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Young woman having knee pain

Rolling to Fight Arthritis!

/13 April 2021/ All MFN blog/

“By the year 2040, an estimated 78.4 million (25.9% of the projected total adult population) adults aged 18 years and older will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis” (Hootman JM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, Theis KA, Boring MA)

The time is now! Let’s talk about how to prevent the onset and symptoms of various forms of arthritis through myofascial release!

What is myofascial release?  

It is a type of physical therapy often used to treat myofascial pain syndrome. Myofascial pain syndrome is a chronic pain disorder caused by sensitivity and tightness in your myofascial tissues. These tissues surround and support the muscles throughout your body that are affected by arthritis.

What is fascia tissue? 

This holds the muscle together and keeps them in the correct place. The fascia separates the muscles so they can work independently of each other. The fascia provides a lubricated surface so that the muscles can move smoothly against each other. When fascia is constricted, it prevents blood flow and decreases circulation.

What parts of the body can I roll?

  • Head, Face & Neck
  • Shoulders, Chest Arms, Wrists & Hands
  • Upper & Lower Back, Hips, Glutes, Thighs, Knees, Ankles, Feet

What is the Benefit of Rollga Rolling My Face & Neck? 

Rolling for Youth Preservation: First, let’s discuss regaining a rejuvenated look for our skin. When looking at what causes skin aging, it is a slowing down of circulation of blood. As noted by the NIH, this consists of a slowing in the circulation of nutrient-rich blood and detoxifying lymph and increasingly sluggish skin-cell turnover; the skin becomes more “stagnant.”

Rolling the Face. When “rolling” the face, be sure to apply gentle to medium pressure. The two main points of tension are in the superficial fascia and the other is lymph. Lymph is a highly underrated circulatory system within the body that is responsible for detoxifying waste from the skin on a cellular level, in addition to its many, many other functions. When holding tension in the muscles and fascia, lymph cannot move freely and do its job of clearing out waste from the tissue. The result of poor lymph flow can present as dull skin, an accumulation of blackheads and milia, and/or stubborn hyperpigmentation, and more. Superficial fascia is the layer of connective tissue right under the skin on the face. It acts as the support and infrastructure for your skin and is responsible for giving it “lift and tone.” It can also carry a lot of tension and adhesions that restrict circulation of blood and lymph. If you’ve ever used a foam roller on tight legs, think of how much softer one leg feels after rolling when compared to the unrolled leg. Foam rolling is a form of self-administered myofascial release, and that is EXACTLY what we want to do for the face.

Rolling for Neck Tension. The neck is the superhighway of ALL circulation to and from the face. A tight neck acts like a traffic jam between the body to face and back again. This prevents detoxifying lymph from draining as well as it should, and working the neck alone can be major in bringing flow and vitality back to the complexion as well as reducing puffiness in the face. Many people experience a very high level of neck and jaw tension due to everyday stress. Remember that working hard also means you must self-care harder!

Rolling to Fight Arthritis: To reduce the onset of symptoms from various diseases such as arthritis that affect facial and neck muscles, various myofascial release techniques such as Rollga rolling stimulates muscles, improves blood flow and enhances circulation. Because the jaw is a joint that is commonly affected by arthritis, myofascial release eases tension, improves joint mobility and decreases pain while speaking or chewing.

Learn more about Rollga rolling for the face and neck by contacting info@ContiFit.com

Request a manual, attend a workshop, or take an online course to learn about myofascial release with Let’s FACE it Together™ Facial Exercise & Rehabilitation!

Check out the Arthritis Fitness Specialist Online Course from MedFit Classroom.

Reprinted with permission from Christine Conti. Originally printed on rollga.com.

Christine M. Conti, M.Ed, BA is and international fitness educator and presenter. She currently sits on the MedFit Education Advisory Board and has been nominated to be the 2020 MedFit Network Professional of the Year. She is currently writing the MedFit Network Arthritis Fitness Specialist Course and is the CEO and founder of ContiFit.com and Let’s FACE It Together™ Facial Fitness & Rehabilitation. Christine is also the co-host of Two Fit Crazies & A Microphone Podcast and the co-owner of TFC Podcast Production Co.

DNA-puzzle

The Evolution of Truly Personalized Medicine: Epigenetics, Food, and Fitness

/9 April 2021/ All MFN blog/

Most would not argue that there is an ongoing transition in how our healthcare is being delivered. This article will examine some of these transitions as a result of breakthroughs in technology, as well as how genetic information, exercise, and diet will play an increasingly greater role.

When medical science was first getting its start, a more holistic philosophy was taken on how to treat illness and maintain health. Hippocrates has often deemed the father of modern medicine, and even today the allopathic physicians (M.D.s) take the Hippocratic Oath – to do no harm to their patients. Hippocrates knew, even in 400 B.C., that the best healer of the body is the body itself. For the most part, the best treatment is to create a strong body and get out of the way. Five guiding principles used in his philosophy for treatment include:

  1. Walking is man’s best medicine.
  2. Know what person the disease has, rather than what disease the person has.
  3. Let food be thy medicine.
  4. Everything in moderation.
  5. To do nothing is also a good remedy.

The second and fifth principles emphasize the power of knowing the individual and getting out of the way! The first and third principles show the power of exercise and food for healthy living. Even the genius, Thomas Edison, realized that a health maintenance organization (HMO) approach was the best method of healthcare both practically and financially. His quote, “The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patient in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease,” is evidence that a holistic, preventative approach is what he advocated. He is also quoted, “…you can’t improve on nature.”

One size does not fit all

Personalized medicine is now at the forefront and it utilizes the genetic and epigenetic data of a person to guide medicines and treatment plans. Cancer drugs have probably harnessed this advantage to the greatest extent, thus far. Former President Jimmy Carter received Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for his brain cancer and it boosted his immune system and beat cancer. While most of America (71%), still doesn’t even know about personalized medicine, those who were familiar with it did not know it would yield better results with fewer side effects. The different directions of personalized medicine are still being realized, but the field of pharmacogenetics is the first to really jump on the bandwagon of highly effective, precision-based treatment.

The reasons some drugs work for some people and not for others, or why side effects occur in some individuals and not others, is due to individual variability in metabolism. Why are some people lactose tolerant, or some can drink alcohol with no problem, and others have severe issues? It is usually because of enzyme differences, which are under the control of our genes. Interestingly, our enzyme genes can often be turned on or off by “inducible sequences” known as promoters or suppressors of operons, respectively. These “switches” can be repressed or induced depending on our environmental stimuli. Thus, we actually have some control over our gene expression, and this field is known as epigenetics.

Knowing what gene variants someone possesses or not will guide the personalized medicine physician on which drug to use or not. By knowing allergic reactions in advance or which medicines may have side effects will help physicians to not make a bad situation worse. Unfortunately, the cost of personalized medicine drugs is much higher than alternative treatments. There is still a lot of exploration to be done on all the various applications of this technology, but the bottom line is that understanding individual variations and enabling the body to do what it is designed to do is a very good thing! Companies like Toolbox Genomics is one of many companies that use your genetic information to then tell you what foods and supplements to eat or avoid, and which exercises may help you the most, and ones that you may not respond to so well. The reason physicians do an intake on family history or run various tests is to collect information that will guide their treatment. A genetic test on certain gene variants is simply taking this a step further.

How do exercise and diet apply to our epigenetics?

Did you know that exercise is highly beneficial to not only help with fighting cancer once it is already present but also to never getting it? Physical exercise or movement, in general, will shift the epigenetics so that genes that suppress tumors are increased, and genes that cause cancer (oncogenes) are decreased. It does this by changing the number of certain reactions called methylations. Things go wrong when there are too much or too few methylation reactions. Exercise has been shown to reduce or even reverse the epigenetic mutations that often result in tumorigenesis or tumor production. Exercise has also been shown to reduce genetic factors associated with aging like telomere length.

The fields of proteomics and metabolomics as well as pharmacogenomics, are all emerging because of the knowledge on how our genetics affects proteins, metabolism, and reactions to drugs, respectively. The field of nutrigenomics is rapidly expanding, and several companies are capitalizing on studying the relationship of how our genes affect how we process and utilize foods, as well as how food can affect our genes. Vitamins A and D, certain fatty acids, especially medium and short-chain, some sterols (derived from cholesterol), and zinc have been shown to directly influence gene transcription. Indirect effects include how diet affects gut bacteria, which in turn influences gene expression. Soon when nutritional recommendations are given, it will likely be “for this individual.”

The future of medicine will be taking our genetic information to a whole new level. Soon “smart” watches, clothes, hats, and other common devices will collect information that can benefit our health in many ways as the way healthcare is delivered continually evolves.

This article was featured in MedFit Professional Magazine

Dr. Mark P. Kelly has been involved with the health and fitness field for more than 30 years. He has been a research scientist for universities and many infomercial projects. He has spoken nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics and currently speaks on the use of exercise for clinical purposes and exercise’s impact on the brain. Mark is a teacher in colleges and universities in Orange County, CA., where Principle-Centered Health- Corporate Wellness & Safety operates.

walking shoes

Keep Walking: Benefits of Walking as Aerobic Exercise

/18 March 2021/ All MFN blog/

Aerobic exercise (also known as cardio) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. “Aerobic” means “relating to, involving, or requiring free oxygen”, and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism.

Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time. What is generally called aerobic exercise might be better termed “solely aerobic”, because it is designed to be low-intensity enough so that all carbohydrates are aerobically turned into energy. The bulk of the energy in this type of exercise is due to mitochondria ATP production which relies on oxygen for the metabolism of carbs, proteins and fats for energy.

Health Benefits

Among the recognized health benefits of doing regular aerobic exercise are:

  • Strengthening the muscles involved in respiration, to facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs
  • Strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate, known as aerobic conditioning
  • Improving circulation efficiency and reducing blood pressure
  • Increasing the total number of red blood cells in the body, facilitating transport of oxygen
  • Improving mental health, including reducing stress and lowering the incidence of depression, as well as increased cognitive capacity
  • Reducing the risk for diabetes (One meta-analysis has shown, from multiple conducted studies, that aerobic exercise does help lower Hb A levels for type 2 diabetics)
  • Reducing the risk of death due to cardiovascular problems

How to Walk Properly and Correctly to Keep Walking

Starting from the foundation of our body, our feet, we need to keep in consideration and balancing our weight through a tripod that includes our heel, big toe and small toe during our gait circle.

Gait is categorized into two phases: stance and swing. The stance phase occurs when the foot is on the ground. In young to middle-aged adults, the stance phase makes up 60% of the gait cycle. The remaining 40% of the cycle is spent in the swing phase where the foot is off the ground and being propelled forward.

The more we keep repeating this cycle in the correct form the more we keep producing the right pattern for our body to keep walking/exercising, planting the benefits for our longevity.

Additionally, we need to consider the alignment of the rest of the body. Thorax and Pelvis should be in the same line allowing breathing to go in a constant rhythm with the heart and lungs. Usage of the diaphragm and full expansion of respiratory muscles will allow extra oxygen intake, leading to better performance and eventually weight loss.

Body Performance Benefits

In addition to the health benefits of aerobic exercise, there are numerous performance benefits:

  • Increasing storage of energy molecules such as fats and carbohydrates within the muscles, allowing for increased endurance
  • Neovascularization of the muscle sarcomeres to increase blood flow through the muscles
  • Increasing speed at which aerobic metabolism is activated within muscles, allowing a greater portion of energy for intense exercise to be generated aerobically
  • Improving the ability of muscles to use fats during exercise, preserving intramuscular glycogen
  • Enhancing the speed at which muscles recover from high-intensity exercise

Neurobiological Effects:

  • Improvement in brain structural connections
  • Increase in gray matter density
  • New neuron growth
  • Improvement in cognitive function (cognitive control and various forms of memory)
  • Improvement or maintenance of mental health

Walking is widely recommended for its health benefits. According to a recent U.S. Surgeon General report on physical activity and health in America, more than half of the U.S. population does not participate regularly in any type of exercise. That physical inactivity can lead to poor health. It is time to start making better choices and better habits. Let’s start walking!

  • Walking can help you attain that trim figure you’ve been “dieting” to have. It allows you to burn off fat without losing muscle and without depriving your body of the essential nutrients it needs. And it can help tone your muscles and shape up your legs.
  • Before you begin walking for fitness with freestyle walking programs, you need to consider a few preliminaries, including your age and your overall health. It’s pretty easy to figure out that walking doesn’t require much in the way of equipment. One of the only, and by far the most important items that you’ll need, is a pair of comfortable walk­ing shoes. If you don’t take time and care in selecting your walking shoes, you may be in for some serious discomfort.
  • You also need to learn how to measure your heart rate and listen to your body, so you’ll know where to begin and how hard you need to work to increase your fitness and health. You may have heard similar claims made for other aerobic exercises, but consider this: The only exercise that will do you any good is the exercise you do, and walking is easy, as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.

Dimitrios Triantafillopoulos is a Master Personal Trainer, supporting people, athletes and other trainers to make them feel better with their body and themselves. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Sports Science, a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Sport Fitness, as well as a Medical Fitness Specialty. Dimitrios has attended numerous seminars in Performance Training and Specialized Nutrition, and is also a Certified Instructor in Vibration (Power Plate) Acceleration Training and Electro – Stimulation Training. He is currently a Fitness Manager at Crunch Fitness in New York City.

back-pain

Three Steps to Ease Back into Exercise After a Back Injury

/5 November 2020/ All MFN blog/

According to studies, low back pain affects nearly 80% of all adults.  Most low back injuries come from the following: wearing high heels (women), performing manual labor and people who sit for long periods of time (greater than 3 hrs.). Although these statistics are alarming, there are some simple steps one can take to make sure that they avoid current and future back pain or injury. These steps all involve simple exercises that can be performed from anywhere, including one’s office.

Step 1: Stretching

In order to prevent further injury or a relapse, the first thing to do is stretch common muscles that are tight and may have caused the lower back pain in the first place. Tight muscles are known to overwork and when this occurs, they become overactive and let us know through pain. These muscles include erector spinae, hip flexors, calves and the lats (the big back muscles).

For each stretch, you want to hold the stretch for 30-120 seconds and perform the movement for 1-2 repetitions 3-5x/week. (Watch Five Back Pain Stretches from WebMD.)

Step 2: Strengthening

After you have stretched the tight muscles, now it is time to focus on strengthening the muscles that are weak or underactive. Typically, muscles become weak or underactive from lack of use or overuse by the muscles that assist or oppose the weak muscles. For example, if your hip flexor is tight, it could cause your glutes (butt) muscles to become weak. The muscles that tend to weaken with a lower back injury include certain core muscles, the butt and hamstrings.

For each strengthening exercise, you want to perform 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions 3-5x/week. (Watch Core Strength for Back Pain View and Good and Bad Exercises for Low Back Pain from WebMD).

Step 3: Integration

Now that you have isolated the lower back with stretching and strengthening exercises, it’s time to focus on integrating your entire body back into exercising. Integrated exercises involve using as many muscles as possible in one given exercise. By performing integrated exercises, you will ensure that the your hip joint (which can be misaligned with low back injuries) starts and remains in the right position and the proper muscles are working as they should be.

For each integrated exercise, you want to perform 1-2 sets of 10-15 repetitions 3x/week.

If you follow these three simple steps, you can avoid low back pain setbacks and ensure that your back is strong enough to handle your daily activities of life.

Maurice D. Williams is a personal trainer and owner of Move Well Fitness, as well as a fitness educator for Move Well Fit Academy 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 an Assistant Professor of Health & Human Performance at Freed-Hardeman University.

brain-neurons

Parkinson’s Disease and Exercise

/6 May 2020/ All MFN blog/

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease.  Unfortunately, the incidence of Parkinson’s disease has not declined, and its impact is seen in all races.  This is due in part to the fact that the population of the world is greater than ever before and increasing. In addition, people are living longer than in previous generations, and the baby boomer generation, one of the largest generations in history, has reached old age.

Risk factors for Parkinson’s disease include:

Age: Risk of Parkinson’s disease increases with age.  The average age of onset for this disease is 55 years and the rate of incidence increases steadily until the age of 90.

Gender: Men have a higher risk for Parkinson’s disease than women.

Family history: Individuals with a family history of Parkinson’s disease are at a higher risk for Parkinson’s disease. Moreover, it is said that those with affected first-degree relatives double their risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Agricultural work: Individuals exposed to pesticides and herbicides have a greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease symptoms. Drinking well-water and living in rural areas have also been associated with an increased incidence of Parkinson’s disease.

Head Trauma: Head trauma can be a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease as is seen in the case of boxers. One study showed that trauma to the upper cervical region, head, and neck was a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease. However, in some cases it took years for these symptoms to appear.

The exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown.  Regarding the molecular events that lead to the development of this disease, there is still some uncertainty in terms of what causes the neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson’s disease. The current hypothesis is that Parkinson’s disease may result from the interaction between environmental factors and genetic susceptibility.

The primary symptoms for PD are deficiencies in motor performance due to the loss of the dopamine pathways in the brain. Decreased dopamine production in the substantia nigra in the brain causes the 4 primary motor symptoms:

  • Bradykinesia: described as slowness in the execution of movements while performing daily activities.
  • Rigidity or Stiffness: caused by an involuntary increase in tone of the limbs and axial musculature.
  • Resting Tremor: Found primarily in the arms and hands and can be socially bothersome. Resting tremors are less disabling since they often vanish with the initiation of activity (especially in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease).
  • Postural Instability: manifested in a slow speed of walking, shortened stride length, narrowing of base of support, and leaning towards one side.

Exercise should be targeted for the primary motor symptoms with exercise and occupational therapy to improve quality of life. Recommended program components include:

  • Posture, gait, mobility
  • Fall risk reduction
  • Cardiorespiratory health
  • Strength and function
  • Depression and Anxiety
  • Joint health

Exercise prescription for clients with PD includes: (ACSM)

  • An individualized program
  • Cardiorespiratory: use guidelines for healthy adults
  • Muscular Fitness: use guidelines for healthy adults
  • Flexibility: slow, static exercises for all major and minor joints in the body including the upper torso, spine, and neck.
  • Neuromotor Exercises: help with balance, gait, and postural instability. Clinicians use a gait belt or parallel bars to ensure safety depending on the severity of the symptoms.  Include functional exercises to improve ADLs and quality of life.

PD exercise therapy includes intervention with many kinds of exercise modes. Both personal training and group fitness have been successful in helping to manage the disease and reduce the symptoms. There is not strong evidence at this point to show that exercise prevents PD, but it is believed that exercise may play a role.  Exercise is however the mainstay for symptom management and slowing disease development.

 

June M. Chewning BS, MA has been in the fitness industry since 1978 serving as a physical education teacher, group fitness instructor, personal trainer, gym owner, master trainer, adjunct college professor, curriculum formatter and developer, and education consultant. She is the education specialist at Fitness Learning Systems, a continuing education company.

References and Resources:

healthy-food-and-exercise

Save the Date: Virtual Global Employee Health and Fitness Month is May 1-31

/22 April 2020/ All MFN blog/

Virtual Global Employee Health and Fitness Month (GEHFM) 2021 Initiative is ready to go – all we need is you! us and show your support for an active healthy world! It has never been easier or more important to keep moving, set goals and create sustainable change in your health and well-being. IGNITE and National Association for Health and Fitness amazing step-by-step toolkits provide outstanding guidance, ideas and tangible examples to ensure success for each participant. Be sure to share your #GEHFM activities and experiences on social media and engage with other participants.