Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we help you make sense of the complex world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and providing quick tips designed to help you stay healthier in under 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
Number you won’t forget
The secret to sickness prevention
Weekly wisdom
Are you searching for purpose?
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.
Longevity
Number You Won’t Forget: 15 Minutes
We all want to live longer and feel better, but adding more quality days doesn’t require 10,000 steps or even a gym membership.
Researchers have found that just 15 minutes of exercise can add up to 3 extra years to your life.
Scientists followed more than 416,000 adults for 8 years to examine the impact of varying levels of physical activity on mortality and longevity.
While global health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, this study asked a simpler question: What’s the minimum dose that still leads to longer life?
It turns out, if you do something every day, it’s not just more than nothing, it can provide a very real health boost.
People in the “low activity” group averaged just 92 minutes of weekly exercise (about 15 minutes per day). Still, compared to inactive individuals, they had a 14 percent lower risk of death and lived 3 years longer on average.
Even better? Every extra 15 minutes of daily activity beyond the minimum cut the risk of death by an additional 4 percent and reduced cancer-related deaths by 1 percent.
These benefits weren’t limited to a certain age group or body type—they were seen across men and women, young and old, and even among those with cardiovascular disease.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by fitness goals, don’t focus on perfection—just aim for 15 minutes a day. A brisk walk, a short ride on the bike, or even dancing in your living room can help.
Together With Eight Sleep
The Real Secret To Preventing Sickness?
We often think the common cold is just bad luck. But what if your sleep habits are the most significant predictor of whether you get sick?
Scientists found that poor sleep quality increased the risk of catching a cold fivefold, and people who slept less than 7 hours were nearly three times more likely to get sick.
In this study, healthy adults tracked their sleep for two weeks—recording how long they slept, how well they slept (measured as sleep efficiency, or the percentage of time in bed sleeping), and whether they felt rested. Then came the test: they were exposed to a rhinovirus (the common cold), quarantined, and monitored for five days to see who got sick.
The results were striking. Individuals with sleep efficiency levels below 92 percent were 5.5 times more likely to experience illness.
And “feeling rested” didn’t matter. Only actual sleep duration and quality predicted who got sick—regardless of their age, weight, stress levels, or other lifestyle habits.
The researchers believe that poor sleep compromises your immune system, weakening the body’s first line of defense. Prior studies suggest that sleep deprivation reduces natural killer cell activity, suppresses immune signaling molecules, and even blunts your antibody response to vaccines. In other words, your body is too tired to fight back.
If you want fewer sick days, one of the best things you can do is protect your sleep. Aim for at least 7–8 hours of quality sleep, and try to improve sleep efficiency by winding down before bed, keeping your room dark and cool, and going to sleep around the same time every night. It’s not just about feeling rested—it’s about giving your body a fighting chance.
And the most effective change might be a bed upgrade. Your sleeping position and environment shift throughout the night— that affects your sleep stages.
Research shows that your body naturally cycles through temperature changes, muscle relaxation phases, and light to deep sleep. These transitions require flexibility—something most beds can’t adjust to in real time.
The Pod 5 from Eight Sleep is designed to adjust to your body’s needs, so you can get more quality sleep — no matter what you face on a day-to-day basis.
It’s not just a smart mattress cover—it’s a responsive sleep system. Its AI-driven Autopilot learns your sleep patterns, adjusts temperature throughout the night, and now includes a feature that detects snoring and adjusts your bed’s elevation to help you breathe better and sleep deeper.
That’s why clinical studies have found that those using the Eight Sleep mattress get up to 1 hour more sleep per night, fall asleep 44 percent faster, experience 45 percent less snoring, achieve higher quality sleep, and significantly improve recovery and daytime energy.
You spend a third of your life in bed—you might as well make it a healthier experience. As an APC reader, you get $350 OFF the Pod 5 and a 30-day risk-free trial. You have everything to gain and only sickness and low-energy days to lose.
Let your bed do the extra work, so you don’t have to.
Mindset
Weekly Wisdom
Turn Wisdom Into Action:
Most stress isn’t caused by what’s happening. It’s caused by what might happen—what we invent in our heads.
Arnold says, “Don’t overcomplicate things.” When you spend too much time thinking about every possible outcome, you freeze. You delay. You doubt yourself. But action quiets fear. Instead of trying to solve everything in your mind, just do one thing that moves you forward. Simplicity wins. Momentum beats anxiety. And nine times out of ten, the thing you were scared of? It was never as bad as you imagined.
Better Questions, Better Solutions
Are You Searching For Purpose?
Old Question: How do I find my purpose or passion?
Better Question: What am I practicing every day—and is it building the life I actually want?
Some people will tell you, “If you do something you’ll love, then you’ll never work a day in your life.”
While it’s true that enjoyable work makes it easier to put in more time and effort, you don’t stumble upon jobs and goals you love. Because you don’t find meaning like it’s hidden under a rock. You create it—through the actions you repeat, the problems you choose to solve, and the values you live by (not just post about).
Meaning and purpose don’t come from mimicking someone else’s playbook or doing what sounds good or looks good on social media. It comes from writing your own story with honesty, authenticity, and consistency.
Psychologists found that people who saw purpose as something to be developed—rather than discovered—reported higher well-being, better stress resilience, and more motivation.
Those stuck in a “search mindset” often became passive, disengaged, and discouraged when clarity didn’t magically appear.
But when you focus on small, consistent choices aligned with your values, that’s when you create the feeling of purpose over time. Not through grand gestures. Not through trends. But through showing up for your life.
Life can be hard, but not everything is complicated. It’s time to stop waiting for life to hand you meaning. Start building it—with reps.
To help with the process, ask yourself: What do I do that gives me energy—even when it’s hard?
Where do I avoid discomfort instead of facing what matters? What would my day look like if I lived fully aligned with my values?
Then act accordingly. Meaning doesn’t arrive fully formed. It’s what emerges when your life starts looking more like your values—and less like someone else’s Instagram.
And that’s it for this week. Thank you for being part of the positive corner of the internet. We hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
