Why I Stretch Every Morning

I have been a runner for more than 20 years.

A funny thing happens when you run for that long without ever really stretching.

Your body gets incredibly tight.

I felt my body getting tighter and tighter over the years, especially my hamstrings.

But I didn’t do anything about it.

Then a couple years ago I read Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins. Goggins is an ultra-endurance athlete and former Navy SEAL, known for pushing his body and mind to the absolute limits.

But in the book, he credited stretching as the thing that improved his life most in recent years.

Goggins became a fanatic about stretching, initially stretching for 8–12 hours per day, which then got reduced to 6 hours, and then to 4. He still spends at least 2 hours every day stretching.

He credited his stretching routine with alleviating back pain, releasing quad stiffness, improving range of motion, and increasing blood flow throughout his body. He also firmly believes stretching reduces anxiety and depression.

I figured if this superhuman athlete was taking this much time to stretch, and seeing such profound benefits, I should give stretching a try as well.

Once I got started, I haven’t stopped — I have been stretching consistently for over 2 years now (I think I have only missed 1 day in that time).

I don’t stick with things that don’t work, so that tells you about the effectiveness of stretching.

I am not a personal trainer or stretching expert, so I won’t get into the specifics of my routine or suggest that anyone exactly follow my protocol. But here are the basics of what I do:

I do a full-body stretch every morning, usually lasting between 30–35 minutes. I start with my lower body, giving extra attention to my hamstrings which tend to be my tightest muscle. My legs typically take up 2/3 of the routine, with the remainder focused on my upper body.

In addition to increasing flexibility, I have found this practice to be incredibly peaceful. I enjoy a cup of coffee while I stretch, so my mind and body wake up at the same time. I also usually have some easy listening music on in the background, which gently eases me into the day.

After I have completed my stretching routine and with a cup of coffee in the books, I feel mentally and physically ready for the day.

This practice has been nothing short of transformative in my life.

I also do this same stretching routine before playing sports (I mostly play squash and tennis), to loosen my muscles, prevent injury, and increase performance.

I believe a stretching routine, done slowly and mindfully, produces many similar benefits as yoga. I am fairly anxious by nature and have found stretching to produce as many mental benefits as physical.

The next evolution in my stretching will be doing it after exercise, which I know is as important as pre-exercise. Stretching takes up a fair bit of time, especially when performed multiple times per day, but I always find it to be worth it once I’m done.

Stretching has been one of the most impactful habits I’ve incorporated in recent years. It could change your life, too.

If you are looking to increase flexibility and relax your mind at the same time, I suggest you give stretching a try.

Racket Sports Shown to be the Healthiest Sports, Again

Racket sports provide the ideal combination for health.

Sports such as tennis, squash, badminton, and racketball simultaneously tax the cardiovascular system and the brain, delivering greater health benefits than aerobic exercise alone.

Racket sports build up your fitness while also requiring complex movements (front to back, and side to side) and quick strategic thinking. That combination of high-intensity training, strength building, flexibility, and mental toughness is rare among other sports.

Additionally, racket sports can be played at any age, and they bring you together with other people for social connection, which we know is beneficial for health.

It should therefore come as no surprise that racket sports were once again shown to reduce the risk of death more than any other type of sport.

A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), just published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), showed that many types of physical activity lower the risk of death for older adults — but racket sports top the list with a 27% lower risk of death from heart disease.

Playing racket sports regularly was shown to reduce the risk of death from any cause by 16%, slightly better than Running which came in 2nd with a 15% risk reduction. Other sports analyzed included Cycling, Swimming, Walking, Golf, and Aerobic Exercise.

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These results are consistent with a previous large study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which looked at the link between 6 different types of exercise (Racket Sports, Swimming, Aerobics, Cycling, Running, Soccer) and the risk of early death.

Over 80,000 people were included, ranging in age from 30 to 98. The study — which spanned 9 years — showed that people who regularly played racket sports were 47% less likely to die (nearly 20 percentage points better than swimming, which came in 2nd with a 28% lower risk of dying).

These studies are not outliers. Another recent analysis of more than 8000 people over a period of 25 years determined that tennis can extend your life by nearly 10 years. This was far greater than the longevity gains of other healthy sports such as soccer (4.7 years), cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), jogging (3.2 years), and going to the gym (1.5 years).

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Numerous types of activities can produce health and longevity benefits.

But racket sports consistently rank as the best sports for a longer life.

Start playing racket sports today and you could wind up living a decade longer.

The Eating Habits of Superstar Athletes

I previously wrote about the eating habits of some of the best athletes in the world, including Tom Brady, Roger Federer, LeBron James, Serena Williams, and more.

For Part 2 in this series, I’m focusing on some of today’s top superstars across several major sports.

Read on to learn about the diets of Rafael Nadal, Aaron Judge, Aaron Donald, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players to ever live, winning an all-time record 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 French Opens. He is still at the top of his game after more than 20 years on tour, winning the first 2 Grand Slams of 2022 (Australian Open and French Open) and making it to the semifinals of Wimbledon before pulling out of the tournament with an injury.

One of the keys to Nadal’s success and longevity has been his eating regimen. Growing up and still residing in Mallorca, Spain, Rafa incorporates many elements of the Mediterranean Diet.

When asked what he typically eats to train for a big match, Nadal quickly replied, “Always seafood.”

He does eat some meat as part of his diet (but never before a match), although he prefers fish. “In Mallorca, we have very good fish and prawns, and I usually make them in the simplest way to enhance their flavor,” Nadal said. “The grilled Sóller prawns, little done, are wonderful.” He also enjoys fishing in the offseason.

Nadal is also a big fan of olives and olive oil and has been known to eat bread with olive oil and Iberian ham for breakfast on match day.

To stay energized during matches, he eats bananas and drinks cold microfiltered seawater to help recover mineral salts in his body. He is known to recover with a protein shake after matches.

When Rafa is looking for something more substantial, he opts for paella (ideally his mother’s home-cooked version), but “only sometimes, not every day,” he said. “You eat paella every day, you cannot play tennis.” He also loves shrimp dumplings.

When it’s time to really indulge, Rafa admits to having no self control with chocolate. He also enjoys having a drink every now and then, believing that alcohol is beneficial on a mental level. He likes a glass of wine or beer and recently became a Brand Ambassador for Amstel.

One food that is never on Nadal’s plate? Cheese. He doesn’t like cheese and has never really eaten it.

Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge is arguably the best player in baseball right now, leading all Major Leaguers in Home Runs and RBI (runs batted in) this season. He has also led the Yankees to first place in the standings as the playoffs approach.

At 6 feet 7 inches and 282 pounds, Judge is one of the biggest MLB players and needs to fuel his body for the 162-game season (plus the postseason).

The mainstay of Judge’s diet is vegetables. “The biggest thing is veggies for me — eating your greens,” he said. “I focus on getting a large portion of greens with every meal, no matter what it is.”

He adds spinach and other vegetables to his omelet in the morning and is frequently eating salads.

Before a game, he doesn’t load up on pasta like some other players. Instead, he opts for a smoothie with fruit, spinach, protein, and almond butter.

“That’s something I do every day before the game,” he said. “It helps me maintain that energy and feel full, but without making me feel heavy and slow throughout the game.”

Chicken and rice are fixtures in his daily diet as well.

One of Judge’s favorite cheat meals is pizza. “Especially being in New York, you can find some good pizza spots,” he said. “If it’s not pizza, it’s chicken parm or something like that. That’s my go-to.”

Judge’s favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate chip cookie dough.

Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald is the #1 rated NFL player going into the 2022 season. He is the best defensive player in the league and possibly of all-time. Donald helped lead the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl victory last season.

The 280-pound defensive lineman adheres to a strict diet, consisting of 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. In a typical high-volume training day, he consumes 616 grams of carbs, 245 grams of protein, and 164 grams of fat. That amounts to nearly 5000 calories.

His top protein sources include chicken, milk, and protein smoothies (he can consume up to 12 smoothies in a day!). He gets his carbs from those smoothies as well as pasta, rice, and popcorn. Healthy fats for him come in the form of avocado, fish, and hummus.

Two of Aaron’s favorite meals are Breakfast Tacos and Dancing Meatballs (recipes included in the link). Breakfast tacos is the meal Aaron craves most, according to his personal chef, Arron Sain. They are made with spicy turkey sausage, eggs, spinach, onion, red pepper, and sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in whole wheat tortillas.

Dancing meatballs got their name because when Donald first tried them, he danced because they were so good. The meatballs are more of a cheat day appetizer, made with ground turkey, 80/20 ground beef, eggs, ground croutons, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, parsley, salt, red pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese.

Even with all that eating, Donald is able to maintain just 11% body fat, significantly lower than the average for his position.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the top players in the NBA, winning back-to-back MVP Awards in 2019 and 2020 and leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Championship in 2021.

Giannis usually follows a healthy diet to fuel his training and game days. For breakfast, he likes to eat an egg sandwich with a side of fruit.

After a game or tough workout, he typically recovers with a protein smoothie, consisting of strawberries, raspberries, banana, granola, and celery juice. The celery juice is thought to help reduce inflammation.

He also likes to eat pasta and chicken after games.

Originally from Greece, Giannis has enjoyed discovering some iconic (although not so healthy) American foods since joining the NBA, including corn dogs, Red Kool-Aid, and Oreos dunked in milk. He doesn’t eat much Greek food in the US, preferring to wait for his mom’s home cooking.

His favorite cheat meals include pepperoni pizza and lemon pepper chicken wings. Giannis also famously celebrated his NBA championship by visiting Chic-Fil-A for a feast of chicken nuggets.

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There you have it — the eating habits of 4 top professional athletes. As expected, all of these superstars follow a healthy diet comprised of fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins and fats.

But they all indulge as well.

That’s a good lesson for all of us — eat well but make sure to enjoy some treats along the way.

Want to Live as Long as Possible? This is How Much to Exercise

How much exercise should you do?

More.

A new study analyzed physical activity and medical records for more than 100,000 people over 30 years to determine the optimal amount of exercise for longevity.

The results showed that adults who did 2–4 times the recommended amount of physical activity lived the longest.

Current guidelines call for adults to engage in at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity or 75–150 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.

The good news is that simply meeting the lower end of these recommendations helps you live longer.

The analysis showed that meeting the guidelines for vigorous physical activity was associated with a 19% lower risk of death and hitting the moderate intensity recommendations resulted in a 20–21% lower risk of death.

That’s a pretty good return on investment for under 30 minutes of exercise per day.

But going above and beyond is even better.

Doing 2–4 times the recommended amount of vigorous physical activity (150–300 minutes per week) was associated with a 21–23% lower risk of death from all causes.

Engaging in 2–4 times more than the recommended amount of moderate physical activity (300–600 minutes per week) led to a 26–31% lower risk of mortality.

Going above 4x the recommendations (300 minutes of high intensity physical activity or 600 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity) was not shown to be harmful, but it didn’t yield any additional health benefits.

The study concluded that performing 150–300 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, 300–600 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both, is optimal to maximize lifespan.

A good idea is to take up a sport as this will help you get your exercise in at least a few times per week. Think carefully about what sport might be best for you, and which you think that you will enjoy the most. Do your research, and ensure that you get as much information before you get started.

Consider what types of exercise you could do in order to really test your body’s strength and resilience. For example, Team Ropes are a great piece of equipment to have when it comes to sports, especially where rodeo events are concerned.

If you decide to take up running, which can be an incredible sport to raise your fitness level, make sure to choose a smooth route. While it’s important to challenge yourself, tripping on uneven terrain could lead to a bad injury that could hinder your exercising for a long time. If you’ve been a victim of uneven terrain already, speak to an injury lawyer, especially if it’s on pavement that should have been fixed. A claim could help you get the treatment you need to get back to exercising sooner.

You can look at a site like Pitchmarks for example if you decide to take up golf to get ideas for your game, and reviews.

Very few people achieve this level of physical activity. It is a worthy goal to be one of them.

The Most Proven Sports Performance Supplements

Athletes are always seeking an edge. In my experience, this is true of the pros and weekend warriors alike.

Achieving peak athletic performance requires physical conditioning, sport-specific training, and a dialed-in nutrition plan.

But once these foundational elements are in place, supplements can make the difference for those last few percentage points.

If you are looking to boost your athletic performance, there are only a handful of truly evidence-based supplements.

These are the best of the best, according to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism:

Caffeine

Anecdotally, I know my morning run feels a whole lot easier after a couple cups of coffee. It turns out my experience is backed by science.

In fact, caffeine has been shown to improve endurance capacity (e.g. running, cycling, swimming), speed (short sprints), and strength (weight lifting).

Low to moderate doses of caffeine (3–6 mg per kg of body weight), consumed 60 minutes pre-exercise, appear to have the most consistent performance benefits. That equates to roughly 2–4 standard cups of coffee for a 150lb person.

Low doses of caffeine (100–300mg) consumed during endurance exercise have also been shown to enhance performance. This is why you often see caffeine coming in chewing gum, sports gels, or energy bars.

When consumed in these quantities, before and/or during exercise, athletes have seen performance improvements in the range of 1–8%.

Of note, higher doses of caffeine (more than 9mg per kg of body weight, equivalent to 6+ cups of coffee for 150lb person) can hurt performance, causing nausea and anxiety.

Creatine

Creatine Monohydrate has been one of the most widely-studied sports supplements, with consistently positive performance benefits.

Creatine has been shown to enhance lean mass, maximal power/strength, and performance of short high-intensity exercise (less than 2.5 minutes, with the most robust effects for bursts of less than 30 seconds). The benefits of creatine for endurance exercise are less clear.

The most common strategy for creatine supplementation includes a loading phase of ~20g per day for 5–7 days, followed by a maintenance phase of 3–5g per day after that. Some people choose to bypass the loading phase and just start with the maintenance phase, which is effective but takes longer for creatine stores to build up in the muscles (30 days vs. 5–7 days).

Research has shown that it is safe to consume creatine daily, even over several years. Some reports have even shown that creatine has anti-inflammatory benefits and reduces exercise-induced oxidative stress.

If consumed properly, creatine can improve strength or high-intensity performance by 1–15%.

Nitrates

Dietary nitrates have been shown to improve performance in endurance sports.

Leafy green and root vegetables (e.g. spinach, arugula, celery) are the primary source of dietary nitrates, but beet juice is the supplement that has been studied most, with consistent performance benefits.

Nitrate supplementation can yield significant improvements (4–25%) in time to exhaustion. These benefits have been seen mostly in exercise that lasts between 12–40 minutes, but improvements in the range of 1–4% have been observed in shorter, sprint-based workouts as well.

It appears to be most effective to consume 1–2 cups of beet juice 2–3 hours before exercise. Following this routine for more than 3 days can be beneficial, especially for well-trained athletes. In fact, performance benefits can be maintained for at least 15 days if beet juice is consumed daily.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-Alanine supplementation has been shown to improve high-intensity exercise performance.

It can increase maximal exercise tolerance by 2–3%, most notable in workouts lasting 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

Beta-alanine dosing strategies usually involve split doses consumed over the course of the day and/or slow release formulations to minimize side effects (paraesthesia — described as “tingling of the skin”).

A split dose of 3.2–6.4 g per day (about 65mg per kg of body weight) per day, taken for a minimum of 2–4 weeks up to 12 weeks, appears optimal to enhance high-intensity exercise performance.

Sodium Bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda, has been shown to enhance high-intensity exercise performance.

Benefits have typically been seen in short sprints lasting around 60 seconds, with a diminishing return in workouts of more than 10 minutes.

The performance improvements range from 2% for a single sprint to over 8% for repeated bouts.

Sodium bicarbonate supplements can be found in capsule or tablet form. The optimal dose appears to be 0.2–0.4g per kg of body weight, taken 60–150 minutes prior to exercise. Splitting this amount into several smaller doses throughout the day can help to minimize GI upset, which is a common side effect.

One final proven supplement to mention is Protein. It is generally recommended to consume at least 20 grams of protein after an intense workout to support muscle recovery and growth. Adequate protein intake over the long term enhances performance, with a daily recommended intake for athletes of up to about 2g per kg of body weight.

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If you are training hard and eating right but still seeking a competitive edge, these supplements might do the trick.

As most athletes know, small performance improvements can go a long way.

Why You Should Eat More PB&Js

Although not traditionally thought of as a health food, the peanut butter & jelly sandwich is performance fuel for top athletes and could even extend your life.

A few years ago, ESPN published a feature story calling the PB&J the “NBA’s Secret Addiction.” In the article, the PB&J was credited for helping power the Boston Celtics’ 2008 NBA Championship, before sweeping across virtually every other team in the league.

Last season’s NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, have been known to scarf down 20–30 PB&Js per game and travel with the ingredients. And LeBron James, one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, has said the PB&J is his go-to food right before game time.

Basketball players are not alone. NHL star Sidney Crosby, MLB legend Derek Jeter, and NFL champ Rob Gronkowski have also made the PB&J their secret weapon.

Even notorious health fanatic Tom Brady — the greatest football player of all-time — admitted this is his pre-game meal of choice. Although Brady opts for a slight variation — an almond butter and jelly sandwich. For what it’s worth, golfer Dustin Johnson also prefers the almond butter and jelly combo.

If you are an athlete, you would be wise to follow the playbook of these legends.

But even if you’re not, PB&Js appear to deliver impressive health benefits. In fact, a study from earlier this year concluded that eating a PB&J can add 33 minutes to your life! That’s as good a reason as any to reach for this comfort classic. “Make more PB&Js” even made it into a recent list of 100 things to do to help you live to 100.

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In terms of why PB&Js are so beneficial, you can point to their healthy fats, carbs, and protein that deliver both fast-acting and sustained energy. The healthiest PB&Js contain whole grains in the bread, berries in the jelly, and peanuts — all of which have been independently associated with health improvements. When packaged together, it is a combination that is hard to beat.

I personally make my PB&J with Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain English Muffins, Bonne Maman Raspberry Preserves, and Teddie Smooth Unsalted All Natural Peanut Butter. PB&Js fuel me before tough workouts or simply as a mid-afternoon snack.

It is no surprise that PB&Js have become so popular — in addition to their health benefits, they are easy to prepare and portable, substantial enough to keep you satisfied, and yet light enough not to weigh you down. They also bring back happy childhood memories for so many of us.

Hopefully this article helps you stay a kid at heart and continue incorporating PB&Js into your daily routine.

Why Racket Sports Are So Healthy

Exercise is the single most powerful tool you have to optimize your brain function.

That is according to John Ratey, MD, an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized expert in Neuropsychiatry.

In Ratey’s bestselling book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, he details the scientifically-proven health benefits of exercise, including:

• Improves learning ability and grows brain cells
• Reduces stress, anger, anxiety, and depression
• Increases focus, attention, and alertness
• Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other forms of Dementia
• Lowers blood pressure

And that’s just to name a few.

Any exercise is better than none, but to see these results, you should aim for at least some type of moderate-intensity aerobic activity for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week. That is in line with the Public Health guidelines for physical activity. Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activity include brisk walking, jogging, cycling, and swimming.

Adding strength or resistance training will help you build muscles, strengthen bones, and protect joints.

And including more complex activities — such as yoga, rock climbing, gymnastics, and martial arts — will help to build skills and stay agile.

But what if there was one type of activity that could achieve all of these benefits at once?

It turns out that all sports are not created equal.  Racket sports stand above the rest in terms of health benefits.

Racket sports are especially great because they simultaneously tax the cardiovascular system and the brain.

According to Ratey, “The combination of challenging the brain and body has a greater positive impact than aerobic exercise alone.”

Sports such as tennis, squash, badminton, and racketball build up your fitness levels, while also requiring complex movements (front to back, and side to side) and quick strategic thinking.

That combination of aerobic activity, strength building, flexibility, and mental fortitude is incredibly rare among other sports.

Additionally, racket sports can be played at any age, and they bring you together with other people for social connection (which we know is fantastic for health).

It should therefore come as no surprise that Forbes has ranked squash as the world’s healthiest sport.

And a large study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that racket sports help you live longer as well.

The study looked at the link between six different types of exercise (racket sports, swimming, aerobics, cycling, running, soccer) and the risk of early death. Over 80,000 people were included, ranging in age from 30 to 98. The study — which spanned nine years — showed that people who regularly played racket sports were 47% less likely to die (nearly 20 percentage points better than swimming, which came in 2nd with a 28% lower risk of dying).

Racket sports are simply the ultimate mind and body activity.

Racket sports produce the perfect blend of high-intensity interval workouts, balance drills, resistance training, and mental exercises.

So if you are short on time and want to maximize your health, pick up a racket and hit the court.