running.
I used to go out partying.
I used to go to all thesethings.
Now what am I doing at the ageI am now?
And don't break it down by theevent, break it down by the
movement of the event.
So we used to maybe go tonightclubs or go to a live
concert and you stand and danceall night.
Now we sit on the sofa so webegin to see things.
So in that example I would sayyou're not going to go to a
(36:31):
concert now and dance all night,but put on music at home that
reminds you that and dancearound while you're doing it.
If you're doing your I can seeyou doing this.
If you put music on, it wakesup neurological memory neurons
that also encourage us to move.
(36:51):
But I would say the first signyou'll feel it when you wake up
one morning and get out of bedand you suddenly feel a little
off balance for the first time,and then it's okay because the
brain's woken up and then it'sworking again.
But the fact that you've wokenup without having it alive
already, to correct, is thebeginning sign.
(37:13):
Take action right then.
Don't wait or ask for help whenit gets to the point where now
we're in trouble.
Now I've got a little fear, nowI don't feel confident.
As soon as you feel it, takeaction.
Michele Folan (37:27):
What are two to three simple things that my
listeners can do at home todayto start to improve their
balance?
Dan Metcalfe (37:37):
So dancing is one of them.
Okay, if I go into this, if Ican go just a little bit deeper
into this, the brain will onlygo off of the information it's
given.
Like any computer, if you don'tput the right programming in,
it's going to default to theminimum or it won't work.
When you've had a fall and thiscame out in a study from
(37:58):
Bristol University or whenyou've had an accident of any
kind and people, if they've beenin a car crash, you're going to
know this as well, because it'snot just about movement.
The cerebellum, which is thepart of the back of the brain,
it's called the mini brain orthe little brain the back is
what controls our movement.
But what they discovered fromBristol University was in the
(38:20):
cerebellum there's a part calledthe pyramus and the pyramus
connects to a part called thePAG, the P-A-G, and that has its
own fear sensor in the brain.
So if I explain this, when youwalk close to the edge of a
sidewalk and it's a six-inchdrop, you walk really fast, you
stop, you look around and youcross.
But if that edge is now a200-meter drop off of a cliff,
(38:43):
we naturally walk slower to theedge because the brain is going.
This is danger.
We need to slow down.
So let's go back to thepyramids, because you've had an
accident or a movement that'sgone on and you've had an injury
that's created a fear, likeeven a car crash.
Now I'm more careful when I'mdriving because now I'm looking
more left and right.
(39:03):
That's not because we'reconscious of the accident.
It's the brain retaining thememory.
So we have to train in anenvironment that if we have a
fear, we remove the fear.
Otherwise the body wouldnaturally slow down off of
memory.
So the first thing is move morein things that are not fearful.
(39:23):
So if you feel a little offbalance but you like to dance
and I keep going back to dancingright Move more, get moving
much quicker steps.
And this is the second one.
But let me finish that up realquick If the brain feels fear,
it will slow down the messagingof the neurological pathways.
So it's really important thatwe do things we're not fearful
(39:47):
of.
But venturing into the area offeeling the off balance or not
movement as much.
Getting on a treadmill is notas good for our movement because
it's linear.
It's one way we're actuallykeeping as we go.
Okay, I'm out for a walk,that's great, but we're walking
in one way, so we're losing theability to feel different parts
(40:08):
of movement.
So the second thing which I sayis take lots of small steps as
part of a cardio workout changein direction.
So one of the programs that Iteach with the total balance
system is just quick littlesteps, taking your feet three
millimeters off the ground andturning left and turning right,
but keeping your head forward,and then doing the quick little
(40:31):
forward, quick little back,forwards and backwards, going in
different directions,sidestepping, but everything
with small feet.
And the reason I say small feet, do as many remember when we
were kids and they'd say pretendyou're killing ants.
What a horrible thing to do.
I love ants, but you're inballet.
Take small little.
What are they called Fairysteps or those different things?
(40:52):
Do that because the speed ofyour small movements forces the
brain to have to increase itsability to process fast
messaging.
Taking big, long, slow steps isgood for proprioception and
pressure point stability, butit's not good for the quick
movement.
So first one dance, second onedo lots of small steps in
(41:14):
different directions.
You can do it while you'rewatching your TV.
Put on the clock one minute,just taking different small
little steps almost in the samespot.
And the third one that I thinkis critical is going onto the
slightly bigger steps of weighttransference, so jumping to the
side, jumping forwards, jumpingslightly backwards, with
(41:36):
slightly more steps, because itputs the brain in a dynamic
action, movement, the thingsthat I say, that I don't agree
with, and I'm taking on societyand I'm taking on the medical
world with this and I wassurprised at the resistance I
got because it's brain proven.
But our results speak forthemselves, where people in
stroke centers are calling me into train their clients with
(41:58):
severe strokes and I'm gettingmore out of them in 15 minutes
than they have in three monthsand the patients love it.
Single leg standing is nothingto do with mobility and if I
break this down, it's good as alittle test.
I'm not anti it, but it's notthe way to determine if
someone's a full risk.
When we stand on one single leg, there's only three parts of
the brain that are working.
(42:18):
That's the frontal lobe sayingdon't move.
It's the cerebellum sayingdon't move and it's the corpus
callosum, the right and leftside that join, the right and
left side saying okay, this iswhere I am.
How do we get the pressure.
Don't move as soon as we start.
(42:39):
It's something as simple asthis.
Remember as a kid when youstand in the playground and they
say, okay, be a tree.
And you stand on the leg andyou start moving your arms and
trying to keep your balance.
At least 18 parts of the brainare now engaged in trying to
keep your balance and it'smobility training, not
stationary, which is the staticbalance and dynamic balance and
I know I'm going on because Iget so excited talking about
this, but so that's what I wouldsay Dance, small steps,
(43:03):
changing directions, forward,backwards, sideways, diagonals,
turning left and right, facingdifferent.
And then the last one, like Isaid, is taking slightly bigger
steps of jumps.
And if you say, well, I'm kindof not at that point yet, then
just start with the small steps,don't do the jumps yet, and
you'll be amazed.
I've got so many letters ofpeople tripping on a sidewalk
(43:24):
and staying up, my mothersliding on a walk that she had
out in the woods and the groundgave way.
Or her grandkids jumping on herand she thought she was falling
.
And she said at the end Irealized I'm still up.
I didn't know how it's, becauseyou've trained your brain to
react before you're conscious ofit.
Wow.
Michele Folan (43:42):
Okay, so you're giving me homework, because now
I'm going to be doing this stuffright.
And it's funny, dan, becausetraditionally, if any woman
listening has been on Instagram,you've heard the trick for
balance mobility was to brushyour teeth standing on one foot
(44:03):
Right.
So I kind of like the dancingand the small steps much better.
I will tell you, my husband andI have dance party at the house
.
We'll put on the Bee Gees orsomething fun to dance to and we
will dance around like idiotsand have a great time.
(44:25):
We used to do this with thekids when they were in high
school and they'd have friendsover and we'd do dance party.
Now I'm thinking we got to makesure that we do more dance
parties, but these are all suchpractical things and easy to do.
You don't have to join a gym todo these very small things.
You have coined a phrase calledborn superhuman, and Could you
(44:52):
tell us a little bit about whatthat means to you?
Dan Metcalfe (44:56):
Yeah, do you want me to do?
You want to put a time limit onme, cause I get again so
excited because I see theresults in other people?
Born superhuman comes from themoment that I realized that
we're born to heal.
We're slowly numbed down ordumbed down by society that we
trusted had our best interest,and then we find out that maybe
(45:21):
they weren't building me as muchas they were building
themselves.
And I go back to the umbilicalcord, the cutting the baby, the
incredible abilities, and thenthrough the rest of our life.
We still have teams around us,but we have to be willing to
step into the ring.
When we understand where wecome from and we understand the
(45:43):
brilliance of our body and thatwe're actually hurting ourselves
by the habits that we're havingor going through, and we're
willing to make the difference.
The change is for you andeverybody else benefits, but you
will feel it every single daywhen you do the right thing.
So I'll go through the sevenpillars really quickly, right,
and these are in order ofimportance for life, not my own
opinion.
(46:03):
This is what's scientificallyproven and practically
successful.
Number one is oxygen.
If we don't have oxygen, we'regoing to die bottom line.
But what's the quality?
How are we breathing?
What's the breath work thatwe're doing?
We know that we can change ouremotional state and go from a
(46:24):
stress state to a calm statejust by breathing, yet nobody
teaches it.
We'll go and pop a pill to getrid of depression right and help
with the serotonin, whereas ifwe were moving and breathing we
would have that neurologicalrelease of chemicals in the
brain which then are morepowerful than any drugs out
there, when we're developing andcreating those ourselves.
(46:46):
Secondly is hydration, and Iwould say for me this is the
easiest to get.
75% of adult Americans are in achronic state of dehydration.
This is scientific data.
Again, this isn't me making itup.
We've replaced water and whatour cells need by sugar drinks,
(47:07):
by the coffee, by the Well.
It's got water in it, it's gotfluid, it's got liquid in it.
It damages our brain comparedto the water we need, and even
greater when I combine the two.
When we're dehydrated at theathlete level, 3% dehydration
can be up to 20%underperformance.
When we're dehydrated, ourblood thickens.
(47:28):
When our blood thickens, theheart has to and now you're
drinking water.
Our heart has to work harderbecause the blood's thicker, we
can't get the oxygen around thebody quick enough, it will hurt
our sleeping at nighttime.
We're not able to heal.
So I have certain protocols andI have a free giveaway hydration
(47:49):
challenge.
That is dynamic, because Idon't believe in drinking water,
I believe in sipping water whenwe're thirsty.
When we know it, we're alreadypast hydration, we're in a bad
state of dehydration and then weglug down a whole glass.
Or we're told to drink eightglasses a day or 12 glasses a
day.
Well, we drink it, we feelbloated, we don't feel better,
(48:11):
we suddenly feel like out ofsorts, and we can actually swamp
the cells rather than fuel themwith energy through being
hydrated.
So second is hydration.
Third, probably the hardest formothers and people that are
going through stress is sleep.
Sleep is critical.
That's when the brain recovers,that's when the body recovers,
(48:34):
that's when we re-energize thecells to be able to be ready for
the task the next day.
And if you don't sleep, itwould take you down faster than
number four, which is nutrition.
Right, we cannot eat for 40days, but if you don't sleep for
40 days, you lost all mentalability and stability and you'll
either be in some sort of homeor craziness.
But with nutrition I'm going togive a great tip here that made
(48:57):
the difference to me.
Six months ago I was at a 21.4%body fat Not good.
Today I'm at an 8.5% body fatwithout even trying.
I'm not focused on it, I'm justdoing the right things.
Wow, when we get hungry, whatdo we do?
Michele Folan (49:13):
We eat, we eat, and sometimes we make poor food
choices when we're really hungry.
Dan Metcalfe (49:19):
Right, so we just eat.
This is what the one word thatchanged everything and I've had
so many success stories comingback to me Change the word from
eat to nourish.
That's it.
Change the word from eat tonourish.
So when I'm hungry, if I'mgoing to eat, I'll grab a bag of
cookies, I'll grab somechocolate, I'll grab some candy,
(49:41):
I'll grab the bread and make asandwich, but if I change that
word, I'm hungry, I'm going tonourish.
It changed the way that I sawfood and didn't want to eat the
bad stuff which was part of themakeup of the cortisol release,
from the stress.
We don't feel good, and thecalories, the sugar and fats are
actually good for us.
The good fats are.
(50:01):
So just look at it that simplechange with hydration and
nourish.
I would put money on everybodycommitting to that losing
unbelievable amounts of not justvisceral fat, which is the
subcutaneous fat, but thevisceral fat.
The visceral fat is the onethat goes around our organs,
(50:22):
that stops them working properly, and you will get better, so
much more.
So that's number.
Well, we've got oxygen,hydration, sleep.
Then we've got nutrition.
Then we've got mindset isnumber, that's right.
What is number five?
Oh, exercise, of course.
What?
Michele Folan (50:40):
are you talking about?
I was like no, six is mindset.
Dan Metcalfe (50:43):
I knew that exercise brings it all together,
we can't grow.
We need to stress our bodies tohave success.
We're not talking aboutnegative stress.
We're talking about all of youknow, if you go walk stairs
every day as part of yourtraining, your legs get stronger
.
It's not negative, it'spositive stress.
Negative is where you sit andgo.
I can't do this.
It's hurting.
I don't want to do this.
(51:03):
I'm angry.
That's negative stress.
Exercise is critical for thebrain.
The brain is made of movement.
The neural chemicals come frommovement.
Those that move longer livelonger better, and we they've
had studies.
You sit at a desk for eighthours a day.
You do better smokingcigarettes and moving than you
(51:25):
would sitting at a desk.
Yeah, um, we know that thesethings are critical.
I'll give a little tip hereevery hour, if you can't get out
and walk, get up, hold on tothe side of your desk and do 10
deep knee squats, because those10 deep knee squats give a
similar effect in muscularactivity that it would do going
(51:46):
out and walking for 10 minutes.
Michele Folan (51:48):
You're singing my song.
So much of this is stuff that Itell my clients I'm like you
take the long way back from thebathroom, set your timer on your
phone, get up at least everyhour and move your body, right,
I mean, it seems so simple, butwe get so programmed and get so
(52:08):
into what we're doing.
We forget that our bodies needto move.
Dan Metcalfe (52:12):
It's essential.
It's essential, I mean, look atwhen someone comes out of a
coma.
The first sign of them comingout of a coma is a movement.
It is a finger movement, an eyebatting, the feet start moving,
Same as when someone'srecovering from a stroke
neuropathy, all these differentthings, it's all movement Move.
Number six is mindset.
(52:34):
As we know, we are what webelieve we are.
We think and I'll say this aswell, I can't stand the word
hope.
I think hope is the worst wordin the world, the reason being
it's a procrastinator.
Right, I hope I have a good day.
I hope someone helps me.
I hope I can find the rightdoctor.
I hope what that does is itsays to the brain okay, I need
(52:57):
to sit back and wait Now forother people.
I love the word hope.
Michelle, I hope you have themost beautiful day.
I hope your next dance party isthe best ever.
I hope everyone listening tothis understands their own power
, because that's not my control,but for me it has to be belief.
I believe I'll have a great day.
(53:18):
I believe I can get better.
I believe my life is going toimprove.
I believe I'll lose the weightand this goes into a whole
nother topic that we won't touchon today, but it's about
self-love.
That's so important because itimpacts how we think and how we
are.
But if you can get your mindsetright and strong and
bulletproof, that the noisearound you doesn't take you down
(53:41):
and the naysayers are removedfrom your environment, because
we become our environment.
But the most importantenvironment you will ever create
is the one inside you, Becausewhen your environment is strong,
nobody can penetrate it.
Because when your environmentis strong, nobody can penetrate
it.
And then you're in control andyou give yourself the freedom to
say no, which is so dynamic.
(54:03):
For me, it's the second mostpowerful word in the world
behind yes.
No is a capital N, capital Oand it stands for next
opportunity.
Thank you very much.
I'm walking away, or it standsfor and it goes here no
(54:24):
obligation yeah, oh, that'sgreat.
Michele Folan (54:25):
No obligation, yeah, setting those boundaries.
Dan Metcalfe (54:27):
And yeah, I feel so good when I can say no to
something and feel good, youknow and know it's the right
decision, right A hundredpercent for you, yeah, and
somebody else will find somebodyelse to help them in something
that's not right for you.
Don't feel guilt and wish themluck.
It's not bad.
And the last one which we'regoing to come down to is
challenges in the seven pillars.
(54:47):
If you don't challenge yourselfto do more, you will decline,
and we're not talking aboutcrazy challenges.
But if someone says I've got abalance issue, or maybe
someone's parents are strugglingand they say I just love to
walk around the block again,don't say I want to walk around
the block again.
I want to go to the beach andwalk on the sand.
I want to walk that hill that Iused to walk to see the view.
Because on the way you willaccomplish easily walking around
(55:12):
the block.
Set your challenges at thehighest level of excitement,
something you'd be passionateabout doing again, or like my
mother at 84 doing for the firsttime.
Set those goals and commityourself to them because you're
so powerful.
You've got so much potential.
We are not who people say weare.
(55:32):
Every single person listeningknows inside that there's more
to them.
I wish somebody saw more of whoI am.
I wish somebody understood morethe power that I know I've got.
I just can't access it.
And everybody listening if youturn around and realize this
goes on to a whole another thingI do when I go talk on keynotes
(55:55):
that I can't go into time-wisenow.
But you are born of the best ofthe best.
You're absolutely incredible.
If somebody hasn't championedyou, you haven't found the
ability to champion yourself.
And so many people were put down, like my girlfriend who has MS
and went from on a walker to 10minutes to go 10 feet, to now
(56:19):
running 10 miles on a treadmill,climbing 40 foot trees, doing
agility courses, being told whenshe was a little girl she
couldn't sing and that took awayher whole confidence.
When you go to the choir, justmove your mouth, don't sing.
You've got a horrible voice.
You can't do that.
You can't dance.
Now she does ballet classes.
Now she dances.
Now she's fantastic.
She now has singing lessons andshe's singing on stage and you
(56:46):
know, doing things that shedreamt she could do as a little
girl and all she had to do ishave someone believe in her.
And then that self-belief Well,I believe in every single
person listening because I'veseen it over 70,000 people that
I've trained.
I see it time and time again.
If someone believes in you andI do believe, because it's not
(57:10):
who you are it's the potentialof everything you were born to
be, and you were born superhuman.
Michele Folan (57:18):
That's so awesome .
We all need to hear this everyonce in a while.
So I'm going to put much ofwhat Dan just laid out in the
show notes, but certainly youcan go back and listen to this.
But this is so inspiring and ifyou're having one of those days
where your little woe is me,this is exactly what you need to
(57:42):
hear Before we wrap up.
I do want to talk about TotalBalance Company and your mission
and how you work with clients.
Dan Metcalfe (57:51):
Yeah, thank you very much.
So Total Balance is a verysimple system that is created by
accident.
I actually had a dream about ittrying to help Bob and I woke
up from the dream, built it andthat's what we have today.
It's not a balanced board, butit comes with a balanced board
that's created to give you fullmobility.
This is again Olympic athletesand people 100 years old that
(58:11):
are back walking, that haven'twalked in five years.
It's incredible because all wedo is we tap into the brain.
The mission there is trifold.
So we have the pro program,which is for the athletes.
But, talking to your audience,this is a passion for me.
I used to teach abs, thighs andbuns classes in LA and had the
biggest classes out here Formothers that are given birth.
(58:34):
You need to move, you need toinvest in yourself and this
system that I have, the PROsystem, will strengthen your abs
, thighs, buns.
It will get you moving and youcan do it next to a baby's crib
while they're sleeping, becausewe don't want to leave the baby.
10-minute workouts, 15-minute.
It will get you so muchstronger.
The second one is Neuro 360.
So, anyone with MS we've hadincredible success with MS,
(58:57):
parkinson's, ataxia, strokesurvivors, tbis.
We have the Neuro360 program,which is brain to body
connection, and then we have theBalance360 Up, which comes off
of our original, which isanybody aging, anyone feeling
they're off.
We've got kids with a genesisof the corpus callosum.
They were born without theability to connect right and
left side.
They're off.
We've got kids with a genesis ofthe corpus callosum.
They were born without theability to connect right and
(59:18):
left side.
They're improving.
We train the brain by doingphysical movements safely and
the results are off the charts.
And I don't say this from anego point of view.
I do this because I see it dayin, day out.
And what you're changing isn'tyour physical as much as you're
changing your emotional state ofexcitement, of living again,
(59:40):
living better, and so I see itas a two-pronged attack.
You're going to get physicallybetter, but the result is you're
happier and able to doeverything again that life
offers you, because the bestmemories should be the ones
ahead.
Michele Folan (59:57):
This is beautiful .
I'm so like I want to getmoving, Like I want to get out
of my chair.
Dan Metcalfe (01:00:05):
These two put on the music.
Michele Folan (01:00:06):
Yeah Well, we'll have to do that tonight.
Dan Metcalfe, where can mylisteners find you and the
resources that you offer?
Dan Metcalfe (01:00:16):
Yeah, thank you so much.
We have totalbalancecompanycomthat's the four words
totalbalancecompanycom which iswhere we have our program for
balance, mobility and braintraining.
And then I havebornsuperhumancom, which is my
what I call.
That's a passion for me becauseit's unleashing the miracle
within you to go.
(01:00:36):
So if you don't have balanceissues or your mobility is great
, but you have this emotionaldesire to get even better in
what you're doing or you've gotthese goals, that's where you
can go to, and then I'm.
We have both those on a totalbalance Born Superhuman and on
Instagram.
And then my own personal is DanMetcalfe, with an E underscore
(01:01:00):
official.
So it's Dan Metcalf e official.
I also have a program for kidsthat I love.
I have a nonprofit for kids.
That's been phenomenal, but Ihave a program.
So anybody knows anyone that'splaying soccer, go to
supersoccerskillscom, because ifwe can train our youth to have
that mindset and ability basedaround sports and performance,
(01:01:21):
which is really a mirror ofeveryday life, that's
supersoccerskillscom.
I've got a great program therefor kids as well.
Michele Folan (01:01:28):
Fantastic.
Again, I will put all that inthe show notes.
Dan Metcalfe, I'm just likeblown away.
I had no idea where thisconversation was going to go.
I'm pleasantly surprised and sohappy that you could be here
today, Dan Metcalfe.
Thanks for being here.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for listening.
(01:01:51):
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