"The Eyes Have It!"

As you've been learning from our repeated coaching , better movement is key to reach any goal you have- reduce pain, get stronger, increase your recrea

tional activities, lose weight, etc., etc.  We've

learned that our Proprioceptive System, or the brain's 3D map of our body's joints, muscles and bones, is constantly sending information to the brain to make that map more clear to allow you to adapt to whatever activity you're participating in at the moment.  Millions of signals (actually 19 million signals per second!) are being received and processed by the brain from this amazing system which makes up just one third of our movement system.  What are the other 2?  The visual system and the vestibular system.  All of these systems work together to allow you to get from point A to point B safely without any sort of "accidental catastrophe," such as tripping on the curb, being blindsided by a fell

ow pedestrian, or running into a wall (admit it- at least one or all of these have happened to you at least once! :) )  

What's the most important, or most dominant system that controls our movement?  You guessed it- the eyes!  Our visual system is taking in 9 billion pieces of information (for you "techy" people- that w

ould be equivalent to 9 terabytes) per second!  If our eyes aren't functioning well or any of our skills are "off," we get what's called a "sensory mismatch,"  where the 3 systems aren't syncing together to give our brain accurate information as to where we are or what's happening around us.  This causes extra tension, or "startle," throughout the body, and limits how we move.

The key word in the previous sentences:  skills!  Vision is a skill, and skills can always be learned and improved!  Your eyes have muscles that need to be trained, as well.  What happens if you don't use a muscle?  It stops functioning like it should.
So how do we improve our vision?  There are many different drills and skills that can be learned and improved which will improve your overall vision.

Here's the exercise of the week:  Pencil Push Ups!

Procedure:  Always start with an easy movement assessment.  This can any movement.  The easiest assessments are either a forward bend to a toe touch, or an arm raise overhead, maintaining a "locked" elbow for accuracy.  Do a few movements to get an idea of how far you move, how easily, and how quickly you get there.  Also, assess your peripheral vision:  take both finger tips away from you, out to the side, as far as you can, but keeping them in your peripheral awareness.  In other words, your eyes should be 

looking straight ahead, but you should be able to see both finger tips.  Note how far to the side each finger tip is.

The Drill:  

Hold a pencil or pen with the tip about 6-10 inches away from your nose.  Slowly move the pen towards the tip of your nose, following it in with your eyes.  Stop the pen when you see 2 tips, and note how close it is to your nose.  Repeat this drill, but make an effort to bring both eyes together as the pen comes closer (like you're trying to go "cross-eyed").   Follow the pen in until you see 2 tips again, then push it back out to the starting point, following it with your eyes.  Repeat for 5 reps.  Blink your eyes a little, take a short walk, and then re-assess your movement and your peripheral awareness.  You should have just improved your movement, and your peripheral vision should be greatly improved!  

This drill takes about 30 seconds to complete.  Who doesn't have 30 seconds a day to see better and move better?!  Give it a try, and be consistent for a week.  You'll be surprised at the results- in how you see, move and feel!

What's More Important- the Workout or the Results?

True or False: You have to workout hard in order to get in shape and be healthy.

 Answer: False! Just the opposite is true. Most people need to get in shape and be healthier before they can workout hard!

 Exercise is a very important part of getting healthy and staying in shape, but like a drug, it has to be the right type in the right amount at the right time. Like any food, drug, or supplement, exercise creates a physical and chemical response in the body- for better and/or worse.

 All too often, in our busy lives, we think "I need to get my workout in," and hit the gym. We don't consider many factors that may make that workout beneficial or harmful. Exercise is a stress to your body. It's interpreted as stress by the brain. We don't get improvements in health from the exercise itself. The brain recognizes the stress and adapts by making the body stronger and more resilient in order to handle that stress better the next time it is placed on the body. That's how we get stronger, bigger muscles, more aerobic capacity, etc- the brain recognizes the "threat" and makes us better and more prepared for the next time.

 There are multiple stresses in life- pain, work, food (or lack of), poor sleep, air quality, etc. Our brain will only adapt to so much stress at one time before it starts to go in the opposite direction and shut down to protect what's most vital. So the amount, intensity, and type of "workout" you have today depends on all of these factors and more.

  3 Easy Strategies for Maximizing Your Workouts.

1. Fuel.  Your body needs fuel in order to do what you're trying to do.  If it's not fueled, it will create its own by using the stress hormones Cortisol and Adrenaline to mine your own protein (muscles!) and turn them into fuel.  Thus, defeating the purpose of your workout! (And, the leftover fuel from that process gets turned into and stored as belly fat.  Double whammy!)   Make sure you've eaten a meal at least within 2-3 hours of your session.  A snack consisting of some sugar and protein (fruit and cheese/milk  is great!) will fuel you the best.

2. Exercise in Pain, there will be No Gain!  The only thing you gain by working out in pain is more pain.  Unless you have an immediate athletic goal (competition, deadline, etc.) you should never push through pain. If you're interested in lifelong health and athleticism, continuing to move and load painful movements will only slow that process down. You'll get a much better long term result by improving the quality of your movement and decreasing your pain levels than pushing through the pain in order to get the workout in.

3.  Sleep!  This is often one of the least considered factors in training.  Sleep is actually when your brain does most of it's learning, "downloading," and adapting from the day's activities.  Giving it enough time to do that well is important, along with giving your body the quiet time it needs to restore.  7-9 hours of sleep on average is required for best result (obviously this varies from person to person). 

Bonus: 3 Tips for Better Sleep:  

1.  Keep the lights on until it's time to sleep.  Darkness increases adrenaline and other stress hormones, making it difficult to fall into a deep sleep, and often waking at 1:00-2:00 AM.

2.  Make the room as dark as possible when it's time to sleep and remove any unnecessary electronics from your room.  Any light (even from electronics) will alter the quality of your sleep. Make sure there are minimal electronic devices in your room,and cover or turn off as many of those with lights as possible.

3.  Late night snack:  Ice Cream!  Yes, your trainers recommending ice cream as a snack to help you sleep.  1 Serving of quality ice cream (Haagen Daaz Five and Strauss Dairy have the "approved" ingredients for health and the desired effects) 1-2 hours before bed will give your body the right mix of sugar, fat, and protein to maintain a sufficient amount of fuel through the night to ward off adrenaline, cortisol, seratonin, and estrogen- the stress hormones that amp up your energy and wake you up during the night.  

**Note:  these calories still count towards your daily calorie intake, so you may need to make a trade somewhere in the day if you want to eat ice cream at night!**

Do we want you to workout and workout hard?  Absolutely!  But, our larger priority is your results.  If working out hard is going to hinder your results, we're not going to do it that day.  At Fitness Evolved, we're not about writing great workouts (which we think we're pretty good at :)), we're about giving you the tools to optimize your body every day in order to continually improve your health, fitness, and quality of life.  Treat your exercise and workout like a "health supplement"- you need it in the right dose, the right intensity, at the right time for the best results.

 

Egg Yolks Almost as Bad as Smoking? Really?!

A new study from Canada was released recently suggesting that increased egg yolk intake is almost comparable to smoking (in terms of atherosclerosis/plaque build up in arteries, etc.) Unfortunately, more and more of this type of "study" is being released in the media as definitive information- studies that show correlation of a few isolated factors and make a suggestion. In this particular study, researchers used subjects who were attending "Canadian vascular prevention clinics." They measured the amounts of "plaque" build up, and had patients answer questionnaires. The study did find that similar amounts of plaque build up were found in patients who smoked and patients who ate more than 3 egg yolks/week. However, a multitude of other important factors were left out, such as alcohol intake and exercise: "This was not done for alcohol consumption, licorice intake or exercise, because the textual responses were mainly not quantifiable..." Common knowledge now tells us that these two factors alone are large determining factors when looking at risk for Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), along with all other dietary intake or other lifestyle habits. We believe that eggs are one of the healthiest foods you can eat- full of protein, protective cholesterol, and other cell-building nutrients. More and more, in the age of social media and "fast news," information will be posted and distributed in an attempt to make the big splash and post the big headlines. It's up to us to fully investigate before believing a headline or an article. What to look for in a reliable research article: - A large sample size - They weigh multiple variables equally (Nothing in the human body has a single-factor cause. We're organisms made of multiple systems functioning simultaneously and interdependently.) - If their findings end in "may", "can", or "might", you can take their advice pretty lightly.

 If you'd like more info on the benefit of eggs, this is a short, well done article with lots of helpful links. Click Here

 Ray Peat, Ph.D has written a very good (though dense) article on the value of Cholesterol and it's misconceptions. Click Here

  Click Here for the actual research article.

Is it the End of Stretching?

If you've been to Fitness Evolved for more than one session or class, you've likely noticed that we don't do a lot of stretching. Is there a reason for this? Is stretching bad? Are we just lazy? Well, there's an answer for each of those questions that requires a little more explanation than just the one word answer you'd expect. Is there a reason for not stretching? Yes, and actually, there are many. Everything that happens in the human body is happening for a reason. Very rarely (though it does happen sometimes) is there a muscle that is actually physically too short and needs to be "lengthened." If a muscle is "shortened" or tight, we've found that it's most often a mapping or "threat" issue in the brain. Muscles' #1 job is to control/protect joints. If our joints are compromised, our mobility and therefore our "survival" is compromised. When the map in our brain for a particular joint is foggy, unclear, or "missing," muscles that control that joint or area will tighten and guard to protect that joint. Most often, if you can mobilize the joint and clarify the map, those muscles will relax and function more normally. Pulling on a partially contracted muscle typically causes some low level muscle damage, can actually cause a decrease in muscular performance, and doesn't usually get to the root of the problem- the map. We've found time and again that the most common cause of tight muscles is either poor mapping in joints or muscles or there is a lack of strength. Is Stretching Bad? Stretching itself is not bad. It can be very useful, and has been used for decades for a reason. The problem with stretching is that it is time consuming and very often misapplied. To get the best results with stretching, you should have a pretty good knowledge of your muscular anatomy. Generally pulling on a group of muscles typically doesn't have enough "specificity" for the brain to pay full attention and allow results to last longer than a few minutes. "Are they loose yet?" You can, however, get great results if you know your anatomy and are able to gently stretch a muscle until it releases- remember, you're not pulling on just muscles, which are elastic. You're also pulling on a large bundle of nerves, which aren't! Most often we pull too hard and tend to "beat it into submission" only to have the tension return almost immediately. Stretching does feel good, and there is a time and a place for it- typically as a recovery or rehabilitation tool. Are we Just Lazy? Well, you can kind of make that argument. We're not necessarily lazy, but we're trying to be as efficient as possible. All muscles and joints have receptors that send movement signals to the brain to help feed the map. More receptors live in joints than muscles. Movement signals travel from the joints to the brain at 300mph- very quickly. The noxious signal (the "pulling hurt" feeling) from stretching a muscle travels 5mph. Movement is always faster and higher payoff than slow and static. We are beings who are designed to move! Intently moving a joint can send more signals for better mapping, release a muscle, as well as prepare the body to move (by moving!) in just a few seconds. Stretching typically includes a static 30 second hold for each muscle group followed by a 5-10 minute warm up. Is getting more done in less time with less required work lazy or is it efficient? There is a time and a place for stretching- usually after a work out, on a recovery day, or during rehab. It's definitely a useful and effective tool when used appropriately. But there are newer, more efficient techniques that can get the job done more efficiently and completely.

Good Pain or Bad Pain?

This is a very common question that is very simple and very complex. How do you know if that pain you feel is an ok pain to work through or tolerate or something that you should stop and take notice of? As we've talked about in previous newsletters, pain is a signal sent to and interpreted by the brain that something somewhere is not right and needs to change. It can mean "stop right now!" or it can mean "maybe you should do that a little differently- slower, smaller, faster." Pain is a signal put out by the brain to get our attention, and is usually the brain's highest priority. It means something is "wrong" and you need to fix it! Exercising, moving, or living in constant pain eventually leads to very difficult chronic pain issues where pain signaling goes "haywire" and becomes very difficult to shut off. So, we can't necessarily refer to any pain as "good," but pain is very necessary. If we didn't feel or experience pain, we'd be in bad shape. So, how do we determine whether a pain is an "OK" pain or something more? First, qualify it. Is it something I can relax into and it will go away? (not just tolerate or ignore) If the answer is "yes" then you may proceed, cautiously, with whatever activity you are doing or planning on doing. If it's persistent and won't go away, it's time to do something about it: Change positions if you've been doing the same thing for an extended period. ("positions" is open to interpretation- physical, professional, you get the gist!) Move! (mobility, walk, etc) Give your visual system a new stimulus (probably the most underutilized but most effective tool)- eye circles, near/far switches, side to side or up and down quick eye movements. Do whatever movement is painful/problematic smaller and slower. Try anything! Pain is very important to pay attention to, but at the very basic level pain is signals to and interpretation by your brain. It can be a very strong or a small signal. The key is to change the signal; change the interpretation- do something different than you're currently doing. Keep trying things until you find something that works! (odds are it won't take too long to change the signal- our brain likes new things) Obviously, if you are injured or have a severe pain that you can't improve, seeking the help of a professional is strongly encouraged. If you want to learn more about pain and how it works in the brain Explain Pain by David Butler and Lorimer Moseley is a great book that's incredibly informative and easy to read and understand. You can also check out Dr. Moseley's blog that has daily entertaining and up-to-date articles on pain and the brain: www.bodyinmind.org

How Stress Can Make You Dumb... Literally!

We've heard all about the negative effects of stress-and believe me, there are many! Stress can come from anywhere and anything from a busy schedule, over-bearing boss, paying the bills, starting a new workout routine, the workout itself, and even feeling guilty about missing a workout or slipping up and "splurging" on dessert one night. We all have stress in our life, and built in physiological mechanisms to handle that stress. In fact, we have an entire system designed to monitor and react to stress- the Sympathetic Nervous System. This system is an incredibly cool system that starts in the brain, but branches out through the body. It's primary priority is our immediate safety and survival, and it's primary function is prediction. Our brain is continuously taking in billions of signals each second from inside the body and from the world around us, processing those signals and responding accordingly. It is a very sophisticated response system- "Fight or Flight"- but not a very discerning system as to what type of stress or "threat" you're experiencing and how much danger you're actually in. As stresses are perceived, blood flow to the brain will change in order to fuel the most important centers of the brain that will help in our immediate survival- our visual, sensory, and quick response centers so we can quickly get to safety. The executive part of the brain in the front- the part that actually has the ability to discern and decide- gets less fuel and blood flow. (Think about hiking on a trail and the "jump" you get when you notice the snake out of the corner of your eye that ends up being a stick.) What does this mean? It means the more stressed we get, the harder it becomes to make an intelligent decision that will help us get rid of that stress. It's a vicious cycle! So what do we do about it? For one, just being aware of this process is a good step in being able to "right the ship" before it gets out of control. Other strategies for managing your stress: Move!: The "Executive Center" of the brain lives right in front of the movement center. Some good, intentional and quality movement will help fuel that executive center and make your decisions a little easier to come by. Sleep!: Sleep is how we reset and refresh. If you don't take time to recover, eventually you'll run out of fuel! Breathe!: Seated, slow breathing also helps to reset your system and balance your blood PH. Slow breathing into the nose for 4 counts, then out through the mouth for 6-8 counts will help reset the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance and can help "clear the mind." Minimizing stressors and improving the body's ability to safely respond to many types of stress is the key to living a long, healthy, and happy life. Don't let it bog you down- beware of what's happening in your body and take an action step to improve it!

Get Your "ZZZZZ"'s!

This past weekend, we both had the opportunity to continue our education and learn from the brightest minds in the Health and Fitness Community. Carmela stayed here at FE to host 50 trainers and therapists from the Bay Area and beyond being introduced for the first time to Z Health and the power of training from a neurological, brain-based lens. Andy traveled to the Z Health headquarters in Phoenix to add more "tools to the toolbox," and learn about the neurology of building Strength and Suppleness. Along with learning tons of new techniques and ideas, I was also reminded of this foundational "technique" that is paramount in any fitness endeavor: Recovery! You've probably heard us say it before, but we all need reminded- "You don't get stronger/better from the exercise itself. You get better from recovering from the exercise." Every one of our members are here working hard and training so they can reach goals and be better than they currently are. Every training session, whether here at the gym or on your own, has the goal of improving (at least it should if you're a member of FE!). At the basic level, we are introducing a new stress to the body that the brain has to pay attention to, learn what to do with it, and adapt so that the next time that stress introduced you know how to handle it better. Every exercise should make you move and perform better. The key after that is making it stick! Why aren't the gains you make in your mobility and training "sticking" the next day? It could be a problem with your recovery and not giving your body the proper environment to recover and adapt. One of the key ingredients for optimizing that environment is sleep! Most of us are good at spacing out our work outs to avoid overtraining as well as getting good supplements and recovery nutrition. But, in our increasingly busy culture, "63% of Americans say their sleep needs aren't being met during the week."(see the linked article below) Why is sleep so important? For one, it's our body's "reset button" to allow for rest and recovery from the day's activity. But also, new research is showing that sleep is when memories from the day's activities are being formed. If we don't get enough sleep, we don't allow the brain and body enough time to recover and "download" those memories of better movement and performance. There are multiple studies and resources that tend to agree that for the typical person, a minimum of 7 hours is needed for adequate recovery. But, I'd argue that if you're under a lot of stress or in a hard training cycle, 8-9 hours may be more ideal. If you can't get that much at night, maybe scheduling in a nap would be beneficial and refreshing. In our culture of "do do do," we tend to lose site of the fact that we sometimes need to step back and reset so we can "do do do" better, more efficiently, and maybe even more. And in health and fitness, it's not necessarily how much you do as much as what you do and how and how well you do it that matter most- including recovery!