Building a Body That Stands the Test of Time

Howdy! Welcome back to another edition of your weekly buzz. So you wanna build a body that stands the test of time? In today’s newsletter, we go through three activities that will help set you on the right path to a healthier and stronger version of yourself.

Building healthy habits:

We all have habitual routines that we consciously do without even realizing it. We wake up and brush our teeth not because we set a reminder to do it but, because our brain is wired to immediately think about brushing upon awakening.

To build a body that stands the test of time, it is crucial that we build healthy habits. Among those habits should be mobility stretching, zone 2 cardio, and resistance training. These 3 activities can help form the foundation for building and maintaining a healthy body. Below we’ll talk about each of the 3 and their benefits.

The 3 components:

Mobility stretching: Mobility stretching is a practice that focuses on improving joint range of motion and flexibility. This is a vital step in the process of building your body due to the numerous benefits it has. By lengthening your muscle tissues and increasing your flexibility, you can reduce the risk of injury, improve physical performance, and alleviate tension built up in your muscles. It is recommended by the Mayo Clinic that you should try and aim to stretch at least 2-3 times a week (the more the better) whether it is through dynamic stretching, yoga, or any other designated mobility exercises.

Zone 2 cardio: In fitness, there are 5 different heart rate zones. These zones are broken up into percentage ranges of your max heart rate based on your age. The bullet points below break down the various zones according to The American College of Sports Medicine.

• Zone 1 (recovery/easy) <57% HR max

• Zone 2 (aerobic/base) 57-63% HR max

• Zone 3 (tempo) 64-76% HR max

• Zone 4 (lactate threshold) 77-95% HR max

• Zone 5 (anaerobic) 95%-maximum HR max and above

Zone 2 can be described as “a pace that you can sustain for a long period of time”. It helps build your VO2Max, decrease blood pressure, improve insulin resistance, and much more. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D. recommends performing any zone 2 exercise such as running, biking, swimming, and so on… for at least a 30-minute duration. He also recommends that you get at least 180-200 minutes of zone 2 cardio per week.

Resistance training: Resistance training involves using external resistance, such as free weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises, to help strengthen and build muscle. By increasing strength and muscle density, you can better protect your joints, increase bone density, increase muscle-to-fat ratio, and can even boost your stamina. Huberman's protocol usually consists of 50-60 minute resistance training sessions about 3 times per week. It’s important to train all major muscle groups, since neglecting just one can lead to muscle imbalance, thereby increasing the risk of injury.

Don’t neglect these either:

While exercise is important, it is not the only aspect of our health that we need to focus on. Sleep and nutrition are two extremely important pillars you also need to prioritize. Getting quality sleep leads to improved workout performance, and when you pair it with a healthy diet, you maximize the benefits.

When combining these two elements with mobility stretching, zone 2 training, and resistance training, you're only doing yourself a favor. keep pushing and stay consistent! We hope you learned something new today!