Andrew Fix, Author at Physio Room

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222. Hope is Not a Strategy

Andrew Fix — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:00:18 +0000

Hope is a beautiful liar when it convinces you that tomorrow will change what you refused to change today.

Dr. Andrew Fix offers a clear challenge to anyone who has been leaning a little too hard on hope. This episode asks what happens when hope feels good but preparation never follows and action never comes. Whether the issue is your health, your habits, your pain, or your relationships, how long can you expect change without doing something that supports it?

Across the conversation, he brings the focus back to personal responsibility in a way that feels honest and practical. What are you trusting time to fix? What outcome do you say you want, and what are you doing right now to make it more likely? The message is simple, but it lands: hope has value, yet real progress asks for preparation and action.

There is also a grounded reminder here about how life actually works. No one is perfectly balanced in every season, and some areas will get more attention than others. Still, the parts of life we neglect rarely improve on their own. This episode is a strong invitation to take a closer look at what you have been wishing would change and to consider what your next step could be.

Quotes

“Hope is not a strategy.” (02:24 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“To make the strategy, what plans are you putting into place? What preparation are you doing? What action steps are you taking in order to make sure that this works out better than it did before, rather than just hoping.” (02:40 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Hoping for an outcome of a race is not a strategy. What are you actually doing about it? Like what preparation are you putting into place?” (03:18 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Ask yourself, what am I actually doing so that I can rely on something other than hope? What am I actually doing that’s going to make that outcome more likely?” (05:56 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“What can you start doing today rather than just hoping? So you can make that thing a reality.” (06:19 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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221. Your Mind Is Either Your Advantage or Your Limitation | Krista Juerling

Andrew Fix — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:00:29 +0000

For athletes and high performers, the toughest opponent is often the voice in your own head.

Dr. Andrew Fix sits down with Krista Juerling of Speakstone Counseling for a thoughtful conversation about mental performance, identity, and the pressure that can come with chasing excellence. What happens when the habits that fuel success also leave you depleted? Who are you when an injury, career shift, or major life change forces you to rethink the role that once defined you?

Krista brings a clear and compassionate perspective to the way high performers relate to themselves. She unpacks why self-criticism can feel useful even when it chips away at confidence, and why support can feel risky for people who have built their lives around staying sharp, staying strong, and staying ahead. The conversation also explores the difference between treating symptoms and getting honest about the deeper patterns underneath them.

This is a grounded look at the mental side of performance and the very human side of ambition. You will hear about identity beyond the job title or sport, the tension between the inner critic and the inner coach, and the kind of self-awareness that can make growth more sustainable. Where does your edge really come from? And what could change if you stopped treating pressure like proof that you are doing everything right?

Quotes

“I think that it is important to expand your identity versus just like one thing, because I see that a lot in my clients actually.” (27:25 | Krista Juerling)
“If the inner critic shows up, it’s usually there to try to protect you from something.” (40:12 | Krista Juerling)
“Your inner critic is a teacher. It’s just there to show you what you really need.” (42:28 | Krista Juerling)
“We feel like if we don’t say that to ourselves, then we won’t push ourselves. But that’s actually not true. The research shows us that the criticism is hurting your performance.” (43:03 | Krista Juerling)
“You always have to go deeper than the symptom for sure.” (54:26 | Krista Juerling)

Links

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www.speakstonecc.com

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220. You Can Never Go Wrong Getting Strong

Andrew Fix — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:00:47 +0000

A lot of workouts leave you exhausted, but the real question is whether they actually make you stronger.

Dr. Andrew Fix takes aim at one of the easiest traps in strength training: mistaking effort for progress. Feeling wiped out after a session can be satisfying, but that does not always mean your training is building useful strength. He makes the case for more intentional lifting by choosing loads that fit the reps, taking enough rest, and paying attention to whether you are truly challenging yourself.

The conversation also gets at a bigger idea about capacity. How different does life feel when your body is prepared for real physical demands? What shifts when being strong has less to do with appearance and more to do with resilience, confidence, and durability? It is a grounded reminder that strength training can shape far more than what happens in the gym.

Quotes

“You can never go wrong getting strong.”(01:40 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“If they were training for strength, you need to be picking a rep range or a volume, like the weight that you’re using and the number of sets and reps that you’re doing that is actually challenging you.” (03:48 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“I’m talking about lifting challenging weights, using rest time in between so that you can actually push yourself so that you’re getting a different stimulus to the tissue, to the nervous system.” (05:52 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Injuries occurring from a weight training perspective are so much lower than in many of the other things that we do in life.” (08:52 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“If your goal is to get stronger, you’re not really giving your body, physiologically, the best opportunity to do that if your training and if your load is not challenging enough for you at that given point in time.” (10:06 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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219. Getting Back Up is the Only Backup Plan You Need

Andrew Fix — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:32 +0000

The hardest part of growth is not finding the next big move; it is staying loyal to the basics when your ego wants a shortcut.

Backup plans can become excuses. Change creates pressure. Discomfort has a way of showing you whether you are serious about growth or just interested in the idea of it.

Dr. Andrew Fix reflects on a recent conference and brings the lesson home in a clear way: most progress comes from doing the basic things well and doing them long enough to matter. He also digs into a harder question. Who are you around, and are those people pushing you to raise your standard? This conversation is a reminder that real growth usually feels uncomfortable before it feels rewarding, and the people who move forward are the ones who keep getting back up.

Quotes

“There is no magic formula. There’s no magic bullet. There’s no Harry Potter magic wand that is gonna help you get from point A to point B or accomplish whatever it is that you’re trying to accomplish, you need to master the fundamentals. You need to master the basics.” (03:20 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“If you are always the smartest person in the room, if you’re always the fittest person in the room, it is going to take a ton of effort and intention to continue to challenge yourself.” (05:02 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“It’s easier to just stay the same, but it’s so much worse, right?” (07:33 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Change is very, very hard. It’s hard mentally, it can be hard physically, it can be very stressful.” (08:15 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Getting back up is the only backup plan you need.” (10:58 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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218. From Setbacks to Comebacks | Alex Kaminsky

Andrew Fix — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:14 +0000

One back injury turns into a stark reckoning with pain, recovery, and the life you stop postponing when your body forces you to pay attention.

Alex Kaminsky joins Dr. Andrew Fix for a conversation about what happens when a sudden setback makes everything feel immediate. Her story begins with a serious back injury and emergency surgery, but the heart of this episode is the comeback that followed. What do you notice when pain finally lifts? What becomes clear when your body will no longer let you push past the warning signs? Alex reflects on how quickly ordinary things can take on new meaning when movement, comfort, and independence no longer feel guaranteed.

They also get honest about recovery in a way that feels useful and real. Surgery brought relief, but it did not remove the work. Healing asks for patience, discipline, and a willingness to face the weak spots you may have ignored before. This conversation lands on something bigger than rehab alone: gratitude that feels grounded, a sharper respect for quality of life, and a reminder that every setback holds the possibility of a more intentional comeback. What would change if you treated today like something worth fully being in?

Quotes

“Just understanding that where you’re at today is truly a miracle is the biggest mindset shift.” (38:50 | Alex Kaminsky)
“Getting through something really hard proves to myself that I can get through really hard things.” (50:14 | Alex Kaminsky)
“Do all the things. Because all those things, whether they succeed or fail, are what is going to morph you into the person that you are becoming. And becoming is a constant thing.” (50:51 | Alex Kaminsky)
“I am who I am today because of those things. And this can be said for anything. If your level of hard that you’ve had to go through is maybe like a level one on the level of hard, still a hard thing, right? And it still is making you a better person.” (52:39 | Alex Kaminsky)
“You have to understand why you’re becoming a better person or why you got through something hard. Otherwise you can’t replicate it or you can’t take that into the next phase of your life.” (54:05 | Alex Kaminsky)

Connect with Alex Kaminsky:

Convergence: The Art of Being Everything (Spotify)

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217. Reflect on Your Journey

Andrew Fix — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:00:44 +0000

What feels inconvenient, awkward, or disruptive today may be the exact pressure that pushes your life into its next shape.

As Dr. Andrew Fix prepares to leave the home where this chapter of The Code began, he uses the moment to reflect on how quickly life changes and what growth actually asks of us. A move, an early workout, a packed house, a full calendar. None of it feels especially polished. Yet that is exactly where the message lands. Progress often shows up in ordinary moments that ask for more than comfort can give.

This conversation circles around a simple question: what becomes possible when you do the thing you almost talked yourself out of? Dr. Fix shares how small choices to show up can lead to unexpected connections, fresh perspective, and the kind of momentum that does not come from staying where life feels easy. He also makes space for something many people skip. Reflection. How often do you stop long enough to notice how far you have come? How often do you give yourself credit for the quiet wins that never make the highlight reel?

The result is a grounded reminder that discomfort is often temporary, but the growth that comes from it can last. This episode speaks to anyone in the middle of change who needs a steadier way to look at challenge, transition, and the next step ahead.

Quotes

“The people who are willing to do things that most people won’t do are the ones who are going to wind up with opportunities that most people don’t get.” (03:12 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“It’s just crazy how you put yourself in scenarios that sometimes you don’t want to do.” (04:01 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” (04:47 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
Take a moment to reflect on the places that you’ve been, reflect on the things that you’ve accomplished.” (07:53 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Sometimes it is hard to notice the little things when you’re just so focused on the next step or the big picture.” (08:26 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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216. Built to Move: Why Toe Space Matters | Rachel Ridgeway

Andrew Fix — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:11 +0000

What if the missing piece in better movement and healthier feet isn’t your shoes at all?

Dr. Andrew Fix sits down with trainer and Aira Basics founder Rachel Ridgeway to unpack a surprisingly overlooked factor in foot health: socks. After switching to barefoot-style footwear, Rachel noticed less discomfort in workouts and a very different physical experience during pregnancy. One question kept surfacing. If shoes can reshape the foot, what role do socks play?

That curiosity led Rachel to design a sock that respects the natural shape of the foot without forcing people into toe socks. She shares the behind-the-scenes process of bringing the idea to life, from fabric blends to seam placement and durability testing. The goal was simple in theory but complex in execution: create a sock that allows the foot to spread and move without sacrificing comfort or everyday practicality.

Andrew adds the clinical lens throughout the conversation. The foot contains dozens of joints and muscles that influence balance, strength, and movement across the body. When those structures spend years compressed inside narrow footwear, what changes in the knees, hips, or back? This discussion invites a closer look at a small design detail most people overlook and asks a bigger question about how everyday choices shape long-term movement and health.

Quotes

“Socks were kind of the next piece of that puzzle.” (06:17 | Rachel Ridgeway)
“You got to look at your socks because socks can be just as restrictive as shoes.” (06:22 | Rachel Ridgeway)
“I feel like this is a product that needs to exist. And I think it’ll resonate with people who are in the barefoot shoe world or not, that just want a sock that’s a little bit more comfortable, doesn’t feel like it’s restricting your foot quite as much.” (08:47 | Rachel Ridgeway)
“It was really hard to not want to only wear those because I think once you feel that freedom it’s hard to go back.” (14:37 | Rachel Ridgeway)
“I like that if it naturally mirrors the shape of your foot, it’s going to feel more comfortable.” (45:38 | Rachel Ridgeway)

Connect with Rachel Ridgeway:

Aira Basics

Rachel’s Bio:

I am the founder of a brand new barefoot sock company called Aira Basics. The idea started because I was unable to find comfortable, non-restrictive socks that worked for my whole family. While plenty of toe sock brands exist, there are not many foot shaped brands. None of the brands at the time were in the US either, so I wanted to make an affordable and accessible option for people who wanted a better sock option for their family.

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215. Plans are Fragile

Andrew Fix — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:15 +0000

Your plans may look perfect on paper, yet preparation is what determines whether your goals survive the moment real life hits.

In this short solo episode, Dr. Andrew Fix reflects on the gap between planning and preparation. Many people enjoy creating plans because they bring clarity and structure. Yet plans often fall apart when circumstances change. Preparation is what makes those intentions durable. It turns ideas into systems that hold up when life gets messy.

Dr. Fix explains that planning creates direction, but preparation removes friction. A simple example shows the difference. You may intend to eat healthy during the week. If lunch arrives and nothing is ready, convenience usually wins. Preparation removes that last-minute decision and supports the outcome you wanted from the start.

The conversation also highlights the value of action. People who begin doing often move ahead faster than those who spend endless time refining a plan. Experience grows through action, and momentum builds through small steps. Outcomes remain unpredictable, yet we always control the inputs.

So where do your goals live right now? On a list or in real preparation? Dr. Fix challenges listeners to move beyond planning and invest in the habits, systems, and actions that make progress possible.

Quotes

“Plans are fragile and preparation is durable.” (02:11 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Convenience is king a lot of times.” (03:05 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Planning is more the idea creation. It’s the logistical figuring out what the details could be.” (05:31 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“Preparation is the action of putting those plans into place, like actually taking steps to put those plans into action and start making moves based on the plans that you had laid out.” (05:38 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“We don’t control the outcomes, we control the inputs and we can look at preparation as inputs that we are investing in what the outcomes going to be.” (07:49 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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214. Choosing the Perfect Mattress for You | Derek Hales

Andrew Fix — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 13:00:01 +0000

Your mattress may be the most important performance tool in your life and most people are choosing it based on marketing instead of measurable impact on sleep, recovery, and long-term health.

Sleep drives everything. Cognitive sharpness. Physical recovery. Emotional regulation. Longevity. Yet most people approach mattress shopping with guesswork and brand promises rather than clear performance criteria. Dr. Andrew Fix sits down with Derek Hales, founder of NapLab, to unpack how better sleep starts with better decisions about what you lie on every night.

They move past hype and focus on outcomes. Are you waking up sore? Do you feel restored in the morning? Is your mattress actually supporting your body type and sleep position? Derek shares practical insights from testing hundreds of mattresses and consulting with thousands of sleepers, including why medium-firm works for most people, how couples can solve conflicting firmness preferences, and why mattress weight may be one of the simplest indicators of build quality.

The conversation also highlights overlooked factors such as foundation support, pillow height, and how different sleep positions affect spinal alignment. The bigger takeaway is clear. If sleep is the foundation of performance and health span, then your mattress is not a casual purchase. It is infrastructure.

Quotes

“If we’re not getting good sleep and the mattress is the cause, we need to get a solution.” (05:09 | Derek Hales)
“I really don’t think there is a sort of best mattress for everybody. There is the best mattress for you.” (07:11 | Derek Hales)
“Sleep is the healer. It’s how the body restores itself, and how the body recovers.” (12:48 | Derek Hales)
“When you sleep deeper, longer, better, health outcomes are better, physical outcomes are better, emotional well-being is better.” (19:02 | Derek Hales)
“Sleep is the foundation of our health.” (21:50 | Derek Hales)

Links

Connect with Derek Hales:

Visit NapLab’s website

Contact: contact@naplab.com

Follow NapLab’s content

Insufficient Sleep Associated with Decreased Life Expectancy

Derek Hales is the Founder & Editor-in-Chief of NapLab.com. NapLab is a platform that

tests and reviews mattresses using a battery of objective and data-driven tests. Derek’s

reviews and personalized mattress recommendations help his readers quickly find

mattresses that are well-suited to their needs, preferences, and budget. Derek has over

11 years of mattress testing experience and has tested over 500 different mattresses in

his career.

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213. What’s Actually in Your Control?

Andrew Fix — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:00:47 +0000

Most of your stress does not come from the situation itself. It comes from your refusal to accept what you cannot control.

In this episode, Dr. Andrew Fix sharpens the distinction between inputs and outcomes. You can prepare, act with integrity, and make thoughtful decisions. You cannot dictate how the market responds, how other people choose, or how circumstances unfold. Stress escalates when we pour energy into results that were never ours to command. A simple filter brings clarity: Is this within my control, within someone else’s control, or outside of anyone’s control? If it is not fully yours, the work becomes managing your response instead of chasing certainty.

Another thread runs through the conversation. Many of the things that spike our stress are inconveniences rather than true crises. Discomfort feels urgent. Uncertainty feels personal. Yet most of it is temporary and survivable. When you tolerate inconvenience and redirect your focus toward what you can control, resilience strengthens. Control the inputs. Release the outcome.

Quotes

“We don’t control outcomes. We control inputs.” (04:03 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“What’s really hard is to remove yourself from that outcome and be what we call agnostic to it.” (04:46 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“What’s the best case scenario? What’s the worst case scenario? And is that worst case scenario actually that bad or is it just an inconvenience?” (05:23 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“If it’s not something that is completely and utterly within your control, then we have to figure out a way to let the stress level drop on that particular thing because you can’t control the outcome.” (13:31 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
“You can only control how you treat the other person, how you show up and how you set yourself up for success every day.” (13:47 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

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212. Uplevel Your Life by Walking with Weight | Kayla Girgen

Andrew Fix — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:00:26 +0000

What if the simplest way to build strength, improve endurance, and sharpen your mind is already sitting in your closet as an old backpack?

Rucking sounds almost too simple to matter. Add weight to a walk and head outside. Yet in this conversation, Dr. Andrew Fix and registered dietitian and RuckFit author Kayla Girgen make a compelling case that rucking may be one of the most practical tools for long-term health. It builds strength, supports bone density, elevates heart rate, and challenges posture without the joint stress that sidelines so many active adults.

The deeper insight centers on sustainability. How often do we abandon fitness because we cannot execute the perfect plan? Kayla shares how rucking helped her move beyond all-or-nothing thinking and build consistency. Weight and distance can scale with your season of life. A stroller walk becomes training. A short neighborhood loop becomes meaningful work. When paired with thoughtful nutrition and simple lifestyle shifts like better sleep and stress awareness, the results compound. What changes when we stop chasing optimal conditions and start valuing repeatable effort?

The conversation also explores metabolic health through continuous glucose monitoring and how nutrition choices, stress levels, and daily lifestyle patterns influence inflammation and energy. Awareness shapes behavior. Manageable discomfort builds resilience. Whether the load is physical or psychological, growth follows when we choose to engage.The takeaway is grounded and actionable. You do not need elite gear or ideal weather. You need a backpack, a little weight, and the willingness to step outside.

Quotes

“Spending more time in nature, getting outside, and out of my head really helped calm a lot of anxiety that I was feeling at that time.”(04:00 | Kayla Girgen)
“You don’t have to carry obscene amounts of weight to get the benefits of rucking.”(14:11 | Kayla Girgen)
“This is where I love rucking because it can help bring something like walking and help it feel like, for lack of a better term, like it counts.” (18:28 | Kayla Girgen)
“Most everybody has what you need at home. So when I first started, I grabbed an old backpack. I wrapped a 10 pound dumbbell in a towel and threw it in the interior pocket.” (24:46 | Kayla Girgen)
“I think the number one mistake I see with rucking is just not doing it.”(58:05 | Kayla Girgen)

Connect with Kayla Girgen:

Check Out Kayla’s Book

Visit Kayla’s Website

Subscribe to Kayla’s YouTube

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Connect with Kayla on LinkedIn

KAYLA GIRGEN, RD, LD, CPT, is a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, and founder of Sugar + Strength Academy—an online wellness community helping women balance blood sugar and build strength, one step at a time. She blends real-life tools, such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), with accessible movement, like rucking, to help clients break free from diet extremes and feel strong—both physically and mentally. Kayla’s approach centers on progress over perfection and creating results that work in real life. Her upcoming book Ruck Fit shares how rucking became a catalyst for reclaiming her physical and mental health, proving that fitness doesn’t have to be complicated to be life-changing.

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