How Sleep Affects Fertility

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

• Fat loss in a can

• Jumpstart your week

• Workout of the week

Arnold’s Corner
Monday Motivation

When I can see a clear vision, I know I can make it a reality.

I saw myself standing on stage as the greatest bodybuilder in the world years before it happened.

I saw my name across the top of a movie poster when no agent, producer, or studio thought it was possible.

I saw myself serving the people of the great state of California as their Governor when the pundits said I should try running for Congress or Mayor.

If I can see it, I can achieve it.

And that’s because of the lessons I share with you all the time. Once I see my vision, no one will ever outwork me. I will leave no stone unturned and work my ass off, using the blueprint I learned in bodybuilding to do the reps required, no matter the goal.

The naysayers and the doubters don’t scare me; they inspire me.

Failure is my friend. It’s a stepping stone. A learning opportunity. A sign I picked a goal that’s hard enough that it’s worth my time.

I am most comfortable when I’m uncomfortable.

People love to say I am the American Dream and that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. But they’re wrong. And it drives me crazy to admit it.

Because there is one thing I can’t do.

I can send a million people a daily email packed with motivation, workouts, and information to help you lead a better life.

I can make an app so that you don’t have to think or stress about training or building habits, and so that you find a community of people like you who want to be better every day.

I can host the Arnold Sports Festival and expose 200,000 people to every sport you can imagine to show everyone that there is something for them, and that fitness is for everyone. And I can write a best-selling book that shares my tools. 

I can do so much. But there is something I can’t do.

I can’t do the work for you. I can’t make your choices for you.

I hate it, but I’m powerless. I can’t choose to prioritize your health for you. I can’t choose to start training for you. I can’t choose to get out of bed on those days where you feel like skipping your workout.

I can only do so much. I can give you every tool available to me and access to my best experts. But I will never, ever be able to do the work for you. 

You have to make that choice and do the work yourself.

I’m sure you’ve heard that almost 70 percent of gym memberships are not used. Those are people who wanted to change. They paid money to commit. But then they never did the work. You might be one of those people.

I wish I could put you on my bicycle handlebars, take you to the gym myself, sit you down at a machine, and get you moving. But I can’t.

You have to step up — not just for me but for you. You have to make the choice. You have to decide you are worth the work.

That’s what it is all about. 

Why do we do anything? Because it is worth our time and effort.

Aren’t you worth the time? Aren’t you worth the effort?

There is one more thing I can do.  I can answer that question for you.

You are worth it.

You are worth the time, and you are worth the effort. I need you to realize that. 

And once you do, I need you to get to work. Because I can’t do it for you. Do it for me. Do it for you.

Nutrition
Fat Loss In A Can

Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the more you…lose weight?

While the supplement industry sells billions of dollars in weight loss pills that aren’t supported by research, a new study suggests that eating beans daily could help you lose weight and improve your overall diet quality. 

Scientists analyzed dietary patterns and health outcomes in adults who consumed more beans than those who consumed fewer beans. Researchers evaluated nutrient intake, added sugar consumption, body weight, and overall diet quality.

People who ate more beans had healthier diets, ate more fiber and protein, had less sugar, consumed more vitamins and minerals, and had lower body weight and waist circumference. 

Our favorite part of the research? While many fat loss strategies are complex and expensive, eating beans is both simple and affordable. People who consumed about two servings of canned beans or chickpeas daily experienced health and weight loss improvements. 

Jumpstart Your Week

Health
The Easiest Fertility Boost

If you’re a man and worried about reproductive health, a great place to start is prioritizing your rest. 

Research suggests that poor sleep is associated with lower sperm quality. 

Fertility is a complicated topic, and infertility is a sensitive subject that affects nearly 20 percent of adults. And while there are many considerations, low-hanging fruit is figuring out how to get more sleep. 

One study analyzed sleep duration and found that compared to those getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep, those getting 6 hours of sleep (or less) were approximately 42 percent less likely to get their partner pregnant.  

And a recent study on mice even found that sleep deprivation caused DNA fragmentation, reducing sperm quality.

At the very least, if you want to upgrade the likelihood of hormonal function related to conception, do your best to sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night. 

Words Worth Considering

Instead of worrying about biological clocks, it might be more beneficial to pick up the heaviest dumbbell you can handle — and find ways to keep getting stronger. 

Recent research found that muscle and strength help protect against the most common and deadly age-related diseases. The study examined people for up to 10 years and found that strength improves the health of DNA and slows biological aging.

Fitness
Workout of the Week

Research suggests that 10 minutes of cardio per day is all it takes to be healthier. And other studies show that spiking your heart rate — even for just a few minutes per day — can boost longevity, keep you younger, and help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

This cardio workout checks both boxes. It helps you do 10 minutes of cardio and provides enough short, intense intervals to increase your heart rate and maximize the health benefits. 

How to do it

Step 1: Set a timer for 10 minutes

Step 2: Walk for 1 minute.

Step 3: Run as fast as you can at a pace you can maintain for 1 minute. You can try power walking if you haven’t run in a while. If you run all the time, this can be more of a sprint. Pace yourself because there’s more to come.

Step 4: Repeat step 2 (walk for a minute) and then step 3 (run/walk fast for a minute) until the 10 minutes are up. And that’s it.

You can do this workout 2 to 4 times per week, trying to rest a day in between. If your recovery feels good, you can do it more often. Give it a try, and let us know what you think!

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell