Podcast
Just One Thing - with Michael Mosley
Hosted by BBC Radio 4 · EN
If time is tight, what's the one thing that you should be doing to improve your health and wellbeing? Michael Mosley reveals surprisingly simple top tips that are scientifically proven to change your life.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Introducing a new TV series of Just One Thing
Mar 2000:01:40Tap to summarizeZoe Ball has news of a new 12-part television series of Just One Thing which will continue the legacy of Michael Mosley. The series is presented by Roman Kemp, Clive Myrie and Zoe.You can watch the first four episodes from Monday to Thursday at 2pm on BBC One, starting on Monday 23 March, 2026. In that first week, we discover the health benefits of oily fish, gardening, dancing, and drinking tea! All 12 episodes will be available on iPlayer from 23 March.
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A Celebration of Michael Mosley
Jul 13, 202400:44:21Tap to summarizeOn Just One Thing Day (12 July, 2024), BBC programmes, presenters, listeners and viewers celebrated the life and work of Michael Mosley. This is a compilation of our favourite moments from the day.Producer - Nija Dalal-Small Assistant Producer - Will Hornbrook Assistant Producer - Freyja Smith Mix Engineer - Richard Ward
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There's Only One Michael Mosley
Jun 14, 202400:40:51Tap to summarizeMichael's last interview, How to Live a Good Life, is with psychologist Paul Bloom and was recorded in the BBC tent at the Hay Festival on 25 May, 2024.Paul is Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Yale and Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and he shares with Michael his top five tips for living a good life. And we hear Michael at his best - full of warmth, insight and enjoying his time with the audience and sharing some of his reflections on his life, career and the importance of family.Presenter: Michael Mosley with Chris Van Tulleken Producer: Nija Dalal-Small Series Producer: Geraldine Fitzgerald Production Manager: Maria Simons Executive Producers: Helen Thomas and Sasha Feachem Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Studio Engineer: Richard Ward
Transcribe →Eat Slowly
Jun 6, 202400:14:40Tap to summarizeIn our bustling modern lives, it can be all too easy to wolf down our meals on the go, and never take the time to enjoy them properly. In this episode, Michael Mosley finds out how simply slowing down the speed at which you eat can help you feel full for longer, snack less, and improve your digestion. Michael speaks to Dr Sarah Berry from the department of nutritional sciences at King's College London, who shares findings showing that eating slower can reduce your blood sugar response to food, as well as reducing your calorie intake. Our volunteer Stewart tries to make eating slowly a habit in an attempt to improve his sleep.Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small Science Producer: Christine Johnston Researcher: William Hornbrook Researcher: Sophie Richardson Production Manager: Maria Simons Editor: Zoë Heron Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
Transcribe →Volunteer
May 30, 202400:14:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Michael Mosley discovers that, as well as being a very rewarding thing to do, volunteering your time, labour or spare room can really benefit your health too. Michael speaks with Dr Edith Chen from Northwestern University in the US, who has been investigating the power of helping others. She tells Michael about her studies showing that by boosting your mood and empathy, volunteering can lower chronic inflammation, cholesterol and even help you lose weight. It’s also a great way to meet new people! Meanwhile, Matt gives back to his local community by volunteering at a food bank. Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small Editor: Zoë Heron A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
Transcribe →Yoga
May 23, 202400:14:12Tap to summarizeAlthough yoga is thought to have been practised for over 5,000 years, its myriad benefits for our health and wellbeing are still being uncovered. Professor Rima Dada from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi reveals the extraordinary findings into the benefits of yoga - how half an hour a day can slow down ageing at a cellular level by protecting your mitochondria and your DNA. It can also improve your brain health and even reduce symptoms of depression. Just a few sessions are enough for our volunteer James to catch the yoga bug!Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small Editor: Zoë Heron A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
Transcribe →Read a poem
May 20, 202400:14:32Tap to summarizeReading poetry can reduce stress and help give you words to express the things you're feeling. And reading a poem out loud has been shown to be a surprisingly simple way to activate your relaxation response and bring about a sense of calm. It’s all to do with the way it slows and controls your breathing rate, which in turn stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system and can lead to many beneficial effects. Michael Mosley speaks to Dietrich von Bonin from the Swiss Association of Art Therapies, who says as little as 5 minutes of rhythmic poetry read aloud can be even more effective than slow-paced breathing at relaxing your body and mind. Our volunteer Colm dives into the world of Irish poetry and incorporates reading it aloud into his bedtime routine.Series Producer: Nija Dalal-Small Editor: Zoë Heron A BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
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Deep Calm - Ep 5: Using Music
May 17, 202400:15:01Tap to summarizeSit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically-proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm.Most of us instinctively know that music can have a huge impact on our mood. But it can also be an effective tool to tap into your body’s relaxation response. Plus thought loops, soundwaves and an encounter with the Organ of Corti.Guest: Stefan Koelsch, professor at the University of Bergen in Norway.Series Producer, sound design and mix engineer: Richard Ward Researcher: William Hornbrook Production Manager: Maria Simons Editor: Zoë Heron Specially composed music by Richard Atkinson (Mcasso) A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
Transcribe →Deep Calm - Ep 4: Using the Power of Nature
May 16, 202400:14:38Tap to summarizeSit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically-proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm.What is it about the natural world that has such a positive impact upon our physiology - slowing our heart rate and blood pressure, settling our thoughts and so much more? One theory is that it’s connected to the repeating patterns in nature - fractals - and Michael discovers that we live in a fractal universe.Guest: Richard Taylor, professor at the University of Oregon.Series Producer, sound design and mix engineer: Richard Ward Researcher: William Hornbrook Production Manager: Maria Simons Editor: Zoë Heron Specially composed music by Richard Atkinson (Mcasso) Extract from "Fractal compositions No.1” composed by Severin Su in collaboration with 13&9 Design. A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
Transcribe →Deep Calm - Ep 3: Using Your Imagination
May 15, 202400:13:54Tap to summarizeSit back, leave behind the cares of the day and take a sonic journey with Dr Michael Mosley. In this new podcast series, designed to help you let go and unwind, each episode focuses on a scientifically-proven technique for activating the body’s built-in relaxation response, and takes a deep dive to explore what’s happening inside as we find stillness and calm.If you imagine yourself somewhere safe and relaxing, using something called Guided Imagery, you can activate the body’s relaxation response. Plus brainwaves, pupils and thought-birds.Guest: Katarzyna Zemla, PhD candidate SWPS / PJATK universities in Warsaw.Series Producer, sound design and mix engineer: Richard Ward Researcher: William Hornbrook Editor: Zoë Heron Specially composed music by Richard Atkinson (Mcasso) A BBC Studios Audio production for BBC Sounds / BBC Radio 4.
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