Dispatch #46

The best mobility exercises; the best time of day to exercise; the best way to store leftover food; the best way to be useless.

Apr 21, 2025

It’s been 360 days since my last dispatch. A lot can change in (nearly) a year, but as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The biggest change to report is that we have a new dog (Artie!). This means we’re spending even more time (…and money) on keeping canine companions happy. Having three dogs is a lot of work. Most days I feel like an animal myself; the main drawback to living among beasts is that one becomes more beastly in thought and expression. I imagine this is sort of what a new parent feels like after devoting all their time to their baby.

Anyway, my main goal today is simply getting this newsletter out. Mission accomplished. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m pretty sure a dog needs to be walked.

Brain & Body

The Best Mobility Exercises To Improve Your Range Of Motion
Okay, but can you do THIS??
What’s this all about: Having a strong, mobile body that you can rely on no matter what the situation—that’s the ultimate outcome of any training program. You don’t need to devote yourself to a daily yoga practice in order to achieve this outcome. These 10 basic exercises will do the trick.
My take: I recently wrote 700+ words on the value of mobility training for The Globe & Mail, a piece which should be published some time over the next couple of weeks. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll just say that everyone should spend around 10-15 minutes doing mobility work every day. Pick a few of the exercises demonstrated in the above article and see what happens. Your body will thank you for the effort.
The Best Time of Day to Exercise: Another Media Fail?
Sure that sunset is nice, but you have to wonder—was this bike ride optimally timed to maximize positive health outcomes?
What’s this all about: Is there a “best time of day” for exercising? A specific window during which the outcomes from all of one’s physical efforts get magically boosted? Maybe, according to one study. But probably not.
My take: When a person exercises has to be the least important of all the factors that lead to quality results. The most successful individuals in any endeavour are the ones who practice their craft on a consistent basis, always striving for tiny improvements along the way. Physical fitness is no different. Find an activity you enjoy doing and do it as often as you can. That’s all there is to it.

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How to Store Half a Lemon—and 17 Other Ways to Keep Leftover Food Fresh
What’s this all about: Food waste is an inevitable aspect of cooking. Either we make too much and have to deal with a few days worth of leftovers, or we portion everything perfectly and are left with random scraps (lemon wedges, sad slices of ginger, a quarter-can of beans)—cluttering up the fridge. When properly stored, we can extend the lifespan of this still-usable foodstuff.
My take: I welcome any and all tips on reducing food waste. The list in this article contains some handy tidbits. Another option to consider: we recently subscribed to Odd Bunch, a food delivery service that not only provides consumers with inexpensive produce, but also helps grocery stores reduce their food waste too.
A Life of Splendid Uselessness is a Life Well Lived
What’s this all about: “The culture of the 21st century…is oriented around the practical principles of utility, effectiveness and impact. The worth of anything—an idea, an activity, an artwork, a relationship with another person—is determined pragmatically: things are good to the extent that they are instrumental, with instrumentality usually defined as the capacity to produce money or things. Bright young people are shuffled into a narrow set of lucrative ‘changemaking’ career paths in business, consulting and law; so-called ‘relationship experts’ counsel status-based courtship, the acquisition of a ‘high-value’ mate; guides to ‘productivity’ – the cardinal virtue of the 21st-century US, now exported globally – top nonfiction bestseller lists. Ways of being together, including religious worship, are ‘social technologies’; knowledge of how to do something, even to quietly contemplate the strangeness of being, is a ‘life hack’. For today’s luminaries and wisdom-peddlers, it’s instrumentality all the way down.”
My take: I’ve always leaned towards a life of leisure. Getting things done feels good, of course, but to me being productive doesn’t have to involve making money or “moving the needle forward”. Productivity can take many shapes and forms; in fact, my best ideas often come when I’m doing absolutely nothing at all.