The 1 Step Text Message Exercise Program

This week Dr. Cobb of Z-Health is back with a quick video (less than 3 minutes!) and a brilliant idea for us.  

Our goal at FE is to give our members tools to use that they can implement into their daily lives to help you create the change you want.  We've all found exercises we need to do often as "resets" or part of our rehab and training.  Having a physical reminder is a great way to interrupt the pattern so we can start to implement the new pattern.  

The 1-Step "Text Message Exercise Program"

We even have a downloadable guide to help you.

Click Here for Your Guide

Give this a try!  Whether it's taking the time to do a "reset" in your workday, or doing a mobility or vision exercise you've been "prescribed" by one of your coaches to do daily, pick something!  Consistency is what creates change!  Remember the goal isn't to use text messages to help you "get fit", but to learn how to use things that occur frequently in your life as reminders to take action on things you really want to make happen!

What Skill Are You Getting Better At?

 

This week's email will be a little shorter than usual, but it's a pretty powerful concept.  We're getting back to some brain science!

As fitness and getting healthy has grown in popularity and science has improved, we've began to look at the body more as a machine than a living, adapting being.  We're told we need to get to the gym to "get our work in"- burn the fuel- to create the calorie deficit to make our bodies smaller which will equal better health.  Sounds pretty logical right?  Our body is very similar to a machine- we push a pedal, to make it burn fuel, and if we burn enough of that fuel we will be smaller, stronger, healthier.  It sounds logical and how things seem to work.  But....

We forget to consider the fact that we are not really machines.  We are controlled by a mass of jelly in our skulls that decides what's going to happen.  Our brain is always monitoring what's going on, and it's always learning.  That means that everything we do is a skill that our brain is adapting to and trying to get better at- for better or worse.  In truth, neural plasticity is amazing, and it can be a great thing.  But it can also be a bad thing.  

When we "add load", our brain pays attention more and learns more.  Going to the gym to exercise is adding load, so the brain's paying attention- are you?   Are you doing everything in your workout for a purpose, and are you actively trying to get better at it?  Or are you doing it because it's what's on the paper and you need to "get it in?"

Neural plasticity is calorically and resource expensive.  Our brain picks and chooses how it's actually going to adapt to what we're doing based on it's perceived importance.  So, if I'm just going through the program to get it done because I'm supposed to, I may get a little better.  But, because I'm not trying to get better at it or just going through the motions, my brain is learning that "this workout isn't that important.  I don't need to do a whole lot to adapt to it- I can just stay the same because I'm surviving it already."  And so, our adaptation is minimal as well as our results.  

Research shows that the more engaged we are in an activity and actually trying to get better at it, the faster and greater the adaptation is.  The brain understands that it's important and will signal the start of all change processes necessary to be able to do that skill better- increase strength, joint health, cardiovascular function, lose excess weight to decrease the strain...  It's not the counting of the reps that matters as much as the quality of those reps and the intention and attention behind them!  The more you are engaged and paying attention to what you are doing, the more your brain is active and learning.  An active and learning brain is a healthy brain.  It's being shown over and over now that a healthy brain is what leads to a truly healthy body! (Looks can be deceiving!)

So, at your next training session, ask yourself, "What skill do I want to get better at?"  Do you want to get better at moving and feeling better and working toward a goal?  Or do you want to get better at exercise being a chore that I have to endure, distract myself from, and get through.  One of these will happen, whether you want them to or not.  You get to pick!   

Play Hooky from your Workout...

 

Ever get that feeling where you just don't feel like working out? Be honest, it's ok, we won't take it personal! Hey, it happens to all of us at one point or another. One of our Core Values is "We Demand of Ourselves What We Ask of Our Members". Simply stated, when we remind all of you awesome members to take a recovery day or two (or three), we have to ask the same thing of ourselves. There are still trainers in this day and age that workout 6-7 days per week and hardly ever take a day off. We can strongly let you all know that your coaches here ENJOY recovery days, relish them as a matter of fact, and don't generally workout more than 4 days per week. Sounds crazy, right? Well, we know and have seen firsthand what happens to the body when it is under constant stress (and yes, exercise is a "stressor"), and is not allowed to recover from the previous workout. Pain and achiness sets in, you might feel a bit more "cranky" with your spouse or partner, and you overindulge in foods that may not be part of your normal diet. That's why we don't expect you all to be here 6 days a week and have even encouraged some of you to not do two days in row--we rarely do that ourselves, so why should you? 

More importantly, we encourage all of you to try other activities that may be out of your comfort zone in place of a strength workout or class. How about a nice walk or bike ride around the Berkeley Marina or a round of golf with a friend? Better yet, try taking 1 whole week off of training, classes, or anything for that matter. In the fitness world we call that "deloading", and is generally done for 1-2 weeks during a training cycle, in order to allow the body (and more specifically, muscles, tendons, and ligaments) to recover from a large amount of consistent activity. Most of us have been training consistently for years, and here's the deal:

Your body cannot recover in just one day! Furthermore, you don't get stronger from exercise--you get stronger from recovering from exercise!!!

If you have any questions or are confused by this concept, please let us know! Remember, we are a teaching gym and want all of you to understand and be comfortable with the ideas and information we give you. 

So, to wrap this up, we encourage you to play a little hooky from your workout every now and then, don't feel guilty about it, and realize that you are doing your body a favor by backing off the weights for a day or two. Secondly, try to revisit an activity that you either haven't done in a while or find a new one to try if you can make it work in your schedule. If there is any way we can help you, please let us know--we are always listening and available for advice! Good luck everyone!

That Magic Bean... Coffee!!

 

 

If you haven't seen, there have been a rash of articles being published lately on the benefits of coffee.  We've been touting it for a while, and you've undoubtedly seen us walking around with our coffee cups.  Not only is it a very tasty and enjoyable beverage, but there are lots of health benefits to it as well!

Coffee is very high in nutrients such as magnesium, antioxidants, b vitamins, and bioactive compounds called polyphenols.  All of these have actually been shown to take part in the process of cellular energy production, or "metabolism."  That's right- drinking coffee can actually speed up your metabolism!  Even caffeine has been shown to be a very protective nutrient in the metabolic process and also protective against decline in brain function, or dementia (click here for the study)!  The polyphenols and some of the other nutrients in the coffee have also been shown to enhance cognition (click here).  And more and more, coffee is being linked to longevity.  In one study, drinking 6 or more cups of coffee a day decreased risk of death by 15% for women and 10% for men (click here)!

Many people report giving up coffee and feeling horrible, more tired, foggier, etc., and it typically gets blamed on an addiction.  But, if coffee has all of these health benefits and helps our body function better, could it be that we're actually missing important nutrients that we were getting from the coffee?  When the body isn't getting what it needs to function and survive, we start to feel horrible, tired, foggy, etc.  Maybe the coffee is actually filling a nutritional need and allowing us to function more optimally...  We're not big on making someone feel guilty for indulging in something they love, and especially not to go so far as to accuse them of being an "addict!"

So, how much should we have and how should we drink it?  In general we say, have as much as you want to taste.  That can be anywhere from 1-6 cups in a day depending on activity levels, sleep, social factors, etc.  Because it will increase your metabolism (stimulating the use of glucose for energy) we recommend having coffee with a meal.  We also highly recommend adding cream/milk and sugar to fuel the metabolic process.  Having an adequate amount of sugar is very important (and tasty!) for this process to work effectively.   The polyphenols in the coffee also stimulate the release of insulin, which will quickly lower your blood sugar, followed by a burst of adrenaline to raise blood sugar levels back up (the actual cause of the "caffeine buzz"!)  This stress response is not desired and is counter-productive, so having enough sugar, fat, and protein to accompany it is important.  

The amount of sugar needed varies from person to person, so you'll need to experiment- preferably in the morning!  If you start to feel any sort of "buzz", you need more sugar.  It sounds weird, but believe us, when you find the right amount of sugar, your body will actually relax and calm down!  Once you improve your sugar stores and find the right amount, coffee can be enjoyed any time of day with no effect on your sleep. (Andy has been known to enjoy a cup right before bed to help him sleep!) 

Adding the protein and fat from the cream/milk will also help slow down the fuel burning to make it steady and sustainable for long-lasting energy.

In case you haven't seen it, we now have a coffee station up front, complete with sugar and cream, free for our members!  Grab a cup on your way out the door, or just stop in and say "Hi" and have some jo!

Not only is coffee a tasty and enjoyable treat, but it can actually make you healthier and extend your life.  That's a win all around!