Nearly 40 years ago I ran the 5000m for Scotland and wore the national colours, and I was a Scottish champion at the distance. That history is the starting point for how I work as an evidence-based health coach, so it is where this page starts too.
From finish lines to long-term health
Elite running has a clear goal: get across the line first. Once that stops being the goal, the question changes. For most adults, it becomes how to stay energised, mobile and healthy for decades, with health treated as an asset you protect for the long term.
That change of question is why I coach. The people I write for are adults who want practical help building habits that last, and who are tired of advice that promises a transformation in a few weeks.
What racing taught me that still applies
Training at a high level teaches pacing, discipline, and the limits of what your body can do. Pacing matters most. Start too fast, and you pay for it later, in a race and in a health plan.
Most wellness programmes fail the same way. They ask for a total overhaul in week one and are abandoned by week four. I coach the opposite way: changes small enough to repeat, added in an order that makes sense.
Why I trust evidence over wellness trends
Trends are loud, new, and usually sold by someone. Evidence is slower and less exciting. It tells you what has been tested, how strong the result was, and who it was tested on.
When I recommend something, I want to be able to say why it is worth your time. If the support is weak, I will say so. If the evidence is mixed, I will tell you it is mixed and let you weigh it, rather than present a hunch as a fact.
What I will never promise you
- Fast results. Habits change health slowly, and anyone who guarantees otherwise is guessing.
- A cure, or a replacement for your doctor. I am not a substitute for medical care.
- One perfect routine that suits everyone. Your schedule, body, and history are different from anyone else’s.
- Certainty where none exists. Where the science is unsettled, I will say so.
How a conversation with me works
It starts with where you are now: your days, your energy, what you already do well and what keeps slipping. From that we choose one change worth making first, and we keep it small enough that you can repeat it on your worst day as well as your best.
You will not get a list of twenty rules. You will get a short list of things worth doing, with the reasoning behind each, so you can judge them yourself and adjust as your life changes.
Who I’m best placed to help
I am best placed to help busy professionals, including executives, who want a sustainable wellness framework they can fit around a demanding schedule. I also keep a set of the physical and skincare rituals I use myself on my platform, vitalrituals.net. If you want to see how small daily actions add up, my article on health coaching for sustainable habits explains the thinking in more detail.
I would point you elsewhere if you are managing a medical condition that needs treatment, or if you want a fast, dramatic result. A doctor or a specialist is the right first call for the first, and I cannot honestly offer the second.
What a former 5000m Scottish champion can teach you about long-term health
A 5000m is won by people who are patient early and consistent throughout. Long-term health works the same way. The reward goes to the person who keeps showing up, not to the one who trains hardest for a fortnight.
If you want somewhere easy to begin, read 7 Daily Habits That Improve Your Health More Than You Think. It is the simplest first step, and you can start on any of the habits today. If you would like to talk about working together, get in touch and tell me where you are starting from.
George Braidwood
