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Successful Aging with Positive Thinking

/17 July 2023/ All MFN blog/

This article was written with the intent to inform as well as inspire trainers, coaches and other practitioners who work with the aging population. As a gerontologist who studied the evolution of reflective wisdom, I am intrigued by famous quotes from years past. Henry Ford once said: “If you think you can do a thing or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” The aging process should be an enriching experience that involves our appreciation of our personal significance. However for many, it is a time of loneliness, depression, isolation and purposelessness.  Is this purely due to circumstances, our outlook, or a combination of both?

We have approximately 60,000 thoughts daily and 80% of them will be present tomorrow. Our thoughts and beliefs generate our feelings and emotions, our emotions drive our actions, and our actions create our outcomes. So there might be something to the statement – “Think positive and change your thoughts because it can change your world”. There are some studies looking at the possibility of meditation and gene expression. That in turn raises the intriguing possibility of dodging our supposed genetic destiny by changing our thoughts and attitudes which affect our mental and emotional stress. Positive emotions are an essential daily requirement for successful aging. Not only do they improve our physical and mental health, they provide a buffer against depression and illness. Science shows that people who are happy – live longer and have healthier lives. It was also noted that positive people are 50% less likely to have heart disease, a heart attack, or a stroke and that increasing positive emotions could lengthen life span by 10 years.

Over 60 % of US centenarians called themselves “Positive People”

Even though Positive psychology has been around for 20 years, it seems to be absent in our conversations and teachings. Dr. Seligman did not want to focus on the negative issues but instead the positive. Positive psychology is “the scientific study of what makes life most worth living”, or “the scientific study of positive behavior and thriving on various levels that include the cultural, personal, physical, social, and comprehensive dimensions of life.” This way of thinking is concerned with “the good life”, consideration about what is our ultimate value in life – the factors that contribute the most to a well-lived and fulfilling life. Positive psychologists note many ways to cultivate happiness. Happiness can achieved with a productive and meaningful existence. Social connections with family, friends and networks become more important as we age. Physical exercise in numerous methods and the practice of meditation may also contribute to happiness.

Those who practice positive psychology use affirmative attitudes toward one’s personal experiences, and life events. The objective is to minimize negative thoughts that may arise in hopelessness, and instead, cultivate positivity toward life. This method encourages the acceptance of one’s past, enthusiasm about one’s future, and a sense of desire and gratitude in the present.

Margaret Lee Runbeck states, “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling.”

According to Andrew Weil, MD, healthy aging includes an ethical will which is pertinent to those of us “concerned with making sense of our lives, giving back, and leaving a legacy”. It is a way to express optimism for future generations. An ethical will could be in many forms such as a letter, card, book, project, etc.  The ethical will includes:

  • A way to leave something behind, to be remembered
  • A way to document your history and stories for others to learn from in the future
  • A way to help you understand your own values and to share your ideals with future generations
  • A way to help you learn more about yourself
  • A way to help you accept mortality and create a way to ‘live on’ after you are gone
  • A way to provide an immediate sense of worthiness, completion, and accomplishment

Death is inevitable and aging wisdom is the process of our coming to terms with losses and changes.   We must focus on the life in our years not the years in our life, as well as passing down our pearls of wisdom from our years of learning and experiences. This in itself gives us purpose.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand – strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming… WOO HOO!!! WHAT A RIDE!!!” 

May you live all they days of your life and may your life live on forever.

Dianne McCaughey Ph.D. is an award winning fitness specialist with more than 35 years experience in personal training, group exercise, coaching, and post-rehabilitation. She is a master trainer for multiple companies and practices and teaches optimal wellness emphasizing the mind, body and spirit. She works with special populations and focuses on posture, gait, balance and corrective exercise programs for better function and health.

adaptive-fitness-wheelchair

What is This Thing Called Adaptive Fitness?

/12 July 2023/ All MFN blog/

Her insurance benefits had just run dry, we were at a critical point in her rehabilitation and recovery following a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)  from an automobile accident. “What should I do?” she asked me as we neared the end of a therapy session. “Why don’t we meet up and just keep exercising.” I replied and the rest was history. 

There are countless other stories with other patients at the time that could have easily pointed me in the same direction. “I am being discharged with a home exercise program, but I want to keep working on my Stroke recovery.” or “I have been using a wheelchair for the past 20 years and I want to maintain my health and function as I continue to age but every time I go to a gym it just does not work out.” or “I wish there were a way I can be active besides adaptive sports.”

In my case, it was the former, a patient of mine with so much potential for continued outcomes was being prematurely discharged from physical therapy due to insurance limitations — the start of my personal journey into adaptive fitness began.

Up until the start of this journey in 2005, the majority of activities for individuals living with or recovering from disability was limited to adaptive sports… Wheelchair Basketball, Quad Rugby, Wheelchair racing, etc. The availability of fitness programs, group fitness, and even accessible gyms were very limited. 

The idea that there was a trainer that was performing one-on-one fitness training with an SCI client and that the individual was excelling to the point that once therapy resumed, newer goals could be addressed by the therapists leading to better outcomes, spread throughout the rehabilitation halls and soon more folks wanted this type of training in addition to therapy.

What initially started as a temporary fix to aid a patient in need, has led to redefining my own career and sharing through experience and education what adaptive fitness is and how adaptive fitness trainers can bridge a huge gap. 

Adaptive Fitness has really blossomed and now (thanks to social media) Adaptive Fitness Trainers, clients, and facilities are able to share training experiences to the public.

Wheelchair users can highlight their fitness workouts, PRs, and other fitness trends and challenges. Facilities can highlight client success stories, and brands can and have sponsored wheelchair athletes. 

For the purpose of this article, I would like to highlight education and standards as I identify what adaptive fitness means to me.

Group Exercise, Virtual Group exercise, Seated Exercise, Adaptive Crossfit, one-on-one personal training can all be identified as Adaptive Fitness and really anyone can lead a group exercise class for any and all abilities… but should they?

Understanding the needs of a participant who is living with Multiple Sclerosis, Transverse Myelitis, Cerebral Palsy, Stroke and SCI in the same group class is extremely important for the safety of all individuals and should not be taken lightly. 

Adaptive options presented to one participant may not work for another. Some folks may need specific cueing to maintain safety while others may be able to accept any challenge without adaptive needs.

Understanding risks, precautions and limitations to maintain safety in the group class setting but still make it an effective class is vitally important, and is why having the proper education to lead such classes is a must.

Working one-on-one with an adaptive fitness client who is focused on neuro recovery following a neurological impairment is not a cookie cutter type workout. You can use exercises you may know of, but the set and rep schemes differ entirely and blow traditional routines with 4 sets of 10 reps out of the water. There are specific strategies that can be utilized to effectively challenge someone working on improving neuroplasticity, but how you implement those strategies is dependent upon the individual, the diagnoses, and the strategy being utilized. Having an understanding of all of the above is imperative to your success as an adaptive trainer and their success for their outcomes

The same can be said for an adaptive client working on functional mobility. If floor transfers or stair climbing is a challenge then working on movements and exercises to improve those abilities is a must, but it’s important to have an understanding of how to guard, how to support, how to transfer, how to use your adaptive trainer body to aid your adaptive client in successful progressions toward achieving the movement they are working towards.

An understanding of adaptive training, adaptive accessories that can be used, equipment that can be modified, and strategies that can be used to make an adaptive client successful in the pursuit of their goals should be your goal as a Medical Fitness Professional. So that you become that trainer that should be leading adaptive fitness classes/session and not the trainer that is leading the classes/sessions but shouldn’t be.

Become an Adaptive Fitness Specialist

The Adaptive Fitness Specialist online course is designed to provide the knowledge needed to safely and effectively design and implement adaptive exercise programs for individuals living with or recovering from a physical disability or disease.

Devon Palermo is a leading authority on Adaptive Fitness for those living with or recovering from a disability. He is the Founder and Principal director of DPI Adaptive Fitness, A company focused on safe and effective adaptive fitness for individuals living with disabilities. With over 15 years of experience in both fitness and rehab, He is the go-to resource for clients, therapists, and doctors in the DC, Maryland and Virginia area looking to maximize the benefits of adaptive exercise to improve strength, balance, function and abilities. dpiadaptivefitness.co

summer meditation

One Minute Practice: Present Moment Awareness

/5 July 2023/ All MFN blog/

Roasting, boiling, baking. One might use these words if they are providing cooking instructions. For those who live in the Northern Hemisphere, these might also be some words you are using to describe your current relationship with the weather. Maybe even adjectives for your internal atmosphere.  

For some, summer signifies increasing daylight. While others, summer indicates an excess of heat.  Between last issue and now, perhaps you have been practicing how to maintain an awareness of and appreciation for the strengths gleaned in darkness, while simultaneously allowing the lengthening of days to unfold in a way that is calm, reflective and appreciative of what is present now. What did you learn in winter that can serve you now? Beauty in breath? Beauty in darkness? Beauty in coolness?

Between now and June 21, for those in the Northern Hemisphere, days will continue to lengthen. Heat will increase. The digestive fire will burn. And muscles will contract. Although we must not forget the importance of the cool, the rest, and the relaxation.

As I introduced in the previous article, the month of March can evoke bodily rhythmic awareness. For respiratory, digestive, muscular or cardiac system, or any other bodily function – you may be feeling the heat. A balance of the fire is necessary.

In what ways can you locate spaces, in June and among the continually unfolding hot Summer days, where the appreciation of coolness you cultivated in winter may gently breeze in? Neurologically, the exhale induces the brain to relax and feel calm.

I invite readers to consider finding spaces where you can allow your breath to exhale.  How might you channel the winter of the breath to serve you in summer?

Let’s engage in a 1-minute practice of honoring the internal fire and welcome a cool breeze.

Where you are right in this moment is the perfect place to practice. You have everything you need.

1. Locate the breath: say, “Hello breath. Thank you for respirating today.”

2. Create a comfortable breeze: Tune into the coolness of the exhale.

3. Discover the coolness within: Focusing on the exhale creates a lowered body temperature.

4. Carry your awareness: Maintain an awareness of coolness.

Repeat steps one through four.

Dr. Adrienne Ione is a cognitive behavioral therapist and personal trainer who integrates these fields in support of people thriving across the lifespan. As a pro-aging advocate, she specializes in the self-compassion of dementia.

Website: yes2aging.com
Guided Meditations: insighttimer.com/adrienneIone
Facebook: silverliningsintegrativehealth

group-of-people-balance-exercise

Balance: Control of Your Frame

/23 June 2023/ All MFN blog/

Balance is the body’s ability to be pulled in the right direction at the right time. The central nervous system (CNS), composed of the brain and spinal cord, accomplishes this task for us. This system is in charge or activating and relaxing the needed muscles with precise timing.  The CNS is overstimulated every second of our lives, but has the multitasking power to take in information, be able to process it, and then apply accordingly for the task at hand.

3 Parts

This information comes threefold from the eyes, ears, and sensors throughout the body. When it comes to balance, the eyes communicate what surface the CNS is working with. The vestibular apparatus, which is the inner ear, communicates where the head should be to the CNS. We also need our limbs, joints, and muscles for balance which our feet and skin take care of this communication to the CNS. All of this is signaled at once and has to be sorted and processed very quickly.

Stand up straight

The efficiency of this central nervous system’s information processing is what dictates whether a person has good balance or not. If a person were standing up and started to lean over the right, the right foot would tell the CNS that pressure to the right foot is increasing while the pressure to the left foot is decreasing. This shift is then “seen” by the eyes and the ears would become aware that they are not level with one another. Now those sensors in the muscles are told it’s time to wake up and pull the body back towards the left side until balance is achieved.

Practice

We can be proactive and help keep our balance be kept in good condition. Exercise fanatics often focus on aerobic and resistance work, neglecting balancing activities. Many don’t worry about their balance until it is noticeably lacking. Balance is a “use it or lose it” operation, in which the machine becomes rusty if left alone for a long period of time. After about age 30, the very muscles we use just to stand become weaker. With age, we slow down, and midlife can bring the onset of instability. Falls can occur and this can lead to hip fractures or serious injuries.

Balance is about control. We try to balance our checkbook and time but we also should make keeping our body in line a priority. Think about a toddler learning to walk. Once they are able to balance in the standing position, they have gained the control for movement. This involves body awareness.

We can practice our balance to keep the system sharp. This can be done be making the surface we stand on smaller. Standing on one foot is the most basic form of balance practice. You can change the surface by adding a dyno disk. You can squat down (bend down) on one leg pretending to pick something up. Different tools stimulate proprioception.

Reaction time

The reaction time of the central nervous is critical for keeping the body in balance. From a professional athlete to the average person, we can all benefit from this control. Think of a goalie in soccer. The better they are able to react to a ball, jump to one side, or balance to stop the ball without falling in the process, the better their performance. Falls and injuries with age are damaging to the body and our sense of independence. Stand tall, don’t sway, and balance your life physically and mentally for your health.

Dr. Megan Johnson McCullough, owner of Every BODY’s Fit in Oceanside CA, is a NASM Master Trainer, AFAA group exercise instructor, and specializes in Fitness Nutrition, Weight Management, Senior Fitness, Corrective Exercise, and Drug and Alcohol Recovery. She’s also a Wellness Coach, holds an M.A. Physical Education & Health and a Ph.D in Health and Human Performance. She is a professional natural bodybuilder, fitness model, and published author.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK97342/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3885846/
https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/adultfalls.html

emily-s-article

Biohacking Your Body with Barefoot Science

/16 June 2023/ All MFN blog/

We are all on the eternal hunt to looking good, moving well and feeling young – however as responsibilities (job, school, family, friends) increase the time allocated to health and fitness often decreases. Surprisingly we expect the same results with less time in the gym but is this really even possible?

Perhaps it is.

Enter…..biohacking!

What is biohacking?

Biohacking, as the name suggests, is “hacking” or finding a way to more efficiently manipulate human biology. This can include areas of sleep, nutrition, mental health, strength, recovery.

If you are new the concept of biohacking – please think of this as a positive thing! Don’t get wrapped up thinking it is a mad scientist in his garage implanting computer chips into his own body.

Think of biohacking as a empowering concept which allows one to enhance or improve the efficiency of different aspect of health. It means taking ownership of your body and the aging system.

Can biohacking apply to fitness?

Absolutely!

In the case of fitness some examples of biohacking include drinking caffeine to give you energy during a workout. Or taking branch chain amino acids after a workout to enhance muscle repair and hypertrophy. Or using kinesiology tape to enhance proprioceptive stimulation and muscle activation.

Seems less mad scientist-y doesn’t it?

One area of biohacking that I am particularly a fan of is the application of barefoot science to improve your workout. As I mentioned at the start of this blog the one thing we never have enough of is TIME.

By integrating barefoot training into your workout you will hack your way into a more efficient workout allowing you to achieve faster fitness goals. Below are my top 4 biohacks integrating barefoot science.

Biohack #1 – Barefoot release to improve your balance

Next time you hit the gym start your workout start with just 5 minutes of trigger point footrelease the bottom of the foot. A 2015 study showed that 5 minutes of manual trigger point release was associated with an immediate improvement in single leg stability and postural control.

Since having someone do the trigger point release isn’t efficient we’ll instead use RAD Rounds by RAD Roller. These small rounds of different sizes can be used to apply pressure to different intrinsic muscles of the foot. I recommend 5 minutes in the morning, evening and before exercise.

View video below

Biohack #2 – Barefoot whole body vibration to enhance micro-circulation and tendon strength

In the world of proprioception whole body vibration is one of the most efficient ways to stimulate the nervous system. Since our foot is also the gateway to proprioceptive stimulation I recommend doing your WBV activation barefoot and using PowerPlate which is a multi-planar harmonic vibration platform.

A 2007 study by Lohman showed that just 3min of WBV at 30Hz enhanced skin, nerve and tendon micro-circulation resulting in enhanced tendon tensile strength and decreased arterial stiffness. All of which is a very powerful response before any workout.

Learn more about WBV and PowerPlate at powerplate.com

To learn more on this topic you can view the following webinar below:

Biohack #3 – Improve your core strength with barefoot foot to core sequencing

The core. The center of stability and the center of power. When it comes to any dynamic movement or exercise – core strength and stability are critical to the way force is generated or transferred through the human body.

The foot. The base of stability and only contact point between the body and the ground. Studies have shown that it is more efficient to strengthen the core via the foot in what EBFA calls “foot to core sequencing”. The access into foot to core sequencing is via an exercise called short foot.

To learn more about short foot and how to integrate it with exercises please see below:

Biohack #4 – Improve your balance with small nerve proprioception

Postural control and dynamic stability require the integration of four input systems – visual, vestibular, joint proprioceptors and plantar foot skin. Of these four one of the most important but often overlooked systems is the skin on the bottom of the foot.

The skin on the bottom of the foot contains thousands of small nerve proprioceptors all of which are sensitive to different stimuli. One of the most important stimuli coming into the foot is vibration (see WBV above). We use vibration not only to know how hard our foot is striking the ground but also in the maintenance of dynamic balance.

As soon as we put on our shoes our nervous system inherently becomes slower. This delayed neuro stimulation of the foot is small or micro which means it is hard to detect by the average client or patient – however it is happening. Accumulatively this results in micro-trauma and micro-compensation.

To biohack your nervous system whenever you are barefoot training integrate small nerve plantar stimulation with Naboso Technology. Whenever performing barefoot exercises such as short foot or any foot to core sequencing this is the perfect opportunity to pull out your Naboso Barefoot Training Mat.

If you want to bring this stimulation to your shoes, Naboso Technology also makes small nerve proprioceptive insoles which have been shown to improve postural control and stability

Dr. Emily Splichal, Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist, has dedicated her medical career towards studying postural alignment and human movement as it relates to foot function and barefoot training. She is the Founder of the Evidence Based Fitness Academy, offering continuing education with a focus on foot fitness and barefoot training. Courses included Barefoot Training Specialist®, Barefoot Rehab Specialist® and BARE® Workout Certifications for health and wellness professionals.

Originally printed on the Barefoot Strong Blog. Reprinted with permission from Dr. Splichal.