For the last 33 days, I have followed a specific discipline:
- Did a daily ice bath in 45°F water.
- Drank vitamins and creatine first thing every morning.
- Turned my phone off at 8:00 p.m. and was in bed by 9:00 p.m.
- Drank one cup of Sleepytime tea at 8:00 p.m.
- I ran at least one mile every day. (I usually run at least three miles a day, and I average about 30 to 45 a week.)
- I waited one hour after waking to start drinking coffee.
- I stopped drinking coffee at 3:00 p.m.
- I tried to read at least 10 pages of a book during my no-screen time from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- I got up at 5:00 a.m. sharp at the first alarm.
- Three daily dog walks of 20 to 30 minutes each.
- Weekends I did longer morning workouts, consisting of two to four hours of cardio and strength.
Sometimes resting is doing more, but intentionally. My HRV had been in the dumps for a solid week, and I was feeling some serious burnout coming on at the beginning of the year. So, I flipped the switch and dug deep.
Me in my home-made ice bath. Brrrr!
The Results
I lost five pounds, felt amazing, and was getting some of the best sleep scores of my life. What I observe is an awesome improvement of HRV over time during the challenge and a few weeks of solid streaks. Look at the data and see for yourself, as I started the challenge on January 11th after a week’s decline in HRV. For those who don’t know, research confirms that HRV is one of the most reliable objective measures of psychological stress and physiological recovery. (Kim et al. 2018)
My HRV is down again, because on February 21st, I completed a 52k (32-mile) trail ultramarathon. The course had over 4,000 feet of elevation gain, so my body will need a week or more to get fully recovered. I utilized daily ice baths to help manage the systemic inflammation from this volume of training. While cold water immersion is a favorite for many athletes, recent studies highlight its potential for improving cardiovascular health and insulin sensitivity. (Espeland et al. 2022) Win win!
It Worked, What Next?
Not all the habits are ones I am going to keep forever. I would recommend this habit chain to anyone who needs more recovery or discipline work. Below are the ones I can sustain for the year:
- Drank vitamins and creatine first thing every morning. (Creatine isn’t just for muscle; it is shown to have significant cognitive benefits and neuroprotective properties. Antonio et al. 2021)
- Drank one cup of Sleepytime tea at 8:00 p.m.
- I ran at least one mile every day.
- I waited one hour after waking to start drinking coffee. (This allows my natural cortisol levels to peak without interference, preventing the afternoon crash.)
- I stopped drinking coffee at 3:00 p.m.
- I got up at 5:00 a.m. sharp at the first alarm.
- Three daily dog walks of 20 to 30 minutes each.
- Weekends I did longer morning workouts, specifically two to four hours of cardio and strength.
Give it a shot! Let me know how it goes for you. What works and what doesn’t?
Dan
References
- Antonio, J., D. G. Candow, S. C. Forbes, B. Gualano, A. R. Jagim, R. B. Kreider, E. S. Rawson, et al. “Common Questions and Misconceptions About Creatine Supplementation: What Does the Scientific Evidence Really Show?” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 18, no. 1 (2021): 13.
- Espeland, D., L. de Weerd, and J. B. Mercer. “Health Effects of Voluntary Exposure to Cold Water — A Continuing Subject of Debate.” International Journal of Circumpolar Health 81, no. 1 (2022): 2111750.
- Kim, H. G., E. J. Cheon, D. S. Bai, Y. H. Lee, and B. H. Koo. “Stress and Heart Rate Variability: A Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature.” Psychiatry Investigation 15, no. 3 (2018): 235–245.