The Zack Arnold Podcast

It's no secret: Sitting all day just plain sucks. But when working an intensely creative job for long hours, what other options do you have? The good news is there are now TONS of options, and if you're not sure where to start, this episode is your first step.If you have any interest in leveling up your energy, your focus, your mental stamina (and possibly even saving your life), you'll want to listen to this conversation with my guest Dr. Kelly Starrett, author of the New York Times bestseller ‘Becoming a Supple Leopard,' which has revolutionized how coaches, athletes, and everyday humans approach movement and athletic performance. He is also author of the book 'Deskbound: Standing Up to a Sitting World,' as well as the co-founder of San Francisco Crossfit and MobilityWOD.com where he shares his innovative approach to movement, mechanics, and mobility. He works with elite Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, as well as players from the NFL, NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball.To put it simply, Kelly is as badass as it gets, and I consider one of my greater accomplishments in life getting this guy in front of a mic to chat with me for an hour (even if his wife did choose to do the dishes in the background for a few minutes).In this episode we talk about Kelly’s book Deskbound and really dig deep into the science behind what’s happening to our bodies when we sit for too long, but more importantly we talk about ways you can change your environment to become more active and create what he calls a ‘movement rich space.’ If you have any interest in escaping your desk chair, this episode is the place to start.Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeHere's What You'll Learn:Why even professional athletes need lifestyle coachingPrioritizing your health by shaping your environmentThe adverse effects of living a sedentary lifestylePrioritizing movement above just sitting or standingHow sitting affects your physiologyFocusing on problems in function rather than responding to painKelly's guidelines for mobility and designing your environment to facilitate your healthLeaning to perform basic physical maintenance on yourselfAvoiding pointless trips to the chiropractorContract/Relax exercise cyclesThe importance of consistent exercise over extreme workoutsEnhancing your soft tissues with ten minutes of exercise a dayEasy ways to stay metabolically active at your desk jobUseful Resources Mentioned:Athletic GreensMobilityWOD.comOur Generous Sponsors:This episode is made possible by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone interested in moving more at their height-adjustable workstation. Listen, standing desks are only great if you’re standing well, otherwise you’re constantly fighting fatigue and chronic pain. Not like any other anti-fatigue mat, the Topo is scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. And they’re really fun and a great conversation starter.Guest Bio:Dr. Kelly Starrett, DPT, is the author of the New York Times bestseller Becoming a Supple Leopard, which has revolutionized how coaches, athletes, and everyday humans approach movement and athletic performance. Dr. Starrett is a co-founder of San Francisco CrossFit and MobilityWOD.com, where he shares his innovative approach to movement, mechanics, and mobility with coaches and athletes. He travels around the world teaching his wildly popular Movement & Mobility Course and works with elite Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard forces; athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB; and national and world-ranked strength and power athletes. He consults with Olympic teams and universities and is a featured speaker at strength and conditioning conferences worldwide. Dr. Starrett’s work is not limited to coaches and athletes; his methods apply equally well to children, desk jockeys, and anyone dealing with injury and chronic pain. He believes that every human being should know how to move and be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves.Show Credits:This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love!The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

Creativity and mental health issues go together like peanut butter and jelly...or do they? According to the"Mad Genius Paradox," that may not be as true as we think. In the inaugural episode of the Optimize Yourself podcast I dive deep into the connection between creativity and mental health with Dr. Edison de Mello, the founder of the Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine in Santa Monica, CA. Dr. D is one of the foremost experts in the country in integrative medicine and is literally one of the people who wrote the book on becoming board certified in this field. He is also the reason I’m still alive today, which you’ll learn more about more in this episode. Being a self-proclaimed workaholic I’ve fought my share of depression and burnout for two decades now, and it was very important to me for Dr. de Mello to be my first guest because I’ve discovered how rampant mental health issues are in creative fields like mine, and more importantly how difficult it is for people to reach out and ask for help because of all the stigmas that come with depression and burnout. If you’ve ever felt like you’re broken, weak, or that there’s something wrong with you, I ask you to please reconsider after listening to this conversation, because you are none of those things. Not only are you not broken or weak, if you work in a creative industry, what you are experiencing is not the exception, it’s most likely the rule. Dr. D. and I are going to help you understand what you are battling both emotionally and biologically, and more importantly, the steps you can take to get better for the long term. Balancing yourself is a fundamental component of the Optimize Yourself program, and I hope this episode helps you find some balance in your own life.Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeHere's What You'll Learn:The complex relationship between creativity and mental healthHow to become the most authentic version of yourselfEliminating the stigma of depressionThe life-saving work of Dr. Edison de MelloThe cyclical nature of depression and anxietyCultivating an awareness of your body’s stress languageThe danger of placing identity within workHow you can take ownership of your wellness and rewrite your storyThe interpersonal importance of bodily careYou can measure depression and anxiety no different than diabetesDepression’s physiological influencesFighting narratives of brokenness and weaknessHow to have a productive relationship with your practitionerFinding a doctor that gets to know you before he gets to know your symptomsCircadian rhythms and hormonal optimizationUseful Resources Mentioned:The Akasha Center For Integrative MedicineAkasha Naturals Supplements StoreOur Generous Sponsors:This episode is made possible by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone interested in moving more at their height-adjustable workstation. Listen, standing desks are only great if you’re standing well, otherwise you’re constantly fighting fatigue and chronic pain. Not like any other anti-fatigue mat, the Topo is scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. And they’re really fun and a great conversation starter.Guest Bio:   Edison de Mello, MD, PhD, is a board certified Integrative Physician by the American Board of Integrative Medicine and a licensed psychotherapist by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. He practiced psychotherapy for 13 years before entering medical training and now practices and teaches evidenced- based integrative medicine. Dr. de Mello’s PhD dissertation, entitled “Gut Feelings – A Psychosocial Approach to Gastrointestinal Illness,” inspired his conception of a center where psychology would be combined and fully integrated with Western and Eastern medicines. The de Mello Institute was formed in 1996 with the goal of employing safe and complementary approaches to healthcare while also addressing a person’s emotional and spiritual health. Fully committed to these goals, Dr. de Mello entered residency in 1999 at the prestigious Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center Urban Family Residency program in New York City, including training at the Manhattan-based Center for Health and Healing. His training utilized a biopsychosocial model and offered innovative experiences in the integration of complementary medicine into the practice of Family Medicine. Upon completing his medical training, Dr. de Mello expanded the de Mello Institute and founded the Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine. The Akasha Center on Facebook The Akasha Center on TwitterShow Credits:This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love! The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

If you're a "creative professional" the chances are extremely high that you live in the dark. As a film editor, I have to spend all day in a dark room...it's just a requirement of the job. And while many people in my profession like to joke about occasionally exposing themselves to that "funny glowing ball in the sky," there's nothing funny about the long term effects of not getting enough exposure to light (anxiety, depression, and burnout being on the short list). But if your career requires you to live inside a dark room all the time, there's nothing that can be done, right? Not so fast. Thanks to a new light therapy device called The "HumanCharger" (use the coupon code 'OPTIMIZE' for 20% OFF), even if you have no opportunity to get outside during daylight hours you can still reap the mental and physical benefits you would receive from exposure to the sun....but in 12 minutes a day via...earbuds? Yes, the HumanCharger is a device no larger than an iPod Nano, but rather than emitting sound, the earbuds emit full spectrum UV-free white light that is absorbed by photo-sensitive proteins in your brain. No,  this isn't the future - intracranial light therapy...is real. In the interest of full disclosure and transparency, this is a VERY new science and much is unknown about why this treatment works (and if it does even work at all). But when it comes to anything that could improve my well-being while stuck in a dark room, I'm happy to be an early adopter knowing there is little downside with tremendous potential for upside, assuming this device and type of light therapy are truly legit. DOES THIS THING ACTUALLY WORK? I'll admit I was über skeptical when I first discovered this device, and frankly I thought it could just be a scam. But given that I discovered it from one of my most trusted health & biohacking resources Ben Greenfield who swears by his HumanCharger, I figured if I gave it a try the worst that would happen is it totally sucked (or my brain would melt...but that was a remote possibility). However, if it actually lived up to its promise of improving energy levels, increasing mental alertness, and lifting mood by simply using it 12 minutes a day in the morning, the best thing that would happen is finally having a solution to my desperate need for more sunlight during the day. And since I wasn't required to ingest anything, even if it was just the placebo effect, who cares? I would still feel better. Given that I was about to begin a two month long marathon editing a tv pilot for 12+ hours every day in a windowless room, I decided to take a chance and test out the HumanCharger for 4 weeks, and  convinced my tech advisor and fellow editor Adam Bedford to test it out as well. According to Adam, "My first impression was that it was just a weird looking iPod. I thought it played soothing sounds. Imagine my surprise when the earbuds lit up!" After using it every 3 hours between 7am and 8pm (each session is 12 minutes) for 30 days, Adam's initial reaction was a slight increase in focus and energy which lasted for about an hour or so. But after the end of week two, Adam said: "My energy levels had risen considerably along with my ability to focus. Overall I felt a lot calmer the second week and the energy boost after each session lasted longer." Once the 30 day trial period was complete and Adam stopped using the device he said he didn't experience any withdrawal symptoms, but what he did notice was how different he felt when he didn't use the device consistently. "My sleep had improved from 5-6 hours per night to 7-8 hours during the 4 week test, but shortly after finishing my 30 days I was back to 5-6 hours per night." As far as my own experience, I'll admit I picked a very bad time to test this device without other external variables having an effect on the outcome. I was making significant changes to my diet and exercise routines, I was also battling a major case of depression, anxiety, and burnout (which I'll post more about soon). To say the effects I felt from using the device consistently for 8 weeks were solely from the HumanCharger would be irresponsible. But in short, I too noticed a slight increase in focus during the day and lessened effects of anxiety. I also felt much more aware of the time of day despite not seeing windows or the outside world for entire days on end. Here's what I can say definitively about this device that BLEW ME AWAY. My circadian rhythm shifted drastically over the course of using it upon waking every morning for just 4 weeks. I've never been a morning person...ever (ask my parents or my wife). For my entire life I've found it nearly impossible to wake up before 8am without constantly hitting the snooze button. Now that I use the HumanCharger every morning when I do my morning meditation, I wake up energized (without any alarm clock at all) at 5:30am. That's not a typo...I now wake up refreshed at 5:30 am every morning...without an alarm. There is no way that's just a placebo effect. And the effect has stuck for months. LISTEN TO LEARN MORE If you'd like to learn more about why this device was invented and how intracranial light therapy works, listen to my podcast interview with Timo Ahopelto and make your own judgment (scroll to the top of this page to listen directly in this browser tab). Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One? » Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode Here's What You'll Learn: Finland’s struggle with natural light, especially in the winter months (and how it inspired the invention of the HumanCharger) The science behind 'Intracranial Light Therapy' Exposure to sunlight and its effects on your mood How a lack of sunlight can cause food cravings (especially for junk) Some basic science behind circadian rhythms and hormonal balance Taking 'Seasonal Affective Disorder' seriously Jet lag’s relationship to sleep and the sun How the HumanCharger can eliminate your morning exhaustion Using the HumanCharger to reverse the negative effects of shift work (i.e. working late at night) Useful Resources Mentioned: Purchase the HumanCharger (use the coupon code 'OPTIMIZE' for 20% OFF) Leave a review for the 'Optimize Yourself' podcast to WIN a HumanCharger Learn more about the 'Move Yourself' program Lifeline Ventures Guest Bio: Timo Ahopelto, founding partner at Lifeline Ventures as well as an executive board member at Valkee (the company that makes the HumanCharger) has worked in several industries, ranging from biotech to apps, digital media and process technology. He earned his entrepreneur MBA from CRF Health, a software and services company that he co-founded, developed into a global market leader and successfully exited in 2015. Timo’s free time flies with family, ice hockey, iron and in Lapland skiing-hikes. Show Credits: This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love! The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet). Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

The standing desk revolution is upon us, but the number one complaint I hear from those who convert is that the transition is painful, and standing for long periods of time can get uncomfortable very quickly. After years of searching for a solution for myself, I have finally solved these problems thanks to the Topo Mat. This is the best anti-fatigue mat I've ever used. It's literally like a playground for your feet! In this bonus podcast episode I have re-released my in-depth conversation with Kit Perkins and Ryan Feeley, the designers of the Topo mat and the CEO and CTO, respectively, of ErgoDriven. We talk about the inspiration for creating the Topo mat, why it isn't just another anti-fatigue mat, and how it promotes more activity throughout the day (and alleviates the pains associated with chronic standing). Note: This interview was originally recorded right after I first tested my Topo Mat (and you'll see very quickly that I didn't even know how to properly pronounce it yet!). Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One? » Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode Here's What You'll Learn: Kit and Ryan's respective backgrounds as engineers Your body as a machine On their passion for changing the standing workstation Where did Topo originally come from? Why a standing workstation should promote movement but usually doesn't (unless you know how to do it correctly) The research phase and how the product was designed Standing can cause just as many health problems as sitting Movement is essential! The prototype phase and how the Topo mat came to be Testing Topo on the masses (video: Flat mat vs. Topo) How the design of Topo keeps you moving and helps promote good posture The issues with standard anti-fatigue mats The half-sphere in the middle...what the heck is it and what do you do with it? The texture of the mat and what they are improving in the future How we started sitting so much and what it is doing to our health You need a good sitting to standing transition plan (Here's a great place to start) How do I start using Topo? Stand on it and see what happens next...you'll be hooked! Useful Resources Mentioned: Learn more about the 'Move Yourself' program Purchase your Topo Mat Leave a review of the 'Optimize Yourself' podcast to WIN a Topo Mat QuittingSitting.com Vascular Hemodynamics for Dummies The Standing Desk Calculator The Topo Blog Move Your DNA by Katy Bowman How Is Sitting Bad For You? Guest Bios: Kit Perkins | CEO Kit is a mechanical engineer by degree, and a self-taught entrepreneur, growth hacker, and web developer. With a strong interest in human design and its implications to guide his thirst for knowledge and get-stuff-done mentality, Kit is determined to make the world a healthier, more productive place for everyone. Ryan Feeley | CTO Ryan has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley. As a brilliant engineer and burgeoning scientist, Ryan leads product development and validation. On the weekends, you can find him sprinting barefoot and shirtless in his local parks, with myriad home-brew sensors quantifying his body. Show Credits: This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Jakin Rintelman. Special thanks to Krystle Penhall and Sarah Furie for helping to spread the love! The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet). Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content

Welcome to Optimize Yourself! If you’re a first-time listener, I’m grateful to have you with me and I appreciate you taking a little bit of time out of your crazy day to focus on finding a little balance and sanity amidst the chaos of 21st century living. And if you’re a longtime listener of my previous podcast Fitness In Post, welcome back. If you enjoy this introductory episode and you’re excited to learn more, I invite you to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or whatever app you listen with because I have a ton of interviews and free content coming your way. » Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode This introductory episode is a reading of my blog post titled 'The Beginner's Guide to Optimizing Yourself.' I provide these blog readings for you because they give you a great excuse to step away from your workstation for 15 minutes and take a walking break to recover from the craziness of your job while also enriching your mind. If you’d like to learn more about how to effortlessly develop the habit of being more active during your busy day without needing extra time, download my FREE 'Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Creativity' and I'll also send you 6 free training and activity videos to keep you energized, focused, and pain-free at your desk all day long. I'm so happy you found me today. Now let's start designing the optimized version of you. Be well. Zack Arnold  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content