Habits and Hustle

The field of somatics has one uncomfortable truth most people aren't ready to hear: you cannot think your way out of trauma or chronic stress. If the stress response of the body never gets discharged through physical movement, your body stays on high alert. Some people still write somatics off as “woo-woo”. That gap between what the science actually says and what people assume is exactly why I wanted to go deeper with Liz Tenuto, better known as The Workout Witch.

Liz holds a degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara, is certified in Pilates and Reiki, and spent six years being mentored in the Feldenkrais Method under Augusta Moore. She got herself off beta blockers for anxiety using the same somatic exercises she now teaches.

In part two of this three-part Fitness Friday series with Liz, she breaks down the actual science, Polyvagal Theory, the psoas muscle, why betrayal trauma has a biological address in your body, and why your nervous system is still running an operating system designed for surviving predators, not inbox anxiety.

If you have ever felt stuck in stress no matter what you try, this is the episode that explains exactly why.

What's Discussed:


(0:00) How Liz grew to 4.8 million followers and who her audience really is.


(1:01) Why somatics bridges the gap where doctors just tell you it's stress.


(1:48) How Liz got off beta blockers for anxiety using somatic exercises.


(3:12) What somatics can actually help with and how it works for sleep.


(9:11) The science behind somatics and how your body stores stress physically


(13:33) How trauma gets stored as subconscious muscle tension and shows up as pain.


(16:52) Liz's personal story: how quitting dance made her chronic pain worse, not better.


(27:05) Sleep positions that reveal your stress state: T-REX ARMS, mountain climber, extreme fetal.


(33:21) The psoas muscle: the muscle of the soul and its role as a first responder in fight or flight.


(35:13) The gentle 18-day protocol Liz uses before ever touching the psoas.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!


AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code HUSTLE to get up to $300 OFF today! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-year warranty (an $84 value) FREE!


Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits or 20% OFF


Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% OFF your first subscription. 


Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% OFF your order. Your skin deserves this level of care.


Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.


Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% OFF sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use the code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.


Rho Nutrition: Go to RhoNutrition.com and try Rho's Liposomal Glutathione. Use code JEN20 for 20% OFF sitewide.


Manna Vitality: Try it now by using the code Jennifer20 at mannavitality.com. 

Find more from Jen Cohen: 

Website: www.jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen

Books: www.jennifercohen.com/books

Speaking: www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

Find more from Liz Tenuto:

Website: theworkoutwitch.com/ 

Instagram: @theworkoutwitch

TikTok: @theworkoutwitch 

YouTube: @theworkoutwitch

Threads: @theworkoutwitch

Facebook:The Workout Witch

Embody App: theworkoutwitch.com/products/embody 

When The Body Speaks Book: theworkoutwitch.com/pages/book

Have you noticed how the more we're connected by the internet and have all these gadgets, the lonelier we get? The things we thought would bring us together are actually making us more isolated than ever.

That is the conversation I had with Dr. Laurie Santos. She is a Yale professor, an expert on happiness, and the woman behind Psychology and the Good Life, the most popular class Yale has ever offered. She also hosts her own hit podcast, The Happiness Lab, focused on the science of feeling good. 

In this episode, Dr. Laurie breaks down why English-speaking countries are quietly getting unhappier, why manifesting the reward actually makes you less likely to chase it, and why the expert on gratitude herself doesn't love gratitude journaling. She explains the neuroscience of wanting versus liking, why self-care has quietly become self-indulgence, and the mindset shifts that matter more than any routine, supplement, or practice on the internet.

She also gets into why doomscrolling is stealing more from you than your time, the two parts of happiness you actually need both of, and the simple habits the research supports when every trendy protocol around you does not.

If you have been doing everything you are supposed to do and still feel off, this episode might confirm something you’ve known about yourself and your happiness for a long time. 

What's Discussed:


(01:30) How Dr. Laurie ended up at Yale teaching the most popular class in the school's history.


(04:15) Why happiness is a skill you practice, not a personality trait you are born with.


(07:40) The two kinds of happiness most people confuse and why you need both.


(11:05) Why money past a certain number stops making you any happier.


(14:30) The science behind why paraplegics and lottery winners end up at the same happiness baseline.


(18:20) Why comparison is the single biggest thief of happiness in modern life.


(22:10) Why the silver medalist looks more miserable than the bronze medalist.


(26:45) Why non-English speakers are happier according to studies.


(31:20) The dopamine trap of social media and why you crave what you don't even like.


(35:50) Why your phone is the Nutrasweet of real connection.


(40:15) Why boredom is the skill modern kids are losing and why it matters.


(44:30) The shock study that reveals how uncomfortable we have become with our own thoughts.


(49:10) Why the gratitude expert herself doesn't vibe with gratitude journaling.


(52:40) Dr. Laurie's alternative to gratitude that actually sticks.


(57:05) Why self-compassion beats self-criticism for every single goal you have.


(1:01:30) Why self-care is not a bubble bath and what it actually looks like.


(1:06:15) The research that shows manifestation is making you less likely to get what you want.


(1:10:40) The WOOP framework and why it is the version of manifesting that actually works.


(1:15:20) Why work-life balance is the wrong goal and what to aim for instead.


(1:19:45) What Dr. Laurie tells her students to do in just ten minutes a day to feel happier.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code HUSTLE to get up to $300 OFF today! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-year warranty (an $84 value) FREE!

Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits or 20% OFF

Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% OFF your first subscription. 

Therasage: Visit Therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% OFF your order. Your skin deserves this level of care.

Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.

Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% OFF sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit https://prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use the code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.

Rho Nutrition: Go to RhoNutrition.com and try Rho's Liposomal Glutathione. Use code JEN20 for 20% OFF sitewide.

Manna Vitality: Try it now by using the code Jennifer20 at mannavitality.com. 

Find more from Jen Cohen: 

Website: www.jennifercohen.comInstagram: @therealjencohenBooks: www.jennifercohen.com/books

Speaking: www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

Find more from Dr. Laurie Santos:

Website:www.drlauriesantos.com/Instagram: @lauriesantosofficial Facebook: Dr. Laurie Santos YouTube: @DrLaurieSantosTiktok: @drlauriesantosThreads: @lauriesantosofficialX: @lauriesantos Podcast: The Happiness Lab

The Greek word "soma" means body. Somatic exercises were first researched in the 1970s as a way to release trauma and stress through tiny physical movements, bypassing the mind entirely. 

Decades later, most people still think it sounds like a woo-woo wellness trend. That gap between what the science says and what people assume is exactly why I wanted to sit down with Liz Tenuto.

Liz, better known as The Workout Witch, has nearly 5 million followers, 240,000 students, and a 99% success rate with her courses. She holds a degree in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara, is certified in Pilates and Reiki, and spent six years being mentored in the Feldenkrais Method under Augusta Moore. With fifteen years of hands-on teaching experience, she bridges science, movement, and somatic practice to help people release stress, stored trauma, and tension from their bodies, using the same methods that got her off beta blockers for anxiety. Her work has been featured in USA Today, BBC News, Harper's Bazaar France, and more.  

In this Fitness Friday episode with Liz, part one of a three-part series, she shows me several somatic exercises live on the podcast. One of them nearly put me to sleep on camera! She also breaks down why your body holds onto stress long after your mind has moved on, what chronic stress is actually doing to the way you look and feel, and why so many people struggle with pain, bloating, and sleep issues that no doctor can fully explain.

If you have ever felt like your body is working against you no matter what you try, this conversation will change how you think about where stress actually lives and what it takes to release it.

What's Discussed:


(00:00) What is somatic healing and how it differs from meditation, breathwork, and talk therapy.


(03:20) How a ballet dancer with PTSD discovered somatics out of desperation.


(04:06) The first somatics class that changed everything and why it made her cry in the bathroom.


(04:42) How somatics reestablishes the mind-body connection when your nervous system is stuck in freeze.


(05:27) The live forehead exercise that calms your fight-flight response in under a minute.


(07:25) Why this simple exercise can make you feel like falling asleep almost instantly.


(07:37) The cranial nerve behind the forehead exercise and why it works so fast.


(08:23) The ear pulling exercise that stimulates your vagus nerve and gives you an instant energy boost.


(10:40) How bilateral stimulation connects somatic exercises to EMDR therapy.


(11:44) What CPTSD is and why somatic exercises help people heal trauma without verbalizing it.


(12:21) The different schools of somatics that have been researched since the 1970s.


(13:29) The somatic exercise for sciatica using a figure four position and gentle rocking.


(15:19) How stress accelerates aging and why chronic stress caused a gray streak during a toxic marriage.


(16:57) Why your body diverts energy away from repair systems when stuck in survival mode.


(19:48) The scalp exercise that brings blood flow back and helps repigment gray hair.


(21:41) The "chair twerking" bloating exercise that can make a difference in as little as three days.


(24:18) Why sequencing matters and one exercise alone is not enough for lasting results.


(25:11) How somatic exercises work as a full wellness modality for strength, stress, and emotional healing.

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code HUSTLE to get up to $300 OFF today! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-year warranty (an $84 value) FREE!

Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits or 20% OFF

Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% OFF your first subscription. 

Therasage: Visit Therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% OFF your order. Your skin deserves this level of care.

Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.

Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% OFF sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit https://prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use the code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.

Find more from Jen Cohen: 

Website: www.jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen

Books: www.jennifercohen.com/books

Speaking: www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

Find more from Liz Tenuto:

Website: https://theworkoutwitch.com/ 

Instagram: @theworkoutwitch

TikTok: @theworkoutwitch 

YouTube: @theworkoutwitch

Threads: @theworkoutwitch

Facebook:The Workout Witch

Embody App: https://theworkoutwitch.com/products/embody 

When The Body Speaks Book: https://theworkoutwitch.com/pages/book

GLP-1s are the fastest growing drug trend in health right now. But a 30-year fasting study says there's something every user needs to know before their next dose.

Dr. Valter Longo has spent 30 years studying aging and longevity at USC, running over 40 clinical trials on what actually makes people live longer and healthier. What he found challenges almost everything the wellness industry is pushing right now, from 16-hour fasting windows to high-protein diets to GLP-1 drugs.

In this episode of Habits and Hustle, Dr. Longo breaks down the science behind the Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD), why 12 hours of fasting beats 16, and what centenarians around the world actually eat. He also shares his latest research on cancer, Alzheimer's, and why your body already has the tools to heal itself if you stop getting in its way.

It's time to ask the right questions about the hottest longevity trends that are costing people more than helping them.

What's Discussed:


(2:01) Who is Dr. Longo and the training behind his research.


(3:18) The hypothesis behind why we should be fasting differently.


(5:39) What a Fasting Mimicking Diet actually contains and why.


(7:27) The difference between the longevity diet and the FMD.


(8:30) Why 12 hours of fasting beats 16 every time.


(11:18) The hidden risks of skipping breakfast nobody talks about.


(15:47) How the FMD resets your body's locked-in weight.


(21:12) How the "recipe" behind the FMD was built over 20 years.


(29:51) Why the cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes versions of FMD are all different.


(35:11) The trial showing nearly double survival rates in cancer patients.


(38:04) Dr. Longo’s real take on protein and why less may mean longer life.


(51:24) How often you should actually do the FMD.


(53:08) What the research says about fasting and women.


(56:40) Dr. Longo’s honest breakdown of GLP-1 risks and side effects.


(1:16:19) Findings beyond fasting that slow aging.


(1:23:21) The four things the FMD triggers that nothing else does.


(1:36:31) Why nutrition beats exercise for longevity and why that's not the full story.

Thank you to my sponsors!Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off.

AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code HUSTLE to get up to $300 off today! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-year warranty (an $84 value) FREE!

AX3®: Visit www.AX3.life to get a 20% discount on your first order with promo code HUSTLE at checkout.

Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.

Find more from Jen Cohen: 

Website: www.jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen

Books: www.jennifercohen.com/books

Speaking: www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

Find more from Dr. Valter Longo:

Website: https://valterlongo.com/ 

Instagram: @prof_valterlongo 

Facebook: Prof. Valter Longo

YouTube: @Prof.ValterLongo

Fasting Cancer Book: www.valterlongo.com/professor-longos-new-book-fasting-cancer/ 

Longevity Diet Book: www.valterlongo.com/the-longevity-diet/ 

The Weight of Longevity Book (Italian): www.amazon.it/ 

Fasting and the Longevity Revolution Documentary: www.fastingandthelongevityrevolution.com/ Dr. Longo’s Foundations: 

US: www.createcures.org/ 

Italy: www.fondazionevalterlongo.org/en/

The problem was never that you didn't know what to do. It's that you keep letting the version of you who doesn't feel like doing it cast the deciding vote.

That's the trap. We make decisions based on how we feel before the thing, instead of how we'll feel after it. 

And before anything hard, the feeling is always the same: tired, unmotivated, full of reasons to wait. If that's the voice you're listening to, of course you're stuck restarting. You've handed the mic to the wrong version of yourself.

We try to fix this with more discipline, more motivation, or another reset on Monday. None of it works for long, because none of it changes the question you're asking yourself in the moment that actually matters.

In this episode of Habits & Hustle, I break down the one question that changed how I show up for the gym, the hard conversations, and everything I'd rather put off. No system. No reset. Just a different way to decide.

You don't need more motivation. You need to stop letting the wrong version of you decide. 

Let's dive in!

What's Discussed:


(01:16) The one shift in focus that changes how you make every hard decision.


(02:06) Why chasing happiness directly is the reason you never feel it.


(03:08) The backwards way we wait for motivation to show up.


(04:08) What the gym actually proves about every other thing you avoid.


(04:52) The pattern hiding inside one-night stands, tequila, and skipped workouts.


(07:41) Why the conversations you're putting off are costing you more than having them.


(08:55) The reason rumination makes you suffer twice and how to stop the loop.


(09:56) The feeling that should actually drive your decisions (and the one that shouldn't).

Thank you to my sponsors!Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off.

AirDoctor: Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code HUSTLE to get up to $300 off today! AirDoctor comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, plus a 3-year warranty (an $84 value) FREE!

AX3®: Visit www.AX3.life to get a 20% discount on your first order with promo code HUSTLE at checkout.

Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout.

Find more from Jen: 

Website: https://jennifercohen.com

Instagram: @therealjencohen

Books: https://jennifercohen.com/books

Speaking: https://jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements