GMB: Fun, smart exercise for physical autonomy

For most of my life I've been very physically active but awhile back I reached a point where I was spending the majority of my time at a desk and falling into bad postures habits. This, plus a series of interesting injuries, led me to the discovery that I have two bulging discs in my cervical spine and another in my lumbar spine. I began chiropractics, acupuncture and other treatments but determined physical activity was a key to reclaiming my mobility and autonomy. 

After some research I threw out everything I knew about working out (weight training exacerbated my spinal issues) and began testing programs that were based on calisthenics and bodyweight training.

Over the months I've tried and tested a number of programs and become a dedicated follower of www.GMB.io. The workouts are clearly designed, emphasize safety, self-evaluation using criteria beyond speed and reps, and show results. In the few months I've been following the program I've become much stronger and flexible. In addition, I've suffered far fewer issues with my spine. 

There are eleven main programs that you can buy from the site and they're yours to keep and repeat. I suggest starting with Elements program which focuses on the movements of the bear, monkey and frog. It sounds a little silly but its a blast, a great workout and a solid introduction to the GMB focus on mobility. Working out shouldn't be something you dread. It should kick your ass and be fun. As an extra bonus: many of the workouts don't require gear so they travel well. I've completed workouts in hotels, hallways, gyms and even the airport. I don't even have a gym membership anymore.

I've subscribed to their Alpha-posse, which means I have access to the forums, and found this to be a valuable resource. The community is knowledgable and happy to help a newbie answer questions and find the right programs.

Why focus on fitness? Because if you're healthy, clear-headed and full of energy you're more able to respond to creative challenges both personally and professionally.  

If you're thinking about changing your regimen or considering taking steps to live more fit and flexible this is a great place to start.

Book: The Geography of Genius

I love this book and I realized that I've been referencing it in conversations ever since I finished it. I haven't done any book or product reviews but The Geography of Genius by Eric Weiner made me think its time to start sharing the things that inspire me. I hope you find them helpful as well. I don't plan on sharing products I don't like. Does that mean every review will be a puff-piece? No. I'll do my best to share an honest opinion on what works and doesn't work.

Where does genius come from and why, throughout history, does it clump in specific locations? I'm fascinated by the idea of genius and how individuals unlock there potential but it never occurred to examine genius by locale and time period. Yeah, I've been to museums and considered movements (the Impressionists, the Dadaists, the Surrealists, etc) but I hadn't really thought about the conditions that led to a creative movement across disciplines. That's one of the many fascinating things about The Geography of Genius: it sets a broader context for the clumping of genius and connects these ideas across disciplines. Weiner's interest is the framework for movements of genius.

The ideas are presented casually and with humor. Its an intelligent, funny, global travelog in which the author travels to locations around the world that have had some of the greatest concentrations of genius: Athens, Calcutta, Hangzhou, Edinburgh, Vienna and Silicon Valley. In each city he interviews locals and suggestions for why that place became a focus for innovation.

Readers expecting hard conclusions drawn from rigorous study might be disappointed. There are consistent themes across the cultures he highlights but those threads are never connected such that they present a satisfying, tidy, explanation. That said, the book is an informed exploration, a personal narrative on the nature of genius and the author leaves the reader with plenty to consider. if you're looking for a thought-provoking essay you'll likely enjoy this stroll through history and you'll have tons to talk about next time you get dinner or drinks with friends.

“The Geography of Genius is witty, informative, and compulsively readable. Whether you’re getting genius tips from Freud in Vienna or hearing the secrets of high-tech powerhouses in Silicon Valley, you’ll emerge smarter after reading this delightful travelogue of ingenuity.”

— Daniel H. Pink, bestselling author of To Sell Is Human and Drive