Hi!

Welcome to the 10th edition. Here’s the ninth, if you missed it.

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This week I’m in Boston, where I’m meeting with some very smart people to talk discomfort.

Alright, now let’s get on with it …

Something I Wrote: What is Strength Good For?

For most of the past two million years, men and women needed strength for basically one reason: to not die. But as horse, machine and computer power slowly replaced man power, the meaning of strength began to evolve. Today you can survive—thrive, even—without lifting anything heavier than your briefcase.

So what is strength good for? I asked 11 fascinating, inspiring guys that question for the May issue of Men’s Health. James Shaw Jr., for example, used his strength to take down a deranged man who opened fire in a crowded Atlanta Waffle House. Rhett Bolden, a border crossing officer, is using his to lift himself through stage-III colon cancer. KC Mitchell, a veteran amputee, used powerlifting to pull himself out of PTSD, and Ryan Donahoo, who is transgendered, used the gym to be more comfortable in his body. Read it here.

The Best Things I Read: Silicon Valley Weirdies, The Truth About At-Home Genetic Kits, and CBD

• The Twitter CEO’s approach to health and nutrition is a little nutty, perhaps dangerously so—and he’s spawned a cult following.
• I recently talked to a guy who decided to undergo a somewhat dangerous medical therapy based on information from an at-home genetic test kit. We call that a terrible idea. As this Aeon story explains: (at home genetic) tests are sold with variations on a single pitch: find your story. The companies don’t mention that the story might shade into fiction, or that stories can conflict.
• CBD is in everything now. Proponents claim it can treat epilepsy, prevent anxiety, fix pain, help you sleep, relieve cramps, reverse depression, cure cancer, stop arthritis, make you happy, do your taxes, clean your house, etc, etc, etc. This story explains the truth about CBD, and how it went from a lowly molecule in the cannabis plant to a purported cure-all.

The Best Thing I Heard: This Guilty Pleasure Pandora Station

Two words: Yacht Rock. Think: The type of laid-back 70s and 80s R&B/Soul/Jazz/Funk music that recent retirees listen to while on a Carnival cruise. Listen to the station here. Only God (and all of you) can judge me.

The Best Thing I Did: The Big Three

A reader recently emailed to say that he’s bored of planks—and do I know of any good core routines? I always answer that question with the Big Three: curlups, side planks, and bird dogs. They’re the product of decades of research from the world’s foremost spine expert, Canadian scientist and moose hunter Stu McGill (who also has the world’s most exquisite mustache).

The National Institutes of Health says 80 percent of people will experience back pain. A stronger core can prevent that, and it also makes you better at basically every sport, workout, or activity. The stronger your core is, the more energy you can send to your limbs (good for running, golfing, rowing, hiking, throwing, etc.).

The Best Science I Stumbled Upon: Yes, Exercise Is Important for Weight

The internet is full of (how should I put this?) steaming piles of garbage journalism that claim exercise does basically nothing for weight loss. Example. Example.

Which is why I found this research review so enlightening. The authors write:

There is an established association between higher levels of physical activity and greater weight loss maintenance, based on the abundance of evidence from prospective observational studies and retrospective analyses. However, proving a causative relationship between exercise and weight loss maintenance is difficult at present. Exercise has the potential to alleviate the health consequences of obesity, even in the absence of weight loss. All in all, exercise constitutes an indispensable, yet often underestimated, tool in the management of obesity.

Yes, it’s complicated. But the message that exercise “doesn’t work” is not only incorrect, but also harmful. You show me someone who exercises vigorously five times a week and I’ll show you someone who is at a healthy weight and unlikely to die soon.

In Parting, One Context-Free Quote:

“Eat food. All the time. Mostly junk.”

Thanks for reading. Until next, next Thursday …

-Michael