Steve Denby is the founder of Primal Roots, a social enterprise that believes in the restorative power of fitness and nature as a tool to achieve more than just improvements in health and wellbeing. We talk about training in the woods, the joy of burpees, the benefits of nature and fitness for people struggling in life, as well as cocaine addiction, adoption, racism and meditation.

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SHOW NOTES

If you enjoy listening to this episode over a cup of coffee and think it might be worth the price, you can buy me a "coffee" here: www. ko-fi.com/al_humphreysKeep up to date with future episodes (and my other adventures, projects and books) with my free monthly newsletter: alastairhumphreys.com/newslettersSay hello on Twitter and Instagram: @al_humphreyswww.primalroots.org.ukSteve also teaches meditation classesIf you say you're too busy for something, that means it's not a priority to you.He hasn't met anybody who won't benefit from meditationIf you get 1-second of emptiness in a 10-minute session that's successulHeadspace - https://www.headspace.com/He has spent a lot of life working both in gyms and outdoorsYou wake up in a box, you go to work in a box... and eventually they carry you away in a boxLinear muscle-building in not functional in any wayHumans are designed to pull, climb, push, roll, lift awkward shapesFor 51, I'm a fit young manDeadlifting logs, leaping over logs, push-ups, running in the woodsYour body goes back to its roots, goes primalGroups - competitiveness, camaraderie, conversationNo judgement - a big mixture of fit people and unfit or overweight peoplePrimal Roots target unfit peopleTaking mirrors away would help more people feel comfortable in gymsPrimal Roots is a social enterprise. It attracts paying customers who go towards supporting non-paying customersThey support vulnerable adults caught up in addiction and repetitive behaviours. Also homeless people.Porchlight, Homeless charity - https://www.porchlight.org.uk/Do training sessions in prisons as wellAppreciates the benefits of barefoot exerciseAll the sessions are together, a mixture of paying and non-paying customersPush to the edge of the comfort zone and emotional things happen - people start to open up and connectPrimal Roots are not the solution, but they are part of the solutionPeople like to belong to somethingWas a functioning cocaine addict for many yearsWe talked about the barriers to the outdoors Steve faced as a non-white manNoticing an increasing number of black people joining Primal RootsPromoting well-being, fitness, fun, community, healthy eating, feeling good (and by the way you'll lose some weight too)The Scouts were Steve's intro into the outdoor world. The Scout leaders were his inspirationUsed to use a projection of wealth to impress people. Now his ambition is to leave a legacy for his children to say "Dad, I'm proud of you"

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