In this uplifting and perspective-shifting episode of the 1% Happier and Healthier Podcast, we sit down with Bernie, a 74-year-old (nearly 75!) from San Diego who is redefining what ageing can look like.

For most of his life, Bernie worked long hours and put his health on the back burner. Like many people, work came first — until retirement at 63 created space for a different question: Who do I want to be now?

One book changed everything. Inspired to take responsibility for his strength and wellbeing, Bernie began working on his fitness — not with extremes, but with consistency and intention. Since then, he’s lost 25 pounds, built his own home gym, and completely reshaped his identity. Today, Bernie is an Instagram sensation, inspiring thousands of people around the world to believe that it’s never too late to get stronger, healthier, and more confident in your body.

This conversation isn’t just about fitness — it’s about identity. Bernie reminds us that lasting change happens when we stop asking “What should I do?” and start asking “Who do I want to be?”

• Why it’s never too late to start prioritising your health
• How retirement can be a powerful opportunity for reinvention
• The role of identity in creating lasting lifestyle change
• Why strength matters more as we age — physically and mentally
• How small, consistent actions compound over time
• What Bernie’s journey teaches us about confidence, purpose, and self-belief
• How redefining “ageing” can unlock a healthier future

Real transformation begins when your habits align with your identity.

Ask yourself: Who do I want to be — and what would that person do today?

• You think it might be “too late” to get fit or strong
• You’re approaching retirement or navigating a new life chapter
• You want inspiration to build health habits that actually last
• You’re curious about strength, longevity, and mindset
• You believe it’s possible to be 1% happier and healthier at any age

Bernie’s story proves that age is not a barrier — it’s an invitation.

You don’t have to change everything overnight. You just have to decide who you want to be next.

Join the 1% Happier & Healthier Community

On a similar journey? Want to share your story and connect with

others making positive changes? Join our private 1% Happier & Healthier Facebook

Community for encouragement, tips, and real talk.

📩 Email us at hello@1percentandhealthier.co.uk to request an invite!

🎧 Thanks for Listening!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review – it helps others discover the show and join the 1% movement!

A big thank you to Pixabay for providing our intro and outro

music, "Inspirational Background" by AudioCoffee.

Ann & Sally

xx

Stay Connected with Us

Follow us on Instagram: @happierandhealthier__

Have questions or want to join our Facebook community? Reach out

to us at hello@1percentandhealthier.co.uk.

Connect with Bernie on instagram: @berniepr

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Science of Stepping Outside: How Nature Restores Calm & Focus

The secrets of forest bathing revealed.

Guest: Susanne (Forest Bathing / Shinrin-yoku guide; leads the guide team at Kew Gardens)

Episode Summary:

What if the fastest way to feel calmer, clearer and more energised was… free and right outside your door? This week, Sally and Anne are joined by Suzanne, a forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) guide, to explore what forest bathing really is (hint: it’s not just a walk in the woods). Suzanne shares the science-backed benefits of being with nature—how it helps shift you out of fight-or-flight and into rest-and-digest—plus simple practices you can try in just 10–15 minutes.

• Sally’s quick grounding reset (5 minutes on the grass!)
• What forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) actually means
• Why modern life keeps us stuck in fight-or-flight
• How nature supports the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest)
• Why “being with nature” is different from exercising in nature
• Phone-free time outdoors (and why one glance can break the reset)
• The “soft fascination” effect that restores focus and mental energy
• Tree compounds (phytoncides) and immune support (as discussed)
• Simple, practical ways to start forest bathing anywhere
• Suzanne’s powerful 1% tip: focus on beauty

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Go outside (garden, park, or street with trees). Put your phone on silent/flight mode. Walk slowly and notice:

• one sound
• one colour
• one texture or movement
• Ask yourself: How do I feel now compared to 10 minutes ago?

• Sensory walk: slow down, no destination, open your senses
• Tree / fractal tracing: follow a tree’s branches slowly with your eyes
• Fingertip tracing: gently trace fingertips along your forearm/hand to anchor calm
• Morning light practice: step outside early, orient toward daylight, breathe and visualise light “flooding” the body (as described)

• Richard Louv — Last Child in the Woods (nature deficit disorder concept)
• Dr. Jacob Lieberman — Light: Medicine of the Future; Take Off Your Glasses and See
• Suzanne also references Luminous Life as a favourite

• Forest bathing events via the Kew Gardens website
• Website: meetinnature.com
• Free resource mentioned: Natural Energy Insider Guide (on her website)

• “Forest bathing isn’t just being in nature—it’s being with nature.”
• “Nature is the therapist. I’m not the therapist.”
• “Focus on beauty—it lifts you out of fear and expands you.”

Join the 1% Happier & Healthier Community

On a similar journey? Want to share your story and connect with

others making positive changes? Join our private 1% Happier & Healthier Facebook

Community for encouragement, tips, and real talk.

📩 Email us at hello@1percentandhealthier.co.uk to request an invite!

🎧 Thanks for Listening!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review – it helps others discover the show and join the 1% movement!

A big thank you to Pixabay for providing our intro and outro

music, "Inspirational Background" by AudioCoffee.

Ann & Sally

xx

Stay Connected with Us

Follow us on Instagram: @happierandhealthier__

Have questions or want to join our Facebook community? Reach out

to us at hello@1percenthappierandhealthier.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dry January isn’t the finish line.

It’s feedback.

In this final episode, we explore what to do with everything you’ve noticed, learned and felt over the past month — without rules, pressure, or “shoulds.”

This is about turning awareness into self-trust, and making choices that support the life you actually want to live.

Not perfectly.

Just gently.

Just honestly.

• How you feel now compared to before you took a break
• What surprised you most
• What’s become non-negotiable going forward
• Why “just cutting back” can sometimes feel harder than taking a break
• Why clarity is more powerful than rules
• And how alcohol can quietly become optional again

• Does alcohol feel optional in my life right now?
• Do I drink because I want to — or because it’s expected?
• Does alcohol help me unwind — or does it borrow tomorrow’s calm?
• How would my evenings feel without it?
• What might I gain from another short break?

You’re not finishing something.

You’re discovering something.

More clarity.

More energy.

More calm.

More you.

Write down what you want your “new normal” to protect — sleep, mornings, mood, self-trust — and let those become your compass.

• UK Chief Medical Officers recommend no more than 14 units per week to keep health risks lower — but there is no completely “safe” level
• Recent research suggests even moderate drinking (more than 7 drinks per week) increases the risk of premature death

You didn’t quit something.

You discovered something.

On a similar journey? Want to share your story and connect with others making positive changes?

Follow our 1% Happier and Healthier page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/1As5stBXSg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

and join our new Facebook group for dry January https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577141566058

🎧 Thanks for Listening!

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review – it helps others discover the show and join the 1% movement!

A big thank you to Pixabay for providing our intro and outro

music, "Inspirational Background" by AudioCoffee.

Ann & Sally

xx

Stay Connected with Us

Follow us on Instagram: @happierandhealthier__

Have questions or want to join our Facebook community?

Contact us via e mail hello@1percenthappierandhealthier.co.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.