gq.com
Not too long back, I participated in a charity event that involves running 100 hills at a 35 percent incline in just over two hours. It’s called Hell on the Hill—and for good reason. The event is thrown by husband and wife, Jesse Itzler (founder of The 100 Mile Group, co-founder of Marquis Jets) and Sara Blakely (founder and CEO of Spanx).
I’ve known Jesse since one of my earlier jobs out of college, hustling chia bars to pay rent (he was an early investor in the company), and ever since, he’s b…
almost 5 years ago
gq.com
Because of the nature of my job, people assume I’m healthy all of the time. But that’s not always the case. I write for GQ, I work with Nike, I train clients, I’m trying to get a non-profit off the ground, in addition to other consulting projects. From late October to Thanksgiving, for instance, I was working like crazy. I took something like 12 flights. As we know, travel takes a toll: I was bouncing from place to place, and I stayed up late working, which meant I wasn’t exercising, sleeping, o…
over 4 years ago
gq.com
If you’re an able-bodied human being, you are a runner. I can see some of you clutching your pearls already. Me? A runner? Heavens, no. But humans evolved to move. Running is one of the most natural integrated motions we can do. Ipso facto: You—yes, you!—are a runner. That doesn’t mean you need to run a marathon. Or a 10K. You don’t even have to run a 5K. (As you’ll see, though, you should probably sign up for something.) But you do need to be able to jog down the block without pain.
Which is wh…
over 4 years ago
gq.com
Running has become the defining sport of the quarantine era. With gyms closed and team sports on hiatus, it’s one of best ways to move our bodies and focus on our mental and physical health—which we all need right now. Which is not to say it’s not a strange time to run: races are cancelled for the foreseeable future, you can’t meet up for a workout with your friends or teammates, and practicing social distancing makes a lot of routes frustrating or impossible. But at least we can run.
That’s so…
over 4 years ago
gq.com
Never before has it been so immediately evident that the way we treat our bodies impacts our health and the health of everyone around us. We’re all out here fighting this coronavirus together. Your hygiene practices, the state of your immune system—they all affect me. And vice versa. The choices we make around food can also play a big role. There are two questions I think about when it comes to eating, especially right now: What impact will this food have on me? And what impact will it have on t…
about 4 years ago
gq.com
It’s been more than three months since we all shut ourselves inside in an attempt to isolate and do our part to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Some places are fully open; New York, where I live, is just shifting into phase two. But the virus hasn’t gone anywhere, and as we emerge into the world, we’re being bombarded with information—the city streets might be quiet, but the web is louder than ever, with dubious information on how we can fight coronavirus and “boost” our immune system.
This speaks t…
about 4 years ago
gq.com
I’ve been in NYC for the majority of the COVID pandemic. Gyms are just starting to re-open here. But the last six months have made me wonder if we even need them at all. Since March, I’ve been improvising. At the very start of the pandemic, when there was still a chill in the air, I started doing everything from Instagram Live workouts with Naomi Campbell to jumping jacks in my apartment and realized it was very possible to do more with less. As the weather started to improve and gyms were still…
almost 4 years ago
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We generally think of wellness as a bunch of stuff we do as individuals. It’s self-care, right? What does running a 10K or getting eight hours of sleep have to do with anyone but yourself?
I’d argue, however, that it’s time we start thinking about health and wellness as something more communal—a set of commitments that can actually be a force for collective action and positive social impact. That’s never been easier to understand than it has this year, when police violence and the pandemic have…
almost 4 years ago
gq.com
Not too long ago, missing sleep was something that was okay to brag about. Rise and grind, right? We’d feel guilty if we skipped a workout or some late-night emails, but not if we cut short our rest. Which is wild, because sleep is like a natural performance-enhancing drug. Your workouts and emails—and meetings, lunches, and dates—are all tasks performed better when you’re well rested. Luckily people are starting to get the concept. Not sleeping enough is like the new smoking: It just isn’t cool…
over 3 years ago
gq.com
This summer is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to create the body you want. Our
fitness columnist designed a 24-step plan to help you work smarter, eat better,
and get moving—starting right now.
over 3 years ago
gq.com
GQ fitness columnist Joe Holder breaks down the lessons you should learn from
LeBron, Brady, and the wellness revolution taking over pro sports.
over 2 years ago
gq.com
Shaq linked with GQ fitness columnist Joe Holder to talk about not doing CrossFit, his hot tub-based recovery program, and the five songs that get him pumped up in the gym.
over 2 years ago
gq.com
GQ wellness columnist Joe Holder says you don’t need an exotic location to do a silent retreat—just a genuine commitment to slowing down and blocking out the noise.
over 1 year ago
gq.com
There is a certain irony to being a health and wellness expert whose lifestyle isn’t all that healthy at times. Don’t get me wrong: I eat well and I work out, even if I don’t always love doing it. But I’m also on the road almost constantly: the past few months my work has taken me from New York to Nairobi, Paris, Los Angeles, Los Cabos, Sydney, Melbourne, London, Copenhagen…and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few places.
The bad news for me is that science shows that circadian rhythms—the changes that…
10 months ago
gq.com
“Do you think I could beat a horse in a race?”
It sounded like a joke whenever I asked. Almost everyone I talked to would laugh or do a double take. Then they would pause and think: Over what distance? How many horses? Where? How is this a thing? What’s wrong with you?
I consider myself a bit of a health and wellness anthropologist. I’m fascinated by the cultures that spring up around self-improvement and the events that exist to push the concepts of what humans can endure. We hear about the lat…
10 months ago
gq.com
Despite what many people might tell you, I think it’s more impressive to run a mile as fast as you can than to run a marathon just for the sake of it. Running a marathon is a feat that should always be lauded, but as distance runs continue to be popularized, I’d like to flip the script. What if we focus on going fast instead of going far?
Let’s set the record straight: The marathon is NOT for everyone. Many people don’t have an interest in grinding for 26.2 miles—plain and simple. Beyond that, m…
9 months ago
gq.com
We’ve reached the time of year where we are bombarded with messages about New Year’s resolutions. We get inspired, promise we are going to do better this year, and jump right into action—and I’m here to tell you that’s a huge mistake.
There’s a reason why New Year’s resolutions are said to have a high failure rate, 80 percent, with most people falling off by the time February rolls around. You get dejected, give up, and then the cultural attitude moves on to the next holiday and the next profita…
8 months ago
gq.com
One of my favorite scenes in Creed is when Rocky (played by Sylvester Stallone) brings Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) in front of a mirror, asks him to throw a couple of punches, and explains to him that he—and no one else—is his toughest opponent.
I love this scene as a metaphor for your own health and wellness—it starts with you, so every day, you’ve gotta look in the mirror, decide it matters, and keep up with the practice every day. To do that, you need support and tools. When I…
7 months ago
gq.com
There are plenty of good reasons that most of us spend so much time on our phones. Screen time helps us get our work done, it keeps us in touch with our friends, and quite literally helps us navigate the world. Some research does show, especially in the youth, too little phone use can have similar negative effects as too much. I am not a Luddite.
But I walk around New York City and see just about everyone absolutely immersed in their cell phones, face down, often bumping into other people—which,…
5 months ago
gq.com
Arriving at the LeBron James building on the Nike Campus in Beaverton, Oregon, which houses the massive Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL), I’m reminded that Nike has always been a bit of a tech company, scheming up ways to improve and push the limits of what the human body can do in sports. As an athlete, I work closely with Nike and test gear that’s a result of the tests happening at the NSRL. So, heading up to the Paris Olympics, I was invited to see how the innovation happens and test new Nike…
4 months ago
gq.com
Why hiking four hours a day and 5 a.m. wake-ups were just what I needed..
26 days ago
