Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Here’s a daily digest 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
Defeating diabetes
The headache prevention plan
The big O
Arnold’s Podcast
Motivation every day. Want Arnold to help you start your day? Each morning, we post a new podcast with tips you’ll find in the daily email and bonus stories, wisdom, and motivation from Arnold. Listen to Arnold's Pump Club podcast. It's like the daily newsletter but with additional narration and thoughts from Arnold. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Defeating Diabetes
Yesterday, we talked about the causes of diabetes, and it made many of you wonder about what else can be done to protect your health.
If you're looking to avoid diabetes, resistance training can help you prevent the disease or reverse the progression from prediabetes to full-blown type 2 diabetes.
It’s estimated that more than 37 million people in the US have diabetes — and another 96 million have pre-diabetes, which is one-third of the population.
In this study, one group completed two workout sessions per week for a year, while the other group was sedentary. Those who pumped iron saw a 34 percent decrease in their risk of developing diabetes compared to the non-exercise group.
Additionally, they showed significant improvements in insulin sensitivity and blood sugar. And, the benefits of resistance training were still evident a year after the study concluded.
When you build muscle, it helps your body use glucose more efficiently. This contributes to better blood sugar control and reduces the risk of diabetes.
If you are at risk for a metabolic condition, whether high blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes, strength training is one of the most effective ways to fight, prevent, or reverse the disease.
The Headache Prevention Plan
For decades, the causes of migraines have been somewhat of a mystery. But scientists are finally figuring out how to prevent the painful experience.
According to a new study, getting more uninterrupted sleep might be the key to reducing migraine headaches and finding relief.
Whereas many past studies examined headaches after they occur, this new research used real-time sleep data from more than 11,000 people who suffer from at least eight migraines per month to understand how sleep relates to the pounding in your head.
It appears that poor sleep quality is a significant contributor. For every sleep disruption, the scientists found that people increased their risk for a migraine the next day by nearly 17 percent.
Whereas most research focuses on sleep duration, the lead scientist suggests, “It doesn’t matter how many hours you sleep; it’s the quality of that sleep.”
If you want to improve sleep quality, start by focusing on your evening habits, such as limiting technology an hour before sleep and having your last meal about 2 to 3 hours before bed. Keeping your room cooler and darker might also help.
If you still struggle, pink noise might help you get deeper, higher-quality sleep. One study found that pink noise — which is a softer version of white noise, such as the sound of wind, rain, or a heartbeat — could help you fall asleep faster. And another study found that pink noise can help you enjoy more deep, slow-wave sleep.
The Big O
Last week, we answered a question from the village about whether sex makes you weaker in the gym. A better question might have been if having more sex can help you live a longer life.
Research suggests that orgasms could help improve your mortality.
The scientists analyzed data from more than 900 men aged 45 to 59 years over ten years. The results showed that having sex at least twice per week significantly lowered the risk of cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke.
Sex releases endorphins, which can reduce stress and promote a sense of well-being. Additionally, regular sexual activity has been linked to improved cardiovascular health by increasing blood flow and improving vascular function.
The research was not a cause-and-effect study, so more sex is not a guarantee of a longer life. But if you want to know the longevity-boosting potential, according to the study, two orgasms a week were associated with 68 percent lower mortality than those who had less than one orgasm per month. And if you’re into goal setting, around 100 orgasms a year may add three or more years to your life, and 700 orgasms could increase your life expectancy by up to eight years.
We love providing practical advice that helps you take action on the research we share, but this is one topic where we’ll let you figure out the rest.
—
Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
