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The High Performance Journal

4 Minute Fridays: My 3 Best Fitness Purchases Of 2023

4 minute fridays Dec 15, 2023

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Hello friend.

In today's 4MF email, I'm doing something a little different.

You see, I'm always on the lookout for anything that will optimize my health. I am not afraid to invest in something if I know it'll make me a better human.

So for this article, I want to share with you 3 of the best fitness purchases I've made in 2023.

These have had a significant impact on my body and they would also make a great gift for the "health conscious" person in your life.

So if you're willing to spend some cash to improve your health read on.

NOTE: I'm not sponsored by any of these brands. I bought them with my hard-earned money. I am using affiliate links, which pay me a small percentage if someone chooses to buy it. You don't have to use my link. You can search for these straight off of Amazon if you wish. Just saying this for transparency.

That being said...

Here Is your 4 Minute Friday:


1. Alaska Bear Sleep Mask

Wearing a sleep mask has been a staple in my bedtime routine.

I'm a light sleeper and if there is a flicker of light it will not only wake me up but keep me awake for a significant time.

A great sleep mask helps me black out the light. This helps me sleep deeper and minimizes my tendency to wake up at night.

Another benefit of wearing a sleep mask is that it improves your cognitive function, most likely due to the effect it has on your sleep.

Unfortunately, I've gone through 100's of sleep masks and, for lack of a better term, most of them suck.

An important thing to note is that I'm a side sleeper as well and most masks were made for people who sleep on their back.

But all this changed when I got the Alaska Bear Sleep Mask.

The material is almost as soft as silk, which makes it comfortable for my eyes. It's easy to adjust when it's on my head.

The most important part is that it has contours around the eyes that completely black out my surroundings. It wraps around my head and allows me to sleep on my side with minimal disruption.

It also doesn't cause wrinkles on my eyes like other sleep mask brands. This is probably due to the material that's used.

I liked this sleep mask so much that I bought one for my home and another for when I travel.

If you're in the market for a sleep mask this is the one I recommend.

You can grab it off Amazon here.

 

2. Urevo Treadmill Desk

This one is my best purchase of 2023.

A short time ago I posted on X asking my audience about their experiences using treadmill desks:

 

The reason I was asking was because the weather was changing in Canada. It was getting colder and this was putting a serious damper on my outdoor walks.

I found that I was getting fewer steps in the day and this was messing with my energy and overall mood.

My friend Cathryn Lavery replied to my post above and suggested that I get a Urevo treadmill desk.

After a few days of using it, I was hooked.

Aside from getting more steps in I experienced some benefits I wasn't expecting.

You see, even though I'm a fitness guy a ton of my work is intellectual. I do coaching calls, create content, manage my team, etc and unfortunately, almost all of this is done sitting at a desk.

So the first benefit of the treadmill desk was the ability to kill two birds with one stone:

I would walk while in meetings, researching, and doing admin work and this would have a tremendous impact on my brain. I was sharper, less stressed, less anxious, and my mood significantly increased when I was done with my day.

Also, if I had some downtime and wanted to watch some YouTube videos or podcasts I'd do it while on the treadmill.

One of the biggest benefits was that I didn't have to spend any extra time doing zone 2 cardio as I was already getting it while I was working.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this was the best purchase of 2023. I'm just kicking myself that I didn't invest in one sooner.

Btw you don't need to get a Urevo. Any brand will do.

I just liked it because it came ready to use out of the box, I read the reviews, and it was recommended by someone I trust.

If you want to get the Urevo you can get one on Amazon here.

NOTE: Be mindful of having a treadmill around small children. You do not want to leave a baby or toddler unattended around it as it is highly dangerous.

 

3. The Apple Watch Ultra

Before buying an Apple Watch I was a big-time hater:
 

 

But I realized something that didn't sit well with me, which was the fact that I was hating on something before experiencing it.

So I decided to get an Apple Watch to see what the hype was all about and I'm glad I got it.

This is going to sound weird but the main benefit I get from an Apple Watch is that I get to workout without a phone.

When I bring my phone to the gym it becomes a weapon of mass distraction. I browse social media, check email, and do all sorts of other things that distract me from the workout.

A workout that would take 45 minutes turns into an hour or later.

This all stopped when I started tracking my workouts on my Apple Watch using the Strong app.

I also turned off all notifications on my watch to avoid getting distracted.


I've seen many other benefits of wearing an Apple watch such as:

  • Getting a reliable HR for my workouts
  • The rings function gamified my activity
  • I can track my distances when running and swimming
  • It has an SOS function if I ever get lost on a hike
  • I use it as a virtual wallet


There are many more micro-benefits I've seen and I feel it's been a net positive for my health.

One thing to note is that I know people who wear Garmins who see similar benefits as those I listed above.

Also, if I'm being honest the reason I got an Apple Watch Ultra was due to the battery life. I'm lazy and don't want to charge it every time I don't use it.

It's had an impact on my health and I guess I've gone from being a hater to being an evangelist.

You can get an Apple watch from the Apple store or you can grab one off Amazon here.

Client Of The Week - Cliff Polley, Entrepreneur

Cliff is an entrepreneur who struggled with snacking & being sedentary.

His big goal was to get in shape so he could get more out of life and feel more vibrant. He needed a sustainable plan, accountability, and a way to make this a lifestyle.

In 7 months he's dropped 44 pounds, increased his energy & is feeling more healthy than he's ever felt in his life.

​If you're an entrepreneur who wants to be confident in your body and increase energy in a way that fits your busy life click here for a strategy call.
​

One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

“The self-image sets the boundaries of individual accomplishment. It defines what you can and cannot do.”
​
- Maxwell Maltz from the book Psycho Cybernetics
​

Here's a simple system to manage your mind and accomplish your goals in 2024:

1) Conscious Mind - thoughts and mental pictures control all the senses. It is what you think about.

2) Subconscious Mind - repetition in the conscious creates AUTOMATIC performance from the subconscious.

3) Self-Image - is what makes you “act like you”. The total of your habits and attitudes. Your performance and your self-image are ALWAYS equal.

The key is to monitor your thoughts and pictures that come into your mind as they direct your body toward what you want to achieve.

Use your actions to mold your self-image into the person you want to become.

I believe in you. You got this.

- Dan

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