I want you to think differently about exercise. We have to understand that exercise is not only about body builders and gyms. Being strong leads to a better quality of life. Training for fitness gives us the ability to manage
The mind is a powerful tool or weapon that can be used to work for us or against us. Everything begins with a thought. From the moment we wake up until laying our head on the pillow each night, our mind is consumed with thoughts; more than 60,000 a day by the time we reach age 40.
95% of those thoughts occur in the subconscious mind, making us unaware we have them or even what they are most of the time. Thoughts run on autopilot throughout the day unless we do the internal work to become aware of them and shift our thinking.
Awareness is the first step to reprogramming the mind with different thought patterns. Once we begin practicing a mindful lifestyle and becoming aware of the thought patterns that are regularly showing up in our lives, we can then learn and use tools to reprogram the mind to think differently. Think of it like this: the brain is the hardware, and our mind is the software, the software we use daily determines how we think, feel and react or respond to various situations.
The good news is, it is possible to “rewire the brain” a term referred to as neuroplasticity. The latest technology in science reveals that by creating new neural pathways in the brain, we are capable of rewiring neural pathways, creating new neurons that fire together which allows us to think and process differently, thus leading to less reactionary responses and more responding to our external environment.
The question is how do we do this if our mind is on autopilot and we are mostly unaware of our thoughts?
One answer is through the long-practiced method of meditation, a process of refocusing the mind. Meditation is a mental exercise that with practice trains the brain to think and process differently. It is through refocusing the mind to think about one thing and ultimately “no thing” that allows for us to tap into our subconscious mind and create new programming.
Often people say they cannot meditate or can’t calm their monkey mind. That is true for those who do not practice training it to be different. Being mentally fit is a practice that requires exercise, just as muscles do when training in the gym or recovering from a physical ailment. The mind must also be exercised and taught to think and react differently.
There are many different modalities to the practice of meditation, just as there are many workouts in the gym to become physically fit. It’s about exploring the types of modalities and finding one that works for you or your client. Mental resilience is built each time new neural connections are made, each time we go through a challenging time and overcome it, we become more mentally fit thus giving us resilience for the next time we face something hard.
Understanding how the brain works and how it pre-dispositioned to think negatively over positively, allows us to have compassion and patience with ourselves while learning to create a consistent routine of practicing meditation. Discovering the mind/body connection and how they work together also empowers us to be able to choose differently in situations where we become aware we are reacting from autopilot rather than choosing to respond.
Meditation is currently a $1 billion industry and is rapidly growing. Learning how to use meditation in your own life, while also learning how to instruct others through science-based, proven modalities expands your revenue offerings as well as helps clients heal faster and live happier lives.
Check out Briana’s short courses with MedFit Classroom for more. Click course for details:
Briana Bragg is the founder of Vacation of the Mind®, a mental wellness company dedicated to helping one million people or more reduce stress, refocus the mind, and lead healthier and happier lifestyles through practical techniques of nature-centered mindfulness and meditation. Briana is the author of “Journey into Tranquility®”, a meditation teacher training course that utilizes science-based methodologies of nature, meditation, and creative visualization in a three-step process Breathe, Refocus, Journey, curating guided journeys that connect people to nature and stillness. Briana’s dynamic energy and passion are fueled by her devotion to the well-being of others.
For many, negative feelings, such as anxiety and depression, lead to out-of-control eating…and ensuing weight gain. Knowing which foods can bust the blues, without weight gain, could reduce the odds of emotional eating episodes. Meet the foods that may help.
Mac and cheese. Chocolate chip cookies. A pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Some call it “comfort food”; others say it’s “food as friend.” However you phrase it, turning to food to soothe unpleasant feelings—from depression and anxiety to anger, loneliness, even fatigue—is the key cause of Emotional Eating. As a matter of fact, our research revealed that eating to cope with negative feelings is the #1 reason we overeat; and the key cause of weight gain.
Theories abound about the causes of out-of-control eating. Is it linked to brain chemistry? Or is it a behavioral addiction? Or both? What is clear is that when some people experience unwelcomed feelings such as fear, anger, anxiety, or depression— because of physical (such as back pain), emotional (negative feelings), mental (stress-filled thoughts), or spiritual (emptiness) distress, they may turn to food to feel better. Why? Because food does, indeed, have the power to bust the blues! Here’s why.
Have you ever felt frustrated, and turned to carbohydrate-dense fries, cake, cookies, or potato chips—seemingly unable to stop until the whole bag (or bags) is gone? If so, it’s possible you’re self-medicating unpleasant feelings with food. How so? Certain hormones—naturally occurring “chemical messengers” released when you consume certain nutrients (such as carbohydrates, protein, fat, and so on) in food—have the power to “replace” negative emotions with feel-good feelings. This is because high-carb foods, such as chips, stimulate the production of serotonin, an emotion-friendly hormone that calms and soothes the psyche.
It seems so easy: load up on carbs, feel better. But you pay a price for this feel-good fix. This is because processed, sugar- and fat-laden junk food—from donuts, cookies, and cake, to chips, fries, candy bars, and soda—ultimately, are “downer” foods. This means these often tasty, high-carb foods may provide some short-term comfort by releasing soothing serotonin, but you won’t get long-term relief. Rather, sugar-laden comfort foods could worsen negative feelings, because after they drive up insulin (a hormone that controls blood sugar and energy absorption), your blood-sugar levels inevitably plummet, leaving you even more depressed and fatigued then prior to eating them.
If you’re an emotional eater—if you cope with unpleasant emotions by overeating and bingeing on high-carb, super-sweet foods—there are many proactive steps you can take to turn the tide. For starters, consider consuming some blues-busting foods that bring the benefits of serotonin—without the downside of the emotional “crash” and the weight gain that bingeing on processed, high-calorie, “downer” food (products) can cause.
Here are some quick-fix, mood-friendly foods and snacks that not only may bust the blues, they may crush cravings and curb your urge to splurge.
FLASH TIP: BE SURE TO WAIT AT LEAST 20 MINUTES AFTER YOU EAT TO GET THE CALMING AFFECTS OF SEROTONIN. THIS IS HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR YOUR BRAIN TO REGISTER THAT SEROTONIN IS WORKING ITS WONDERS.
Smoothie. Combine 2 cups chopped dark leafy greens, 1 cup blueberries, 3 walnut halves, 1 cup milk of choice (cow, soy, almond, rice), ½ cup juice of choice, 3 walnut halves, 1 teaspoon flax oil. Blend.
Avocado spread. Toast a piece of multi-grain bread or choose whole-grain rice crackers. Mash ½ avocado, add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the avocado on the bread. Or a tablespoon of nut butter (peanut, tahini, etc.) on it.
Popcorn. Pop some air-popped popcorn. Spritz lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Toss.
Cereal. Enjoy a bowl of cracked oatmeal with a handful of blueberries and milk of choice.
Nuts/Seeds. Try a ¼ cup of raw, unroasted nuts or seeds of choice. A sampling: walnuts, cashews, almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Veggies. Munch some carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes; crunch kale or Romaine lettuce leaves. Optional: Use the nut butter blend, above, as a dip or spread for your veggies.
Fish. Enjoy a tuna or salmon salad. Mix together water-packed tuna fish, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, diced celery and red onion, juice from ½ lemon, salt and pepper.
Fruit. Have an apple, papaya, orange, frozen grapes, banana, kiwi, cherries, pineapple pieces, tangerine, or any other fruit you like.
Chocolate. Savor a piece or two of dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content. Or make hot chocolate with 100% cocoa powder and milk of choice.
The take-away: Enhancing emotions by consuming fresh, whole, blues-busting foods—instead of processed foods that are high in sugar, fat, and calories—is a sound step toward overcoming Emotional Eating, the #1 overeating style our research on Whole Person Integrative Eating has revealed.
In other words, if you turn to food that enhances feel-good feelings, but that also nourishes your mind and body—without the “downer” crash—you’re more likely to lower your odds of Emotional Eating episodes. How so? You’ll keep your mind-body in balance.
Visit Deborah’s website, makeweightlosslast.com, for free evidence-based, credible information and education about optimal eating for weight loss and well-being. You can also visit her blog, integrativeeating.com.
Originally printed on integrativeeating.com. Reprinted with permission from Deborah Kesten.
Deborah Kesten, M.P.H., is an award-winning author, specializing in preventing and reversing obesity and heart disease. Her expertise includes the influence of epigenetics and diet on health, Lifestyle Medicine, and research on the Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle to treat overeating, overweight, and obesity. She and her husband, behavioral scientist Larry Scherwitz, Ph.D., collaborate on research and writing projects.
Research has shown the positive influence of exercise on alcohol use disorder (AUD) recovery as well as other drug-related substances. However, qualitative research has been missing regarding the influence of exercise on substance abuse disorders. In 2021, I performed a qualitative study involving interview and exercise journal data, which further validated the benefits of exercise during addiction recovery (specifically AUD). Most importantly, the results of the study showed how exercise can persuade the decisional balance a person has when working through the process of recovery. The benefits of exercise (pros) are better than the benefits of drinking (which are now cons). Another important theme participants expressed was that exercise does help recovery, but it should be a tool, not a replacement to other forms of treatment. Therefore, exercise shouldn’t replace strategies such as group meetings (e.g., AA or NA), cognitive behavioral therapy, or medications. Rather, exercise can compliment a comprehensive treatment program as a tool to maintain abstinence from alcohol and other substances, with the ultimate goal of avoiding relapse and reaching termination of the addiction. The intention of my study was to help medical and fitness professions better understand how persons connect exercise performance to their recovery process. This information also leads to better strategic planning programs for recovery, including exercise.
As a result of my research, I have developed the PACE Method to assist persons in recovery who are using exercise as a tool in order to combat not only relapse but also the threat of replacing one addictive behavior with another. One might replace exercise with the aforementioned forms of treatment, and in doing so, replace the psychology/physiology of their addictive habits with exercise performance. Even if exercise is considered “healthy”, in excess, there are consequences to the body. Currently the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders from the American Psychological Association) does not have diagnosis for exercise addiction. What is considered the appropriate/recommended, “normal” amount of exercise? Leaving that up to be self-determined, particularly to persons in recovery who are at risk for addictive forming thoughts and behaviors, can be problematic. Just like any program planning, a medical and/or fitness professional may refer/recommend, there needs to be an appropriate guide to properly integrating exercise into recovery without reaching excess.
PACE stands for Proactive Awareness Controlling Excess. Fit PACE is a guideline/tool to incorporate exercise into recovery safely by being proactive and ahead of excessiveness, being aware of your own addictive behaviors, controlling thoughts/actions, and deterring/avoiding reaching exercise in excess. I have just released the Fit PACE mobile app which details a program for persons in substance abuse recovery to follow for exercise performance. Users not only log days performing exercise for accountability (and to avoid excess), but they also log number of days sober. Graphical images display progress and track this information. Users can connect to other persons on the app, which emulates the group meeting, community support aspect recovery. Users can select their exercise goal and tailor workouts to their level of fitness. It is my hope that both fitness and medical professionals can refer/recommend the Fit PACE app to download and use as a tool during substance abuse recovery. This is in alignment ACSM’s Exercise is Medicine philosophies.
To download the Fit PACE app, look in the applicable store for your cellular device:
Want to learn more? Sign up for Dr. McCullough’s short online from MedFit Classroom, Fit PACE – Alcohol, Addiction and Exercise
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.
*Before we begin, it is essential to look at your accrediting agency’s ‘Scope of Practice.’ Remember, as a Certified Personal Trainers, we DON’T diagnose, prescribe, treat injury or disease, rehabilitate, counsel, or work with patients. We DO perform fitness screenings, design exercise programs, coach, give general health information, refer clients to medical health professionals when needed, and work with clients.
I have been a personal trainer for over 30 years and have had clients with me for decades. You cannot work that closely for that long with human beings and NOT come across a crisis.
How do we define “Crisis”? The dictionary defines crisis as a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger. It includes but is not limited to death, divorce, health scares and medical diagnoses, job loss, financial struggles, family struggles, mental health journeys, injuries and illness, surgeries, car accidents, and so on.
The research is solid.
Exercise is proven to release positive endorphins and happy hormones. Exercise can be a tremendous stress and anxiety release. Exercise will not FIX the crisis but is an excellent way to cope with the problem, clear the mind, and settle the body to be in a better place to navigate the situation.
The good news is as personal trainers, we have a unique opportunity to be in the room where it happens. Physical exercise can be very cathartic for clients going through difficult situations. I cannot count the times I have had a client break down and cry in our sessions. In my own experience, numerous doctors and friends recommended I start yoga classes when dealing with high anxiety. I walked into a class taught by one of my dearest friends and almost had to leave because I was sobbing so audibly I was afraid to disrupt others’ experience. Something unlocked in me during that class. Yoga did not fix my situation or my anxiety, but it did help me navigate my situation better and soothe it for the time being.
I count it a privilege to walk alongside my clients when they are going through a crisis. But it is essential to do so professionally and avoid getting tangled in their situation yourself.
There is a visual picture that many supporting agencies or groups use when training to work with people in crisis that can also be helpful to personal trainers. The image is a large pit or hole in the ground, and the person in crisis is at the bottom of the pit and cannot get out on their own.
The dilemma is how to help that person without getting pulled down in the hole with them, but instead giving them the assistance and support to get themselves out of the hole.
Initially, we should provide a safe place for our clients to share what life is offering them at that time. It is crucial to their physical health and can affect their performance during the training sessions.
Avoid judging the story and offering advice, but rather asking questions. “What do you think is the next step to solve this issue?” Often our clients want to be heard and seen. Giving them the space to share can often lead them to the solution or the next step or provide them with the freedom to move through the grieving process, whatever the situation may be. Of course, direct your client to professional help if you feel they are in danger or experiencing extreme levels of depression, anxiety, or hopelessness. You should have referrals on hand for anything a client needs outside of your Scope of Practice! It takes a village to keep our health in check.
How do we do this and still train our clients? I certainly do not intend for you to have an hour-long listening session instead of training them. Quite the contrary; the training will help them through the crisis.
Here are some of my tricks:
You can be the missing puzzle piece that helps get them through.
It is a fine line between ushering your client through crisis and getting involved in their situation, but it can be done, and one size doesn’t fit all. Find the things that work for you and your client. But see them, hear them, and continue to point them to the positive benefits of working out during a difficult season of life. Their physical and mental health will benefit dramatically. It may not be the time to set huge fitness goals, but maintaining their fitness, assisting their immune system under intense stress, and helping with sleep during these times are critical to success.
In closing, I said earlier that I am privileged to walk with my clients through a crisis. And my favorite part of my job is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Then celebrate with them when the situation is over, or the grieving is complete. Don’t forget to point out how strong they are, how resilient they are, and not only where they were but how far they have come!
Shannon Briggs is a multi-passionate fitness professional and educator. She brings 30-plus years of experience in the dance and fitness industry. Shannon is the Personal Trainer to the Kilgore Rangerettes and helps Collegiate Fitness and Wellness Directors fill in the gaps. She leads continuing education workshops in multiple group fitness formats and topics specific to personal training.
For years, fitness and medical professionals have advocated the need for bridging the gap that exists between preventative care and chronic pain and disease. Medicine today does the heavy lifting of disease management, acute trauma, and injury. We are an advanced nation in regard to communicable disease, traumatic and emergency medicine. However, the system is imploding with high costs of care coupled with an epidemic of unresolved chronic disease and pain within traditional insurance-covered care. Inside the healthcare system, the financial and political power lands at the top of the chain – pharmaceutical producers, government, insurance companies, the food industry, hospitals, and surgeons – yet we are failing at producing successful and sustainable care.
At a recent nationally recognized orthopedic conference I was part of a roundtable of practice executives reviewing key elements on running a profitable practice. Each group was discussing how many patients their top producing physicians were able to see per day. One group was cheering that their top physician is able to see 80 patients a day. Another said 70, and another 60 as if that was a badge of honor. I spoke up and said, “Let’s assume that doctor only uses the bathroom once, walks to the next room between each patient, washes their hands after each patient, and somehow spends no time in his medical charts. At best he or she has three to four minutes to spend with each patient. I would not want that care for you, a family member, or anyone I would refer. We should be ashamed of seeing this as quality care.”
As a result, over the last decade, we have seen a rising trend of medical providers experiencing burnout, dissatisfaction, and moral conflict. Many have decided to go against the grain of the standard care in medicine and open functional, lifestyle, regenerative, and direct primary care clinical models that have been formed in an effort to provide restorative, root cause, and preventative medicine that can reverse the rise of chronic disease. It’s a model where medical providers have the proper time to listen, evaluate, diagnose, empathize, connect, provide options, coach, and empower patients towards optimal health.
The third leading cause of death right now in the United States is medical negligence, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. This is an alarming fact because many medical errors are entirely preventable. Functional medicine physician and pioneer, Joseph Mercola recently stated at the healthcare event, Mindshare, “Those in control are building the largest tribe and protecting advertisers. It’s a threat, PR firms are doing all they can to discredit those that want to heal the world.” We have the science and evidence to not let a diagnosis be the reason for a life of decline. However, we are all fighting Goliath on steroids. Those in the position of profits-over-people are doing their best to keep education, research, innovation, and successful outcomes from progressing to be an option for all. Alternative healthcare providers attempting to educate the public are seeing censorship through Google and social media on topics such as vaccinations, lifestyle medicine, plant medicine, and functional medicine. In response, many health leaders are looking to create an alternative search engine specifically designed for uncensored health-related information.
To begin to redefine healthcare, it requires us to think differently and independently about how to slow the rise of chronic disease. Here are four frameworks from which to begin to explore new solutions in healthcare:
If the entire medical system turned around today and added preventative and less invasive options like nutrition, fitness, health coaching and energy medicine, we would not be prepared to fill the immediate demand. Consumers seeking optimal health are now aware and seeking expert health professionals who can listen, empower, hold them accountable, and help deliver successful outcomes.
Private clinics offering cash procedures and preventative care need to charge more to be able to spend more time with patients. This would allow providers to dig deeper with root cause lab analysis and would offer a greater probability to help lead patients toward successful outcomes. Healthcare in general will perform significantly better when providers are paid based on successful outcomes as opposed to time and service fulfillment. True healthcare is in demand for personal trainers, health coaches, and those with exercise physiology and kinesiology backgrounds to help deliver provider-recommended, outcome-based treatment programs. Most medical providers do not have the training, education or time to provide the nutrition, exercise or individualized care for patients that health and fitness professionals are trained to provide. Therefore, this article is a battle cry to the next-level fitness professional.
Not one doctor, trainer, diet or even single field of study has the answer to deliver the best health to the world. This all-encompassing effort can include surgeons, researchers, regenerative medicine specialists, functional medicine providers, behavioral therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, personal trainers, massage therapists, physical therapists, energy healers, naturopaths and coaches; not one alone has had all the answers. It will take a combination of the right internal, physical, emotional, nutritional and spiritual support to take a person on the journey towards optimal health.
The only way for primary care and transformative clinical models to succeed are with patient behavior change. Clinics need certified personal trainers and health coaches who have expertise in the more specific needs to help patients follow through on the recommended treatment plans. The medical fitness professionals of the future can fill the gap by becoming fluent in any of the following niches:
The demand is rising and will explode in the coming decade. Private practices are on the rise. Self-insured companies are seeking savings from healthcare costs. The equipped health and fitness professional will have no shortage of opportunity. If you have a solid knowledge base in any of these areas, there is significant opportunity to work for, partner, refer to, or carve out your own fitness and health business of the future.
To change the entire healthcare system over the next few years, we need everyone to collaborate to create universal consensus where all these areas are necessary to comprehensively treat patients. This will require leading experts in all areas of health to come together. Groups such as the MedFit Network are collaborating with medical leaders and are dedicated to raising the bar for personal trainers by defining how the medical fitness professional of the future can support the necessary shift. Those who are filled with passion and purpose for the medical fitness model of the future will see the monetary rewards of their exceptional work as the demand will outnumber the caregivers.
Join JR for the webinar presentation, Impact, Results and Income Opportunities to Enhance Your Coaching or Medical Fitness Center.
This article was featured in MedFit Professional Magazine.
JR Burgess found his purpose for helping people be free from pain at a young age. JR has played an integral role in replicating a proven integrated model of care in more than 80 clinics worldwide. He is driven to make the greatest contribution by changing the way healthcare can be delivered by integrating profitable, regenerative, functional and lifestyle medicine into clinics world-wide. He is a husband, father, two-time #1 bestselling author, and international speaker.
Arthritis comes in many forms and has many manifestations, affecting almost every joint in the body. We generally speak in terms of the two most-known if not popular forms of arthritis: rheumatoid (RA) and osteo-arthritis (OA.) The essential difference is in the root cause. RA is an auto-immune disease whereby the body, for unknown reasons, attacks itself, particularly in the joints. OA, on the other hand, is often considered the downstream effect of wear and tear, over-use, prior injury, or, as we’re seeing more of as society gets more sedentary, from lack of use. In OA, typically, some insult to the joint disrupts the natural repair processes and further deterioration occurs subsequently.
Due to their differing causes, there are obviously differing treatments; but the basics of medical management are essentially the same. I am not qualified to address the specifics of the treatments available but, in lay terms, treatment usually entails some version of anti-inflammation and pain-reduction drugs, precautionary movement or positional guidance (don’t do’s, for example), physical therapy to manage pain and inflammation, and therapeutic exercises to support the structures affected as the disease itself causes not just inflammation and pain but damage to the structures that support the joints. Typically we identify arthritis as something that damages cartilage and, in truth, that is often what the standard ‘films’ – X-ray, possibly MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) – show. We now know that the synovial sacs around the joint are also affected and that these and other chemical disturbances affect the muscles and tendons that move and support the joint. In almost all cases of arthritis, pain, inflammation, reduced strength and range of motion (ROM) ensue, diminishing quality of life in many ways and, because some of the drugs used to treat it, potentially reducing quantity of life. (Gastrointestinal bleeding from non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or bone loss (osteoporosis) from corticosteroids can lead to fatal outcomes (such as spontaneous fractures leading to falls from osteoporosis) if not treated with other medications.)
When someone is potentially afflicted or actually diagnosed with a form of arthritis, the medical community goes into hyper-drive, encouraging changing one’s habits, be they the types of activities one engages in recreational, competitively, or professionally; or the types of non-activities one currently does, in particular, being inactive.
In some cases, dietary advice is offered as we are learning more about foods that are pro-inflammatory and others that have anti-inflammatory benefits. In the former category, we are learning that excessive sugar or simple carbohydrates, including processed wheat products, may exacerbate inflammation while others, such as salmon, dark, green veggies, and certain oils (e.g., olive oil) are capable of reducing the inflammatory elements circulating throughout our bodies and our joints. Furthermore, in more extreme cases, when arthritis becomes very painful and debilitating, over-the-counter and/or prescription-fitted braces may be offered to defer some of the more end-line procedures such as surgery to fuse the joint or replace it with a prosthetic device.
Note that there are several legitimate ways to integrate exercise through resistance training programs that have proven quite effective in arthritis management. Yoga, Pilates (floor or machine based), Tai Chi, Qigong and water-based, or aqua, exercise are all beneficial to many aspects of the overall arthritis program of strength, ROM, proprioception and ultimately function. Since many of these are quite technical and are often done in class formats, one should ask the instructor(s) as to their experience working with arthritis clients.
As with any form of exercise, by whatever professional instruction, you should be totally aware of your pain levels as going “through” the pain is not recommended; thus, you must assert control over the exercise sessions. There will be some exercises, however, that are not destructive and may be somewhat painful but must be done in order to maintain reasonable levels of function and independence. So long as the pain subsides within a couple of hours – preferably as soon as you stop – and there is no exacerbation of inflammation the next day, you can assume that the exercise was just enough. If symptoms flare up over the next 24 hours, however, assume you did more than you should have and alert your trainer or instructor so that he/she can avoid doing the aggravating exercise(s) as much or as hard next time. For these reasons, along with all the other recommendations so far as exercise interventions are concerned, it is best to seek the counsel and assistance of a fitness professional with a background in medical fitness. This could be someone with a more advanced academic degree, someone with a license to practice rehabilitation exercise (physical therapist, athletic trainer, etc.), or someone who’s taken several educational programs to have a greater understanding of the variety of disorders and diseases that may benefit from exercise interventions.
Dr. Irv Rubenstein graduated Vanderbilt-Peabody in 1988 with a PhD in exercise science, having already co-founded STEPS Fitness, Inc. two years earlier — Tennessee’s first personal fitness training center. One of his goals was to foster the evolution of the then-fledgling field of personal training into a viable and mature profession, and has done so over the past 3 decades, teaching trainers across through country. As a writer and speaker, Dr. Irv has earned a national reputation as one who can answer the hard questions about exercise and fitness – not just the “how” but the “why”.
Hashimoto’s Disease, also called Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, occurs when the immune system turns against the body’s own tissues. The immune system directly attacks the thyroid. This then leads to hypothyroidism, which is when the thyroid isn’t making the necessary hormones for proper body functioning. The thyroid plays a leading role in our body, as it is the controller of our metabolism. Without the right hormones, how quickly our body uses calories from what we eat, can be greatly impacted. It is the most common thyroid disorder, affecting 14 million people in the United States.
Symptoms of Hashimoto’s include having an enlarged thyroid. The front of the neck (where the thyroid is located) looks swollen. Symptoms associated with an underactive thyroid, due to the lack of hormone production, include fatigue, weight gain, cold body temperature, hair thinning and loss, depression, irregular menstrual cycles for women, and joint and muscle pain.
The exact cause is not known. There is a strong genetic component. Hormones play a major role, especially since Hashimoto’s is seven times more common in woman than men. Its primary target is middle-aged women. Many women experience thyroid problems after childbirth and about 20% of these women develop Hashimoto’s later on. Certain medications with high levels of iodine can cause this problem. Radiation exposure also can lead to thyroid troubles. In fact, the atomic bombs of Japan lead to this disease in many people. Then, this can be passed on genetically.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for Hashimoto’s. The medical community is not sure what causes autoimmune disorders. Getting medical help is important in order to prevent the progression of the disease. If left untreated women can experience problems with fertility and the risk of high cholesterol increases.
There are some self-care, natural approaches to try to improve or prevent this condition, including your diet. Making sure your diet consists of enough selenium, zinc, vitamin D and iron. Foods to include would be red meat, poultry, beans and dark vegetables. If you do not eat meat, do understand that plant sources are not as absorbable, but taking vitamin C can help with this. Foods you should minimize and eliminate include those that cause inflammation. These include gluten, sugar, artificial sweeteners, soy and dairy. Gut health is critical so making digestion as clean and easy as possible is important. Avoiding toxins can help too, such as plastics, beauty products, air fresheners or candles. Keep your air clean.
Exercise can also be beneficial for Hashimoto’s because it helps lower inflammation and stabilizes the functioning of the immune system. This is because exercise stimulates regulatory T cells which are big inflammation fighters. Also in the process, exercise can balance the pro-inflammatory Th1 system and the anti-inflammatory Th2 system to be less inflammatory. Exercise also helps to release immune cells called IL-6, which lessen inflammation. Just going for walks is a great start but depending on how the person feels, even high-intensity-interval-training (HIIT) can boost workouts and help manage Hashimoto’s. Exercise tolerance is a case-by-case situation and overdoing exercise will only worsen inflammation.
For those I have trained with this condition, we sometimes have to do a trial-and-error approach to ensure the person is doing what their body permits without causing a flare up. It has been my job to scale back intense workouts but still give the client the encouragement and motivation that inspires them to keep exercise as a lifestyle change to support living with Hashimoto’s as best as possible. Many times clients avoid movement thinking their condition prevents them for doing certain types of exercise so why try at all. Movement is medicine so if it’s just walking, it is doing the body good versus being sedentary and lethargic.
Thyroid disease is becoming a major problem. Nearly 20 million Americans have some form of the disease. Diagnosis isn’t always clear at first, but we know when we don’t feel right. Don’t give the thyroid any more power than it already has. Hormones might be tyrant rulers, but we can control our actions and attitude towards feeling our best. Autoimmune diseases are unpredictable. The thyroid greatly influences our metabolism, so our weight is readily affected by its functioning. Although our genetic makeup can leave us powerless, we do have the ability to control our response, adherence to medical help and ability to keep a positive outlook despite medical situations.
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
You’ve heard the terms functional exercise, functional movement or functional movement patterns… but what do these terms actually mean?
The term “functional movement patterns” is confusing because it is really not a specific term. Trainers, especially those putting MSers on exercise programs, will usually take them through a program of upper and lower body exercises incorporating compound movements that ask your body to do several things at once. They tell you this is a functional exercise routine and that it’s the best way to help you with your MS limitations. Every exercise is NOT considered a functional one. So what’s the difference?
Functional, by definition, means, “of or having a special activity, purpose, or task; relating to the way in which something works or operates”. In this case, the task is being a functional MSer with the ability to use your body to do what you’d like it to do like you did before your MS diagnosis.
And even though being “functional” is different from one person to the next—for instance, a triathlete needs to be able to run, bike, and swim without limitation or pain, while a homemaker (male or female) needs to be able to do household chores such as lifting groceries out of a car, moving a vacuum cleaner and loading and unloading a dishwasher without limitation or pain—the actual movement patterns required for these activities aren’t really that different.
When you think of functional movement patterns, you should see them as movements that engage your whole body in a variety of different active ways that involve coordinating your upper and lower body with areas that alternate from being steady to moving, and back again.
So where exercises like squats are considered functional because they require full-body coordination, strength, and stability exercises like biceps curls aren’t considered functional because they lack the full-body mental and physical engagement that comes into play with basic motion.
The main difference between functional training and other exercises that work each muscle is that exercises such as biceps curls or leg extensions attempt to isolate that muscle. When doing these movements we’re working individual body parts as separate from the others creating stimulus within those parts. Functional movements put the emphasis on using your whole body at once.
The focus on functional movement patterns, in theory, is to train your body to move effectively as a fully connected single unit so it is able to sit, stand, bend or change direction effectively when you need it to. Some of the functional exercises I use are squats, lunges, and pushups. These movements effectively engage the whole body in the exercise although they emphasize specific muscles as the main force of action.
I believe in functional movement patterns and agree there is a place for them in MS training BUT without the individual muscle-specific training it would be impossible to do a functional movement. If your legs are so weak from MS limitations how are you going to perform a proper squat that uses all the muscles in your legs?! You won’t be able to. This is why specific muscle training is so important. And the only way to get muscle-specific strength is through resistance training. But it doesn’t end there…
You must strength train each major muscle group, individually and specifically to gain the ability to “function”. I know you keep hearing about functional exercise for MS and how important it is. You are told that you MUST be in a program using functional movement patterns to help your MS limitations. I HAVE MS and I have been a fitness expert for more than 40 years. The real FACT is that functional movement patterns are secondary to strength training. They are important but more important to your physical abilities are training methods that incorporate resistance exercises with principles that cause “thought-based training” ™ which create muscle fiber activation, neuroplasticity, and brain to muscle reconnection.
Please be careful with who and what you take in as being the right fitness information for MS, especially coming from fitness “experts” who do not understand MS. There is much more to proper exercise for MS than jumping into the next repetitive functional program. And any trainer who says he/she is teaching you how to place mental attention on your workouts but only tells you to concentrate on what you are doing does not understand the significance of proper focus. It is not just a simple matter of paying attention to your exercises and form. It is the training methods you use that force that focus and concentration that is of key importance in your MS exercise program. Exercise programs pushing functional pattern movements with no focus driven process or training method behind them other than the standard and cookie-cutter, “do 10 reps of 3 sets”, are of little value in bringing results to our MS bodies.
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David Lyons, BS, CPT, is the founder of OptimalBody, which touches the lives of fitness enthusiasts of all kinds. OptimalBody has been named The Most Comprehensive MS Fitness Program worldwide since its release. His book, Everyday Health & Fitness with Multiple Sclerosis, was a #1 New Release on Amazon at its release. He is the 2013 recipient of the Health Advocate of the Year Award; in 2015, he received the first ever Health Advocate Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Lifetime Fitness Inspiration Award in Feb 2016. In 2017, David received the Special Recognition Award from the National Fitness Hall of Fame.