Health and wellness podcasts bring a very necessary type of flavor to our ears. They motivate and inspire us to get started and continue toward our aspirations, knowing we're not alone.
Whether they focus on fitness entirely or touch on exercising in a health and wellness series, these shows will motivate you to start and complete your fitness goals from the inside out. If you're working on your fitness, you need these podcasts in your playlist.
Hurdle
iTunes
If you have trouble continuing your fitness routine or even starting (been there, done that, got a t-shirt), this podcast will definitely kick up your spirits. It features a slew of hosts who have been stuck in their own rut, but went on to run 5ks, compete in the Olympics, and live to tell the story. Experiencing "hurdles" in our fitness and wellness lives is inevitable. Instead of beating yourself up because you didn't reach your goal when you wanted, this is one of the many resources you can use to jumpstart your fitness goals. Don't give up sis, just jump over that hurdle.
Therapy For Black Girls
Therapy For Black Girls
Now that we've finally embraced the need for therapy, it only makes sense that there's a podcast that caters to that. What once started as a resource for women of color to find a therapist in their area has evolved into a podcast that allows us to have our own therapist from afar. Hosted by Joy Harden Bradford, Ph.D., the podcast covers everything we need to know about mental health in general and how it impacts us individually as black women. Thanks to an episode that discusses self-sabotage (like why we might be afraid to actually reach our fitness goals) and another that asks why we might make certain goals to begin with, the host, Dr. Joy Harden Bradford shows us how to work on our inner selves before we get our fitness together.
Radio Cherry Bombe
Radio Cherry Bombe
Radio Cherry Bombe has this amazing way of letting us know they understand how difficult it is to maintain a fit life while also reassuring us that it can be achieved. The podcast promotes a group effort of health and wellness through sisterhood as it features experts in the food industry, from writers and stylists to cookbook authors. While some of the cakes and cookies recipes might be tempting to try, the podcast also features how food is related to stress and how we feel as women. Some of the most recent episodes include, "Serenity Now: Cooking As Meditation," which explains how cooking is therapeutic and can promote a fit life, and "Beauty Inside And Out," which discusses the importance of activities like yoga.
Diet Starts Tomorrow
Diet Starts Tomorrow
This can be literal life sometimes. If the name doesn't tell you, this podcast is super realistic when it comes to facing the realities of taking on a new lifestyle of health, wellness and fitness… and all of the myths and rumors in between. It promotes body positivity and condemns fat-shaming, but yet helps you build a connection with the hosts, Aleen Kuperman and Samantha Fishbein, that will have you ready to hop on a treadmill and speed walk to your goal. They are as honest as they come but they offer tons of research on how to achieve weight loss and fitness as a whole. So maybe now our diets can start today.
Expanded With Lacy Phillips
EXPANDED With Lacy Phillips
Lacy Phillips collaborates with others in the health, fitness and wellness industry to provide information for her listeners. Phillips focuses on how manifestation, energy and psychology influence our wellness. She never hesitates to sit down with nutritionists and holistic instructors that provide the audience with more than enough information on how to get their fitness on track and stay there. The best part is that the guests might be pros now, but they also share their story of how they got to where they are now, proving that there can actually be a destination to your fitness journey. Like many things, a fit life might be difficult to maintain. But with the correct tools and tips for discipline, it can be achieved like none other.
Naked Beauty Podcast
Naked Beauty Podcast
If we're honest, one of our biggest fitness goals is to look good naked, and to do so from any angle. The Naked Beauty podcast gives tips on how to achieve that, and have fun doing it. The host, Brooke David, goes beyond the standard beauty tutorials with her guests (that include editors of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar), and tell women how to embrace themselves from the inside out along their journey to achieving their health goals. She and her guests provide tips on a surprising way to lose weight (it actually includes eating a lot of fat) and taking fitness past the superficial level. If you haven't already gotten into this podcast, get it into sis!
Featured image by Getty Images.
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RELATED
Here are some of my favorite takeaways from three standout panels featuring Jordan Chiles, Marsai Martin, and Kandi Burruss.
Leveling Up Your A-Game with Jordan Chiles, Morgan Shaw Parker, Chelsea Fishman, Laura Correnti, and Tabitha Turner-Wilkins
Jordan Chiles
Paras Griffin/ Getty Images for Power Play
Olympic gymnast Jordan may have medals and magazine covers to her name, but her mindset is refreshingly grounded. “The day I finally feel pressure,” she said, “will be the day I know there’s still more for me to learn.” For her, joy—not pressure—is the fuel. Her confidence isn’t performative; it’s rooted in family, self-worth, and authenticity.
“Everything I’ve done in my career—tattoos, long nails, rocking my crew at the Olympics—that’s all me. It’s not because someone told me to do it. It’s because I felt confident doing it. And that’s where my ambition comes from: being my authentic self.”
For Morgan Shaw Parker, President & COO of the Atlanta Dream, the conversation around pressure went even deeper. “Legacy work” is how she described her mission—navigating male-dominated spaces, sometimes pregnant and pumping on NFL team planes. “After COVID and George Floyd,” she shared, “it became clear to me: vulnerability is power. You don’t have to show up perfect to lead.”
Chelsea Fishman, founder of Atlanta's first bar dedicated to women’s sports, Jolene Jolene, shared how the haters (especially the Reddit kind) were her confirmation: “All those comments saying it would fail—those were the signs that I was doing something right.” She’s hosted 25+ watch parties already and is building the very community they said would never come.
This panel also touched on ambition, authenticity, and owning your power—both in sneakers and in suits. One of the best mic-drop moments came when the moderator flipped the question: “What if we stopped making ‘power’ a bad word for women?” A nod-worthy reminder that we’re not here to play small.
Making Your Voice Heard with Marsai Martin, Carol Martin, Miss Milan, and Heather McMahan
Marsai Martin
Paras Griffin/ Getty Images for Power Play
This panel was a masterclass in staying grounded while growing up—or glamming up—on the global stage. Actress and producer Marsai talked about what it’s like to show up in high-pressure moments when your confidence is low but the world is still watching. From red carpets to long shoot days, she reminded us that even when you’re not at 100%, you still find a way to push through.
“There have been days where I wasn’t feeling the best, but I still had to show up on this carpet. Or it was that time of the month, but I still had to go on set. I just didn’t feel as confident—but it’s about how you take care of yourself in those moments and still keep pushing.”
Her mom and business partner Carol Martin dropped gems about motherhood and mentorship: “It’s like teaching your kid to ride a bike over and over again. Now the bike is a movie or a brand.” That balance between guiding and letting go? Not easy—but essential when you’re raising a mogul and running a company.
“There have been days where I wasn’t feeling the best, but I still had to show up on this carpet. Or it was that time of the month, but I still had to go on set. I just didn’t feel as confident—but it’s about how you take care of yourself in those moments and still keep pushing.”
Miss Milan, Grammy Award-winning DJ and Doechii’s right-hand woman, lit the crowd up with her no-nonsense energy. “I built my own table,” she said. “When you build it, they can’t tell you you can’t sit.” From journaling her dreams to manifesting Grammys, her story is one of resilience and intention—and a whole lot of faith in her own vision.
This panel didn’t shy away from hard truths either: the sadness that can come with success, the fear of fading relevance, the criticism that hits differently when it’s personal. But Marsai said it best: know your why. And let it evolve with you.
The Cost of Starting Your Own Business with Kandi Burruss and Nikki Ogunnaike
Kandi Burruss
Carol Lee Rose/ Getty Images for Marie ClaireKandi doesn’t sugarcoat the grind. From chart-topping songwriter to multi-business entrepreneur, she’s built her empire one risk—and one reinvention—at a time.
“Fear equals failure. If you don’t even try, you’ve failed automatically —and you did it to yourself. I’d rather take a risk and lose money than play it safe and never know what could’ve happened.”
She broke down the real costs of entrepreneurship: money, time, and emotional bandwidth. “You think you’re going to work less when you work for yourself?” she laughed. “You’re going to work more.” For Kandi, mommy guilt and financial setbacks are part of the package—but so is the satisfaction of seeing an idea through.
She opened up about scaling back on her clothing store and temporarily closing the original Old Lady Gang location. “It felt like failure,” she admitted, “but sometimes you have to step back to make things better.” Still, she’s not one to quit. She just pivots—with precision.
One of her most memorable reflections? How her music career hiccup led her to songwriting—ultimately writing the mega-hit “No Scrubs.” That song became the key to a new lane and legacy. “You may think you’re working on one dream,” she said, “but it could open the door to another.”
Also? Kandi wants you to stop emailing her from a Gmail. “You’re doing million-dollar business on a bootleg budget,” she joked. “Invest in yourself. Start with a domain name!”
The Marie Claire Power Play Summit was a powerful reminder that ambition, authenticity, and vulnerability aren’t separate traits—they work in tandem. Whether you’re building a bar, a brand, or a business from scratch, the key is to stay rooted in your voice, your story, and your why.
And if you need a sign to go for it? Consider this your green light.
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Feature image by Paras Griffin/ Getty Images for Power Play