The Gabby Reece Show

I’ve trained with a torn hip for four years and an artificial knee, and doing nothing has never been what got me through. So what do you do when your body says slow down but you still need to move?

Today it’s just me, sharing what I actually do when something doesn’t feel great. I live with an artificial knee and a hip tear I’ve managed for four years, and these workarounds are how I keep training through both. We talk about how to tell a tweak from a real injury, the tools I use to keep moving without making it worse, and why rest isn’t always recovery. Be honest with yourself about whether you’re sore or hurt. Then pick one low-impact workaround and move until it feels safe, not until you’ve proven something.

What we explore:
- How to tell a minor tweak from a real injury.
- How muscle flossing and blood flow restriction prevent muscle loss.
- Why rest isn’t always the best recovery.
- What low-impact workouts keep you fit while injured.

The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegabbyreeceshow.substack.com

Women will talk about IVF, career setbacks, even losing a home, but almost never about their gut. What happens when the thing you’re too embarrassed to say out loud is the thing your health depends on?

Chloë Melas, NBC News correspondent and co-author of The Girl’s Guide to Guts. She’s known for her reporting at CNN and NBC News and her 15-year fight with ulcerative colitis. We talk about resilience, relentless work ethic, and the IBD warning signs she ignored at 25. Blood in your stool is never normal. See a GI now, and keep asking questions until you get answers.

What we explore:
- How childhood bullying builds lifelong resilience.
- Why rectal bleeding at any age means seeing a GI.
- How antibiotics and lifestyle trigger ulcerative colitis.
- What to eat to manage IBD flares.
- How to handle nerves and imposter syndrome.

Chapters:
00:00 How Childhood Bullying Builds Resilience in Adults
09:57 Why Consistency Beats Talent: Showing Up Every Day
15:28 IBD and Gut Health: Why Women Stay Silent
22:00 Blood in Stool at 25: Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms
25:20 Ulcerative Colitis and Depression: Laxative Dependence Explained
28:40 Is IBD Genetic? What Causes Ulcerative Colitis Flares
31:46 Rectal Bleeding: When to See a Gastroenterologist
36:13 How to Talk About IBD When Dating
40:06 Best Diet for Ulcerative Colitis: Foods to Avoid
43:04 What a Stool Test Reveals About Gut Health
49:30 How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Nerves
54:20 Infertility, IVF and Motherhood: Lessons in Resilience

About Chloë Melas: 
Chloë Melas is an NBC News correspondent and former CNN entertainment reporter who has spent nearly two decades breaking stories and doing serious investigative work. After years of living quietly with ulcerative colitis, she now uses her platform to break the stigma around IBD, IBS, and colon cancer, so no one has to figure this out alone.

Connect with Chloë Melas:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloemelas

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The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegabbyreeceshow.substack.com

Motivation tends to leave right when you need it, when you're tired, stressed, and standing at the gym door with a pit in your stomach. Even the most disciplined people you admire have days they don't feel like it, so what keeps them showing up anyway?

Today it's just me, and this one is about design over discipline. We talk about why waiting to feel like it keeps us stuck, the three things I've protected for almost 40 years, and how to build a system around your food, training, community, and spirit. Pick the one thing you're protecting and write it on your calendar like any other appointment. Then take one obstacle out instead of adding another habit.

What we explore:
- Why motivation fades under stress, and how systems take over.
- Why disciplined athletes rely on structure over willpower.
- How a 5-minute morning check-in protects your relationships.
- What it means to lead from love instead of fear.
- How removing obstacles beats adding more health habits.

The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegabbyreeceshow.substack.com

The people who get hurt most often are usually the ones living the fullest lives, and most of us are still treating their wounds with products that slow the healing down. What if the most effective thing you could put on your skin is something your own immune system already makes?

Justin Gardner, founder of Active Skin Repair. He’s known for bringing hypochlorous acid, the molecule your white blood cells use to fight infection, from hospital burn units to an FDA-cleared spray you can buy over the counter. We talk about how HOCl kills bacteria without slowing healing, why many products that list it don’t actually work, and what ten years of building a brand in a regulated space really takes. Before you reach for the first aid kit, check any HOCl product you own for a lot number and an expiration date. If they’re missing, the chemistry probably is too.

What we explore:
- What hypochlorous acid is and why it beats harsh antiseptics.
- Why peroxide and alcohol slow wound healing.
- How to spot an HOCl spray that actually works.
- Why eczema flare-ups are often caused by staph.
- What it takes to stay in business long enough to get lucky.

Chapters:
00:00 Hypochlorous Acid Spray: From Hospital Wound Care to Home
03:45 What Is Hypochlorous Acid (HOCl) and How It Works
07:51 Best Natural Diaper Rash Treatment and Neosporin Alternative
11:23 Skin Microbiome and Natural Eczema Treatment for Staph
14:11 How to Choose an Effective Hypochlorous Acid Spray
17:35 How to Grow a Skincare Brand: Startup Lessons
22:39 How to Stay Motivated as an Entrepreneur
26:08 Hypochlorous Acid for Chafing, Microneedling, Hand Foot Mouth
30:00 How to Treat Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Biofilm Naturally
35:40 Is Chemical Sunscreen Safe for Kids? Mineral Zinc Sunscreen
42:08 Hydrogel vs Spray: Best Way to Heal Cuts Faster
47:21 Where to Buy Active Skin Repair Hypochlorous Spray

About Justin Gardner:
Justin Gardner spent years helping launch regenerative medicine products in hospitals before licensing stabilized hypochlorous acid technology and founding Active Skin Repair in 2016. A surfer, former endurance athlete, and dad, he built the brand on medical-grade manufacturing and EWG-verified formulas. Today it’s used by World Surf League doctors and sold in every CVS in the country.

Connect with Justin Gardner:
Website: https://activeskinrepair.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activeskinrepair
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActiveSkinRepair

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The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegabbyreeceshow.substack.com

Your kid can read the bottom line of the eye chart and still be lost in the real world. What if the meltdowns, the clumsiness, and the fear of driving aren't behavior at all, but a brain that has forgotten how to read space?
Dr. Meenal Agarwal, a board-certified optometrist with 20 years in practice. She is known for her book Stuck in a Flat World and her podcast Uncover Your Eyes. We talk about how screens rewire spatial awareness, what your eyes reveal about whole-body health, and how menopause affects vision. Your eyes can flag disease years before you feel a thing. Book a full eye exam, and give your brain more of the 3D world it was built for.

What we explore:
- Why screen time weakens spatial awareness and makes kids afraid to drive.
- How space, movement, and play calm an overwhelmed child.
- What an OCT eye scan reveals about stroke, heart, and brain health.
- Why menopause raises glaucoma risk and causes dry eyes.
- How rising myopia in kids increases retinal detachment risk.

Chapters:
00:00 How Screen Time Hurts Kids' Spatial Awareness and Development
09:28 How to Improve Your Child's Spatial Awareness: 3 Tips
20:34 What Your Eyes Reveal About Heart Disease and Stroke
27:11 Does Menopause Raise Glaucoma Risk? Plus Glaucoma at 11
35:20 When Kids Need Their First Eye Exam and a Phone
42:06 Costco Effect, Helicopter Parenting, and Why Girls Shrink
52:32 20/20/20 Rule for Eye Strain and the Myopia Epidemic
01:02:48 Sunglasses, Circadian Rhythm, and Eye Warning Signs
01:10:58 Vision Loss and Dementia Risk, Plus Athlete Eye Training
01:18:52 Sharp Vision at 80 and Missed Glaucoma Signs
01:24:40 Comprehensive Eye Exam Checklist and Does Alcohol Hurt Eyes?
01:32:17 Kindle vs iPad vs Paper Books: Which Is Best?

About Dr. Meena Agarwal:
Dr. Meenal Agarwal is a board-certified optometrist and spatial awareness expert known for her work on the eye-brain connection, with a clinical focus on myopia control and dry eye therapy. She is the author of Stuck in a Flat World and host of the podcast Uncover Your Eyes.📘 Get early access to Dr. Meenal's new book, Stuck in a Flat World, plus a free gift. This coming November 2, 2026: https://www.drmeenal.com/stuck-in-a-flat-world

Connect with Dr. Meena Agarwal: 
Website: https://www.drmeenal.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.meenalagarwal
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UncoverYourEyeswithDr.Meenal
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/dr.meenalagarwal

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The Gabby Reece Show

This is where I have real conversations with the people I find most worth listening to: scientists, athletes, coaches, parents, and thinkers who are doing the hard work of building a life that holds up over time. No hacks. No quick fixes. Just honest, practical conversations about performance, longevity, relationships, and what it actually takes to show up well at every age.

If you are here, you probably already know that health is not a destination. It is how you live. I am glad you are along for it.

Connect with Gabby Reece:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegabbyreeceshow.substack.com