Most men don’t choose the dad bod.
It arrives slowly — one skipped workout, one office day, one takeaway, one stiff back at a time.
But here’s the thing nobody says out loud:
The dad bod isn’t inevitable.
It’s just a signal.
A signal that the modern lifestyle (sit, drive, stare, slump, snack, repeat) is completely at odds with how a human body is meant to function.
On the latest episode of The Healthy Bit, Hayley and I got into what really drives those changes in your 30s, 40s, and 50s… and why most of it is reversible.
A few big points:
• Tight backs and necks aren’t “age” — they’re years of poor movement patterns
• Recovery gets worse when hydration and protein are low
• Weak upper-back and stabiliser muscles create that constant “tight” feeling
• Ultra-processed food accelerates all of it
• Strength work + real food can turn things around shockingly fast
And because I’m a chef, of course we talked pans.
Here’s my honest take:
If your pan is rubbish, your food will be rubbish.
And if your food is rubbish, your health will follow.
A heavy cast iron or stainless steel pan is genuinely a health tool.
You cook better, you eat better, you rely less on the stuff that wrecks your energy and cravings.
I even broke down the full method for a proper steak — including the optional butter-basting finish with garlic and thyme. High protein, satisfying, and the opposite of the sad low-fat nonsense we all got sold for years.
You don’t need a 30-day shred, or a detox, or a colour-coded spreadsheet.
You just need to stack small habits:
cook from scratch, eat real protein, move your body, lift something heavy, prioritise sleep, repeat.
The dad bod isn’t a life sentence.
It’s a nudge. And it’s absolutely fixable.
Full episode here:
https://www.henryherbert.co.uk/copy-of-episode-
