There is what I call the trinity of vitality. It’s exercise, nutrition and recovery. Exercise is simply about first thing in the morning for 20 minutes, starting to sweat. That will release dopamine, the drive neurotransmitter. It will release serotonin, the pleasure neurochemical, so you feel happy and it will reduce cortisol, the fear hormone. Exercising first thing in the morning by sweating, releasing BDNF brain drive neurotrophic factor also promotes neurogenesis. So when you sweat in the morning, you don’t only release dopamine and serotonin and release cortisol, which is highest in the morning, but you release this chemical in the brain called BDNF.
Researchers have found that BDNF accelerates your learning processing through the day. Researchers have found that BDNF promotes neurogenesis. You know what neurogenesis is? In the past they said, well, if your brain cells die, you’re done. Neurogenesis is actually the growth and repair of brain cells. So sweating in the morning and releasing BDNF, you actually develop new brain cells, you build stronger
processing circuits, and you repair brain cells damaged by stress the day before.
Then related to this first element of the trinity of vitality exercise, don’t only exercise first thing in the morning. Exercise at the end of your day. I call that the second wind workout. Why would you do that? Because then in the afternoon you go for a nature walk, you go for a mountain bike ride, you go for a swim, you go for a yoga class, you do burpees, you do sit-ups, you do planks. What happens? Again, you amp up your metabolic rate, you reduce your body fat, you oxygenate your body, and again, you release dopamine, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So get your exercise right and your life will get to a completely new level.
After exercise, the second element of the trinity of vitality is your nutrition. Well, it’s really important here. A lot of us exercise and then we have our pizza nights. A lot of us exercise and then we don’t hydrate. A lot of us exercise and then eat foods that are not right for our body type. So on nutrition, here’s what I’d suggest to you. Explore fasting. I mean, the great women and men of the world have been fasters, many of them for a reason. It helps you think more clearly. Caloric restriction helps you live longer according to the latest research. Reduces your blood sugar levels so you’re craving less. If you’re suffering from nighttime cravings, try fasting. You’ll save on your grocery bill and you’ll be much more productive because you’re not getting up every two hours to eat something and then experiencing the exhaustion after your meal. So dial in your nutrition. Related to nutrition, hydration. I mean, most of us are not hydrated well. The latest research is showing water is absolutely important to optimal mitochondrial function. All that means is there is a great relationship between having enough water and having enough energy.
Then the final element of the trinity of vitality, that is recovery and what I’m really talking about here is rest. I mean, more than ever before, I understand that you cannot recover from all the exercise and you cannot recover from a stressful day. Stress isn’t bad. Stress causes us to grow. Think about that. Whoa, stress is bad. No, it’s not. You grow your muscles by stressing your muscles through intense exercise.
You grow your talents by stressing them to the jagged edges of their highest potential. Stress is awesome. A-Players leverage and exploit stress to their advantage. Stress is not bad. Stress is magnificent.
The dangerous element is not recovering from stress. The key element of elite performance is stressing and pushing hard and working intensely, and then recovering. Here’s what I’m really trying to suggest to you, and it’s so foreign in the culture today. Rest, sleep and recovery are not a luxury. They are a necessity. I’ll repeat it again because it’s so absolutely fundamental to you, and it’s so rare in the marketplace and in the world today. Rest, sleep and recovery are not a luxury. They are a necessity. Recovering and sleeping and taking time off to have fun enable your next level of great performance.
What most billionaires I’ve worked with, tell me, “Robin, I can’t take time off to rest more, to nap, to sleep, to get massages, to walk in the woods.” Then I say, “Well study the great geniuses, study the great athletes.” They don’t have show time every day. They show up at the US Open and then they recover. They show up in the NBA season, and then they have their off-season. The great geniuses would work for six hours of writing or painting, and then they would go and long dinner with their friends and a lot of them had nature walks. I mean, a lot of the great creatives and productives walked every day for at least an hour in nature.
So be the healthiest, most vital person that you know and watch what that does to your creativity, productivity, happiness, relationships and radiance out into the world.