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Today’s Health Upgrade
Number you won’t forget
Weekly wisdom
An unexpected sleep aid
How to calm critical self-talk
Arnold’s Podcast
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Fitness
Number You Won’t Forget: 17 Percent
Instead of debating whether cardio or weights are better, it might be time to spend more time doing both types of activities.
A global analysis of more than 3.3 million people from 32 countries found that only 17 percent of adults meet both aerobic and muscle-strengthening minimum recommendations.
Th review looked at adherence to two major movement goals: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, and at least two sessions of muscle-strengthening activity.
Across the globe, about 70 percent of people hit the aerobic mark and only 20 percent met the resistance training guideline. Another 22 percent hit neither goal. And when you combine the two? Just 17 percent of adults met both criteria.
Here’s why it matters: People who meet both guidelines consistently show lower rates of cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, mental health issues, and even some cancers. The researchers emphasized that resistance training is often overlooked, yet it plays a critical role in healthy aging, bone density, and glucose regulation.
The fix isn’t complicated—but it does require intention, commitment, and consistency.
It doesn’t matter how you break up your activity, but other studies suggests a little bit of movement each day might be better than one long walk. However, don’t overthink it. Whether you go for brisk walks or bike rides for 30 minutes five times a week or just do 2 hours once per week — do what works for you. And then try to accomplish two to three resistance training sessions—bodyweight, dumbbells, or bands all count — per week.
If you need help building the consistency that feels impossible to achieve, the village can help.
Mindset
Weekly Wisdom
Nutrition
An Unexpected Sleep Aid
If you’re tossing and turning at night a little nutritional boost could give you the extra help you need.
New research suggests omega-3 fatty acids — especially DHA — play a critical role in sleep quality, efficiency, and even how long you sleep.
Scientists examined the growing evidence connecting these essential fats to better sleep across age groups.
They found that low levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) — a primary omega-3 found in fish oil — were associated with shorter sleep duration, more night wakings, and lower sleep efficiency.
It appears that when you don’t have enough enough omega 3’s, you sleep worse — and when you sleep worse, your body’s ability to utilize omega 3’s is disrupted.
DHA, in particular, helps regulate serotonin and melatonin pathways—two key hormones that help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Omega-3s also lower inflammatory cytokines that can disrupt sleep.
The biggest improvements were seen in people who previously had poor sleep and low omega-3 levels. So if you're struggling with sleep, checking your omega-3 intake might be an easy first step before trying medications.
If that sounds like you, here are a few easy ways to upgrade your diet — and your rest.
Eat more fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines (2–3 times per week is ideal), or consider a high-quality fish oil supplement with at least 500 to 1,000 mg of DHA if you're not getting enough from your diet.
Momentous is our go-to fish oil because of it’s proven quality and purity. Unfortunately, fish oil is notorious for impurities and dosing issues. Research suggests approximately 9 percent of supplements meet the recommended intake of combined DHA and EPA. In a different study on fish oil, 32 supplements were analyzed, and only three contained the amount of EPA and DHA on the label. And two-thirds of the products had less than 67 percent of the claimed dose.
That’s why we recommend Momentous Omega-3, which is NSF Certified for Sport and tested for heavy metals including lead and mercury, ensuring safety and efficacy.
Remember, fish oil is just one piece of a good sleep hygiene plan. Prioritize the foundations of better rest (such as consistent sleep and wake times), and then use supplements to fill gaps that might be limiting you from having a better night of rest.
Better Questions, Better Solutions
How To Calm Critical Self-Talk
Instead of asking: How do I stop being so critical of my flaws and frustrations?
Try asking: How do I accept — and even laugh at — my imperfections without feeling bad about myself?
You’ve heard that laughter is the best medicine. But, as it turns out, how you laugh—and why—might be the difference between better mental health and a downward emotional spiral.
Your style of humor can either protect your mental health or quietly work against it.
Researchers explored how humor can mediate the relationship between how you measure your self-worth and psychological well-being. They wanted to understand why some people who are hard on themselves still feel good, while others spiral into stress or depression.
The researchers found that self-enhancing humor or using jokes to connect with others were associated with higher psychological well-being. In contrast, self-defeating humor harmed self-evaluation and led to worse poor mental health outcomes.
If you constantly holds yourself to impossible standards, you’re more likely to experience psychological distress. But if you cope with stress by laughing with others or finding humor in tough situations, you’re more likely to maintain better mental health. However, if you rely on humor that puts yourself down (think: always being the punchline of your own jokes), it can make things worse.
Researchers believe positive humor helps reframe challenges and reduce the emotional weight of perfectionism. It’s not about lowering your standards—but laughing with yourself, not at yourself.
Try leaning into self-enhancing humor—find moments to laugh about life’s curveballs instead of using yourself as the punchline. It’s a simple shift that can help protect your mental health while you keep pushing forward.
And that’s it for this week. Thank you for being a part of the positive corner of the internet, and 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
