RAD Exercise Physiology, Smarter Fitness, 284-290 Shields Road, Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne (2026)

Photos from RAD Exercise Physiology's post

25/04/2026

Walking 2–10 minutes after a meal blunts the post-meal glucose rise. Not a workout. Just movement, while digestion is happening.

The mechanism: contracting muscle pulls glucose out of the bloodstream via GLUT4 — without needing extra insulin. The post-meal window is when glucose is peaking, so that’s when the effect is biggest.

The evidence is consistent. Buffey et al. (2022) — meta-analysis of 7 trials — found just 2–5 minutes of light walking significantly lowered postprandial glucose vs. continued sitting. DiPietro et al. (2013) showed three 15-minute post-meal walks were more effective than a single 45-minute walk for post-dinner glucose control in older adults at risk of impaired glucose tolerance.

The protocol: within 30 min of finishing your meal, conversational pace, 10 min is enough. Target your largest carb meal — usually dinner.

26/02/2026

I got corrected by a doctor on Instagram.
Science isn’t static. If we as practitioners aren’t willing to open our eyes and ears to new evidence, we’ll stay trapped in the same old routines — even when better approaches could genuinely improve our clients’ lives.
Bearing in mind, this ‘novel’ approach was developed in the 1700s.

20/02/2026

“Just do more exercise.”
That’s the advice most people with a chronic condition get. But exercise for type 2 diabetes looks nothing like exercise for COPD — because the physiology is completely different.
With T2D, we’re using resistance training to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake at the skeletal muscle. With COPD, we’re using interval-based aerobic work to improve ventilatory efficiency and push back the breathlessness threshold.
Same word. Completely different prescription. That’s what a Clinical Exercise Physiologist is trained to do.

14/02/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day from your local Exercise Physiologist 💕

14/02/2026

Do you know your blood pressure? Your resting heart rate? How fit your heart actually is?
If the answer’s no, the Health MOT exists for exactly that reason.
£5 Snapshot — blood pressure, resting heart rate, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio. £50 Plus — full assessment including CV fitness, body composition, grip strength, movement screen. £65 Plan — everything above + a personalised exercise programme based on your results.
Clinical-grade health assessment. Based in Smarter Fitness, Byker. Designed to be accessible.
Message to book.

12/02/2026

Most people have never had their health properly assessed. Not a weigh-in. Not a BMI check at the GP. A proper assessment — blood pressure, cardiovascular fitness, movement quality, body composition.

I’m Rob, a Exercise Physiologist based in Smarter Fitness, Byker, Newcastle. I set up RAD because the communities with the worst health outcomes are the ones that get the least support.

Health MOTs from £5.

10/02/2026

142.5kg back squat ✅ 7 consecutive pull-ups at peak volume 💪
Intensity-driven lower bilateral strength work today, followed by high-volume pulling pyramid and full-body volume work. Moving closer to that 150kg squat target.
Nerdy Bit:
Heavy axial loading (>85% 1RM) creates significant osteogenic stimulus - essential for bone mineral density maintenance and fracture prevention. The posterior chain emphasis (RDLs, rows, pull-ups) counteracts anterior-dominant posture from prolonged sitting, reducing thoracic kyphosis and improving scapular stability.

09/02/2026

110kg bench, 100kg split squats, and a 12-minute arm pump to finish ✅
Nothing fancy - just solid progressive overload doing its thing. This is what consistent strength training looks like when you’re not chasing algorithms or trends.

Nerdy bit

Resistance training at moderate-to-high intensities (like the >70% 1RM loads here) drives significant adaptations beyond muscle growth:

• Increased bone mineral density through mechanical loading - crucial for osteoporosis prevention

• Improved insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal, independent of weight loss

• Enhanced cardiovascular function - strength training reduces resting blood pressure and improves arterial compliance

• Reduced all-cause mortality risk - maintaining muscle mass and strength is one of the strongest predictors of healthy aging
The benefits extend far beyond aesthetics. This is preventative medicine with a barbell.

24/01/2026

🔬 NEW RESEARCH: Why Exercise Variety Might Be Your Longevity Secret

A massive 30-year study just published in the BMJ tracked 111,467 people and found something fascinating: doing multiple types of exercise provides mortality benefits BEYOND just total activity levels.

Key Findings:
✅ Variety matters - those engaging in the most diverse activities had 19% lower all-cause mortality, independent of total exercise volume
✅ Different activities have different “sweet spots”:
∙ Walking: benefits plateau around 7.5 MET-hours/week (~150 min/week moderate pace)
∙ Tennis/racquet sports: around 5 MET-hours/week (~60 min/week)
∙ Weight training: around 7.5 MET-hours/week (~90 min/week)
∙ Stair climbing: just 5 flights daily hits the threshold
✅ Most activities showed diminishing returns past certain levels - suggesting you’re better off spreading effort across multiple activities
✅ Those ranking highest for BOTH total activity AND variety had 21% lower mortality

The takeaway? Don’t just walk. Don’t just lift. Mix it up. Your body benefits from the complementary effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and other movement types.

This aligns with what we do in comprehensive Health MOTs - assessing multiple fitness domains (cardiovascular, muscular strength, flexibility, balance) rather than just one measure.

📚 Source: Physical activity types, variety, and mortality - BMJ, January 2025

20/01/2026

Am I a personal trainer? No. Am I a physio? Also no. So what exactly IS an Exercise Physiologist? 🤔

We’re health educators who use clinical-grade testing to help you understand YOUR body and reduce YOUR health risks - whether you’re health-conscious and want to optimise, or managing a chronic condition with your doctor’s support.
In this video I break down:

📊 Why we work collaboratively with your GP (we assess, we don’t diagnose)
🫀 How we measure cardiovascular fitness - VO2 max to METs - and what your numbers actually mean for longevity
⚡ The range of fitness tests that build YOUR complete health picture
🎯 How we’re different: not rehab, not performance coaching - health education through evidence-based exercise

If you’re health-conscious and want to know where you actually stand, we give you the data. If you’re living with diabetes, heart disease, respiratory conditions - and your doctor’s given approval - we provide a safe, evidence-based approach with a personal touch.

No jargon. No guesswork. Just accessible health assessment that meets you where you are.

18/01/2026

“Hard-to-reach” populations aren’t hard to reach. We’re just hardly reaching them.

I started RAD to tackle health inequalities. Then realised my pricing was part of the problem.

Research shows that socioeconomically disadvantaged populations are more likely to experience poor health, but less likely to access health services—not because they don’t care, but because the system doesn’t adapt to them.
So I’m adapting.

£5 for a Health MOT Snapshot (FREE with valid proof of benefits)
£50 for the comprehensive Plus assessment
£65 for a full 4-week programme

No one should be priced out of knowing their numbers. If we’re serious about dismantling health inequalities, we need to make access the default, not the exception.

Know your numbers. Know your next step. No barriers.
📍 Smarter Fitness, Byker, Newcastle

RAD Exercise Physiology

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