The Health Hexagon

The Health Hexagon

por Kevin Hunt
Superación personalSalud y estado físico
Temporada 2
What game are you playing?
Episode Blurb: S2 E2 - What Game Are You Playing? Life is a game with simple rules: finite capacity, infinite demands. But how you play that game? That's where things get complicated. In this thought-provoking episode, physiotherapist Kevin Hunt challenges you to step back and ask yourself a fundamental question: What game are you playing—and is it the one you actually want to play? Drawing on nearly 30 years of clinical experience across hospitals, private practice, professional sports, and education, Kevin reveals how we all get consumed by the "bubbles" we inhabit—whether it's academia, business, healthcare, or entertainment. These bubbles come with their own myths of what's "normal," their own illusions of success, and their own ways of filling your bucket until it overflows into pain, burnout, and exhaustion. Through compelling stories—from people smoking on walls in the drizzle to restaurant owners sprinting toward burnout—Kevin illustrates how we often confuse conventions with rules. We convince ourselves we must work seven days a week, sacrifice our health for success, or chase an illusion that was sold to us rather than one we genuinely chose. In this episode, you'll discover: How to identify which bubble you're in and whether it's truly serving you The difference between steadfast rules and flexible conventions in your life Why sprinting for 7 years might not be better than pacing yourself for 15 How managing your Health Hexagon (sleep, diet, physical load, cognitive load, emotional load, and spiritual offloading) lets you play the long game sustainably Practical questions to ask yourself about your game and your choices This isn't just about managing pain or preventing burnout—it's about choosing to live the finite life you have with intention, balance, and purpose. Because at the end of the day, it's your life, it's your choice, and it's your game to play. Are you sitting on that wall in the rain? Or are you ready to change the rules? For deeper insights into how pain pathways, biology, and the Health Hexagon intersect, check out Kevin Hunt's book, Pain: The Ultimate Mentor, available in print, ebook, and audiobook formats.* Keywords: Health, Wellness, Burnout, Work-Life Balance, Pain Management, Self-Care, Longevity, Purpose, Mental Health, Kevin Hunt, Chronic Pain, The Health Hexagon
T2 · E2
7 ene 2026
21:25
D.A.R.N Exercise
D.A.R.N Exercises The summer holidays are over for most and the kids are back at school. A new academic year is upon us. Over the summer break, it is easy to fall out of the usual routine, especially your fitness routine. This is not uncommon. As much as Christmas and New Year are often a catalyst to start new fitness goals, the summer break can be an opportunity to take your foot off the gas, change gear and for some, stop entirely. Exercise is hard. In fact it's D.A.R.N hard but there in lies the secret to success for your current and future self. Listen to discover how a simple thought experiment can help you take care of your 85-year-old-self. Read more: https://spinalphysio.co.uk/darn-exercise/ Dive deeper into the Health Hexagon and read the book Pain: The Ultimate Mentor https://www.ultimatementor.co.uk/ https://spinalphysio.co.uk/ https://spinalphysio.co.uk/kevin-hunt/
T2 · E1
20 sept 2025
18:35
Temporada 1
First, do no harm - A call to those treating chronic back pain
This long form episode is an extract from a lecture given by Kevin Hunt in February 2025 to a group of medics involved in treating persistent pain. The lecture explores the pain pathway, the common misconceptions and mythologies around diagnosis and mechanism of injury. How stored data forms and influences our actions and reactions and how buckets and hexagons hold the key to managing the complexity of health and wellbeing for our current and future selves. Above all he asks those on the frontline of treating chronic back pain to consider the weight of their words, how their narrative can turn an acute event into a chronic one and calls for them to First, Do No Harm. Source Book - Pain: The Ultimate Mentor https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pain-Ultimate-Mentor-Kevin-Hunt-ebook/dp/B0C21LJV9T
T1 · E8
26 feb 2025
1:55:06
The purpose of pain
In this episode, physiotherapist Kevin Hunt discusses The Purpose of Pain and why hurt and harm are not the same thing. He asks us to question what the role of pain is when it comes to looking after our health and wellbeing and why sometimes these important signals can become fearful triggers if we don't pay attention to their true purpose in the first instance. Sources: Article - Do you know what your pain system is trying to tell you? https://spinalphysio.co.uk/do-you-know-what-your-pain-is-trying-to-tell-you/ Book - Pain- The ultimate Mentor by Kevin Hunt https://ultimatementor.co.uk/
T1 · E7
16 feb 2025
9:53
Neurotags and the Health Hexagon
In this episode Physiotherapist and author Kevin Hunt discusses how the brain learns and how it makes associations directly and indirectly. He explores why these circuits of information known as "neurotags" can be helpful and unhelpful. How they influence our view of the world and impact on the choices we make. Such choices have consequences for the health and wellbeing of our current and future self. He compares the understanding of how we learn basic information like colour to complex connections and narratives around pain and how all this ties in with our capacity and the Health Hexagon. Sources Read the book - Pain: The Ultimate Mentor Blog post - What tomatoes can teach us about pain.
T1 · E6
30 ene 2025
12:08
The funny thing about Whiskey - Understanding Back Pain flare ups
This excerpt from Kevin Hunt's "The Funny Thing About Whiskey" uses the analogy of comedy to explain pain management. Hunt argues that, like a comedian eliciting an instinctive laugh before critical thought sets in, pain often involves a reflexive response before conscious analysis. He explains how past experiences and individual differences shape our reactions, impacting both how we find humour and how we perceive pain. The author draws parallels between overcoming negative associations with alcohol (like Jack Daniels) and retraining one's response to painful stimuli. Ultimately, the text advocates for using critical thinking to manage pain and alter ingrained negative reactions. Original article: https://spinalphysio.co.uk/the-funny-thing-about-whisky/ Further Reading: https://www.ultimatementor.co.uk/
T1 · E5
9 ene 2025
17:39
Bucket Theory for a Healthy Life
This episode discusses a blog post from Spinal Physio exploring the "bucket" analogy to explain health, wellbeing and pain management. It describes the body's capacity to tolerate stress as a bucket that fills with activities and empties with recovery methods. Pain arises when the "bucket" overflows, exceeding the body's capacity. The author proposes a "health hexagon" framework—incorporating physical load, cognitive load, emotional load, spiritual offloading, sleep, and diet—to understand and manage this capacity. The text ultimately advocates for an approach, balancing stressors to prevent overflow and improve overall well-being, rather than solely focusing on medication or treatment of symptoms. This approach views pain as a signal of imbalance, not simply a problem to be fixed.
T1 · E4
18 dic 2024
28:48
Knock Knock It's your digital toddler
This blog post, "Knock Knock," by Kevin Hunt, discusses the negative impact of constant notifications and interruptions on mental and physical wellbeing, likening it to the smoking of our time. These blog posts discuss the importance of managing stress and maintaining work-life balance for overall health and wellbeing. The author uses analogies, such as a demanding toddler representing overwhelming emails to illustrate how prioritising self-care can prevent burnout and chronic pain. He emphasises the concept of the "Health Hexagon," encompassing factors like sleep, diet, and exercise, as crucial for long-term health. Hunt argues that these micro-stressors contribute to chronic pain and hinder relaxation, advocating for mindful disconnection from technology to improve overall health. The post promotes his book, "Pain: The Ultimate Mentor," suggesting it offers solutions for managing pain and enhancing wellbeing.
T1 · E3
11 dic 2024
23:38
Debunking the 5 biggest back pain myths.
This episode discusses an article from Spinal Physio debunking five common myths about back pain. The author, Kevin Hunt, a physiotherapist, argues that bending and twisting aren't inherently harmful, slipped discs are a misnomer, muscle pulls are often misdiagnosed sprains, sleep posture isn't a primary cause, and pelvic misalignment is usually overstated. He emphasises the importance of challenging the tendency to attribute pain to single events. The podcast also explores the Health Hexagon as a tool to mange back pain from his book, Pain: The Ultimate Mentor, which explores these ideas further. It's time to change the way you think about back pain.
T1 · E2
4 dic 2024
22:34
Why Elon Musk can't get an appointment with me. Boundaries & seductions.
The conversation is based on an excerpt from Kevin Hunt's essay, arguing that prioritising one's own wellbeing over accepting appointments, even from high-profile individuals like Elon Musk, is crucial for long-term health and success. Hunt’s rationale centres on his "Health Hexagon" philosophy, which focuses on six key areas for health. He argues that sacrificing his dedicated time for exercise – which costs him financially – is a strategic investment in his long-term health and independence, benefiting not only his current self and his future self but also his family. This commitment to self-care, he claims, allows him to maintain his work-life balance and ethical practice, preventing burnout and ensuring he can continue helping others. He promotes his book, Pain: The Ultimate Mentor, as a resource for readers interested in this philosophy.
T1 · E1
27 nov 2024
19:32