People have never been more enraptured with the idea of tracking their biomarkers to determine how "prepared" they are to perform that day, whether it's in the gym, in the office, or in their own heads. And the market has been happy to provide any number of gadgets and devices that attach to your body and track things like heart rate, HRV, sleep latency, sleep quality, body temperature, stress levels, and so on, with the idea being these biomarkers can tell you how prepared you are to take on the day. 

While they may offer some utility, they aren't as reliable as I'd like. The readings don't necessarily line up with true preparedness, and I've never liked the idea of being wedded to a gadget. For my money, the best "preparedness" biomarker isn’t something you can read on a smartwatch or a heart rate monitor or a $600 biohacking ring.

The best biomarkers for health, readiness, preparedness, and daily stress levels are much simpler and inexpensive. Free, even. Here are some of my favorites:

I like to do a few pullups. Do I “fly up”? Do 3 or 4 pullups feel easy? Then I’m ready to take on the day and give it my all.

Do I feel compelled to create? Do I feel like hopping on the drums for a long session? Do I find myself reaching for my Apple Notes app to take some voice dictation notes for ideas I just had? If so, it’s going to be a good day. My “preparedness” is high.

How quickly did I do The NY Times crossword or Wordle (or similar game)? Was it easy? Snappy? I’m ready for whatever comes.

Do I have the urge to take the stairs or wait for the elevator? If stairs, my energy levels are high and I can take on a lot. If elevator, it might be time for a rest day.

Am I, to put it bluntly, horny? Feeling amorous? This might be the best, most reliable biomarker of all. There’s no mistaking or faking it.

What about you, folks? Do you have a “biomarker” you like to use to determine how ready you are to train and take on the day? Let me know on Instagram.