Exercise is Medicine by ACSM

April 2019 // Archive

Date based archive
28 Apr

BLOG 213 DON’T SETTLE

Between relationships, jobs, where you live, and friendships, we have certain expectations of ourselves and what we imagine to be and how we want to the story to play out. Yet, when you hate your job, aren’t in love, don’t like your home, and could do without certain people in your life, you are left restless, feel undeserving, and don’t find the humor in life anymore. A decade can pass, and time hasn’t changed any of your choices. You are settling for less than what your play write for life’s movie was intended to look like. The audience of one, you, is stuck and stagnant.

Settling can be the result of fear, wanting stability, anxiety, or worry. The idea of risk postpones decision making. Then looking into the future, regret lurks in. Having the ability to re-prioritize life, what you want, and how you will get it, becomes a pressing issue. The challenge is to act.

Reach a point in life where you can minimize your regrets. Surround yourself with people who reciprocate your efforts, bring out the better you, make you smile, and fulfill you. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t right for you. Not everything has to be self-serving, but if you are spending your life with others you don’t feel add value, then there needs to be made room for those who can and will.

Going to work and dreading it, well that is no way to face each day. Making a living is incredibly important, but not at the risk of your happiness. Living life feeling purposeful and with a smile makes yourself a lot more capable to experience incredible opportunities. Otherwise, the days and hours and even minutes pass by.
Although you may not like your current living situation, there is better out there if you go seek it. Yet, if you stay in the same place and complain, then only you can beat on the dead drum over and over and expect change. Action produces outcomes.

Live each day with forward thinking and don’t settle on less that what you deserve. Life is meant to be lived, not feared or carried out with boredom. There are people in this world you are meant to encounter. There are places you are meant to go. This will only happen if you don’t settle and let these opportunities pass you by. The repeat affect isn’t meant for you. Embrace what you are meant to have.

21 Apr

BLOG 212 DELI MEAT

A nice heart cold cut, lunch meat, whichever type of deli meat you favor, reading the labels of these pre-packed proteins is very important. There are so many types of deli meats from bologna to turkey breast, making a selection available for every taste bud. However, this “meat”, really isn’t just meat, rather, it’s a concoction of different by-products filled with chemicals. The fat and sodium in excess increase the health risks increase for developing Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, while chances of heart attack and stroke also rise.

Processed meats contain plenty of preservatives, hence their shelf life in your refrigerator. These particular preservatives are nitrates or nitrites. These are a potential carcinogen. All of the added flavors, smoking, salting, and curing the meat, have been linked to cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers processed meat, which is deli meat, to be a Group 1 carcinogen. Other additional ingredients include like butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Those don’t sound like they are meant to visit the digestive system. It seems like a couple slices of bread with lettuce and tomato with whichever meat, would be a healthy lunch choice. So easy to make must mean too good to be true. Some meat labels say they have no artificial sweeteners or are uncured, but the label needs to say nitrates or nitrites free. We are easily lured by the words “natural” or “organic”, but further investigation needs to be done. Eating ingredients that we are unable to pronounce should probably be avoided. Bologna is basically a mix of sausage, pork, chemicals, and preservatives. In other words, avoid.

This doesn’t mean that you have to completely cut deli meat out of the picture. However, looking for low sodium options is important. One slice of typical deli meat can contain over 200 mg of sodium, and most sandwiches are layered with meat. It is interesting that the World Health Organization has found that eating just 50 grams of deli meat or any processed meat daily increases the risk for colorectal cancer by 18%. Anything packed and preserved has been transformed from its original taste for us to have easy access to and for manufactures to prey on our pursuit of convenience. Choosing a deli counter versus a packaged is also a better option. A person can also roast their own meat and slice it themselves. The more far removed you know where something has come from, the more you should remove it from your diet. In the end, hold the mayo and cheese, and tell the person crafting your sandwich that you will pass on the nitrates too.

11 Apr

BLOG 211 EX-NAY “CAN’T”
The word “can’t” should really be taken out the English language. It is a terrible word. Saying you can’t do something is telling yourself that you have doubt, that you are defeated, and that the barrier at hand is impossible. Using this word sets the wrong attitude and is a form of holding yourself back. Often times, you are choosing not to try, attempt, or take action. You have given up before the result can even be attempted.

At the studio, the word “can’t” is not allowed. Your body is capable of finding a way of what works. In a certain moment in time, maybe an exercise isn’t right for you be it the level or the mechanics. Just ask me, and I will show you what you can do. Yet, so many times after a demonstration the reaction is that you can’t do that. Even before an honest attempt, the game is already lost. Your body hears your mind and reacts accordingly. A negative attitude doesn’t equate to a positive experience and your mind will start to associate the workout hour with negativity. You can do something or say I’m choosing not to do that right now. This is a much better mind set and much better spin on the situation. Negative words make the brain negative.

When you say the word “can’t” your subconscious mind is searching for evidence, those why reasons that you cannot do something. The mind will make up reasons for your limitation. Using this word can be from fear that you are incapable of the task. You have to leave yourself open to the potential that you can do something. Mind over matter not losing before even playing. Be in charge of your mind and your body will follow. Fair warning, burpees may result from the use of the word “can’t” at the studio. I CAN do that

04 Apr

BLOG 210 DREAMING

Whether we remember it or not, we all dream. We might even dream up to 4 to 6 times per night. Sometimes we find ourselves entertained while other times we are left feeling disturbed after a bizarre dream. After all, dreams are stories, similar to movies playing in our head. They can be so vivid that we can actually wake up feeling happy, sad, mad, confused, or even scared. Dreams are most vivid during deep sleep which is called rapid eye movement (REM). During this time, the brain is very active.

Sigmund Freud believed that dreams tell us about our subconscious. Our thoughts, motivations, and unconscious desires are revealed. What we might think society perceives as unacceptable, we think and feel during our dreams.

Dreams are somewhat of a mysterious phenomenon, with some researchers saying they serve no purpose while others claim dreams are necessary for our mental health. They may have no connection to reality, but some experts have found that when restricted from the act of dreaming a person can wake up feeling depressed, anxious, have a hard time concentrating, experience weight gain, and overall feel a sense of tension. Dreams could just be night time stories that keep us asleep. Dreams help us sort out our life’s problems, process emotions, and incorporate our memories. A person can go to bed troubled by a problem and wake up with a solution. Re-occuring dreams might have meaning that help us discover our deepest fears and concerns. For example, a dream someone has over and over about falling off a cliff or being chased might really be about a hidden trigger or stressor. On the other hand, every dream can be unique and interpreted differently.

Nightmares are bad dreams we don’t like. They stir up emotional problems, stress, and may be caused by illnesses or medications. The bottom line is that no matter how scary the dream is, it is not real. Lucid dreams occur when we are in between REM and being awake, so they seem extremely real. The brain is really active. Dreams don’t predict the future but can sometimes feel coincidental. Most of the time we don’t even remember our dreams. Imagine if we were able to remember all of our dreams. We might not be able to separate reality from what we dreamt. During REM it is possible that our brain shuts off the memory device so we only recall what we thought about just before we wake up. People who wake up several times in the night are more likely to remember their dreams. Sometimes just being conscious that you want to remember your dreams will help you recall them better.
There are different theories when it comes to interpreting our dreams, but think of them more as your brain’s free play time. It is entertaining itself as we sleep until we rise again and it’s back to work. Some say dreams do come true, but the truth is that we will never really know that answer. For now, it’s nice to believe that dreams really do come true especially when we are young and imaginative.