👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #95 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.
Here are my 3 favourite ideas, learns and resources to help you improve your performance this week (4 min read):
💍 The Oura ring study
A recent study of over 500 Oura ring users found…
For every extra hour of sleep we get, the chances of experiencing moderate-to-high stress decreased by 38%.
No real surprises there.
But how’s this.
They also found…
For every extra breath we take per minute when sleeping, the chances of experiencing moderate-to-high stress increased by 23%.
So if Sonny takes 12 breaths per minute, and Bill takes 13 breaths per minute...
Bill’s chance of experiencing mod-high stress is 23% higher.
(with less than half a second difference per breath!)
So how do we slow our breathing when we’re asleep?
- 🧘 Wind down the nervous system: throughout the day (e.g. tech-free breaks, physiological sighing) and/or before bed (e.g. slow exhale breathing – 4 secs in-8 secs out, hot bath, foam rolling)
- 👃 Nose breathing: Use tools like mouth tape and nose strips to prevent breathing through the mouth. And limit alcohol and ultra-processed foods before bed (can flare up nasal passage)
- 🏃 Improve C02 tolerance: Cardio training, breathing exercises
Control your breath. Control your stress.
🔓 1s unlock 10s
Colin O’Brady is a 10-time world record-breaking explorer.
One of which he claimed by rowing a boat across the Drake Passage (South America to Antarctica).
Yes, a bit tapped.
But he has a nice philosophy on doing hard things…
He says 1s unlock 10s.
1s are when you’re caught in a storm on a small rowing boat somewhere in between South America and Antarctica, vomiting.
10s are the feelings of absolute joy when you step foot on Antarctica after all that.
He reckons most people live between 4 and 6.
Never really experience the highs because they aren’t willing to go to the 1s.
So should we row the Drake passage?
No.
We shouldn’t.
But maybe switch that shower to cold, do an insanely hard session every so often, climb a mountain, or try going to Bunnings without getting a sausage sizzle (kidding, that’s impossible and also not recommended).
Not only might this stuff unlock feelings of 8s, 9s, and 10s...
But they also help us become more resilient.
So we can better manage stress and perform better in work and life.
💪 Complete Fitness Program
Most everyday athletes want some combination of looking better, feeling better, performing better, and adding quality years to their lives.
We also want bang-for-your-buck tools to achieve that.
So I’ve written an 8-week training program for you that ticks all those boxes.
I call it complete fitness training.
So if you lack direction in the gym...
And wanna get strong, fit and supple...
You might find this helpful.
It’s free.
To unlock it:
Scroll to the very bottom of this email and click the "share now" button.
Then you have two options:
- If you like the newsletter, share it with a friend
- If you don’t like it, share it with an enemy
As soon as they sign up, you’ll get an auto email with the program.
Plus, an alarm goes off in my office, my mum calls to congratulate me and I celebrate like I've just slotted the field goal to win State of Origin.
P.s Don’t use that old hotmail account resided for junk 😂 i'm onto you
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
P.s. "Sports are dumb"
Matt
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Want more? Check out the Everday Athlete Toolbox and Elite Sleep Audit
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The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service and is not a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information given in this email is general in nature, written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
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