MOFO Mission #9: Slow Down and Reclaim the Lost Art of Downtime (Breather Episode with Brad)

Oct 9, 2020

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Learning how to really slow down and reclaim the lost art of down time is not just something you do for fun and enjoyment, but something that actually greatly affects the state of your health.

Yes, taking time to socialize or to take an after-dinner stroll, making your easy workouts easier, and integrating temperature therapy and foam rolling are all effective activities to boost

Assignments:

1. Recovery-based training utilizes a different philosophy than ‘consistent’ miles or appearances at the gym. Use intuition and push when you are pumped, and back off when flat. Leave some juice in your tank at all times! Check out my show with Craig Marker to learn about HIIT vs HIRT and why going less hard = less cell destruction. Remember that muscle soreness is NOT a catalyst for growth. Protein synthesis goes to REPAIR instead of growth, so there is really no need to get sore.

Take easier, easy days (like doing a positive deadlift on grass or some dynamic stretches).
Increase daily movement as a form of recovery. JFW to increase blood circulation and lymphatic function.
Introduce Rebound workouts. Validated by HRV to speed recovery, this includes: dynamic stretching, mobility/flexibility drills, foam rolling, and deep breathing exercises that boost blood circulation and oxygen delivery without stressing the body.

2. Brain down time from hyperconnectivity

A meditation practice is ideal, or even exercising without a podcast or music!
Set up a morning routine that you can stick to. 84% of people reach for the phone most mornings. Instead, walk the dog, gratitude journal, or do elaborate flexibility/mobility stretches or yoga.
Set aside time for Deep Work periods where you disconnect. (Listen to my Breather show on Cal Newport). The brain gets more tired managing text and email all day! So focus, get it done, and flip the lid closed!

3. Spend Time in Nature

University of Michigan professors, the Kaplans, promote their ‘attention restoration theory’ as a way of recovering from what they call “directed attention fatigue” of non-stop information bombardment of modern times promoting sympathetic dominance and eventually, crankiness and irritableness. Nature allows passive engagement of the senses (take it in), triggers a drop in cortisol, BP and HR. Neuroscience professor Michael Merzenich explains that, “Our attraction to the ocean may derive from its lack of physical markers…. Looking over a calm sea is akin to closing our eyes.” Kaplan’s call for engaging with nature fascination is that, the more grand and spectacular the setting, the greater the fascination. Think: Yosemite, Niagara falls, The Grand Canyon, sailing in the ocean, or simply swimming in Tahoe. Any kind of nature is great; even imagery has been to have effect. Invest in a mini fountain, or get a poster/change your screensaver to a nature based image you’re drawn to.

4. Napping

A 20 minute nap refreshes sodium and potassium pumps in your brain neurons, allowing you to go from literally feeling fried (because the electrical circuitry is depleted) to re-energized.

I’m pro napper through training. I turn on App Rainmaker Pro and I’m gone. I find a quiet or sunny spot, disengage; it’s a ritual. Many say they ‘can’t nap’ but that’s likely because of the environment. Dr. David Dinges, a sleep expert at University of Pennsylvania Medical School whose laboratory studies how sleep affects neurobehavioral, cognitive, immune, inflammatory, endocrine, metabolic, and genetic function, estimates that 15-20 percent of the population are highly sensitive, calling them “closet nappers.” Dr. Sara Mednick, a Harvard-trained psychologist currently studying sleep at UC Riverside, and author of Take A Nap, Change Your Life, estimates that up to 50% of the population is genetically predisposed to napping. If you struggle with napping, go easy on yourself: to start, at first, just disengage, go quiet (even to your car or park bench) and rest your head (the key element of a proper nap), even if you don’t fall asleep.

5. Frequent tech breaks. This is key as we are only capable of peak focus for a cognitive task for 20 minutes.

Take a 1-2 min break every 20 minutes.
5 minute movements every hour. I’ve been doing 30 push ups, 10 pullups, 20 and squats since Covid and am in the best shape ever!
Do whatever you can to engage the brain differently. Maybe that’s wastebasket hoops, indoor putts, using an outside slackline, chipshot, or other micro-workouts.
Take one major mid-day break.
Wind down away from the screen in the evenings.

6. Mindfulness practices: consider taking formal classes to learn Tai chi, yoga, and meditation (you can also use apps). Write down lists of what you’re grateful for and appreciate in your life in a journal.

7. Temperature therapy: Saunas promote instant relaxation while a cold plunge gives a rebound response. Contrast therapy is also awesome. Mark Sisson goes in the sauna for 10 minutes, then goes 5-7 in the cold, then 5 minutes in the spa. I go back and forth in the winter between my mom’s pool (54F!) and the sauna (104F!), and always end up feeling completely relaxed.

TIMESTAMPS:

MOFO mission number nine is slow down and reclaim the lost art of down time. [01:58]

Focus your training around recovery rather than recovery as an afterthought. [02:47]

Pay attention to your intuition. [03:22]

You should not be sore after workouts. [06:09]

Take an easy day. Remember to think of your MAF heart rate. [07:47]

Even walking, you will increase your blood circulation and boost your lymphatic function. [09:56]

The effectiveness of rebound workouts to actually to speed recovery in comparison to total rest has been validated. [12:13]

Your rest and downtime includes teaching your brain to be quiet. [15:01]

Develop a winning morning routine. Organize your day. [15:54]

Spend time in nature. [18:50]

Don’t underestimate the importance of napping. [22:08]

Be kind to your eyes. [25:55]

Get up and move for five minutes every hour to maintain brain metabolism. [27:34]

Give yourself a nice wind down period in the evening where you are away from screens. [30:42]

Practicing Mindfulness helps to reduce stress and anxiety. [31:35]

Brad is a great enthusiast for temperature therapy. [32:46]

Brad summarizes the points of MOFO Mission number 9. [35:18]

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