The Dad Strength Podcast The Dad Strength Podcast

Dr. Howard Luks is a seasoned orthopaedic surgeon and Sports Medicine specialist who really walks the talk. Howard’s known for his exceptional patient-centred approach and science-based advice about health and longevity, and he’s compiled a lot of that wisdom into his book, Longevity…Simplified: Living A Longer, Healthier Life Shouldn’t Be Complicated. As the title implies, Howard is great at cutting through the popular pseudoscience and social media trends to get at what’s really important when it comes to healthspan and living your best, healthiest life, for as long as possible.

In our interview, we unpack some of the common misconceptions associated with training and health, some of his favourite tools and indicators to take stock of your health as you age, his views on wellness wearables and personal health recording, and why understanding physiology is "really friggin’ hard!"

Some relevant links for Howard…

Website: www.howardluks.com
X: https://twitter.com/hjluks
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hjluks1
More on HRVTraining: https://www.hrv4training.com/
Get Howard's book,  Longevity Simplified here:  https://amzn.to/4aVQK89
On Lactate and Training: https://www.howardluksmd.com/lactate-lactate-shuttle-lactic-threshold-workouts-in-polarized-training/

Morgan Campbell is an award-winning journalist who writes for New York Times Sports and is the first Senior Contributor to CBC Sports. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Literary Review of Canada, and the Best Canadian Sports Writing anthology.

Morgan also has a lot of wisdom to share on the subject of forgiveness. In his recent memoir, My Fighting Family: Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made Us, Morgan documents his life growing up as the grandchild of two feuding families, and the factions and frictions that arose and shaped his relationships within that family. 

In our interview, we get into what’s gained (and lost) in being able to forgive others, how even “bad” parents can offer teachable moments, how the past is all about perspective, and how no doesn’t always mean no, especially when it comes to building a career. 

Morgan’s LinksMy Fighting Family: Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made UsTwitter 
CBC 
Follow Bring it In on Facebook 
Affirmative Action—via Scene on Radio 

Having conversations with your kids about screen time generally isn’t easy, but thanks to the work of folks like Ash Brandin, those conversations can be a lot smoother and can help set a healthy foundation for how and when screens can best serve their purpose. Ash is best known as The Gamer Educator, and has spent the last 10+ years focused on incorporating gaming concepts in the classroom.

In this episode, Ash and I discuss attitudes around screen usage, some of the positives and negatives surrounding video games, how parents can model good screen usage behaviours, and (perhaps most importantly) we get a solid description of what Roblox is. 

So pick up a smartphone, laptop, or tablet and take a listen. 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/thegamereducator/?hl=en
Website: https://thegamereducator.com/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/TheGamerEducator

Michael Watts is a seasoned performance coach, father of 2, and a master when it comes to breath work. Mike has worked extensively with athletes at the highest levels, including English Premier League Clubs and National Teams in China and England. Central to his operating philosophy is functional breathing, recognizing its crucial impact on recovery and overall athletic performance.
In this episode, we get into what inspired Mike to get into coaching, some of his thoughts around how breathing and movement can be incorporated into parenting practices or everyday experiences, get an understanding of how our body's systems operate in stressful situations, and get a demonstration from Mike in using functional breath work to recenter, relax, increase focus, or ratchet up performance. So take a slow, deep breath and let's get into it. 
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Title music by Daniel RossAdditional music by Mike Ford and Jeremy GlennEdited by Jeremy Glenn

Mattie Leon is a singer/songwriter from Hamilton, Ontario. In the wholesome episode to date, Leon describes the transition from touring musician to fatherhood and why a good story doesn't always need a dramatic arc. Here, we learn about his (great) relationship with his dad and how a song that makes grown men cry became the seed of this episode.
You can listen to more music at https://www.mattieleon.com or follow Mattie Leon on Instagram @mattieleonmusic
Father's Wedding Speech performed by Mattie Leon; written by Mattie Leon, Michael Leon, and Nelson Sobral; produced by Mark Howard; used with permission from Castlemore Records
Title music by Daniel Ross, additional music by Jeremy Glenn. Edited by Jeremy Glenn

Alex Manley is published poet and journalist, a senior editor at AskMen, and the author of The New Masculinity: A Roadmap for a 21st-Century Definition of Manhood
In this episode, Manley's helps us question and deconstruct outdated rules for masculinity and build—in their place—opportunities for a more modern vision of what it is to be a man. Manley's view—informed by their position at AskMen—speaks directly to the gaps we're currently feeling and offers, in their place, a considered and thoughtful view. If you are a parent to young men, you will want to hear this one.
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Title music by Daniel RossAdditional music by Mike Ford and Jeremy GlennEdited by Jeremy Glenn