What I've Been Thinking About...
Or shall I say not thinking about? Recently a story came up that involved repressed memories and I wanted to take a moment to discuss the topic. Little did I know that this is a highly debated topic in the field of psychology and now I don't know what to make of it! 

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) initially came up with this idea and he believed that the mind has a defense mechanism that stores certain thoughts or memories towards the unconscious mind, making them inaccessible to conscious thought. Things such as memory gaps, concentration problems, and self-sabotaging thoughts are prevalent among those with repressed childhood trauma. The brain's attempt to protect itself from painful memories can lead to these gaps in memory.

Fast forward to today and The American Psychological Association (APA) says that "while it's theoretically possible for memories of trauma to be repressed, it's extremely rare". Richard McNally, the head of Harvard's department of Psychology states that "The notion that traumatic events can be repressed and later recovered is the most pernicious bit of folklore ever to infect psychology and psychiatry." In other words, he thinks it is nonsense. The unconscious mind is interesting because we cannot just tap into it and figure out what is there. Memories "come and go" but in reality, they may just be put away in a safe place that we do not access.   

What I've Been Listening To...
The political season had me going down a few rabbit holes and one morning I tuned into a podcast titled When Students Become Terrorists and there is a shout out to one of the coolest Bob Dylan songs (and videos) I know titled Subterranean Homesick Blues. 

I first got introduced to Bob Dylan and tons of other music from the 60's when I was young. My buddies dad played a ton of music from that era at parties and gatherings and I really enjoyed it. It wasn't always the sound but it was the message. Fast forward a few decades and I still enjoy them all. From Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin to Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. The music of the sixties will always have a place on my playlists!

When you think back to the times that those artists were making music, the United States was going through some serious turmoil. There was the Cold War and the ever present Nuclear threat, The Civil Rights Movement, the assassination of Kennedy (and RFK, MLK, Malcolm X), Vietnam, Watergate, and more. It was a crazy couple of decades and the social change that people were fighting for helped create some of that great music that we still enjoy today. 

Fitness Tip of the Week
Exercise is a great tool for health but not for weight loss

Have you ever started a workout program to lose weight? Has it worked? If you answered NO to that last question then this section is for you. Exercise is important and should be a part of everyone's daily routine. The reason we want to exercise is because it can literally add years onto your life by reducing the likelihood of things like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. In addition, it will also add life into your years as the more fit you are, especially as you age, the more life experiences you can have. As you can see, I did not mention weight loss. Exercise can be a wonderful aid but it is not the biggest determining factor in whether or not you shed some pounds. 

Interested in knowing what is the biggest determining factor? Drum roll please.... energy intake (aka consuming too many calories). This sounds obvious but if we are consuming more then we are expending, we will gain weight. The best results seem to come when you can combine a daily practice of physical activity with nutrient dense foods. Go figure!  

There are two additional things from the video above that I found insightful...

1. Vigorous exercise is anorexic in nature. The by-product (lactate) of intense exercise reduces your appetite therefore leading to a decrease in energy intake. Exercise like steady state cardio and low intensity weight lifting does not illicit this response therefore it may actually drive hunger and over eating.
2. Physical activity adherence begins in childhood. It becomes easier to exercise for life when it is started at a young age. In addition, joy seems to play a major role in exercise adherence so don't be afraid to have a little fun and childlike when you partake in physical activity!

What I've Been Watching...
The Voice on Peacock

As a family, we really enjoy watching this show. It always amazes me how much talent there is out there in this country of ours. So many of these artists could "sing the phonebook" as one of the coaches like to say and it would sound beautiful. But yet, something is missing. They haven't had an opportunity to breakthrough and "make it" in the music game. 

When pursuing something, there is only one way to achieve it: you have to stay in the game. You cannot quit when the times get tough. You cannot quit when you get your first taste of rejection. You cannot quit when all you hear is NO after NO. This show serves as a reminder to me to stay in the fight and keep working towards the things that you want to accomplish.

Quote of the Week
“You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" -- Bob Dylan

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

What I've Been Thinking About...
One thing that I enjoy about working at a school is that there always seems to be a new experience every week. Sometimes it is for the good, sometimes it is for the not-so-good, and other times it kind of tears at my heartstrings a bit. 

As PE began last week I notice a student who was looking down in the dumps. Her classmate mentioned that she wanted to sit next to me at the start of class and I said sure, no problem. She is probably 5 years old and I thought maybe just a tough morning. We then stood up to start some fun activities and she was not engaged. She asked if she could hold my hand for a little and I said yes. This led me to ask, "Is everything okay?" and she started to cry and say "I miss my grandpa" who passed away a few weeks prior. My heart broke when she said this and I gave her a hug and took her in to spend some time with her teacher. I checked in on her later in the day and she was in much better spirits having fun with classmates and totally engaged in everything they were doing.

When I think about this story it makes me realize that this is the tricky thing about losing someone. You never know when the tough moments will arise. Sometimes they hit you like a truck, and other times they are non-existent.

National Native American Heritage Month
I learned that this month we pay homage to the Native Americans and it just so happens to coincide very nicely with a book I started reading titled Black Elk Speaks written by John G. Neihardt (aka Flaming Rainbow.) This book was written in the 1930's and recounts the life of Oglala Sioux medicine man Black Elk. This man is kind of like a connector of two America's. The first that existed before Western expansion and the second, life on reservations and the attempted assimilation of the American Indian. 

When Black Elk was young, he was there for Custer's Last Stand. He was second cousin to the great war leader Crazy Horse and rode with him prior to his murder. He traveled with Buffalo Bill Cody for performances and even crossed the Atlantic for a show with Queen Victoria. He was there and survived Wounded Knee Massacre. This man was like the Forrest Gump of Indian affairs! 

In addition to all the big events, he shares countless stories of hard living. Killing, scalping, starvation, riding through winter, eating whatever they can get their hands on, sweat lodges, greater spirits, fasting and so much more!  

Fitness Tip of the Week
There is a global experiment that occurs twice a year that effects 1.6 billion people in 75 countries. It is called daylight savings and it has some serious sleep associated consequences. For example, in the spring time when we lose an hour of sleep there is a 24% increase in heart attacks. In the fall, when we gain an hour, there is a 21% reduction in heart attacks. That alone should be enough to nix this "experiment" but here we are. In addition to that, there are similar changes in traffic accidents, strokes, and suicide rates. Even the stock market gets hits by that one hour of sleep loss!

What I take from this is not to incite fear but rather a reminder. We cannot do anything about Daylight Savings but we do have control over our daily sleep schedule. The statistics mentioned above show us that small increases in sleep can be some of the very best investments that we can make. Take your sleep seriously and make sure you get enough! 

What I've Been (re)Reading...
A few weeks ago I finished reading The Boy Crisis and there is a section of the book on Dopamine that I am going back to try and better understand. My understanding of Dopamine is that it is a chemical messenger in the brain that plays a major in role in reward systems and feelings of pleasure. There is a good side (praise, exercise, sunlight, etc.) and a not so good side (excessive eating, sugar, technology, illicit substances) that triggers this hormone. 

Nowadays kids are much more exposed to the not so good side of things. The foods, the technology, the gaming devices, the "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, the pats on the back for everything, and so on all give you a hit of dopamine. The more hits you get per day, the more you crave it later and often times it needs to be at a higher dose to give you the same effect. A simple good job from your parents used to put a smile on your face but now when you have all of these other things that offer much more, that compliment from mom, dad or teacher doesn't get the job done like it used to. 

So what are we to do to re-wire this system? I think a focus on sleep, exercise, limiting technology use, minimizing stimulation, and having an intermittent reward system can all help. We can give praise when we catch someone doing something good but it cannot be all the time. If so, the effectiveness of the praise will diminish. 

Quote of the Week
“Any man who is attached to things of this world is one who lives in ignorance and is being consumed by the snakes of his own passions” -- Black Elk

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

A few weeks ago I was at the high school track and before our practice began, I took a moment to look at the school’s all-time records. Prior to this moment, I was working under the assumption that most of these numbers would be from the last decade or two but upon examination I realized my speculation was flawed. There were some that were current but on the whole, most of these records are from 3, 4 and even 5 decades ago. With all the knowledge and advancements in training methods, this information had me perplexed. I began to think about why and I came to the conclusion that I just don’t think kids are as healthy today as they were in decades past. I heard a coach in his sixties say take a look at my yearbook and compare it to the yearbooks of today. We were just more fit back then. 

So, like with all new ideas, we have to test them. In between events at one of our meets I start talking with other coaches about the idea and most agreed. This talk led to discussing the differences in the current school compared to when they grew up. Children today spend roughly 8 hours per day sedentary with two-thirds of them not getting the recommended minimum of 60 minutes of active play. In addition, children are less likely to walk, bike, or skate to school or other activities than they were in the 1970’s. This is problematic in regards to the health of our country because unhealthy children have a very high likelihood of becoming unhealthy adults. The National Institute of Health released the following data to support that last point: Around 55% of obese children go on to be obese in adolescence, around 80% of obese adolescents will still be obese in adulthood and around 70% will be obese over age 30. In addition to the issue of obesity, the effects of sedentary behavior in children are as follows: weakened muscles and bones, slower metabolism, obesity, shorter life expectancy, depression, anxiety and earlier onset of adult-type health conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. All no bueno!

Now, as we move on to adulthood, things do not improve and in fact, they worsen. The current state of health in our country has us ranked 66th out of 195 in the Global Health Index. This metric measures healthy life expectancy, blood pressure, blood glucose (which indicates diabetes risk), obesity, depression, happiness, alcohol use, tobacco use, inactivity (or lack of exercise), and government spending on healthcare. The cause of this has some type of compound effect. It seems that what begins in childhood snowballs with each decade and as we move through life, we find ourselves in a situation where we ask: what happened? 

Now, what I am going to propose here is geared towards those who work or live in an environment that has them sitting for the national average for adults of 10+ hours per day. This is nothing earth shattering: we literally need to move more. Research has found that moderate to vigorous activity is the most beneficial for our health and that sitting is the worst. With this information, they decided to create a model that would swap one behavior for another. Replacing just five minutes of sitting with a moderate activity like brisk walking had tangible effects in areas like heart health. Now of course, extending that time period to 30 minutes is even better so if you can sprinkle in multiple bouts of five minute sessions or one long session, you will see greater improvements. Now the question becomes, how do we add five minutes of movement into our current routine? 

Well, I came across a method known as the Pomodoro Technique and it just might be the answer. For every 25 minutes of sitting, you get up and move for five. Following this protocol obviously encourages more movement, gives you a short mental break from the task, and lowers blood glucose and insulin levels. Personally, when I have these short breaks, it allows my mind to process what I have just done and I typically come back to the work ready to go with new ideas and/or revisions. The Pomodoro Technique has six steps:

1. Decide on which work task has to be done.
   
2. Set the Pomodoro timer for 25 minutes.
   
3. Work with singular focus on the task until the timer goes off.
   
4. Take a short 5 minute movement break then return to your work station.
   
5. Go back to Step 2 and repeat until you complete four pomodoros.

After four pomodoros are done, take a long break (typically 20 to 30 minutes) instead of a short break. Once the long break is finished, return to step 2.

If that idea doesn’t work for you, here are a few other ideas to get you off your butt!
Get a headset and take calls or conference calls while walking. This has helped me not only move but pass the time if it is a long call or if I am nervous about discussing the topic, some movement eases the nerves. 

1. Talk with people in person whenever possible. During your breaks, get up and walk over to talk belly to belly as it gets you up and also leads to better communicating.
   
2. Drink lots of water, tea and/or coffee. More fluids equals more walking to the bathroom. 
   
3. Use the stairs. Stairs are difficult on the heart and lower body muscles but five minutes hoofing it up and down can work wonders. 
   
4. Leave five minutes during your lunch break for a walk. An added perk, a short walk after eating also regulates blood sugar and insulin levels. A two for one! 
   
5. A walking pad or treadmill has been great for those of us that work from home. Marisa picked one up a few months ago and it provides an opportunity to get some movement in as you work or during your breaks. Convenience is key here as all you have to do is press a button and you are good to go! 

Chris Fluck

Health Tip of the Week
A certain topic came up twice this week over approximately 45 minutes with two different so I thought it was an idea worth diving into. Modern life kind of forces us into sedentary situations. As kids, most schools have you sitting around all day "learning" with little to no movement mixed in throughout the day. Then, we go to college and do a little more of the same, and eventually become grownups where most of us work jobs that do not require physical exertion. This has led to many serious health ailments and people of all ages are afflicted by this type of lifestyle. So, I have a question for you all: Wouldn't it be NEAT if we can rid obesity or cardiovascular disease without spending more time in the gym or reducing calories?

Well, as it turns out, we just might be able to. Nonexercise Activity Thermogenesis, or appropriately shortened to NEAT, measures the amount of physical activity we take part in that is not a formal workout. These are things like like walking, yard work, choosing to stand rather than sit, or getting involved in a game with your kids. These short bursts of movement, mixed in periodically throughout the day, will help you feel better, move better, improve body composition, and ultimately, can add years on your life. In regards to movement, the mindset of doing a little bit often over the course of the day can really add up. 

What I've Been Thinking About...
As I was driving to our District Championship meet for Track & Field, I was listening to one of my all-time favorite coaches Dan John break down an interesting concept. On one end, he talked about being fit to perform a task like say, climbing a rope. The second idea involved performance which looks at, can you climb the rope to go save that person from XYZ. One asks are you physically fit to do it, the other asks are you physically fit to do it AND able to perform under pressure? 

Fast forward a bit and known I am at the meet watching one of the best throwers in the area struggle. I used this individual as an example to one of our kids and described to them what appeared to be "paralysis by analysis". I was talking to his coach for a period of time and I mentioned that it seems like he is overthinking this thing and he looked at me and said sarcastically, "ya think?" I took that response as this must be an ongoing problem! The kid is physically able to perform the task but his mind was getting into the way it was really beginning to effect his performance in competition. Being fit to perform is one thing, being able to perform when it counts is another.

What I've Been Watching...
The Roast of Tom Brady is described as, "Sports figures and comics team up to roast former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, who will be forced to take the hits in this full-contact comedy special hosted by Kevin Hart; from the Kia Forum in Los Angeles."

I read the description above and laughed a bit because this does not even remotely tell you what you are getting yourself into if you decide to watch it. The jokes are ruthless, brutal, offensive and everything a roast is supposed to be. Brady gets hit from just about every angle possible and I have to say, he took it all quite well! 

What I've Been Reading...
Investing in Kids Now Can Prevent Crime in the Future

For the past year or two I have been thinking of ways to get kids off screens, out of trouble, and be more physically active. Time and time again, in all regions of the world, the answer seems to lie in after school programs. In America, almost 70% of juvenile criminal activity occurs between the hours of 10 am and 10 pm. The first thing to do ensure is that they attend school, and then give them a sense of purpose after school. An activity, a club, a social event, etc. to keep them in busy and engaged in a positive activity before they head home for the day. Then, when at home, give the parents resources so that they, alongside their child can thrive. The article outlined above focuses on four approaches that work and they are as follows: 

1. Make high-quality early care and education available to kids from birth to age five from families with low incomes.
2. Offer voluntary parent coaching to at-risk parents of young children through home visiting.
3. Provide effective school day and afterschool programs to improve school climate and keep kids on track.
4. Help kids who have had contact with the juvenile justice system by providing them and their parents effective interventions to steer them away from crime.

Quote of the Week
"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will" -- Suzy Kassem

I hope you all have an awesome week!
​Chris Fluck

​Health Tip of the Week
I used to have this morning routine that involved waking up, consuming massive amounts of coffee and then get my morning reading in. After years of this I decided that having multiple cups of coffee before 7 am may not be serving my overall well-being. I would get tired midday, have feelings of anxiousness, and it started a cycle of drink coffee, feel alert, get tired, drink more coffee, and so on. With that being said, I decided to scrap coffee first thing in the morning and removed it from the house. Now, this doesn't mean I don't drink it over the course of the day but I typically wait a few hours before consuming caffeine and it has been a game changer. 

When you look into the why, Andrew Huberman is the man with the explanation (go figure). By delaying coffee consumption until roughly 90-120 minutes after waking, you allow your body to have more of a natural wake up, allowing hormones like cortisol and adenosine to do their job, and it'll help set your circadian clock in a way that'll promote better sleep. By following this 90-120 minute rule, I have felt more alert in the mornings, consumed less caffeine over the course of the day, and it has helped me cut back on afternoon coffee which negatively effects sleep. Wins all around!

What I've Been Thinking About...
The power of a good checklist. Here is a big shocker: I don't always follow my own advice! In the weightroom, I preach that slow and steady progress will eventually lead to monumental gains. I have no problem following this idea with training but do you think I carry that over into my personal life? No way jose. In business, farm work, or setting a little time aside each day to spend with Marisa, I struggle. 

I decided that something has got to give and like my boy Sam Cooke once said, "A Change is Gonna Come". I am on week two of using a checklist system that feels pretty darn good. It doesn't ask for too much, allows small wins in a variety of areas and the time commitment typically takes 75-90 minutes each day. When I can cross everything off in the morning, it frees up my mind to be more present, not think about the list or worry about "when am I going to do XYZ". 

What I've Been Watching...
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal (trailer)

Growing up I was a huge pro-wrestling and occasionally find myself reading a headline, watching a highlight, or my personal favorite, watching documentaries featuring these performers. In recent years, there was a  character that intrigued me and he was known as Bray Wyatt. This guy is the son of a wrestler from the 90's and he had this creative gimmick that really caught fire with the fans. Tragically he died at the age of 36 and it left the wrestling asking a lot of what ifs.

In the sport of wrestling, there is an idea of "getting over" with the crowd. This is when a character can get the entire arena eating out of the palm of your hands. I realized the power of this idea at a concert a few years ago where the singer Hozier had the entire arena singing in unison, doing exactly what he asked, and as I sat there mimicking what he said I thought "this must be what mind control is like!" Wyatt had this amazing ability, so much so that it caught my attention even after not watching the sport for 20+ years. 

The Power of Story...
Before you ask, "Wait, you like pro wrestling?" let me tell you something. As I was watching the wrestling doc I was trying to figure out what the appeal of wrestling was for me and then I realized it is the storylines. When I was a kid, I got totally wrapped in whatever was on the screen. I didn't grow up watching movies about lost worlds, Star Wars, or Harry Potter but rather I was following the fictitious stories of these characters who spin a tale over the course of days, weeks, months, years and in some cases, generations as the children get involved decades down the road. 

As I grew older, I was still chasing a good story. I remember the first books I got obsessed with in High School were the Mario Puzo mafia books and a book about the boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. From there I found myself enjoying anything Dennis LeHane wrote (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, and more) and reading about the history of sport. Now, my obsessions move from the Founding Fathers, to George Orwell's books (all good by the way!) to the craziness of the 1960's, to the Civil War, the American Indian and more. 

Quote of the Week
"It is better to conquer grief than to deceive it" -- Seneca

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck

​Health Tip of the Week
Do you have rhythm? Some of you may be visualizing yourself on the dance floor but that is not the type of rhythm I am talking about. The type of rhythm I do want to discuss has to do with the seasons. It has to do with the ebbs and flows over the course of the year and how you use that to create a fitness plan that is best suitable for your life. 

As the season changes and the weather begins to look more spring-like, I encourage you all to take a self assessment on what you are doing for exercise and think about syncing up with the season. If you spent all winter couped up in a gym, put the weights down for a period of time and get outside for some walking, hiking, running, or some bodyweight exercises at a local park. Sign up for a race or walk, join some friends for some outdoor fun, or do anything else you can think of that runs counter to the options that winter provides. The body and mind will embrace the new challenge, appreciate the variety, and in the end, so too will your overall health!

What I've Been Thinking About...
What year do you think the following quotes were written:

• “It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.” 
• “External things are not the problem. It’s your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now.”
• “Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.” 

If you guessed over 2,000 years ago, you would have been spot on! The above quotes are all from Marcus Aurelius (121 AD - 180 AD) and he is not the only thinker of that time period who had some gems. Look up names like Seneca (4BC - 65 AD) and Epictetus (50 AD - 135 AD) and you will be equally impressed. So how did they know so much and why are these ideas something that we still struggle with today? Is it part of the human experience to be sensitive to judgment, focus on the external, and lack discipline? Are these issues things that man or woman will always experience? 

After thinking on this, I came to the realization that we all kind of have an operating system like a computer. The human operating system has innate mechanisms that make us who we are. It has the need or longing to be a part of a community, it wants to be accepted, it strives for improvement, it is resilient and empathic. Those are the good traits. Unfortunately, there is also a dark side to our human operating system. Things like the ego, manipulation, greed, lust, power etc. all shade our judgment and lead us down a path that we may not be proud of. The next talking point is a perfect example of just that...

What I've Been Watching...
Krishnas: Gurus. Karma. Murder

I first heard of this story listening to an American Scandal podcast a few years ago so when I came across the three episode series, I had to check it out. The story is as old as man. It doesn't seem to matter what decade or century we look at, there are examples of how one charismatic and/or manipulative leader gains a following and uses that power to illicit things that benefit himself and maybe those in his inner circle. At one point during the show, they share the quote “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. This story of the Hare Krishnas in West Virginia is a perfect example of that. 

What I've Been Listening To...
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier

This is an author who is not afraid to stick her neck and say some controversial things which is something I admire about her work. In her latest book, she takes a look at the rise in popularity of therapy and other mental health modalities for kids. With all the resources we have, the rate of anxiety, depression, and other diagnoses are at an all-time high. The cause of this is multi-factorial and up for debate but there is one thing you can't argue with and that is the fact that on the whole, things are not working the way we had hoped. 

There is so much more to this book but I think it is an important one to read if you are a parent. 

Quote of the Week
“If it scares you, it might be a good thing to try.” – Seth Godin

I hope you all have an awesome week!Chris Fluck