#6 something called optic flow
By this point in our evolutionary history, we all know walking is good for us. Yet, many of us still leave this fundamental component of health up to whatever we manage to squeak in while walking around the house, to and from work (if that’s even happening), or while running errands.
We may think we counteract the amount of time we spend sitting with a 30–60-minute gym session, but our bodies weren’t designed to sit all day and then push as hard as possible for a brief amount of time.
According to a study in Diabetes,
The average non-exercising person may become even more metabolically unfit in the coming years if they sit too much, thereby limiting the normally high volume of intermittent non-exercise physical activity in everyday life. …
#1 — walking 10,000 steps per day to stay healthy
What do you think when I mention Napolean Bonaparte? I know, what does this have to do with fitness? Stick with me for a minute. For most, his name conjures an image of a short man who compensated for his stature in an overly-aggressive manner. The idea is so prevalent, there’s a complex named after him. The truth is Napolean wasn’t short. He was likely close to 5'6" or 5'7" depending on the source — average for a Frenchman at the time.
The myth partly arose because he measured 5'2" at his death, but those were French inches, which are larger than British and American inches. French soldiers nicknamed him “le petit caporal,” which came from his down-to-earth manner, not his height. …
It's not just professionals who often fight an invisible opponent
We look at athletes on television and think they must be tough as nails to get where they are. They commit their minds and bodies to hours of grueling daily practice. And it’s not just professionals who risk everything for their sport. Amateur college athletes and dedicated sports enthusiasts (like those who run marathons, ultramarathons, Ironmans, adventure races, etc.) often give close to, if not the same, amount of effort with little to no financial reward.
It’s easy to measure the health of an athlete on the outside. We have devices that examine blood pressure, heart rate, ligaments, muscles, joints, and more. If someone is injured, they rest. …
Advice my therapist gave me: speaking your truth is an act of love.
Sitting across the room from my therapist on a sofa, I told him about a recent conversation with my husband. It was about something that bothered me, but I didn't, by any means, think the situation I described would set me on a path to change my life in any meaningful way.
In typical fashion, he asked me how I responded to the situation. He knows I hate conflict. …
Do’s and don’ts of today’s reality — what you should know.
Working out from home for nine weeks last Spring tested every bit of patience I had for walking lunges, bodyweight squats, and pushups. Biceps curls with a milk jug are the absolute worst. The minute gyms opened, I celebrated. I’m sure many of you did, too.
In Colorado, we have a state-wide mask mandate, so we’re required to wear masks in all indoor spaces. I happily walked into the gym with my face covered. I set up the bar for front squats, warmed up to a working set, and got to business. Except, holy crap, the mask sucked. …
Here’s how, according to new research
Those of us looking to gain muscle know how difficult it can be. Alan Aragon, co-author of The Lean Muscle Diet, estimates that an entry-level lifter can gain two to three pounds of muscle mass in a month without adding much fat. An intermediate can gain one to two pounds a month, and an experienced lifter will be lucky to add a half-pound.
Of course, the amount of muscle you gain also depends on genetics, bone mass, nutrition, and training — assuming you’re not taking any performance-enhancing drugs. …
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Research proves frequent wakeups can put the brakes on fat loss
You’re trying to lose body fat and doing exactly what you need to do in the gym and with your nutrition. Losing weight is hard, especially once you get past the quick water weight losses in the beginning. Are diet and exercise all you need to know? It turns out, there’s more to the equation. How well you sleep plays a large role in the amount of fat you burn overnight.
Common sense tells us we can’t stay up half the night and then also have the energy to exercise hard and prepare healthy meals. Poor sleep quality and increased risk of being overweight are linked and have been for quite some time. …
Recent research shows when supplements can be useful
It’s true that a multitude of studies have found multivitamins are basically useless for reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, memory loss, or early death. The best way to manage your health is through healthy food choices and exercise. Experts agree you can get all the vitamins and minerals you need through a healthy and balanced diet.
In a perfect world, we’d eat a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables, along with healthy fats like salmon and avocados. I’m a strong believer in maximizing our health through food rather than relying on supplements to take that role. …
Recent research shows how diet and metabolism affect the immune system
There are dozens of new words we’ve learned this year — social distancing, flatten the curve, epidemic vs. pandemic, etc. Many of us may have thought we escaped college-level biology years ago, but the pandemic proved it’s never too late to learn complex scientific terms — including ones like cytokine storm.
The cytokine storm, put simply, is an immune reaction gone haywire. Immune cells begin attacking the lungs when they should be protecting them. Cytokines are a diverse group of small proteins that are secreted by cells for the purpose of intercellular signaling and communication. …
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