Can A Text Improve Your Health?

Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and offering quick tips designed to make you healthier in less than 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.

Today’s Health Upgrade

Monday motivation
Fuel your vision
The text you should send
Workout of the week

Arnold’s Podcast

Want more stories from Arnold? Every day, Arnold’s Pump Club Podcast opens with a story, perspective, and wisdom from Arnold that you won’t find in the newsletter. And, you’ll hear a recap of the day’s items. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Arnold’s Corner
Monday Motivation

Let’s talk about saying no today.

Because sometimes, when you know your vision, saying “no” is just as important as saying “yes”.

Some of you might have seen this fantastic article this week

I’ve told this story before, and the author did a fantastic job, but many of you will be in the same position throughout your life, so let’s create a roadmap for when you should say “No,” even if it seems like an unbelievable opportunity.

When I said no to a $200,000 a year salary to manage a gym chain in the 70’s, most of my friends thought I was out of my mind.

That salary was HUGE for that time. And everybody knew I had never been afraid of working my ass off. I spent most of my bodybuilding career doing construction to pay the bills.

But I was not out of my mind. I was the opposite; I was actually deep inside my mind, seeing my vision.

As I moved on from bodybuilding, my vision was to be a leading man in Hollywood. I could see it as clearly as a movie playing on the backs of my eyelids when I closed my eyes. It was like a memory that just hadn’t happened yet.

Running a national gym chain would have meant working 12 hours a day. It was an amazing opportunity for someone, just not for me.

Because it would take me away from my vision.

I needed the hours the job would require for acting classes, meetings with directors and producers, and college classes to prepare myself for my vision.

I knew exactly who I wanted to be, and it was not a wealthy gym executive. It was a movie star.

This is why I tell you vision is so important. Throughout your life, you will be given opportunities to take many different paths, all with different destinations.

If you don’t have a clear vision, you’re like a pilot without a flight plan.

A pilot doesn’t take off without knowing where they are going. They build their flight plan around the destination. They might have to change the path to avoid weather and turbulence, but if a pilot takes off for New York and ends up in Miami, they won’t last too long.

Like a pilot, you have to start with the destination, and then work your way toward it.

The destination is your vision. You must spend the time to see exactly WHO you want to be.

Once you see that vision clearly, it’s much easier to say when to say no and when to say yes.

You want to be the best teacher? Well, that tech job offer probably won’t help, but a master’s degree and volunteering in after-school programs will.

Whoever you want to be, you have to hold that vision in your mind at all times. When opportunities arise, it makes it easy to know when to say “yes” and when to say “no”: does it advance you toward that vision?

That is all that matters.

Now, let’s also remember that I’m not one of these pie-in-the-sky guys who tell you to chase your passion to the poorhouse.

Construction wasn’t my vision. But I needed money when I was a bodybuilder and starting my acting career to live.

The beauty of construction was that it was flexible. I could chase my vision of being the greatest bodybuilder of all time and breaking into Hollywood and make enough money to pay for my rent, insurance, food, community college, and acting classes.

We all have to pay the bills.

The problem I see in the world is that many people never make the effort to decide who they want to be besides someone who pays the bills.

Make the effort to find your vision (there’s a reason it’s one of the first things you do in The Pump App). It does not have to be as crazy as my visions.

You can see yourself as an all-star mom or dad, the best accountant, and someone who helps your community.

I just need you to see yourself as someone.

It is not easy to find a vision, especially in our always-on world, but let me tell you something: fulfillment lives on the other side of all of the hard work.

Once you see who you want to be, everything you do has meaning. It has purpose.

Let’s be honest. That’s what all of us really need.

Some of you might have an opportunity you’re thinking about right now.

Do me a favor, and find your vision first. Your vision will give you your answer.

Together With Brex
A Better Way to Fuel Your Vision

Arnold has shared many tools for building a successful life — from attacking your goals with daily reps to embracing struggle as a path to growth. But two of the most important lessons?

The Focus Principle — lock in on your vision, and eliminate distractions.
Don’t do it alone — because there’s no such thing as a self-made man.

At Arnold’s Pump Club, we apply those principles every day. And when it comes to running a business, they’re exactly why you want to rely on Brex.

Brex helps you stay focused on what matters — building, growing, and serving our community — without getting lost in spreadsheets or scattered systems. It handles the back-end so that you can double down on the mission.

This isn’t just a modern finance platform. It’s a launchpad for founders, operators, and finance leaders who refuse to compromise — who want the speed to scale and the discipline to sustain it.

Instant Approval: No more red tape. Get a corporate card with high limits — fast.
Smarter Spending: Brex’s integrated software helps your team stay focused on growth, not spreadsheets.
Built for Startups: Brex understands what early-stage companies need — because they’ve lived it.

And it makes sure you’re not going it alone. From integrated team budgeting to rewards that directly fuel growth, Brex supports you with the tools and structure that entrepreneurs typically have to figure out the hard way.

With Brex, you get up to 20x higher card limits, powerful rewards, and a finance stack that scales with you — no tradeoffs required. Brex eliminates 60% of manual finance tasks, enabling your team to spend smarter, move faster, and grow with confidence.

This isn’t just about saving money. It’s about building smarter.
And that’s something Arnold would always bet on.

If you’re building something big, don’t just spend — reinvest wisely. See how Brex can support your vision.

Instant Health Boost
The Text You Should Send

Reconnecting with an old friend might be the easiest way to feel happier, but for some reason, most people don’t do it.

New research suggests that even when people want to reconnect, believe their friend would appreciate it, and have every reason to reach out…they still don’t.

In a series of seven studies with more than 2,400 participants, researchers found that most people had lost touch with an old friend but weren’t motivated to reach out. Even when given the chance to message a friend, armed with their contact info, encouragement, and even time to write the message, fewer than 1 in 3 followed through.

Why the hesitation? One primary reason is that time apart can make an old friend feel like a stranger. In one study, participants were no more willing to contact an old friend than to talk to someone they didn’t know. And the more someone felt distant from their old friend, the less likely they were to reach out.

But here’s the good news: a simple intervention based on practicing reaching out increased reconnection by 67 percent. Just rehearsing the behavior—writing the message without sending it—helped people overcome social friction and take action.

This matters because social connections are one of the most consistent predictors of happiness, well-being, and even longevity. And this isn’t just about theory—these studies measured what people actually did, not just what they said they’d do.

So what holds us back? The data uncovered a few flawed assumptions. Most notably, people overestimate how likely others will reach out and overestimate how likely they themselves are to act on maintaining a friendship that they value. That combination leaves too many good friendships in limbo.

All that stands between you and more relationships is drafting a message. Think of one friend you miss. Write them a short message—even if you don’t send it right away. Remind yourself that you’d love to get a message like that. Odds are, they would too.

And then, hopefully, you will decide to send it.

Reaching out doesn’t require a special reason. A simple “Hey, I was thinking about you” might be all it takes to restart a meaningful connection—and give both of you a little boost of happiness.

Fitness
Workout Of The Week

Too many people think they must destroy themselves to build muscle or get a great pump. But the secret is consistency, not chaos.

This week’s workout is simple, repeatable, and brutally effective. You’ll squat, hinge, push, pull, carry, and crawl. That’s it. There is no fluff—just the fundamentals done right.

It’s fast. It’s focused. And it hits your entire body in 20 minutes. You don’t need fancy equipment or complicated programming. You need to show up, move with intent, and repeat. Let’s get to work.

How It Works