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woman sleeping

Sleep: An Essential Component to Maintaining Health

/7 November 2018/ All MFN blog/

I have the answer to making you feel calmer, more energized, with no side effects, help with depression, lose weight, improve your for focus and productivity at work, regulate your hormones and boost your immune system. Sleep does all of this and more. 

Sufficient sleep is an essential to maintain health.

Getting enough sleep improves:

  • motivation
  • supports brain health
  • recovery of muscle strength
  • speed
  • muscle glycogen (stored energy in the muscles)
  • cortisol (stress) regulation
  • memory

Two thirds of adults in developed nations do not get enough sleep!

Less than six hours of sleep compromises the immune system and doubles cancer risk.

A tired brain isn’t able to communicate its needs properly, which can lead to imbalance and unhealthy habits.

Those who are sleep deprived also have a slower reaction time than to those who are rested. You can take all the vitamins and drink all the caffeine you want, sleep deprivation is sleep deprivation. Sleep enables the body to heal itself. Sleep actually is not passive, but studies show during some sleep phases, parts of the brain are more active then they are when you are awake.

The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life span. For athletes, insufficient sleep can be the reason for decreased performance and increased injury risk.

Adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Less than five or six hours of sleep can negatively impact human performance, metabolic health, mental health, cardiovascular health, immune function, mortality, pain, general health. More than 8 hours a night can improve all of the above.

As you age, you sleep less and you spend less time in slow wave sleep. Amyloid beta is cleared from the brain during sleep and more slowly from the aging brain. Worsening amyloid deposition is seen in people with shorter sleep durations, or worsening sleep quality. Don’t count on recovery methods to contract little sleep and a poor diet. Sleep and nutrition are not recovery. Modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is not enough sleep!

As you rest, your body and brain are preparing and rebuilding themselves. Growth hormones, which promotes cell reproduction and regeneration, is released into the bloodstream and the production of certain types of immune cells peaks. Sleep also helps to regulate hormones associated with weight gain. A study on sleep deprived men found that when they got less sleep, levels of gherkin (the hormone that increases appetite) rose. Lack of sleep can result in weight gain. Woman who sleep five hours a night were 15 percent more likely to be obese than those who slept seven hours. Being sleep deprived contributes to weight gain and makes weight loss difficult.

Good nutrition is amazing. Meditation is amazing. But nothing makes up for lack of sleep, nothing.

Sleep slows your heart rate and breathing and causes your blood pressure to drop. It also changes the frequency of your brainwaves. Delta waves (the slowest frequency brainwaves), which are linked to deep healing, only occur during the deep part of your sleep cycle. These are the same brainwaves experienced in a meditative state. Production of delta waves is associated with a drop in the production of the stress hormone cortisol. Lack of sleep have an aging impact on the brain and skin.

Some tips to create a sleep friendly bedroom:

  1. Black out curtains, the darker the room the better.
  2. Keep your bedroom decor simple and calm, clutter free, work papers out of sight.
  3. Blue walls perhaps or blue in your room.  Gentle blue tones are widely believed to have a calming effect.
  4. Keep a notepad by your bed so you don’t have to worry about staying awake because you don’t want to forget something, just write it down and go back to sleep.
  5. Pre sleep meditation and calming music.

Some tips for quality sleep:

  1. Institute a tech curfew. The light radiating from TV, phones, computers, iPads can disrupt the circadian rhythm. A study at Harvard University Medical School found particular frequencies of light disrupted the sleep inducing hormone melatonin. Turn off all devices at least an hour before bedtime. If you must read on your laptop or iPad before bed, download the blue light filter app. The more amount of screen time used, the less sleep. The circadian clock regulates our sleep; using technology near bed time interrupts the natural circadian rhythm clock and negatively impacts sleep. The top 25% of social media users were 2-3 times more likely to have disturbed sleep than those in the bottom 25%.
  2. Alcohol. You fall asleep more quickly, but the quality of sleep is poor, and REM sleep is decreased.
  3. Exercise regularly. Just not right before bed — that can have the opposite affect.
  4. 65 degrees is the optimum temperature for a good night sleep. If you are too hot, you are more likely to feel restless.
  5. Try herbal tea with chamomile and or valerian root.
  6. Imagine a tranquil natural scene, this visualization could make you relax. Studies at Oxford University showed that those who used this technique would fall asleep twenty minutes sooner than those who did not picture the tranquil scene. Avoid counting sheep — the study showed it took people longer to fall asleep!

Restful sleep is key ingredient to living a miraculous life. Real sleep!

“Lack of sleep is another way we block our power, creativity, and intuition.”
–Huffington Post President and Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington.

We often measure how productive we are based on how hard we work and how little sleep we get. This mentality is negatively affecting our health and overall well-being!

Charleene O’Connor is a a biomechanics specialist, TPI Level 3 Golf Fitness Trainer, Egoscue Postural alignment therapist, Meditation teacher and SUP instructor. Visit her website, charleenesfitness.com

Human Brain Health with ECG

Getting Fit Expands Your Mind

/2 November 2018/ All MFN blog/

Getting fit expands your mind.

When you start a program to develop better habits, get out of pain, or whatever the case may be, one thing you probably don’t expect is how your mind transforms.

Health and fitness are elusive, multi-failure and hard to reach topics for the majority of people. You may have even thought at one point that it’s just not possible for YOU to achieve your goals right?

My first piece of advice is just take the first step. Then the next step and then the next. If you keep taking a step forward, you eventually arrive at your destination. It’s simple when you look at it like that, isn’t it?

It comes down to making the right choices at each meal, to exercise daily, to go to sleep on time, to drink water is how getting fit expands your mind.

When you start to build your confidence and see results around something you may have previously believed to be impossible, it’s incredible what areas of your life open up.

People grow courageous and start businesses because of their fitness results. From the confidence they build through fitness, women choose to do certain fitness adventures or events. Even previously un-athletic seniors pursue fitness careers because of their results and desires to pass that on to others.

So, whether you’re deep into your fitness journey or just thinking about getting started, know that if you keep your mind open, success in fitness shows you that anything is possible.

Fitness is empowerment to the core. you’ll see the possibilities by believing getting fit expands your mind.

Originally printed on Move Well Fitness blog. Reprinted with permission.

Maurice D. Williams is a personal trainer and owner of Move Well Fitness in Bethesda, MD. With almost two decades in the industry, he’s worked with a wide range of clients, including those with health challenges like diabetes, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, lower back pain, pulmonary issues, and pregnancy. Maurice is also a fitness educator with Move Well Fit Academy and NASM.  

child mouth

How to Approach Mental Health in Children?

/31 October 2018/ All MFN blog/

Between the pressure of school, fitting in with peers and extracurricular activities, there are several challenges that children and youth are currently facing – including mental health problems.

Each year there are many studies conducted to determine the number of children suffering from mental illnesses, what these illnesses are and how many children and teens are seeking help.

Despite many countries delivering different statistics, there are similarities in the mental health of young people across the globe. Many studies, including a survey by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discovered children and youth between the ages of 3 and 17 had one or more of the below mental health problems:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Behavioural problems
  • Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Whilst adolescents were also shown to have:

  • Alcohol use disorder
  • Cigarette dependence
  • Illicit drug use disorder

Further studies conducted in the United States in recent years have shown 11 per cent of youth reported suffering at least one major depressive episode, while 7.4 per cent of youth reported having experienced severe depression.

So, how do we approach children and adolescents when it comes to discussing mental health? Dr Ryan Harvey from Australian home doctor service, House Call Doctor, discusses the signs to look for and how to get the correct help.

Signs

While it may seem obvious to look for any ‘irregular behavior’, it’s important to specifically look for any of the below signs:

  • Your child is regularly anxious or distressed
  • Your child is regularly upset and refusing comfort (or having problems that are worsening)
  • Your child experiences a sudden change in their behavior lasting longer than two weeks
  • Your child engages in behavior that is hurting themselves or others
  • Your child is experiencing problems which are interfering with their usual daily tasks (i.e. school work), eating, sleeping and/or concentrating.

What to Do

If you’re worried about the well being of a young person, the first step is to consult with a doctor.

Hopefully, your child will understand that seeing a doctor will be helpful and a GP isn’t there to judge. If your child isn’t willing to cooperate, you can look at discussing their situation without them and putting together a plan with your doctor on how to handle their behavior (it’s also helpful to write down specific situations where you have noticed a change in their behavior).

Your doctor may suggest organizing extra support at school, access to information about mental health or support for challenging behavior.

How to Talk About Mental Health

Talking about mental health can be difficult. It may be easier to approach the situation by following this step by step guide.

Step 1: Say something. According to beyondblue (an Australian non-profit organisation), it’s important to voice your concern and show your willingness to support your child. This may open a door for them to seek help.

Step 2: Listen. It can be difficult for children and youth to open up about how they’re feeling, so it’s important you’re prepared.

A few pieces of advice from beyondblue include:

  • Be an attentive listener.
  • Acknowledge your child’s feelings – don’t down play what they’re telling you.
  • Ask open-ended questions – this will provide an opportunity for your child to keep talking rather than giving short or one-word answers.
  • Remind your child they’re not alone – this can allow you to offer your support along with suggesting the option of seeking professional help.
  • Regularly check in with emails, text messages etc. to ask your child how they’re feeling – they may want to tell you what is happening in their lives without talking face to face.
  • Do some research – before initiating the conversation, read up on their symptoms and potential mental health problems they may be experiencing so you have a level of understanding.

Step 3: Provide reassurance. Whether it be encouraging your child to explore different options at school or to seek professional support, a simple display of reassurance and support could be the turning point for your child.

If you’re worried about the well being of a young person, please contact a doctor for further information.

Dr Ryan Harvey is the Assistant Medical Director at House Call Doctor. Dr Harvey is highly experienced in paediatrics and has administered medical care to children living in remote overseas communities. He now works with many families, administering acute care when unexpected medical situations arise overnight.

Man having a painful shoulder

Pulled Shoulder Muscles During Yoga? Here’s How to Find Relief

/18 October 2018/ All MFN blog/

Around 20 million people in the US are pressing heels and down-dogging on their yoga mats, trying to gain as many health benefits as they can. Of course, yoga is a great physical activity to improve endurance, strength, and flexibility. This ancient practice helps reduce stress and anxiety.

Most people practice yoga to maintain heart rate, lower blood pressure, and boost metabolism and even fight obesity. But if not done correctly, yoga can be harmful.

The pulled shoulder is one of the most common problems associated with yoga. Since yoga focuses on improving balance, it includes various poses that involve shoulders. Shrugging, for instance, is all about how the shoulders are moved and compressed, which if not done correctly can cause muscle injury.

Finding Relief for Pulled Shoulder Muscle

A pulled shoulder muscle can be painful. The wrong postures can pull muscle fibers in the wrong direction or to the extent that’s beyond capacity. This causes small tears, which leads to pain.

So how do you find relief if you get a pulled shoulder muscle during yoga?

Besides seeking professional help to master all poses, the following tips can help you get rid of the pain and treat your muscles in time.

Stop Right Away

As soon as you realize a muscle injury, stop what you are doing right away. Discontinue the pose and see a doctor before you resume yoga. Continuing exercise with an injured muscle can double the damage and make recovery more challenging and time-consuming.

The first step is to protect it by realizing the problem and finding a solution for it. Avoid doing anything stressful with that shoulder until you see a doctor.

The Icing Method

In case you cannot get an appointment right away, use the icing method to stop blood flow to the injured muscle. This helps with swelling and mitigating the pain. If you are outdoors, get home and grab an ice pack and apply to the affected area. You can even use a bag full of ice cubes to have the same effect.

Also, remember to always use a medium to apply ice to avoid direct contact with skin. Start with applying ice for twenty minutes every hour in a day. If the pain persists and the swelling doesn’t reduce, rush to the hospital immediately.

Compress the Shoulder

The next top is to wrap the affected area to control swelling and pain. A pulled muscle naturally weakens the joint and causes pain if pressure is applied. Using a wrap to compress your shoulder will provide support to the joint and make pain bearable.

Wrapping, in this case, will differ greatly from how you would’ve wrapped your ankle. In fact, to provide the right support, wrap it around the bicep to create the anchor effect. Use the bandage to cover the chest and the opposite arm.

Bring the bandage up again and cover the injured shoulder and around the same bicep once again. Do not make it too tight but make sure it compresses the affected shoulder to avoid swelling.

Take Maximum Rest

In case the injury is not severe, your shoulder should heal after you are done with icing and compressing. But if you allow your shoulder to come under any impact of pressure again, it could disrupt the healing process.

Continue with icing and keep the shoulder wrapped for at least three days. Avoid lifting weights or stretching your arm to grab something out of your reach. It is best if you keep your arm and shoulder elevated and close to your chest. Avoid sleeping on the side of the injured muscle.

Keeping the severity of your injury in mind, it could take up to eight weeks for your shoulder muscle to heal completely. Even when you don’t feel the pain anymore, avoid overstretching or pressurizing your muscles. Start with your regular, slow-paced activities and only indulge in gentle stretches if you continue with yoga.

During your yoga session, avoid pulling too hard on your shoulders and do not overstretch. When in the posture, keep your shoulders straight and held back from the ears. If you find a certain pose difficult to practice, do not hesitate in asking for help from a professional.

Even after you have completely healed, avoid doing intense shoulder stretches for a while. This could be the culprit for shoulder pain and injury. In fact, placing the neck incorrectly and applying pressure can also damage the cervical vertebrae, which leads to severe joint issues and can even cause loss of neck flexion.

If you need, use props to help elevate your shoulder and neck away from the floor to avoid extreme pressure.

Bottom Line

It is best to see a doctor if you suspect severe injury. However, mild ones can be treated at home with a little help. Before you are back to your routine, it is best to check with a physician to get a green signal. Sometimes, you may need to briefly work with a shoulder surgeon or physical therapist to get you back to your normal shoulder movements.

James Crook is a passionate health and fitness blogger. Currently, he is a working as a blogger for Dr. Joe Wilson, Shoulder Specialist NC. Follow @jamescrook911 for more updates.

Stress Management Exercise Programming

/16 October 2018/ All MFN blog/

As fitness professionals, we know that exercise helps our clients to cope with stress. We are told that any type of exercise will help them to reduce stress levels. The problem with this way of thinking is that we do not look at stress from the same point of view as a chronic illness. In turn, you could be putting your clients at risk of developing illness’s. We know that stress can wreak havoc on the body but what can we do as fitness professionals?

When we have clients diagnosed with diabetes, cancer and heart disease, for example, we follow a certain protocol or guideline. Not everyone is the same so you may have to deviate and think outside the box. Why should there be a difference with stress management exercise programming? There are specific guidelines that you should be following.

Many fitness professionals take into consideration the mental piece of stress but not what is actually going on inside the body as a direct correlation. Or fitness professionals may think that the client is better because they feel less stressed mentally after their session. When we do any type of exercise, endorphins will be released throughout the body. This will make you feel better mentally but it is a quick fix for what is really going on inside.

If a client is highly stressed and you have them do an intense workout they may become physically worse. Exercise is a stressor on the body itself and will increase cortisol levels. This  in turn, can make blood sugars and blood pressure higher. If someone does not have either of these conditions it could become their new norm over time. When pushed to hard, a client may develop conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease earlier due to high cortisol levels.

We need to look at stress management from a physiological standpoint when prescribing exercise. Many fitness professionals do not make this important connection during their sessions. We may advise clients to do meditation, yoga and exercise as a “one size fits all approach” Our clients’ bodies are different and therefore need a customized exercise and health education plan. If you have a client who cannot lose weight when exercising and eating properly have them see their doctor. The Physician may want their patient to take a cortisol level test to make sure their body is functioning normally.

Fitness professionals should follow the FITT Principle for stress when working with this population. Knowing the appropriate frequency, intensity, time and type of exercise is very important. You must assess your client and know their stress levels before you can customize a program. It is also important to look at their health history and what medications they are taking.

One way of effectively training clients is by using the Aria Method™. Open and flowing movements are important for training individuals who are stressed. Posture and stress play an integral part of movement and should be taken into consideration. For instance, Stress can make people hunch over or adapt to a kyphotic posture. By opening the chest and strengthening the muscles you are correcting this motion. Take a moment and really look at your clients before deciding how to train them.

Educating clients about stress and healthy coping techniques is also important and can make a big difference. It may be hard for some individuals to make positive lifestyle changes. Remember to praise clients for any changes they make no matter how small.

Robyn Caruso is the Founder of The Stress Management Institute for Health and Fitness Professionals. She has 18 years of experience in medical based fitness.

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