Exercise Produces Cannabis-Like Effects In The Body....

In a recent article published by Nottingham University, a study was highlighted connecting exercise to decreased inflammation and increased cannabinoid receptors. In a new study, published in Gut Microbes, experts from the University of Nottingham found that exercise intervention in people with arthritis, did not just reduce their pain, but it also lowered the levels of inflammatory substances (called cytokines). It also increased levels of cannabis-like substances produced by their own bodies, called endocannabinoids. Interestingly, the way exercise resulted in these changes was by altering the gut microbes.

A group of scientists, led by Professor Ana Valdes from the School of Medicine at the University, tested 78 people with arthritis. Thirty-eight of them carried out 15 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises every day for six weeks, and 40 did nothing.

At the end of the study, participants who did the exercise intervention had not only reduced their pain, but they also had more microbes in their guts of the kind that produce anti-inflammatory substances, lower levels of cytokines and higher levels of endocannabinoids.

My take: Yet another reason you should be exercising regularly. However, this study details the mechanisms in which the body manifests the positive benefits of exercise. What would be interesting to see in a future study would be an exercise protocol compared to anti-inflammatories in managing pain and inflammation in the body.

If you are looking to reap the rewards of regular exercise but don’t know where to start, I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started today!

Does Working Out Later In The Day Effect Sleep?

In my 11+ years as a fitness coach, I have trained individuals at all times of the day, but I never came across sound research determining if there was a detriment to sleep by training too late in the day (versus training too early). In a recent study publish by Concordia University, postdoc fellow Emmanuel Frimpong reports, “Overall, our analysis showed that when exercise ended two hours before bedtime, there were sleep benefits, including the promotion of sleep onset and increased sleep duration.” Frimpong goes onto say, ”On the other hand, when exercise ended less than two hours before bedtime, sleep was negatively impacted. It took longer for participants to fall asleep and sleep duration decreased.”

MY TAKE: I don’t think there is a right or wrong time to train, but as CMO of Inside Tracker Dr. Gil Blander said in our recent podcast, “The problem with the fitness community is they sacrifice their sleep for exercise.” As long as your sleep is not effected by the time you train, I think you are good to go. But if you are forced to wake up early to workout thus reducing the duration of quality sleep, or you are working out so late in the day that you are negatively impacted your ability to get to sleep, there is room for improvement. Personally, I find the most successful clients that I train workout about 30 minutes after waking from 7-9 hours of sleep. For these clients, that are able to:

1. Get quality sleep

2. Wake up and become oriented and get some fluids or stimulants into their body

3. They don’t allow other activities to get in the way of their workout

4. They aren’t working out so late that it becomes challenging to get to sleep

If you are having a hard time finding the “right time” to workout, I can help. One of the benefits of working together is that I can help identify areas of your life that are getting in the way of you being your best self and work toward creating real change through action steps. Click the link below to get started today!

Save Money By Working Out???

In a recent study published by the British Medical Journal, researchers found that healthcare cost burden in later life could be reduced through promotion efforts supporting physical activity participation throughout adulthood. In other words, you can save money on healthcare is you take care of yourself earlier in life. The study goes on to say, “In a large US sample, we found, healthcare costs in later life were significantly lower for maintainers, adults who maintained moderate (US$1350/year or 15.9%) or high (US$1200/year or 14.1%) physical activity levels and increasers, adults who increased physical activity levels in early adulthood (US$1874/year or 22.0%) or in middle age (US$824/year or 9.7%) compared with adults who were consistently inactive from adolescence into middle age.

My take? This makes complete sense. The earlier and more consistent you enact a exercise plan, the better the benefits will be later in life. If you have been waiting for a reason to get an exercise routine started, here it is! It doesn’t have to be too challenging, especially in the beginning. It’s just about getting started. And I am here to help!

Click the link below to book a free assessment today!

What Do My Workouts Look Like?

Over the last year, my workout routine has changed drastically from what I would do when I owned my own gym. Circumstances like training equipment, available time, and energy created hurdles. However, I didn’t allow these changes to dissuade me of my foundation and my goal; remain fit and pain free. I have been amazed at how little training I have needed in order to have the aesthetic I desire while still having fun and keeping my priorities in order like my family and work.

Just to get an idea of little training I have been doing, here is a sample week of training:

Monday-

Aerobic Intervals:

4min Countdown Clock:

Run 400m

12 KB Front Rack Reverse Lunges (16kg/hand)

15 Push-Ups

Row In Time Remaining

-rest 2min b/t sets

x 4 sets

Tuesday-

Rest

Wednesday-

Rest

Thursday-

AMRAP 12min:

Run 100m

12 Box Jumps (24”)

12 Wall Balls (20lbs.)

-rest 2min

AMRAP 12min:

10cals Row

15 Russian KB Swings (24kg)

Friday-

Rest

Saturday-

Team Workout (with Lauren)

AMRAP 25min (share work):

100 Hang Power Cleans (115lbs.)

100 Cals Assault Bik

100 Walking Lunges

Sunday-

AMRAP 20min (alternating movements):

12 KB Push Press (24kg/hand)

12 Cals Row

12 Ring Rows

As you can see, I am training at most 2.5 hours in the entire week. This includes my warm-ups as well. To reduce the time it takes for me to prep for my workouts I choose movements that aren’t going to need as much prep time and I prioritize two or three movements in my warm-up in order to be ready. Though my training time is tight, I am 100% consistent. 4 times per week. No excuses. Something is better than nothing…always.

One last thing to mention is even though my workouts are important, my diet has also been consistent as well. No processed foods, no sugar, and 95% whole foods (more on this in another post).

Dump the excuse of “not enough time,” and let’s get started creating the life of your dreams today! Click the link below to get started.

Can Exercise Improve Your Mental Health?

There are amazing second order effects that exercise offers. Here are 5 that improve your quality of life:

1. Help for depression and anxiety
   If you want to improve mood and decrease both depression and anxiety, exercise is for you! Exercise releases endorphins that produce feelings of happiness and euphoria. You don’t even need to exercise like crazy. Even moderate exercise throughout the week improves depression and anxiety. Before turning to medication, consider an exercise regime first!

2. Decreased stress
   Another enormous benefit of exercise is a reduction in stress, which leads to happiness. Increasing your heart rate can actually reverse stress-induced brain damage by stimulating the production of neurohormones like norepinephrine, which not only improve cognition and mood but improve thinking clouded by stressful events. Exercise also forces the body’s central and sympathetic nervous systems to communicate with one another, improving the body’s overall ability to respond to stress.

3. Increased self-esteem and self-confidence
   Hitting personal records, training on consecutive days, and seeing your body change can lead to major boots in your self confidence. You may not set out to look better, run farther, or lift heavier, but it often happens without you knowing it.

4. Better sleep
   There are many supplements and sleep aids that can be useful getting better sleep. For a person who is sedentary, there is no better sleep aid than exercise. Physical activity increases body temperature, which can have calming effects on the mind, leading to less sheep counting and more shuteye. Exercise also helps regulate your circadian rhythm, our bodies’ built-in alarm clock that controls when we feel tired and when we feel alert.

5. Brain boost
   Exercise can also boost brain power in many ways. Studies on mice and humans indicate that cardiovascular exercise creates new brain cells—a process called neurogenesis—and improve overall brain performance. It also prevents cognitive decline and memory loss by strengthening the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Studies also prove that physical activity boosts creativity and mental energy. I can’t tell you how many times I have come up with great and creative ideas after exercise!

If these benefits have you motivated to get started, I’m here to help! Click the link below to get started.

Strengthen Your Hamstrings!

The hamstrings play a big part in not only the health of the knee, but the stability of the pelvis. Single leg work allows me to position the muscles properly in order for the client to build the hamstrings. Hinging (bending over at the waist) is accesses the hamstrings strikes fear into the hearts (or backs) of most aging athletes. For better hinging, work on getting a solid ribcage position and a back pocket tuck. From there, isolate one side and go nice and slow on the way down.

These single leg variations are an awesome addition to anyone’s workout routine, and allow for tons of variety. Try each exercise for four weeks, build the intensity (increase weight, reps, or sets) then switch to a new exercise. Your hinging will improve guaranteed!

Looking for a personalized touch to your training? Click the link in my bio to set up a free assessment today!

The Hardest Core Exercise I Do

I am a big fan of anti-extension exercises like planks, hollow body holds, and carries.  I like to change up my core movements and give myself a challenge every once in a while.  That’s where the incline barbell roll-out comes in.  The nice part about this exercise is that you don’t need any fancy equipment, just a barbell and an incline like a hill or driveway.  I prefer doing roll-outs on a slight incline so gravity can assist the return back to the starting position.  Obviously, if you are strong enough to do this on level ground, more power to you, but I try to go through the full range of motion with the arms completely overhead.  The arms overhead has the most transfer to other exercises that I utilize like handstands and overhead presses.  My goal is to keep a completely rigid core, maintain a hips tucked position, and get some upward rotation and elevation of the scapular so that my shoulders don’t impinge.  If you focus on these three factors, the movement becomes INCREDIBLY challenging, even on an incline.

Looking to improve your core strength? Then maybe it’s time for a personalized training program.  Click the link in my bio to set up a free assessment today!

Grow Your Rump!

I love complexes! Especially supersets that focus on blasting the glutes and hamstrings.  Here is one of my go to’s for lighting up your posterior.

Perform 15 reps with a moderate to tough weight in the Romanian Deadlift.  As you reach your hips back, you should feel a deep stretch in the hamstrings cutting the range of motion just below the knees.  After the deadlifts, go right over the bench or box and start cranking out those hip thrusts.  Keep the core tight and squeeze your butt! No rest between sides, but rest 1-2min between complexes.  Your glutes will be roasted after this for sure!

Looking for a more personalized touch to your training?  I’d love to help.  Click the link below to set up a free assessment today and let’s get started building the best version of you!