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Podcast Description

Full Show Notes at the Bottom!

Today on the podcast I’m featuring mobility and wellness expert Kelly Starrett!

After decades spent working with pro-athletes, Olympians, and Navy SEALs, mobility pioneer Kelly Starrett began thinking about the physical well-being for everyone else and looking into questions like. 

  • What makes a durable human?
  • How do we continue to feel great and function well as we age?
  • How do we counteract the effects of technology-dependence, sedentary living, and other modern ways of life on our body’s natural need for activity?

The answers to those questions we explore in the podcast!

Our conversation will explore:

  • Easy mobilization practices to increase range of motion and avoid injury
  • Intuitive ways to integrate more movement into your daily life and escape sedentary habits
  • No-fuss guidelines for improving nutrition and sleep
  • Basic breathing practices to manage stress and pain
  • Quick and simple assessments to gauge progress and what needs improvement

Checkout Kelly’s new book, Built to Move: The Ten Essential Habits to Help You Move Freely and Live Fully

Full Show Notes at the Bottom!

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Kelly’s Background

  • 00:15 Kelly has worked with pro athletes, Olympians, and Navy Seals for over a decade
  • 00:31 He is the author of the new book, Built to Move

The Importance of Fundamental Principles

  • 02:34 Fundamental principles underlie other more complex behaviors which is why we need to focus on them and build our wellness based on these.

The Value of Slowing Down

  • 03:11 It’s difficult to see inputs and outputs in the long-term and can only do that by slowing down. 
  • 03:30 Slow down and appreciate that this is a long game.
  • 04:06 You have to like the work you’re doing. If you don’t love your work you’re going to burn out. 

Goals Change Over Time

  • 04:28 Goals change over time from aspirational to personal.
  • 05:10 Prioritize family time above all else.

05:45 The Importance of Work-Life Balance

  • 06:57 Kelly talks about how working too hard can lead to burnout and negatively impact relationships.
  • 07:40 Kelly developed a filtering mechanism to ensure that he was not sacrificing his family for work.

Unsustainable Work Habits

  • 07:59 Working unsustainable rates can lead to burnout and force a crisis.
  • 08:40 Many people use the “hustle and grind” mentality as an excuse for neglecting their personal lives.
  • 09:51 It is easy to overwork oneself, but it is important to take breaks in order to avoid burning out.

Finding Balance

  • 10:09 In order to maintain high levels of productivity, it is important to find balance between work and personal life.
  • 10:32 Having a set of brakes allows one to hit pause when necessary without completely derailing progress.

11:05 Definition of Excellence

Section Overview: In this section, Jay-Z’s definition of excellence is discussed, which is performing at a high level for a long time. The importance of being competent and post-ego is also highlighted.

Importance of Competence and Post-Ego

  • 11:23 People who are competent and post-ego are worth paying attention to.
  • 11:40 Competence and post-ego take time to develop, usually in one’s 40s or 50s.
  • 12:00 Practice in one’s 20s and 30s leads to expertise later on.
  • 12:19 Mental shift towards essential filters or mechanisms helps prioritize important things.

12:35 Mental Shift Towards Adaptability

  • 12:35 Most people reevaluate when something doesn’t work anymore.
  • 12:53 Evaluating mechanisms regularly helps identify what’s working and what’s not.

Importance of Sustainability

  • 13:14 Durability requires sustainability that buffers stress over time.
  • 13:32 Health and fitness vertical has done a better job at promoting Whole Foods, breathing practice, zone two work, mindfulness etc.
  • 13:57 Awareness about key drivers to overall well-being such as sleep is increasing.

Key Drivers for Well-being

  • 14:15 Sleep (7 to 8 hours minimum), Whole Foods, breathing practice, zone two work, mindfulness etc. are key drivers for overall well-being.

16:52 Keystone Behaviors

  • 17:15 Keystone behaviors include sleep, walking, and fueling.
  • 17:36 These behaviors interact with each other. For example, moving more during the day can create sleep pressure and help achieve better sleep.
  • 18:06 The minimum inputs required for a human body are sunlight on the face, being around other brains, movement (not necessarily exercise), sleep, and eating fruits/vegetables for micronutrients and fiber as well as protein for healthy connective tissue in the gut.
  • 19:11 By focusing on these essentials, people can backfill to their culture, society, family or traditions. This allows them to hit the minimum amount of protein and fruits/vegetables every day in any way that works for them.

19:54 Objective Measures

  • 19:29 General human beings’ physical practices can be evaluated by looking at obesity rates, diabetes rates, injury rates, chronic pain substance abuse ACL surgeries depression ADHD meds etc.
  • 20:15 Creating objective measures for people is important to understand if current practices are working or not. Until we get real about creating these measures we will continue running a trillion-dollar industry about fitness and wellness that isn’t working.

21:29 Gestaltist Thinking

  • 21:46 Kelly has always been a gestaltist thinker, which means he sees things as a whole rather than individual parts.
  • 21:46 This approach allows him to zoom out and get a better understanding of the bigger picture.

22:27 Understanding Relationships and Pattern Recognition

Section Overview: In this section, Kelly discusses his ability to recognize patterns and understand relationships between components. He explains how this skill has helped him as a coach and physical therapist.

Recognizing Patterns

  • 22:54 Kelly is good at recognizing patterns in data sets or behaviors.
  • 23:46 As a coach, he uses pattern recognition to help people achieve results faster.
  • 24:08 To be a good coach, Kelly believes that one must be a generalist and understand how different components fit together.

Importance of Nutrition

  • 23:33 Although Kelly’s main interest is performance, he had to become competent in nutrition to help his clients heal, recover, optimize their performance, and change their body composition.

Trauma as a Driver for Success

  • 24:44 Kelly talks about growing up with an absent father due to alcoholism and how it drove him to succeed.
  • 25:30 Trauma can be a driver for success but it’s important not to pin everything on past experiences.

27:01 Constraining Our Environment for Success

  • 28:00 Constraining our environment means shaping our surroundings to foster and develop habits that are beneficial.

Applying the Concept in Daily Life

  • 28:21 Kelly applies this concept by making sure his environment supports his goals.
  • 28:39 He removes distractions and sets up his workspace to minimize interruptions.
  • 28:54 Kelly also uses technology to help him stay focused and on track.

Willpower Doesn’t Work

  • 28:35 Willpower doesn’t work for making better choices.
  • 28:49 Precision Nutrition’s approach to nutritional change is based on constraining the environment.
  • 29:09 Behavior change model is essential for any human endeavor.

Setting Up the Environment for Success

  • 29:25 Removing cookies from the house is an example of setting up the environment for success.
  • 29:47 Moving trash cans away from desks encourages more movement and productivity.
  • 30:05 Laying out clothes at night reduces decision fatigue in the morning.

The Importance of Movement

  • 32:17 Walking 8,000 steps a day can reduce all-cause mortality by 50%.
  • 32:55 Adherence to exercise is critical for achieving results.

Conclusion

Environmental constraints are a powerful tool for behavior change. By setting up our environment to encourage better choices, we can make positive changes without relying on willpower. Walking more and moving throughout the day are simple yet effective ways to improve health and well-being.

33:46 Importance of Walking

The Lymphatic System

  • 34:03 The lymphatic system is responsible for draining all the dead cells, broken down proteins, and waste that cannot be filtered out into the bloodstream.
  • 34:23 Lack of movement can cause congestion in tissues leading to swelling and edema in the body.
  • 34:40 Walking helps pump the lymphatic system by muscle contraction of your calves.

Evolutionary Perspective

  • 35:14 Humans have evolved over two million years to walk around to feed themselves, reproduce and move around their environment.
  • 35:29 Lack of movement is a defense mechanism that humans have developed in modern times.

Non-exercise Activity

  • 35:50 Walking is vital for human beings’ physiological function and should not be considered as exercise but non-exercise activity.
  • 36:33 Walking has significant influences on various aspects such as falling asleep or staying asleep, burning more calories, decongestion, non-threatening movement to the brain.

Personal Experience

  • 37:08 Kelly shares his personal experience with walking with his wife after dinner every day. It creates an opportunity to connect meaningfully without any distractions.
  • 38:02 Walking also helps reduce immobility and stiffness caused by sitting at a desk all day long.

39:07 Managing Sedentary Behavior

  • Interrupting marathon bouts of sitting can help reduce session costs associated with sitting for extended periods. 43:50
  • Perching on a bar stool or sitting at the edge of a chair can help engage more muscles and increase METs above 1.5 while still allowing you to sit. 41:34
  • Deficiency in hip extension due to prolonged sitting can lead to decreased performance when performing lunges or other exercises that require hip extension.44:10

42:30 Session Cost

  • Session cost refers to how much work we do during an activity and how it affects us afterward.42:51
  • Marathon bouts of sitting can have a session cost that affects our ability to extend our hips effectively.44:26
  • Interrupting marathon bouts of sitting can help reduce session costs associated with sitting for extended periods. 43:50

Reducing Session Cost

  • We can reduce session costs by being deliberate about managing all the sitting we do throughout the day.43:50
  • By reducing session costs, we can work harder, adapt more effectively, and be fresher.43:27

45:00 Listening to Your Body

  • 45:37 High performers often struggle with knowing when to throttle down or push harder.
  • Getting baselines through tracking inputs and outputs can be useful in understanding what works for your body.
  • Ultimately, it’s important to listen to your body and understand what it’s telling you.

Using Technology to Understand Your Body

  • 46:09 Tracking technology such as an aura ring can help you experiment with different lifestyle choices such as diet, caffeine intake, etc.
  • Baseline tracking can help you make small adjustments over time towards better sleep habits.
  • It’s important not to rely solely on technology but also use subjective measures such as writing down how you feel each day.

Being Aware of Inputs and Outputs

  • 47:31 Tracking inputs such as sleep duration can help establish a baseline for optimal performance.
  • Making small adjustments over time towards better sleep habits is key.
  • Subjective measures such as writing down how you feel each day are just as valid as objective metrics from tracking devices.

Desire To Train

  • 49:37 Juliet Starrett discusses her approach called “Desire To Train” which focuses on listening to your body’s needs rather than pushing yourself too hard.

50:19 Taking Responsibility for Your Journey

  • 50:55 Kelly emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for your own health and fitness journey.
  • 51:11 He encourages people to listen to their own body instead of relying on coaches or wearables.
  • 51:42 The book “Built to Move” provides practical steps for figuring out where you’re at baseline and implementing changes in your life.

The Book “Built to Move”

  • 51:25 The book “Built to Move” lays out 10 steps that help people take their overall well-being to the next level.
  • 52:47 It is not a book about exercise or dieting but rather focuses on fueling, gut health, and building blocks for overall health.
  • 53:21 There is a 21-day free companion video course available on built2move.com.

Being Responsible for Your Family and Household

  • 52:28 Kelly urges listeners to be responsible for their family and household’s health by becoming a super node in their community.
  • 53:45 He believes that until we embrace hyper-locality, we will continue spinning our wheels.

54:15 Learning from World-Class Performers

  • 54:31 Kelly says that he obsessively watches and listens to what the best athletes and coaches in the world do and how they do it.
  • He believes that someone has probably solved the problem you’re facing, and it’s just a matter of finding out who.

55:18 Importance of Learning and Curiosity

  • 56:14 Deconstruct different pieces of information from various domains to see how they can work for you.

56:01 Applying Craft to Entrepreneurship

Passionate Approach

  • 56:01 Have an internal drive for what you do. Be curious and enthusiastic.
  • 56:26 Deconstruct different pieces of information from various domains to see how they can work for you.
  • 56:38 Long-form interviews with someone we can learn from is a great way to apply your craft.

56:52 Interviewing Anyone Dead or Alive

Dream Interviewee

  • 56:52 Kelly’s favorite book is Dune by Frank Herbert. He would love to interview people who take a swing at thinking about problems at a very large level.
  • 58:03 Kelly is currently obsessed with sports psychology and mindset. He would love to interview Michael Gervais. 
    • Finding Mastery by Michael Gervais is Sean’s favorite podcast! 

58:03 Staying Connected with Kelly Starrett

Stay Connected

  • 58:03 Find more information about the book “Built to Move” at builttomove.com.
  • 58:24 The Ready State app is available for taking care of your body. All information can be found on theradystate.com.