Five Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas

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I suppose my giving of “health” began as a frugal child. I would make “passes” for my parents — massages, baths, manicures, cooking dinner — what initially may sound like a lame cop-out for being stingy with gifts always came from a good place. I’d always rather make something. These are often the gifts that we still talk and laugh about (and what they claim to still be their favorite gifts). The moment of giving lasted beyond the opening of a gift; it was an experience we shared with each other.

It’s easy to get caught in the holiday rush. Instead, we can harness this energy to not only improve the lives of others but also ourselves. There is evidence that gift-giving can secrete “feel good” chemicals in our brains — serotonin (a mood-mediating chemical), dopamine (a feel-good chemical), and oxytocin (a compassion and bonding chemical).

If you’re looking for a list of tangible item recommendations, read no further. Of course, I have a list of my favorite, timeless items that have elevated my health and that of others. Today, you’re not going to find a gift guide from me promoting certain products. Rather, I’m going to give you the tools to create your own list in a way that will benefit you and those you love. Below are five ways to give the greatest gift of all — health.

1. Support

As Kanye West says, “my presence is a present.” Gather the friends, gather the fam. These times together are mutually beneficial for your health and your guests. According to a study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, people who gave social support to others had lower blood pressure than people who didn’t. So throw that holiday party, invite the family for dinner at your house, and use this time to be present with those around you.

2. Volunteering

Do this on your own or as an activity with the family. Studies found that giving has numerous health benefits: lowering blood pressure, increasing self-esteem, decreasing depression, lowering stress levels, and contributing to a longer life and greater happiness; “Researchers also found that people who gave their time to help others through community and organizational involvement had greater self-esteem, less depression and lower stress levels than those who didn’t.” Biologically, this makes us feel good, “activating regions in the brain associated with pleasure, connection with other people and trust” and stimulates the reward center of the brain.

3. Thought

Sales, gadgets, brands…we can become inundated with material items and fads. There are plenty of ways to give with creativity and thoughtfulness that has meaning beyond the latest trend. If you really still feel you want to buy an item, think about the person’s goals, small comments, and how you could help foster a healthier work, sleep, home, and fitness environment that they experience every day.

4. Experiences

Last year, my mom bought me passes to yoga for us to enjoy together. Improved health can come in many forms — information, workout classes, equipment, books, gadgets, services, etc. This has been a gift that not only allowed us to improve our health, but an activity that we could continue sharing with each other all year. Please visit Flow Yoga in Leesburg or Ashburn to purchase passes.

5. Yourself

Lastly, who says gifts have to come from others? What about giving to you? It’s a beautiful thing to give to others, but never hesitate to invest in yourself, and honor all YOU deserve. Most importantly, take a moment to appreciate the gift of health you already possess – perhaps you made incredible progress this year, overcame an injury or challenge, achieved your fitness goal or you simply have an able body. Appreciating your own health allows you to better give to others.

— Amanda Presgraves

Amanda is a recent business graduate from Wake Forest University with her B.S. in Exercise Science from James Madison University. As Division I collegiate swimmer, life-long athlete, and entrepreneur – Amanda is an advocate of health and personal growth, on a constant pursuit to optimize life and inspire others through her commitment to healthy living. If you can’t find Amanda bouncing between projects, the gym, kitchen, her mat, or volunteering, you can find her online as she continues to lead and motivate others towards a happier and improved life through article contributions, newsletters and community motivation. (@amandapgraves, linkedin).

Four Benefits of Hot Yoga

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With 100-degree days upon us, sometimes the last place people desire being is in a heated room for 75 minutes doing hot yoga. However, during the peak of summer at Flow Yoga, I say keep bringing the heat when it comes to my classes.

Here’s why hot yoga is a great idea, even in summer:

1. Detoxification benefits: For starters, the detoxification from the flush of toxins (aka things just need to get moving through our bloodstream, digested, excreted) – heavy sweating and moving speeds up that process.  Buh-bye junk. Hello rejuvenation. Thank you, hot yoga.
2. Muscular benefits: Increased body heat increases muscle elasticity – setting us up for a safer, deeper stretches and movements. Yay to less injuries and approaching safer postures! Hot yoga is good for our muscles.
3. Cardiovascular benefits: Heat increases energy expenditure and effort, thus elevating our heart rate. This not only increases work effort but delivers the benefits of a cardiovascular workout on top of the already developing flexibility and strength. Hot yoga helps make our hearts healthy.
4. Mental benefits: With our body at an optimal temperature, we can focus on deeper breathing – relaxing our body and mind. This improves mental concentration and “flow.” Hot yoga helps our brains.

The key to a successful hot yoga session in summer is adequate hydration. Hydration is needed for improving muscle elasticity and recovery, brain function, digestion, and for maintaining our body’s homeostasis. In addition to water, water-dense foods can help – Flow recently surprised us with watermelon after class! This fruit provides multiple post-workout benefits; with 92% water it packs a rehydrating punch and is full of amino acids (L-arginine and L-citrulline) boosting athletic performance and aerobic cellular function. Coconut water‘s replenishing natural sugars and electrolytes can be helpful as well. Here are some other post-yoga hydration potions to try:

• Blend a few cups of cold, diced watermelon with a handful of mint in a blender for 1 min.
• Blend cucumber, watermelon and ginger in a blender, squeeze in lemon, pour over ice and top with seltzer water.
• Freeze watermelon cubes for 2 hours, blend watermelon fresh strawberries and mint until smooth and frothy.

Finally, if you are new to hot yoga and it seems hard at first, remember that our bodies quickly acclimate. If you find yourself dripping wet after class, that means you are effectively cooling off your body and adapting to the heat well. In as little as 10-14 days we begin to sweat more efficiently (thus more quickly with less energy demanded). Plus, Flow teachers always encourage us to go at our own pace – if rest is needed, take a sip of water and recover in Child’s Pose.

Written by Amanda Presgraves. Amanda a recent business graduate from Wake Forest University with her B.S. in Exercise Science from James Madison University. As Division I collegiate swimmer, life-long athlete, and entrepreneur – Amanda is an advocate of health and personal growth, on a constant pursuit to optimize life and inspire others through her commitment to healthy living. If you can’t find Amanda bouncing between projects, the gym, kitchen, her mat, or volunteering, you can find her online as she continues to lead and motivate others towards a happier and improved life through article contributions, newsletters and community motivation. (@amandapgraves, linkedin).

Periodization and Transition Phases

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“The dream you are living is your creation. It is your perception of reality that you can change at any time. You have the power to create hell, and you have the power to create heaven. Why not dream a different dream? What not use your mind, your imagination, and your emotions to dream heaven?” –

Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements, Love More, Fear Less

Chris Oemler recently shared this quote in one of her classes at the Leesburg studio. I often think of life in terms of training periodization cycles – here’s a very simple picture to visualize how training periodization works (simply put, purposeful waves). There are cycles of grinding and maxing out, testing your limits – but to grow and optimally perform, these challenging times must be followed my rest, relaxation, and recovery.

In yoga, sports and life this occurs on macros and micro levels – the “micro” rest at the end of each yoga practice or the “down” periods (transition phases) in life (like having a nice Memorial Day week vacation!). These take the form of rest and reflection, allowing one to process absorbed knowledge and experiences, realize what you’ve even accomplished, and take a moment to learn from the past. If you push too far without this rest, hard work and training will be wasted; you risk injuring yourself, you burn out, and you simply become over-trained, not yourself and no longer engaged and benefiting from the process and practice.

Of course, no surprise…like many of us do, I approached last week with ambitious intentions – the business plans I would write, the personal projects I’d complete, etc. Yet, the moment I finished those final exams and completed the long trek home…all I could do was sleep (and eat). Like myself, many of us are unaware how exhausted we’ve become.

Three years ago, when I was forced to do nothing but think while recovering from my hip surgeries due to over-use injuries (something I never paused and stopped to do), I promised myself that I would intentionally plan time for this in the future. As stated earlier, this rest is essential for growing or else you burn out, or get sick, off-track, etc. and eventually are forced to stop.

Often our greatest ideas, insights and intuitions come after we’ve taken a break – whether that’s meditation, a step away from the office, a walk, or vacation. Like a taper from training, at first, we feel ‘off’ or may question if we’ve even put in our best work…especially if we are letting ourselves rest. Was ‘my best’ good enough? Could I have done better? Will it pay off in the end? In sports and life, there’s uncertainty between the point of hard work behind us and not seeing results. However, along the way you trusted in this process, so shouldn’t you believe in the outcome?

In sports periodization, after a week’s rest, our bodies hit a point where rest kicks in and our body can perform optimally. The accumulation of learning, work, and training experiences…and we realize “we still got this”…we’re on the right track. This “performance test” extends beyond a sport competition but comes in many forms – often life’s challenges, ideas or direction for what’s next.

In training and in life, it’s hard to stay in your own lane, or even your own mat. We all have different goals – but we often get wrapped up in what is going on around us. There’s a balance to be found between surrounding ourselves with people who challenge and support us with while also maintaining focus of our own training strategy.

Ruiz also wrote, “Imagine living your life without being afraid to take a risk and to explore life. You are not afraid to lose anything. You are not afraid to be alive in the world.”

It’s only after these tests you realize it was irrational to have ever worried or questioned yourself. This emotion of uncertainty or fear is purposeful – because without out any sort of discomfort, we would casually go about life, perhaps not attentive, without anticipation, never feeling the extremes, no satisfaction or appreciation.

“Imagine living your life without fear of expressing your dreams,” Ruiz writes. “You know what you want, what you don’t want, and when you want it. You are free to change your life the way you really want to. You are not afraid to ask for what you need, to say yes or no to anything or anyone.”

The following of a challenge or test of performance is an essential time to redirect our focus and make changes to the next cycle according to what’s working and what’s not working (and also what you may want to try experimenting). Whether you are approaching summer, a new job, the end of a school year, or any transition phase – it’s a great time to refocus and align with our goals. Remembering to rest, dreaming the life we want to live, following what we love, acting in alignment with our long-term goals, serving other’s, and fearing less.

 — Amanda Presgraves

Amanda is a recent business graduate from Wake Forest University with her B.S. in Exercise Science from James Madison University. As Division I collegiate swimmer, life-long athlete, and entrepreneur – Amanda is an advocate of health and personal growth, on a constant pursuit to optimize life and inspire others through her commitment to healthy living. If you can’t find Amanda bouncing between projects, the gym, kitchen, her mat, or volunteering, you can find her online as she continues to lead and motivate others towards a happier and improved life through article contributions, newsletters and community motivation. (@amandapgraves, linkedin).

Self-Improvement in All Areas of Life

Self-Improvement in All Areas of Life

“Those who succeed most pay the most attention to self-improvement in all areas of life”
– Bret Contreras

Did you catch that?

All areas of life.

Not just at the gym, or in the kitchen or at your desk… every single aspect.

The good thing is, exercise plays an important role in achieving this balance. The idea may sound counterintuitive – how could adding more to your already busy day help to alleviate stress and allow you to put more energy into other aspects of life? Exercise is a way to psychologically detach from work, while also reaping the physiological benefits! Movin’ and grovin’ boosts our happy chemicals leaving, us feeling invincible and ready to take on the world. This explains why many jobs encourage their workers to get exercise and stay active in the office. When you check back in, you will actually be a more productive and efficient employee! I say that is a win-win for everyone. Use a little activity to sprout that motivation to grow your abilities in a new area. Your potential doesn’t cap off at your job or in your sport. Keep improving yourself and the results carry over to every aspect of your life – family, running splits, stress levels…the possibilities for a better you are endless!

What can you do today to make you better tomorrow? 

The Power of Art: The Fun and Cutting Edge Secret to Accomplish Your Fitness Goal

The Fun and Cutting Edge Secret to Accomplish Your Fitness Goal

“The key ingredient for success in life is the discipline of mind and body. Setting goals and making sure they are accomplished builds discipline. Whatever goal I set for myself, I will first get a mental image in my mind of exactly what it is I want to achieve, then I will be determined and persistent enough to overcome all obstacles that get in my way toward that goal. Finally, I will train or study accordingly until that goal [fitness goal] is accomplished.”  – Chuck Norris

Goal setting often falls short because of a lack of action.

In a world where living’s evolved into a constant stream of to-do list tasks, goals, and “if-only’s” – we are expected to prioritize our time, handle information, maintain focus, allocate resources, and constantly increase performance…and goals are the answer. How can we ditch the distractions and get things done? 

A fitness goal serves to fuel motivation and have been found to improve performance. A previously frowned upon and distracting activity has now emerged as the cutting edge of neuroscience and behavioral psychology.

The lack of action in fitness goal – setting is caused by a stall resulting from the constant data and stimulus overloading our brain and stealing our focus. BUT, when you draw a picture of what you desire…your chances of remembering it improve by 65%! Add in the body chemistry from imagining and drawing – a serotonin/oxytocin potion that guides your pattern-making brain into focus – and you have yourself a fitness goal – achieving master.

Even better – doodling requires no artistic talent (so don’t say you “can’t” draw!), expensive tools, training, or talent. The science-backed
key to scheduling in that workout, or simply knocking off a line on your to-do list is to physically write it out.

For so long, doodling has been criticized for its useless endeavor, but new research is supporting the clear, tangible effects on outcome and performance – particularly in the power of a tool for active visualization.

Mental imagery can have a very powerful effect on behavior, research found that participants who visualized a task before completing it performed better than those who had actually practiced it. At the deepest levels of the mind, the brain and central nervous system can’t actually distinguish between something vividly imagined and an actual occurrence. We see this utilized in professional athletes and sports settings such as with Michael Phelps who’s well known for applying visualization techniques to gain an edge over the competition and reach peak performance, in the process of healing injuries and managing symptoms, and for increasing actual muscle mass by simply visualizing an exercise routine.

“To doodle is to engage in an intellectual, creative, and physical act that recruits many neurological networks simultaneously. This makes it a strong force for chance and portal for imagining and inviting preferred realities” Sunni Brown, The Doodle Revolution

Not only does imagery create a motivating vision which allows us to take the necessary steps to fulfill it, but it changes the information processing in our brain at the earliest levels. As humans we tend to revise the same neurological pathways we know and get stuck in our comfort zones. Next week we’ll share the multiple and unexpected ways doodling serves as the fitness goal game-changer, allowing us to enhance what’s possible.

12 Reasons to Have a Personal Training Partner

12 Reasons to Have a Personal Training Partner

“Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result.”

What if we told you there was a way to double your physical activity? What if we provided this for free? Would you do it? The secret – accountability with a personal training partner.

This technique exists free of risk, cost, and effort – dramatically increasing the likelihood of achieving your goals, jacking up your enjoyment, and keeping you safe, happy and strong– are you in?

Research out of the Michigan State University found that those who exercised with a partnered continued twice as long than those who exercised on their own. Make it a group work out – they went even longer, even with only a personal training partner!

Group exercise has been found to significantly increase our motivation to stick with an exercise program. This sense of responsibility and commitment toward another person increases our likelihood of following through on a commitment.

Besides motivation, there exists additional benefits to group exercise that you could be missing out on when exercising solo.

1. Exposure to a social and fun environment: ACSM suggests a social atmosphere for increased enjoyment, sustained interest, and a heightened sense of camaraderie and accountability among groups, participants and instructors. When you are having fun, you’re laughing and releasing various endorphins. This makes the routine enjoyable, but also creates a positive connection with exercise. Many, especially those seeking weight loss, have negative associations with exercise. Having a friend makes it more enjoyable, rewiring the brain neural connectivity for enjoyment with exercise.
2. A safe and effectively designed workout: No more worrying about what to do, poor form, muscle group knowledge, or who’s going to spot you. Personal training buddies have you covered. During our boot camp classes, our instructors are experts in biomechanics and modifications for injuries and body types. However, no one can monitor an entire group of twenty during every repetition. Having a workout partner, even in a group class, makes the exercise more safe encourages you to use correct form. Also, when you have a partner modifying your form, you and the partner will learn more about the exercise, the correct technique, and build another positive learning experience with exercise.
3. A consistent exercise schedule: Consistency is key. Not only is that provided by group scheduling, but also the energy of others gets us excited for the next class. Having a workout partner gets you to the next workout, which is essential if you are a beginner or a veteran. Recently two situations of accountability come to mind from our boot camp:
   1. This duo always works out together. They come at the same time, do the exercises together and are glued at the hip. This week, one wasn’t there for the first 30 minutes of class. However, 30 minutes into class she showed up. Some may not see this importance, but if she didn’t have her workout partner waiting for her, do you think she would have come to class? Exactly, the partner builds and enforces the workout schedule, even it is subtle.
   2. A recent couple for the boot camp is a bit more forceful. Last Friday, one dragged in the other for a workout. The resistant exerciser was exhausted from the week and didn’t want to move. However, their partner dragged them to class and got their butt moving. Their butt wasn’t moving much, but building the routine and consistent exercise schedule was essential for creating the boot camp a healthy habit. This week, the shoe was on the other foot and the one who didn’t want to workout the week before was now the motivator! Everyone hits a point where they want to rest or break the routine. A consistent exercise schedule is HUGE for building compliance and long-term gainz, now approaching Gainzville!
4. Increased pain tolerance: According to Oxford University, endorphin release is significantly greater in group exercise or group personal training than in individual training, even at constant power output….therefore doubling our pain tolerance! The significance of pain tolerance is underappreciated, as pain can lead to altered movement patterns, injury, and disability. This may seem like a morbid mindset, but it happens more than you think! Too many people let pain and injuries alter their daily life, taking away the things they love! Back pain prevents many from picking up the grandchildren or even their children, workout, or garden. Working out helps you build your pain tolerance and prevent the negative cascade of events!
5. Positive influence on habits: A 2011 study published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise found that the exercise habits of people you know have a positive influence on your exercise habits. Getting yourself a workout buddy will increase your chances of sticking to a program! In the world of short attention spans and instant gratification, being patient and consistent is mandatory for success. Exercise, health, and nutrition are not sexy. Despite what other gyms and the next fad, exercise, health, and nutrition take a lot of time and effort. Often times, this time and effort isn’t fair. Sometimes you’ll work your butt off and not lose a pound. Other times you’ll train harder and not improve. Exercise, fitness, and health are like life, and life isn’t fair. You could be in tip top shape, then get hit a bus. This makes a long-term outlook essential for successful, realistic, and positive improvements in health and exercise. It is sexy and easy to hop on and off the health and fitness fad, but taking the bus down the health and fitness lifestyle is grueling, so having positive influcers (like your personal training partner) around you is mandatory for picking you up when you get knocked down (cue the Chumbawamba).
6. Power Couples: Not only are you 5 times more likely to exercise if your spouse is – but the empathy, praise, and connection has a huge emotional benefit that spills over into your relationship. Our boot camp classes have a growing number of couples who are working out together. Now, we don’t suggest critiquing each other and do suggest having a different workout partner, but working out with each other has tons of benefits:
   1. One person isn’t at home eating ding-dongs while the other is working out.
   2. One person isn’t thinking the other is at home eating ding-dongs while the other is working out.
   3. You will begin eating healthier at home.
   4. You are aware of each other’s physical goals and can help keep each other on track.
   5. You are both in better shape and potentially more attracted to one another…
   6. You set a positive example for your children (if you have any).
   7. You can enjoy the COR Couple’s Discount.
   8. You have an excuse to massage each other for recovery.
   9.  And so on…
7. Increased Force Production: Having a workout partner who motivates and challenges you will increase your force production. No matter the quality of a group exercise class, one person keeping an eye on you can increase force production. We often try and push ourselves, but certainly can feel tired or down on certain days. This makes having a partner call you out on a tired day or feed into your energy when you are making hard pushes great for increasing force production.
8. Greater Social Involvement Outside of the Workout: A lot of exercise programs (like our group exercise boot camp) expand beyond the gym. Social activities can increase social and community engagement. If you workout with a partner, you’re more likely to attend these social outings. This completes the triangle of balance, building up the social side to balance the work and health. In the Bay Area, whether you are in Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara, or San Jose, you are becoming more isolated. You sit in front of computers and in your cars for long periods of time, decreasing our social (not work) interactions. Group exercise classes can increase your social and fitness aspect. At COR, we have quarterly parties, monthly dinner outings, hiking, coffee…a lot of social engagements!
9. Increased Goal Attainment: Goals are easy to make, but hard to attain. How many times have you written or thought of a goal, only to have it fall to the side after a week. The greater accountability the more likely you’ll reach your goal. Too often goals are kept within, but if you share your goal with your trainer, personal training partner, or exercise community, the greater the likelihood you’ll reach this goal. Our goal wall is a great way to increase goal attainment, forcing you to look your goal in the eye for every workout and day.
10. More Likely to Try Something New: If you are hesitant to try something new, a personal training partner can help you conquer this fear. Seeing someone you know and trust do an exercise or movement increases your likelihood to try something. You shouldn’t always practice this jump off the bridge idea, but it can help if you are hesitant to exercise and trying new things.
11. You Could Afford a Personal Trainer: A workout partner can make a personal trainer more affordable. Often, a partner workout is half the price as a regular one-on-one session, saving you a lot of money. Some are concerned a trainer can’t keep an eye on more than one person at once, but this isn’t true. A trainer should (not all do) be able to monitor multiple people at once and teach skills systematically for safe workouts.
12. You’ll Be more Fit: If you workout with a friend, you two will become more fit. Having more fit friends will help you stay more fit, as habits are contagious. The more time you spend with someone who is fit, healthy, and/or happy the more likely these feelings will rub off on you. Why not increase your chances of a successful fitness and healthier life? Stack the odds in your favor and bring a buddy to get fit and surround yourself with fit people!

How to Find a Workout or Personal Training Partner

Now, that you know the 12 benefits of having a workout partner, you need to know how to find one. This step may sound easy, but you need to find a good fit, as a bad workout partner can be a toxic as a good workout partner can be beneficial.

1. Make Sure you Really Like Them: It is easy to bring a work friend or someone you casually know as your personal training workout partner. Unfortunately, you are going to undoubtedly hit rough patches with your workout partner. Make sure you really like your workout partner. Like any relationship, you’ll hit tough times, them skipping workouts, slacking, wanting to chat, etc. Also, you want to increase your chances of making the workout, so if you pick someone you really want to hangout with and don’t see too often, then you’ll find a way to get to the workout.
2. Pick the Perfect Skill Level: When picking a personal training workout partner, make sure you pick you pick someone with the perfect skill level. This skill level will differ based on your level and who you work well with. When finding a workout partner, here are the are common good fits:
   1. Nervous Newbie: If you are a nervous newbie, bring someone with a similar skill level. This way, you can have someone to laugh with and make mistakes, because you will certainly make mistakes.
   2. Pleasing Partner: If you are a people-pleaser, I highly suggest working out with someone slightly more skilled than you. This can keep the carrot in front of you, challenging yourself and your people-pleasing traits.
   3. Debbie Downer: If you don’t want to workout, you have a few things to address first, but finding a highly dependable person is key. If you are already down on exercising, having a dependable partner can get you to the gym. However, make sure this person doesn’t annoy you and give you another excuse to miss the gym.
   4. Skilled Samurai: Even if you have been in the gym for years can be helpful. If you have years under your belt, finding a newbie with great potential can expand your mindset, pass along what you know, and also challenge you once they progress.
3. Compatible Attitude: A compatible attitude is often a positive attitude. Finding someone with a positive attitude can rub off on you and make each workout more enjoyable. However, if you are a Debbie Downer (see above) this high positivity may hurt you. This makes a compatible attitude a must for an exercise buddy.
4. Compatible Motivational Styles: If you like to get yelled at, then finding someone who also enjoys this style can help your workouts. If you want to gossip between workouts, then find someone who isn’t at the gym yelling at you to get your rear off the ground!
5. They have the Sameish Schedule: Your workout partner has to come to workouts. If your partner needs to workout at 5 am and you are a night owl, it isn’t going to work. Finding the person with the same schedule greatly increases workout accountability.

We aren’t letting the power of accountability go underutilized. In effort to maximize your performance, goals, and self – we’re setting you up to succeed by taking advantage of the strength of group training.

We’re setting you up with a kick-butt support system, team collaboration and camaraderie, friendly competition, and quality accountability to make those goals reality.

How are you staying accountable for your goals this week?

The #1 Way to Get Your Child to Workout

The #1 Way to Get Your Child to Workout

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”   – Socrates

Fact: DID YOU KNOW… many children in the US are way too sedentary…

Unless you are disconnected from the modern world..I promise you hear this shocking fact every day. Research, morning news reporters, doctors, now even our boss…we can’t escape…people are lecturing us left and right in efforts to motivate us into motion.

Shows how much it’s helping…

We all know we need to be more physically active – and we certainly understand how critical it is for child development and of course our personal health – but that doesn’t seem to get our butt off the coach.

Last time I checked  – after reading the latest research, listening to the morning news reporter, or leaving my yearly check-up – I didn’t miraculously levitate and end up on a treadmill (that would be nice though!…someone invent that).

Obviously we’ve become immune to it….

-Maybe you could care less (it’s not worth it)
-You value other things more (*cough cough* that nightly long awaited bowl of ice cream)
-It will never happen to you – (out of the many thousands of subscribers…I guess there’s a chance you could be in the 3.5%…yes 3.5% of adults who do the minimum amount of physical activity (PA) recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services (150 minutes a week of moderate activity))

Let’s look at this differently…

42% of children (6-11 y/o) engage in the recommended 60 minutes of PA most days of the week…ok…at least some of them our moving (I’m sure it’s your kid, right?)

..Hit adolescence (12-19 y/o ) and the percentage significantly drops to 8%!

42% – 8%?! Seriously…what is going on that makes someone stop?

SELF–MOTIVATION

-It’s more than an Monday Motivational newsletter (even though this is great, right?!)
-It’s more than shaming kids on their weight and lack of play time with friends
-And it’s more that yelling at them for spending a stunning 6-8 hours a day on their screens and forcing exercise upon them by taking away their electronics, phones and TV’s

…and don’t even think about using poor sports performance as a motivator to get them out practicing more.

“If Americans know exercise is so good for them, why don’t they take the message to heart as they did the exhortations against smoking? And if exercise makes people feel so good, why don’t they just do it?” – Gina Kolato

Research is beginning to point at something new – the message. Obviously the current ones have no effect on us.

It’s a lot easier on you if you make it so kids WANT to do be active.

How many times do you yell at your kids “go play outside”….”in a minute!”…

You don’t want to yell, they don’t want to be yelled at. Simple.

Make them want to do it. YES..make them want to go play, enjoy themselves and be active. I know..a difficult phenomenan to wrap our heads around.

The key: Giving kids and teens autonomy toward their choice of being active.

A recent study out of UGA discovered teens who don’t feel in control of their exercise choices or who feel pressured by adults to be more active, typically do not engage in physical activity.

The same research found that middle school students were less likely to be physically active if they didn’t feel in control of their exercise choices or if they felt pressured by adults to get more exercise.

“Can we put these children in situations where they come to value and enjoy the act of being physically active?” – Dr. Rod Dishman

Dishman explains just how there are kids that are more drawn to music or art, the same exists for physical activity. So we need to find a way to draw in those kids.

Above all, parents and teachers shouldn’t make children feel guilty for not being physically active.

Dishman’s research studying the Motivation and Behavioral Regulation of Physical Activity found that this developmental period during youth and adolescence was highly critical because physical activity declines without intervention, and self-identities are sensitive to social influences.

The results suggested that motivation for physical activity became more autonomous (i.e. exercising because they enjoyed it, it was a part of their sense of self, or it made them feel good) for some children as they moved through middle school, but introjected regulation (internalized social pressures to be active…like from classmates, parents, news, etc.) also became much more influential.

This is where things could be going wrong. This type of motivation is not effective for long-term adherence…

All these people telling us to be active is actually detrimental “This can result in anxiety, guilt, and shame, which might be detrimental to psychological development and health in some children.” Needless to say, this is not regarded as a desirable target for interventions to increase physical activity.

However, there were strong correlations providing additional evidence on the importance of children’s self-identity for physical activity during a transition period when identities are especially malleable…meaning parents, peers, coaches, and environment play a huge role in establishing a lifelong physically active life…and love it.

Key Points:

• To get your kids moving allow them to find an activity they enjoy.
• Immersing kids in fun, enjoyable activity early on allows them engage in an environment where it is part of how they see and express themselves
• Let them do something they love (whether it be because of friends, the activity, weather…anything!) so they see value, and the enjoyable return they continually receive. The intrinsic motivation will follow.

The most important piece: It’s more than just getting them active, the social component, the life skills, the importance of healthy developments, the learned aspects through team sports..the reason it is so important to have kids enjoy and want to be active at a young age is that you are instilling lifelong habits….

This leads us to part 2 next week – how to get yourself moving.

I love this question by Dishman, “Can we put these children in situations where they come to value and enjoy the act of being physically active?“ – Now apply it to yourself..what are you doing to allow yourself the chance to value and enjoy being active.. how can you share that excitement with others?

A College Student's Mentality to Exercising (that actually got people exercising)

A College Student's Mentality to Exercising

“Men ought to know that from the brain and from the brain only arise our pleasures, joys, laughter, and jests as well as our sorrows, pains, griefs and tears. … It is the same thing which makes us mad or delirious, inspires us with dread and fear, whether by night or by day, brings us sleeplessness, inopportune mistakes, aimless anxieties, absent-mindedness and acts that are contrary to habit…” – Hippocrates

How might we put children in situations where they come to value and enjoy being physically active?

The better question is, how is this different for adults? Is it?

Last week we touched on the importance of getting our children to work out ..and how – but as adults, are we any better?

When kids hit adolescence (12-19 y/o ) the percentage of kids meeting activity recommendations significantly drops to from 42% of kids to 8%!

8% in adolescence…do you think that miraculously improves once they became an adult with a career and kids and school and everything else happening?

“Only 3.5 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 59 do the minimum amount of physical activity recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services (150 minutes a week of moderate activity).

Take a guess…it must get better after 59?

Over age 60, the percentage is even lower…2.5 percent

Children who watch TV for 3+ hours a day have65% higher chance of being obese than children who watch for <1 hour. We give children a hard time for being attached to their screens, but ask yourself how many hours a day you are staring at your computer during work. I challenge you to track yourself this week. You’ll discover the results can be brutally alarming. 

It’s easy it is to sit back and kick in on the couch after a long day. Moving is exerting. As a recently retired collegiate athlete, I now have the option to set my schedule like the average college student.

So what did I do last week – I put this to the test.

Playing. 

Three college roommates took it upon themselves to conduct a personal experiment. Each evening would end as it would circa 2000. The activity varied by day – kickball in the street, biking, going to the park, rip-sticking (all for the sake of science, right?). They played outside after school under dark.

The Results: We need to change the focus of where we find pleasure in the experience. 

I had the honor of speaking and listening to one of the leading researchers in the topic of the exercising brain this week, Dr. Rod Dishman, to better understand the interaction between physiology and psychology.

With over 200 publications of research on the effects and interactions between the brain and exercise, he’s discovering support of exercise in more ways than we once realized – but what good does knowing these benefits do unless we can apply it to making changes in our health?

I had the chance to ask Dr. Dishman how we can take the ground breaking neuroscience of exercise and apply it to public health through motivation. His unique experience applying the science to behavior through motivation is game-changing.

We forgot how to ‘play’. 

‘Play’ get’s lost as we grow old – we forget the enjoyment in a game of kickball with our neighbors, or rollerblading on a nice spring afternoon.

“Exercise is like hitting our hand with a hammer, it feels good once you stop” – Dr. Dishman

What does it all come down to? Our experience. 

We need to figure out how we can change our perception and interpret “feeling good”….via the exercise experience we have and the enjoyment we take from it.

It’s our nature to seek beneficial experiences. Of course, we know there are many benefits to exercise – but we can’t feel our bone density increasing, BDNF releasing from our brain, new blood vessels forming, our blood lipid levels changing.

Let’s use one of the best examples in science – fatigue. Of course your first reaction when tired isn’t “Wow! I should go run…maybe I’ll have more energy!”…that’s nuts. Why would running GIVE you energy…it’s exerting.

The act of exerting ourselves seems counterintuitive. However, people who exercise regularly can attest to the differences in energy level and know when they feel sluggish, while it might be hard to get off the couch – it increases feelings of energy and decreases feelings of fatigue.

This is how we need to look at exercise.

We can notice adjustments in our sleep, our mental clarity, our behavior – these are obvious changes if we become mindful of them.

We must find ways to enjoy the experience and further find pleasure in the results – such as feeling good after a workout or improved productivity. As we become aware of these benefits, we will soon anticipate that pleasure and associate it with activity.

HOW:

“Broaden the menu” – Reintroduce ‘play’. Surround yourself with an energizing community through a fitness class. Associate activity with a ‘break’ not exertion. Take the dog on run, or the kids for a bike ride. Make activity your solution for a long day that leaves you ready for bed, clears your head, and maybe energizes your brain to get out that last email before you decide to call it a night…even more – see the long-term benefits. Play.

How are you finding ways to incorporate breaks of activity in your day? Do something this week to bring back play

One Easy (and free) Way to Take Your Workout to the Next Level

One Easy (and free) Way to Take Your Workout to the Next Level

“The key to long-term success is a willingness to disrupt your own comfort for the sake of continued growth” – Todd Henry

This workout video of T-Swift doesn’t only have us laughing but now I’m finally reassured we aren’t the only crazy ones taking drastic measures to get pumped up for our workouts.

If you “hate cardio”, can’t wake up…maybe soreness kicked in or you straight up aren’t feeling it today…thankfully many tools exist to launch us into a great mindset and enjoy a productive workout. You can have accountability of friends, family, and coaches, triggers, goals, races, etc…but our personal favorite…

Music

For over 100 years, starting when an American investigator found that cyclists pedaled faster when listening to some tunes, researchers have been discovering the power of music in leveraging our workouts, mood…and even diet ?!

We all have those days when the last things you want to do is that dreaded long run…but music can override our physiological feedback that we would otherwise be focusing on..as well as change our perception of effort.

Try to tell me it’s not easier to run 8 miles when you have Eminem bumping in your ear. 

One of the leading experts on the psychology of exercise music wrote that one could think of music as “a type of legal performance-enhancing drug” and that it has the ability to “promote ergogenic and psychological benefits during high-intensity exercise”. 

I guess Drake’s been reading up on the scientific journals as well…”[finding] his tempo like [he’s] DJ mustard” is really what got him here.

When healthy individuals performed sub maximal exercise, they not only worked harder with faster music but also enjoyed the music more when it was played at a faster tempo. This is suggested to be an evolutionary effect of our brain expecting that whenever there was music, there was movement.

Two other savvy uses of Music…

The singing/rapping/talking test:

How hard are you really working? Can you belt out Kelly Clarkson’s bone-shaking high notes or are you huffing-n-puffing trying to make it to the end of the HIT session? This is a great judge of our effort and a helpful tip for measuring relative intensity and keeping us in necessary workout efforts. If you’re doing a mod-int workout..I should expect you to be able to talk, maybe rap…but not sing. Vig-int? Anything more than a few words and you gotta step it up! (except we always encourage you to sing or dance at the end..(Go Elena!)

Music makes brussel sprouts taste good:

Okay well I actually like brussel sprouts..but for the picky eaters out there – this is game changing.

News fresh in the world of music research – the music you’re listening to could greatly influence your taste perception.

A recent study linked background music to the enjoyment of food and sweet taste perception.

What went down: Participants who were digging the music while eating something sweet (like chocolate ice cream) experienced a sweeter taste. BUT when they didn’t like music, that same chocolate ice cream was nasty and bitter.  You don’t need scientist to confirm music elicits positive emotions..but they did…and they found it correlates with our perception of sweetness.

Put it to the test: Next time your forcing down the veggies or serving the kids dinner – crank up your fav jams… see if your experience enhances the sweetness of “blander” foods. So long dessert!

What makes you what to wake up and grind? How can we help you set in motion a course of action that will allow you to unleash your best and most enjoyable workout?

3 Simple Ways to Never Work Again

3 Simple Ways to Never Work Again

“I find that the harder I work, the less I call it work” – Thomas Jefferson

The more energy you apply to your work, the more meaning you place on that work.

“Workaholics”get a bad rap, but research has found a large difference exists amongst types. Typically someone with an uncontrollable need to be constantly working ends up burnt out, stressed, dreading what they do, and sick. This study found the opposite for some folks.

What was the differentiating factor between workaholics?

Enthusiasm.

Jefferson was right – the harder one is working and caring about what they are doing, the more engaged they become, and the less they consider it work. “Work” becomes something they enjoy.  Involvement, drive and enjoyment were directly related to positive engagement and health as well as decreased stress and burnout.

“An acquired positive expectancy, therefore, is related to positive motivations and health. This theoretical stress framework suggests that if the enthusiastic “workaholics” are enthusiastic due to positive outcome expectancies we expect low stress levels, low reports of “job stress”, and good health.”

“If the nonenthusiastic “workaholics” have low enthusiasm due to low expectancies of success(helplessness, hopelessness), CATS predicts higher stress levels, more complaints of “job stress”, and health problems.”

Our expectation of our experience, and further the motivation to “get work done”, is nothing more than our semantics and neurology – it doesn’t have anything to do with what we are actually doing, other people, the situation – rather, it’s the meaning and value we place and our interpretation of it. The research found that if we expect a positive outcome, and therefore go into the work with increased enthusiasm for that result, we respond accordingly.

This directly applies to YOU and the effect of this Monday Motivation. Sure, I can move you to action with these weekly newsletters (a girl can dream, right?) – but how you stick with it is up to YOU. Have you stayed discipline in your pursuit to make this the most manic and mad March you’ve ever lived? Do you see value in your work and go after your day with enthusiasm? This newsletter may be the start – but the rest is on you to make it happen.

It’s about having enthusiasm and a positive outlook on your “work”.

“I have to go to work”

“I need to work out”

“This is hard word”

Why do our days revolve around “work” that we “need” to do? The negative connotation of the word “work” itself often entails an arduous task – something forced upon us that will be spent in misery.

There exists three simplistic ways to drastically change our perception of “work”:

– Find value

• Blur the line between work and life…and make your life a piece of work! Create it, be in control of it, and have ownership in the choice that you have to make it your own.

– Establish a routine

• Establish a routine and this whole “motivation” thing becomes irrelevant.

– No more excuses

• Lastly, cut the excuses. Just be done with that option.

If you’re taking part in the March Madness Mania (and if not, I’m sure you’ve experienced this on your own) – you are half way through our challenge and by now you’ve found that getting to your workout is second nature. You walk up to COR, check in at the desk, set your keys down in the cubby, start foam rolling…the rest is history. The need for motivation goes away when you make this part of your lifestyle – yet you maintain enthusiasm and drive to continue.

Something can motivate you to action but to sustain that purpose, YOU must find the value behind what you are doing.

What are you doing this week to turn your “need to work out” to “I can’t wait to work out”? What about your work – whether it be your exercise fix, your job, or chore – fuels you?

One Step Closer to Happiness

One Step Closer to Happiness

“Active natures are rarely melancholy. Activity and sadness are incompatible” – Christian Bovee

Anyone who ever said they didn’t feel better after a workout is lying. We weren’t meant to be stagnate individuals and a dose of activity does wonders.

Move your body. Move your mind. Move SOMETHING.

No matter if you’re on the beaches vegging on vacation or stuck indoors with snow and rain – simply don’t forget to move every now and then. Small bouts of movement repeatedly can be as beneficial as a long workout.

Harvard Medical Publications advise us to take advantage of what both physical and mental activities provide. On the physical side it could be anything as simple as getting up and taking a lap around the office. It could also be on the mental side – take a three minute break to do to a crossword puzzle, read a book, volunteer, doodle. The principle of active engagement is not only the top rated identifier in markers of successful aging but it enhances memory, decreases depression and risk of dementia.

No matter if you’re the young athlete or weekend warrior, professional or that newbie just trying to get through one more rep –  this is where gains are made.

Small gains add up over time – persistence and movement is key.

You’re body and brain will thank you later.

A great day is only one step away – literally.

What are you doing this week to get movin? How do you monitor happiness?

Dump the Junk and Be Mindful

Dump the Junk and Be Mindful

“Nourish the mind like you do your body. Your body can’t survive off junk food” – Jim Rohn

We’ve been lectured one too many times about the detrimental effects of that cookie we already have shoved halfway down our throat; the harsh-reality that our sudden weight gain over the weekend was the result of one too many pieces of Halloween candy taken from our kid’s pumpkins; and let’s not forget the death stare and “support” from our workout partner that time they didn’t see eye-to-eye on our our choice to choose the full-fat, creamy double scoop of ice cream as our post-workout recovery.

TV Addict

…but what’s this thing about keeping our minds healthy?

That sugary, fat-laden, caloric bundle of goodness doesn’t help our growing body – but just as the food put into our body affects everything from our head to our toes…so does the information we consume.

One of the most significant lifestyle changes to happen over the last 20 years is the increase in the amount of time we each spend in front of one screen or another: television, video games, computers, mobile devices. By some accounts, the average adult spends over eight hours a day in front of a screen.” – Linda Stone

Eight hours. EIGHT HOURS.

So it’s clear we not only do we tend to over-indulge in not-so-great food, but screen-time as well. As with work, sports, and our health – the same rules apply – what we put in is what we get out.

If our body can’t run off junk, how do we expect our mind to either? That “junk” can come in the form of food, but we forget that it also comes through our TV’s, phones, and to take that a step further, the advertisements and media we consequently consume.

I’m all about the occasional vegging on the coach, catching up on the latest scoop, the hottest new series…but obesity, decreased mental functioning, and compromised productivity as a result of this sedentary lifestyle and media influence….not so hot.

Just as we when we try to understand how we become motivated to go to the gym more, we must understand how we are motivated to use social media, tv, etc…and WHY.

Am I bored? Looking for validation? Avoiding something I should be doing? Will this add value to my life?

“Every new tech can be abused, the more powerfully it gives the more powerfully it bites” Wired, Kevin Kelly

The power of any tool lies in the intentions of it’s user! Here’s to a week of being mindful of not only what goes through our mouth, but also our mind!

How do you plan on unplugging this week?

WOOP: Oettingen’s Four Step Process for Improvement

WOOP: Oettingen’s Four Step Process for Improvement

All these motivational messages out there – whether it be the hippest Justin Bieber song, political campaigns, or my most recent cheesy quote – preach to “dream big!” and “be positive!”. The rare, gleam of positivity is unfortunately one of the most constructive influences we experience during our day. Provided the abundance of depressing headlines and negative media we are continually exposed to (whether we realize it or not), who am I to not advocate that as well? ….but is this fool-proof PMA effective?

Gabriele Oettingen’s (http://www.woopmylife.org) 20+ years of research on the science of human motivation reveals otherwise. The conventional wisdom supporting the no-fail, ruthless, positive thinking-phenomenon falls short by excluding one detrimental aspect in the terms of our processing.

The obstacle.

“The solution isn’t to do away with dreaming and positive thinking. Rather, it’s making the most of our fantasies by brushing them up against the very thing most of us are taught to ignore or diminish: the obstacles that stand in our way.”

“The obstacles that we think prevent us from realizing our deepest wishes can actually lead to their fulfillment.”

Mental contrasting – dreaming + obstacles. The main idea: If we can visualize our dream, face the realities, devise a plan, and gain energy to take action – we start WOOP’n!

WOOP: Oettingen’s Four Step Process

W – Wish

Ask yourself, what is the most important wish I’d like to realize and fulfill? Could be today, tomorrow, 10 years – take something that is near and dear, challenging but feasible. Formulate in three to four words.

O – Outcome

What could be the BEST possible outcome? I’m talking your perfect world. It could be an emotion, outcome, anything.Now imagine experiencing it. Seriously, let your mind wander.

O – Obstacle

Switchin’ gears on you – what stops you from fulfilling that dream, experiencing that wish? What’s in you that’s holding you back?
In less than four words write down this inner main obstacle.

P – Plan

What can you do to overcome that obstacle? What action can you take?

Think about that behavior you’ll take, and just as you did before formulate a plan in three to four words.

Fill in the blank – If ___(obstacle)__, then I will __(behavior)__.

Not only can you dream big but the power and any fear of obstacle resides in you. A positive thinker is free to think of new ways to solve problems because they are not limited by fear. This process allows you to put forth effort into your most promising endeavors that are both challenging and feasible.

1. Start with the positive fantasy
2. Discover the obstacle within yourself

This is applicable no matter the behavior (could be a mundane daily task or ambitious life goal) and any stage of life (3rd grader or grandparent). Oettingen’s studies proved that programming their nonconscious mind to get what they needed done determined how they acted in a problematic situation. We learned that if we can devote the mental energy before hand, while it might take some initial effort, we have a process in place and we no longer need to decide if we need to eat less or go for that run. The obstacle is linked to the instrument to overcome it.

If you’re striving to swim faster, lose weight, or run a marathon this process nonconsciously associates the future with reality and the obstacle with the means thus providing you the energy and mastery to overcome anything!

What is your dearest wish? What’s standing in your way of achieving it? An obstacle is nothing but a stepping stone!
Now, can I get a “WOOP WOOP”!?

The Cyclical Science of Happiness

What makes us happy? I’m talking about a passionate, unequivocal sense of zest and love of life.

It’s not something you wake up one morning saying “You know what? I think I’m happy. I made it.”

No.

Happiness comes from within. Work your butt off to get the perfect beach body, but guess what? You’ll never feel like you have the “perfect” body if you aren’t happy with yourself. As humans, we always want more, but happiness isn’t an end point kind of deal.

It comes in many forms. Almost all of which can be traced back to self-confidence. When you are confident in yourself you see success in your actions, the progress, not results. You recognize your hard work towards these changes, credit your body with love, and express self-gratitude. You emanate inner strength; a testament of your relentless efforts.

We are always making changes, buying the next greatest technology, thinking, “This is IT. This will finally be what makes me happy.”

No, it has to come from you.

By now, most of us have been conditioned that if we start eating better and we will feel better.

It’s not that easy.

Ask anyone. I would be the first to advocate healthy eating. No matter how much I ramble on the life changing benefits and fear striking facts, why would someone make the effort to go through the troubles of eating healthy if they don’t have a deep respect for themselves to provide their body with the absolute best?

This is the brutal truth and unfortunate side to the awful, perpetuating cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle.

When was the last time you saw a sad, weak, and physically unhealthy person leaving the gym?

It’s not the bodybuilder who just maxed out at the gym or the ambitious 10 year old who just beat her mile time you see double-fisting chocolate cupcakes.

No. You see the fit, perky, lively can-doer speed walking out the gym with an apple in their hand (most likely pursuing the next big feat they are motivated to accomplish and spend their very productive day doing). They are all sorts of fueled – physically and mentally. These are the ones moving a mile a minute, getting work done, and loading up at the salad bar.

Go ahead and start a diet, but you’ll never be satisfied if you aren’t first happy with yourself. Let alone, if you don’t possess the tiniest ounce of faith that you are capable of so much more, how far are you really going to get? You’ll only crave results. Let’s be real – five pounds less is never enough. You got your a six-pack? I wanted an eight-pack!

It’s never enough.

No wonder we crave a cheat day, and even worse, straight up quit – this external, result derived happiness leaves us feeling even worse from when we set out begin this ambitious lifestyle change. Now you’re left feeling even more hopeless than when you started. I’ll take that second slice of cake for my piteous efforts…healthy eating and exercise just ain’t my thang (even worse, yo-yo dieting).

So then, where to begin?

First, find your place to derive motivation and confidence.  

For me – EXERCISE. WE ARE MADE TO MOVE – the benefits are endless and it’s something we should all be doing. I’m not saying that because I’m some fit, bias, endorphin addict athlete – these are the facts of human nature and any research can back me up. Being active works in our favor in more ways than one – increasing our sense of well being and pushing our body to its physical and mental limits.

The second we start being active, we start to care. We start to see changes – we don’t want to lose that hard work.

We respect ourselves.

Think about a person you really respect – you would do anything for them. They radiate strength and kindness. They’ve work hard to never let you down. They serve as a foundation, source of relentless dependency…c’mon, how could you ever do them wrong?

That’s the relationship you start to have with your body.

Exercise is an evolving process that brings enjoyment as we grow and continually strive for more. Not because we aren’t satisfied with what we’ve accomplished, but because we start to believe that we truly are capable of so much more. Along the way, maybe even discovered we posses a slight purpose beyond the daily rout of life?

Never mind all those happy hormones, social benefits, and physiological changes that come along for the ride – that’s a nice little bonus.

With that being said – when you feel good about yourself you eat better.

Why? It makes perfect sense. People who invest energy and time into their health and personal well-being care enough to not screw it up.

Not until we value ourselves do we care enough to treat our body with love. The funny thing is, when we start eating better we feel good about ourselves.

We don’t always make sense, but this is the way we function as ridiculous as it may seem.

Exercise is a way to push us to limits that before were unfathomable. We begin respecting ourselves a tad bit more – I mean hey, you did make the effort to get off the couch anyways – that’s at least worth something.

The person who is still in bed at 1pm, stayed out drinking all night, and just kicked off the day watching Netflix, cracking open a Coke for breakfast, doesn’t care because they are already unhealthy – why not just go all the way?

Yea, yea…we’ve all done this at one point or another *cough cough vacation season*

Society doesn’t help with the abundance of environmental triggers, media, lazy outlets, eating temptations – making it easier than ever to just go down the path of fast food, living vicariously through a digital screen, and never needing to walk a step again. Our expectations of “healthy” are often skewed – we assume it must be painful and require unnecessary disciple that we don’t have. Our day is ruined by a disgusted hour of suffering and we are deprived of any palatable foods.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Finding an activity you enjoy changes everything.

Exercise is no-doubt, always the highlight of my day. Except for when I encourage others to experience that too – that tops it off. No one can be controlled, whether it’s your spouse, kids, or a client. But if you work to be the the best you can possibly be – striving toward optimal health, expanding your knowledge, opening your perspective, learning from others– you can provide the best of yourself in a way that inspires changes in others.

Stay active, eat whole foods, drink water, get some shut-eye, and have a balanced lifestyle…I can promise you for the most part you will be just fine. If we care enough to treat ourselves the absolute best, (and if you want to take it this far – thus the world around us) we actually start acting on it.

I’m not saying the key is to start working out first and then eating better, or vice versa – I’m saying if you first and foremost do something that motivates you to be better and brings you joy then you will treat your body with respect, nourishment, and want to be healthy. You simply can’t have one without the other.

What comes first – exercise/dieting or self-confidence? People change their eating to lose weight so they feel better about themselves. But people who feel better about themselves usually are more active and eat better.

So where do you begin? I think that’s a question only you can answer.

The answer doesn’t reside in these outcomes but in yourself, which you find through the process of being better – whether it is by eating or exercising. It’s a cycle, not straight line with beginning to end. See your improvements in whatever it may be, build your confidence by recognizing your gains. Embrace that feeling. Let your body be inspired and driven toward improvements.

We want to be motivated! We want to be better!

Think about it, if you don’t respect your body and possess a sense of worthiness, why the hell would you take the effort to fuel it.

Start respecting yourself and all your potential. Start pushing your limits. Start working out. Start eating better. Start being happy.

Sweat, Sun and Fun Pt. 3

Sweat, Sun and Fun Pt. 3

What does water have to do with this anyway?

Water is something I hold near and dear to my heart…73% of it to be exact (1)…and my lungs, muscles, blood, skin…

Countless hours (years) spent swimming through the awe-inspiring open blue, the permanently attached water bottle at my hip and a rather unusual adoration of a quality sweat-sesh. This only begins to explain the depths of which my heartfelt conviction for water expands. Call me obsessed, but soon you’ll see why you should be as well.

Water makes up 60% of our body, 70% of this earth, 80% of our brain…and should be 100% by your side

Can you guess what the most popular beverage in the US is? I’ll give you a hint it’s not water! (9)

Water comes in second behind soft drinks. If we were meant to drink soda, then it would make up 2/3 of our body! Soda is not only a health hazard, but it contributes to our increasing stroke rate, heart issues and obesity epidemic. All of this could be avoided with a simple beverage swap.

Being that water influences every process in our body, the benefits are endless. Whether you are looking for commercial clear skin or maximal brainpower – water is the answer. Most importantly, you have nutrients to be transported, temperature to be regulated, and food to be digested. Water maintains all these processes.

Just a reminder of how smart we are – our body is one massive, synchronic army constantly sending cues for combat. The sensation of thirst is a concert of tiny, specific cues precisely timed together. Our brain, organs, hormones, kidneys, glands…EVERYTHING…work in tune to monitor the amount of water coming in verse going out (2).

Most of the time our body has it all under control. It’s only when we are losing more water than we can replace (think Part 1 with some super sweat sesh or Part 2 trapped in a full body suit running a marathon) that we are dehydrated and left completely helpless.

Let’s back up to Part 1 – when are body temperature rises from a butt-kicking workout, we cool it down a notch by sweating. Sweat evaporates from our skin and takes the heat with it. However, if you don’t have water, then blood can’t flow to the skin to make this possible (3).  Exercise and heat are the two big culprits in jacking up our sweat output. It’s easy for us to not realize how much we are sweating, and before we know it we aren’t matching that with water intake.

In efforts to reduce the risk of thermal injury and impairment of performance during exercise,

“fluid replacement should attempt to equal fluid loss” being that the “requirement for fluid replacement becomes greater with increased sweating during environment thermal stress” (4).

So what does this mean…

For those who don’t catch every exact ounce of individual sweat droplet and measure how much water they should consume, how do you know how much water to drink?

Many, many, MANY factors contribute to our water needs. Breathing, sweating, peeing, crying – water is leaving us all the time, at different rates through many ways. Most of the time we can rely on our simple thirst mechanism to keep us hydrated (5). However, the dangers of dehydration can be just as important as overhydration. I’m all about water…but in moderation of course!

In efforts to avoid or combat dehydration, hyponatremia can occur when people drink way too much water that it dilutes their blood. The kidneys have all the water, salts and other solutes under control. Start forcing water down our mouths and our kidneys won’t be able to flush it out fast enough. All this water has to go somewhere – so off it flows into any place that will take it (it won’t be the toilet) (6)!

Understand your optimal balance by paying attention to urine color, energy levels, satiety, and general feel. Only YOU know how your body handles special circumstances like exercise and heat. The invariability based on our individual factors and lifestyle make it impossible to prescribe a perfect number, but a daily water intake of 3.7 L for adult men and 2.7 L for adult women meets the needs of the vast majority of persons (2).

The multitude of factors, important symptoms and how we respond to dehydration (and even overhydration) is worthy of it’s own article – check back next week for the last article of this series!

References:

1. The chemical composition of the adult human body and its bearing on the biochemistry of growth Mitchell, H.H. et al. 1945. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 158: 625-637
2. Water, Hydration and Health. Popkin, B. M., D’Anci, K. E., & Rosenberg, I. H. (2010). Nutrition Reviews, 68(8), 439–458.
3. Hydration effects on thermoregulation and performance in the heat. M. N. Sawka, S. J. Montain, W. A. Latzka. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2001 April; 128(4): 679–690
4. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. V. A. Convertino, L. E. Armstrong, E. F. Coyle, G. W. Mack, M. N. Sawka, L. C. Senay, Jr, W. M. Sherman. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 January; 28(1): i–vii.
5. Human water needs.Michael N. Sawka, Samuel N. Cheuvront, Robert Carter, 3rd. Nutr Rev. 2005 June; 63(6 Pt 2): S30–S39. Fatal water intoxication. Farrell, D. J., & Bower, L. (2003). Journal of Clinical Pathology, 56(10), 803–804.

Sweat, Sun and Fun Pt. 2

Sweat, Sun and Fun Pt. 2

The peak summer heat and humidity is upon us. Workout intensity continues to increase. The AC at the office is broken. The ceiling fan is clicking on high.

As for maintaining thermoregulation, extreme environmental conditions bear an entire new level of difficulty (1). This is why we often hear of heat-

related illnesses during the summer (e.g. heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke).

As we discussed when busting last week’s sweat myth – our first adaptation to exercise is to sweat sooner.

Our bodies are pretty picky. They want to maintain a narrow homeostatic body temperature of 98.6 F.  When we exercise, several powerful physiological mechanisms of heat loss kick in to prevent an excessive rise in core body temperature (2)

Throw heat and humidity into the mix. This only adds to the challenge exercise already imposes on the human thermoregulatory system. Humidity is the equivalent of the skin’s worst sinus infection – congested with moisture from sweat with nowhere to go. With high temperatures present, the failure to dissipate internal heat causes the body temperature to rise even more. These conditions impair heat exchange between the body and environment. Pushing through the last set of prisoner push-ups is enough, now you’re forced to combat the heat too!

Good news – our body refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer. Give us heat, we take it on like a champ; adapting to deal with the environment wherever we go.

In just 10-14 days you’ve already adapted (most of which occurs in the first five days) (3)!

In the meantime, a few things happened making you better than ever …

• Increase plasma volumes: No more hot temperatures taxing us as before (it’s hard work trying to stay at 98.6 F) AND we don’t require as much fluid (4)
• Sweat earlier and faster: Less heat storage that would demand more fluid replacement (3)(6)
• Reduce the amount of electrolytes lost in sweat: Remember, efficiency. We need these for other processes!
• Reduce blood flow to the skin: Blood can go to other areas like your muscles…which trust me, you need (7)

The next brutal day when you’re hiking through the Pamulaklakin Forest, trapped in a house that feels like your college dorm from the ‘50s, and braving a lunch break power walk in a full suit – take your mind off the heat and embrace the changes your body is making.

You would feel much worse if you weren’t sweating…kind of like what happens when dehydrated…

Check back next week to see how it’s related!

References:

1. International Olympic Committee consensus statement on thermoregulatory and altitude challenges for high-level athletes. M. F. Bergeron, R. Bahr, P. Bärtsch, L. Bourdon, J. A.. L. Calbet, K. H. Carlsen, O. Castagna, J. González-Alonso, C. Lundby, R. J. Maughan, et al. Br J Sports Med. 2012 September; 46(11): 770–779. Published online 2012 June 9. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091296
2. Temperature regulation during exercise. M. GleesonInt J Sports Med. 1998 June; 19 (Suppl 2): S96–S99. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-971967
3. Acclimatization strategies–preparing for exercise in the heat. Y. Shapiro, D. Moran, Y. Epstein Int J Sports Med. 1998 June; 19 (Suppl 2): S161–S163. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-971986
4. Powers, S. K, Howley, E. T  (2012). Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages.
5. Exercise in the heat: challenges and opportunities. Ron Maughan, Susan Shirreffs. Sports Sci. 2004 October; 22(10): 917–927. doi: 10.1080/02640410400005909
6. Effects of training, environment, and host factors on the sweating response to exercise. L. E. Armstrong, C. M. Maresh. Int J Sports Med. 1998 June; 19 (Suppl 2): S103–S105. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-971969
7. Control of skin circulation during exercise and heat stress. M. F. Roberts, C. B. Wenger. Med Sci Sports. 1979 Spring; 11(1): 36–41.

Sweat, Sun and Fun Pt. 1

Sweat, Sun and Fun Pt. 1

Myth: Unfit people sweat more

Many assume that sweating is a sign of exertion, failure to respond to exercise, or lack of fitness. In fact, it’s the exact opposite – what’s concerning is NOT sweating.

Sweating is our response to any physical demand – it says “Hey, this is hard, but it’s all good because I know how to deal with it!”

At rest, your metabolic rate (how fast your body uses energy, which produces heat) is low. You aren’t doing much and your body can easily get rid of heat. However, start movin’ and groovin’ and your metabolic rate spikes. You’re burnin’ more energy! …and it’s going to take more than radiation to get all this heat out of your body. You need to cool down fast!

While you can handle the heat, your body isn’t having it. You are forced to switch gears and rely on cooling down (thermoregulation) a bit differently than before – evaporation (1).

In other words, sweating.

Now, each individual responds differently. Training adaptations and fitness are both factors in the sufficiency of sweating mechanisms, and subsequent need for fluid replacement. However, one thing’s for sure – with some training, an athlete achieves a better maintenance of body temperature (2).

This is at the expense of an increased sweat rate.

Remember: More sweat, more evaporative heat loss (this is the way we get rid of heat when exercising or else we would burn up). Our first adaptation to exercise is to sweat sooner (3). We are forced to become more efficient, and as a result improve thermoregulation.

Faster sweat →  more sweat →  more sweat on your skin that can’t evaporate → and more sweat that drips wastefully from the skin…as you notice when exercising (4).

While this isn’t pretty, it’s a more efficient adaptation. We are always looking for ways to do everything better and faster. If sweating and burning energy is what it takes for me to work out stronger and not feel sick, I’ll take it!

What this really means is that fit people are just more efficient sweaters (5). In most cases, our body’s first physiological response to being more efficient is to sweat more. As always, this varies person to person – some will respond in other ways.

In some cases, you will have people who sweat a ton but are extremely inefficient. Regardless, if you are sweating you are doing something right. So next time you leave the gym looking like you just hopped out of the pool, give yourself a pat on the back and rock it!

Look out for Part 2 of this series next week to see what happens when we start to heat things up!

—

References

1. Thermoregulation during exercise in the heat: strategies for maintaining health and performance. Daniël Wendt, Luc J. C. van Loon, Wouter D. van Marken Lichtenbelt.Sports Med. 2007; 37(8): 669–682.
2. Long Distance Runners Present Upregulated Sweating Responses than Sedentary CounterpartsLee, J.-B., Kim, T.-W., Min, Y.-K., & Yang, H.-M. (2014). PLoS ONE, 9(4), e93976. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093976
3. Sex differences in the effects of physical training on sweat gland responses during a graded exercise.Ichinose-Kuwahara T1, Inoue Y, Iseki Y, Hara S, Ogura Y, Kondo N. Exp Physiol. 2010 Oct;95(10):1026-32. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.2010.053710. Epub 2010 Aug 9.
4. American College of Sports Medicine (1996). Position Stand on Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 28(1): i–vii.
   Control of skin circulation during exercise and heat stress. M. F. Roberts, C. B. Wenger. Med Sci Sports. 1979 Spring; 11(1): 36–41.