Have you heard of this? Every so often a fitness trend shows up on social media with a catchy name, and my first instinct as a coach of 20 years is to roll my eyes. Most of them disappear in a month. This one is different. Japanese walking, also called interval walking training, just had a surge of over 2,900 percent in search interest. That kind of number usually means a gimmick. In this case it means people finally discovered a protocol that has been sitting in the research literature since 2007, developed by exercise scientists at Shinshu University in Japan, and it turns out to genuinely work. Here is exactly what it is, why it works, and how to do it correctly, because the version going viral on social media is usually missing the details that make it effective. What Japanese Walking Actually Is The protocol is simple on the surface. You alternate three minutes of brisk, fast-paced walking with three minutes of slow, easy-paced walking, repeated for a total of 30 minutes, ideally four or more times per week. That is it. No equipment. No gym. No technical skill required. The fast intervals should feel like a 70 to 85 percent effort, noticeably more demanding than your normal walking pace, where conversation becomes difficult. The slow intervals are genuinely easy, recovery pace, where you could comfortably talk. This structure is the entire point, and it is the part most viral versions of this trend leave out. People see "walking" and assume any walking at any pace counts. It does not. The alternating intensity is the mechanism that makes this protocol meaningfully different from a regular walk. If you want to read more about this trend that actually works CLICK HERE to read the full article. It’s a good one :)

Happy fourth yall! I realized a welcome post is long overdue for our newest members and I wanted to welcome these cool people to the group @Terri Hill @Mimi Myers @Mehmetcan Yılmaz @Joshua Tennefrancia @Mónica Rg @Logan Terry @Shauntea B. 💪 Remember to head over to the pinned post at the top of the page to introduce yourselves if you haven’t already😎 I hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend!🇺🇸

Who here likes a nice cup of joe?🙋🏻‍♂️ Quick Answer: Is Coffee Good or Bad for Your Energy? Coffee can improve short-term alertness by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain, but it may also cause energy crashes later due to adenosine buildup, disrupted sleep, and increased cortisol levels. What Is Coffee, Really? Coffee is more than just a morning ritual, it’s a complex mix of over 1,000 bioactive compounds that impact your brain and body. Key components include: - Caffeine – the primary stimulant affecting energy and focus - Chlorogenic acids – antioxidants linked to metabolic health - Polyphenols – compounds that reduce inflammation - Diterpenes – compounds that may influence cholesterol The real driver of coffee’s effects is caffeine – and how it interacts with your brain’s fatigue system. How Caffeine Works in the Brain (Adenosine Explained) To understand coffee’s effect on energy, you need to understand adenosine. What is adenosine? A chemical that builds up in your brain throughout the day. It binds to receptors and creates the feeling of fatigue and sleepiness What caffeine does: Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors. It prevents you from feeling tired. But here’s the catch: 👉 It doesn’t remove adenosine 👉 It just delays the fatigue signal So while you feel energized… your body is still accumulating fatigue in the background. Coffee Benefits: Is Coffee Good for You? When used correctly, coffee can enhance both performance and health. 1. Improves Focus and Mental Clarity Caffeine enhances alertness, reaction time, and cognitive function. 2. Boosts Physical Performance It increases adrenaline and helps mobilize fat for energy. 3. High in Antioxidants Coffee is one of the largest sources of antioxidants in modern diets. 4. May Support Longevity Moderate consumption is associated with reduced risk of: Type 2 diabetes Alzheimer’s disease Parkinson’s disease Coffee Side Effects: Why Coffee Causes Energy Crashes Despite its benefits, coffee can secretly drain your energy when misused.

How bendy are you on a scale of 1-10? I have a golden rule around mobility and staying stretchy throughout your life. For every decade of your life you should have one mobility day. But what is a mobility day or exercise? Mobility is a form of movement that helps you move with more freedom in the gym and outside of the gym or as I like to say, stay bendy. The reason I try to enforce the mobility day per decade of aging is because as we age, our bodies start to lose that strength and elasticity that came so naturally when we were younger. It’s not a bad thing – it's just something to work on with more diligence as you continue to age. So how do we maintain that flexibility as we live these lives of ours? Add some dynamic and static stretching (fluid stretching vs stretching you hold for x amount of time) into your routine. It can be 15 minutes or a full session that is focused solely on that. The old saying of practice makes perfect is true here. The more you work on your mobility, the more flexibility you have, the more strength you can unlock, and the more recovery you can give to yourself after good effort in the gym. Some mobility drills and movements I give my clients are: - Inch worms into a cobra - Worlds greatest stretch - Standing flag pole stretch with a PVC pipe - Prone pinwheels - Ankle dorsi flexion against a wall or on a slanted surface Learning this skill is powerful and can be a great asset to your routine and overall health. Feel free to share any of your favorite bendy movements as well. Let’s see what you got🤸‍♂️

Happy Friday team! Congratulations making it to the end of the week. Got any wins? Share them below! Major win for me: I’m going LIVE tomorrow (Saturday), May 16, 9-11am MT/11-1pm Eastern in the Thrive Community! How to Fix Back Pain, Move Better, and Keep Pain Away for Life Back pain can be crippling, it can steal your workouts, your sleep, your confidence, and the simple freedom to move without fear. Bulletproof Your Spine is a hands-on workshop that teaches you why your back hurts, what keeps pain coming back, and what you can do immediately to take control. You’ll leave with practical pain-relief tools, mobility work, strength strategies, and a simple daily system to help you move better, feel stronger, and keep back pain from running your life. It’ll be streamed online, in @Vasi Smith’s the Thrive Community! You can join below with my 50% affiliate link https://www.skool.com/releasetheweight/about?ref=e57eed8e7140447fb756266b1f7e4a8f You can watch the speakers virtually right here, get the time to join and link in the calendar. Pop in and enjoy :)