Hello and welcome to 4-Minute Friday where I share, in four minutes or less, the latest things I’m doing to enhance my health, save money, and make day-to-day life easier and more enjoyable.
All comments and follow-up questions can be posted directly below, on my Facebook page or emailed to me at zach.griffith1@gmail.com!
Taking Advantage of Lunch Break:
I’m currently on a clinical rotation working over 40 hours a week on top of a lengthy commute; time is ever of the essence.
And as someone who enjoys exercise and mid-day physical activity, this has come as a challenge to me.
However, I’ve discovered that my lunch break is a perfect opportunity to squeeze these activities in.
Repeating myself, movement following meals leads to a whole gamut of positive benefits including improved digestion, blood sugar control, and prevents that post-meal crash we often get after lunch.
Even more, you’re contributing to your overall caloric output for the day.
Whether it’s taking a lap around the parking lot at your workplace or going to the gym for a quick strength training session, lunch breaks offer a terrific time to prioritize your health and fitness… for those that are fortunate enough to get one.
I’ve noticed a couple of things as I’ve started leveraging my lunch break in this way.
A mid-day workout makes the day seem much longer and frees up evening time to spend with friends and family rather than rushing to the gym after work, making dinner, showering, and soon after heading to bed.
It also seems to rejuvenate my energy levels and promote a better day of work than if I were to just sit inside and scroll social media after finishing my lunch.
If nothing else, getting outside and eating in the sunshine while taking in some fresh air will serve you more than scarfing down that Hungry-Man frozen dinner while frantically combing over missed emails.
Study I’m Revisiting:
As I combed back through some old notes I’d taken from various podcast episodes and books, there’s one that stuck out to me.
It came from a Mind Pump episode where host Sal Di Stefano discussed a very intriguing result of a study examining Blue Zones – the areas of the world where people live longer than anywhere else by quite a large margin.
Blue Zones are a hotbed for research because for obvious reasons, everyone wants to know why these people are living so long.
Is it what they eat?
Are they exercising more than anyone else?
Do they live perfect alcohol and tobacco-free lifestyles?
While the inhabitants do seem to practice healthy living in these zones, nothing in particular overlaps between all of them other than one key attribute.
High-quality social relationships.
These so-called Blue Zones are family-oriented and prioritize community deeply.
And as we all know, studies investigating the impact that quality social relationships have on our health clearly align with this being an upmost longevity tactic.
Being more integrated socially leads to decreased physiological dysregulation, especially during adolescence.
Social isolation leads to an incredibly increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, and overall inflammatory load.
Having high-quality social relationships is a must.
This doesn’t mean you have to have lots of them but look around and investigate who’s in your immediate circle.
Take the time and effort to build these relationships.
Best case, it could add years to your life.
Worst case, the years you live will be more enjoyable.
What I’m Rethinking:
Building directly on the above, I’ve been doing a lot of contemplation on screen use… especially time spent on social media.
With already limited hours in the day to interact socially because of our busy work schedules and life commitments, it’s silly to me that we spend so much of the available time we do get on a 6x3 inch device in our hand.
Looking around restaurants, airports, and other public venues nowadays is a heart wrenching sight.
It’s a mainstay to see a family gathered in a restaurant booth with Mom playing Candy Crush, Dad building out his fantasy baseball team, and the four-year old twins entangled on their iPads invested in the newest attention trap app designed to keep children occupied.
And, I’ll be the first to raise my hand and say that I fall victim of it all-too-often as well.
Which is why I’ve started looking at my screen time data a little closer and making it a priority to put away my phone in social interactions.
Just some food for thought.
What else?
Summer is treading on the doorstep… if you’re looking to overhaul (or start) your fitness routine, shoot me an email! I currently have availability for personal training clients. I’d be happy to jump on a call for a free consult!
I’ll be releasing a new post next week about red meat… the good, the bad, and recommendations based on scientific literature. With so much confusion these days, I’m hoping to bring clarity to the subject.
Unplug a little more technologically and plug in a little more socially.
Buy some Barbell Apparel fitness clothing through my link here!
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DISCLAIMER
- This is NOT Medical advice. Consult your medical professional before starting any supplement, diet regimen, or workout program.