👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #183 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):
🧠 Instant installs
A couple months ago I installed a habit almost instantly.
With one decision.
We've likely all heard this classic James Clear lasting habit formation idea before:
Habits stick when you become the type of person who does (or doesn't do) the thing.
Identity over willpower.
His approach to do this is:
- ⏱️ Start with small, achievable actions
- 🧱 Build evidence that's the type of person you are
- 🏠 Over time, you collect enough evidence that you believe that's who you are now
- 🎯 It sticks
Very science-based. Very valid.
But there’s another approach that's been working for me.
Here's how I found it...
I know how important post-training down-regulation is after training. To signal to the body that stress is over.
Slow breathing. Shift into parasympathetic. Tell the nervous system we’re safe.
But I've never been consistent with it.
A couple months ago, I noticed myself going to skip it again.
And instead of thinking, “should I do it?"...
I thought:
Am I the type of person who does it?
Is that who I am?
And something clicked.
(the answer was yes btw)
Now I don’t debate it. Or re-decide each session. Or let motivation or time decide for me.
It’s just how I finish training.
That’s the weird power of identity.
Sometimes you can ask the question once. Really sit with it. Decide.
And the behaviour locks in.
Will I need to remind myself again one day? Probably.
But it’s one of the most powerful questions I've started asking myself.
⌚️ Wearable hormone tracker
Clair is a wrist-wearable hormone tracker.
Targeted to women, it uses biosensors and AI to translate body data into insights about your cycle, mood, energy, and fertility.
I like how it can give averages, patterns and trends that bloodwork doesn't. Moving from snapshot biology to streaming biology. From static to dynamic.
Though it is predictive. So not as accurate as bloods. They reckon between about 84-97% depending on the metric.
So I don't think this kind of tech will replace bloodwork in the next 5-10 years.
Maybe just how we use it...
Wearable hormone trackers will be proactive tools to note trends.
Then bloodwork can validate it.
More informed decisions on our health. Bueno.
➕ The 7+1 Rule
I do enjoy a rule.
It often helps make science practical.
The 7+1 rule is a sleep one. And it's based on a shit-tonne of research.
- 🛌 Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night
- ⏰ And fall asleep within a 1-hour window of your usual bedtime
- 📅 Most of the time
The whole paper is a good read. Can check it out here.
That's it!
Have a great weekend 🤙
Matt
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The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service nor a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information shared in this email is general and written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.
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