Optimal Health Uncovered

Setting yourself up for success as early as possible is crucial, yet often overlooked. Host and physical therapist Mike Beecher, DPT, is joined by women's pelvic floor physical therapist Danielle Pasquale, DPT, and nutritionist and lactation consultant Koren Bradshaw, CDN, to discuss why those early years matter so much. They dive into bone health during adolescence and young adulthood, emphasizing a balanced approach to eatin...

Personal trainer Brendan Copley and mental performance consultant Arianna Martignetti team up once again to discuss the effects of stress on cardiac health. In recognition of heart health month, they shed light behind some of the science on how stress interacts with the cardiovascular system and provide education on stress so that you can increase your ability in managing or having more control over it.

Brendan and Arianna...

On the final episode of our Marathon Monday mini-series, 5x Boston Marathon Division Winner Heather Pech joins the podcast to talk about her training process and how she keeps winning gold.

Hosts physical therapist Britt Gunsser and personal trainer Brendan Copley, who are marathoners themselves, discussed what exactly makes Heather such a successful runner — from her nutrition to mentality, Heather breaks down everything ...

On the latest episode of our mini-series, Marathon Mondays, physical therapist Britt Gunsser and personal trainer Brendan Copely are joined by Megan Searfoss, owner of Ridgefield/Darien Running Company. They discuss one of the most overlooked aspects of running: finding the right pair of shoes for you.

Megan dives into the fitting process that includes a 3D scanner, detailing why the brand and type of shoe matters for the ...

In the third episode of our Marathon Monday series, physical therapist Britt Gunsser and personal trainer Brendan Copley dive into the world of mental performance with Arianna Martignetti, Ed.D., who completed her doctorate in sport and performance psychology.

Long distance running is not just a physical activity, but a mental one as well. In this episode, Arianna discusses how to work through negative self-talk, pace mana...

This is the second episode of our series, Marathon Mondays, aimed to prepare runners at all experience levels for their next race, hosted by marathoners themselves: physical therapist Britt Gunsser and personal trainer Brendan Copley. 

In this episode, Britt and Brendan interview nutritionist Ashley Jerry, who also has a background in personal training. They discuss how to fuel your body during different portions of your t...

This is the first episode of our new series, Marathon Mondays, aimed to prepare runners at all experience levels for their next race, hosted by marathoners themselves: physical therapist Britt Gunsser and personal trainer Brendan Copley. 

In this introductory episode, Britt and Brendan dig into what you should be looking for in a thorough training program, answer frequently asked questions, and debunk common myths. They co...

Heart disease has become the leading cause of mortality for both men and women in the U.S. Listen to physical therapist Shane Foley and nutritionist Francine Blinten discuss proven strategies to maximize your "health span."

From establishing cardiovascular and lean muscle mass baselines to understanding the role your diet plays in maintaining heart health, there are a variety of aspects that can help you prevent ...

Dr. Alon Gitig joins host Michael Beecher to discuss preventing and managing cardiovascular disease through the lens of body composition and insulin resistance. They dive into the relationship between muscle mass, body composition, and cardiovascular health, as well as insulin resistance, the silent epidemic behind cardiovascular disease and dementia.

Dr. Alon Gitig, MD, is a cardiologist based in Yonkers, New York who has...

With many healthcare practitioners leaving the system and costs increasingly rising, many people are questioning whether our healthcare system is working. These issues affect not just the uninsured who can't afford the care they need, but the average person who can't see a doctor without waiting months, and even the healthcare practitioners themselves, many of whom are experiencing extraordinarily high caseloads.

While sports psychology and mental performance consulting has been on the rise in the athletic world in recent years, it is important to remember that athletes are not the only people who benefit. From physicians to CEOs, young professionals to entrepreneurs, mental strength can make or break a career.

In this episode, Mike is joined by Arianna Martignetti, Ed.D., and Adam Wright, Ph.D., to discuss the importance of mental...

While golf is an outdoor season, successful, injury-free golfers should not limit their play to the warmer months. From continuing to practice on a golf simulator to maintaining a proper diet and training regimen, there is a lot that can be done to stay in form.

Without those things, there 's a good chance that the next time you step on the green, you don't play as well or even come away with an injury.

Like clockwork, many set New Year's resolutions each January, only to find that achieving it was much harder than they initially thought. The culprit? Not necessarily the goal, but the timeline. Success is not black and white, and looking at it that way can be demoralizing when you're behind on your goals.

In this episode, Mike is joined by Mike Ranfone to discuss why goals fail — and how to make actually achiev...

Paddle Tennis Pro Patricio Misitrano joins Michael Beecher, DPT, to discuss injury prevention during the winter months. With colder temperatures comes a higher risk of injury — unless the right precautions are taken, such as doing a warm-up before your workout.

Patricio and Mike explore the different types of tennis and the most common injuries among them, and get prevention tips from a technical and biomechanical point of...

Sleep can be elusive. We lie down, close our eyes and hope for the best. Yet that may not happen. Much of the quality of your sleep at night is affected by your behavior during the day — for better or worse.

The good news is there's a new coach in town: Nick Lambe, the sleep coach. He joins Mike to discuss why a good night's sleep is so elusive, and how to finally achieve it. From carving out constructive worry ...

It's been almost two years since COVID-19 started spreading across the globe, and there is still much we do not know about the disease. As more time passes, however, we are learning more about the effects of Long COVID, a syndrome that affects a portion of people who contract COVID-19.

Kevin Cota, DPT, and Kiera Klaum, DPT, join the podcast to discuss Kiera's time at a skilled nursing facility treating patients, ...

When Lauren C. started to suffer from a frozen shoulder, it changed everything. She no longer could reach a higher shelf to grab cereal for her son's breakfast, much less continue painting, which is her livelihood. Her shoulder impacted every part of her life — from her sleep to her stress, to her hobbies and to her family. 

Since the start of the pandemic, Lauren has been working with Jon Mendola in Darien to regain ...

Paul Shapiro wants you to know we can revolutionize the way we eat meat. Be it eating less meat, cleaner meat, or plant-based meat, we can still get the nutrients we need — and more — if we take a step back from the practices that are harmful to animals, humans and the climate.

Paul Shapiro is the author of "Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World." He's also a lo...