From the viral lockdown mornings of PE with Joe to a sub-20 5K attempt alongside Mo Farah, Joe opens up about how exercise became medicine for him long before it became a career, and why he thinks running specifically is the easiest way in for anyone who's never done it before.
Why Exercise Became Medicine for Joe
Joe grew up in what he describes as a chaotic household, and exercise became the outlet he couldn't find anywhere else.
"If I didn't have exercise, I do wonder what my life would've turned out like... it was this physical release of the tension and the anxiety in my body."
He credits his PE teachers as some of the first positive male role models in his life, at a time when he was getting kicked out of most of his other classes.
Inside the First Morning of PE with Joe
When lockdown was announced, Joe had an idea at midnight and went live the next morning with no real plan, just a tripod and a camera in his Richmond living room.
"He's like, 'Oh, God, Joe, it's kicking off.' I was like, 'What do you mean?' He's like, 'There's 400,000 live streams'... my heart's pounding. I'm about to jump in front of the camera, in front of, like, technically millions of people."
He did it every day for 18 weeks straight.
What Is Jeffing, and Why Does It Work?
Joe breaks down the run/walk method known as "Jeffing," named after Olympic marathoner Jeff Galloway, who invented the run-walk-run format and passed away recently in his 80s. Joe first used it himself to get round the London Marathon with a friend who'd never run more than 18K in training.
"I wanted to inspire people to actually think, you know what? It's okay if Joe Jeffs it, why can't I do it?... some people did criticise it, but I think there's a real joy in it."
Chasing a Sub-20 5K With Mo Farah
Joe set himself a goal to break 20 minutes for 5K and, after a few solo attempts, called in a favour from his Soccer Aid teammate.
"If someone's gonna help me run the 5K, it's gonna be Mo Farah... this was only my seventh attempt at doing it, right? So I wasn't doing tempo runs and zone two, I was just trying to beat my time every time, probably not smart."
Why the "Zero to One" Person Matters Most
Joe's philosophy on motivation centres on reaching people who are currently sedentary and not moving at all, rather than the people who are already fit and running.
"That zero to one person is really who I wanna speak to the most, 'cause that's the transformation, right? If you can get those people engaged in movement and exercise, then you can transform their lives."
He's candid that a lot of people who found fitness during lockdown have since drifted back to being sedentary, and that this group, not the already-active crowd, is who he's really trying to reach.
His Advice on Getting Kids Active
Joe's approach with his own kids is to let them try things rather than push them toward any one sport.
"I do think it's about giving them a chance to try different things... it's just like, you go and do what you wanna do. I can maybe help you in the garden and train you a little bit, but I'm not, like, the body coach to them. I'm just dad."
The Goal Behind 50,000 People Moving in 2026
Joe's current target isn't a race time or a PB, it's a headcount of people he gets moving in person this year, whether through parkruns, events, or school visits.
"I've just set myself a goal this year... I wanna get 50,000 people moving this year. That's the goal I've set myself. So it's gonna be tough, but it's possible. I've worked it out, it is possible."