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Exercise & Fitness: Cardio Conditioning & Training

/10 September 2024/ All MFN blog/

The real power of being fit is in the ability of the cardiovascular system to perform at high levels throughout the day. The process of becoming fit is inherently tied to the heart’s ability to pump blood and oxygen to the organs, tissues, muscles, and extremities during periods of peak demand. The conditioning process is a daily effort requiring activity and movement. The training process is the planned activity that is designed to stress the system intentionally over time and at a prescribed intensity. They are two sides of the same coin and will be highlighted in this article.

The benefits of cardiovascular development and training are: Increased cardiac output (stroke volume), decreased blood pressure, reduced blood sugar levels and increased insulin sensitivity, increased aerobic capacity, increased energy levels, improved sleep patterns, improved emotional balance, decreased risk of developing heart disease, and of course – improved ability to control body weight. These and other benefits are derived from the purposeful movement and increased adaptability of the human body. We were meant to move, even run, and over the millennia have learned NOT to run – or even move – and this has led to the rise of chronic and debilitating diseases such as diabetes and heart disease on a massive scale.

Determining Your Training Heart Rate

The standard formula that has been used to determine your training heart rate has been a simple one: 220-your age = your maximum heart rate. Take the result and multiply by 55-85% and get the range for most people’s training heart rates. It is flawed and subject to a 10-20% margin of error. Example: 220-66 (my age) = 154x.85=131 or my maximum training heart rate. If by chance I am de-conditioned and have not exercised in quite a while I would choose a lower percentage – 70% or 108 beats per minute for my training heart rate. 

The training number (or intensity) is subject to the individual’s level of fitness, medical profile, and their ability to perform the exercise as designed at the prescribed rate. If you feel that your weight is an issue then you start at a lower intensity (65-75% for example) for a shorter period of time, increasing the number of minutes gradually over time. This is the conditioning aspect of cardio conditioning and training. It is the first phase of the cardio conditioning process and can last up to 6 months to a year (or more), depending upon the individual’s ability and how often you schedule sessions during the week. 

Cardiovascular Exercise

I have been a runner since 1964 so for the past 48 years I have been training my cardiovascular system at higher intensity levels in order to maintain its capacity to deliver blood and oxygen to my body’s tissues and organs – for a very long time. This is the point of the training activity over time. Training is determined by the body’s ability to adapt to varying levels of intensity over time. The more flexible and adaptable the program becomes the more flexible and adaptable the cardio system becomes. This long term approach enables and empowers us to reach for higher levels of achievement and accomplishment over time. Cardio conditioning and training are the long term partners in the fitness formula for success. Effort and discipline MUST be demonstrated over time for results to take hold and again, recording the training sessions is KEY to remaining dedicated, motivated, and directed toward your goals.

The final point I want to make about cardio training is that there are an unlimited number of activities that qualify as cardio conditioning and training methods. They are as diverse as the number of people engaging in these activities. Walking, swimming, cycling, hiking, skiing, rollerblading, skating, playing or participating in endurance sports and many others you can define for yourself can open the door to a happy and healthy fitness lifestyle. Running has always been my passion and over the past 48 years I have run approximately 70,000 miles. It is my hope that I will reach 100,000 miles before I leave this planet. Whatever you choose to do over the course of your life for cardio health and fitness make sure you choose something you LOVE to do. This is the secret to a long and healthy life. What is the best exercise? Answer: The one that you WILL DO! It is that simple. So get moving and breathe today!

Exercise to me is life itself. In our world today we are encouraged to sit – and sit some more. It is toxic to life and our lives in particular. Cardio activities are “breathing” activities. They require us to move our WHOLE bodies – not just individual parts. The feelings of joy and happiness that are generated by “intentionally” moving our bodies on a daily basis are lasting. They can carry us through many of life’s ups and downs – and help us emerge whole and healthy on the other side of sadness or defeat. I can remember many years where I was struggling emotionally, financially, and spiritually and running “saved” me so that I could try again tomorrow. My tomorrows came because I spent some of my days in activity that I loved – and that made all the difference. I believe in exercise as the KEY to our future health and well being. Let’s decide today to get moving and have many “happy tomorrows”! 

Nicholas Prukop is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer & a Health Coach, a fitness professional with over 25 years of experience whose passion for health and fitness comes from his boyhood in Hawaii where he grew up a swimmer on Maui. He found his calling in writing his first book “Healthy Aging & You: Your Journey to Becoming Happy, Healthy & Fit” and since then he has dedicated himself to empowering, inspiring and enabling people of all ages to reach for the best that is within them and become who they are meant to be – happy, healthy and fit – and be a part of a world where each person can contribute their own unique gifts to life.

change clouds

What Motivates Us to Change?

/3 September 2024/ All MFN blog/

Humans are neurobiologically wired to seek out safety, convenience, and familiarity in our day to day choices.  The repetition of these choices create our behavioral patterns.  

Behaviors serve two purposes; first, to get something. Second, to avoid something.

Our behaviors cannot change until we become consciously aware of what environment and/or triggers are creating them.

pelvic-floor-illustration

Pelvic Floor: Lower Region Muscles with Big Responsibilities

/19 July 2024/ All MFN blog/

The area of the body referred to as your pelvic floor are the muscles that are used to urinate, pass bowel movements, and for sexual intercourse. When or if these muscles weaken, there can be uncomfortable and inconvenient interferences for someone’s day to day living. The side effects of having a weak pelvic floor are negative, so taking preventative measures can be important and incorporating exercises to strengthen these muscles is necessary. We need to be in control of squeezing and relaxing these muscles, although most of the time this is done automatically. 

Your pelvic floor muscles are your core. These include your abdominal muscles, back muscles, and your diaphragm. They wrap around the pelvic bone to tailbone and then extend on both sides of the pelvis. If you want to feel where these muscles are you can squeeze the urethra to stop yourself from peeing or squeeze your anus to stop yourself from passing gas. There are two main muscles of the pelvic floor which are the levator ani (which has three parts) that wraps around the entire pelvic and the coccygeus which is located near the back of the pelvis. 

There are a few reasons the pelvic floor can weaken over time. Childbirth, trauma, and surgery are the most common culprits. These muscles are stressed during pregnancy. Hormonal changes in women as they age, particularly during menopause, can weaken the muscles. Persons with diabetes are also at higher risk for weaker pelvic floor muscles. Certain conditions can also weaken them. These would include stress incontinence, urge incontinence, anal incontinence, fecal incontinence, and what is called pelvic organ prolapse. Stress incontinence happens to many women post childbirth and for men post prostate surgery. This is when you might dribble pee when you sneeze, cough, laugh, and/or lift something. Urge incontinence is the constant feeling of needing to pee. Anal incontinence is having a hard time controlling when you pass gas, and fecal incontinence is having a hard time controlling bowel movements. Pelvic organ prolapse is when the muscles including the uterus, bladder, and rectum might bulge into the vagina and cause a protrusion. 

Treatment depends on the severity of the condition. There are natural approaches to do this, but surgery could be required. Kegel exercises would be the first measure. Kegels are an effective exercise which involves squeezing and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, focusing on controlling the sensation. Squeezing time can start with 3 seconds and increase to 8 to 12 seconds over time. Exercises shouldn’t be done if there has been trauma or injury to the area unless cleared by a medical professional. There are trained physical therapists to guide and assist with pelvic floor exercises as well. Avoiding constipation if possible is also helpful. This could include lifestyle changes revolving around diet, activity, and medications. 

Most people don’t even think about their pelvic floor muscles until a problem arises. Natural aging brings about new areas of the body we become aware of and took for granted at younger ages. As with all areas of our health, being proactive rather than reactive is desired. It’s important to address health issues even if the topic is embarrassing or private. Helping ourselves helps others and there are natural measures we can take without extreme invasive procedures. 

Originally printed on Every BODY’s Fit blog. Reprinted with permission.

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:

Pelvic floor muscle exercise and training for coping with urinary incontinence – PMC (nih.gov)

Physiotherapy and pelvic floor health within a contemporary biopsychosocial model of care: From research to education and clinical practice – PMC (nih.gov)

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Health and Disease Spans: Can You Change It?

/13 June 2024/ All MFN blog/

Sam is a 90-year-old client of mine who comes into the clinic every day, walks for 30 minutes on the treadmill, then jumps on the elliptical for 15 minutes following by another 15 minutes on the stationary bike. After he’s done with his cardio, he knocks off 10 pull-ups, unassisted, and then he finishes the rest of his strength program. He feels energetic and enjoys spending time with his family and friends. On the other hand, Bob, a client who came in a few months ago, is 62 years old, sleeps in a recliner most nights because his back pain is too severe to stay in bed. He is an attorney working long hours with high levels of stress. His long hours keep him from exercising on a regular basis, he is a borderline diabetic and has recently started Lisinopril to control his newly diagnosed hypertension.

What’s the difference between my two clients? Sam has experienced a long and successful health span. At 90, his disease span has barely started to show. Bob, on the other hand, has an early onset disease span. He is losing his function and productivity while experiencing a slow and steady decline into the abyss.

There are several factors that influence the onset of one’s disease span. Factors such as genetic predisposition, lifestyle choices and sleep patterns are just a few examples that will influence the shape of your disease span curve. Often, the interrelatedness of influencing factors dictate our life’s outcome. By understanding our history, recognizing the triggering events that have occurred over time and managing mediators affecting our health, we are in the unique position to have a positive impact on our health/disease span curve.

Regardless of your previous lifestyle choices, you can create a big change. It is amazing how quickly our bodies respond to positive changes. In as little as 30 days, I have seen people decrease their need for medication, increase their energy, improve their sleeping habits and become more engaged in their personal relationships.

Remember Bob, in 45 days he was off his pain medication, sleeping in bed and played 9 holes of golf which is something he hadn’t done in 5 years. It is essential to understand your lifestyle history to take the necessary steps in making a well-rounded change. Success begins when you work with the right professional to re-write your story which will in turn elongate your health span, shorten your disease span and result in dying young at a ripe old age.

Jim Herkimer, DPT, MS, ATC  has been involved in health, fitness and rehabilitation for over 35 years. He is currently the CEO and Executive Director at Sports Conditioning and Rehabilitation (SCAR) in Orange, California. SCAR is a wellness and rehabilitation clinic providing a continuum of care for individuals through the life span. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to help a variety of athletes and individuals from all walks of life reach beyond their potential. 

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Trainer Challenge of Stroke

/23 May 2024/ All MFN blog/

A stroke is an obvious turning point in most survivors’ lives. In a best-case scenario, it can be as minor as a mild concussion. At worst, it is a disabling brain injury that leaves the person incapable of caring for themselves—or even breathing on their own. In any case, stroke clients can provide a significant challenge to a trainer wanting to help them, once medical care and primary rehabilitation has plateaued. This is especially true considering the variety of experiences a survivor can have, following a stroke.

Seniors with trainer in gym at sport lifting barbell

4 Tips to Help Your Clients Reduce Their Risk of Falls

/26 March 2024/ All MFN blog/

No matter how fit and healthy your older clients are, there is one thing that can change their lives forever: a bad fall. Every year, almost 1/3 of older adults fall and many cause injuries that will affect them the rest of their lives.

As a fitness professional, you need to be well-prepared to deliver the most effective fall prevention exercise programming to your clients. You can find excellent guidance on assessment and program design at www.mobilitymatters.fit. But you also should be providing advice to your clients on how to reduce their fall risk in other ways.

Have them do these and keep them on their feet!

1. Many falls happen outside where there are lots of potential hazards. Advise your clients to avoid walking on loose gravel, metallic/painted surfaces and cracked sidewalks and avoid being outdoors in bad weather (e.g., rain, sleet, snow). Appointments can always be rescheduled, but a trip to the ER should never be the reason!

2. Indoors, advise your clients to make sure that their path from the bedroom to the bathroom is free from obstructions (e.g., pet toys, rumpled rugs) prior to going to bed at night – that way a trip to the bathroom will not include a trip and a fall!

3. Advise your older female clients to never wear high heeled shoes outdoors. Put their heels in a canvas tote bag and walk outside in sneakers or flats instead. Nobody looks good falling, no matter how stylish the shoes!

4. In the bathroom, advise your older clients to line the floor of their shower/tub with textured adhesive strips. These are less likely to cause a slip or a trip than a rubber bath mat that might slip or bunch up. They also give a nice pedicure!

Christian Thompson, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of San Francisco and founder of Mobility Matters, an exercise assessment and program design platform designed to help fitness professionals and clinicians work with older adults. Christian has published scientific articles on exercise programming for older adults in peer-reviewed journals such as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, and Journal of Applied Research.

Specialized Education for Fit Pros

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Break It Down – KISS Principle (Keep it Simple for Seniors)

/21 March 2024/ All MFN blog/

Teaching proper and biomechanically safe movement patterns takes a keen understanding of each pattern.  What muscles and joints are involved?  What skills are required for good execution? What deficiencies does the client have based on your preliminary movement assessments?  Begin with the simplest version of each fundamental movement pattern and build on the complexity and intensity slowly.  

Adjust accordingly, and encourage the client to give honest and precise feedback as they are learning.  Find out if there is discomfort physically and/or psychologically.  Adjust again.  You want your client to feel successful and excited about their accomplishments during the exercise session and overall.  They need to feel confidence in their ability to learn and improve, and enjoy the learning experience while they get stronger and more functional.  Learning to exercise properly and safely is hard work for our clients.  We must progress them gradually and with well thought out, logical, and achievable progressions.  Knowing when they need to rest and reset is essential to building trust with the client, and creating a positive learning experience for them.

Fatigue and the Body/Brain Duo

It is critical that researchers consider the brain as well as the body when examining fatigue development and its impact on the body.  By looking at brain and muscle function simultaneously, they will see that when participating in highly cognitive tasks, brain resources are divided which may speed up the development of physical fatigue. Processing and executing detailed and complex exercise instructions can accelerate the onset of body fatigue.

A study conducted by Ranjana Mehta, PhD., assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health and Science Center School of Public Health, evaluated the interaction between physical and mental fatigue and brain behavior. The study showed that when we attempt mental tasks and physical tasks at the same time, we activate the prefrontal cortex of our brain.  This can cause our bodies to become fatigued much sooner than if we were only participating in a physical task. (Study published online as:  Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society This study was co-authored by Raja Parasuraman, Ph.D., professor of psychology at George Mason University in Virginia)

When we are working with geriatric clients, and one of our objectives is educating them, we must be cognizant that the lesson material must be “dosed-out” in absorbable amounts.  Keeping the instructions simple and concise for maximum understandability is advised. When combining actual physical movement with the processing and following the instructional cues, the client is working extra hard and fatigue can set in sooner than you had planned.  You may notice them starting to lose attentiveness or move slower.  They may abruptly stop what you have them doing.  They may look a bit frustrated or flustered.  They have detached from the workout experience. The brain is full.  The body feels tired.  They need a break.

Taking pause to re-assess and re-set allows time for the client to recover mentally and physically.  It is also a good time for the trainer and client to decide how to adjust and move forward in the session.  Switching to less physically demanding, easy-to-do exercises feels like a relief to the client.  They experience ease and a sense of control as their body and mind restore.  

You can resume the previous exercise if the client wants to.  If they are done with that hard thing, they are done.  Save it for the next session to practice or learn again, and celebrate the effort and attention that the client gave the exercise that day.  Educate them on the facts surrounding fatigue levels after learning and practicing complex physical movement.  Tell them the cognitive benefits of combining cognition with physical effort!

Fit Pros: Guide Older Clients as a Geriatric Fitness and Lifestyle Specialist

Millions of people over age 65 looking for guidance from fitness professionals who are knowledgeable in exercise, nutrition and lifestyle principles that can help them improve functional mobility, while also preventing and managing chronic conditions to live their highest quality of life. The Geriatric Fitness and Lifestyle Specialist online certificate course will give you insights, strategies and tools to be a successful professional in this rapidly growing market. Learn how to be a valued part of clients’ continuum of care, working with the medical team to improve functional outcomes and positively impact people’s lives.

Holly H. Benson, BS, is a veteran in the Recreation and Fitness industries with over 35 years of administrative and technical experience. She holds two bachelor’s degrees, Corporate & Community Fitness and Recreation Administration, and numerous fitness certifications. She has developed thriving fitness programs for special populations and has passionately focused her career on the much older adult.  She currently owns and operates Moving Strong Medical Exercise, LLC in Lakewood, Colorado and provides in-home and virtual fitness training to older adults and persons with chronic medical and orthopedic conditions.