Good morning.It's Wednesday, March 1st. Today's a special day at Thrive25...

Who would have thought I’d be turning 42 starting a new company and writing a daily email? Life has a funny way of taking new twists and turns - some challenging, some amazing. 

I saw the sunrise yesterday morning while finishing a comfortable outdoor swim (in Feb) with a buddy of mine - and then I found a screaming 2-yr old at home. 

I’m running a business that has yet to make money to support my family - but I get to work with one of my absolute best friends and help thousands of people with their health & longevity. 

Life is full of contradictions - that’s what makes those highs so damn high and how we’re so strong on days life hits us in the face. 

Today’s Quick Win

Forward this to 1 person you think needs it today 🌊 (c'mon it's my birthday 🎂).

• From the Lab: Nasal Breathing - For Health, Fitness, Your Face & Sex

• Speed Read: Time Isn't Real

• Wednesday Weights: Row, Pull & Reverse Fly

• What We're Reading: Breath - James Nestor

The amount of air that goes through our lungs every single day. 

From the Lab

You’ve probably heard of nasal breathing - it’s become a pretty hot topic in the last couple of years.

But unlike crypto - we already know the value of why this trend exists. 

Our bodies were made to breathe through our nose (that’s why it’s there) and our mouth was a back-up (always have a Plan B). 

The nose acts like a filter system that cleans, warms, and moistens the inbound air before it hits our lungs. In fact our immune system loves the nose. It can take all the crap we breathe in and filter it down to our intestines to be sent out of the body without us getting sick. 

Instead, if we breathe through our mouth - well our heart rate and blood pressure go up and our heart rate variability goes down.

It’s so bad that mouth breathing actually changes our posture and facial structure (not for the better).

That’s why ancient civilizations had strong cheek bones, wider mouths, and straight teeth (it’s true, we didn’t need orthodontists back then - dentists yes, but not orthodontists). 

If you need any more incentive...

Nasal breathing improves athletic performance. In one study, cyclists achieved the same watts (power) using 14 breaths per min through the nose, compared to 48 from mouth breathing. Same power with less than half the exertion. 

That’s why when you initially start working out it feels pretty tough until you get going. You’re doing anaerobic conditioning (using glucose as fuel) until the oxygen is available for aerobic conditioning - which is up to 16x more efficient. So pump up your oxygen levels to boost your Zone 2 fitness (see Issue #31). 

Saved the best for last - nasal breathing boosts nitric oxide (NO) by 6x. That’s the active ingredient in Viagra (but works for both genders).

Just saying when the situation arises - breathe through your nose.

Thrive25 Partner Spotlight

I spend way too much in front of the computer - that's why I'm pumped that I found out about breathing.ai!

You can beat "digital fatigue" (yes, that's a real thing). This user-friendly, free browser extension reminds you to take breaks, personalizes the color of your screen, and offers relaxing music to help you stay focused.

Download now and feel the difference!

Speed Read

Health & Longevity in the News

Growth in Food as Medicine: Albertsons, operator of 2,200 stores in the US, released a digital wellness app called Sincerely Health. Despite selling us a bunch of crap processed food, grocery chains have higher trust than traditional health players (pharma, providers, insurance) - not sure that's saying much - but here's to food is medicine! (FittInsider)

We Only Measure the Nanoseconds: That and more jokes from physicists at NIST - America’s true timekeepers (not Apple 🤷‍♂️). Time is an illusion, so why are we obsessed with it? We think time is absolute and the passage of time means something - it isn’t and it doesn’t. Read this article and you’ll either forget about time or be obsessed with it. (NPR)

Some Things Get Better With Age: For Ken Rideout, he’s getting faster and faster. With 16-8 intermittent fasting and a regimen that includes a heavy dose of strength training (among some other great hacks), Rideout keeps posting faster marathon times over 50 (WSJ). PS - Check out the Thrive25 Triathlon Playbook to help you with your next race.

Wednesday Weights

Great back and shoulder workout today - really get those swimming muscles ready for the upcoming race!*

Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel. (FIX HERE LINK)

Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!

*Was out at the pool at 6am this morning with fellow Thrive25 reader Chris G! Who wants to join??

What We’re Reading

Breath

There are few books that are just as impactful the second time you read them. But that's the case with Breath by James Nestor. The book isn't new, but re-reading it again this month was just as inspiring as when I bought it back in 2020. The science on how our breath affects our health, combined with the tactical exercises we can all do (some of them we covered this week) makes this a must-read for anyone that wants to live (and sleep) better. Check out James Nestor on IG for his latest research. 

Thanks for joining us today!

• Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel

• Got feedback? Tell us what you think at team@thrive25.com

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Why Thrive25

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity. 

This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.

To health! 

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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.