Issue #368: Learn From The Best
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, July 16th.
In today’s email:
Learn: When the Best Get Hurt
Try: Prevent Injuries
Laugh: Be a Legend
In the News: Increasing Strokes
Favorite List
Genuine Coconut - love these fresh, organic coconut chunks. Want a great lunch on the go? Coconut + Chomps Grass-Finished Meat Stick + Organic Peach combines healthy fats, protein, and fiber - all real food without the junk!
Harmless Harvest Yogurt - speaking of coconut. I’ve been scouring the market for a flavorful yogurt without a ton of sugar. Finally found one - the unsweetened vanilla is great. Just toss in some berries and it’s an awesome snack.
Swimming - when the heat index is over 100, running gets a little crazy. But it’s perfect for a swim - full-body workout without the pressure on your joints and risk for heat stroke. Get your Micheal Phelps on before the Olympics start in a couple of weeks.
Stat of the Day
Decline in aerobic capacity - basically how hard we can exercise - after just ten days of bedrest. It’s injuries and time off, not age, that crush our health. (source)
Learn
When the Best Get Hurt
This past weekend showed that age catches up with even the very best in the world.
Somehow Novak Djokovic - at 37 years old - walked onto Centre Court at Wimbledon with a chance to win his 25th grand slam title just a few weeks after meniscus surgery.
That night Lionel Messi led Argentina - also 37 - in the Copa América final against Columbia.
For Djokovic - within a few minutes of the match starting it was obvious he wasn’t 100%. Carlos Alcaraz quickly took advantage and won his 4th major title with relative ease.
But just being on the court was a testament to how well Djokovic has defied normal aging - after all he was almost old enough to drive when Alcaraz was born.
Back to Messi, about an hour into the match he went down - victim of an ankle sprain. He watched teary-eyed from the bench as his country took home the trophy in Miami.
For both, it wasn’t age leading to lack of skill or even ability that took down these top athletes - it was injury.
As we get older, we’re more prone to getting hurt. This creates the vicious cycle of stopping us from working out, getting out of shape, and then next thing we know we’re no longer “in good shape for our age” - we’re just our age.
Training for Longevity
I’ve struggled to change my workouts. Limited by time, I try to squeeze as much intensity into the 45 minutes, or whatever window, I have to break a sweat.
But as our goals shift - it’s no longer about being as fast as possible, it’s about being fit as long as possible - so should our workouts.
The focus now should be about mobility, about alignment, and being safe.
Because working out 75% every day is way better than going 100%, getting hurt and then being at 0% for two weeks we’re forced to take off. See Stat of the Day.
The time should be split much more evenly between:
Dynamic Warm Up - getting all the muscles, joints, tendons ready for exertion
The Main Event - whether lifting or running, there’s a shift in priority to form over power
Cool Down - mobility movements that enable us to come back tomorrow
Here are some suggestions for each phase of the workout:
1. Warm Up
This isn’t a time for static stretching. It’s about warming up your muscles. Start slowly with an easy, simple spinal twist and some cat/cow yoga poses to warm up your back. Then slowly ramp it up with good mornings (no bar required), jumping jacks, high knee skips, and maybe some jump rope.
2a. Strength Training
Barbell Workout - whether a squat, deadlift, or lunge, heavy weights put a ton of pressure on our back joints. This is a good thing, don’t quit on the weights. But there are other - safer - ways to build muscle.
Try deep bodyweight squats - almost going into a catcher’s position or as deep as you can based on your mobility.
Or go back to high school practice with some static wall sits - can you hold it for 1-2 minutes?
Bench Press - going too heavy on the bench can be tough on your shoulders. You don’t always need to put as much weight as possible on the bench.
Try doing as many hand release push-ups as you can without stopping. This forces a full movement and gets deep into the front of your shoulders without the stress of the bench press.
2b. Cardio Training
Running - can be tough on your joints, leading to injuries to your knees, hips, shins or feet.
Try rucking. It’s how us humans were made to walk and carry heavy stuff. If you’re not feeling it - even a 2-3 mile walk at a good pace for Zone 2 (60-70% of your max heart rate) is great during the hot summer months.
It’s still essential that we push ourselves with some Zone 5 workouts. VO2Max is one of most reliable measures of longevity. And it goes down as we age.
We need to stave off this decline by pushing it to the max once in awhile.
But instead of sprinting - get on a bike or head over to the pool. Going as fast as you can from one side of the pool to the other (25 yards or meters) a couple of times is an awesome way to boost your VO2Max without the slightly higher risk of injury you get from running.
3. Mobility
It’s not a waste of time when you’re foam rolling your quads, stretching your hips, supporting your back, or strengthening your feet.
The more time you put into making sure your body moves the right way, the less the risk of injury.
Try
Prevent Injuries
Stop and consider - where do you most often get hurt (hamstrings, lower back, etc)??
Pay extra special attention to that area:
Warm it up before exerting too much pressure
Build the muscles around that area to be strong
Focus on mobility of that area as a key part of your daily activity
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Laugh
Be a Legend
In the News
Strokes on the Rise: A new CDC report reveals an alarming increase in stroke rates among younger adults - an increase of 15% in Americans under 65 in the past decade. This contrasts with a steady rate in those over 65. (Health.com)
The Brain-Bladder Connection: Our ability to sense the need to urinate involves a complex interplay between the bladder and the brain. This system can become problematic as we age, contributing to disorders such as overactive bladder syndrome. (Knowable)
Revisiting the Fountain of Youth (Issue #366): Humanaut Health secured $8.7M in seed funding as it prepares to open its first membership-based longevity clinic in Austin. The clinic aims to enhance healthspan through a combination of blood labs, body scans, fitness tests, lifestyle medicine, hormone therapy, stem cell treatments, and personalized coaching. (Fitt Insider)
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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, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.