The Prescription Strength Podcast

In this episode, I'm joined by Mick Wadge, the 88-year-old weightlifting grandad who has taken TikTok by storm, and his coach, Ross Starkie.

Mick spent years caring for his wife Margaret, who had rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. When she died, he found himself at a loss, and carrying far more weight than he wanted to. So he took an old broom handle, hung two milk bottles full of water on it, and started training on his patio.

When he turned 85, his grandson booked him four sessions with Ross, a strength and conditioning coach who works with professional athletes. Three years on, Mick has deadlifted 100kg, come off his metformin, had a letter from Arnold Schwarzenegger and lifted on national television.

We talk about why so many people, health and fitness professionals included, are frightened of older people lifting weights, and why Ross thinks doing nothing is the bigger risk. Ross explains how he coached Mick up from an empty bar with nothing more complicated than adding a little weight over time, and why the things Mick already did every day were a squat, a hinge and a deadlift by another name.

We also talk about getting up off the floor, a skill that can matter far more than any personal best, and the technique Ross taught Mick that local firefighters have since asked to share.

In this episode:
Caring for a partner, and putting your own health last
Starting with a broom handle and two milk bottles
Why a council gym can be a great place to start
What structured coaching adds as you get older
Why coaches are nervous of training older clients
Angina, prediabetes, and why Ross says keep the coffee and cake
Getting up off the floor, and why it matters
Arnold Schwarzenegger, This Morning, and saying no to Britain's Got Talent
What to look for in a gym and a coach
Why it is never too late to start

As Ross puts it: it's scarier not to do anything at all.

Follow Mick on TikTok: @old.man.mick2

If you enjoyed this, listen back to my conversation with Christine Hobson, who ran her first marathon in her 60s: "At 50 She Was Struggling. At 73, She's Fitter Than Ever": https://pod.link/1762298788/episode/ZTkyNGE1YTYtZDM3ZC00NzY5LWI0ZTMtNWU3NDlmZDU4ZmRk

Women’s health is about far more than hormones and HRT. In this episode, I’m joined by scientist and researcher Dr Gayathri Delanerolle, whose experience of endometriosis, pregnancy loss and medically induced menopause helped shape the questions she now asks in her research.
Gayathri shares what it was like to live with severe symptoms for years, why finally seeing the extent of her endometriosis brought both relief and difficult questions about fertility, and how those experiences led her to develop the Marie Project.
We talk about gaps in women’s health research, the experiences that conventional menopause discussions can miss, and what Gayathri is learning by listening to women across different countries and cultures. It’s a conversation about asking better questions—and making room for the answers women actually give.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Andy Ward, a GP working with people experiencing homelessness in Leicester, and Kyra Biddle from Dear Albert’s Stairway Project, who brings her own lived experience of homelessness, addiction and recovery.
Kyra shares what happened when her family lost their home when she was just 14, how alcohol became a way of coping, and what it really means to live in survival mode.
We talk about the barriers people experiencing homelessness can face when trying to access healthcare, why appointments, medication and even apparently simple health advice can become almost impossible to navigate when you don’t have somewhere safe to live, and how stigma can destroy trust.
Andy explains how working in homeless healthcare changed the way he practises medicine, and why behaviour that can look “difficult” makes much more sense when you understand what someone may be living through.
But this is also a conversation about recovery. Kyra is now more than four years into her own recovery and uses her experience to support others. We talk about what helped her, why being listened to and treated as a human being matters, and how sometimes the beginning of recovery can be as simple as a cup of tea, a Hobnob and somewhere you feel welcome.
A conversation about homelessness, addiction, healthcare, recovery — and the importance of seeing the person in front of you.

You can contact Dear Albert here: https://www.dearalbert.co.uk

See the fantastic work of Inclusion Healthcare here: https://www.inclusionhealthcare.co.uk

We all know exercise is good for our heart — but most people still think that means cardio.
In this episode, I’m joined by Emily McGrath, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, to talk about why strength training deserves a place in the conversation about cardiovascular health.
Emily shares some of the most common worries she hears from people after a heart diagnosis, from palpitations and medication to the fear of exercising again. We talk about why a heart problem can completely change the way you see your body — and why people can end up treating themselves as far more fragile than they really are.
We also talk about the evidence for strength training and heart health, including its effects on blood pressure, and why getting stronger can make everyday life easier as we age.
Emily shares her own experience of starting strength training, despite initially feeling intimidated by it, and we discuss how to begin without needing to become a gym person, lift enormous weights or completely overhaul your life.
Finally, we talk about the British Heart Foundation’s Strong Woman Challenge, a free 31-day challenge designed to help women try strength training at home and build confidence with it.
Because cardio is excellent for your heart. But it doesn’t have to do all the work.
In this episode:
Why people can feel frightened of exercise after a cardiac diagnosis
Palpitations, smart watches and health anxiety
Why strength training is still overlooked in heart health
The effect resistance training can have on blood pressure
Starting strength training when you feel intimidated or unsure
Why our bodies are often less fragile than we imagine
Strength, function and maintaining independence as we age
Cutting through the noise about strength training in midlife
The BHF Strong Woman Challenge

Join the October challenge here  www.bhf.org.uk/strongwoman

Feeling tired all the time is one of the most common reasons people see their GP. But before assuming it must be your thyroid, hormones, cortisol or a vitamin deficiency, what else could your energy be telling you?
In this episode, I talk through the energy audit I’d encourage you to do: when did your energy change, when does your battery drain, and where are the best hours of your day actually going?
We look at sleep, work and caring responsibilities, food, alcohol and exercise; what your GP may reasonably investigate; and why blood tests are only one part of the picture.
Most importantly, I explain how to experiment with one thing at a time, look for patterns and collect useful information about yourself.
You don’t need to diagnose yourself. Become a detective before you become a diagnostician.