Episode 118: Whole Body Reading: Reading, Walking and Well-Being

Oct 30, 2025

A walking conversation about turning reading into a full-body practice. They talk about pairing audiobooks and long-form videos with workouts, using short post-meal movement bursts, and creative tricks like photographing pages for walks. The hosts also celebrate a Nobel win, share sustainable weight-loss routines, and plan future author read-alongs.

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ANECDOTE

Reading Fueled A 40 Pound Weight Loss

Trevor lost over 40 pounds in a few months by combining increased exercise with sustainable eating choices.
He integrated reading into exercise (Proust photos on his phone for morning walks) to make movement enjoyable and consistent.

ADVICE

Pair Exercise With Passions

Make exercise sustainable by pairing it with passions so you look forward to sessions.
Both hosts use film, long-form YouTube essays, and audiobooks while exercising to transform workouts into anticipated reading/listening time.

ADVICE

Use Post Meal Micro Workouts

Do use short post-meal movement bursts to add daily exercise without major time cost.
Trevor started with 5-minute jog-in-place breaks watching Nerdwriter then extended them to 10 minutes for consistent extra activity.

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In this special on-the-go episode, Trevor and Paul take the podcast out for a walk. As they wander, Trevor reflects on how he’s lost 40 pounds over the past few months and discovered ways to bring books into every part of his daily rhythm. From audiobooks on long walks to reading as recovery, the conversation explores what it means to make reading not just a mental habit, but a full-body experience. This shorter episode captures the joy of movement, conversation, and the steady companionship of books.

We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you’ll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store:

* Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor

* Episode 135: William Faulkner

* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor

* Episode 155: Naguib Mahfouz

There’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come!

Join the Mookse and the Gripes on Discord

Want to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.

We’re also just now in our third novella book club, where we’re reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading.

The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!

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