TODAY’S DOSE OF HONESTY

The #1 Workout Fix That Transformed My Strength & Stopped My Pain

I’ve learned A LOT training with Korey Rowe. One of the most valuable things he taught me is the importance of unilateral training. With this approach, you work one leg at a time and one arm at a time for most (though not all) exercises.

Why is this important? For one thing, we all have asymmetries in strength between one side of our body and the other. If we train only with exercises like squats or lat pulldowns—where both sides of the body engage simultaneously—we unknowingly allow our stronger side to compensate for the weaker one. This worsens asymmetry and, in my case, was the primary cause of my daily muscle-related back pain.

The main reason to focus on training one side of the body at a time is injury prevention. When we fall, we are rarely planted firmly on both feet. (If we were, we likely wouldn’t fall in the first place!) The benefit of regularly training one limb at a time isn’t about aesthetics, vanity, or even long-term fitness—it’s about reducing the risk of major trauma.

I now swear by this principle and spend about 80% of my leg workouts focusing on unilateral movements. This includes pistol squats, single-leg RDLs (Romanian deadlifts), walking lunges, side lunges, and single-leg bridges. (You’ll find demos of some of these exercises on my Instagram—@drjashton.)

You can start incorporating this today—even while brushing your teeth! Stand on one leg while brushing in the evening, then switch to the other in the morning, or alternate between legs within the same brushing session.

SYMPTOM SOLUTIONS

Unlock Your Best Sleep: The Science Behind Your Chronotype

I admit it—I’m a great sleeper and always have been. I think I have a sleep gene that allows me to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly (most of the time).

After years of waking up in the middle of the night to deliver babies and then getting up at 4–5 AM for 14 years of morning TV, I can confidently say I qualify as a morning person. But I know many of you are not.

Did you know that sleep chronotypes can actually help explain your sleeping patterns? A sleep chronotype refers to an individual’s natural inclination toward sleeping and waking at certain times, influenced by their biological clock. It determines whether you are a morning person, a night owl, or somewhere in between. Chronotypes also impact energy levels, cognitive performance, and overall well-being.

Sleep specialist Dr. Michael Breus developed a chronotype model based on four animal archetypes, each representing different sleep-wake patterns:

• Bears: Follows the sun’s schedule, productive in the morning, energy dips in the afternoon.

• Lions: Wakes up very early, high energy in the morning, crashes by evening.

• Wolves: Late risers, most productive in the afternoon/evening.

• Dolphins: Light sleepers, irregular sleep patterns, often anxious about sleep.

Why Chronotypes Matter

Chronotypes influence work performance, exercise efficiency, and even diet choices. Understanding your chronotype can help you optimize sleep quality, productivity, and overall well-being by aligning your daily schedule with your body’s natural rhythms.

You can determine your sleep chronotype by answering the following questions. Keep track of your responses:

1. Natural Wake-Up Time (Without an Alarm)

• A) Before 6 AM

• B) 6-7:30 AM

• C) 7:30-9 AM

• D) After 9 AM

2. Peak Energy Time

• A) Early morning (6-9 AM

• B) Late morning (9-12 PM

• C) Afternoon (12-6 PM

• D) Evening/Night (6 PM or later

3. How Do You Feel in the Morning?

• A) Fully alert and energetic

• B) Takes some time, but I adjust

• C) Groggy, need coffee or movement

• D) Exhausted, not functional until later

4. Preferred Bedtime (When You Feel Naturally Sleepy)

• A) 8-9:30 PM

• B) 9:30-11 PM

• C) 11 PM-12:30 AM

• D) 12:30 AM or later

5. How Do You Feel Late at Night?

• A) Tired, ready for bed

• B) Relaxed but functional

• C) Awake and creative

• D) Super alert and most productive

6. Energy Levels Throughout the Day

• A) High in the morning, dip in the afternoon, okay at night

• B) Steady energy throughout the day

• C) Low in the morning, highest in the afternoon

• D) Low in the morning, peak energy in the evening

Results:

• Mostly A’s → Lion (Early Bird)

  Highly productive in the morning, best suited for early schedules, naturally sleeps early.

• Mostly B’s → Bear (Balanced/Typical Schedule)

  Follows the sun’s cycle, best energy mid-morning, tends to get sleepy in the evening.

• Mostly C’s → Wolf (Night Owl)

  Struggles with mornings, most productive in the late afternoon/evening, prefers late nights.

• Mostly D’s → Dolphin (Light Sleeper/Erratic Schedule)

  Tends to have insomnia or trouble sleeping, alert late at night, energy varies.

Many women, particularly those over 50, tend to have a Dolphin Chronotype—meaning they are light sleepers with irregular sleep patterns. Dolphins are often highly intelligent, detail-oriented, and prone to anxiety, which can make falling and staying asleep a challenge.

What This Means for You:

• You may struggle with insomnia or inconsistent sleep patterns.

• You tend to feel alert late at night, even if you’re exhausted during the day.

• Your energy levels fluctuate unpredictably—some days you feel great, other days you crash.

• Your brain is constantly active, making it hard to “switch off” at bedtime.

Optimized Sleep Tips for Dolphins

1. Follow a Strict Sleep Schedule (Even on Weekends) – This is KEY!

   • Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to regulate your internal clock.

   • Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep, even if it's hard to achieve at first.

2. Brain Offloading Before Bed

   • Your mind is always active, so try journaling, meditation, or deep breathing exercises 30-60 minutes before bed to clear your thoughts.

   • Writing down next-day tasks can reduce overthinking at night.

3. Limit Stimulants (Caffeine & Screens)

   • No caffeine after 2 PM—your sensitive nervous system may keep you wired longer than others.

   • Avoid screens (phones, laptops, TVs) at least 1 hour before bed or use blue-light blockers.

4. Exercise to Regulate Energy

   • Morning workouts can help regulate your energy levels.

   • Try yoga, walking, or light stretching at night to calm your body.

5. Sleep-Friendly Diet Choices

   • Avoid heavy meals, alcohol, or sugar within three hours of bedtime.

   • Consider a magnesium supplement or herbal teas (chamomile, valerian root) to relax.

   • I notice profoundly sound sleep when I take one square of Alice Mushrooms Nightcap before bed, which contains reishi mushrooms, zinc, L-theanine, and magnesium. (Use Code AJENDA 20 FOR 20% OFF!) Click HERE to purchase. 

   • Note: I love Alice SO much that I became a medical and nutritional advisor for the brand and ultimately decided to invest in the company.

6. Optimize Your Sleep Environment

   • Cool (65°F), dark, and quiet room with blackout curtains and white noise if necessary.

   • Weighted blankets can help with anxiety-related sleep issues.

7. Leverage Your Chronotype for Productivity

   • Your creative peak is late at night—if possible, schedule tasks requiring deep thinking in the evening.

   • Do simpler tasks in the morning, when your energy is lower.

Extra Tip: Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

If you struggle with chronic insomnia, studies show that CBT-I is the most effective long-term solution. It helps retrain your brain to sleep better without medication.

COMMUNITY

How Donna Karan Shaped My Approach to Health & Healing

In the last 20 years since I completed my residency in Ob-Gyn, and in the last 18 years working as a medical correspondent on national television, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had many memorable experiences and to have met many interesting people. Donna Karan is one of them.

I first met the iconic fashion designer when we were both invited to attend the Women of the World retreat hosted by Tina Brown. With only 40 women participating over the course of three days in California, we all had the opportunity to truly get to know each other. Donna and I hit it off immediately—she was deeply interested in healthcare and wellness, and I was fascinated by fashion.

One of the first things that struck me about Donna was her personal story and how she became such an advocate for healing. While caring for her late husband, artist Stephan Weiss, who was dying from lung cancer, he famously made her promise to “take care of the nurses” after he was gone. It was then that they both realized how much caregivers also deserve and require care themselves—and that the traditional Western approach to healing was incomplete in many ways.

In 2011, Donna launched Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT), a blend of Reiki, yoga, nutrition, and aromatherapy massage, as part of her mission to offer a more holistic approach to wellness and healing.

“Much was missing from Stephan’s care,” Karan said. “He needed the knowledge of traditional Western medicine. But he also needed healing that can only be accessed from the heart and through the spirit. Out of my frustrations with the treatment at even the best medical facilities, a commitment was born. I am determined to do what I can to create a new model for wellness and patient care in hospitals and to address the needs of patients’ loved ones and the staff who are on the journey with them.”

Today, UZIT and its training programs are offered across the U.S., helping both patients and everyday people incorporate these holistic healing elements into healthcare systems and daily life.

But it isn’t just Donna’s passion for health and wellness that drew me to her—it’s also her philosophy as a fashion designer. If you know Donna’s aesthetic, you know it’s about draping, luxury fabrics, and making a woman’s body (ANY body) look amazing.

She once told me, “Before I dress a woman, I need to ADDRESS the woman,” meaning she starts from a place of respect and deep understanding of the person she is designing for. Donna believes that the woman she designs for is strong, sexy, active, and a little mysterious. She blends power and vulnerability in the most divine fabrics and fits, and whether it was her iconic silk bodysuit from the 1980s or her Urban Zen jersey knits from the last decade, the same item can take a woman from a party to a conference room, from no makeup to full glam—something few global fashion forces can do.

She launched her blockbuster fashion company with high-end luxury pieces and quickly expanded to create affordable, accessible designs (DKNY) so she could dress every woman.

Since Donna and I are both based in New York City, we get to see each other often, and we’ve even hung out in her closet—where she delights in watching me try on her leather jackets (as do I!). We’ve also bonded over our travels to Haiti—where I spent 10 days caring for victims of the 2010 earthquake, and she has traveled numerous times to support and uplift the Haitian artistic community.

Donna is the epitome of a woman I respect and love—an icon in her career, a philanthropist, activist, loving mother and grandmother, devoted friend, and brilliant businesswoman. And… she loves to laugh and have fun! She has been there for me through ups and downs, continuously inspiring me as a woman, a wife, a mother, a friend, and as a doctor.

Donna, you’re a gift, and I love you! 

xo, Jen

ABOUT DR. JEN

In her former roles as chief medical correspondent for ABC News and on-air cohost of “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton—”Dr. Jen”—has shared the latest health news and information with millions of viewers nationwide. As an OB-GYN, nutritionist, and board-certified obesity medicine specialist, she is passionate about promoting optimal health for “the whole woman.” She has authored several books, including the national best-seller, The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier & Fitter—One Month at a Time. And she has gone through menopause…

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