Your Walking Speed Predicts Your Longevity!

 

That’s right – walking speed and gait has been referred to as the sixth vital sign.   Research has shown that decreases in walking speed have been directly linked to changes in quality of life, reduced independence, isolation, and cognitive decline.

Why Does Walking Speed Slow Down?

1.     Balance – can be measured in your ability to stand on one foot.

2.     Mobility – range of motion

3.     Tissue flexibility – ability of connective tissue to move

Balance Exercise

To maintain or improve balance work on single leg balance exercise.   To keep safe start by standing next to a firm counter that you can reach out to hold if you feel like you may fall.     Progress to being to hold a single leg balance on each leg without holding on for at least a minute. 

If this gets easy you can try closing your eyes – but be careful and be near a counter again or other solid object you can hover your hands over in the event you feel you may fall.   If you master this exercise you have really trained your balance systems well!

Ideally do this exercise in bare feet – shoes reduce ground feel which is critical to learning to balance.   

Mobility Exercise

Key area to focus on are the ankle as we tend to lose mobility here and this directly prevents proper walking and balance!    To train this you can incorporate foot/ankle circles during your one leg stance – try to draw a large circle with your toes on the foot that is held in the air.    Go 10 – 20 times in one directly and then repeat in the other direction and do both ankles!

Elevate the front of the ball of your foot against a vertical surface of a step or wall and then lean the whole body forward slightly keeping your heel on the ground.    You should feel a nice stretch in the calf and Achilles Tendon – hold for 30 seconds and do not push into pain.    Repeat with knee of stretching leg bent and repeat on both sides.

Tissue Flexibility

Doing foam roller exercises for foot and calf to help maintain tissue flexibility.     Vibrating foam rollers like the Therabody Wave Roller work best.    Here is a quick video showing how to foam roll your calves:  https://youtu.be/nZZe9ai7Vvw .     Here is a great video on how to use a bar or golf or lacrosse ball on the bottom of your feet:  https://youtu.be/wOqsGsvJu6M

The other fantastic way to improve tissue mobility is the using the Theragun Massage Gun on your feet and calves – see here:  https://youtu.be/o8lD95grrus  and WOW does this feel great!

Last but not least, it is very important to maintain good hydration by drinking plenty of water – your connective tissue is mostly made up of water so drink up!

Using the 21/90 Principle for Maximum Results

 

If you have ever struggled with maintaining weight loss or other goals - you need to understand the 21/90 Principle.    The 21/90 Principle states that it takes 21 days of committed daily action to change a habit and 90 days of committed daily action to create a lifestyle.

They key is daily committed action – that means EVERY day!    Commitment and consistency matter a lot.    You have to commit to an everyday plan for at least 21 days and preferably 90 days.   

This is an ideal way to start an exercise and nutrition program.   You commit to do some form of exercise every single day for a minimum of 20 minutes everyday come hell or high water.   This can be as simple as taking a 20-minute walk everyday (even if it is raining – have an indoor plan like treadmill walking or be prepared to wear a raincoat!)

On the nutrition front commit to one or more simple changes such as no fast food and no sodas or sugared beverages.    Less is more when you stick to it.

Write down your commitment and plan and share it with friends and family – you are much more likely to succeed in making a lifestyle change by taking these simple steps.

Do Collagen Supplements Help Your Skin?

 

It depends – Collagen is required for the support of the skin, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone.    In addition, collagen production declines with age which leads to increase in wrinkles.    So, Collagen is very important, but does that mean a supplement will help?

It is not that simple because any protein you eat – including collagen – is broken down into individual amino acids.      In addition, your body can manufacture certain amino acids but must be supplied with key essential amino acids.

In order to boost collagen levels the cells that make collagen must be working optimally.    This requires more than just amino acids.    There are several key micronutrients required for collagen synthesis including vitamin C, B Vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and copper.      This is why taking a high-quality multi-vitamin and mineral formula is a good insurance policy.

Beyond these nutrients collagen synthesis requires silica which can increase levels of Hydroxyproline – which is a key amino acid required for the production of collagen and elastin which is another connective tissue compound that decreases with age.

Clinical Studies with BioSil® - a patented form of highly bioavailable silica - have shown impressive results including:

Glowing Skin – reduced fine lines and wrinkles by replenishing and protecting collagen in the body.    Activated the production of elastin as well as collagen resulting in tighter, more elastic skin.

Thicker Hair – nourishes hair roots for healthier, stronger and noticeably thicker hair.

Stronger Nails – longer, smoother nails with less peeling, breaking, and splitting.

Stronger Bones and Healthier Joints – help improve bone density, joint flexibility, and reduced joint discomfort.

To learn more about the research on bioSil® click here:   https://www.biosilusa.com/us-en/clinical-trials/

Video on Demand Workouts for Every Goal, Exercise Preference, and Ability Level

Video on Demand can be a powerful tool to increase the number of workouts you complete each week!     The Workout Anytime App provides over 1,000 video on demand workouts that can be accessed directly from the app that can easily be streamed to your flat screen TV for an amazing workout experience.

There are workouts for everybody including 

Dance (such as Zumba)

Martial arts (including kick-boxing)

Indoor Cycling Classes

High Intensity Interval Training

Core Training

Booty Sculpting

Yoga

Pilates

There is literally something for everyone and every ability level.    Accessing video on demand is as simple as tapping on the Red Stronger Together Upgrade Tile and doing a free 30 day trial.     The upgrade also includes many other powerful features you can see here:  https://workoutanytime.com/app/upgrade/ 

Can Stretching Increase Muscle Size?

 

The short answer is YES – if done correctly for this purpose.   Muscle fibers increase in size primarily from mechanical tension.    This tension can come from force production where a muscle is producing force such as performing a resistance training exercise or from passive tension that occurs when stretching the structural elements of the muscle fiber itself.

To make things even more interesting muscle growth from mechanical tension from these two different methods is additive – meaning that when a muscle produces tension and is stretched at the same time more growth is triggered than from just producing tension or just stretching.

So the very best results come from making sure we use a full range of motion when performing resistance training and emphasize loading the target muscle at longer muscle lengths.

For example a review of 26 studies found that isometric exercises done in a position where our muscles are elongated (like the bottom of a bicep curl or the bottom position of a dumbbell fly) stimulate nearly 3 times as much muscle growth!

How to Incorporate Stretching Into a Muscle Building Routine

Incorporating stretching into your resistance training is actually pretty simple – choose exercises that challenge your muscle in a deep stretch position at the bottom of the lift and keep constant tension on the target muscle throughout the range of motion – including lowering slowly and smoothly.   This means never unloading like resting a bar on your chest when doing a bench press. 

Make sure to fully stretch the target muscle at the bottom of the movement – the key is challenging our muscles in that stretched position!

Daily Mushroom Consumption Can Reduce Cancer Risk by 45%!

 

A recent study at the Penn State Cancer Institute discovered that eating just 18 grams of mushrooms daily reduced the risk of cancer by 45 percent!   18 Grams is about a quarter of a cup or about 1 medium size button mushroom.

There is a lot of existing evidence that mushrooms can decrease cancer risk including prostate, cervical, and breast cancer.

One of the many beneficial compounds in mushrooms is Ergothioneine (ETT) which is a unique antioxidant.    Research has shown that ETT is a potent anti-inflammatory and protects cells from damage.

The mushrooms with the highest levels of this compound include Shiitake, Oyster, and Maitake, but more commonly consumed White Button, Cremini and Portobello Mushrooms also contain significant quantities.

Mushrooms and Cognitive Decline

Research has also shown that mushrooms reduce your risk of cognitive decline as you age. 

All non-poisonous mushrooms are beneficial, and the benefits are not destroyed by cooking.   In fact, cooking by microwave or grill is shown to increase the levels of beneficial antioxidants like ETT.

Exercise and Sleep Boost Vaccine Effectivness!

 

You heard that right – there is considerable evidence showing that regular exercisers produce higher level of antibodies in response to vaccinations!   This is particularly true for older adults.

Several studies have examined the link between regular exercise and physical fitness and immune response to vaccination.   A new study provided more evidence.    

In this study scientists recruited a group of young athletes and compared their immune response to flu vaccination to a group of age matched healthy non-exercisers.      The athletes produced significantly higher levels of antibodies and immune cells in response to vaccination compared to their sedentary counterparts.

Exercise can Reduce Vaccine Reactions

Another study with older men looked at two groups:  one did a resistance training workout prior to vaccination and the other group was sedentary during this time.  The workout group had fewer vaccine reactions but their level of immune response was NOT negatively affected.

Sleep and Response to Vaccines

There is extensive evidence showing the link between sleep and immunity!   Therefore, it is not surprising that several studies have shown a relationship between length of sleep and immune response to vaccination.  

A 2020 study showed people who get a good night’s sleep for the two nights prior to flu vaccination have an enhanced immune response.

Other studies have showed that sleep after vaccination also impacts immune response in a positive manner showing increased antibody production.

Take Home Message

The take home message is simple:  regular exercise and prioritizing sleep are key to improving your immune response to vaccination!

Exercise, Covid and Recovery

 

Click this link to watch this short video presentation to learn how exercise affects immunity, helps prepare your body to resist Covid and other Viral Infections:    https://youtu.be/1dWxVzYDtBw  

A Simple Method to Double Your Weight Loss!

 

So, what is the secret?    Logging all the food and beverages you eat!   That’s right science has proven that people who log what they consume can double their weight loss compared to those who do not!

In a recent study those people who self-monitored three or more times per day and were consistent day after day lost the most weight and fat.   Another study showed that people who keep a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who did not.  

According to researchers: 

“It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories.   Keeping a food diary does not have to be a formal thing.

 Just the act of scribbling down what you eat on a Post-it Note, sending yourself emails tallying each meal, or sending yourself a text message will suffice.

It’s the process of reflecting on what you eat that helps us become aware of our habits, and hopefully change our behavior.”

Writing down or digitally logging what you eat helps keep you from “mindless” eating, and it helps prevent underestimating food and beverage intake.  It has been proven time and time again that virtually everyone underestimates their actual food and beverage intake and how many calories we expend in formal exercise and day to day activities.

The key is to log often – do NOT wait until the end of the day – log everything immediately after you consume it!

Whether you choose to use the Workout Anytime App and the Food and Nutrition App that is part of the Stronger Together App Upgrade vs using paper and pen is simply a matter of personal preference – the key is to get logging your food!

Hearing Loss and Dementia

 

A large study showed that hearing loss in mid-life was more strongly linked to cognitive decline and dementia that obesity or high blood pressure!     The researchers all learned that of all the modifiable risk factors for dementia – hearing loss management came out as the most effective in preventing dementia cases.

This research showed that almost one out of ten cases of dementia could be prevented by hearing aids!

Hearing Loss and the Brain

Exactly how hearing loss impacts the brain is not known, but researchers have speculated that memory may be impacted by hearing loss because the brain needs to direct more mental activity towards hearing and away from memory.

Hearing Aids Can Delay Dementia

Another study showed that hearing aids could delay the onset of dementia by several years through use of hearing aids.   Hearing aids also are also proven to improve quality of life and reduce depression.