I pride myself on being a science geek through and through. I understanding the scientific method, I understanding retesting getting consistent results. But I think accepting results of scientific testing comes down more to the mighty dollar and marketing than to the betterment of human lives.
If You Are Making Excuses, You Are Not Sold Out On Reaching Your Goals! Don’t Be A Quitter!Do you know someone who sets a goal and runs after it with massive action? I have friends who act like androids continually crushing their goals and rising to the top at whatever they set out to do. I realize they are rare, however far too many give up too easily on their dreams.
A select few give their dreams their all. They are in the minority.
So what’s the difference between making excuses and quitting versus putting your head down and being fully sold out and attached to reaching the most excellent outcome?
You need to sell yourself. You need to sign yourself up fully for what ever it is that you want to do, be, have or give. Your belief in the outcome must be unshakable.
If you were Thomas Edison, would you have invented the lightbulb? Would you have failed over 1,000 times and kept believing it was possible and putting all of your resources into making it a reality?
The truth is that some of you already quit on your 2018 goals because you never fully believed it was possible. You might say that you want to lose weight or quit smoking or pay off debt or take that dream vacation, but do you know that you know that you know, deep in your soul that you will make it happen? Are you willing to invest the resources and do what ever is necessary to achieve it?
Recruit others to share the vision, advise, hold accountable, support and mentor you.How could you expect someone else to commit and follow you when you weren’t TRULY committed?
The moment you recruit yourself is the moment when everything changes. It won’t typically happen right away but it will happen!
When your goals are achieved you will enjoy the sweet spot of your passion, purpose and profit coming together! It’s priceless.
Reprinted with permission from Kelli Calabrese. Visit her website, kellicalabrese.com
Kelli Calabrese MS, is a 32 year fitness, nutrition and lifestyle professional who is a clinical exercise physiologist, former health club owner, corporate fitness manager and she founded a school that prepared over 3,000 people to become certified fitness pro’s. She was the lead fitness expert for eDiets, Montel Williams and was interviewed for Jillian Michael’s position on the biggest loser.
A study published by researchers at the University of Utah in 1996 was the first to demonstrate clearly the benefits of exercise for people with MS. Those patients who participated in an aerobic exercise program had better cardiovascular fitness, improved strength, better bladder and bowel function, less fatigue and depression, a more positive attitude, and increased participation in social activities.
MS is the most common neuromuscular disease affecting young adults. The onset of symptoms usually occurs between the ages of 20 and 40. The disease is twice as prevalent in woman as in men.
The National MS society provides the following parameterof different functional levels of people with MS:
Level 1 – Mild: People with this level of MS may be walking independently but may also walk with a cane. They may have some visual and coordination issues.
Level 2– Moderate: People with this level of MS may be dependent on a walker or a wheelchair. They may be able to transfer themselves or they may require assistance.
Level 3 – Progressive: People with this level of MS may be paralyzed primarily in the lower extremities. They will spend most of their time in a wheel chair.
Fatigue: Usually mid-afternoon after waking up feeling reasonably rested
Spasticity: Most common areas of the body to be affected are the legs and postural muscles.
Weakness: May be present all the time or only during times of acute flare-up. Pain leads to disuse and disuse leads to even greater weakness and los of functional fitness.
Tremors: These are not predictable as exhibited with Parkinson’s disease. They tend to vary widely in intensity and oscillation.
Balance, Coordination, and Gait: Often the first symptom of MS is the great mental effort it takes to perform movements that previously were automatic. They may observe foot dragging and shuffling or a foot that turns in while walking. They may exhibit shaking and jerky movements know as ataxia.
Muscle Cramps and Spasms: Flexor spasms in muscles that increase flexion of a muscle may occur.
Numbness and Tingling: Most often sensed toward the periphery of the extremities such as fingers and toes.
Heat Sensitivity: High ambient temperature and humidity can exacerbate the symptoms and lead to fatigue, loss of balance, visual changes and general worsening of symptoms.
Vision: people may experience optic neuritis in one eye where vision may be blurred for minutes. Response of the pupils to light is slowed.
Hearing: Changes in hearing are rare.
Cognition: 50% of people experience some degree of mild cognitive disfunction.
Cardiovascular Dysautonomia: Irregular function of the autonomic nervous system leads to blunted heart rate and decreased blood pressure in response to exercise.
Research shows that the proper dose of exercise can provide people with MS with beneficial results.Loss of muscle strength resulting from the onset of neurological damage cannot be improved through exercise. However, muscle atrophy as a result of disuse can be.
Regular exercise can counteract muscle weakness, lower the risk of bone fracture, improve the efficiency of the respiratory system, increase bone density, lower stress, and contribute to a general feeling of well-being.
The benefits of regular exercise and therapeutic fitness training include:
There are medical fitness trainers that are certified to work with individuals with multiple sclerosis. They have acquired the tools and strategies to improve physical fitness and functional ability for clients with MS who have varying symptoms of the disease and levels of ability. They have learned exercise precautions, program design, perceptual motor and balance skill development, and much more.
Lisa Dougherty founded Whole Body Fitness in 1999. She graduated from the University of CA, Irvine, Fitness Instructor Program, and is a Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach through the American Council on Exercise. She has specialty certifications to work with those with medical conditions, post surgical/rehab as well as pre & postnatal fitness. Course work includes: Heart Disease, Breast Cancer Recovery, MS, Parkinson’s, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Arthritis, Respiratory Disease, Fibromyalgia, Knee and hip replacement, and Pre and Postpartum fitness. Lisa founded the Medical Fitness Network in 2013.
References:
Desert Southwest Fitness Author: Karl Knopft, EdD Copyright 2005
When training clients with a neuromuscular disease such as Parkinson’s and/or Multiple Sclerosis there are many challenges. The challenges can range from physical to emotional setbacks. It is important to focus on the physical as well as mental capacity. There are certain patterns associated with exercises that provide balance, core, flexibility, facial, and hand motor training, that keep the mind focused. Below are five tips when working with clients who have Parkinson’s and/or Multiple Sclerosis.
Balance TrainingBalance is one of the first things to decrease as we get older, but much quicker with those with Parkinson’s and/or Multiple Sclerosis. One common injury is falling so it is important to focus on balance. Start with simple single exercises to work on balance. Even standing with just the eyes closed can provide a challenge. Also try unstable surfaces like a balance board or Airex-pad to challenge balance.
Incorporating core exercises will help your clients with the balancing and movement exercises. If the client can stabilize core muscles during the balance exercises it will help them to be more aware of posture and overall strength. Plank exercises are great for utilizing the core. Also a seated ball lift one leg while maintaining posture helps with posture when sitting.
Flexibility or range of Motion exercises combine Balance and Core Training to help improve flexibility and coordination. There are two types of flexibility training, Static and Dynamic. Static stretching is holding a specific stretch for 45-60 seconds. This is great after working out to prevent injury and improve range of motion. Dynamic flexibility is more movement based. Exercises such as reverse lunges help improve flexibility while moving, while challenging balance and the core.
Particularly with Parkinson’s clients, they will get a look to their face that looks like there is no expression. To keep these muscles in the face active doing simple jaw, mouth, eyebrow, and cheek movements will help keep facial muscle active.
Writing is important keep the mind and emotional part of having Parkinson’s and/or Multiple Sclerosis active. Motor skills in the hand will decrease as well as focus and concentration. So things like cross word puzzles and word finds are great for incorporation of mind and body.
In summary, it is critical to use all of these tips for Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis training in progression. Each client is different, so challenge them to their fitness level. Progress or digress exercises accordingly. Take into account the psychological well-being of your client when progressing them in their workout regimen.
Jason Williams has been a personal trainer, pilates instructor, and wellness coach for 13 years and is a graduate from Lynchburg College in Virginia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Medicine. While at Lynchburg College he was a 1st team All-Conference Track and Field Athlete. Jason has worked with a wide variety of clientele from kids, professional athletes, seniors and special populations. He recently wrote a children’s health and fitness book, The Adventures of Frankie Fitness, which motivates kids and adults to live a healthy lifestyle. He currently works at The Maryland Athletic Club in Baltimore, Maryland. Find Jason at Charm City PT.
Fibromyalgia is a chronic medical condition characterized by widespread pain that can sometimes include symptoms such as fatigue, memory problems, sleep disturbances and mood changes. It is believed that fibromyalgia affects the way your brain receives pain signals and causes pain sensations to be increased above normal levels. There is currently no cure for fibromyalgia and doctors are only able to try to treat the symptoms caused by fibromyalgia. Medications and lifestyle changes can help to improve the quality of life of those people affected by this condition. Walking is considered by many experts to be one of the best ways to manage many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Let’s start by taking a look at the symptoms of fibromyalgia and then discuss how walking can help.
Symptoms of fibromyalgia can include:
As you can see above many of the symptoms that accompany fibromyalgia make it difficult for sufferers to have a desire to do any physical activity-even if it is just walking. However, experts agree that including some type of exercise in a patient’s treatment plan will be very useful in symptom management. When exercise is included with other treatments such as medication, physical therapy, dietary changes, and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and massage, there can be a significant improvement in the quality of life.
Walking is considered to be one of the best low-intensity workouts for people with fibromyalgia. It is one of the easiest exercises for people to start with when trying to increase physical activity. Before starting any exercise program, you should talk to your doctor or physical therapist. They may be able to help you come up with an exercise plan that is tailored to your needs. A custom plan may help you be more successful at sticking to the program in the long term.
First, you will want to make sure that you have a good pair of shoes. They don’t have to be super expensive, just quality shoes that will protect your feet and joints while walking. A good pair of shoes will help prevent painful blisters and calluses. Consider where you will be doing most of your walking. Will you be hitting the pavement or walking on trails in the woods? There are different shoes for different surfaces, so make sure you pick the right one. You will want a shoe that has light to medium flexibility and good arch support. Try on several different shoes that fit your needs to see which one provides the best overall fit. Your feet may still be sore and swollen the first few times you go out, but you can always use ice packs for feet to help get relief.
One of the most important things to remember is to start off slow. If you haven’t been physically active for awhile because of your pain and other symptoms, it will be easy to overdo things and cause more pain than when you started. Don’t rush into anything. You can always increase your activity level as you become more comfortable. It’s probably best to start off with short walks of approximately 10 minutes, three times a week. You want to get your heart rate up, but don’t walk so quickly that you feel out of breath. The next week you can try increasing your time out to 15 minutes and go up 5 minutes each week for the first month. Starting in the second month you will want to keep walking for 30 minutes, but increase the frequency to five times a week. It may not seem like a lot of physical activity, but it does help you keep a routine, and you can always increase the duration or intensity of your walks later.
Walking has many benefits for fibromyalgia sufferers. It has been shown in recent research to have the same pain relieving benefits as non-opioid pain relievers in controlling pain. Getting regular physical exercise may take more time for pain relief to kick in, but it is much better for you than taking medication. Exercise helps increase the levels of serotonin in your brain which are decreased in fibromyalgia patients. Walking will also help loosen and condition your muscles which can improve ease of movement.
Cortisol is a hormone in your body that is released when your body feels as if it is being threatened. The chronic pain and stress that fibromyalgia sufferers undergo cause cortisol levels to rise which can help lead to a host of medical symptoms which are very similar to the symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. Regular physical exercise can help lower cortisol levels, which in turn may help you to lose weight. You may also notice that you are sleeping better once you get into a walking routine.
While walking will not cure your fibromyalgia it may help you in more ways then you can even imagine. The feeling of accomplishment that you will have will make you feel better about yourself. That alone is worth putting on your shoes and getting into the great outdoors.
Joe Fleming is the President at ViveHealth.com. Interested in all things related to living a healthy lifestyle, he enjoys sharing and expressing his passion through writing. Working to motivate others and defeat aging stereotypes, Joe uses his writing to help all people overcome the obstacles of life. Covering topics that range from physical health, wellness, and aging all the way to social, news, and inspirational pieces…the goal is help others “rebel against age”.
Do you have type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or prediabetes? Then you need to know that exercise is a cornerstone in the management of all of these conditions, and it can benefit your health in so many ways.
Sometimes, being active can actually make it more challenging for you to manage your blood glucose (“blood sugar”) levels, unless you learn more about its effects. I have always known at some level that exercise generally did good things for my blood glucose, even before I had my first blood glucose meter (after going 18 years without access to one). How could I tell without a blood glucose meter?
Being active always made me feel better, physically and emotionally, so much so that I earned a PhD in Exercise Physiology to understand why. You don’t need to go that far with your education, but there are some basics about being physically active with diabetes or prediabetes that you really need to know.
Here are some things that I know about exercise now that I wish someone had told me years ago.
#1: Exercise can help erase your blood glucose “mistakes”
#2: Exercise doesn’t always make your blood glucose go down
Over a longer period of time (2-3 hours), it usually comes back down, but who wants to wait that long?#3: Your muscles are critical to managing your blood glucose levels
#4: Exercise is the best medicine there is
For other tips on exercise and more, visit www.diabetesmotion.com or www.shericolberg.com. You can also find some exercise programs geared towards people with diabetes by visiting Diabetes Motion Academy (www.DMAcademy.com).
Sheri R. Colberg, PhD, FACSM, is a Professor Emerita of Exercise Science at Old Dominion University and a former Adjunct Professor of Internal Medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School. She is an internationally recognized authority on diabetes and exercise.
Media coverage on the power of boxing to combat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease has been a hot topic in the Parkinson’s community. Rock Steady Boxing, a national program that initiated Parkinson’s specific, non-contact boxing programs with certified coaches, has inspired local boxing gyms in our area to begin offering boxing training to our local community. So, is boxing your way to better health an option for you? More importantly, what are the benefits of this fun and energizing fitness trend?
Learning how to box and executing the six common punches – jab, straight right, left hook, right hook, left uppercut and right uppercut – is a powerful way to develop your skill-related fitness. Skill-related fitness includes agility, balance, power, speed, coordination and reaction time. All these components are of particular importance to someone with Parkinson’s who may be experiencing a decline in several of these areas. Shadow boxing (punching the hands of a trainer in front of you in a sequence) helps improve speed, coordination and reaction time. Taking lateral steps around a boxing ring helps reinforce balance and agility. Putting your body into a split stance to throw your punches helps to strengthen your lower body and make you more stable.
Another excellent advantage to boxing is it enhances your cognitive fitness. Many people with Parkinson’s experience some challenges with clarity of thought, memory, and ability to do certain tasks. Learning boxing punches in sequence and repeating them helps to create new neural pathways which help to strengthen your brain and your functionality. Being exposed to and learning this new activity also helps improve your cognitive abilities.
What may be the most important reason to take up boxing is the feeling of strength and empowerment you will feel as you literally “fight” this disease. Punching a boxing bag can help relieve stress, make you feel in control, and give you an incredibly productive outlet. Boxing is fun, it’s invigorating, and it’s energizing.
In order to participate safely, be sure to get your physician’s clearance before beginning a boxing or exercise program, and always adhere to the safety precautions outlined by your instructor.
Carisa Campanella, BA, AS, is an ACE Health Coach and ACSM Personal Trainer. She is the Program Manager at the Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s. Neuro Challenge provides ongoing monthly support groups and educational programs, individualized care advising and community resource referrals to help empower people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers.
Arthritis is a disease where the joints of one’s body are chronically inflamed. 46 million (or 21%) Americans have it and it is one of the leading causes of work disability.
They are two major forms of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis is when the cartilage within the joints wears away and causes severe pain and swelling, particularly in the hands, knees, hips and spine. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is where one’s immune system mistakenly attacks it’s own tissues. As a result, the body responds with pain and stiffness in areas of the body such as wrists, hands feet and knees. Fortunately, exercise can help provide some relief, pain and discomfort wise, for those suffering with this chronic health condition.
There have been two significant studies that showed exercise could help arthritic people feel better. Strength training and balance exercises were used to provide relief from the pain experienced because it improved flexibility and overall strength. Balance and strength training affect one’s gait, so, at the very minimum, exercise can help to improve this. Also, it is important to keep in mind that arthritis increases muscle loss and lack of flexibility. As a result, it is important for an individual with arthritis to keep their body limber and moving as much as possible.
According to NASM, the following protocol should be followed by arthritic people for a reduction in pain and overall health improvement. Please keep in mind, that anyone starting an exercise program, should consult with their physician and a qualified fitness professional first.
Cardio Exercise: treadmill walking, stationary cycling and low impact step aerobics. I recommend up to 30 minutes as a general goal to aim for with duration. The intensity should be from a walk in the park to a light job.
Flexibility: Static stretching and foam rolling may be used as tolerated for the areas of the body that appear to be overactive. These can be performed seated or standing.
Weight Training: Exercises that include core, balance and general overall major muscle groups are recommended. Circuit training is a great way to get all of those things done in one session. I suggest 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps, 2-3 times a week. It is important to keep in mind the following when doing exercise: avoid heavy lifting, with high reps, stay away from movements that cause pain and be prepared to only do five minutes of exercise in a given session until your overall conditioning improves.
Maurice D. Williams is a personal trainer and owner of Move Well Fitness in Bethesda, MD.
Resources
1. http://blog.nasm.org/senior-fitness/what-a-pain-in-the-joint-training-guidelines-for-arthritic-clients/
2. http://blog.nasm.org/senior-fitness/modify-training-programs-clients-osteoarthritis/
3. http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/8-essential-everyday-exercises-for-ra-pain#8
Source
NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, 4th Edition Revised, 2014.
