The benefits of exercise and daily activity for our physical health is well established in the medical literature. In addition, evidence continues to grow on the mental and emotional health benefits of exercise. Previous research has demonstrated participants who are more active have lower rates of depression and anxiety compared to their sedentary peers. Interestingly,...
Cardiovascular disease remains the number 1 cause of mortality in both men and women. Current disease markers of blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and lifestyle are helpful, but less effective at predicting future disease risk compared to our aerobic fitness. The gold standard for measuring an individual’s aerobic fitness is the VO2 max test. In research...
Getting a workout in at home and on the road can be a challenge due to lack of access to equipment, space, and/or outdoor weather conditions. When these barriers to exercise are present we encourage participants to find unconventional forms of resistance, such as a backpack or bag, or choose from effective body weight exercises. ...
Quality of life and health span have joined lifespan as optimal goals for aging. Lifespan describes living the years of your life at an optimal level of health and wellness vs. the gradual then steep decline that normally follows aging. Losses in health span and normally associated with losses in physical independence. The low hanging...
As we age many factors limit our ability to move as quickly as we used to including disease processes, medications, neurological changes, balance impairments, and importantly weakness. Age related weakness is a major contributor to falls, less independent living, and lower quality of life in older adults. Age related muscle loss begins for most adults...
High intensity interval training involves alternating between short duration bouts of vigorous and moderate intensities of exercise. The cumulative total of these interval minutes at a vigorous level is often more than an individual could sustain at a sustained vigorous intensity. Allowing the participant to obtain the health benefits of vigorous exercise without trying to...
Our brains can be our best or worst training partner. In our previous blogs we have written about how our brains stop our workouts or sets short to conserve energy. As part of our nervous system, our brains are actively involved in building strength with exercise. In fact, in the first 6 weeks of training...
Studies show that individuals can build strength and muscle mass with similar training protocols. A recent review examined the difference between the two and found that training at higher intensities with heavier weights (greater than 60% of a 1 repetition maximum) can be more effective at building strength, while muscle mass can be built with...
One of the top reasons participants start an exercise program is weight loss. This goal is achievable with exercise but is much harder to accomplish compared to improved mobility, strength, or balance. The difficulty of losing weight with exercise is also one of the leading reasons people quit their exercise programs after an initial 4-6...
Most psychology 101 courses cover the interesting question of nature vs. nurture. In short, how many of our current traits and abilities were we born with vs. influenced by the environment we were raised in by our families. This question is extremely difficult to answer with 100% certainty especially in the world of health and...