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Protein Intake Vs. Intermittent Fasting

Posted on August 4, 2026 by admin_dlwa

Getting enough protein is imperative. Protein is also the most satiating macronutrient, and some people struggle to hit their daily targets. Ask anyone on a GLP-1 drug.

Intermittent fasting is beneficial and for many people, myself included, it’s the most natural eating pattern. But a compressed eating window adds another layer of complexity when you’re trying to get 100 or more grams of protein a day. Not everyone wants to eat 40-50 grams of protein in a single meal.

If you have a hard time doing both, which wins? Is it better to eat slightly less protein or expand your eating window, giving up some of the benefits of intermittent fasting?

How to avoid unexpected costs at your Medicare Wellness Visit

Posted on July 29, 2026 by admin_dlwa

A Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV) is a chance to connect one on one with your care team to get questions answered, review medications and create a personalized prevention plan for the year ahead. The goal of an AWV is to keep you healthy, spot risks early, and guide you toward the right preventive screenings and lifestyle choices.

AWVs are always 100% covered when you go to an in-network provider. Still, some people are surprised by a bill afterward. This usually happens when part of the visit goes beyond preventive care. Below, we explain why this can happen and how to avoid unexpected costs.

Why you might be charged after your Annual Wellness Visit

Per Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rules, an AWV covers preventive care only. If your visit ends up including diagnosing or treating a specific health concern, that part of the visit may be billed as a regular office visit. Some people choose to combine their AWV with other appointments, such as primary care or their annual physical. When this happens, the AWV portion is covered fully, but other services during the same visit may result in charges.

Knowing what is and isn’t considered preventive care can help you better understand your costs.

What’s considered preventive care

Preventive care services usually covered during an AWV include:

Reviewing medical and family history
Checking weight, height, temperature, blood pressure and pulse
Test for cognitive wellness
Preventive screenings and immunizations recommended for you by your doctor
Reviewing current medications
Talking about your overall health and lifestyle

What’s considered treatment care

These services aren’t considered preventive and may be billed separately:

Discussing or treating a specific health concern, condition or injury
Ordering or reviewing lab work, X‑rays or other tests to diagnose health concerns

An AWV example: When part of an AWV turns into a billed office visit

Anne comes in for her AWV. During that visit, her doctor checks her vitals, makes sure her current medications are still working effectively and recommends small lifestyle changes she can make to help her continue to feel her best. All of those topics are covered at no cost as part of her AWV.

However, during the visit, Anne also mentions she’s experiencing occasional shortness of breath. To address this, Anne’s doctor performs a physical exam to listen to her lungs, and orders an X-ray and lab work to diagnose what’s causing her shortness of breath. That portion of her visit results in Anne receiving a bill for her office visit copay.

How HealthPartners members can avoid unexpected charges during their Medicare AWVs

It’s important to talk openly with your doctor and ask questions. Don’t avoid topics because you’re worried about cost. Instead, make sure you understand what services are covered so there are no surprises later.

Before your visit, you can:

Call Member Services with questions about billing, coverage or what counts as preventive care
Confirm the appointment is scheduled as an AWV

During your visit, try to:

Ask your doctor if a topic is covered under the AWV
Ask, “Will this be billed separately?” if you’re concerned about the possibility of being billed
Mention to your doctor that you only want to cover topics included in an AWV

After the visit, make sure to:

Review your Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
Contact Member Services if you have questions about charges

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Should I go to urgent care for an ear infection?

Posted on July 24, 2026 by admin_dlwa

If you or your child is dealing with ear pain, pressure or other symptoms, you may be concerned it’s an ear infection. Should you head to urgent care right away, make a primary care appointment, manage symptoms at home or something else?

When and where to seek care for an ear infection often depends on how severe the symptoms are and how long they’ve stuck around, as well as a child’s age. Below, we’ll walk you through how to choose the right level of care at the right time.

Urgent care for an ear infection vs. primary care: When to seek care

Both primary and urgent care providers can diagnose and treat ear infections. But before you decide where to go for ear infection treatment, you need to determine if you should go since not all ear infections may need antibiotic treatment.

Get care if there’s any blood or fluid draining from your ears

Ear drainage is often a sign of an ear infection or injury, so it’s important to see a doctor – even if your symptoms have started improving. Drainage may be clear, yellow or sometimes slightly bloody, and may be accompanied by other symptoms like pain when you pull on your earlobe, or itchiness inside your ear.

Seek ear infection care if your child is under 2 years old

Younger children are at higher risk of complications from ear infections and may not be able to describe their symptoms clearly. So if your baby or young toddler is rubbing or tugging their ear, having trouble eating or feeding, or other symptoms of ear infections in babies, it’s time to see a doctor.

Get ear infection care if you or your older child’s symptoms aren’t improving after 2-3 days

Most ear infections don’t need to be treated with antibiotics as they’re usually viral infections, not bacterial. In fact, symptoms often start to improve within 2-3 days with home treatments for ear infections. But if your symptoms don’t get better or they’re getting worse, it’s time to get help. Symptoms to pay attention to include:

Persistent high fever – Fevers can often be managed at home, but contact a doctor if you or your older child has one that lasts more than a few days, gets worse or keeps coming back.
Changes in hearing – Sounds may seem muffled, distant or harder to understand. Kids might turn up the volume on devices, ask you to repeat yourself or seem less responsive.
Ear pain – Pain can feel sharp, dull or throbbing. It’s often worse when lying down.
Feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear – It may feel like your ears are “plugged” or “clogged,” similar to what you might feel while on an airplane.
Itching – Itching inside the ear is more common with outer ear infections. There may also be redness, mild swelling or discomfort when you touch the outer ear.
Mild dizziness or balance issues – The inner ear helps control balance, so ear infections can sometimes cause slight dizziness or a feeling of being off-balance.

Urgent care for ear infections or primary care: How to choose

You know you need ear infection care, but how do you choose where to go?

Choose urgent care when care can’t wait or primary care clinics are closed

Urgent care clinics usually don’t require appointments and are often open daily with night and weekend hours. This makes them a great option when ear pain and other uncomfortable symptoms can’t wait for the next available primary care appointment or primary care clinics are closed for the day.

At HealthPartners, you can check wait times at urgent care locations near you and use our Save My Spot feature to get in line to be seen before you even arrive.

Choose primary care when you can wait for the next available appointment

At HealthPartners, we often have same-day and next-day primary care appointments available.

Go to the emergency room for serious ear infection symptoms

While most ear infections aren’t serious, there are times when ear infections need immediate attention. This can be especially true when symptoms are severe, or you think your baby has an ear infection. Here are reasons to go to the emergency room for ear infection symptoms.

Your young baby has a fever – Fevers in young babies should never be ignored. If your baby is younger than 2 months old, head to the emergency room immediately if they have a fever. If your child is between 2-3 months old, call your baby’s doctor. For older babies, learn more about what to do if your baby has a fever.
Redness, pain or swelling behind the ear – With more serious infections, fluid can build up and spread to the bone behind the ear, making the area tender or swollen. In some cases, the ear may stick out or be pushed forward.
Neck swelling or stiffness – Swelling, pain or difficulty moving your neck may mean the infection is spreading or causing inflammation in nearby tissues. This can make it uncomfortable to turn your head or look up and down.
Severe headache, dizziness or vomiting – These symptoms may mean the infection is affecting the inner ear or nearby areas.
Facial weakness – In rare cases, an ear infection can affect the nerves in your face. This can cause trouble smiling, closing one eye or moving part of your face.
Symptoms that escalate quickly – If you or your child have symptoms that are rapidly getting worse, it’s best to seek emergency care right away.

When you or your child needs ear infection treatment, we can help

If you’re concerned about ear infection symptoms, don’t hesitate to get help. An appointment with a primary care doctor can be an easy way to find care that fits into your schedule, especially since same-day or next-day options are usually available. But head to urgent care if you or your child’s uncomfortable symptoms need immediate care to get you feeling better.

Tackling “male menopause” myths | HealthPartners Blog

Posted on July 22, 2026 by admin_dlwa

Everybody feels their body change as they age, and it can be hard to tell what’s normal. In particular, if you’re a man feeling changes in your energy levels or libido as you get a little more gray in your whiskers, you might question whether your hormones are behaving normally. This might then lead you to wonder if men go through their own kind of menopause like women do.

The short answer? No. Menopause is a specific biological event that’s unique to women. But the phrase “male menopause” is sometimes used as a shorthand to describe what men really do experience: age-related changes in their hormones. We’ll go over what those changes look like below.

There’s no true “male menopause,” but men’s testosterone does decrease naturally

There are a few reasons why “male menopause” is a misleading term for what men experience. The first is that menopause refers to the end of a woman’s reproductive years – something that there’s no equivalent for in men.

The other reason is that the hormone changes women experience in the lead up to menopause are very different from the ones that men experience as they age. In the years leading up to menopause, women’s estrogen levels naturally begin to drop, but can fluctuate significantly even as they trend downward. This can lead to a range of menopause symptoms like mood swings, hot flashes and more.

By comparison, men’s testosterone levels generally decrease gradually, by an average of 1-2% per year starting around their mid-30s, although the start and rate of this decrease can be affected by certain health conditions, medications and other factors like physical fitness. And unlike menopause, which is a universal stage of life for women, doctors only attach a label to a man’s decreasing testosterone when it’s proven to be both:

Lower than expected for his age
Causing symptoms

In these cases, it may be referred to as testosterone deficiency, male hypogonadism, or late-onset hypogonadism (if it’s strictly the result of aging). You may also see people use the term “andropause” to describe age-related declines in testosterone.

What feels like symptoms of “male menopause” may be low testosterone or something else

Testosterone supports many aspects of men’s health, including muscle mass, energy and desire. So if your levels are especially low, it may very well be noticeable. That said, low testosterone doesn’t always cause symptoms.

Studies estimate that 40% of men over the age of 45 and 50% of men in their 80s have male hypogonadism. So while many men may experience low testosterone eventually, many others (including older men) don’t fit the criteria. Many symptoms of male hypogonadism can also be caused by other health conditions, which is why it’s important to talk with your doctor about what you’re experiencing.

Symptoms that most commonly indicate male hypogonadism include:

Fewer spontaneous erections
Hot flashes
Increased tiredness or fatigue
Low sperm count (resulting in infertility)
Reduced armpit and pubic hair
Reduced sexual desire (libido)

Other symptoms male hypogonadism can cause include:

Depression
Erectile dysfunction
Loss of hair on body and face
Increased body fat and reduced muscle
Osteoporosis (low bone density)
Sleep pattern disruptions
Trouble concentrating

Men may not experience menopause, but that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening

If you’re experiencing symptoms that could be due to male hypogonadism or another health condition, talk with a doctor. A primary care doctor with expertise in men’s health can help rule out other possible causes and refer you to a sexual health specialist, urologist or endocrinologist if more tests are needed.

Many of the health factors that contribute to low testosterone can be reversed, and even if it turns out that age-related hormone changes aren’t the problem, your doctor can recommend lifestyle changes or other treatments that may help you feel better.

Skin cancer in men | HealthPartners Blog

Posted on July 20, 2026 by admin_dlwa

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in both men and women. But by age 50, men are more likely to develop it and more likely to die from it.

Melanoma is a specific type of skin cancer. While it makes up only about 1% of all skin cancers, it causes the majority of skin cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that 65,400 men and 46,600 women will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2026. Of these, it’s estimated that 5,500 men and 3,010 women will die from the disease.

So, why are men at higher risk? Experts believe it’s a combination of factors, including behaviors and beliefs about sun protection and health care. The good news is that all these factors are within your control. Here, we explain four reasons for differences in melanoma rates in men and what you can do to lower your risk.

1. On average, men spend more time in the sun

One of the causes of melanoma is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning beds. Jobs that require working outdoors can significantly increase this risk, especially with prolonged exposure during peak daylight hours. Over time, repeated exposure adds up, increasing the likelihood of skin damage and cancer. Frequent sunburns are also a clear sign of increased risk.

Men are more likely to work in outdoor jobs such as construction and farming, where they may spend 8-10 hours a day in the sun. In fact, in a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about 66.1% of agricultural workers and 95.6% of construction workers were male.

2. Men are less likely to protect themselves from the UV rays that cause skin cancer

Research shows that men are less likely to take measures to protect themselves from the sun when outdoors, which further increases their risk. Sun protective behaviors include wearing sunscreen, protective clothing or a wide-brimmed hat, and seeking shade when possible. Based on a 2020 National Health Interview Survey, only about 12% of men said they used sunscreen when they were outside on a sunny day for more than an hour.

Even when working outdoors most of the day, men don’t always protect themselves from the sun. The CDC study found that sunscreen use was low among workers in agriculture and construction (15.1% and 21.4%) with relatively few seeking shade on a regular basis (24.5% and 29.1%). Protective clothing was more common but still inconsistent (70.5% in agriculture and 53% in construction), and about one-third of workers reported at least one sunburn in the past year.

Reasons for low use of sun protective behaviors include lower risk awareness, fewer daily skin care habits, cultural attitudes and practical barriers like convenience and comfort. Based on a survey by the American Academy of Dermatology, only about 50% of men knew key facts such as:

There’s no such thing as a healthy tan.
A base tan doesn’t offer protection against the sun.
Skin cancer can develop on skin that only gets occasional or little sun.

3. Men may pay less attention to their skin

In general, men spend less time thinking about their skin and how to keep it healthy. Daily skin care routines that include sunscreen or other forms of sun protection are less common among men, although this is changing, particularly among younger generations. Men are also less likely to perform routine skin checks. Because of this, men may be less aware of changes in their skin, such as new or changing moles.

4. Men are less likely to visit a doctor if they notice skin cancer symptoms

Men are more likely to put off care, both preventive and when they notice symptoms of skin cancer. National Health Statistics Reports from 2025 found that men are about 40% less likely than women to visit a doctor. But when doctor visits are skipped or delayed, it can lead to melanoma being diagnosed at a later, more serious stage when it’s harder to treat.

What men can do now to reduce their risk of skin cancer

While some risk factors for skin cancer can’t be changed, there are things you can do to significantly lower your risk of getting skin cancer or dying because of it.

Take steps to protect your skin from the sun

The most common places for melanoma are areas that get a lot of sun exposure, such as the face, back, arms and legs. There are ways to lower your risk of skin cancer by covering these areas with clothing and sunscreen, and spending time in the shade when possible. Here’s where to start:

Lightweight, sun-protective clothing – Cover exposed skin with lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and long pants designed for hot weather. Choose clothing with a UPF rating for added protection from harmful UV rays.
A wide-brimmed hat – Choose a hat with a wide brim to protect your face, ears and the back of your neck, areas that are often exposed and easy to miss with sunscreen.
Broad-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher – While there are things you should look for in a sunscreen, the most important thing is to find one that you’ll actually use. If you’ve avoided sunscreen in the past because you don’t like how it feels, it may be time to give it another try. Today’s options include lightweight lotions, gels, sticks and spray-on formulas that are quicker to apply and less greasy than previous products. Just remember they still need to be applied evenly and regularly to be effective.

Watch your skin for changes

The first signs of melanoma are often a change in an existing mole or a new or unusual-looking growth on the skin. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to any new or changing spots on your skin, especially if you have a family history of melanoma or other skin cancers.

When checking your skin, make sure to check every inch of it, even between your toes. A mirror can help you see your head, neck, back and genitals. You’re looking for new moles or spots, or existing marks that change in size, shape or color, and sores that don’t heal. The ABCDE rule can be helpful to help you notice warning signs.

Asymmetry
Borders that are uneven
Colors that are inconsistent
Diameter that’s larger than a pencil eraser
Evolving over time

Talk to your doctor if you notice skin changes (and even if you don’t)

Skin cancer is becoming more treatable than ever before, especially when found in the early stages. When skin cancer is found in a localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate is over 99%, according to the ACS.

So if you spot anything that could be a sign of skin cancer, make an appointment with a primary care doctor or your dermatologist to have it checked as soon as possible.

Also, don’t skip preventive care. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen a doctor, schedule a men’s physical exam with a primary care doctor. If needed, they can refer you to a dermatologist.

Protect your skin, and your life

Men face a higher risk of developing and dying from melanoma, often due to a combination of greater sun exposure, lower use of protection and delayed care. But with a few changes, you can lower your skin cancer risk and help protect your long-term health. Start by focusing on sun protection, checking your skin regularly and seeing a doctor when something looks unusual.

Should you go to urgent care for a sore throat?

Posted on July 13, 2026July 18, 2026 by admin_dlwa

If you or your child is dealing with a sore throat – especially if the pain has lingered for a few days or home remedies don’t seem to be working – it may be time to see a doctor. But should you go to urgent care right away, make a primary care appointment or do something else?

The right choice often depends on how severe the sore throat is, other symptoms being experienced and which care options are available. Below, we walk through symptoms that may indicate a more serious infection behind a sore throat, and when to see a doctor at an urgent care or elsewhere.

Get in-person care for a sore throat that lingers or is paired with certain symptoms

Sore throats have a lot of possible causes. Most of the time, they’re caused by viral infections like the common cold or influenza, which typically improve over a few days with home remedies to relieve throat irritation, such as gargling with warm saltwater or over-the-counter pain relievers. But if a sore throat isn’t improving or is getting worse after a few days, it’s likely time to see a doctor.

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This is especially true for anyone who develops symptoms such as:

Bad breath
Blood in saliva or mucus
Earache
Fever higher than 100.4° F
Joint pain
Rash
Red or white spots in the mouth
Swelling or a lump in the neck or face
Trouble opening the mouth or swallowing

These symptoms may be signs of bacterial infections like strep throat or a more serious viral infection like mononucleosis. Bacteria may also cause these symptoms by infecting certain parts of your mouth and throat, such as your tonsils, adenoids, epiglottis or uvula.

Choose urgent care for a sore throat if you need care now or primary care isn’t available

If you or your child have a sore throat that is very painful or has a high fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck or a rash, go to urgent care. These symptoms can be more common in bacterial infections where antibiotics may be needed for treatment.

You should also go to urgent care if you can’t get a primary care appointment as quickly as you’d like or it’s outside of normal clinic hours, like on the weekends. At HealthPartners, you can check wait times at urgent care locations near you and use our Save My Spot feature to get in line to be seen before you even arrive. In fact, our patients can save up to 56 minutes in the waiting room by using Save My Spot.

How much it costs to treat a sore throat at urgent care depends on a few factors

The cost of an urgent care visit depends on where you go, your insurance coverage and what care you receive. At HealthPartners, an urgent care visit is billed the same as an office visit, but the exact cost will vary depending on the testing and other services provided.

Choose primary care for a sore throat if care can wait for the next available appointment

At HealthPartners, we often have same-day and next-day primary care appointments available.

Go to the emergency room if you have severe throat pain or trouble breathing

If you have symptoms that may be life-threatening or that are interfering with your ability to care for yourself, call 911 or go to an emergency room. Examples include:

Severe throat pain
Trouble breathing
Sudden sore throat combined with a headache, dizziness, confusion or nausea

These may be signs of a serious infection or an acute issue like carbon monoxide poisoning.

Get the care your sore throat needs – urgent or otherwise

Whatever symptoms you’re experiencing, we’re here to help you get relief as quickly as possible. If a sore throat isn’t going away or your symptoms are getting worse, see if a same-day or next-day primary care appointment is available. If primary care isn’t an option or you need care sooner, head to urgent care. Either way, your care team can help determine the cause and what type of treatment you need.

How to Build an Adult Obstacle Course

Posted on June 25, 2026 by admin_dlwa

Building an adult obstacle course a la Tough Mudder or Spartan Race or Ninja Warrior is a noble goal, but not everyone wants to spend their weekends constructing a complex network of lumber-heavy structures that fill up your backyard. There are prefabricated adult play structures you can buy or companies you can hire if you want to go that route. If you’re handy, you can do it yourself, but, again, it will take a lot of time.

I’m more interested in constructing ad hoc adult obstacle courses using simple objects you might already have lying around or can easily obtain at Home Depot. It’s a bit more attainable that way for the average person.

The beauty of these types of obstacle courses is that they are endlessly modular. You can adjust the layout, bringing the jumps closer together or farther apart as you progress in skill and strength. You can bring them to the park or the beach and set up an obstacle course wherever you want. Your creativity flourishes. It can be a different course every single time. Here’s some of the supplies I’d recommend getting your hands on and what you can create with them.

Long pieces of lumber are relatively inexpensive balance beams that are easy to transport. You could attach support pieces underneath on either end running perpendicular to raise the beam off the ground and provide more stability, but you don’t really need to. Simply laying the pieces directly on the ground works too. It’s also safer, since you’re not “falling” off anything.

You can use these for balance beams. You can use them for crawling—bear crawls along a 2×4 is a great exercise and a nice change of pace for an obstacle course.

Every time you spend a day at the creek or river, grab a few large flat-ish stones and take ‘em home. After a dozen visits you’ll have enough. Or just head down to the landscaping supply store and fill your truck/trunk with some decent sized stones.

Then, make a walking path using the stones that players have to traverse. The key is to get stones that are flat enough that you can stand on them but also have some wobble to them. They should be unsteady but relatively safe, making it a great way to walk across uneven, non-linear “ground” and activate all the muscles and connective tissue in your lower body (and balancing neurons in your brain).

You can also jump from stone to stone, as if you were at the creek. For added difficulty, spray them down with the hose first.

Yoga balls get a lot of flack in the “functional fitness” community. They don’t deserve it. Sure, I don’t recommend doing squats on them or overhead presses. That’s silly, and dangerous. What I do recommend is burying it halfway up in sand or dirt to use as a small trampoline.

Get 4 or 5 of them spread out in a line and bounce your way along it. Advanced movers can even do flips, although you won’t find me doing that anytime soon.

If you have a tree in your backyard, you can hang a rope from it. What can you do with a rope?

Climb it- Great strength workout and a mainstay at the toughest obstacle course challenges.
Swing from it- Just like Tarzan, scream optional.
Leap and grab it- Stand on a chair, rock or anything high and leap to grab the rope. How far can you safely do this? Four feet? Six feet? Test yourself.

Something long, heavy, and wooden is a great addition to an adult obstacle course. You can have players lift the log and carry it to the next station. You can have them do a set of overhead presses, deadlifts, or squats with the log, either with one end on the ground or both ends off the ground.

Spend 30 bucks on 4 buckets and a couple bags of gravel or sand from the hardware store and you’ve got yourself a nice setup for loaded carries. You can carry the buckets by the handles. You can hug it to your body. You can even carry them overhead. They’re awkward and messy and gritty, and that’s the point. Whatever the course designer requires, the players have to do.

The beauty of the gravel bucket is you can adjust the weight to fit the players. Fill the bucket all the way with gravel and it’s about 75 pounds. Two of those are going to be pretty heavy. Fill it halfway and it becomes more manageable for younger, smaller players.

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These might be the most important element of all. By laying sticks or light pieces of wood across boxes or chairs, you can create hurdles to leap over or crawl under. You can even make a string of them to create a tunnel to crawl through, or an alternating series of jumps and crawls.

Punch holes in the tennis balls and tie strings onto them, then hang them from something overhead like a trellis, tree or gazebo. Create a series of tennis balls at varying heights that contestants have to dodge and weave through without touching. Wind will make it harder. Purposely prodding them so they swing a bit will make it even harder.

If you want, you can coat the tennis balls in charcoal dust so they leave a mark as evidence of being touched (or not).

Little cones (like you use in soccer practice) are great for creating paths you have to weave through and around. Creating a path makes things more “official,” and people are bound to be more into the obstacle course if you have a predetermined path—a journey for them to complete. It’s a little thing but it’s very important.

Every obstacle course should have a throwing element. In the Spartan Race, contestants have to throw a javelin at a target. You could do that—they even sell javelins on Amazon—or you could have upright sticks and a pile of rocks you have to use to knock them over. You could use a dart board, or throwing knives, or axes.

The point is to introduce an element of throwing accuracy into the course. You don’t want everything to be brute strength.

I still love splitting wood rounds. Takes me back to my childhood in Maine. And there’s no better workout than actually performing a functional activity. In fact, one study showed that wood chopping triggers a higher testosterone response than an equally intense bout of working out.1

If you don’t want to set up wood round splitting, you could get a sledgehammer and some old tires and have contestants do a set number of hammer slams. The point is to lift a heavy handled object and slam it down with great purpose and intensity.

Take all the ideas up above and then put them together. Have a balance beam running through the tunnel. Bounce off a buried yoga ball onto a balance beam. Carry buckets of gravel while traversing the wobbly river stones. Swing off the rope onto the yoga ball course. You get the idea.

The most important thing is to introduce all the elements of human movement: speed, balance, strength (upper body, lower body, total body), skill, dexterity, throwing accuracy, cardiovascular fitness, upright, ground-based (crawling), jumping, landing. Oh, and fun.

Now I’d love to hear from you. How would you put together an adult obstacle course?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3810999/ ↩

Thank you for reading!

Mark’s Daily Apple is still under construction. My team and I are actively working to repost the archives. Check back regularly to find posts that are new to you and revisit old favorites. Looking for a specific post? Let us know here.

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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and isn’t intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring as you pursue a healthy, fulfilling life.

The Primal 80/20 Principle – Mark’s Daily Apple

Posted on June 25, 2026 by admin_dlwa

The 80/20 principle has been a centerpiece of the Primal Blueprint approach and philosophy since the beginning, but I still get comments and questions about it. In case you’re not familiar:

The 80/20 principle suggests that in the context of a full and earnest commitment to making health-promoting choices, conforming with the ten Primal Blueprint Laws 80% of the time will yield a solidly healthy result.

Many tell me how much they love the concept. It’s a feature that makes the Primal lifestyle possible for them.

Others suggest that it leaves too much room for backsliding.

Still others find it confusing—does it mean living 100% Primal only 80% of the time and partying it up that other 20%? Or does it mean living 80% Primal 100% of the time? (The answer is neither, as you’ll see.)

I love having these kinds of discussions within the community. Your perspectives help me to continue to grow and evolve my thinking even after all these years. So let me share my perspective on the 80/20 principle, and I encourage you to share your own thoughts in the comments as well. Just because I’m “the Primal guy” doesn’t mean I get to dictate how you interpret what it means to live Primally, nor how you embody these teachings in your own life. It’s obviously a general principle and, as such, it’s intended to mean different things to different people.

In short, the 80/20 principle is designed make Primal doable in the context of the modern world. It’s a feature that makes the Primal Blueprint a fully achievable, enduring lifestyle that reconciles with the grind and disruptions of daily life.

Let me put it this way: the 80/20 principle is an acknowledgment that we’re adults who take full responsibility for every choice but occasionally find ourselves in circumstances that aren’t conducive to adhering fully to the Primal Laws.

You should always have the intention to do your best, to aim for 100%. But you should not let your commitment to Primal living become a source of stress or anxiety, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up or throw in the towel when perfection isn’t possible.

You have agency and reasoning skills, so you should be able to make conscious compromises. Perhaps you’re on vacation and really want the experience of sampling the local cuisine. For you, it’s part of the adventure. You authentically choose within the 80/20 principle to make the most of your hard earned adventure. (Personally, this is my favorite manifestation of the principle.) Maybe it’s a special anniversary or family gathering. You don’t use the situation as an excuse to wildly abandon your commitment to health and longevity. You loosen the strings enough to find the best balance between short-term experience and long-term goals.

Sometimes the 80/20 principle is a matter of feasibility. Travel doesn’t always present the most ideal Primal options. A difficult period in your life (new baby, death or serious illness in the family) may temporarily disrupt your focus or ability to do all the good things you normally incorporate into your routine.

There are also the Primal ideals, especially when it comes to food. I know not everyone has ready access to or the budget for grass-fed beef, pastured butter, organic produce, or a wide diversity of produce year round. This is where that old saying comes in: “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” The majority of the health benefits from Primal come from eliminating the grains, sugars, and nasty oils. Worrying about organic, local, and so on is the cherry on top. Likewise, if all you manage right now is walking and microworkouts, but you haven’t found a way to build sprints into your routine yet, you’re still miles ahead of the person who is still sedentary.

Sometimes you just have to do the best you can. It’s not a question of motivation or commitment but the influence of external conditions. Think of it as a cushion, not a cop-out, and focus on the big picture. Primal success is less about what you do at any one meal or single bout at the gym and more about what you do over the course of a given week or month.

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Most importantly, it isn’t permission to only shoot for 80% compliance or success. If you set out to make your Primal commitment 80%, guess what. It will likely fall well below that. If you set out to make your commitment 100%, you’ll probably settle in somewhere between 80 and 95%.

It doesn’t mean getting 20% of your calories from ice cream and the other 80% from meats and salads. The 80/20 principle isn’t about “cheating” 20% of the time.

It isn’t intended as a “get-out-of-Primal-free card” for flocking to grains, skimping on fat or protein, or ignoring a continuing sleep deficit.

It doesn’t mean you’re perfect during the week and then go on a bender on the weekend.

It doesn’t mean working out 10 months of the year and then taking two months off to veg on the couch.

It doesn’t mean picking your favorite 8 of the 10 Primal Blueprint laws and scrapping the other two.

And let me be clear: there’s nothing wrong with achieving 100%. If you find the Primal Laws easy to incorporate fully into your life, that’s cause for celebration, not concern. I would never suggest that you’re missing out on life because you don’t feel the need to indulge in conscious compromises. More power to you if you’re happy and fulfilled without them.

Decidedly no, but I’ve gotten this question a fair amount, so let’s clear it up. When people talk about the 80/20 diet, they usually mean the eating strategy attributed to Australian nutritionist, chef, and personal trainer Teresa Cutter. In this approach, you are supposed to “be good” 80% of the time, but you are allowed to indulge the other 20% of the time within reason. No foods are off the table. It’s a “have your cake and eat it too” diet, and it’s very much NOT what the Primal 80/20 principle represents.

The Primal 80/20 principle isn’t a diet at all; it’s more of a mindset. It’s about giving yourself permission not to be perfect, not actually planning dietary excursions into your week. By the same token, the 80/20 principle isn’t carb cycling, alternate day fasting, or any other structured eating pattern. With those, the assumption is that you’re (mostly) sticking to Primal foods but eating at specific times or with certain macronutrient ratios.

And of course, the Primal Blueprint encompasses more than nutrition, so the Primal 80/20 principle does as well. All aspects of Primal living—movement, sleep, stress management, social connection, cognitive challenge—fall under the 80/20 umbrella. There are probably some aspects you’re closer to 100% on most of the time and others you struggle with. For me, the food part is easy, but I’ve historically struggled with the stress bit.

There are times when 100% compliance—or something close to it—is important. One example that comes to mind is when someone is using an elimination diet (autoimmune protocol, low-FODMAP, etc.) to explore chronic symptoms. Unless they are strict about eliminating and then systematically reintroducing potential trigger foods, the diet probably won’t be much use.

Another time when it makes sense to be stricter is during the transition to a keto diet. Ketosis is a notoriously fragile metabolic state. Eat a single high-carb meal or snack, and wham, you’re out. When you’re in the process of adapting to keto, it makes sense to be consistent for at least the first four to six weeks to facilitate the process. Even after that, there’s little wiggle room if staying in ketosis is important to you.

At its core, the 80/20 principle is a recognition that life isn’t totally predictable and that we’re not in Grok’s Kansas anymore. Denying that reality and trying to fit Primal principles perfectly into modern life can be like jamming a square peg into a round hole.

The point of 80/20 is to release the pressure valve that comes with thinking that you are supposed to be perfect and that this Primal living thing should come easily all the time.

As the Primal Blueprint cements itself in your routine, it generally becomes easier (and more desirable) to live well above that 80%. That was my experience, and I can’t even count how many people have told me the same over the years. The Primal Blueprint comes naturally for me now because my entire lifestyle revolves around it and I’ve been doing it so long. It’s so much a part of my routine that I don’t often think about it except when I travel. It will become your normal as well, but the chance that you’ll always be the perfect Primal specimen are small. I’m not, and I’m fine with that.

I encourage everyone to focus on the process and the big picture, not simply the daily details. The Primal Blueprint is first and foremost about taking full responsibility for your life and health. No excuses, no guilt.

As always, thanks for reading, and keep the questions and comments coming!

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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and isn’t intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring as you pursue a healthy, fulfilling life.

How to Do A Plank Properly

Posted on June 25, 2026 by admin_dlwa

The core does not only exist to contract or bend over and over again, to twist and rotate, but also to resist rotational force. We need strong cores in order to maintain a stable torso while putting in work, whether it’s lifting heavy things, carrying a heavy load, or transferring power from our hips while throwing a punch or a ball. Having that stable, strong core with the capacity to resist the influence of outside forces working to make it rotate or twist or bend is just as important as having the capacity to perform a million sit-ups.

Enter the plank. Planks seem like the simplest exercise imaginable, and while they aren’t that complicated, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to get the most bang for your buck.

Get in the pushup position, but put your forearms on the ground instead of your hands. Your elbows should line up directly underneath your shoulders. Toes on the ground.
Squeeze your glutes and tighten your abdominals. Imagine you’re pinching a quarter between your butt cheeks.
Look at the ground to keep a neutral neck and spine. You may feel like your chin is tucked a bit.
Tuck your pelvis. Instead of arching your back, do a slight pelvic tuck to really engage your abs. The pelvic tuck also allows you to use your quads and push against the ground with your feet.
Push against the ground. Shoulder blades should protract.
Create a straight, strong line from head to toes. A single cohesive piece. In other words, a plank.
Hold that position.

The plank is a total body effort. When you’re in the plank position, every fiber of your being is resisting the pull of gravity. You must engage and tighten every inch of musculature in your body to resist collapse and maintain coherence throughout the line your body forms. During a plank, you are quite literally holding the line against the most omnipresent force in the known universe.

Your abs are working to keep the spine from collapsing.
Your glutes are contracting to support your lower back.
Your erector spinae muscles are engaged to keep your spine cohesive and neutral.
Your quads are contracting to stabilize your legs.
Your hip flexors are activated to prevent your hips from breaking.
Your serratus anterior is working to stabilize your shoulders.

And on and on and on. You’re placing your spinal column in the most disadvantageous position imaginable, exposed along every inch to the pull of gravity. You’re working everything during a plank.

Research shows that planks make you stronger, particularly in the trunk muscle. They can even increase the thickness of your abdominal muscles. In people who are fairly untrained, simply doing nothing but planks for a few weeks will increase their overall fitness levels. Not just trunk strength, that is, but general fitness.1

Studies show that incorporating planks into the training of athletes can reduce injury rates by making their bodies more resilient. It turns out that having strong, stable trunk muscles makes you more resistant to all the various forces acting on you during athletic activity.2

In short, planks are exercise, and exercise improves almost every health marker you can imagine. The thing about planks is that they appear to be a low intensity, easy exercise that most people never even consider doing. To the uninitiated, a plank might look like doing nothing at all.

If you get bored of the traditional plank, there are other versions you can try.

Instead of placing your elbows directly underneath your shoulders, place them several inches in front of your shoulders, thereby lengthening the lever and increasing the difficulty. Research shows that this increases activation of various trunk muscles.3 The more your elbows stray ahead of your shoulders, the harder it gets.

Do the plank on your side, supporting yourself with one hand placed on the ground and one edge of your foot wedged against the ground. Switch sides.

Get in the traditional plank position, only support yourself contra laterally—either your left elbow and right foot touching or your right elbow and left foot touching.

Find more plank variations in THIS POST.

Don’t let your hips sag down to the ground. Sagging hips makes the exercise initially easier, but it’s not a plank and it defeats the purpose of the exercise.
Don’t look up! Look down at the ground. This is a good prompt for maintaining a neutral neck position.
Don’t go to failure. When your form begins to suffer, pull the plug. You’re only benefiting from the plank by actually doing the plank with proper technique.
Don’t overly arch your back. Keep that pelvis tucked.

Even if you never progress (or choose to progress) to the other plank variations, the basic plank, performed properly, will be sufficient for developing good core stability, strength, and overall resilience.

Got any more questions about planks? Drop them in the comments.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34441051/ ↩
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29558776/ ↩
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25325773/ ↩

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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and isn’t intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring as you pursue a healthy, fulfilling life.

10 Best Plank Variations to Try

Posted on June 25, 2026 by admin_dlwa

One of the core’s most important jobs is to maintain stability as forces try to act on it—to keep you stable, upright, and in a good position even as you get pushed and pulled and poked and prodded from all angles. While most people think of doing sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts, and bicycles when they want to build their core strength, one of the most effective exercises for developing a stronger core is the standard plank.

But planks get boring. And sometimes, a basic plank isn’t providing the right amount of stimulus to the right spots for your goals. That’s when you turn to plank variations that make the exercise more interesting, target different tissues, and force different adaptations.

Here are ten of the best variations on the standard plank.

This exercise helps strengthen your core, and improves stability and posture without being quite so intense as the standard plank. It’s probably the best place for someone to start who’s never done a plank before and worries about their ability to perform one. To perform this, position your elbows directly below your shoulders and raise your body off the ground, supporting your weight on your forearms and knees. Your body should form a straight line from head to knees. Try to hold this position for as long as you can.

Muscles hit: Engages the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and obliques, along with the glutes, shoulders. Because of the knee resting position, the quads are mostly taken out of it.

This variation is essentially the top of a push-up position. It targets the core, but also engages the shoulders, chest, and quads. Start in a push-up position with your palms flat on the ground, hands shoulder-width apart, and arms straight. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.

Muscles hit: The high plank hits all the same muscles as the standard plank with a bit more emphasis on the upper body, including the shoulders and triceps.

This variation targets the obliques, the muscles on the side of your torso. Begin on your side with your feet together and one forearm directly below your shoulder. Raise your hips until your body is straight from head to feet. Hold this position without letting your hips drop. Repeat on the other side.

Muscles hit: The side plank is very good at targeting the obliques.

Adding shoulder taps to a high plank can increase the intensity of the exercise and engage your upper body more actively. From a high plank position, lift one hand off the ground and tap your opposite shoulder. Keep your core engaged and try to avoid rocking your hips.

Muscles hit: The shoulder tap places some engagement on the deltoids, but most of it comes from forcing the core musculature to support the movement and lack of support from the arm.

This plank variation not only targets your core, but also works your lower body. From a high plank position, bring one knee up towards the elbow on the opposite side. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

Muscles hit: This is a real ab shredder.

Imagine Spiderman crawling along a skyscraper and you’ll get the feel for this variation, which can help increase hip mobility and core strength—particularly the serratus and transverse abdominis From a high plank position, bring one knee out to the side, trying to touch your elbow. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

Muscles hit: The obliques and hip flexors are hardest hit, while there’s also intense activation of the transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis (which can be difficult to train directly).

This plank variation targets the posterior chain muscles, including the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and triceps. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Place your palms on the floor behind you, fingers pointing towards your feet. Push through your palms and lift your hips and torso towards the ceiling.

Muscles hit: Perhaps the most unique variation, the reverse plank targets the posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and triceps, but also works the anterior deltoids and pectorals. There’s less “direct” activation of the core musculature.

This plank variation challenges your balance and engages your core even more intensively. From a high plank position, lift one foot off the ground and hold. Keep your body steady and your hips level. Try switching to lifting one hand off the ground and hold while keeping both feet down.

You can also try the Two-Point Plank, where you alternate between lifting left elbow/right foot and right elbow/left foot.

Muscles hit: In addition to the core muscles which are hit from a unique angle and bias, the gluteus medius and minimus on the lifted leg’s side also activate to support the leg.

This is a dynamic plank variation that combines cardiovascular exercise with strength training. From a high plank position, jump your feet out wide like you’re doing a jumping jack, then back together.

If that’s too easy, try jumping out your hands as well.

Muscles hit: The transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, and obliques are all engaged along with the glutes and hip abductors. The tibialis (shin bone) anterior also helps absorb the impact.

This plank variation provides a full body workout, particularly engaging the shoulders and core. Start in a high plank position. Lower one elbow to the ground, then the other, coming into a forearm plank. Then, place one hand on the ground, then the other, pushing back up into a high plank.

Muscles hit: The dynamic movement between high and forearm plank position engages the triceps, pectorals, and deltoids plus smaller stabilizer muscles of the shoulder girdle in addition to the normal core muscles targeted by planks.

I hope you enjoy some of these variations. Let me know in comment section which ones you do!

Thank you for reading!

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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and isn’t intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring as you pursue a healthy, fulfilling life.