1,000 Waking Minutes

We often think about health as something revealed through blood work, scans, or numbers on a medical chart. Yet some of the clearest signs of how well we're functioning reveal themselves in much quieter moments: getting off the floor, catching our balance, carrying groceries, crossing the street before the light changes, or simply moving through the world with confidence.
In this first installment of Keeping Up with Life, Dr. Wendy Bazilian begins with a family story that has stayed with her for years. It's a story about her grandfather, resilience, resourcefulness, and a moment that became a lasting reminder that our everyday independence rests on physical abilities we rarely notice until they're challenged.
From there, Wendy explores four remarkably simple measures that researchers have associated with function, healthy aging, and longevity: the ability to sit down on the floor and stand back up, balance on one leg, grip strength, and walking speed. None requires expensive equipment or a sophisticated laboratory. Together, they offer a practical window into how strength, mobility, balance, coordination, and physical reserve quietly support the lives we want to keep living.
Along the way, you'll hear the stories behind several landmark studies, why these measures have captured the attention of researchers around the world, and why they're best viewed as opportunities for curiosity rather than scores to judge. Rather than asking us to pass or fail, these measures invite us to become more aware of what our bodies can do today and where there is room to build greater strength, confidence, and reserve. They're about understanding where we are today and recognizing that many of these capacities can be strengthened over time.
Perhaps most importantly, this conversation shifts the focus from simply living longer to continuing to participate fully in life. Whether it's playing with grandchildren on the floor, gardening, traveling, exploring a new city, recovering from an unexpected stumble, or confidently saying yes to experiences that matter, our physical abilities quietly shape the experiences we can say yes to.
This is Part 1 of a two-part series. In the next episode, Wendy moves from the "why" to the "how," sharing practical, evidence-based ways to strengthen these capacities and weave them naturally into everyday life.
Our bodies are constantly preparing us for the unexpected. This episode is an invitation to notice. The abilities that help us keep up with life are often the ones we notice least until we need them most.
WE DISCUSS

(0:00) Keeping Up with Life - Part 1
(1:11) A Story About Pop, Independence, and the Kitchen Floor
(6:08) The Abilities We Rarely Think About
(6:50) Getting Down...and Back Up Again
(10:46) What the Sit-to-Rise Studies Revealed
(20:00) Balance: The Conversation Happening Behind Every Step
(25:18) Standing on One Leg and What It May Reveal
(32:01) Grip Strength and Your Physical Reserve
(41:10) Walking Speed and Keeping Up with Life
(48:18) What Does It Mean to Keep Up with Life?

CONNECT WITH WENDY
Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

PLEASE SUPPORT
If you're enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!
Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.
Rate & Review the show. Your feedback helps others find the podcast.
Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.

Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

For more than four decades, Dr. James Hill has studied one of the most important questions in health and human behavior: how do people create meaningful change, and perhaps even more importantly, how do they sustain it? In this episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, we explore not simply the science of weight loss, but the far more complex and deeply human challenge of what happens after success.
Dr. Hill is one of the world's leading experts in obesity, physical activity, weight management, and behavior change. He is Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center, co-founder of the National Weight Control Registry, and co-author, with Dr. Holly Wyatt, of the new book Losing the Weight Loss Meds: A 10-Week Playbook for Stopping GLP-1 Medications Without Regaining the Weight.
Our conversation begins with a deceptively simple but profound idea: losing weight and maintaining weight are fundamentally different challenges. While GLP-1 medications have transformed obesity treatment by helping many individuals achieve weight losses that previously felt out of reach, they have also brought renewed attention to a question Dr. Hill has been asking throughout his career: what does it actually take to maintain health changes over time?
Together, we discuss why physical activity becomes increasingly important during weight maintenance, what researchers are learning about muscle loss and preservation during weight reduction, the emerging science of food noise, and why nutrient quality matters even more when energy intake decreases. We also explore the lessons learned from decades of research through the National Weight Control Registry, which has focused not on failure, but on understanding the people who succeed.
One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation centers on what Dr. Hill and Dr. Wyatt call "mindstate," including their concepts of victim, victor, and voyager orientations toward change. We discuss motivation, identity, resilience, habit formation, and why successful weight maintenance may ultimately be less about willpower and more about creating a life that becomes easier, more satisfying, and more aligned over time.
Perhaps most importantly, this conversation broadens beyond weight itself. It asks what it means to build a happier life, how we prioritize our approximately 1,000 waking minutes each day, and why the pursuit of health is ultimately inseparable from the pursuit of meaning.
If you've ever wondered why lasting change can feel so difficult, or why some people seem able to sustain it over decades, I hope you'll spend some of your waking minutes with us.
Resources Mentioned
Losing the Weight Loss Meds: A 10-Week Playbook for Stopping GLP-1 Medications Without Regaining the Weight by Dr. Holly R. Wyatt and Dr. James O. Hill Learn More About the Book
Weight Wisdom: science-based resources, programs, and tools from Dr. Holly Wyatt and Dr. James Hill Weight Wisdom
Jim and Holly's podcast, Weight Loss And... Weight Loss And... Podcast

WE DISCUSS
(00:00) Meet Dr. James Hill, Author of Losing the Weight Loss Meds and Weight Loss Maintenance after GLP-1s for Lasting Change
(04:22) Why Weight Loss Maintenance Is a Different Challenge
(07:10) How GLP-1 Medications Changed the Conversation About Obesity
(11:53) Muscle Loss, Food Quality, and the New Nutrition Landscape
(18:39) What Happens When Weight Loss Medications Stop
(20:48) The Three Pillars: Food, Physical Activity, and "Mind State"
(26:58) Motivation, Identity, and Building a Happier Life
(29:26) The National Weight Control Registry and the Science of Success
(39:53) How to Spend Your 1,000 Waking Minutes Well

CONNECT WITH WENDY
Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

PLEASE SUPPORT
If you're enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!
• Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.
• Rate & Review the show. Your feedback helps others find the podcast.
• Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.
Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

Some of the most powerful health habits don't happen in the gym. They happen while carrying groceries, climbing stairs, walking the dog, folding laundry, standing up from your desk, or simply taking the long way around.
In this episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores the surprising science behind NEAT, or Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, the everyday movement that occurs outside of structured exercise. While many people focus on workouts, research suggests that the cumulative effect of daily movement may play an important role in energy expenditure, metabolic health, cognitive performance, mood, sleep, and even longevity.
Wendy shares the fascinating story of a client who transformed her relationship with movement by learning to recognize and value the activity already built into her day. She also unpacks one of the most memorable studies in health psychology, where hotel housekeepers experienced measurable improvements in health simply by understanding that their physically demanding work counted as exercise.
Along the way, you'll learn why fidgeting may be more meaningful than you think, how short movement breaks can support mental sharpness and mood, and why sitting for long periods may undermine health even when regular workouts are part of the routine.
This episode also includes a guided Mindful Minute and practical strategies to help you increase movement naturally throughout the day without adding another item to your to-do list.
The takeaway? Movement is not something reserved for a scheduled workout. It's something we live. And every step, stretch, carry, climb, and pause is an opportunity to invest in your health throughout your 1,000 waking minutes.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00) A Quiet Rebellion Against Sitting
(4:03) What Is NEAT? Understanding Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis
(7:43) The Busy Mom Who Changed Her Mindset About Exercise
(12:39) The Hotel Housekeeper Study and the Power of Perception
(2139) Your Body Is Paying Attention All Day
(25:53) The Surprising Power of Fidgeting and Movement Breaks
(31:06) Mindful Minute
(34:54) Practical Ways to Move More Without Adding a Workout
(39:47) Movement Is a Life Skill

CONNECT WITH WENDY:
Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

PLEASE SUPPORT:
If you’re enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!
● Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.
● Rate & Review the show. Your feedback helps others find the podcast.
● Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.
Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.
HEALTH DISCLAIMER:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

In this special guest episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian is joined by Lori Schulweiss and Jenn Giamo, the voices behind the podcast Everybody Talks, for a candid, funny, thoughtful conversation about time, friendship, stress, wellness, aging, work, movement, dogs, joy, and the challenge of being truly present while living modern life.
Together, they explore what it means to spend our waking minutes well, from perfectionism and productivity to family, seasons of life, grief, movement, mindfulness, and the small everyday moments that quietly shape us.
The conversation moves from Central Park cherry blossoms and dogs living fully in the moment… to the pressure to constantly “do,” the realization that time moves quickly, and the growing desire to slow down enough to actually experience life while we’re living it.
This episode feels less like an interview and more like sitting at the table with friends sharing honest reflections about work, life, identity, aging, joy, and what really matters.
Lori Schulweiss is a longtime television producer with Live with Kelly and Mark and co-host of Everybody Talks. Jenn Giamo is a wellness professional, certified trainer, yoga instructor, and co-host of Everybody Talks.
WE DISCUSS:
WE DISCUSS:
(00:00) Why this conversation felt like the right first guest episode for 1,000 Waking Minutes
(6:35) When work and personal life blur together in wellness, media, and modern life
(17:19) Central Park, cherry blossoms, seasons, and the beauty of fleeting moments
(31:09) Aging, perspective, friendship, grief, and realizing how quickly time moves
(44:16) Productivity, perfectionism, and the pressure to optimize every minute
(56:45) Dogs, joy, movement, mental health, and living more fully in the present
(58:44) Looking up, slowing down, and appreciating the life unfolding around us

You can find Lori Schulweiss and Jenn Giamo at Everybody Talks and at EBT Podcast on YouTube.
Thank you for spending a few of your waking minutes with us today.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS:
Lori Schulweiss and Jenn Giamo are the co-hosts of the wellness and lifestyle podcast Everybody Talks, where they explore health, mindset, relationships, aging, movement, and the everyday realities of trying to live well in modern life with honesty, humor, and heart.

Follow Everybody Talks:
Instagram: @every.body.talks https://www.instagram.com/every.body.talks
YouTube: @EBTPodcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZpVyhC-3qrhDWJ8wJleOjQ
Podcast: Every. Body. Talks.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/every-body-talks/id1697412102
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0n0tLPoheixkz8axq1zgdb?si=0dNp1FaWRm2lqDKUfKHLOg&nd=1&dlsi=c2971f182ef942f2
Website: https://www.everybodytalkspodcast.com/

CONNECT WITH WENDY:
Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

PLEASE SUPPORT:
If you’re enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!
· Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.
· Rate & Review the show. Your feedback helps others find the podcast.
· Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.

Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

What if the smallest, most familiar parts of your day are quietly shaping your brain?
In this Science You Can Use episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores three fascinating studies that follow people over decades, scan the brain in real time, and track everyday habits most of us barely think about.
From coffee and tea to fast, reactive movement like ping pong… to simply listening to music, this episode reveals how ordinary patterns—repeated over time—may influence memory, cognitive resilience, and how the brain adapts as we age.
What makes this research so compelling is not what it asks you to add—but what it helps you see more clearly.
Because these aren’t extreme interventions or dramatic overhauls.
They’re already part of your day.
This episode connects the science to real life—offering practical, thoughtful ways to engage with your routines differently, and perhaps more intentionally.
A few sips. A few minutes of play. A song in the background.
Over time, those moments may be doing more than passing time - they may be shaping how you think, feel, and remember.
WE DISCUSS:
(00:00) Intro: The unnoticed moments shaping your brain
(8:03) Eat Well: Coffee, tea, and a 40-year look at memory and dementia risk
(13:49) Why consistency - not intensity - matters in daily nutrition habits
(14:37) Move Daily: What ping pong reveals about brain wiring, speed, and adaptability
(21:02) Open-skill movement and why reaction-based activity engages the brain differently
(25:44) Be Healthy: Music, memory, and a 39% lower risk of cognitive decline
(36:02) Designing your day: how environment, rhythm, and “pastimes” shape your brain over time
(37:13) The power of small, repeated choices across your 1,000 waking minutes

CONNECT WITH WENDY:
Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
Visit my website: wendybazilian.com
Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

PLEASE SUPPORT:
If you’re enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!
● Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.
● Rate & Review the show. Your feedback helps others find the podcast.
● Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.
Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

RESEARCH & REFERENCES
(Insert your APA references here — happy to format once you confirm which studies you want listed exactly from transcript)
Coffee & Tea Study (JAMA)
Zhang, Y., Liu, Y., Li, Y., et al. (2026). Coffee and tea intake, dementia risk, and cognitive function. JAMA, 335(11), 961–974. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2025.27259
Optional refinement if you want full author listing (APA allows up to 20 authors before “et al.”): I can expand this if needed.
Table Tennis / Brain Connectivity Study
Zheng, C., Cao, Y., Li, Y., Ye, Z., Jia, X., Li, M., Yu, Y., & Liu, W. (2024). Long-term table tennis training alters dynamic functional connectivity and white matter microstructure in large-scale brain regions. Brain Research, 1838, 148889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148889
Music & Dementia Study
Jaffa, E., Wu, Z., Owen, A., Phyo, A. A. Z., Woods, R. L., Orchard, S. G., Chong, T. T.-J., Shah, R. C., Murray, A., & Ryan, J. (2025). What is the association between music-related leisure activities and dementia risk? A cohort study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 40(10), e70163. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.70163