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
The music that fuels your brain
A natural sleep aid?
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
Recently, we lost a member of our village, and I wanted to share his story because he inspired the hell out of me. And I know he’ll light a fire in many of you.
Nick Hope was, as far as I know, the oldest member of the Pump app.
What I know for sure is that Nick is the only person who has ever asked me for tips to help him achieve his goal of doing a pull-up again to celebrate his 100th birthday.
Here is one of the updates he sent me of his training, because if this doesn’t inspire you, nothing will:
Nick embodied my vision for all of you: he trained until the very end.
But his non-stop training wasn’t what made Nick a great inspiration.
Nick was born in 1924 in Ukraine. He survived two genocides, under two different brutal dictators.
In 1933, he lost his brothers to the Holomodor, Stalin’s disastrous famine that led to the death of millions of Ukrainians. Most of the world has declared it a genocide.
After surviving that nightmare, several years later, he was forced into labor at a munitions factory under Hitler’s regime. He was accused of sabotage and sent to Dachau and enslaved by the Nazi regime for the remainder of the war.
Eventually, he was liberated by American forces.
After the war, Nick came face to face with an SS officer who had beaten him with a whip until he nearly died.
He shook his hand and offered his forgiveness.
Think about that. This man survived two of the biggest nightmares of all of human history, and he offered his tormentors a handshake.
It is no wonder his last name is Hope.
Nick came to America and lived a fantastic life, spreading positivity everywhere he went.
I feel unbelievably lucky that he became a member of our little village when he was a “young” 99 year old guy so that he could inspire all of us for a couple of years.
His son, George, has told us he will continue to spread Nick’s positivity in the village, and my thoughts are with George and the whole Hope family.
Nick is not gone. As you can see, he lives on in his children. But he also lives on in each of us that he touched in his incredible life.
Nick Hope showed all of us that we can choose positivity. In the darkness, he showed us that we, too, can find the light.
In our despair, there is always hope.
Nick’s family has a GoFundMe for expenses and to organize a book to tell his story:
I want to close by sharing some of Nick’s answers from when he did a Q&A with the village, so he can have the last word.
Together with Brain.fm
The Music That Fuels Your Brain
If you’ve ever found it hard to focus, your playlist might be the key to better concentration.
Research suggests that dynamic changes in sound can significantly improve your attention and focus.
Researchers examined how music with rapid pitch, rhythm, and intensity changes could impact attention. Participants, including individuals diagnosed with attentional deficits like ADHD, listened to different types of music while performing cognitive tasks that required sustained focus.
Participants exposed to music with rapid modulation showed a measurable boost in attentional performance compared to those who listened to slower or more monotonous music. This suggests that the brain responds favorably to complex, fast-changing auditory stimuli, helping to engage and sustain focus.
The researchers believe that rapid changes in music activate the brain’s arousal and reward systems, increasing dopamine levels, which are often lower in individuals with attention deficits. This creates a heightened state of engagement, allowing for improved cognitive control.
If you struggle with staying focused, consider experimenting with music with frequent tempo changes, complex rhythms, and dynamic shifts. Fast-paced classical compositions, jazz, or electronic music with evolving patterns might give your brain the stimulation it needs to lock in and concentrate better.
Our favorite way to boost productivity is Brain.fm, an app based on the science-backed music that syncs brain patterns, helping you focus better, relax deeper, and sleep easier.
Brain.fm is the only music company supported by a National Science Foundation grant award to improve people’s focus. It has task-specific focus modes like “Deep Work”, “Creative,” and “Motivation” to meet your exact needs.
As a member of the positive corner of the internet, you can try brain.fm for free for 30 days and experience the difference yourself.
Recovery
Sleep Struggles? This Natural Compound Could Help
Everyone wants better sleep, but most solutions are habit-based or involve heavy-duty supplements. What if a simple amino acid in tea could make a real difference?
A new meta-analysis suggests that L-theanine supplementation may improve sleep quality without the grogginess of traditional sleep aids.
Researchers analyzed 18 randomized controlled trials with nearly 1,000 participants to better understand the relationship between l-theanine, which is naturally found in tea leaves, and a good night's rest.
L-theanine supplementation helped people fall asleep faster and improved sleep efficiency and quality. Overall, those taking L-theanine reported feeling more rested and experiencing fewer disturbances throughout the night.
The researchers believe L-theanine’s calming effects come from its ability to increase alpha brain wave activity, which promotes relaxation without sedation. Additionally, it may help regulate neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin, which play a role in reducing stress and improving sleep patterns.
If you struggle with sleep quality but don’t want to rely on melatonin or prescription sleep aids, L-theanine may be a natural solution. Research suggests a dose of 100 to 200 mg before bedtime is most effective. Plus, since L-theanine doesn’t cause drowsiness, it’s an option worth considering if stress or an overactive mind keeps you up at night.
Fitness
Workout Of The Week
When Nick joined The Pump, his goal was to do a pullup on his 100th birthday. As you saw above, he strengthened his body with a heavy diet of bodyweight movements. In honor of Nick, we hope you’ll all do the same this week.
The workout below features Nick’s favorites — pullups and inverted rows — and several other movements to create the ultimate total body.
In honor of Nick, post a video of yourself doing pullups or inverted rows and tag Arnold and Arnold’s Pump Club. We’ll be celebrating Nick through your strength.
The Workout
Perform each movement for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest, and then move to the next exercise. Once you complete all the exercises, rest for two to three minutes, then repeat one to three times.
Hip thrust (like a hip raise)
Pushup (any variation or press)
Squat (on both legs or single-leg)
Pullup or inverted row
Hip hinge (like a good morning, deadlift, or swing)
Lunge variation
Give it a try and push extra hard for Nick.
—
Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
