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Today’s Health Upgrade
Goodbye, Soreness
Arnold Q&A
Weekend Challenge
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Goodbye, Soreness
Are your training sessions leaving you a little too sore? The medicine your muscles need won't be accomplished by popping a few pills.
A recent review of research found that the two “M’s” — movement and massage — had the biggest impact on reducing soreness and speeding recovery.
Don’t worry if your masseuse isn’t on speed dial. You can get the same benefits using a foam roller, massage gun, or lacrosse ball. And, the “movement” aspect can be as simple as a low-intensity walk or bike ride. Both are effective because they improve blood flow, which helps nutrients from food — such as protein — get to your muscles to help with repair. (Whole foods and plenty of water will help too, and there’s some evidence that tart cherry juice could reduce soreness)
Other effective recovery methods include compression garments (think tights) and contrast therapy, such as alternating between being in hot and cold. But, if your goal is muscle gain, too much cold therapy could potentially limit growth, so be mindful of the post-workout ice bath.
The one thing you might want to avoid is pain relievers. Research suggests that using pain-relievers like ibuprofen (what you find in Advil) or naproxen could reduce your body’s natural repair and slow your recovery.
Arnold Q&A
Yesterday, we did another Q&A in The Pump app (we’re still closed, but will be opening up to new members soon). We had many questions about Arnold’s documentary, FUBAR, training, fatherhood, and life lessons. Here are a few of Arnold’s answers.
Arnold on Disappointment...
Arnold on Desperation...
Arnold on Danny Devito...
If you want to read the interview with Danny Devito, you can check it out here.
Weekend Challenge
We frequently talk about the benefits of walking. Even today, we mentioned how it can help your muscles repair and reduce soreness.
But knowing you should take more steps is different than actually moving. Here’s a technique that we’ve found incredibly effective, simplifying what needs to be done.
Step 1: Separate your day into 4 quarters (four, 3-hour blocks, such as 7-10 am, 10-1 pm, 1-4 pm, and 4- 7 pm)
Step 2: Set a calendar reminder to walk for a 10-minute window during each of those 3-hour blocks.
Step 3: Try to get in your 10 minutes for, at least, three of your “four quarters.”
If you are 75 percent good enough (walk for 10 minutes, three times per day), you’re adding 30 minutes of walking, which will make a difference in your health. More importantly, if you can do this 5 days per week, you’ll accomplish the goal of 150 minutes of movement per week, which is linked to many benefits.
This weekend's challenge: create your four quarters and see if you can win — at least — three of them. Once again, you’ll see that you can make some incredible changes when you keep your goals simple, focus on what needs to be done, and don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.
Thanks again for being a part of our village. We hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
