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 :)

Did you guys know I am not only a coach but also what I like to call a Sleep Sensei? Let me break it down for you. You can be eating clean. You can be training hard. And you can still be stuck, because the variable nobody talks about is the one happening while you are unconscious. For 20 years, clients have come to me convinced their weight loss plateau is a food problem or a willpower problem. Sometimes it is. But more often than people expect, it is a sleep problem. And nobody is talking about it nearly enough, because it does not sell supplements or fit neatly into a 30-day challenge. Sleep is the missing superpower in body composition. Not a nice-to-have. Not something to optimize once the diet and training are dialed in. A foundational, hormone-driving variable that determines whether everything else you are doing actually works. Why Sleep Controls Fat Loss More Than You Think Most people think of weight loss as a calories-in, calories-out equation. That is true at the most basic level. What it misses is that sleep directly shapes both sides of that equation. It changes how many calories you actually burn, and it changes how much you crave, choose, and consume the next day. Skip sleep and you are fighting your own biology in both directions at once. I actually made a full presentation on this for a Skool friend, Vasi and her Thrive community :) If you want to read more and find out why it hits harder after 35 by reading the full article HERE

Have you ever woken up exhausted and confused? You got enough sleep but wonder why you’re still so tired? In this video, I break down the real reasons you feel tired even after a full night of sleep – and how to actually fix it. In this video I cover: - Why “8 hours” doesn’t mean quality sleep - The 5 hidden reasons you wake up drained - How your nervous system affects sleep - Sleep fragmentation & circadian rhythm problems - The biggest mistakes ruining your recovery - A simple 5-step system to fix your sleep starting tonight Most people don’t have a sleep problem… They have a sleep system problem.

Team, happy Monday👍 What a weekend it has been. I was a little MIA because of a summit I was working at but we are back in action and ready to get the week going! I wanted to welcome our newest member to the group @Oskars Kronbergs ! From the bottom of my big heart, I am so glad you are now a part of the team and can’t wait to get you where you want to go. If you haven't already, make sure to introduce yourselves in THIS POST and start a free course in the CLASSROOM where you can find tools for sleep and more! Remember I am here if you have any questions :) It’s going to be a great week… I can feel it! Let’s go team!

Do you know how much zone 2 cardio you get a week? I want you to try something. Go for a run or get on a bike, and go at a pace where you could genuinely hold a full conversation without gasping. Not comfortable exactly, but easy enough to talk. If that feels almost embarrassingly slow to you, congratulations. You have just found your Zone 2. And you have probably been ignoring it for years. Zone 2 training is one of the most research-backed, most misunderstood, and most underused tools in the fitness world. Elite endurance athletes have built careers on it. Longevity researchers cite it consistently. And most recreational exercisers have never done it intentionally in their lives, because it feels too easy to count. It counts. In fact, for adults over 35 trying to improve energy, burn fat, protect their heart, and extend their physical prime, Zone 2 might be the highest-value cardio investment you can make. What Zone 2 Actually Zone 2 sits between easy recovery movement and moderate-hard effort. It is defined as the highest intensity at which your body is primarily burning fat for fuel and your lactate levels remain low and stable. Physiologically, your aerobic energy system is working hard enough to create meaningful adaptation but not so hard that it generates significant metabolic stress or requires extended recovery. In practical terms it feels like this: you are moving, you are working, your heart rate is elevated, but you could carry on a conversation without losing your breath. If talking becomes difficult, slow down. If you feel like you are barely doing anything, speed up slightly. The sweet spot is genuinely conversational effort at a sustained pace. For most adults, Zone 2 corresponds to roughly 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. For a 45-year-old, that is approximately 105 to 122 beats per minute. Most people blow straight past this on their easy days and wonder why they never build an aerobic base. How to Actually Do Zone 2 Find your Zone 2 heart rate. Subtract your age from 220 to get your estimated max heart rate. Zone 2 is roughly 60 to 70 percent of that number. For a 45-year-old: 220 minus 45 equals 175 max. Zone 2 is roughly 105 to 122 beats per minute. Use a heart rate monitor or wearable to track it in real time until you know what that effort feels like.