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The High Performance Journal

4 Minute Fridays: The Exercise That Grows Your Brain, A Great Stretch For Desk Workers & The Shake I Drink Every Day

4 minute fridays Jan 18, 2024

Today's issue is brought to you by High Performance Founder Private Coaching. We specialize in helping high-achieving entrepreneurs burn fat, attain peak physical condition, revitalize their energy, and help them live longer healthier lives.

If you're an entrepreneur who's looking to get in shape in a way that fits your busy schedule follow the link below to get started👇🏽


The other day I was feeling a bit down and low energy.

Out of curiosity, I took a look at my step counter and found out that I had taken a total of 2000 steps by 3pm.

I was so focused on work that I forgot to get up and move.

This happens to a lot of people as well.

The average American gets 3000 to 4000 steps a day, which pales in comparison to our hunter-gatherer ancestors who got 16,000 to 17,000 steps.
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Walking has a massive impact not only on your physical health but your mental health.

It increases neuroplasticity, brain volume, and BDNF (brain fertilizer).

With that in mind, I turned on my treadmill desk and started walking for 30 minutes.

Miraculously, I was more awake, alert, and my mood was elevated.

As the saying goes,

"When in doubt, workout"

Your brain and body will thank you.

That being said...

Here Is Your 4 Minute Friday:


1. Do This Exercise To Grow Your Brain

The hippocampus plays a key role in your brain health. It's responsible for learning, memory, and emotional regulation.

Unfortunately, it is the structure of the brain that tends to shrink as we age.

A study was done to see what would happen if older adults walked for 40 minutes 3 times a week.

What they found was that those who walked had a 2% increase in hippocampal volume over a year. Those that did not walk saw a 1.4% decrease.

While a 2% increase may not sound like much it's been shown to reverse age-related cognitive loss by 1-2 years.

Aside from the physical benefits you get from walking, I'm most excited about your cognitive benefits.

This is why I promote walking as the main form of cardio in our private coaching programs and Lean Body 90 course.

It's the most underrated exercise on the planet.

2. A Great Stretch For Desk Workers

When we sit for long periods 2 things happen:

  1. Your hips get tight
  2. Your lats and upper back get tight

Both can lead to low back issues and poor posture.

This is why I love this stretch.

It's called the Crab Reach and it mobilizes your hips, lats, and upper back while activating your glutes 👇🏼

 

I love this stretch because it also acts as a way to turn on your nervous system because you're linking several moves together at once.

I do this stretch in between desk sessions and before my workouts.

Try it out and see how your body feels afterward.

3. I Drink This Shake Every Day (Sponsored Post)

Protein is the most important nutrient on the planet.

You know that you need it for building muscle but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Protein also reduces appetite & hunger (especially at night), builds healthy bones, lowers blood pressure, helps maintain healthy weight loss, and whey protein in particular has been shown to ​improve gut health​.

For clients, I recommend that they get at least .8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day but that can be hard to hit for a lot of people, especially me.

My solution for this is to drink a whey protein shake in the morning or midday.

Here's what I add to my protein shake:

Creatine: For improved cognition and increased muscle.
Psyllium Husk: For gut health and fiber intake.
PB2 peanut butter: Low-calorie peanut butter for taste.


I put 2 scoops of protein powder in there and it's enough to fill me up for a couple of hours.

The protein powder I use is this grass-fed whey protein isolate from Mindbodygreen.

The reason I take it is because my stomach is pretty sensitive. Many other protein shakes come with additives and other things that can make me feel a bit queasy after drinking them.

Mindbodygreen's is grass-fed made with natural ingredients (see the label) and works perfectly for my protein needs.

If you're looking to get a high-quality protein shake I highly recommend it.

Client Of The Week - B.C. - Entrepreneur

Brent is an entrepreneur who was working out but wasn't seeing any results. His goal was to drop 30 lbs off his body while increasing his energy.

His biggest struggles were bad eating habits, poor sleep, and lack of willpower.

In 12 weeks, he's dropped 34 pounds, boosted his energy, and lost 5 inches from his waistline.


Our Strategy:

  • Cleaned up his diet from ordering UberEats to meal prep delivery.
  • Changed his workouts from circuit training to strength training.
  • Instead of cardio, we walked 8-10k steps a day


There are nuances I'm leaving out but those are the big rocks. Must add that we added a major dose of accountability and used coaching to help him stick to his healthy habits.

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


“There’s a significant difference between what you want to achieve (goals) and who you want to become (your identity). A goal is vulnerable to the endless changes in life. An identity is permanent and can weather any storm.”
 


Your biggest changes with your body will come from identifying with the things that are making you healthy.

When you evolve them from things you "have" to do to things that are a part of who you are as a person you know you've made it.

- Dan

 

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help:

1. The Lean Body 90 System: When you’re ready to get in great shape, Lean Body 90 is the obvious choice. You can get in great shape and reach your fitness goals in just 90 minutes a week. Lose weight and build muscle even without hours in the gym or highly restrictive diets. Join 1000+ students here.

2. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to get lean, boost energy, and get in your best shape? Apply for private one-on-one coaching here.

3. Promote yourself to 205,000+ subscribers​ by sponsoring this newsletter.

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