March 14, 2025 • 27 mins
Your environment plays a crucial role in shaping your health and well-being. In this episode of the Buena Vida Podcast, Lacy interviews with Trent Matthias, Director of the National Fitness Campaign, to explore how thoughtfully designed public spaces can inspire healthier lifestyles.
With nearly 40 years of history, the National Fitness Campaign is transforming communities by creating free outdoor fitness courts, making movement accessible to all. Trent shares insights on how urban design influences physical activity, the challenges of funding and advocacy, and the power of community-driven wellness initiatives.
We’ll also dive into success stories from cities embracing the campaign and practical steps you can take to bring fitness courts and wellness spaces to your own neighborhood.
Join us for an inspiring conversation on how public spaces can support well-being, and learn how you can be part of the movement. Don’t forget to check the show notes for resources, subscribe, and join Buena Vida—our wellness program where we connect, learn, and support each other! Plus, I’m offering weekly giveaways in our community groups—this is a great way to stay engaged and motivated!
Resources Discussed:
National Fitness Campaign Website- find a Fitness Court, explore the exercise library, learn about grant opportunities or become an ambassador!
UT Houston School of Public Health's Tu Salud Si Cuenta Program (Your Health Matters) in the Rio Grande Valley
Buena Vida - Join us in living "the Good Life" through our new wellness program for HealthSelect & Consumer Directed HealthSelect plan participants!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The dream scenario for me, anyway, is you do
everything you can to controlthe controllables in terms of
those variables, and over manyyears and decades, some of those
little habits will pick up andmake a really big difference in
how you feel and your long-termhealth.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hi and welcome to the Buena Vida podcast, where we
explore the many ways you canlive a healthier, more
fulfilling life.
I'm your host, lacey Wolfe.
In today's episode, I'mthrilled to be joined by Trent
Mathias, who is the director ofthe National Fitness Campaign
and a landscape architect with adeep passion for how
environment shapes health andwell-being.
(00:35):
Trent's journey into publicfitness began with his
background in landscapearchitecture, where he saw
firsthand how thoughtfullydesigned space can inspire
movement, connection and betterhealth.
Now, through the NationalFitness Campaign, he is leading
the charge to bring free,accessible outdoor fitness
spaces to communities across thecountry.
(00:56):
Since its launch, the NationalFitness Campaign has partnered
with hundreds of cities, schoolsand organizations to install
state-of-the-art outdoor fitnesscourts, providing people of all
ages and abilities with free,high-quality space to move and
connect.
In this conversation, you'regoing to hear about the history
and the mission of the NationalFitness Campaign, how where we
(01:18):
live influences our overallhealth and well-being, the power
of public fitness spaces infostering healthier, more
connected communities, somechallenges and success stories
from bringing these spaces tolife and exciting future
projects, and how you may be theperson who brings an outdoor
fitness court or the NationalFitness Campaign initiative into
(01:39):
your community.
Trent's unique perspectivelends design research as well as
community impact, making this afascinating conversation for
anyone who believes in the powerof public space to transform
health.
Whether you're a communityleader, a fitness enthusiast or
you're simply curious about howthoughtful design can improve
well-being, this episode is foryou.
(02:01):
Here's my conversation withTrent Mathias.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
All right.
Welcome to the Buena Vidapodcast.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Trent, thank you so much for joining.
Thanks, lacey, glad to be here.
Yeah, I'm really lookingforward to having some
conversation with you.
I thought it'd be great if youcould start by explaining to our
listeners what is the NationalFitness Campaign, a little bit
about its history.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Absolutely Happy to and thanks again for having me.
So again, my name is TrentMathias.
I'm the director at NationalFitness Campaign.
We're an interesting crew.
We're a wellness consultingfirm and our mission is to build
healthy communities all acrossAmerica.
We're actually doing a ton ofwork in Texas right now, which
is part of how we got connected,which is fun, and the history
(02:49):
is pretty unique.
Folks that are listening mightremember way back when these
wooden outdoor gym elementspull-up bars, sit-up benches
that started to appear in parks.
That was us.
That was the original campaignalmost 40 years ago, and it was
born with a real simple missionto get Americans outdoors and
(03:09):
help them move more every day tostay healthier.
Our founder, mitch Menaged,invented the campaign back then
with Stanford University, andWells Fargo Bank got involved,
and we were fortunate to bringthe program to thousands of
locations over the better partof a decade with the wooden
outdoor gyms.
Fast forward to about a decadeago.
(03:30):
The campaign was reinvented forthe 21st century and we are now
scaling once again with a brandnew initiative focused around a
free outdoor gym that's builtin parks and schools, called the
Fitness Court, and it providesopportunities for folks to stay
active.
So that's the quick history.
It started almost 40 years agoand we are now on the launch of
(03:54):
the second iteration of thecampaign.
It's growing rapidly across thecountry.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That's amazing and I was so excited.
After I talked to you, Irealized we have a fitness court
in Pflugerville, texas, where Ilive, and so I was really
excited and I went over there.
It's amazing because there's anapp that goes along with it.
It makes fitness really simpleand the equipment is phenomenal.
So I'm excited to talk to youmore about that.
(04:20):
Can you talk a little bit about, because I'd love for our
listeners to get to know aboutyou?
Also, I know you went toVirginia Tech and you were a
landscape architect.
That was your background.
Can you talk about your journeyto getting into this outdoor
fitness space?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, of course.
So for me, wellness and fitnesshas always been part of my life
.
Played a lot of sports growingup, I took a big interest in
designing buildings at firstarchitecture.
I went and visited VirginiaTech and got a chance to tour
the landscape architecturedepartment and thought wait a
second, I think I like beingoutside more than I like being
inside, and that's whatlandscape architects do.
(05:01):
They help design public spaces,the built environment and
outdoor places.
And so I thought that's whatlandscape architects do.
They help design public spaces,the built environment and
outdoor places.
And so I thought that's prettyinteresting, got hooked into
that and as my education wentalong, my thesis actually
focused on uniting my passionfitness and wellness with what I
was studying at the time, whichwas landscape architecture.
So I took a look at a projectover the better part of 18
(05:24):
months that investigated how ourenvironments shape our habits
and behaviors and, in turn, ourhealth.
And so that's where all thisreally started for me.
I was fortunate to be in theBay Area many years ago after my
education and ran into the veryfirst fitness court right next
to the Golden Gate Bridge thatour founder Mitch had placed
(05:45):
there to help kick off the newcampaign, I thought this has got
to be the best thing I've everseen for outdoor wellness, and
I've got to learn more about it.
And so I was in the right placeat the right time, and that's
where the journey started withthe campaign.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
That's a great story.
I mean, you were just there,you saw it and you said I've got
to be a part of this.
And here you are director.
Absolutely, that's amazing.
I think most of us know that,intuitively, where we live plays
a role in our health.
But could you talk a little bitmore about what you see from
the research around?
How does where we live and ourenvironment impact our overall
(06:23):
health?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Absolutely.
This is something I get reallyexcited about.
I'm not sure about thelisteners, but I think in terms
of your everyday habits it'swhen you start to think about
this you'd be surprised how manyof them are directly connected
to where you live.
There's really incredibleresearch now that's been done
across many decades that showinextricable links between the
(06:48):
cities that we live in andhealth outcomes.
And where you see a lot of thisis european cities.
They're older, there's morepedestrian infrastructure, so
sidewalks um tighter spaces thatcars don't fit into bike lanes.
Those infrastructures, alongwith public transportation
(07:10):
access, make it more likely thatpeople will walk or ride their
bike.
So suddenly you're starting towalk and ride your bike a little
bit more to get to work, to getto school, to go pick up dinner
, to cook, and so these thingsadd up.
They really stack up what wesee?
Still a pretty car-centricsociety.
(07:31):
We're jumping in our cars a lot.
I know, lacey, you're downthere in Texas, I'm sure here
and again you're jumping in yourcar, I do the same thing.
But those habits are going tostack up and so that's one
really clear analogy.
You can think about just yourtransportation choices and,
depending on where you live,this is going to be different.
If you're in a little bit moredensely populated area, you
(07:53):
might be choosing to walk alittle more.
Things might be closer.
If you're in a sparselypopulated area, you might be
driving more.
So there's really extensiveresearch on this.
This is really our passion andour work at the campaign is to
help identify and explore theseconnections.
But for me personally, I knowthat if I didn't live where I
live in Northern California, Iwouldn't be out on my bike quite
(08:15):
as much, and I saw that changewhen I moved from Virginia out
here.
There's just moreinfrastructure in this area for
cycling, walking, jogging, andso I think it's really
interesting to explore that andit's certainly something that
can be applied for the listenersin their everyday life and sort
of thinking about where theylive be applied for the
listeners in their everyday lifeand sort of thinking about
(08:36):
where they live.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Absolutely, it's so interesting.
I feel very blessed that I gotto live in Europe for about a
decade and I remember when Imoved there from Texas.
I grew up in the country and ittook us 30 minutes drive to get
to the grocery store and whenwe got to Germany the first
place we lived working for thearmy we were walking to the
grocery.
I didn't have a car and I waslike, oh, I can only get the
(09:00):
things that I need in mybackpack and so then you're
carrying those things.
But now that I'm back living inthe suburbs, it is challenging.
You have to really make aneffort to get out and do those
things that we know that are sogood for us.
It's an interesting field andalso, I think even from zip code
to zip code we see differencesin people's health right.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
A hundred percent and there's a lot of factors, you
know built environment,definitely something that plays
into it.
There's, of course, manydifferent layers of policy and
other decisions that are madethat may shape behaviors, and
then at the individual level,there's all kinds of things that
are hanging us and seeking ourattention and enforcing certain
habits and behaviors, and so Ithink for me it really comes
(09:44):
down to what is in your control.
How can you set up your dailylife and where you live to be
the most supportive of some ofthose healthy habits and
behaviors?
And that's sort of the dreamscenario for me, anyway, is you
do everything you can to controlthe controllables in terms of
those variables and over manyyears and decades some of those
(10:06):
little habits will pick up andmake a really big difference in
how you feel and your long-termhealth.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
That makes so much sense.
I know that building thesefitness courts across the
country, you get to see alldifferent types of municipal
governments, state governments,because you work a lot with the
public sector.
What kind of challenges do youface when it comes to actually
building fitness courts and isthere anything kind of notable
(10:32):
around that that you've learnedfor building healthy spaces?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, it's a great question, you know.
Really, the good news is mostcivic officials and education
sector leaders when they hearabout the program, they get kind
of excited.
They connect with the idea ofbuilding healthy communities, so
there's a lot of support.
One of the big efforts, ofcourse, as many folks listening
will know, is alwaysprioritization of programs and
(11:00):
funding to make that happen.
We're in a really fortunateposition that in Texas, blue
Cross and Blue Shield of Texashas taken an interest in the
work and they're actually ourstate sponsor and they've been
supporting the funding side ofthe equation for eligible
municipalities and schools,which is fantastic.
We work with many of America'slargest healthcare companies
that are seeing that it's prettyimportant to also invest back
(11:23):
into communities to help peoplestay healthier.
That's good for everybody andso fortunately, we have some
resources and a team thatactually helps solve some of
these key challenges resourcesand a team that actually helps
solve some of these keychallenges.
Space is also important, so wedo a lot of work to help
identify site locations andparks along trails on college,
school and school high schoolcampuses to make this happen.
(11:44):
But there's really a myriad ofissues that start to happen at
the local level and at the endof the day, we're pretty good at
the funding piece, pretty goodat helping find the right
locations to build thesewellness hubs, but the
prioritization is key and that'swhere folks can come in and
really help.
As advocates, each of usactually has a lot of ability to
impact change at the locallevel.
(12:05):
It's pretty interesting whenyou get a little bit into it and
I'm sure some of the listenersare engaged in their communities
.
There's are engaged in theircommunities.
But city council meetings,parks and recreation committee
meetings and commission meetingsyou'd be surprised how much you
can do if you speak up a littlebit and talk about what's
important and if wellnessinfrastructure is important,
(12:25):
that's kind of the start and thecatalyst for change.
So we're doing a lot of workaround the country to help
encourage folks to speak up.
If they feel like havingoutdoor wellness hubs or trails
and pedestrian infrastructure iskey, they can actually have a
lot of impact.
And I think that's somethingLacey that sometimes folks don't
realize that that localgovernment level or working with
(12:45):
your local school board, withthe high school, those things
are really accessible to anybodyin the community.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
For sure, and I know my husband and I have recently
gotten pretty involved in ourlocal government and the
municipal government.
My husband's actually goingthrough a class right now called
Pflugerville 101, where he'slearning all about all the
committees and each week I thinklast week they did Parks and
Rec and he learned about ourfitness court and they came in
and the class was in our reccenter and things like that.
(13:15):
I think so much of our healthand well-being we have more
control over, like you said, butin the municipal government,
like so much of our health, isdependent upon our municipal
government.
Yet a lot of people have noidea how to get involved.
Do you have, like, do y'allhave kind of a playbook or
anything available for peoplefor how they could bring
(13:38):
something like this to cityleaders?
How would somebody share that?
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Absolutely.
Yeah, we've got a number ofresources at National Fitness
Campaign that folks can haveaccess to and definitely
encourage folks to poke aroundand check it out.
The good news is, across Texas,we're really growing.
There are over 50 fitnesscourts already available and
there are many dozens of thembeing funded and built at all
times towards hundreds of themacross the state to make it
(14:04):
accessible within 10 minutes ofevery Texan.
And so, number one, you canfind your nearest fitness court
pretty easily by jumping on thefitness court app or checking
out our website, which is greatIn terms of advocating to bring
the campaign or initiative likethis to your community.
They're absolutely tools andresources.
I think, lacey, what you pointedout there are commissions and
(14:26):
committees that are present inevery municipal government, and
those are great ways forcitizens to be involved.
One of the easiest ways werecommend is actually just
attending a council meeting andspeaking up during the public
comment section.
So many folks may not know this, but council meetings regularly
have opportunities forcommunity members to bring up
important issues to them, andthese meetings can last a little
(14:50):
bit of time, but you can jumpin usually the comment period
somewhat in the beginning and weencourage folks to get out
there and advocate if there's anissue that's important to you.
Maybe you'd love to see bettersidewalks in your part of town
so you could start a habit towalk five to 10 minutes every
evening.
Those are opportunities to dothat.
We've also developed a toolkitwith some resources, like a
(15:11):
three-minute film, that helppeople bring these types of
issues to the attention of civicleaders, and there's easy ways
to get that shared.
So, yeah, I would actuallystart with the local council
meeting and jump in there andget a sense of it if you're
interested in advocating andbeing involved.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Trent, do you mind telling me a little bit about
how these parks are funded?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Absolutely yeah.
The campaign really facilitatesa unique public-private EAT
funding grants that provide animportant share of the funds
from National Fitness Campaignand Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Texas, and there's a matchrequired at the local level from
the applicants.
So we find that bringing fundingtogether from a few resources
is a great way for all theparticipating entities to share
(15:56):
in the funding, create moreimpact across the state and the
country, and it's also reallyimportant that the local
municipalities and schools valuewellness and are also invested
in this so that they take greatcare of the program, help
promote it with their citizensand get a lot of people involved
.
So it's great.
So there are lots and lots ofseed funds In fact, over a
million dollars worth of seedgrant funding available across
(16:18):
the state just this year fromNFC and Blue Cross, blue Shield
Texas year from NFC and BlueCross, blue Shield Texas and our
consulting group helps assistreally all municipalities and
school systems across the stateand learning about the program
becoming eligible and thenjoining over the next decade,
which is our goal to geteverybody involved.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Trent, do you have any success stories?
Specifically, I don't know ifyou could share a couple of
success stories in Texas, forwhere the National Fitness
Campaign has come in and helpedto transform communities or to
support communities in variousways.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Absolutely.
Yeah, too many to count.
I think a couple of myfavorites in Texas gosh probably
one of the most fun andpowerful stories we've had so
far just happened.
I think this was last year andthis was.
South Plains College joined thecampaign and we actually in
this case, we had a, of course,seed fund from NFC and Blue
(17:14):
Cross, blue Shield of Texas andthe college was extremely
supportive and there wasactually a donation from a
family of a longtime educator atthe school named Judy Bryant,
and so this became the JudyBryant Outdoor Fitness Court,
brought to the school by NFC,blue Cross, blue Shield Texas
and South Plains College.
(17:34):
It was just a tremendous launchand story and what a great way
to honor someone who's justdedicated many, many years I
think over 40 years of serviceto the school and now is
involved through her family, herson, giving back to something
that will be there for decadesto impact wellness for that
community.
So just a tremendous story.
(17:57):
There's been a lot of use.
The fitness court there, theJudy Bryant Fitness Court, had
tremendous engagement, so that'sone that is just a fantastic
story.
We've had a ton of success withlarge municipalities as well,
and one that comes to mind isGrand Prairie, texas, who's been
a leader in the Dallas-FortWorth area.
They've built a network ofoutdoor fitness courts six of
(18:18):
them so far that are breakingdown barriers to access across
different demographic groups,really buying into the
importance of changing the builtenvironment to support
well-being, and so we're seeingmany of these stories pop up
every year.
We expect about 25 new outdoorfitness courts to open up across
the state this year, thanks toBlue Cross and Blue Shield of
Texas.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Wow, I love those stories and I love that South
Plains is one of the collegesthat is in our ERS health plan
population, so that makes mereally happy to hear about that
fitness court and I hope to goto Leveland one day and see it
myself.
So that's amazing.
Yeah, are there any projectsthat you're currently working on
?
And also I'm going to ask morespecifically in the Texas area
(19:03):
that you're excited about?
Yeah, absolutely I'd the Texasarea that you're excited about?
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, absolutely, I'd say this year we're most
excited about work happeningdown in the Rio Grande Valley.
So there's a couple of excitingannouncements.
I can't quite get them outthere publicly just yet, but,
working with some reallytremendous partners in the
region, folks that are involvedin supporting wellness in that
area, the city of Brownsville isjumping in.
There's many participatingmunicipalities and schools and
(19:28):
we are really investing in thatregion as one of the innovation
zones across the country withthe campaign.
So, very excited about that.
More to come.
They're running their annualwellness challenge down there,
which is brought to that regionby UT Health Houston School of
Public Health out of Brownsville, and there's a really
tremendous initiative that'sbeen happening down there for
(19:49):
well over a decade, brought tothat region by the School of
Public Health in Brownsvillefrom the UT Houston School of
Public Health Lots of acronyms,but Dr Reidegger is the name of
the dean of the school and she'sbeen doing some tremendous
research over a couple decadeson public health interventions
(20:10):
that help support healthierbehaviors and really impact
diabetes rates and healthoutcomes.
So I'd encourage everybody tocheck out Dr Reiniger's team and
her work.
Their initiative's called TwoSalutes Sequenta and we've been
glad to be a part of it.
I think there's going to be alot more work happening as we
bring more wellnessinfrastructure to that region
(20:30):
with Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
That's amazing and I will share the link to that
program in the show notes aswell.
It's interesting because wehave the UT Houston School of
Public Health just moved intothe ERS building at 1836 San
Jacinto or at least some oftheir team and they have a
cooking demonstration kitchenand all kinds.
(20:54):
I mean it's like a learning lab.
I'm excited for potentialcollaborations with them as well
, because it seems like just anamazing organization.
Absolutely so, Trent, I'm sograteful for the time with you.
I wanted to wrap up with just acouple of questions about, kind
of personally, what do you doto maintain your own wellbeing?
(21:14):
You obviously care a lot abouthealth and wellness, and the
title and the theme of ourprogram is Buena Vida, which
means a good life.
So I don't know if you couldjust tell our listeners a little
bit about what is a good lifefor you?
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Yeah, I love that question.
Thanks for thanks for asking it.
You know, for me it's prettysimple I've got to move outside
every day, we've got to makethat happen.
Most days I do it more thanonce.
So typically my formula isthree outdoor walks and some
form of more strenuous strengthtraining or cardiovascular
(21:50):
training.
And I think folks hear that andthey say, whoa, wait a second,
you must be spending two tothree hours, and that's not the
case.
The outdoor walks are short.
One in the middle of the day issuper important.
We're all working hard and inmany cases stuck at a computer
and a desk, and so I, no matterhow busy my schedule is, I make
sure I get outside and walkstraight up a steep hill at some
(22:12):
point for about 10 or 15minutes and get some sunshine.
That's really important to me.
Cycling's become a love of mine,being out here in Northern
California, so that's a big one.
But I think, most importantly,moving outside and when you can
do it with people which is wherecycling comes in we've got a
group that we go with.
That really, to me, is what agreat life and health looks like
(22:35):
, is getting to move outsidewith a group of people and
having that social connection,and it's no coincidence that
that's what the fitness courtsare designed to do.
They're designed to bring peopleoutside as a group.
There's a really functionalseven-minute full-body workout
that anybody, at any age orability, can engage in.
(22:56):
It's free, they're out there,they're connected to our public
spaces, they're out there in thesunshine and that's kind of
what it's all about.
You know, five or 10 minutes aday, even just starting with one
wellness habit to get outsideand move, can make a huge
difference, and it not onlymakes me feel great Lacey but
gives me the energy and thesupport to kind of dig in and
(23:21):
have a successful and healthylife.
And that's something I learnedfrom Mitch our founder, who to
this day is very involved in thecampaign, is really the energy
behind making this whole thinghappen, and if you had a chance
to ask him what his day lookedlike, he might say something
similar.
He's up early and outsidemoving his body as well, so
(23:42):
that's kind of how it all works.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
That's great.
It all goes back to habits,right, that's it.
How do you make yourself get upto go for those walks, trent,
just for the listeners that mayI mean for me honestly, right
now, how do you do it.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Two key things right now.
One, a 90-pound chocolate lab's.
He's on me.
If I'm, uh, if I'm slacking atall, he'll get, he'll get me,
which you know.
That's again, it's a choice,right, dogs take a little bit of
work, but if you, if you getone that needs some, some
exercise, what a great way tokeep you engaged and make sure
(24:18):
you get them outside.
So that's another one of thoselifestyle design pieces that, uh
, of course you know has animpact.
And then I've got atwo-year-old son and he's got to
get get outside quite a bit, or, uh, same same thing there.
So he keeps me pretty honest.
So that's the morning walk.
And then, uh, keeping myselfaccountable with a group of guys
that I ride with and cycle with.
(24:40):
That's really important.
So, whether it's a walkinggroup or you know somebody,
that's your accountability buddyto get in the gym.
I've always found that over theyears, even back to sports and
practice with the team andhaving accountability with
others is a key aspect.
So morning walk, I'maccountable to Randy, the 90
(25:00):
pound chocolate lab.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
That's a great dog name too, randy.
Oh, no way, yeah, he'sdefinitely a Randy.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
So he's a big.
He's a big guy.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
That's great.
Well, I am so grateful for thetime.
As soon as I learned about thisprogram, I thought how do we
get this out to our population?
How do we help peopleunderstand what is the national
fitness campaign?
How can people access thesecourts?
So thank you for your time Forour listeners.
I will be putting all theinformation in the show notes.
So check it out, see if thereis a fitness court in your area
(25:34):
and, if there's not, see if youcan get involved in trying to
help get one.
So I think everybody, like yousaid, can play a role.
So thank you again, trent, it'sso wonderful to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
I'm looking forward to getting this out to our
listeners.
Yes, thanks.
So much, lacey.
Thanks for having me on andreally appreciate the time.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Thank you so much for tuning in for this episode of
the Buena Vida podcast.
I hope you found ourconversation with Trent Mathias
as inspiring as I did.
It is incredible to see how theNational Fitness Campaign is
transforming communities andmaking fitness more accessible
to everyone.
If you're interested inlearning more, be sure to check
out our show notes for links toresources that we discussed.
(26:15):
If you haven't already, pleasesubscribe to our Buena Vida
podcast wherever you listen topodcasts so you never miss an
episode.
We are pushing out episodes oncea month and we've got some
great guests lined up throughoutthe year.
And if you want to take yourwellness journey even further
and you are a Health Select ofTexas or Consumer Directed
Health Select plan participant,join Buena Vida, our well-being
(26:39):
program, and become part of ourcommunity groups, where we
support each other, we shareexperiences and we grow together
.
I'm offering some weeklygiveaways right now in our
groups.
This is a fun way to connect,learn and to stay motivated.
Thanks again for listening.
Until our next episode, keepmoving, keep growing and keep
living the Buena Vida.
(26:59):
Take care everybody.
The dream scenario for me, anyway, is you do
everything you can to controlthe controllables in terms of
those variables, and over manyyears and decades, some of those
little habits will pick up andmake a really big difference in
how you feel and your long-termhealth.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hi and welcome to the Buena Vida podcast, where we
explore the many ways you canlive a healthier, more
fulfilling life.
I'm your host, lacey Wolfe.
In today's episode, I'mthrilled to be joined by Trent
Mathias, who is the director ofthe National Fitness Campaign
and a landscape architect with adeep passion for how
environment shapes health andwell-being.
(00:35):
Trent's journey into publicfitness began with his
background in landscapearchitecture, where he saw
firsthand how thoughtfullydesigned space can inspire
movement, connection and betterhealth.
Now, through the NationalFitness Campaign, he is leading
the charge to bring free,accessible outdoor fitness
spaces to communities across thecountry.
(00:56):
Since its launch, the NationalFitness Campaign has partnered
with hundreds of cities, schoolsand organizations to install
state-of-the-art outdoor fitnesscourts, providing people of all
ages and abilities with free,high-quality space to move and
connect.
In this conversation, you'regoing to hear about the history
and the mission of the NationalFitness Campaign, how where we
(01:18):
live influences our overallhealth and well-being, the power
of public fitness spaces infostering healthier, more
connected communities, somechallenges and success stories
from bringing these spaces tolife and exciting future
projects, and how you may be theperson who brings an outdoor
fitness court or the NationalFitness Campaign initiative into
(01:39):
your community.
Trent's unique perspectivelends design research as well as
community impact, making this afascinating conversation for
anyone who believes in the powerof public space to transform
health.
Whether you're a communityleader, a fitness enthusiast or
you're simply curious about howthoughtful design can improve
well-being, this episode is foryou.
(02:01):
Here's my conversation withTrent Mathias.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
All right.
Welcome to the Buena Vidapodcast.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
Trent, thank you so much for joining.
Thanks, lacey, glad to be here.
Yeah, I'm really lookingforward to having some
conversation with you.
I thought it'd be great if youcould start by explaining to our
listeners what is the NationalFitness Campaign, a little bit
about its history.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Absolutely Happy to and thanks again for having me.
So again, my name is TrentMathias.
I'm the director at NationalFitness Campaign.
We're an interesting crew.
We're a wellness consultingfirm and our mission is to build
healthy communities all acrossAmerica.
We're actually doing a ton ofwork in Texas right now, which
is part of how we got connected,which is fun, and the history
(02:49):
is pretty unique.
Folks that are listening mightremember way back when these
wooden outdoor gym elementspull-up bars, sit-up benches
that started to appear in parks.
That was us.
That was the original campaignalmost 40 years ago, and it was
born with a real simple missionto get Americans outdoors and
(03:09):
help them move more every day tostay healthier.
Our founder, mitch Menaged,invented the campaign back then
with Stanford University, andWells Fargo Bank got involved,
and we were fortunate to bringthe program to thousands of
locations over the better partof a decade with the wooden
outdoor gyms.
Fast forward to about a decadeago.
(03:30):
The campaign was reinvented forthe 21st century and we are now
scaling once again with a brandnew initiative focused around a
free outdoor gym that's builtin parks and schools, called the
Fitness Court, and it providesopportunities for folks to stay
active.
So that's the quick history.
It started almost 40 years agoand we are now on the launch of
(03:54):
the second iteration of thecampaign.
It's growing rapidly across thecountry.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That's amazing and I was so excited.
After I talked to you, Irealized we have a fitness court
in Pflugerville, texas, where Ilive, and so I was really
excited and I went over there.
It's amazing because there's anapp that goes along with it.
It makes fitness really simpleand the equipment is phenomenal.
So I'm excited to talk to youmore about that.
(04:20):
Can you talk a little bit about, because I'd love for our
listeners to get to know aboutyou?
Also, I know you went toVirginia Tech and you were a
landscape architect.
That was your background.
Can you talk about your journeyto getting into this outdoor
fitness space?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, of course.
So for me, wellness and fitnesshas always been part of my life
.
Played a lot of sports growingup, I took a big interest in
designing buildings at firstarchitecture.
I went and visited VirginiaTech and got a chance to tour
the landscape architecturedepartment and thought wait a
second, I think I like beingoutside more than I like being
inside, and that's whatlandscape architects do.
(05:01):
They help design public spaces,the built environment and
outdoor places.
And so I thought that's whatlandscape architects do.
They help design public spaces,the built environment and
outdoor places.
And so I thought that's prettyinteresting, got hooked into
that and as my education wentalong, my thesis actually
focused on uniting my passionfitness and wellness with what I
was studying at the time, whichwas landscape architecture.
So I took a look at a projectover the better part of 18
(05:24):
months that investigated how ourenvironments shape our habits
and behaviors and, in turn, ourhealth.
And so that's where all thisreally started for me.
I was fortunate to be in theBay Area many years ago after my
education and ran into the veryfirst fitness court right next
to the Golden Gate Bridge thatour founder Mitch had placed
(05:45):
there to help kick off the newcampaign, I thought this has got
to be the best thing I've everseen for outdoor wellness, and
I've got to learn more about it.
And so I was in the right placeat the right time, and that's
where the journey started withthe campaign.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
That's a great story.
I mean, you were just there,you saw it and you said I've got
to be a part of this.
And here you are director.
Absolutely, that's amazing.
I think most of us know that,intuitively, where we live plays
a role in our health.
But could you talk a little bitmore about what you see from
the research around?
How does where we live and ourenvironment impact our overall
(06:23):
health?
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Absolutely.
This is something I get reallyexcited about.
I'm not sure about thelisteners, but I think in terms
of your everyday habits it'swhen you start to think about
this you'd be surprised how manyof them are directly connected
to where you live.
There's really incredibleresearch now that's been done
across many decades that showinextricable links between the
(06:48):
cities that we live in andhealth outcomes.
And where you see a lot of thisis european cities.
They're older, there's morepedestrian infrastructure, so
sidewalks um tighter spaces thatcars don't fit into bike lanes.
Those infrastructures, alongwith public transportation
(07:10):
access, make it more likely thatpeople will walk or ride their
bike.
So suddenly you're starting towalk and ride your bike a little
bit more to get to work, to getto school, to go pick up dinner
, to cook, and so these thingsadd up.
They really stack up what wesee?
Still a pretty car-centricsociety.
(07:31):
We're jumping in our cars a lot.
I know, lacey, you're downthere in Texas, I'm sure here
and again you're jumping in yourcar, I do the same thing.
But those habits are going tostack up and so that's one
really clear analogy.
You can think about just yourtransportation choices and,
depending on where you live,this is going to be different.
If you're in a little bit moredensely populated area, you
(07:53):
might be choosing to walk alittle more.
Things might be closer.
If you're in a sparselypopulated area, you might be
driving more.
So there's really extensiveresearch on this.
This is really our passion andour work at the campaign is to
help identify and explore theseconnections.
But for me personally, I knowthat if I didn't live where I
live in Northern California, Iwouldn't be out on my bike quite
(08:15):
as much, and I saw that changewhen I moved from Virginia out
here.
There's just moreinfrastructure in this area for
cycling, walking, jogging, andso I think it's really
interesting to explore that andit's certainly something that
can be applied for the listenersin their everyday life and sort
of thinking about where theylive be applied for the
listeners in their everyday lifeand sort of thinking about
(08:36):
where they live.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Absolutely, it's so interesting.
I feel very blessed that I gotto live in Europe for about a
decade and I remember when Imoved there from Texas.
I grew up in the country and ittook us 30 minutes drive to get
to the grocery store and whenwe got to Germany the first
place we lived working for thearmy we were walking to the
grocery.
I didn't have a car and I waslike, oh, I can only get the
(09:00):
things that I need in mybackpack and so then you're
carrying those things.
But now that I'm back living inthe suburbs, it is challenging.
You have to really make aneffort to get out and do those
things that we know that are sogood for us.
It's an interesting field andalso, I think even from zip code
to zip code we see differencesin people's health right.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
A hundred percent and there's a lot of factors, you
know built environment,definitely something that plays
into it.
There's, of course, manydifferent layers of policy and
other decisions that are madethat may shape behaviors, and
then at the individual level,there's all kinds of things that
are hanging us and seeking ourattention and enforcing certain
habits and behaviors, and so Ithink for me it really comes
(09:44):
down to what is in your control.
How can you set up your dailylife and where you live to be
the most supportive of some ofthose healthy habits and
behaviors?
And that's sort of the dreamscenario for me, anyway, is you
do everything you can to controlthe controllables in terms of
those variables and over manyyears and decades some of those
(10:06):
little habits will pick up andmake a really big difference in
how you feel and your long-termhealth.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
That makes so much sense.
I know that building thesefitness courts across the
country, you get to see alldifferent types of municipal
governments, state governments,because you work a lot with the
public sector.
What kind of challenges do youface when it comes to actually
building fitness courts and isthere anything kind of notable
(10:32):
around that that you've learnedfor building healthy spaces?
Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, it's a great question, you know.
Really, the good news is mostcivic officials and education
sector leaders when they hearabout the program, they get kind
of excited.
They connect with the idea ofbuilding healthy communities, so
there's a lot of support.
One of the big efforts, ofcourse, as many folks listening
will know, is alwaysprioritization of programs and
(11:00):
funding to make that happen.
We're in a really fortunateposition that in Texas, blue
Cross and Blue Shield of Texashas taken an interest in the
work and they're actually ourstate sponsor and they've been
supporting the funding side ofthe equation for eligible
municipalities and schools,which is fantastic.
We work with many of America'slargest healthcare companies
that are seeing that it's prettyimportant to also invest back
(11:23):
into communities to help peoplestay healthier.
That's good for everybody andso fortunately, we have some
resources and a team thatactually helps solve some of
these key challenges resourcesand a team that actually helps
solve some of these keychallenges.
Space is also important, so wedo a lot of work to help
identify site locations andparks along trails on college,
school and school high schoolcampuses to make this happen.
(11:44):
But there's really a myriad ofissues that start to happen at
the local level and at the endof the day, we're pretty good at
the funding piece, pretty goodat helping find the right
locations to build thesewellness hubs, but the
prioritization is key and that'swhere folks can come in and
really help.
As advocates, each of usactually has a lot of ability to
impact change at the locallevel.
(12:05):
It's pretty interesting whenyou get a little bit into it and
I'm sure some of the listenersare engaged in their communities
.
There's are engaged in theircommunities.
But city council meetings,parks and recreation committee
meetings and commission meetingsyou'd be surprised how much you
can do if you speak up a littlebit and talk about what's
important and if wellnessinfrastructure is important,
(12:25):
that's kind of the start and thecatalyst for change.
So we're doing a lot of workaround the country to help
encourage folks to speak up.
If they feel like havingoutdoor wellness hubs or trails
and pedestrian infrastructure iskey, they can actually have a
lot of impact.
And I think that's somethingLacey that sometimes folks don't
realize that that localgovernment level or working with
(12:45):
your local school board, withthe high school, those things
are really accessible to anybodyin the community.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
For sure, and I know my husband and I have recently
gotten pretty involved in ourlocal government and the
municipal government.
My husband's actually goingthrough a class right now called
Pflugerville 101, where he'slearning all about all the
committees and each week I thinklast week they did Parks and
Rec and he learned about ourfitness court and they came in
and the class was in our reccenter and things like that.
(13:15):
I think so much of our healthand well-being we have more
control over, like you said, butin the municipal government,
like so much of our health, isdependent upon our municipal
government.
Yet a lot of people have noidea how to get involved.
Do you have, like, do y'allhave kind of a playbook or
anything available for peoplefor how they could bring
(13:38):
something like this to cityleaders?
How would somebody share that?
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Absolutely.
Yeah, we've got a number ofresources at National Fitness
Campaign that folks can haveaccess to and definitely
encourage folks to poke aroundand check it out.
The good news is, across Texas,we're really growing.
There are over 50 fitnesscourts already available and
there are many dozens of thembeing funded and built at all
times towards hundreds of themacross the state to make it
(14:04):
accessible within 10 minutes ofevery Texan.
And so, number one, you canfind your nearest fitness court
pretty easily by jumping on thefitness court app or checking
out our website, which is greatIn terms of advocating to bring
the campaign or initiative likethis to your community.
They're absolutely tools andresources.
I think, lacey, what you pointedout there are commissions and
(14:26):
committees that are present inevery municipal government, and
those are great ways forcitizens to be involved.
One of the easiest ways werecommend is actually just
attending a council meeting andspeaking up during the public
comment section.
So many folks may not know this, but council meetings regularly
have opportunities forcommunity members to bring up
important issues to them, andthese meetings can last a little
(14:50):
bit of time, but you can jumpin usually the comment period
somewhat in the beginning and weencourage folks to get out
there and advocate if there's anissue that's important to you.
Maybe you'd love to see bettersidewalks in your part of town
so you could start a habit towalk five to 10 minutes every
evening.
Those are opportunities to dothat.
We've also developed a toolkitwith some resources, like a
(15:11):
three-minute film, that helppeople bring these types of
issues to the attention of civicleaders, and there's easy ways
to get that shared.
So, yeah, I would actuallystart with the local council
meeting and jump in there andget a sense of it if you're
interested in advocating andbeing involved.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Trent, do you mind telling me a little bit about
how these parks are funded?
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Absolutely yeah.
The campaign really facilitatesa unique public-private EAT
funding grants that provide animportant share of the funds
from National Fitness Campaignand Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Texas, and there's a matchrequired at the local level from
the applicants.
So we find that bringing fundingtogether from a few resources
is a great way for all theparticipating entities to share
(15:56):
in the funding, create moreimpact across the state and the
country, and it's also reallyimportant that the local
municipalities and schools valuewellness and are also invested
in this so that they take greatcare of the program, help
promote it with their citizensand get a lot of people involved
.
So it's great.
So there are lots and lots ofseed funds In fact, over a
million dollars worth of seedgrant funding available across
(16:18):
the state just this year fromNFC and Blue Cross, blue Shield
Texas year from NFC and BlueCross, blue Shield Texas and our
consulting group helps assistreally all municipalities and
school systems across the stateand learning about the program
becoming eligible and thenjoining over the next decade,
which is our goal to geteverybody involved.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Trent, do you have any success stories?
Specifically, I don't know ifyou could share a couple of
success stories in Texas, forwhere the National Fitness
Campaign has come in and helpedto transform communities or to
support communities in variousways.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Absolutely.
Yeah, too many to count.
I think a couple of myfavorites in Texas gosh probably
one of the most fun andpowerful stories we've had so
far just happened.
I think this was last year andthis was.
South Plains College joined thecampaign and we actually in
this case, we had a, of course,seed fund from NFC and Blue
(17:14):
Cross, blue Shield of Texas andthe college was extremely
supportive and there wasactually a donation from a
family of a longtime educator atthe school named Judy Bryant,
and so this became the JudyBryant Outdoor Fitness Court,
brought to the school by NFC,blue Cross, blue Shield Texas
and South Plains College.
(17:34):
It was just a tremendous launchand story and what a great way
to honor someone who's justdedicated many, many years I
think over 40 years of serviceto the school and now is
involved through her family, herson, giving back to something
that will be there for decadesto impact wellness for that
community.
So just a tremendous story.
(17:57):
There's been a lot of use.
The fitness court there, theJudy Bryant Fitness Court, had
tremendous engagement, so that'sone that is just a fantastic
story.
We've had a ton of success withlarge municipalities as well,
and one that comes to mind isGrand Prairie, texas, who's been
a leader in the Dallas-FortWorth area.
They've built a network ofoutdoor fitness courts six of
(18:18):
them so far that are breakingdown barriers to access across
different demographic groups,really buying into the
importance of changing the builtenvironment to support
well-being, and so we're seeingmany of these stories pop up
every year.
We expect about 25 new outdoorfitness courts to open up across
the state this year, thanks toBlue Cross and Blue Shield of
Texas.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Wow, I love those stories and I love that South
Plains is one of the collegesthat is in our ERS health plan
population, so that makes mereally happy to hear about that
fitness court and I hope to goto Leveland one day and see it
myself.
So that's amazing.
Yeah, are there any projectsthat you're currently working on
?
And also I'm going to ask morespecifically in the Texas area
(19:03):
that you're excited about?
Yeah, absolutely I'd the Texasarea that you're excited about?
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, absolutely, I'd say this year we're most
excited about work happeningdown in the Rio Grande Valley.
So there's a couple of excitingannouncements.
I can't quite get them outthere publicly just yet, but,
working with some reallytremendous partners in the
region, folks that are involvedin supporting wellness in that
area, the city of Brownsville isjumping in.
There's many participatingmunicipalities and schools and
(19:28):
we are really investing in thatregion as one of the innovation
zones across the country withthe campaign.
So, very excited about that.
More to come.
They're running their annualwellness challenge down there,
which is brought to that regionby UT Health Houston School of
Public Health out of Brownsville, and there's a really
tremendous initiative that'sbeen happening down there for
(19:49):
well over a decade, brought tothat region by the School of
Public Health in Brownsvillefrom the UT Houston School of
Public Health Lots of acronyms,but Dr Reidegger is the name of
the dean of the school and she'sbeen doing some tremendous
research over a couple decadeson public health interventions
(20:10):
that help support healthierbehaviors and really impact
diabetes rates and healthoutcomes.
So I'd encourage everybody tocheck out Dr Reiniger's team and
her work.
Their initiative's called TwoSalutes Sequenta and we've been
glad to be a part of it.
I think there's going to be alot more work happening as we
bring more wellnessinfrastructure to that region
(20:30):
with Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
That's amazing and I will share the link to that
program in the show notes aswell.
It's interesting because wehave the UT Houston School of
Public Health just moved intothe ERS building at 1836 San
Jacinto or at least some oftheir team and they have a
cooking demonstration kitchenand all kinds.
(20:54):
I mean it's like a learning lab.
I'm excited for potentialcollaborations with them as well
, because it seems like just anamazing organization.
Absolutely so, Trent, I'm sograteful for the time with you.
I wanted to wrap up with just acouple of questions about, kind
of personally, what do you doto maintain your own wellbeing?
(21:14):
You obviously care a lot abouthealth and wellness, and the
title and the theme of ourprogram is Buena Vida, which
means a good life.
So I don't know if you couldjust tell our listeners a little
bit about what is a good lifefor you?
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Yeah, I love that question.
Thanks for thanks for asking it.
You know, for me it's prettysimple I've got to move outside
every day, we've got to makethat happen.
Most days I do it more thanonce.
So typically my formula isthree outdoor walks and some
form of more strenuous strengthtraining or cardiovascular
(21:50):
training.
And I think folks hear that andthey say, whoa, wait a second,
you must be spending two tothree hours, and that's not the
case.
The outdoor walks are short.
One in the middle of the day issuper important.
We're all working hard and inmany cases stuck at a computer
and a desk, and so I, no matterhow busy my schedule is, I make
sure I get outside and walkstraight up a steep hill at some
(22:12):
point for about 10 or 15minutes and get some sunshine.
That's really important to me.
Cycling's become a love of mine,being out here in Northern
California, so that's a big one.
But I think, most importantly,moving outside and when you can
do it with people which is wherecycling comes in we've got a
group that we go with.
That really, to me, is what agreat life and health looks like
(22:35):
, is getting to move outsidewith a group of people and
having that social connection,and it's no coincidence that
that's what the fitness courtsare designed to do.
They're designed to bring peopleoutside as a group.
There's a really functionalseven-minute full-body workout
that anybody, at any age orability, can engage in.
(22:56):
It's free, they're out there,they're connected to our public
spaces, they're out there in thesunshine and that's kind of
what it's all about.
You know, five or 10 minutes aday, even just starting with one
wellness habit to get outsideand move, can make a huge
difference, and it not onlymakes me feel great Lacey but
gives me the energy and thesupport to kind of dig in and
(23:21):
have a successful and healthylife.
And that's something I learnedfrom Mitch our founder, who to
this day is very involved in thecampaign, is really the energy
behind making this whole thinghappen, and if you had a chance
to ask him what his day lookedlike, he might say something
similar.
He's up early and outsidemoving his body as well, so
(23:42):
that's kind of how it all works.
Speaker 2 (23:44):
That's great.
It all goes back to habits,right, that's it.
How do you make yourself get upto go for those walks, trent,
just for the listeners that mayI mean for me honestly, right
now, how do you do it.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Two key things right now.
One, a 90-pound chocolate lab's.
He's on me.
If I'm, uh, if I'm slacking atall, he'll get, he'll get me,
which you know.
That's again, it's a choice,right, dogs take a little bit of
work, but if you, if you getone that needs some, some
exercise, what a great way tokeep you engaged and make sure
(24:18):
you get them outside.
So that's another one of thoselifestyle design pieces that, uh
, of course you know has animpact.
And then I've got atwo-year-old son and he's got to
get get outside quite a bit, or, uh, same same thing there.
So he keeps me pretty honest.
So that's the morning walk.
And then, uh, keeping myselfaccountable with a group of guys
that I ride with and cycle with.
(24:40):
That's really important.
So, whether it's a walkinggroup or you know somebody,
that's your accountability buddyto get in the gym.
I've always found that over theyears, even back to sports and
practice with the team andhaving accountability with
others is a key aspect.
So morning walk, I'maccountable to Randy, the 90
(25:00):
pound chocolate lab.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
That's a great dog name too, randy.
Oh, no way, yeah, he'sdefinitely a Randy.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
So he's a big.
He's a big guy.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
That's great.
Well, I am so grateful for thetime.
As soon as I learned about thisprogram, I thought how do we
get this out to our population?
How do we help peopleunderstand what is the national
fitness campaign?
How can people access thesecourts?
So thank you for your time Forour listeners.
I will be putting all theinformation in the show notes.
So check it out, see if thereis a fitness court in your area
(25:34):
and, if there's not, see if youcan get involved in trying to
help get one.
So I think everybody, like yousaid, can play a role.
So thank you again, trent, it'sso wonderful to talk to you.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
I'm looking forward to getting this out to our
listeners.
Yes, thanks.
So much, lacey.
Thanks for having me on andreally appreciate the time.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Thank you so much for tuning in for this episode of
the Buena Vida podcast.
I hope you found ourconversation with Trent Mathias
as inspiring as I did.
It is incredible to see how theNational Fitness Campaign is
transforming communities andmaking fitness more accessible
to everyone.
If you're interested inlearning more, be sure to check
out our show notes for links toresources that we discussed.
(26:15):
If you haven't already, pleasesubscribe to our Buena Vida
podcast wherever you listen topodcasts so you never miss an
episode.
We are pushing out episodes oncea month and we've got some
great guests lined up throughoutthe year.
And if you want to take yourwellness journey even further
and you are a Health Select ofTexas or Consumer Directed
Health Select plan participant,join Buena Vida, our well-being
(26:39):
program, and become part of ourcommunity groups, where we
support each other, we shareexperiences and we grow together
.
I'm offering some weeklygiveaways right now in our
groups.
This is a fun way to connect,learn and to stay motivated.
Thanks again for listening.
Until our next episode, keepmoving, keep growing and keep
living the Buena Vida.
(26:59):
Take care everybody.
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!