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Time, Pleasure, Walking, and Pain




I originally titled this "Strong Like Bull" and planned on a deep dive into strength training and exercising for Gen X. I had a whole introduction paragraph I just deleted. Why? Because as I write sometimes it becomes something else. You have to keep writing and see what you get, sometimes it's amazing and sometimes it's not and needs work. I love to write, however I need practice. I have a lot of thoughts and organizing them can become a chore. So I have found the best way to get writing done is to do it. Sometimes, that is not as easy as it seems. See writing demands time and discipline. It also does not yield immediate results. Does this sound familiar? (See: Mobility, Stability, Strength, Metabolic Conditioning, Nutrition, Sleep, Etc.)


Most of us in my generation have kids, are married or have been married, are well into our careers, or possibly changing careers. You might even be close to an empty nest at this point! If you are one of the hard-working lucky ones you might be retiring early. The point is that we have a lot of stuff going on in our lives. So time is always the excuse. I get it. It's stressful having a full-time career, a family, running a household, etc. Now where is the time to focus on our health and wellness?


Time And Pleasure


Let's dissect what we WILL make time for. This is just one example of where to look. But it is an example everyone can relate to. Look at your phone timers. Pull them out now and see what your timers tell you about how long you are on your phone for "entertainment" (not for work). If there is more than 1 hour daily you spend mindlessly scrolling then you have time. Period. I know I waste a LOT of time on my phone. I have to delete apps when I am done using them to prevent that due to impulse control and my constant search for dopamine. You must understand that every screen we encounter is meticulously designed to capture and keep our attention like a hypnosis machine spinning white and black circles, telling you to keep staring at it. The small reward systems they have in place give us that subtle hit of dopamine. i.e. likes, hearts, "rewards", badges, etc. Everything is there to keep your eyes on that screen/app for as long as possible. Tiny hits of warm embrace for your brain. Your attention and personal data are the two most sought-after "commodities" in our modern world. I am vying for it right now, your attention that is.


Dopamine is a complicated molecule, but most of us understand it as the "feel-good" hormone. It gives us a sense of pleasure and motivation to do something when feeling that pleasure.


So how does dopamine relate to our health? A better question is how does dopamine relate to the health of our world?


Here is how: "Seventy percent of world global deaths are attributable to modifiable behavioral risk factors like smoking, physical inactivity, and diet. The leading global risks for mortality are high blood pressure (13 percent), tobacco use (9 percent), high blood sugar (6 percent), physical inactivity (6 percent), and obesity (5 percent). In 2013, an estimated 2.1 billion adults were overweight, compared with 857 million in 1980. There are now more people worldwide, except in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, who are obese than who are underweight."


Lembke, Anna. Dopamine Nation (p. 29). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.


These statistics are staggering. Take in mind these are worldwide statistics. The numbers worsen if we localize it to just the United States.


But Jared, the "modifiable behavioral risks" are not ALL dopamine-related. Physical inactivity has spiked since the invention of the smartphone, and the undeniable data on pre- and post-social media, especially for our youth, is also staggering. Below is just a small sample of depression rates.


Food and eating are also dopamine delivery systems. We have highly palatable, high-calorie, sugary, cheap, and convenient food options marketed to us daily. So, in short, your phone, computer, tablet, screens, and the food most of our country consumes, including our children are dopamine delivery systems that correlate to physical inactivity. The neverending search for pleasure.

But, I digress.


Back to TIME. That's our number one excuse for fitness, health, and wellness. Did you check those timers on your phone? Check them. If you are reading this on your phone, I apologize but hopefully, this is informational and entertaining. Plus, you are reading and reading is good for you. Did you find that hour? 30 minutes? 20 minutes? Shit, how about 15 minutes? I know you found some time. It doesn't matter how much, it's just how you use it.


Walking


The point of all of this rambling is we waste a lot of time chasing pleasure killing ourselves just a bit faster every day versus just going for a walk. We have zero excuses for not trying one small 20-minute walk to help us all live longer.


Did you know walking 2.5 hours a week will lower your risk of heart disease by 30% or more? That is 21 minutes a day on average. Not to mention it lowers your risk for cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cognitive health decline. It also has been shown to have many positive effects on mental health as well, especially decreasing depression and mood elevation.


A University of Utah study in 2014 found that for every minute of brisk walking that women did throughout the day, they lowered their risk of obesity by 5%. No more “I don’t have time” excuses! - Harvard Health Publishing, https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/walking-for-health


Pro Tip: If you want the most bang for your buck walk after a meal. As little as 2 minutes of muscle movement 60-90 minutes after a meal decreases blood glucose by 30% and a significant drop in insulin levels.


-“The Effect of a Single Bout of Continuous Aerobic Exercise on Glucose, Insulin and Glucagon Concentrations Compared to Resting Conditions in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression” Abstract by A.M. Hammond https://www.levels.com/blog/new-study-shows-immediate-and-lasting-benefits-to-that-post-meal-walk


Published in: Sports Medicine, April 27, 2021


Where: Imperial College London


The most helpful takeaway came in the analysis of the subgroups—specifically fasted versus post-meal. Researchers found that doing any cardio, regardless of intensity, within six hours of eating significantly decreased glucose and insulin levels relative to a resting state. In contrast, there was no significant change in glucose or insulin when exercising in a fasted state. These results were similar across age groups and between men and women.


I could write an entire blog on the positive effects of walking on our overall health. These are all amplified to another level when you choose to go outside for a walk, which should always be your first choice. Throw in a dash of nature and go hiking and the data becomes overwhelmingly positive for our overall health and prevention of disease. The by-product is what everyone wants to focus on, weight loss, but that short walk will boost your mental health long after you are done.


Pro Tip: The scale is a measuring tool for weight. It's not the best tool for your health. Stay tuned for my next blog for more information on this.


Jared, don't you agree strength training is the most important part of movement? The short answer is, YES! However, walking may be your first step (pun intended) to healthy habit forming. In fact, for my beginners, we always start there. I always prescribe it for every client, but when building habits we start here. Walk with a purpose, briskly. If you can only do 5 minutes then start there. Just start. See below.


Here is the protocol:

Days 1-14

Target goal: 3 x's a Week

Target Time: 30 total minutes

(5 minute walks with a purpose 6 times that day)

(Three 10-minute walks with a purpose)


Days 14-30

Target Goal: 4-5 x's a Week

Target Time: 35-45 minutes

35 minutes is the minimum goal with a "stretch goal" of 45 minutes

Same as above cumulative for that day you choose


Days 30-45

Target Goal: 4-5 x's Week

Target Time: 40-45 minutes Non-stop


Pain


We’re all running from pain. Some of us take pills. Some of us couch-surf while binge-watching Netflix. Some of us read romance novels. We’ll do almost anything to distract ourselves from ourselves. Yet all this trying to insulate ourselves from pain seems only to have made our pain worse.


Lembke, Anna. Dopamine Nation (p. 44). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.


Pain is an interesting thing. In our modern society, you can find pain relief almost instantly from something. How often do you take pain relievers like Tylenol or Advil? What about prescriptions, how many do you have that "treat" a pain? Anxiety, depression, a bad back, ADHD, a nagging injury, etc. The explosion of prescription medications for pain and disorders has skyrocketed in the last 15 years. So have obesity rates and of course addiction. Weird.


So why can't we be in pain without instant relief? After reading research and several books on addiction, pain, and most notably "Dopamine Nation" by Dr. Anna Lembke, I can now see the relationship pleasure and pain have with each other. The relationship is eye-opening. Dr. Lembke puts into perspective the challenges of navigating our modern world.


Science teaches us that every pleasure exacts a price, and the pain that follows is longer lasting and more intense than the pleasure that gave rise to it. With prolonged and repeated exposure to pleasurable stimuli, our capacity to tolerate pain decreases, and our threshold for experiencing pleasure increases.


Lembke, Anna. Dopamine Nation (p. 66). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.


What does that mean? Focus on the word, tolerate. We are building up a tolerance to pleasure and lowering our pain tolerance.


But herein lies the problem. Human beings, the ultimate seekers, have responded too well to the challenge of pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. As a result, we’ve transformed the world from a place of scarcity to a place of overwhelming abundance.


Lembke, Anna. Dopamine Nation (p. 67). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.


I find this very important to think about, especially with our children. My son plays video games. You probably have a child that has a tablet or phone. Think about their behavior around that device. We now know how much science goes into developing the games, apps, and the devices themselves. They are specifically designed to "reward your brain" in a myriad of different ways to keep you and your children engaged for as long as possible, see social media platforms. How many times have you realized how much time you just wasted doom scrolling through videos? I have to check myself daily sometimes!


When we set them up with this abundance of screen time to "pacify" them at early ages, their use and behavior when they graduate to smartphones and social media will inherently cause mental health issues in most cases. Some of the newest research and data is showing behavior and mental health issues at much earlier ages and there is a strong correlation to tablet/phone use. Here are some stats on phone and social media use as it relates to just depression. (note anxiety and other mental health problems are more prevalent and exacerbated as well)


The rise of smartphones and social media has been linked to an increase in depression rates among youth. Here’s a summary of the trends:

Pre-Smartphone Era (Before 2010)

Post-Smartphone Era (2010 and Beyond)

The correlation between increased smartphone use and rising depression rates suggests that while smartphones offer many benefits, their impact on mental health, especially among teens, is significant and warrants careful consideration.        



Here is a scenario I see a lot. If you get offended because this is you then forgive me. I am not a perfect parent. But I do want to be better and want to help you do the same. The setting is the grocery store, an emporium of wonderment for a child. This can also be one of the best places to teach children of all ages a million different things. Social skills, discipline, nutrition, money, independence, cooking, etc. are just a few. A child in a cart with a tablet and headphones on, (disclaimer if there are sensory issues, autism, etc. I understand but also don't support it) learns nothing more than to get rewarded over and over again with the use of the tablet and then the micro dopamine (pleasure) hits from the games or videos. Moments with our children are precious. You can never get them back. Try to make the best use of them. Make it more fun, it might be for you too.


But Jared my child will not behave, go to sleep (that's a whole topic for itself), want to go somewhere, etc without said device. I know. They are addicted to it. You will have to be a parent and change their behavior. You can do it. I promise. You helped create it. I will leave you with this last passage on dopamine, pleasure, and pain.


Our brains are not evolved for this world of plenty. As Dr. Tom Finucane, who studies diabetes in the setting of chronic sedentary feeding, said, “We are cacti in the rain forest.” And like cacti adapted to an arid climate, we are drowning in dopamine. The net effect is that we now need more reward to feel pleasure, and less injury to feel pain. This recalibration is occurring not just at the level of the individual but also at the level of nations. Which invites the question: How do we survive and thrive in this new ecosystem? How do we raise our children? What new ways of thinking and acting will be required of us as denizens of the twenty-first century?


Lembke, Anna. Dopamine Nation (p. 67). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.


As I try to navigate parenting in this technology age and see the ever-increasing challenges as my children get older I want to do my best and provide as much information as I can to other parents. We are not perfect parents. However, I feel we must be more proactive if we want future generations to change for the better. I hope you can now understand how technology has affected our tolerance, or lack thereof, for pain.



 
 
 

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