I love the idea. What about any explicit linkage back to the dopamine hit that you said you’re after? Would LongFit (tm) have psychologists on staff or monitor dopamine, or sth else what incorporates a client’s baseline mental chemistry and the results of the exercise?
I’m neither a psychologist, nor a therapist, nor a crossfitter, but it seems weird that we say we exercise for both physical and mental health, but we really seem to track only the first of those two.
Surveying clients may be useful. While scores of 'how happy are you' are not revealing on an absolute basis they can be helpful in revealing mental health on a relative basis over time.
Yes, totally agree about this Kevin ... Subjective assessments are insightful to see an individual's trends over time, and also have the positive side effect of boosting self awareness / mindfulness (because they force a person to observe their mental state) ...
Great point Matt ... For me, exercise is as much about mental health as it is about physical health. One challenge with mental health is that it's more difficult to measure in an objective, quantitative, standardized way. For physical health, I can measure my VO2 max, HbA1c, farmer's carry weight, etc. and then exercise to improve these metrics. I can't think of any measurable biomarker for mental health (except potentially measuring cortisol as an indicator of stress), so the measurement would probably need to be some sort of questionnaire measuring happiness / anxiety / depression / etc. As brain measurement and interface improves (including via Elon Musk's Neuralink and Bryan Johnson's Kernel), we should eventually be able to quantify our mental health like we do our physical health today. That said, in the meantime I like the idea of adding mental health data to the LongeFit program (and to have partnerships with awesome therapists to recommend to our members).
As for dopamine, ChatGPT says it's possible to measure via (a) PET scan, (b) small brain probe, and (c) EEG / MEG, done in "research settings by trained professionals". So not easily available at the moment, but presumably Neuralink and Kernel are working on devices that easily measure brain function ... Exciting times!
I think that eventually we will move from wearables (Apple Watch, Whoop, etc.) to "implantables" that provide a wider range of real-time data about what is going on inside our bodies (including our brains). So no need for the probe after every workout ... Just one time (hopefully!) to get the implantable where it needs to be.
Max - are you able to post your favorite resources related to reading and physical activity? Kinda like a Max Wikipedia post?
For example, would enjoy hearing your favorite books within fitness sub-categories such as: Really dense / scientific vs. biographical vs. nonfiction amazing story
Or on physical activity, do you have a morning routine whether related to stretching, bodyweight exercises, caffeine intake, etc. that you have found useful after years of tinkering?
Thanks for the question Kevin! For fitness theory, I took the CrossFit level one in-person course a few years back and found it quite good (https://www.crossfit.com/level-1). I would also recommend the fitness chapters in Attia's book Outlive and on his website / podcast / blog. He's not only a leading doctor but also a serious athlete.
As for my morning routine, it looks roughly like this currently (not to say it's optimal haha):
* 20 minute meditation with the Waking Up app (ideally before checking messages etc. on my phone, which I don't always live up to) ... I've had a love-hate, on-off relationship with meditation for a long time, and just in the past couple of months I've finally started to have a regular practice that I (almost) look forward to and (finally) see some benefits from.
* I try to get in a workout after getting my daughter ready for school. The workout is normally either a class at my CrossFit gym or at our condo gym doing Attia style zone 2 or zone 5 training (I don't do much dedicated stretching and stability work, but Attia's book made me want to do more). Exercise helps to clear my mind and make me more productive at work, so I try to get the workout in before I start work. Ideally I like to do the workout before having anything to eat (to train my body to use stored energy) but I often cheat and have a banana & whey protein shake before working out.
* As for caffeine, I absolutely love it but concluded that unfortunately it is not good for my mental health as it exacerbates anxiety and probably isn't great for my sleep. I've been off it in all forms (coffee, tea, chocolate) for almost 5 months now and plan to have 2023 as a caffeine free year (the withdrawals were not fun but seem to be over now thankfully). When 2024 rolls around I would like to move to enjoying caffeine once in a while as a treat (e.g. no more than 1-2x per month). Caffeine seems to be one of those substances that impacts people very differently, and while it seems to be fine for many people (lucky them!) for me it doesn't have a net positive impact on my wellbeing when I consume it every day (unfortunately given my love for espresso macchiatos, unsweetened matcha lattes, and dark chocolate!). Btw, the Huberman Lab podcast has some good caffeine related content (how to use it most effectively, etc.).
I love the idea. What about any explicit linkage back to the dopamine hit that you said you’re after? Would LongFit (tm) have psychologists on staff or monitor dopamine, or sth else what incorporates a client’s baseline mental chemistry and the results of the exercise?
I’m neither a psychologist, nor a therapist, nor a crossfitter, but it seems weird that we say we exercise for both physical and mental health, but we really seem to track only the first of those two.
Surveying clients may be useful. While scores of 'how happy are you' are not revealing on an absolute basis they can be helpful in revealing mental health on a relative basis over time.
Yes, totally agree about this Kevin ... Subjective assessments are insightful to see an individual's trends over time, and also have the positive side effect of boosting self awareness / mindfulness (because they force a person to observe their mental state) ...
Great point Matt ... For me, exercise is as much about mental health as it is about physical health. One challenge with mental health is that it's more difficult to measure in an objective, quantitative, standardized way. For physical health, I can measure my VO2 max, HbA1c, farmer's carry weight, etc. and then exercise to improve these metrics. I can't think of any measurable biomarker for mental health (except potentially measuring cortisol as an indicator of stress), so the measurement would probably need to be some sort of questionnaire measuring happiness / anxiety / depression / etc. As brain measurement and interface improves (including via Elon Musk's Neuralink and Bryan Johnson's Kernel), we should eventually be able to quantify our mental health like we do our physical health today. That said, in the meantime I like the idea of adding mental health data to the LongeFit program (and to have partnerships with awesome therapists to recommend to our members).
As for dopamine, ChatGPT says it's possible to measure via (a) PET scan, (b) small brain probe, and (c) EEG / MEG, done in "research settings by trained professionals". So not easily available at the moment, but presumably Neuralink and Kernel are working on devices that easily measure brain function ... Exciting times!
Fair point. I’m not sure how many ppl want to top off their workout with a “small brain probe” 😳
I think that eventually we will move from wearables (Apple Watch, Whoop, etc.) to "implantables" that provide a wider range of real-time data about what is going on inside our bodies (including our brains). So no need for the probe after every workout ... Just one time (hopefully!) to get the implantable where it needs to be.
Max - are you able to post your favorite resources related to reading and physical activity? Kinda like a Max Wikipedia post?
For example, would enjoy hearing your favorite books within fitness sub-categories such as: Really dense / scientific vs. biographical vs. nonfiction amazing story
Or on physical activity, do you have a morning routine whether related to stretching, bodyweight exercises, caffeine intake, etc. that you have found useful after years of tinkering?
Thanks for the question Kevin! For fitness theory, I took the CrossFit level one in-person course a few years back and found it quite good (https://www.crossfit.com/level-1). I would also recommend the fitness chapters in Attia's book Outlive and on his website / podcast / blog. He's not only a leading doctor but also a serious athlete.
As for my morning routine, it looks roughly like this currently (not to say it's optimal haha):
* 20 minute meditation with the Waking Up app (ideally before checking messages etc. on my phone, which I don't always live up to) ... I've had a love-hate, on-off relationship with meditation for a long time, and just in the past couple of months I've finally started to have a regular practice that I (almost) look forward to and (finally) see some benefits from.
* I try to get in a workout after getting my daughter ready for school. The workout is normally either a class at my CrossFit gym or at our condo gym doing Attia style zone 2 or zone 5 training (I don't do much dedicated stretching and stability work, but Attia's book made me want to do more). Exercise helps to clear my mind and make me more productive at work, so I try to get the workout in before I start work. Ideally I like to do the workout before having anything to eat (to train my body to use stored energy) but I often cheat and have a banana & whey protein shake before working out.
* As for caffeine, I absolutely love it but concluded that unfortunately it is not good for my mental health as it exacerbates anxiety and probably isn't great for my sleep. I've been off it in all forms (coffee, tea, chocolate) for almost 5 months now and plan to have 2023 as a caffeine free year (the withdrawals were not fun but seem to be over now thankfully). When 2024 rolls around I would like to move to enjoying caffeine once in a while as a treat (e.g. no more than 1-2x per month). Caffeine seems to be one of those substances that impacts people very differently, and while it seems to be fine for many people (lucky them!) for me it doesn't have a net positive impact on my wellbeing when I consume it every day (unfortunately given my love for espresso macchiatos, unsweetened matcha lattes, and dark chocolate!). Btw, the Huberman Lab podcast has some good caffeine related content (how to use it most effectively, etc.).