Home Archives for exercise
August 23, 2011 1 Comment

Too Much Salt in Your Diet and Too Little Activity in Your Day Can Lead to Cognitive Decline

It’s imperative to get a little exercise each day to prevent cognitive decline and memory loss.

A study led by researchers at Baycrest in Toronto – in collaboration with colleagues at the Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, McGill University and the Université de Sherbrooke has found that older adults who have too much salt in their diet and too little exercise in their day are at a greater risk of cognitive decline. Naturally, they’d be candidates for more than just mental problems, they’re also at risk for a host of heart problems.

Researchers found evidence that high-salt diets coupled with low physical activity can be detrimental to cognitive health.

The finding, which appears online in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, ahead of print publication emphasizes the truth of what we often point out here on the mental fitness blog, what affects the heart (positively or negatively) affects the brain.

The study followed the sodium consumption and physical activity levels of 1,262 healthy older men and women (ages 67 – 84) residing in Quebec, Canada, over three years. The adults were recruited from a large pool of participants in the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge).

“We have generated important evidence that sodium intake not only impacts heart health, but brain health as well,” said Dr. Alexandra Fiocco, a scientist with Baycrest’s Kunin-Lunenfeld Applied and Evaluative Research Unit (KLAERU) and the study’s lead investigator.

“The results of our study showed that a diet high in sodium, combined with little exercise, was especially detrimental to the cognitive performance of older adults,” said Dr. Fiocco.

“But the good news is that sedentary older adults showed no cognitive decline over the three years that we followed them if they had low sodium intake.”

“These data are especially relevant as we know that munching on high-salt processed snacks when engaged in sedentary activities, such as watching TV or playing in front of the computer, is a frequent pastime for many adults,” said Dr. Carol Greenwood, a senior author on the study and internationally-renowned scientist in the field of nutrition and cognitive function in late life.

“This study addresses an additional risk associated with lifestyles that are highly apparent in North American populations.”

As the boomer demographic ages, experts expect to see more problems with cognitive decline (memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease), but they hope that educating the public about lifestyle changes that can help delay or prevent normal, age-related cognitive decline. Adopting a healthy lifestyle which includes lots of healthy fruit and vegetables, daily activity, stress management, and making smart dietary decision (such as cutting back on salt and red meat) can help protect us long term.

By all means, adopt these lifestyle changes for yourself, your spouse, and your children – but also look out for your parents and grandparents. Maybe introduce Mrs. Dash seasonings to them as an alternative to so much salt. Also, if they’re health allows it, go for walks with them, even if it’s just around a store or the mall.

The more I read about brain fitness and cognitive decline, the more I realize just how much lies in our own hands. We have to make smart choices and keep on making them!

More “Salt-y Information”
“Those neurofibrillary tangles associated with Alzheimer’s Disease contain aluminum (an element that makes up 14 percent of the earth’s crust). While there’s no evidence suggesting that aluminum causes memory problems, it’s better to try to avoid it. One way to reduce the aluminum you absorb: Use sea salt instead of table salt, which is processed with aluminum to avoid caking. Other things that contain aluminum include nondairy creamers, antacids, cans, certain cookware, and antiperspirants.” – From You Staying Young by Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen

 ** Don’t forget the salt content in foods and drinks. The amount of sodium in diet sodas, for example, is staggering.

Filed Under: Brain Food, Mental Fitness, Prevent Alzheimer's Disease Tagged: , , , ,
August 11, 2011 1 Comment

Overcome Stress with Good Old Fashioned Exercise

Panther Creek Park Hiking Trail Owensboro Kentucky

Exercise, such as hiking a great trail, is great for your mind, your body, and even your emotions. Exercise reduces stress and brings about a feeling of contentment and happiness.

Everyone knows that exercise is GREAT for you.  Being physically active isn’t only beneficial for the way you look, it’ s healthy for your bones, your cardiovascular system, your respiratory system, your brain, and even your emotional state.  When we exercise, we release endorphins.  Endorphins help reduce stress, improve our mood, and even bring about a feeling of happiness.  Endorphins could give dogs a run for “man’s best friend!”

Exercise also helps us to relax and even improves our sleep.  Obviously these add greatly to the physical and emotional benefits of exercise.

Exercise has also been shown to improve memory and mental ability and is believed by experts to be vital for maintaining desired brain function as we get grow older. Our generation is, for very good reason, concerned about Alzheimer’s prevention, dementia prevention, preserving our memory, and staying mentally fit.  We read everything we can get our hands on and vow to eat better, exercise more, and challenge our minds each and every day.

The problem is, many people stop right there! They don’t change their diet, they don’t seek out ways to become more active, and they keep doing and reading the same things over and over again.

On the mental fitness blog, we spend a great deal of time talking about brain food (foods we should be eating and not eating for optimum brain health) and we certainly look at different brain games and ways to challenge our minds.  Over the past year, we’ve spent more time discussing how exercise benefits the brain and strengthens the mind.   However, we have to remind ourselves daily that thinking about these things or reading about them isn’t going to bring about the desired results.  We have to make up our mind to actively pursue mental fitness.  We must be proactive about all aspects of our health: mental, emotional, and physical.

I hope you’ll vow, today, to become more physically active. The great thing is you don’t have to join a gym, get on a bike, or even play sports.  All of those things are great, mind you, but not everyone has the time or inclination to do any of these activities.  My advice is this: Simply MOVE MORE!

Below are ways to “sneak” more activity into your days:

  • When you go to the store, park as far away from the door as you possibly can!
  • Be mindful of the number of steps you take a day – the more the better.  You may even want to buy a pedometer to keep track of your steps. It’s actually a lot of fun to wear one on your waist and try to hit 10,000 (or more) steps each day.
  • Clean house like you mean it! Clean for a straight 30 minutes, exaggerating each movement.
  • When in the grocery store, take the long route to each item on your list. Remember, get your step count up.
  • Use a push mower for all, or at least part, of your yard.
  • Get in the habit of taking a 10-15 minute walk after breakfast and again after supper.
  • Take your dog for long walks – it’s great for both of you.
  • While watching television, lift weights, do yoga, or simply walk in place.
  • If you have a sedentary job, get up often and stretch, do lunges, and even jumping jacks (this is assuming no one else is around!)
  • If you’re a homemaker or work from home, make a point of having 3 fifteen minute activity bursts during the day. During each burst, get up and walk briskly through the house, turn on music and dance, or simply get in the floor and do the exercises you learned in gym class, circa 1970.  (jumping jacks, leg lifts, push ups…)
  • Find great hiking trails in your area. You’ll have so much fun you’ll want to go again and again and again. That, of course, is the idea.

Bottom line: Get that body moving and don’t ever let it stop.  A body in motion tends to stay in motion. A body NOT in motion tends to succumb to atrophy.  How’s that for shocking imagery?

Make each move count double!

~ Joi

Filed Under: Improve Your Memory, Mental Fitness, Prevent Alzheimer's Disease, Stress, Tough Love! Tagged: , , , ,
January 9, 2011 Leave a Comment

Stress Less by Moving More

If one of your resolutions, or goals, is to find a way to handle stress and another is to get fit – you’re in for a pleasant surprise because one of the best ways to achieve one is also one of the best ways to achieve the other.

People spend a great deal of time trying to find ways of coping with stress.  They try talking things out, repressing worries and anxieties, meditation, and a host of other approaches. While some achieve a certain level of success with these stress reducers, there is a simpler and more productive way to combat stress.  What’s more, you’ll reap far more head-to-toe benefits with this approach than the others combined.

The stress-busting solution: Engage in as much physical exercise as you can possibly engage in.

One laboratory experiment took ten underexercised rats, and subjected them repeatedly to a variety of stresses: shock, pain, shrill noises, and flashing lights. After a month, every one of them had died through the incessant strain. Another group of rats was given a good deal of exercise until they were in peak physical condition. They were then subjected to the same battery of stresses and strains. After a month, not one had died.

(Disclaimer: As an intense… intense…. intense animal lover, I’m never FOR animal experiments – even on rats.  However, I do have to concede that when science is able to gather information that benefits humans, it’s difficult to argue.  How extraordinary it would be if one day science found another way.)

Here’s the basic, simple, and profound truth:  Our bodies were made to move and the more they are exercised, the more effectively they function.  From Adam and Eve to you and me, our bodies were beautifully designed to function and work.  We were made to hunt, gather, build, work, run, and then go back and do it all over again.  We weren’t intended to sit as much as we do.  We weren’t made to find the easiest way to do things, the path of the least resistance, or the shortest distance to take.

We weren’t made to ride buggies around the grocery store because we’re too lazy (or overweight) to walk.  We weren’t made to find the closest parking space possible to the front door so we don’t have far to walk.  We weren’t made to blow right past the stairs and take the elevator every time.

Many of the problems we have today (physical, mental, and emotional) could be greatly alleviated if we simply got more exercise and increased our activity.

Studies on the ways exercise helps to reduce stress are VERY conclusive.

Benefits of Exercise for the Body and Mind:

  • gets rid of harmful chemicals in our bodies
  • burns extra calories to help us lose weight or keep from gaining too much weight
  • strengthens our muscles
  • strengthens our bones
  • improves our circulation
  • aids in digestion
  • strengthens our respiratory system
  • strengthens our mind
  • provides a form of abreaction (a way we can let off steam)
  • builds up stamina
  • counteracts the biochemical effects of stress
  • reduces the risk of psychological illness

Growth and advancement are almost always wonderful things.  In our world of advanced technology, however, we simply aren’t getting enough activity and exercise.  Think about it, when’s the last time you engaged in activity long enough (or strenuous enough) to break a sweat? When’s the last time you pushed your body beyond what it’s accustomed to doing?

For every aspect of our bodies, we need to find ways to ADD exercise and activity to our daily routines. Keeping an activity journal is one way to get in touch with how much – or how little – you actually move.  Most of us would be surprised at how many hours we actually spend sitting.

Wearing a pedometer is another great way to gauge your movement.  Experts tell us we need to aim for at least 10,000 steps daily.

Whether you are trying to cope with stress and anxiety or not, adding more exercise to your life will make you both healthier and happier.  Do it for your mind, do it for your heart, do it for your weight, do it for your emotions…. just do it!

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

Filed Under: Anxiety, Mental Fitness, Stress Tagged: , , , ,
July 23, 2008 1 Comment

Why You Should Read Strength for Life by Shawn Phillips This Week

“Eventually, there comes a point in every life where you can no longer ignore the enormous and expanding gap between the life you could be living and the life you’ve settled for….   Every day of your life that you’re not actively engaged in staying fit, eating well, and strengthening your body the gap grows.”  – Stregnth for Life, by Shawn Phillips, page 10

Strength for Life by Shawn Phillips I recently finished reading Strength for Life and, quite frankly, I’m filled with two emotions.

For one, I’m angry at myself!  Why didn’t I start, in my 20′s, eating right and exercising every day.  By now I could be Wonder Blogger!  I’d never have to worry the trauma room (for my male readers, this would be the dressing room), I’d have all the energy I need for anything life throws me or for anything I want to throw it, and I’d be setting a golden opportunity for my three daughters.

For another, I’m excited!  It’s never to late to do what you should have done.  There aren’t any NO U TURNS signs along life’s highway, so I can start today (actually the day I opened the book) getting my butt in shape - as well as the rest of me.

I knew the author, Shawn Phillips, and I would hit it off right from the start.  You see, while I’m  a typical girly girl, I’m also a huge sports fan.  My favorite teams are the UK Wildcats, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Denver Broncos.  At the end of chapter 1, Shawn quoted my all-time favorite QB, John Elway, and referred to him as “a friend.”  So, I settled back with the book to see what an author with impeccable taste had to say.

A Wake-Up Call

Do you realize how out of control obesity is in America?  According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 and older are obese and 65 percent are either overweight or obese.  65 percent!

Even more disturbing, to me, is the following statistic:  In the kid’s group, one out of five ages 12 to 19 is now considered obese.  That absolutely breaks my heart. 

Not only does being overweight keep you from living the life you should be living, it’ll end your life much sooner than it should end. It’s not just about being able to keep up on the playground or tennis court, it’s not just about how those Levi’s look, and it’s not just about leaving the trauma room with your head high as opposed to buried in your hands – it’s about being around for your loved ones as long as you possibly can!

What Strength for Life Can Mean for You

I’m certain I’ve pointed out before how difficult it can be to write a book review. Especially when it’s for a book that you’re dying for your readers to read. On one hand, I want to tell you all that I learned from the book. For someone with the gift for gab like me, it’s particularly hard NOT to give everything away. The problem with that, of course, is that you’d have no reason to buy the book. Not a very fair thing to do to an author who put their heart and soul into the publication.

Let me try to Bullet Point the reasons you should read Strength For Life as soon as you possibly can (bullet points usually keep the gab within reason):

  • The author, Shawn Phillips, is a fitness expert in every sense of the word.  He’s been in the business for over 20 years and has helped not just thousands, but tens of thousands of people live better, healthier, and stronger lives.
  • Strength for Life includes an eating plan that gives you more energy than you’ll remember ever having.  The nutrition tips are golden (I laughed out loud at his description of pop and will never look at one the same again!)  He points out how berries will protect you from the damages of free radicals, why water is more important to drink than we even realize, why apples are the perfect fruit, and a lot more.  You feel better AND look better when you eat the way you should – Strength for Life lays it all out for you and even gives sample daily meal plans.  There are over 25 pages devoted entirely to educating the reader about nutrition.  As a web publisher who spends 50 percent of her day reading about health, food, and nutrition, I was amazed at just how much I learned.
  • Illustrated, simple exercises make it easy to follow along.  They’re accompanied by step by step instructions that are (Thank you, Shawn!) clear and precise.  I hate it when an exercise book just shows a picture and tells you something like,  Do 3 sets.  3 sets of what?!  The exercises in Strength for Life are fun, highly doable, and effective.  The entire workout plan can be done a little over 30 minutes.  Personally, I like to do them while Andy Griffith’s on.  I get started a little before the whistling starts, and I’m usually through by the time Andy has gotten Barney out of his recent scrape.  Mayberry makes a perfect soundtrack and I know the shows by heart, so I don’t have to look up from my book or “focal point” to know what’s going on.
  • Get this – there’s a boot camp in this book!  The book refers to it as Base Camp, but my body’s convinced it’s boot camp.  And I love it.  Section 2 is called “Base Camp:  12 Days That Will Recharge Your Body and Mind.“  I’m certain that recharging your body and mind appeal to you as much as they do to me! 
  • Goal setting and achieving exercises provide the motivation you need to make all of your fitness dreams come true. 

What’s So Great About Shawn Phillips?!

Shawn Phillips is one of the most motivating and inspiring authors I’ve ever read (and you know me, I read – therefore I am).  Even when the book is CLOSED and you’re making your food choices in the store or the kitchen, you feel like Shawn is there with you – saying, “I think there’s a better solution…here, let’s try this instead,” “Look at the ingredients – corn syrup, you know what that means..,” or “Are you completely out of your mind?! Put that back.” 

You also feel like he’s there when you’re walking or exercising – coaching you and WILLING for you to make it.  He’d actually make a wonderful trainer on a show like The Biggest Loser because, while he’s filled with information, he has an even more important trait:  He honestly cares about the health, fitness, well-being, and happiness of his readers.  You can tell it in his words.  I read so much that authors can’t even begin to fool me – I know sincerity when I see it. 

Now It’s Up to You

I strongly urge you to buy this book as soon as possible – the sooner, the better, because the minute you start reading is the minute you turn your life around.  As a bonus, if you’re a parent like me, you begin setting a golden example to your children.  They’ll even get on board with you!  A few days ago, I asked my oldest daughter what sounded good for lunch.  Instead of the typical Fries and a Burger answer, she said “a grilled chicken salad.”  I couldn’t make it for her fast enough!

I hope that TODAY you’ll think about “the gap” that began this post.  I hope you’ll get a good, clear picture of the life you could be living – the one you’d spell out for a genie.  Then I hope you’ll realize that the first step you should take (to make your wishes come true) is to get a copy of Strength for Life as soon as you possibly can.

Nah, sooner.

To illustrate just how serious I am about you getting this book – I’m going to do something that I don’t believe I’ve ever done in all my years of reviewing books. See, as a web publisher, I make my living online – what I make with my blogs/sites is what I take to the grocery store with me! When I review a book, I always use my Amazon link (or another affiliate link) – so, when the visitor makes the purchase, I get paid. Solid.

But, in this instance – as an added way of letting you know how much I want you to improve your health and life – I’m not going to use any such links. In each of the links, I’m simply pointing you to Shawn Phillips website where you can learn more about him and his mission to whip us all into shape! You can even sign up for a sneak preview of the book – how cool’s that?  Please do this for yourself and for your family. You only get one life – it isn’t a dress rehearsal.

As the greatest quarterback to ever play (I believe his name was John Elway) once said, “If you’re going to set a goal, aim high!”

Make each moment count double,
~Joi

Filed Under: Inspiration, Mental Fitness, Motivational, Positive Affirmations, Tough Love! Tagged: , , , , ,
May 13, 2008 Leave a Comment

Exercise Your Way to a Natural High!

No Parking - Get Moving!We’re all familiar with endorphins and with the fact that exercising gives us a great feeling from our heads to our toes.  Working out – whether it’s walking, jogging, gardening, pilates, yoga, or just cleaning the heck out of our house – makes us feel giddy to be alive!  Add that to the health benefits of exercise and we should get our rears in gear a lot more often than we do.

But there’s more.

Something the experts refer to as “Postexercise Euphoria” seems to be the result of naturally occurring cannabinoids – from the family of chemicals that gives marijuana smokers their buzz.  A study reported in Prevention Magazine gave the following details:

Researchers asked 24 men to run, ride a bike, or sit for 50 minutes.  After the 50 minutes, the researchers took the men’s blood samples.  They found high blood levels of the cannabinoid anandamide in the exercisers but not in the sedentary men.

They say that you need at least 20 minutes of aerobic effort to feel the effects of this mood lifting boost, so don’t expect a 10 minute walk to do much for your spirits.  While it’s better than nothing, a 20 minute walk would be a much better workout as well as a much higher lift.

This is just more proof that if you’re down in the dumps, you don’t have to stay there – unless you want to.

Take a Look!I have a great post I’d like to throw your way.  The title is Relax: 50+ Simple 30-Second Ways to Bring Tranquility To Your Life and it’s a really wonderful compilation of things you can do to bring more peace to your world.  Read each one and, when there’s a link – check it out.  Utilizing this link and the information provided will be one of the smartest things you do this week.

 DetourOne more detour:  I wrote a book review yesterday on Self Help Daily for Maria Shriver’s wonderful new book, “Just Who Will You Be?” You should read the review, but more importantly, you should read the book.  Irregardless of your age, career, fame or fortune – this is an amazing little book that’ll leave a big impact on your world if you’ll give it the chance.

Here’s the link:  The Best Thing You Could Buy For the Graduate in Your Life

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Filed Under: Mental Fitness, Motivational, Relaxation Tagged: , , , , , ,