In this episode, I’m digging into a question that sounds almost absurd until you look at the data: why is pickleball—arguably the “sweetest, safest-looking” sport in the park—sending so many people to the emergency room?

Pickleball looks harmless. The court is small. The serve is underhand. The ball is basically a wiffle ball. And yet, ER records tell a different story: fractures (especially wrists), sprains, strains, and a pattern that’s hard to ignore—older adults showing up for pickleball injuries at rates that started to rival tennis. I walk through what’s really happening, and why the sport’s design quietly creates the perfect setup for falls, tendon overload, and sudden-stop injuries.

I explain how two rules—the double bounce and the kitchen—shape the way your body has to move: quick lunges, short sprints, abrupt decelerations, and reactive steps at the net. It doesn’t look like sprinting, but it often acts like sprinting in bursts. And that mismatch—between what the game demands and what many bodies are prepared for—is where trouble starts.

But I’m not here to villainize pickleball. In fact, I make the case for why it’s one of the most powerful “stealth health” activities out there: it’s fun enough that people actually show up, it can hit moderate intensity, and studies suggest benefits for lower-body power, cognition, and even chronic pain when it’s introduced with a smart ramp-up. The problem isn’t pickleball—it’s the gap between enthusiasm and preparation.

We also get specific about the injuries that worry clinicians: the Achilles rupture story (tendons adapt slowly, even when you feel “fit”), the rare-but-serious eye injuries that can threaten vision, and the overuse problems the ER doesn’t capture—things like tennis elbow and shoulder tendinopathy that creep in when you play back-to-back without recovery.

And then I give you the practical fix: how to make pickleball safer without ruining the fun. I walk through a simple warm-up framework (RAMP), the strength and balance basics that reduce fall risk, and the small decisions that matter more than people realize—court shoes, gradual play-time build, rest days, and yes, eye protection if you’re living at the net.

This isn’t about playing harder. It’s about playing longer.Dr. Marbas Substack: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/

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In this episode, I’m sharing a movement that looks a little ridiculous… but tells you a lot about your body in seconds: the duck walk—walking forward while staying in a deep squat.

I take you back to where it actually came from: not fitness, but medicine. In the 1950s, orthopedic surgeons used the duck walk as a quick stress test for knee problems—especially the meniscus—because deep bending under body weight can reveal issues fast. And that’s exactly why it’s so interesting: it’s not just an exercise, it’s a snapshot of your mobility, strength, balance, and joint tolerance all at once.

I break down what the duck walk really is (deep squat + tiny controlled steps), why it feels brutally hard almost immediately, and what’s happening under the hood—your quads and glutes staying “on” the whole time, the higher energy cost, and the balance/proprioception challenge that makes most people wobble at first.

Then I share my own story: after breaking my left ankle and spending weeks in a boot, I struggled to fully get my mobility back—even when I stretched. The duck walk surprised me. It helped restore ankle dorsiflexion, made my deep squat steadier, and the improvement was noticeable enough that I kept it as a long-term practice.

But I’m also very clear about the fine print. This movement asks a lot from your knees. I walk through the key structures it stresses (patellofemoral joint, tibiofemoral joint, meniscus), the warning signs that mean you should stop (sharp pain, swelling later, catching/locking, giving way), and who should skip it or only do it with guidance.

Finally, I give you the practical “how”: treat it like a skill, start supported, keep steps small, modify the depth, and progress through simple phases over a few weeks instead of turning it into a knee lottery. If you want a fast way to assess where your weak link is—ankles, knees, balance, or strength—this episode will help you figure it out and build it safely.Dr. Marbas Substack: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/

A Big Thank You To Our Sponsors:

If you want the best supplement to help you on your plant-based journey, you have to try Complement: https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=62

Thank you Rod Miller, Afsi, Diane J Jacobs, Ann Therriault, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chris Miller MD!

You Are Only as Old as Your Endothelium

We often ask, “How is your blood pressure?” or “How is your cholesterol?” But when was the last time anyone asked you, “How are your blood vessels?”

In this chat, Chris Miller MD and I stop looking at the heart as just a pump and start looking at the pipes. We specifically look at the endothelium. This is a layer one cell thick that lines your entire vascular system. It is your lifeline to every organ in your body. If it ages faster than you do, you are in trouble.

The Damage Dealers: Oxidative Stress

Your endothelium is sensitive. It is actually an endocrine system, not just a wall. What makes it stiff and rigid?

* The Usual Suspects: Spiking blood sugar, high salt intake, and ultra-processed foods damage the lining.

* The Silent Killer: Oxidative stress. Think of this as biological rust from pollution, smoke, or just the metabolic waste of living.

* The Lifestyle Hit: Lack of exercise makes vessels stiff while chronic stress clamps them down and makes them rigid.

The Healing Habits Protocol

You do not need a complete life overhaul overnight. Dr. Chris suggests small habits that compound.

1. The Exercise Prescription

* Just Walk: It is arguably the best thing for vascular relaxation.

* Add Resistance: Even two days a week makes a difference.

* The Secret Weapon: Yoga and stretching improve vagal tone. This helps relax stiff vessels even further.

2. The Menu

* Nitric Oxide Boosters: Beets, arugula, and leafy greens help the endothelium produce nitric oxide to dilate naturally.

* The Protector: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects the endothelial lining.

3. The Sleep Non-Negotiable

* If you only do one thing, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even if your sleep quality isn’t perfect yet, the rhythm helps reset your biology.

The Audit, Acceptance, Action Mindset

We got a little philosophical at the end. We realized that health is not about shaming yourself for the genetics you were dealt.

* Audit: Know your numbers. Get a baseline. Look at your lipids, your CRP (inflammation), and your fasting insulin.

* Acceptance: Stop fighting your history. Dr. Chris had to accept her Lupus journey. I had to accept my difficult menopause. Radical acceptance stops the “shame train”.

* Action: Once you know where you are and accept it, take one small step. I shared a story about a patient of mine who reversed Type 2 diabetes. She started by simply walking to the end of her driveway.

Coming Up

We also teased our upcoming Brain Health Mini Substack Summit at the end of the month. We will dive into neuroinflammation and how to clear the fog.

Watch the full replay above to hear Dr. Chris’s take on “Flow” states and why leaving the ER was the best thing for her health

In this episode, I’m asking a question that sounds a little wild until you start looking at the evidence: are animals the most powerful medicine we have? And I’m not talking about magic—I’m talking about biology, behavior, and the quiet ways other species seem to “read” us better than we read ourselves.

I start with Oscar, the hospice cat who stunned a nursing home staff by repeatedly curling up beside residents just hours before they died. From there, I zoom out into the bigger pattern: the silent, constant conversation between human bodies and animal senses—smell, breath, posture, rhythm, routine. I explore how we communicate across species without words, from the way dogs (and even cats) follow our pointing and gaze, to the oxytocin loop that kicks in when a dog holds eye contact, shifting both of us toward calm and connection.

Then I go deeper into the long history of partnership—wolves at ancient campfires turning into dogs, cats showing up where grain attracted mice, and how co-evolution didn’t just change them… it shaped us. I talk about attachment, why a dog can feel like a “secure base” the way a parent does for a child, and what research suggests about stress, cortisol, blood pressure, loneliness, and even immune training in kids raised around pets.

We also get practical: what happens when animals become part of the treatment plan—therapy dogs on hospital floors, service dogs helping veterans with PTSD, animals acting as bridges for kids with autism, and horses used in rehab. And yes, I go to the edge of the map: sea lions that may keep someone afloat, elephants that appear to mourn, a pig that saved a woman’s life, and dogs that can sometimes detect seizures, low blood sugar, or even cancer.

But I don’t skip the fine print. I talk about zoonotic risks, bites, hospital infection control, and the ethical line between partnership and exploitation—because if animals are part of health, their wellbeing has to be part of the equation too.

By the end, I’m left with the real question: if animals already function like quiet, unpaid members of the healthcare team… what would it look like to treat that bond as something we plan for—on purpose?

Dr. Marbas Substack: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/

A Big Thank You To Our Sponsors:

If you want the best supplement to help you on your plant-based journey, you have to try Complement: https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=62

In this episode of the Habit Healers podcast, Dr. Laurie welcomes Dr. Jud Brewer to discuss his Substack article, "The Generosity Paradox." Dr. Brewer explores the complexities of generosity, emphasizing that it is not as straightforward as many believe. He delves into the emotional aspects tied to giving, such as guilt and giver's remorse, and highlights that generosity encompasses more than just monetary donations. The conversation introduces three different types of generosity, starting with the "transactional loop," where giving is linked to an expectation of receiving something in return. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that unpacks the deeper components of generosity and its impact on our lives.Link to Dr. Jud's article: https://judbrewer.substack.com/p/the-generosity-paradox-why-your-brainDr. Marbas Substack: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/A Big Thank You To Our Sponsors:If you want the best supplement to help you on your plant-based journey, you have to try Complement: https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=62