Episodes

  • Season 3 of “More Than Sweat” will venture, habit by habit, through all the disciplines of my new book, 10 Minutes to Slim and Sober.

    To be disciplined means to be a disciple of something. Today, I am a disciple of Daily Habit 1 in “10 Minutes to Slim and Sober,” and that is a no-fuss 5-step Surefire Morning Routine.

    The advice I give on this show comes from my education as a certified personal trainer and professional life coach, as well as my experiential learning as a woman living alcohol-free, jumping off cliffs, eating more fiber than a bunny, lifting heavy weights, and making the most of her one precious life. It is not intended to be construed as medical advice.

    Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing a medical concern. Talk to me, a life coach, if you want to build a life you don’t have to escape from. Until then, I’ll talk to you- in generalities. My message applies to uniquely you and ubiquitously everyone. It is, was, and always will be More Than Sweat.

    “10 Minutes to Slim and Sober” is available for $19.99 (including tax) at https://brookbenten.com/product/2025-ebook/

    When you purchase the ebook, you support a family of 4, female entrepreneurship, and my mission to move millions to well-being.

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  • “More Than Sweat” always means you and I are doing life together in ways that dig deeper than just a workout. Season One introduced you to my life and vibe with Power Music 🎶 jamming in the background. (In case you forgot, season one episodes had you match the beat of the music on your power walk as I mused on. We had some great walks and sometimes covered over 3 miles!) Season Two celebrated the hardcover book publication of my memoir, “Sweat with Brook Benten.” Season Three is a blank slate. We’ll see where this goes, but one thing’s for sure: it will always be with L.O.V.E. (“Let Others Voluntarily Evolve”). With gratitude and LOVE, here’s episode one- with a glimpse into my just-launched ebook, “10 Minutes to Slim and Sober.”

    10 Minutes to Slim and Sober is available exclusively as a digital book at https://brookbenten.com/product/2025-ebook/

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  • When you plant a tree, it’s not sturdy. It’s a fragile seed that is nurtured to a fragile trunk with fragile limbs. With rich soil, light, water, and time, it can grow sturdy.

    So can you.

    Whether you’ve survived “t” trauma or “T” Trauma, you have experienced brokenness.

    Repair will be a lengthy process.

    “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” Margaret Thatcher

    You can be sturdy again. But you’ll never actualize sturdiness with hopes that you may be a passive witness to the process. You’re the orchestrator. You are both the gardener and the tree.

    Here’s how I became sturdy— the thirteen minute version of it.
    If you feel broken or fragile right now, lean on me. I can be sturdy enough for both of us.

    References:

    Huberman Lab Podcast Dr. Becky Kennedy: Protocols for Excellent Parenting & Improving Relationships of All Kids

    Good Inside, an educational platform by Becky Kennedy, PhD, a clinical psychologist and bestselling author

    “Sweat with Brook Benten” May I have a kidney? No? Then will you leave a glowing Amazon book review here^? (I don’t actually need a kidney.) (I do actually need ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.)

    www.BrookBenten.com


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  • Does this cycle sound familiar?
    You think you may want to make a change.
    Yes, you want to make a change.
    You listen to podcasts, read books, buy healthy food, join a gym, and…
    Take action-ish. You are doing things, but not sure if you’re doing the right things.
    Time passes, you get frustrated and it still feels effortful, miles away from maintenance.
    You give up and revert back to your old ways.

    A model developed in 1977 explains the stages of behavioral change. The cycle above isn’t only relatable, it’s scientific. The Transtheoretical Model Stages of Change is what psychiatrists and psychologists use to assess where a patient is at in their readiness to change. From there, they know how to guide growth.

    This episode explains the model, simply.

    If you find yourself in the preparation stage, I can walk with you through an action plan that will see you through to higher ground: maintenance.

    Action is tough on your own because: 1. Action is tough (keeping it real, it is!). 2. There is inaccurate and contradictory information on the World Wide Web. 3. You’re not a nutritionist, trainer, nor exercise physiologist. 4. There’s more to health than what you’ve tried.

    Here’s how this time will be different: 1. We can do hard things- together. 2. You won’t have multiple voices in your ear. You’ll have one. Mine. 3. I am a nutritionist, trainer, and exercise physiologist. 4. I have developed a well-being program that addresses all of you- not just the pounds you carry.

    March 18 - June 25, 2024.
    HEAVY 100
    One hundred days of doable healthy action steps that will help you to feel and look your best. Registration is open now.

    Here are details, enrollment, and my transformation photos from last year’s program.

    Even if you’ve gone through the Transtheoretical Model Stages of Change a thousands times, I won’t ask what took you so long. I’ll simply say “I’m glad you’re here.”

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  • In 2008, a coworker snapped the thumbnail photograph used for today’s episode. She called it “Brook’s Tour of Duty.” I was working childcare pickup after a day of hosting Hilltop Sports Camp, a summer day camp. When it was any other professional’s turn to work aftercare pickup, they’d stand on the sidewalk with a clipboard. I, on the other hand, wheeled a stationary bike out and squeezed in a little workout as I waited for parents to drive up to get their kids.
    I’m made to move. Not made for management.
    But I was good at it.

    What are you good at that you don’t just love?
    This episode encourages to to consider doing what you love.

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  • This episode begins with the background on today’s juicy title.
    Next up, three stories that back the statement.

    Not sure you believe the negative effects of a diet rich in sugar and ultra-processed foods? Follow our show up with this podcast, titled “How Sugar and Processed Foods Impact Your Health.” You’ll gain a deeper understanding from Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D., a neuroendocrinologist at University of California at San Francisco, and best-selling author on nutrition and metabolic health. (But not a single “beaucoup” or mention of The Real Housewives. You’ll have to stick with me right here for that.)

    HEAVY 100 kicks off on March 18. It’s a 100-day program to help you feel good.

    H: 10 minutes of heavy dumbbell lifting a day (I’ll give you the workouts, written and in video format.)
    E: 20 minutes of Endurance aerobic activity outside a day
    A: Abstain from alcohol
    V: Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables
    Y: Yield screen time (an hour that you find yourself typically on your phone, deliberately make that screen-free time. Selecting the hour before bedtime has sleep benefits.)

    Here are all the program details, including a link to register! You may register now for the Mar. 19 through June 25, 2024 program.

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  • This episode starts with an announcement that I’m sharing first with you. Get excited, sweat squad! You have a place here.

    Next, I share information on my two-year struggle with an injury at the tendon where the hamstrings insert into the glute (a pain in the butt, literally!).

    I wish I had come across Brodie Sharpe’s “Overcoming Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy” podcast sooner, but am so glad to have it now. Many physical therapists misunderstand PHT or misdiagnose it as piriformis syndrome, “lazy glute,” or sciatica. Sometimes, well-intending caregivers will suggest stretching (which is not beneficial for PHT- the tendon was overstretched, which fired up the horrible condition in the first place) or rest (which, alone, will not heal the condition). Brodie Sharpe has given me more help in 2024 than I’ve gotten in two years and thousands of dollars spent elsewhere.

    The podcast linked above is eye-opening! Brodie Sharpe was kind enough to work with me— not even wincing at the Australian-to-USA time difference. He serves worldwide (have other running injuries? He can help). I will be spending the foreseeable future working on heavy deadlifts (in addition to some other strength exercises, but deadlifts reigning supreme) to improve the strength and function of the tendon.

    The lesson applies to my injury, but it also applies to everything in life:

    Injuries Happen When Load Exceeds Capacity.

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  • Never in a million years would I have thought I’d share these stories. Never in a million years would you have believed them— from anyone else.

    A lightbulb went on over the process of writing my book, Sweat with Brook Benten, which reveals my life’s stories, in puns and pieces. I realized that experiencing life and sharing those experiences are what unites us.

    So, let’s go there.

    Let’s tether our bond tighter by recounting some of most outrageous personal stories that were omitted from the book. (It spoils nothing. There are plenty more in the book.)


    In this episode, we’ll gab about the time I ____

    1. Hosted a reality TV show.

    2. Became a YouTube sensation for all the wrong reasons.

    3. Solved the most pervasive problem for apartment dwellers (until it didn’t work).


    My weekly blog at BrookBenten.com/blog/ documents other stories, like a near-fatal accident, a chronic injury, and why the strength chapter in my book isn’t just about lifting weights.

    I have two more blogs in the series, coming soon. Those will include getting slapped in the face with a beefy soft taco, trying to pull a fast one over on airport security, and the highest and lowest athletic moments of my life— five seconds apart.

    This blog series is titled “Stories That Didn’t Make It In the Book (But Should Have.)”

    Sign up for the newsletter at brookbenten.com to stay tuned of new posts, hot off the press of their release.

    Your 5-star rating and review of this podcast helps spread growth. Please give a quick glowing review. Growth means making people feel less alone. Isolation is an epidemic. Connectivity is how we move millions to well-being. It is the reason for “More Than Sweat.” It is the reason for everything.

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  • A stronghold: that thing that has you. The battle as silent as carbon monoxide and as strong as a bomb. It kills you every day. It chips away at your self-worth. The abusive lover that promises you protection from the world, but takes the world away from you. Too seductive to leave. Too violent to stay.

    Telling someone exposes it and weakens its power. But only you can defeat it. It’s an inside job.

    This episode suggests that the battle of breaking a stronghold is not won by your might, but by your moment.
    You overcome a stronghold, moment by moment.

    Referenced books:

    “Tiny Habits” by B.J. Fogg
    “Scarcity Brain” by Michael Easter
    “We Are The Luckiest” by Laura McKowen

    The reference to everybody having an internal mother that loves us — a mother that tenderly cares for us, wants what’s best for us, and wills us to be well — is from my just-released book, “Sweat with Brook Benten.”

    Referenced podcasts:

    Huberman Lab // How Sugar and Processed Food Impact Your Health, Dr. Robert Lustig, M.D.
    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000638917560

    The Drive // Overcoming Addictive Behaviors, Elevating Well-being, Thriving in an Era of Excess and The Scarcity Loop, Michael Easter
    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peter-attia-drive/id1400828889?i=1000640881663

    We Can Do Hard Things // Why Sober Life is the Luckiest Life, Laura McKowen
    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-can-do-hard-things/id1564530722?i=1000641796291

    Huberman Lab // Healthy Eating & Eating Disorders- Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating, Andrew Huberman, Ph.D.
    https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/healthy-eating-and-eating-disorders-anorexia-bulimia-binging

    Mental Health Hotline 866-903-3787

    IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten

  • Must Love Dogs.

    In this episode, I share memories with my four-legged friends. May it inspire you to reflect on good times with (wo)man’s best friend, too.

    Here’s the tribute referenced to Kokomo.
    https://youtu.be/zKoFJH1zoeQ?feature=shared

    IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten

  • Call it a resolution, goal, or BFHG (big fat hairy goal), we all have them. They’re usually at top of mind at top of January. Check out any ad on your social media feed and it’ll tell you that it’s a New Year and that you need a new you.
    I think you should “x” out of those ads.
    I’m a fitness and wellness pro, and I don’t think you need a new you. I like same you. And I hope you like same me. Let’s stay exactly as we are at the core. And let’s work on improving things we choose to improve.

    I give four examples of goals I’ve worked on over the past year or am working on now.
    1. I chose sobriety. You’re keenly aware of that because I’m always bringing it up. (New Year, New Me would be sorry about that. New Year, Same Me sings “baby I’m sorry, I’m not sorry.”) Goal accomplished. A
    2. I had a burning desire to accomplish this ONE fitness goal. Goal accomplished, but in a C- type of way. It’s sloppy. My 10yo son does it much better than I do.
    3. My inability to resist eating too many homemade energy balls. F. Failing.
    4. Analysis paralysis. I struggle to get things done, because I’m continually second-guessing myself. It’s not perfectionism. It’s the opposite. I’m always so certain that my work is terrible and that it needs tweak after tweak after tweak to ever be presentable. So, I can’t press send. I move the finish line. I make a good thing bad and bad things worse by picking them apart. I have not accomplished this goal.
    A step toward working on it is recording this podcast episode while sitting in an Aldi parking lot with Ernie, the Great Dane, as he shook his ears, audibly and violently.
    I did not cut out his ear flops.
    Here we go, a raw podcast episode.
    That moves the needle on this goal.

    New Year, Same Me salutes New Year, Same You. In this episode, let’s talk about goals to be good to our same selves.

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  • We’re kicking off season two with an excerpt from my new book, “Sweat with Brook Benten!”

    Overnight success is usually just overnight exposure.
    In 2010, it looked like I became an instant fitness star when you couldn’t shop at any sporting goods store without seeing my mug on the cover of kettlebell equipment.
    But I’d been plugging away at it since 1999.

    I left fitness modeling (I had my reasons) and now devote most of my time to playing silly games with my two young children. I didn’t pivot. I self-selected myself out of that chapter and into a new one.

    Hayes and Julie Anna are my number one priority.
    -But-
    I’m also not well unless I’m helping people.
    It’s my calling.
    In this new territory of mom AND self-published entrepreneur, I have it all. I show them what getting off their devices, moving their bodies and feeding their souls looks like. Plus, I take your hand, walk with you, and gently guide you to green pastures of wellness.

    This book has been three years in the works. This profession has been 25 years in the works. This movement is the hill I will die on (a lifetime in the works!). When this piece of work does what it’s intended to do: move millions to well-being, don’t call it a comeback. As L.L. Cool J sang, “I’ve been here for years.”

    Audiobook and 12 Sweat with Brook Benten workout video library are now available at www.BrookBenten.com. Hardcover and eBook will publish on January 15, 2024.



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  • In the finale episode of season one, Brook Benten lays her ambitious stories out there as if she has no shame. (We’re told she really is ashamed of returning to a commercial audition in a blonde wig for a do-over).

    This episode was saved for last, because the best is in the hustle. The hustle is where the fun is. When you’ve lost the motivation to do that, you’ve lost everything.

    Brook often says, “Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle.”

    As the final story in this episode, Brook reveals from whom she learned to be ambitious (you’ll learn more about that guy at gyrotrips.tv). Brook’s father and she will inspire you to start opening your own doors, too.

    Hustle through 20-minutes on a power walk at 132 steps per minute (4.2 MPH) for an endurance cardio workout while listening to this season finale message.

    Please rate, share, and review this podcast. It helps to to get more people moving.

    If your inquisitive mind wants more details on any of the obtuse stories in this podcast episode, just hit Brook Benten up with a comment under this episode’s post on any social media channel. No holds barred!

    IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten

  • Power walk at 132 steps/minute for 60-minutes.
    For the first 20, you’ll be joined by Brook Benten, delivering a message about the importance of solitude.
    For the last 40, walk on the beat on your own, reveling in the joy of solitude.

    For a video with rolling images from Brook Benten’s recent trip to Colorado Springs, CO, see YouTube.


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  • Walk at 4.2 MPH (132 steps per minute) for the first half of this episode. The motivating message to power your walk speaks of the life-changing magic of reframing rejection as redirection.

    For the second half of this episode, grab dumbbells (or water bottles, soup cans, tennis ball containers, nut butter jars- use what you’ve got!) and tone your arms, shoulders, and back through three sets of upper body strength exercises.

    No previous strength training is required. Although you’ll be able to follow along with audio-only, the strength exercises are much easier to execute with a visual demonstration. You can find that on YouTube here:
    Full Episode 11
    Strength Portion Only

    Exercise is not without risk. To reduce your risk of injury, contact your physician before performing this or any exercise program.

    If you love this podcast, please take the time to share it! Your friends may love it, too.

    5-star rating and reviews on Apple Podcasts allows More Than Sweat to climb up the Apple Podcasts: Health: Fitness hierarchy.

    More Than Sweat is part of Brook Benten’s broader mission to move millions to well-being. Every share, positive rating, and glowing review bolsters that mission.

    The music in this and every More Than Sweat episode is provided courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music.

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  • With entertainment, humor, and ever going down a few rabbit holes along the way, Brook Benten will give you four food and beverage behavioral changes that you can make to lose weight without dieting.

    Every More Than Sweat episode includes a workout. This one is a continuous power walk at 132 steps per minute (4.2 miles per hour), for about a mile and a half and 2,772 steps during the podcast.

    Music courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music by Power Music, the world’s #1 source of workout music.

    Join the More Than Sweat team for Prevention’s Walk for Wellness, a free ($0) virtual 5K walk on Saturday, October7.

    IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten

  • Spoiler alert: it’s do things that scare you and do things that delight you.
    And we’ll do both in this episode.

    You’ll be empowered to make scary things and delightful things a foundational part of who you are and what you do, not something you have to add to your daily checklist.

    To do both something scary and something delightful in today’s More Than Sweat podcast, we’ll:
    -Walk for 5-minutes at 130 steps-per-minute (about 4 miles per hour pace)
    -Perform 5-minutes of challenging bodyweight exercises: 1-min each of burpees, planks, push-ups, squats, and lunges (modifications given on each)
    -Walk for 5-minutes at 130 steps-per-minute (about 4 miles per hour pace)
    -Perform 5-minutes of fun bodyweight exercises: 1-min each of skipping, galloping right, galloping left, “the pony,” and sagittal pony

    20-minutes total workout.

    Music courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music.

    For follow-along video, see @BrookBenten (Brook Benten Official) channel on YouTube.

    IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten

  • 70% of Americans don’t get the CDC’s recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense exercise each week and 2 days of strength training.
    By 2035, half of the world is predicted to be obese.
    It doesn’t have to be this way.
    More events like this, the one spoken about in detail in this podcast, presented by organizers with clear missions that are far greater than sweat are part of the solution. It doesn’t hurt when it’s hosted at places like this, either.
    This podcast brings an educational, entertaining, effective exercise session that can be done in 20-minutes with no equipment. Today’s episode features a 10-min power walk followed by 10-min cardio kick boxing session.
    Although the kick boxing cues can be followed with audio-only, if you prefer a visual, this episode is available in video on YouTube at @BrookBenten channel.

    More Than Sweat podcast was previously titled Sweat Like a Mother. Even though you’ll see me, Brook Benten, pushing a stroller if you watch this episode in video format, it never really was just for mothers or just about making you sweat. For those reasons, the brand evolved. This podcast is for anyone with an able body (that’s you) and it exists is to make you whole, cleverly disguised as a sweat fest.

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  • Walk further and faster than we have in any previous podcast episode. Today’s walk and talk will cover 3,000 steps, while walking at a pace of 140 steps/min (4.5 MPH) to the beat of Royalty Free Fitness Music.

    Sweat Like a Mother is now “More Than Sweat.”
    It’s about making you whole, cleverly disguised as a sweat fest.

    Topics:
    Athleroscerotic Cardiovascular Disease
    The sedentary crisis in America
    Obesity statistics
    Ultra-processed foods- why they’re bad; what’s good
    What the future looks like if this continues
    What you can do about it

    Special thanks to The Fitt Insider for providing data and asking the question, “how do we reverse these trends?”
    We, meaning I, Brook Benten, start by releasing this podcast.

    IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten

  • Hi, It’s Brook!
    I know so many women who say they’d workout if they had the time, equipment, and knew what to do. Today’s Sweat Like a Mother podcast is 5-minutes of walking, 5-minutes of bodyweight-only squats, 5-minutes of walking, 5-minutes of bodyweight-only lunges.
    That’s it!

    20-minutes. No equipment. I tell you what to do and even though it’s mega-super-whazzawhazza wow effective, it’s suitable for all fitness levels. (I do this stuff for a living, and I’m on day three of soreness from this workout right now!)

    It can be done indoors, walking in place, if the heat where you’re at is like 105 (thousand) degrees, as it is in Texas.

    The podcast is audio-only. You’d be able to understand what to do just by my verbal cues. But I’m a visual and kinesthetic learner, and I thought maybe you are, too. So I made this YouTube video to guide you through the workout. It’s the audio from the podcast with a visual demonstration.
    https://youtu.be/_ikUZvg5728

    This podcast leads you through a 5:00 walk at 128 steps-per-minute (a 15:00/mile pace), then 5:00 of bodyweight-only pliĂŠ squats, back to 5:00 walk at 128 steps-per-minute, and finishes with 5:00 of bodyweight-only lunges. Music courtesy of Royalty Free Fitness Music.

    Enjoy this Barbie-inspired light but sweaty Sweat Like a Mother episode!

    IG, FB, YouTube, LinkedIn @BrookBenten