Gabby Reece on Real Strength, Surrender, and Family Resilience

What happens when an elite athlete realizes that physical power is only one small part of the human experience? Performance icon Gabby Reece reveals the truth about emotional resilience, the communication systems that anchor her 30-year relationship, why modern tech is a "beast" rotting our focus, and the high-performance secret found in surrendering control.

Gabby Reece joins Dr. Brandon Crawford to bridge the gap between performance culture and health culture. They unpack how she evolved from chasing physical dominance to cultivating spiritual surrender and relational integrity, offering a roadmap for high-demand humans who want to show up as better spouses, parents, and leaders.

Resources

‍Breathe by James Nestor‍

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson‍

The CHEK Institute (Paul Chek)‍

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon‍

Dr. Stacy Sims

Products

528 Innovations Lasers

NeuroSolution Full Spectrum CBD

NeuroSolution Broad Spectrum CBD

NeuroSolution Stimpod

STEMREGEN®

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For more information, resources, and podcast episodes, visit https://tinyurl.com/3ppwdfpm

Transcript

Volleyball Player: When you were my age. Mm-hmm. Biggest tips when it came to keeping yourself balanced between diet, between just like athletic wise, like school-wise, just all of the things. Keeping your brain balanced. Mm-hmm. Like calm and not always under stress.

Gabby Reece: Well, I think, okay, so you have to remember I went to college in 1987.

Okay?

Volleyball Player: Okay.

Gabby Reece: So I'm a lot older than you are. I have children older than you. So what I wanna remind you is that I did not have to deal with the telephone. And if you don't think that's the biggest beast in the whole part of the pie, I'm gonna say like, yeah, get keeping your schoolwork on track, trying to move and train, and you guys train a lot more and for, you know, kind of more specialized over longer.

So I think you have a, a lot more kind of outside pressure being brought on you. That I, I didn't have to navigate, so it was much easier. What I would say is this,

you don't, you know, you don't have to be perfect, but you do have to take care of yourself. I don't know if that makes sense.

Volleyball Player: Yeah.

Gabby Reece: And when you see that the phone is really eating up your life and you think to yourself, okay, is this real life or is this fake life? The more energy you can put into your real life, even if it means like doing nothing and hanging out with your friends, I think it'll keep your nervous system or your stress much calmer.

And in a way, I think the only way to do that is us not saying to you, Hey, you shouldn't do that. But more about inviting you to have a rebellious attitude about like, Hey, my time, my life, my sport, my body, my friendships is so much more valuable to me that I'm gonna kind of rebel against this a little bit.

Volleyball Player: Yeah.

Gabby Reece: Because it's what you guys deal with is it is very tough.

Volleyball Player: Yeah. My dad is very adamant, don't quote me on this, but he's like, phones are the devils. Like, I wish we were back to my age. And he is like, they're just so addicting. Like

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Volleyball Player: All of that. Yeah. I do a lot around my house

Gabby Reece: And I know you hear it all the time, but it doesn't make it less true.

Yeah. And so I would say as an athlete, because you do need that intense focus, you know, I, I have that intense focus even in my day-to-day life right now

Volleyball Player: mm-hmm.

Gabby Reece: Is you have to really fight for that.

Volleyball Player: Yeah.

Gabby Reece: You have to fight for it because as you know, attention economy is so big and the phone is set up, man, the slot machine.

So I don't know, even if it's like your teammates and your friends, if you can sort of figure out little systems and things like, hey, when we're doing this, even if it's just hanging out and being silly mm-hmm. Then like, let's figure out ways that we can help ourselves. Be kind of ruthless about protecting yourself.

Volleyball Player: Yeah.

Gabby Reece: And it's not about your parents, you know? Yeah. It's not about like your mom or dad telling you. It's about like, you've gotta fight for yourself.

Volleyball Player: Yeah. Making that decision yourself.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. Because it's worth it. You are only gonna get to do this like play volleyball in 11th grade or 12th grade.

Yeah. And then in college, like you wanna record, like enjoy it, be it, maximize it, like be your badass self and train as hard as you can and do it. And you don't want that phone to rob you of that.

Volleyball Player: Yeah. For sure.

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Anything else

Volleyball Player: I could ask about your amazing, successful entrepreneurship? Mm-hmm. I was doing a little research myself earlier, and I saw it was.

Oh,

Gabby Reece: xt.

Volleyball Player: Xt. Yeah, a little bit. I mean, just in general, what might that be? I'm curious. I saw breathing stuff in general and

Gabby Reece: yeah,

Volleyball Player: I have been having to work on that a lot. My breathing is not great, but

Gabby Reece: yeah.

Volleyball Player: Yeah, just, I mean, what is all of that? That's really looks cool, but Yeah.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. Well, we, uh, my husband is a surfer.

He's, oh,

Volleyball Player: that's so cool.

Gabby Reece: Rides pretty big waves. He's from Hawaii. And, um, yeah, so he doesn't like to swim and I don't like to swim either. And my, as you know, when you're an athlete, your body gets pretty beat up. I already have a fake knee, and so about 18 years ago we started doing underwater pool training.

So maybe you saw video of it. I don't know, like you can be ballistic and work on all this jumping and ballistic stuff, but you can also work on your breathing and hypoxic training. So being, yeah. More efficient with less air. So there, so he's very creative and experimental and I was like one of his crash test dummies, but it was just finding ways to train very, very hard that makes the organism.

So whether you wanna play a sport or you wanna stay calm and as a mother, whatever it is, that the organism is working better. And this was a way to do it because, you know, listen, as you get older, you're trying to figure out ways, how can I train at this super high level and you know, not kill myself. So the XPT was that, and then the breathing part because you, it's cheap, you can do it anywhere.

Um, yeah, most of us don't do it. Right? So for example, like, okay, let's say you come from a long rally and you're playing like this. I didn't know any of this stuff when I was playing ball. And you, you're winded, but you have to go back and serve. And so just by knowing how to get rid of your CO2 quick, like.

Then knowing how to breathe correctly, quickly to downregulate and be able to recover. So the thing I like about the breath is yes, it can ramp you up. Your health is certainly better if your system is oxygenated, but then knowing how to use it as a tool to either be like, Hey, I'm gonna get fired up, or I'm gonna calm down.

So I think there's so many tools and there's a lot of people doing great work in this space, but

Volleyball Player: yeah,

Gabby Reece: sometimes like

Volleyball Player: very cool.

Gabby Reece: Yeah, you're given training right now and it's a lot, but if there's things that are attractive to you, just check 'em out and try 'em.

Volleyball Player: Yeah. Using your breath as a tool. Very new to me, but I like it.

That's very cool. I know.

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Volleyball Player: Awesome.

Gabby Reece: Well, listen, good luck.

Volleyball Player: Thank you. Thank you very much. It was very cool getting to meet you.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. Well it's lovely to meet you and, and I wish you all the success and, and remember to like, really the importance of you taking care of yourself.

Volleyball Player: Yes ma'am.

Because

Gabby Reece: then you can do anything.

You wanna do a business if you wanna, whatever you want to do.

Volleyball Player: Yeah, I am Olympics for beach volleyball. This is a hope one day. It's a big goal, but

Gabby Reece: well,

Volleyball Player: hopefully, why

Gabby Reece: not

Volleyball Player: do all the right things? Yeah, we'll get there. We're gonna get there.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. Awesome. Okay.

Volleyball Player: Thank you. Aloha.

Bye.

Voice Over: Welcome to the Longevity Formula with Dr. Brandon Crawford. Let's explore the new era of wellness.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Gabby, thank you so very much for joining us today. I'm so thankful to have you, so honored to have you on. You know, just to start off here, you know, people know you as an elite athlete but I think your real superpower is you've become this translator between performance culture and health culture.

What problem are you really trying to solve right now?

Gabby Reece: I actually think that you might see me more than a lot of people see me. I think they get distracted by some of the obvious stuff, and very few people know that that's actually the thing. One of the things I enjoy the most, besides like the training myself, you know, I think it, it comes down to something really simple.

I think I had the good fortune of coming through sport, having access to really smart people who helped me learn about moving better or taking better care of myself. And that continues. And then realizing that it really should be something everybody has the opportunity to do. It feels like, if I could be a part of, you know, people say taking a, you know, sharp end of the stick information and trying to make it as accessible for people don't have access to it or they're working too hard, they don't even have a chance to look up and decipher. But also try to do it in a, in an honest, straightforward way since I have been doing this such a long time and not BS people about like these three things, these 10 things.

Because I think that's also unfair because it is an ongoing dance about trying to take care of yourself.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Mm-hmm. So was there like a moment where, because like when you were talking to Kaia earlier, right? You're like, you're young, you're bulletproof, uh, and I mean, shoot, I felt bulletproof up until a few years ago.

Um, was there like a defining moment where you went, oh shoot, I'm not really bulletproof. I really need to change how I'm treating myself here?

Gabby Reece: You know, I'll be honest, I was really late to playing sports and so I've actually never felt bulletproof. I've always felt like I was trying to keep. Keep up, if you will.

I think I'm, I'm a very hard worker and I'm very coachable, but I was always feeling like I was trying to play catch up. So, the Bulletproof never was part of it. Now then you start, you know, playing professionally and then you're get a knee surgery and then all of a sudden you realize like, oh, I can't get from A to B so quickly.

So I learned that lesson early about the gift that feeling good was be because as you know, if, if you do play sports, generally you've, you get waylaid in some way. You're on crutches at some point in your career.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Mm-hmm.

Gabby Reece: And that message was really loud and clear about, oh, wait a second. This is, is one of the most valuable gifts I've been given, which is my health.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Mm-hmm. Right. So at, let's say this, at this stage in your life, what does strength mean to you? Uh, both physically. Psychologically versus maybe what it meant to you back then, right when you were, you know, this elite athlete and whatnot. Is there a difference in that meaning now?

Gabby Reece: Yeah, there's a lot more dimension to that because you think strong is like, I jump high, I hit things hard, I can lift weight, I can do all these things.

And then you live a minute and you know, a lot of people that do that and do it well and probably, you know, certainly I've been around elite male athletes, like people I'm talking genetically really gifted, powerful one of ones. And then they're like a basket case or they don't have good relationships or they're maybe not showing up as people, or they're not curious.

They're not expanding, they're not changing, they're defined by this sort of one thing. And not only did that feel like a death to me and a real limitation, but then I started thinking, oh, actually what I realized I'm trying to do is use the physical practice. To house the spirit to be as strong in the realest way, which means to be able to dis deal with discomfort, both physical and emotional for, you know, sustained periods of time to react the way that I want to react rather than or excuse me, that I'm hoping to react versus the impulse to react, right?

So that distance between stimulus and response, so using the idea of strength as a pursuit of it, it's almost like the next level of discipline of like, I'm using the discipline that I used, that I learned from physical practice to have restraint in my marriage, in my work, in my being a mother where I'm trying to decide how I wanna be versus.

I'm just walking around reacting to everything and in the, in the moment that I wanna be aggressive, that if I choose to be loving, that actually for me is a greater symbol of, of strength. So it certainly has expanded.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yes. I think Tony Robbins says, living life on your own terms, right? That whole concept of deciding where you want your focus to go, your energy to go, et cetera.

And when you're living a high performing, demanding life these things quickly seem to get outta control. And maybe someone's not a high performer. They're not a CEO, they're not a entrepreneur or whatever. Even the demands of family life, you know, the, the constant demand of the marriage, the kids, the, you know, my wife says she's a underpaid Uber driver, you know, most days.

You know that, that too you know, seems to bring. So many health challenges, so many constant mental cognitive challenges. Mm-hmm. Uh, for me, this concept of strength then turns into resilience. Right? So, yes, we're going to have problems. In fact, we don't have problems. We're probably not doing what we're supposed to do.

Uh, we're probably not working as hard as we're supposed to work. But in my mind it's this concept of doing hard things, choosing what to focus on, and then having resilience when we get beat up, when we fall, when we fail, when we do that kind of stuff. Right. So these challenges that arise, I mean, this is part of the game, right?

Gabby Reece: Well, listen, I first of all push back and say that tho you're the people who are really actually you know, not the CEO or choosing to stay home with the family. This is way harder because at least in the other, you got these golden nugget, like, here's a check, or Here, yay. You, you have power, fake power.

Oh, we celebrate you. So actually that's the hardest and heaviest which I know to be true, but I think yeah, it's becoming so adaptable and so resilient that you know, they say the coconut tree, like when the storms come and the wind blows. Mm-hmm. The reason that they all survive, like, not like an oak tree in, in those environments.

So like in the tropics is it lays down with the direction of the wind, and when it's over, it stands back up. And so for me, I'm, I'm just trying to do that all the time.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Right. Yeah, I, I hear you and, and I totally agree with you. So for, for people listening, like is there a certain strategy that I, I know you were talking to Kaia about, uh, breath, right?

Mm-hmm. How you can breathe to bring yourself up to calm yourself down.

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Um, do you have other techniques, advice, uh, strategies, uh, for people trying to work through stress become more resilient, take control of their life?

Gabby Reece: It's so interesting, right? Take control of your life. The best hope you have is to manage your life.

And, um, because I think the minute I realize I'm not in control, now, I'm getting control of my responses and my behavior, but when I really surrendered you know, I have three daughters to, to sort of like what's in store for me, I think that, that actually is very difficult and very empowering. So, you know, I, I've been doing this so long that I don't know that I have like this fixed strategy. What I will say is that I use things like my training to assist me in all the other ways. And so then what's the next tier? Well, sleep and recovery. I'm not a great sleeper, but I am pretty diligent about trying to get to bed at the same time, pretty early, even if I don't fall asleep quickly or stay asleep, at least I'm in bed.

Uh, and so I have, you know, pretty intense habits that support, kind of some of the other things. And then the food is, is merely so I'm not going up and down, right? Like, oh, I'm gassy. Oh, I, I, it impacted my sleep. I don't feel good. I feel bloated. So I just eat real food. I eat when I'm hungry. I eat till I'm full.

People have made this way too complicated. I'm not always in ketosis. I eat carbohydrates from time to time, but if you look at my plate, it's real food. I don't eat a ton of sugar. I don't drink sugary drinks. You know, the, I heard, I heard a statistic like Americans get 20% of their calories in their drinks.

So if people go like, oh, I'm trying to cut back, it's like, there's a really quick, easy way. Mm-hmm. And then also I think what has really been helpful for me is most of it's not a big deal. So I'm not walking around reacting to everything all the time. I'm trying to see it for what it is and be like, what is this warrant?

Is this a two? Is this a one? Is this an eight? And very few things get past five. But when we don't feel good, everything feels like a nine.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yeah.

Gabby Reece: So that's why I, I just reverse back into those very easy practices that I can use to support me and my perspective, but also, I'm not gonna lie, I use a lot of discipline to not indulge in my feelings.

I wanna love my family and my friends and I wanna have those kinds of feelings. But I think being self-aware and checking like, is this ego, is this fear? Where is this coming from? Really helps me diminish how much energy I'm dumping everywhere, all day long. And the other thing is just staying really curious.

Learning and not being defined by what the world tells me, what I'm supposed to think, feel, and do. 'cause I, I don't believe in that. And to go where I, my heart tells me, I, I wanna lean into like, oh, that's, I'm curious about that. I'm gonna learn about that, or I'm gonna try that. All of these things keep my life kind of interesting for me to live, which then keeps me re-motivated to keep training hard and keep doing all the things.

'cause I have something I'm excited about.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Absolutely. I feel like you're ministering to me a little bit about surrendering. This is something I'm, you know, really trying to, you're younger. I'm trying to walk through myself, you know, and you know, I've got multiple things brewing. Mm-hmm. I've got, you know, fights over here that are coming up and, you know, but big winds over here.

Mm-hmm. I mean, it's all a constant flux and. I'm actually, you know, going through a, a herniated disc injury right now. It's the same disc has been herniated three times now. Mm-hmm. And it's, it's a pain, literally. And so my wife and I have this system that we've established and during the day, at some point, sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes it's, it's usually around mid-morning.

We'll text one another and we'll say, I'm at 50% or I'm at 20%, or I'm at 90%. Or, you know, that way, you know, the other one knows, okay, I'm gonna really have to pick up the slack here. And you know, there's some days when we're both like I'm both at, I'm at 20%. Yeah. It's like, I'm at 20% too. Okay. How do we mitigate that?

Uh, and then, you know, right. This has really helped us circumvent a lot of frustration at home. Right. Because you have, if you have two people. Both trying to accomplish the same things, right? We both wanna love our kids. We both wanna raise them, you know, to the best that we can. We both wanna be successful, all the things.

But if we know that she's struggling, I'm struggling. Okay, who do we need to lean on? Do we need to call the in-laws? Do we need to, you know, do a different family thing tonight? Do we need to go to bed early? It helps get us on the same page. That's been something that's been really beneficial for us.

I don't know, is there some type of similar strategy, um, that you could speak to?

Gabby Reece: I think that's really smart. Well there is one more thing too is there's some things we don't choose, but a lot of times when our lives are so busy and so crazy and we say things like, I have to, right? If we really flipped it and realized I chose this, it's really important to remember that Now we didn't, we don't choose a herniated disc, right? Uh, but it's like, oh, I have, uh, three meetings and then six appointments and I'm doing a podcast and I have a practice and all these things. I chose this. Right?

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yes.

Gabby Reece: So I think there's something really empowering about understanding that, um, you do that.

For me personally I, I do constant check-ins all the time. So I can be in my car and I'll be like, how? Okay, how do I feel? How's it going? How's things with Laird? Should I spend more te, have I reached out to my one kid that's at college? Should I reach out to her? You know, like I'm constantly checking in.

And the other thing that helps in my relationship is Laird is a clear, the deck guy. Not one weed gets to grow. You make one weird look. You say you looked, you know, kind of, you say it in a unusual way. He's like, what's going on? So what I have also learned is not to let things fester and by you and your wife texting each other, going, even by saying, I'm at 20%.

There's a version of like. This is how I'm feeling today. And it's clearing the deck. So trying to weirdly simplify your life, even when it's very complicated. I'm not trying to make it more complicated. So, for example, if I can make my relationship and my communication with my partner more loving and avoid conflict, because sometimes people say I'm agitated.

I'm gonna get it into, I'm gonna get into it with them. Now you're into it with them, and then you're gonna be apologizing, and then you have less energy, which is pro probably why you're agitated in the first place. So I'm also like very interested in, not in entangling, in things that aren't really productive.

And even if it's like I screw up right away and I, I go, Hey, you know what? I'm sorry I didn't. I didn't mean that. Instead of being like, well, I'm not gonna say sorry. So I think it's, it's also, I use simplicity as a, as sort of one of my measures of how do I keep this clean and simple and what do I need to say?

I think that's very important for women especially. 'cause they usually hold it, hold it, hold it, then freak out and nobody knows what they're really freaking out about. So I think just being like understanding how you, how you feel. But you know, Laird and I have also attended to our relationship the whole time, even though we have a family.

So we have coffee in the morning together as two human beings who really love each other and then sort of go from there. And as things start to slip, it doesn't mean date night. I think that's hard for a lot of people. It just might mean we need to sneak away as a couple and just be together.

Sometimes it's just that, especially when you have little kids. So I think it's really being aware and and figuring out how to kind of solve it. I'm also into solving it. Not like, well, I'm tired. It's this, that it's like, okay, we, we need to spend time together. Let's do it, you know, kind of thing. So I, I think I just have a really practical approach to things, but still checking the buckets.

I'm not gonna be able to do it if I don't move my body and eat and get to bed. So those just become parts of the pillars.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Sure. I love that. And my wife and I kind of have this other rule that we've always lived by. We've been married for about nine, uh, 19 years now. I think y'all have been 29, is that right?

Gabby Reece: Yeah, we're together 30 and we're almost married. 29. Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Awesome. We don't go to sleep angry.

Gabby Reece: Oh.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: And you know, sometimes that means staying up late and really logically being rational and, and figuring it out and. To date, we've been able to do it. And I know maybe that's not possible and maybe some people need to sleep on it.

Yeah. And I understand that. But this is, you know, something that has really worked for us. And it's been huge at some points, you know, because I really feel like, because we're both clear, the deck people, both of us, if she sees something wrong with me, she's like, what's going on? Let's fix it. And same thing, if I see something with her, I'm like, what's going on?

Let's fix it. And so we're both like bullet point, like, let's not, you know, clutter this with a lot of, you know, emotions that we don't need to spend a lot of energy on. Like, let's get to the point. And, and I'm very thankful for that. I know a lot of people, you know, may not have a spouse that's able to do that.

But this is something that's worked exceedingly well for us.

Gabby Reece: You know, you know what else is, shows up as you get through time a little bit sometimes we're all running around all the time. We're achieving, we're balancing. We're. Pursuing we're all these things. And one, one thing that Laird has really been a very steady influence on me is like, what are we doing down here with this time?

And sometimes when you're in pursuit and you're chasing and you feel exasperated and you've gone to a, the 16th kids' birthday party is, I think it's really important for every person to define what is success truly to them. Would it be more time with their family? Would it be pursuing work more? Would it be working out more?

Whatever the million things are. It could be a combination, but trying to define your own definition of success and really it's like blocking out the noise because then it's all less stressful, even though it's still demanding and hard because at least you're pursuing things that ultimately kind of makes sense to you.

And so I think that that's one thing that's really been in my, I have had the luxury and I'm in the favor of, is. It's like I'm in, I am, I do have a lot going on, but there are things that make sense to me that I believe in versus like, well, the world has told me do this, then you do that, then you do this.

And I think that is very exhausting.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Very exhausting. And something that maybe, you know, in society is successful, may not be what is considered successful to you.

Gabby Reece: That's it. Yeah. And that is, if that would be a real heavy starting point, because then you could, you could use that filter for everything.

Like, well, how do you like, like I don't love cooked fish. I know it's pretty good for me, but so I don't eat much of it, so I'm trying to eat healthy, but I'm not maybe going to eat a lot of cooked fish. Um, people might be like, I understand I need to move my body. I can't stand the gym. Great. So I think it's having that filter for everything so that you can get it done and you have the energy to get it done because it reflect.

You in some way.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Absolutely. Well, let's kind of move to the concept of this dysregulated nervous system. Mm. Right. So I think it's really, and this is, you know, hits hard for our viewers, um, you know, I'm a, I'm a functional neurologist. I'm all about functional connectivity in the brain, making sure that we're optimized, making sure that brain network is, um, you know, functioning, balanced way.

And when that happens, we do see a reduced stress response. We can see that in labs. I can see that in QEG studies, HRV, all the things. And something that people don't realize is, you know, if you're walking around in life, in marriage, in whatever, in business, and you have this dysregulated nervous system, these little things that pop up, which I love you, you know, your grading system is this, a ones is a two, whatever, but those little things then seems, they seem like eights or nines.

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: So. We really need to focus on regulating our nervous system, making sure that what's between our ears is functioning optimally so that we can actually achieve some of these things that we're talking about. Yeah.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. I mean, it's so interesting. I was talking to a friend and I go, you know, listen, I, I see that all the trends, 'cause I have the conversations every week.

So you, you know, you, you hear, um, okay, me metabolic function, mitochondria. Okay. Then of course you're gonna hear about the gut microbiome. But more and more I hear, oh, all about everybody really kind of going, oh yes, and let's really talk about the nervous system and regulating the nervous system. You know, that's where the breathing is, is so fantastic because it can be involuntary, right?

If I do two minutes of a longer exhale than an inhale, I downregulate, instead of me having to tell myself, I gotta calm down, I gotta calm down, I can just have a go-to. And even for people who have busy minds. Yeah, great. Five seconds in, seven seconds out count. Fantastic. It gives you something to do a task in two minutes you can drop down.

But I also think people forget that we need each other to regulate our nervous systems, right? We need human beings. And so how are we also showing up for the people in our lives? Because then you're, you know, could you provide that for somebody, but also then understanding that the response back to you is also gonna help you.

You know, one thing Lair does that I think is really interesting where we sort of realized we're probably not gonna understand each other or things are just nutty. And we, it took us a long time, maybe 20 years, where then it's just like, we hug and we go on and, um, you know, he's like, women need it longer.

So he'd hold me for 30 seconds and, you know, he says his gets hit in 15, but he'd make my daughters do it and I'd watch him squirm. But sometimes I think it's, Hey mam, maybe we're not gonna solve this, but we know we love each other, so get in here and you know, just lemme hold you for a second and I'll see you a after.

And so, I think really, but maybe if it's sensing it before, certain things you can't control, right? They leap outta you, like out of the bush. But if you can see your agitation coming up, I think that's a really good opportunity to practice going, you know what, I'm gonna, I'm gonna calm down.

Because just when I read 15 years ago that a quick anger impulse in a parking lot that takes three seconds has like a three hour hormonal residual impact. I was like, yeah, it's not worth it. So I think people don't respect enough about how tough it is on you.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Exactly. I love that you brought up hugging.

Um, interestingly enough, um. So last night we actually had a bit of a challenge with my youngest, he's 11 years old and he has learned how to order stuff to the house, uh, including food.

Volleyball Player: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: And while my oldest is very disciplined, he's a wrestler. He counts, I mean, he doesn't count his calories, but he's very strict.

You know, he knows he has to stay within a weight class. He knows what food is healthy. He listens to what we say and I don't have to worry about him at all. My youngest, he is going to do everything he can to sneak in whatever he wants. And so we don't eat soda or do we do not drink soda. We do not allow soda in the house.

It is not something that is ever okay with us. He got soda, he ordered it to the house and thought he hid it from us. We just about lost our minds because the, I mean, we, I'll admittedly say we overreacted, but it was just so shocking, you know, for us, we're like, we do all these things, we teach you all these things, you know, all these things, yet you do this.

And I'm like, oh my gosh. And, um, I mean, he, he cried, he was remorseful and all that kind of stuff, and I'm like, look, we just gotta hug, right? It just, just hugged him, you know, for, you know, 10 seconds or whatever. And I'm like, look, we still love you, whatever. But then I was actually also reading, uh, some research about oxytocin release and how that oxytocin also correlates with telomere length.

And so you can actually legitimately extend your lifespan by practicing things like extended hugs with loved ones and whatnot, and getting that oxytocin release. And it's huge. People should really understand this because when. You can move past a disagreement and come together and bond and nurture.

There's lasting effects. Just like you said, when something happens suddenly in the parking lot, and that can have a, a shift in your neurophysiology for three hours or even longer. The true is the opposite. In this way too. We, we just had that stressful argument. We got onto his butt, he was remorseful.

Okay, we gotta change that, right? We need him to know that we still love him. So we hugged it out and all was well. But I mean these are really simple strategies when you think about it, but they have huge impact on life and longevity. Um,

Gabby Reece: but you have to choose. Yes. That's the only thing is, is within it.

Ultimately you're still making the choice. So that takes a self, some kind of awareness. And that's where I think when you feel just a little better, it's easier to make that choice.

Right. Very true. If you're, if you haven't slept and you're caffeinated and you're whatever, gassy from a, you know, fast food, it's like you just, you wanna take everybody down with you.

Were you an obedient child?

Dr. Brandon Crawford: I was.

Gabby Reece: Oh, see, uh, see, lair and I are completely non-compliant people. So when I hear this, I just laugh because I have three daughters and they're all completely non-compliant. And so I'm laughing if like, I was like, I'll send you, uh, one of my kids and you know, that was the whole thing too, is like giving them space.

Because what I did tell 'em when girls are a little different is I said, listen, you have to give a little bit of runway because otherwise they get to be really good liars.

And so it's kind of also this thing of like. Choosing your battles because by the way, don't you, I mean, I don't know if you remember, but tea, like with teenagers and young people, some of their currency is actually this weird food and snacky creepy stuff that of course you don't want them to eat.

And they will for a minute and then they won't. Mm. Because that'ss not how they grew up. They will not, they will full circle. They'll be either in a sport or their skin or they just won't, they'll notice how they feel. And I'm telling you, I believe if you have the practices at home, they'll go full circle.

Because otherwise, then they go to their friend's house and then they just wanna get the chips and it's like, okay, well let's not make that a thing. But I don't know.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Right. No, you're absolutely right.

Gabby Reece: Um, but it's the lying part, that's the thing. It's not about the soda, it's about the not being truthful.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yes.

Gabby Reece: Yeah,

Dr. Brandon Crawford: absolutely. And the, and the trying to hide it from us. 'cause he knows, you know, he knows we're not okay with it. But it's funny, you notice I said he's

Gabby Reece: your teacher.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Exactly. I was obedient. My wife, not so much. She was the one that would push and push and push and, you know, always wanted to, you know, so I blame her.

Of course, now.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. Those are your genetics, honey.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Exactly. But I get to, I get to deal with it. That's okay. Now I'm kidding. It's great. We, honestly, both kids are fantastic. It's just, it's funny how, you know, you raise kids the same way, yet you have completely different challenges in each of them. It's wild, you know?

Gabby Reece: Well, Laird says that parenting is for us to grow up. He goes, it's not called kidding. They're gonna grow up. It's, this whole process is actually one whole big sort of next level graduation for us as adults.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Mm-hmm. I like that.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. And, and don't, and we, yes, we're bestowing some experience and information on them, and we have a job to do, but at the end of the day, we are the ones who will transform even more through this process because we, we came in thinking we knew something, and we have so many opportunities to do it so many different ways being a parent.

Mm-hmm. That really, I think the expansion is huge during that time, especially when your kids become teenagers.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Mm. Yeah. That's awesome. I love that. Do you think that there's something that maybe we're trying to do things right away, is there something in society today that is quietly destroying the marriage or destroying the family unit?

What do you think about that?

Gabby Reece: Well, listen, I, I would say I'm a very faithful person. I, I didn't grow up with a particularly, you know, structured religion, but I, I do see that by taking away sort. This, you know, the idea of something greater than us. So for some people it's, it's, oh, the energy of God.

You know, obviously culturally we've, we're ki we've killed God, right? And so I think what happens is that we have to we've become really overly tribal about things that, by the way, people don't even do research on. They're hysterical about, but they don't even know what they're hysterical about. They, you know, they haven't done a deep dive on their beliefs about things.

It's just like, oh, this is what we're freaking out about right now. Mm-hmm. And so I think that's very hard on a a, an overall culture if you sort of have separated and, you know, you see a lot of young people not thinking about having a family because I'm not saying everybody should have a family, but I do think it roots and stabilizes kind of culture.

When you have this idea of, okay, we're, there's something much greater than us, there's, they're sort of universal rules. Right. Like, I'm not gonna tell other people how to live, but based on this idea that there is something greater than us that we sort of have a code to live by and then go from there, uh, and show up for your family, show up for your community.

I think this is very, very tough on us. And then now we're siloed off. I mean, COVID just put everybody over the edge, but we're siloed off and isolated. And then we think we're the most important people in the world. I'm gonna show you what I'm eating for lunch. I'm gonna tell you every thought and feeling.

And I think the combination is, is pretty far out.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yeah. Uh, we're I, I'm very faith-based myself. Absolutely. And I completely agree with everything you're saying. It's interesting how society now is driving people, you know, don't get married until you can afford it. Don't have kids until you can afford it.

And I'm like, guys, you're never gonna really afford it. Just come on. Just live your life. Let's go. I mean, I remember when we first got married, we were pretty stinking broke. Mm-hmm. And those were some of the best days of our lives. Uh, it was actually quite amazing thinking back on it. It is like, man, there was one time when I just bought my, uh, it was our, my second, it was my first practice.

And, uh, we had some deals that went through with the bank that actually did not go through. So we did not have working capital. And, uh, we, we were pretty down. It was pretty, pretty low point. And we just wanted to make cookies and we went to the store and we could not afford the stuff to make the cookies and talk about.

A low point in coming back with our tails between our legs. Right. But that defined us, that defined a certain type of spirit, a certain type of discipline that I think a lot of people are not being really, truly exposed to these days. You know, that we're living in a comfort culture.

Voice Over: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Where, you know, what feels right is what you should do.

Right? Uh, and that's not what defines us. That's not what creates resilience. That's not what creates the type of brain that we're designed to have. It's, I don't know. It's pretty sad. And then you're right, social media. I could go on for about two hours on social media. Um,

Gabby Reece: yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Talk about an addiction.

Pretty crazy. But

Gabby Reece: I mean the, the good news about right, the technology piece is that we are getting, uh, in certain ways, uh, certainly a look behind the, some of the veils that have been up for a very long time. And I, I personally am very passionate about when it comes to my health and, uh, the health of my children.

You know, some type of sovereignty. And I think that in some ways technology has enabled us to really be able to navigate that a a little bit more. And, um, you know, it's unfortunately whether we like it or not, it's both, right? It's like you, you have to show up, you've gotta have the discipline to do it, but then simultaneously give your per permission to really follow your own, your own heart, your own calling, your own what, how you're supposed to contribute.

Mm-hmm. And I think that the phone and everything is a really strong and loud distraction from people being able to go inside and go. What do I think about that? How do I feel about that? What do I believe in? What do I wanna give? And that, and that's, that's really hard.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yeah. I'm fortunate enough to be able to mentor to young physicians of all types, whether it be in the therapy world or even the medical world or whatever.

I've, I've been very blessed to have you know, built the type of practice that people are seeking. And, and I get to mentor a lot of people and they always come to me and, and they'll ask, well, should I do this? Should I do that? And my first response to them is, what do you want?

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: When you close your eyes and you envision what this looks like in what this looks like in 25 years, 30 years, what do you see?

Every single one of them struggle with that question. I have yet to have someone that says this is what I want. And I think that. That is a huge challenge today is that people are not looking in, they're looking out.

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: So how can they start this process of, let's call it discipline, this, this strategic discipline where they can self-assess, they can start to look within and start to define what that is.

Gabby Reece: Well, first of all, think about this too. They, to form an opinion and to say like, okay, I'm gonna do this and, and kind of take a, take a claim. Now they're, they've been conditioned to worry about criticism.

So it's really hard to do. So, so first I would say you probably have to get a relationship with being okay with being criticized.

And, uh, mark Manson, he wrote, um, the Art of Not Giving an F. Yeah. Read it. And he said, of course, we're always gonna give an F about what people think, but we just have to think about what do we care more about than that. So I think, I think this idea, and maybe that's what, why nature is so important. So I think if, is it weekly?

Could you get out there once a week? No phone and just ask the questions. People can call it meditation, prayer, meaning ask yourself like, where do I, what? What kind of life do I wanna be? What kind of person do I wanna be? What things do I wanna have to work really hard at? And if we're still enough, long enough, the answers can come pre, it's pretty evident pretty quickly, but it needs to be sort of continuous.

'cause it updates, right? We update, I'm not the Gabby that I was at 20 or 40 or even 50. And so I think weirdly creating sp that space, that quiet and have the courage because then once you do it, you have to be like, I don't care who approves of this or not, this is what I'm gonna do. And also find the way to dial down that noise because you can.

We all think that we can't, but you sort of can go like, oh, I can just shut the wifi off. Like, it's not that big of a deal. Yeah. They're not coming in through the windows. Right, right. And so I think in a way, sometimes we've lost perspective and it's like, oh, I can get canceled and all that.

It's like, can you, you know? So I think that, that a healthy, a bit of rebellion with this is, is probably, it's probably imperative at this point. But I, I, I think if you don't do it, you, you will never know. No one can tell you, like you said. So if they, if it means that much to them, then they'll find the, the way to do it.

But it has to be really, really deliberate. It didn't have to be that deliberate in my day.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Right. Exactly. And you know, this, this to me is kinda like that other side of, I'll use the term biohacking, right? I don't know how you feel about that term, but what it is, it's a huge thing right now. But you know, everyone's so focused on the fancy toys, the mm-hmm.

You know, let's track everything. Let's monitor everything. Let's get the panels, let's get the plunges, let's get the, let's get all the toys and that's gonna make me healthy. And that's still looking out. Right. And this is the side that takes work. You cannot subsidize this, you cannot push this into a device.

Gabby Reece: No.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: I have a, I've made a really good laser, but I can't make a program that will give you your life's purpose.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. Well that's part of the homework. That's what we're doing down here. I think this is the whole part. I think we have homework and I think the idea is to sit with it and. And work it and keep working it and improving.

And part of the homework is to, to know yourself and also if it feels compelling to you, to be the best version of yourself and be willing to, to change your mind, to be willing to say you were wrong. To be willing to stand up for what you believe, you know, all the things. And so thi this is like a, a really essential part of being a human being.

And right now we have not merged with technology. And so we're in some ways still so simple and we've made it so complicated. You know, we've majored in the miners with all the hacking. It's like, okay, that's great, but you're not doing the basics. So this is all ridiculous. And one of them is, is to get in touch with yourself.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Mm-hmm. Yeah. So what would you say are some, let's call 'em non-negotiables. So, um, it can be anything, it can be a movement practice, it can be sleep, it can be sun. What are, what do you think are some non-negotiables that you would tell, you know, people listening here that you need to start doing this in order to start, start moving in the right direction?

Gabby Reece: Well, listen, for me personally, it's always been the movement mm-hmm. That has oriented me. Whether it's the cascade of positive hormones I feel like it was a real check. Like I just did something really good for myself. So that gives you a real sense of calm that's in your pocket all day long. Like, Hey, I did one really positive thing for myself today.

It doesn't have to mean you kill yourself. It just means you gotta be consistent. So for me, it's always been that the, I think food is harder for most people. The movement. Because it's, it's, um, it's tricky, right? It's it's the junky stuff is at fingertips. You have to kind of have a strategy in place to eat the good stuff.

Uh, usually takes a little more effort. If I'm feeling bored, lonely or stressed out, then I wanna tend to grab something with the food. But the movement for me is the non-negotiable. And then I, I work out from there. So I, the food has just become a part of it. And then sort of everything else, obviously not my family becomes sort of way down.

So I have three really important priorities. So it's my family and how I take care of myself. And then it, there's a big gap, and then it's like, how much will I let my business impact me, even though that pays the bills? And sort of like time with my friends and all, and sort of all these other things and, and something that.

I've needed to incorporate over the years is also to remember to have fun. And I don't mean like getting, you know, schlock with your friends on a Wednesday. I mean fun, like just pure fun, be silly, be childlike. Because it's very easy and I'm really guilty of it of not ha of not making fun of priority.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Gabby Reece: And I think it is. And so can I do that? Even in my training, I'm around a lot of women and, and men that I like, and there's banter and there's things, so it's sliding in and out of kind of things that, that are happening. But for me, the movement is just easy. And then the second thing I would tell people is just get to bed.

Turn your phones off or your laptops. Just get to bed. Go to bed. Go to bed. At the same time, try to wake up at the same time and get into that pattern.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yes, very important. And then that builds discipline, which is. Super important. And, and I agree with you, the movement, uh, movement is what people seem to struggle with the most.

But it precedes mindset, right? People think that they can think themselves into the gym. Not gonna happen, not gonna happen. You, you have to move yourself into a gym or, you know, you have to move in order to have the proper mindset. That's why, you know, my foundational pillars start with faith and then light.

I, I believe light environment is

Gabby Reece: well, sunlight is, I mean, okay, if you're getting now you're getting, you wanna go. If we're going for real, for real, I mean, we can do everything perfect, but if we're not in the sunlight you know, it's a complete waste of time. Yeah, that, I mean, in our house, if fi five years ago, we would've said, okay, it's food and this and that.

And if you ask Laer I today, what is the most important thing, it would be sunlight.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yes, exceedingly important. Getting proper sun exposure. Mm-hmm. And then not only that, but not, you know, getting the adverse type of light exposure. Yeah. Which is what we're all succumbed to.

Gabby Reece: I think it's overwhelming though, don't you?

Dr. Brandon Crawford: It is.

Gabby Reece: I mean, yeah,

Dr. Brandon Crawford: it's everywhere.

Gabby Reece: I have my, one of my middle daughters, 22 and she's like always wanting me to wear like a ver like a, you know, a scarf over my thyroid when I'm working on the computer. And you say this to most people who were just trying to get the processed food out and get them to move three times a week and they'd be like, oh, okay.

Forget it. Right. But if you, if you say, okay, we're getting nitty gritty, then yes, it's sunlight.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yeah, absolutely.

Gabby Reece: And then air, I mean, and then what, how are you gonna do clean air and water? That's the problem too. 'cause then, then people go, oh, well they're spraying and none of my water. But if we, if we were like in the old days, it'd be sunlight, air, and water.

And then all the other stuff that now we have to fake doing because we don't live how we used to live, so, oh yeah. I have to exercise now. Oh yeah. I have to try to choose to eat healthy, you know, we just had that built into our lives before.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yeah, very true. You know, in my, I, we did a sabbatical, the Costa Rica.

We lived there for about three months. Oh. And you know, life was great. We were, you know, pretty much naked on the beach all the time. We were, you know, eating local food. It was, uh, it was fantastic. My stress went completely away. All my lab markers normalized. It was so healthy for me. And we were driving down this, you know, beat up, we were in rural Costa Rica Okay.

Driving down this beat up road, and we think, man, we are just optimizing life. This is fantastic. And then we look out and they're just dousing this field with some type of chemical, and I'm like, man, we can't even get away from it here.

Gabby Reece: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Um, it was, it was crazy. You're right. We, you know, we live in a toxic environment and I tell people, look, you can't live in a bubble.

Gabby Reece: Mm-hmm.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: You're not going to. You're not going to avoid all these things, all the chemicals, mold, mycotoxins, good luck. You're not going to. But what you can do is you can build your resilience and you can only do so much. Yeah. So don't let it overwhelm you. Right. Worrying is like a rocking chair. It'll give you something to do.

It's not gonna get you anywhere. Right, right. So, you know, very, very important to put things into perspective. Right.

Gabby Reece: Well, we even say, you know, Paul check 25 years ago said, Hey, if you and I are sitting in front of a computer and your immune system is compromised and mine isn't he's like, you'll be impacted more by the negative, you know, effects of the computer than me.

Just because your immune system isn't, is compromised. And, and I, I've really gotten to a point, 'cause you could get overwhelmed by it all that at some point I'm gonna do all the things I can do, I'm going to, and then after that, like this idea of like transmuting stuff, I'm like, fine, I'm down. Like, I just walk through the world, like I think I'm bulletproof and I put a prayer over all my friends and family that they're protected because at the end of the day, you could make yourself nuts.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yes. And I love that because that goes back to your, the faith concept that there is something bigger than us in control. There's something bigger than us that has a plan that is greater than anything than we could ever imagine. And at some point we do need to surrender to that. Right?

Gabby Reece: Yeah. And we can say we have faith, but unless we can like really exercise it, you know, Laird is interesting to live with because he, he, because I think maybe 'cause he's been in such, in dangerous environments, his um, kind of faith is off the charts and he'll always say to me, you know, Gabby.

Because I, I do think it's natural for women to worry more. Um, even though it is a colossal waste of time, you know, it's all gonna be okay. And then he, and then he looks at me and he goes, and it is okay. And I'm like, you're right. And sometimes I'm also reminded the, uh, the really healthy thing we could do is not live by the narratives that are going on in our, in our minds.

Uh, that is another big part of the homework, is to stop living by the stories that we are telling ourselves. And so that is something I'm always trying to work on.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Absolutely. Same here. Big time. Absolutely. Well, man, I, you know, you're, I, I feel like we're just kind of touching the, the surface as far as like your breadth of knowledge and experience and all the things that you could, you know, bring to us today.

Is there anything that you'd like to touch on before we kind of wrap up? Anything, any last thoughts or any topic you wanna go into?

Gabby Reece: You know, you said it in the top of the interview that, uh, maybe I, I could, part of my hope is to be a bridge or a translator.

And my thing is, is that I always say two things When people are in pursuit of their wellbeing, let's say it's complete accountability and grace side by side at every moment. Because if you don't give yourself grace for, for the desires or the, you know, impulses or the, oh, I had, you know, pizza last night you don't have the energy to get back to business.

And I think I've been in performance a really long time, and I just wanna remind people we've really made it too complicated. We all kind of know what we should be doing. How do you create scaffolding around your life? To help you get past your blind spots and to help you reach the places you want, whether it's how you look or feel or the combination, because I don't fly outta bed every day going, I can't wait to train.

I just have created scaffolding that I can get it done. And it's the same with like, why you don't have soda in your house. It's like, so nobody drinks it. So I think it's more of the invitation to people to go, Hey, it's, it's va You're valuable enough to figure out, you know, what things, what activities would you do consistently?

What foods that are healthy and supportive that you could eat consistently. What people do you need to schedule to go on the workout with? You know, who do you say need to say no to? Because no is a really important part of being healthy. Can you make this? I can't. No. And encouraging people to, to just build the scaffolding.

They'll get there. Will it be perfect? It never is. I did an interview. I'm doing a project with Gabrielle Lyon and Stacey Sims and two other very intense women. And we talked about all the things you're supposed to do. And then at the end I go, Hey, do you guys get this done? And they're like no, but you just keep trying.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yeah.

Gabby Reece: And you really do. You are really somewhere just by being that consistently showing up and doing it the best that you can, but don't be, ask yourself, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, the lip service. It's like, no, man, you gotta do the work.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Exactly. Yeah. That's actually really powerful. Very wise words even, you know, so people hearing it from you a high performer, super successful, all the things.

You mean you don't just wake up ready to, to, you know, go after the day and work out and do all these things? No. Like you have to create discipline. You, I mean, there are some days. When I actually, this was, um, who taught me this, it was a trauma therapist

Voice Over: mm-hmm.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: For the Navy Seals. Mm. So I got to work with him.

I co-managed the patient with him and he said, I literally tell people when that alarm clock goes off, the first thing you do, you say, get my left foot out of bed.

Gabby Reece: Yeah.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: You start there and then you get your right foot out of bed.

Gabby Reece: I, I actually, that is one of practice I have because I don't wake up particularly jazzed.

I say, before I put my feet on the floor, who am I trying to be today? And I, I decide that before and then I put my feet on the floor because, 'cause listen, I'm an only child. I, uh, wasn't always raised by my parents. I have a lot of things that would make me wanna go way inside. And naturally, that's my real personality.

And I know that I'm gonna be a lot happier if I. Do it a little different. So, you know, I can relate to that so deeply because when I wake up it's like, oh, it's gonna be so much energy and it's so worth it.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: True. Very true. Well, where can people find you to learn more and to follow you and all the things?

Gabby Reece: Oh, everything's at Gabby Reese, G-A-B-B-Y-R-E-E-C-E. I'm really not that hard to find.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Very true. We'll put all the links and all the things in the show notes, but she's right. She's easy to find. So, well,

Gabby Reece: what is your back? Is it from a sporting injury?

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Oh, okay. So initially this injury happened playing basketball.

Okay. So I was in high school. Okay. I go up for a jump shot and basketball wasn't even my sport. I was a baseball player. But you know, I come from a small town where you play everything, and so I played everything

Gabby Reece: they need. The bodies.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yes. And so I go up for a jump shot and I get taken out from the top and someone took my legs out and so I land in this weird position, blew my disc instantly.

Side note, they called traveling on me. And anyway, so, um, so I end up, yeah, it was

Gabby Reece: insane insult to really injury. Yeah,

Dr. Brandon Crawford: yeah, yeah. Seriously. And so I do all the traditional medical things. They all failed. I did surgery, actually had a failed back surgery in high school. Actually this is what got me into chiropractic.

And so the chiropractor in my church actually then, you know, fixed me within two weeks. I was like, wow. And then that got me into, you know, chiropractic. I fell in love with functional neurology. Fast forward, you know, I'm doing rehab with a kiddo three years ago. We do intense rehab. I've developed this methodology where we're rolling on the floor sometimes we're, we're, you know, we're going at it.

And of course, again, blew it again. And so, you know, had another surgery. In this time I was actually on vacation on a boat in the British Virgin Islands. Before we went out, they said, the water's a little choppy. I said, no problem, not a big deal. So the choppiness, right, we're going out, there's like little chops, whatever, okay.

Then it turns into one foot, two foot, three foot, four foot swells, and then all of a sudden the boat nearly comes completely outta the water and lands, and I'm sitting straight up and it just crushes my spine and here I am. So same disc every time. And

Gabby Reece: Can you get like a insert, like a spacer and get a artificial one?

Or is that out of the, off the, they're not there yet.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: So it, I've looked at it heavily. It's a consideration. Um, my medical director here is a neurosurgeon that actually did my pre, my previous surgery. Not ready to go that route yet. Okay. I'm not completely sold on it.

Gabby Reece: Yep.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: I have done more regenerative medicine than you could possibly imagine.

On my last MRI, there was zero inflammation in my spine. It's just the disc is not, is not resolving, and so it's literally pushing, uh, my s one nerve root just completely out of its path. So, uh, it's, you

Gabby Reece: know, I know this is more of an offline conversation, but do you know Wolfhard Mule in Germany?

Dr. Brandon Crawford: I do not.

Gabby Reece: He might be worth knowing. Okay. I can, I can get you the information. He's sort of really interesting. That'd be fantastic. Yeah. Laird and I have gone to Muni Munich for lad. For Wolfhard, and he's a genius. Uh, he's 81. 81. I'll get that to you. Um, I

Dr. Brandon Crawford: appreciate it. What's his background?

Gabby Reece: Well, he was a ortho and then he went the other way.

So now he uses. All these ear, like he'll, he's the one who first used like the chicken comb, like a Synvisc. And like, he's pretty innovative, but like I saw him w I've seen him work a couple times on Lad and literally, and we, we had another big wave surf go to him and he goes, oh, he looks at you with his fingers.

And so I have pictures of Laird's spine and like Wolfhard will put needles in certain parts of the spine and release certain parts of the spine. But he's just one of the more knowledgeable you know, like there's Peter VEing and all those people over there, but Wolfhard's very, very interesting.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Nice. I, I'd love a good connection. Okay. 'cause that's, I would love to,

Gabby Reece: I'll get that because it's worth it. And we always joke that he's so spry, it's weird. Like he's 82 and you're just like, what is up with this guy?

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Yeah.

Gabby Reece: But you know, before he gets older, it might really be someone interesting to see.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: For sure I'll do it.

Gabby Reece: Yeah, I

Dr. Brandon Crawford: appreciate that.

Gabby Reece: Oh yeah, the back, I, you know, I grew up down there in the Virgin Islands.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Really? Yeah. No, I did not know that.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. My family had a house in Virgin Go, so I've been slammed down that channel many times.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Oh, that's, that's gorgeous. That was one of our favorite trips besides the back in the back injury.

It was phenomenal.

Gabby Reece: Yeah. It's, it is beautiful there.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Very good. Well, thank you so much for your time today. Yeah, thank you. I thoroughly appreciate it. This has been quite enlightening and I think people are going to really enjoy your wisdom and be able to learn quite a bit from it.

Gabby Reece: Well, I don't know about wisdom, it's just patterns that I've seen show up over and over and consistently and, and, um, and maybe, you know, the one last question would be like is sort of like what are we chasing and are we chasing the right things?

And um, you know, it's okay to ask yourself that question from time to time.

Dr. Brandon Crawford: Absolutely. Absolutely. Awesome.

Gabby Reece: Thanks a

Dr. Brandon Crawford: lot. Well, thank you again.

Voice Over: We hope today's episode has inspired you to take that next step towards your best self. Remember, the path to longevity is paved with small daily decisions. Your journey is unique and every step, every choice brings you closer to your ultimate vision of a healthier, happier life. For more insights, tips, and resources, visit drbrandoncrawford.com.