Newsletter post:
Look for newsletter number three to come out tomorrow afternoon or evening. I will be writing about low back pain and mobility training and whole body vibration. I obviously believe in joint mobility movements and their effect on preventing and recovering from injury.
I really believe that WBV will be the next big thing in anti-aging and pain management. It provides a lot of sensory information which will help retrain your movements after injury or prevent low back pain.
I've been busy lately with my projects, including doing a lot of reading. I've been reading plenty of books or parts of books written by physical therapists, related to movement and pain. I've been doing this reading mostly at a chiropractic college.
That's right, I've been reading books by physical therapists at Palmer College, the birthplace of chiropractic. They actually have a very good selection, though I might be using them more than most of the students. They always seem to be on the shelves when I go there, so maybe I'm getting more use out of them than the students.
In any case, I am definitely on the right track with my programs and what I am reading is backing me up quite nicely. It is also furthering my understanding of some problems that are sometimes very complex, such as back pain and other problems.
Bottom line, for those of you interested in taking your health into your own hands, and that should be all of us, stay tuned as I plan on giving you cutting edge information.
For those who sign up for my newsletter I will soon be giving a second bonus download, a fat loss report from a top expert. It will give you some routines that can be done at home with little equipment.
Brian Morgan
Monday, April 30, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
Chasing Life
Chasing Life is the title of a book written by CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In it he explores the different factors that go into living a long life, free of disease. I recently read the first chapter of this book and am anxious to see what the rest of it holds.
As he was preparing for this book, he was contacted by Russian doctors who believed that they had discovered the fountain of youth. So he made the trip to Moscow in Winter to see for himself what they had discovered. In a nice medical office he was introduced to a doctor who was providing treatments to some of Europe's wealthier people.
Interestingly, Dr. Gupta states that 70% of our life expectancy comes from our everyday decisions regarding diet, exercise, and dealing with stress, etc. That we have more to do with living a long, healthy life than does our genetics.
This Saturday and Sunday, CNN will host a special report on this idea of chasing life and what goes into your health. To read the full article I wrote, click here www.brianmorganfitness.com/Chasing-Life.html
Chasing Life is the title of a book written by CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. In it he explores the different factors that go into living a long life, free of disease. I recently read the first chapter of this book and am anxious to see what the rest of it holds.
As he was preparing for this book, he was contacted by Russian doctors who believed that they had discovered the fountain of youth. So he made the trip to Moscow in Winter to see for himself what they had discovered. In a nice medical office he was introduced to a doctor who was providing treatments to some of Europe's wealthier people.
Interestingly, Dr. Gupta states that 70% of our life expectancy comes from our everyday decisions regarding diet, exercise, and dealing with stress, etc. That we have more to do with living a long, healthy life than does our genetics.
This Saturday and Sunday, CNN will host a special report on this idea of chasing life and what goes into your health. To read the full article I wrote, click here www.brianmorganfitness.com/Chasing-Life.html
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Stretching and Science
Today let's take a look at some of the recent research on stretching. A couple of studies recently published looked at different types of stretching done as a warm-up before exercise. Both of these studies showed a decrease in performance directly after static stretching. It seems the muscle-tendon junction relaxes too much and can't store elastic energy very well.
One of these studies also showed improved performance after dynamic stretching. These dynamic stretches are similar to the actual movements that will be performed and this likely contributes to the gains that are seen.
This doesn't mean that static stretching isn't useful, it is. It just means that you would want to wait about 30 minutes before attempting any explosive movements, such as running or jumping.
Static stretching is more useful after exercise or when used between bouts of exercise to help with recovery and prevention. There are some exceptions to this, but dynamic stretching is generally more effective prior to exercise. This involves movements similar to what you will be doing, gradually increasing your speed of movement and stretching a little farther as your body adapts. In very hot settings this would require less time than colder settings.
For example, when playing softball in 90 degree weather your body warms up much faster than it does at 55 degrees. Your muscle and connective tissues will be much more pliable when warm. In colder weather, you will need more time to warm-up and go a little slower with your movements - common sense.
Some other points brought up in the American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Summit include: for most of us, its better to be somewhere in the middle, not super inflexible or super flexible, either. I would agree with this very much.
While I talk about mobility and dynamic flexibility a lot, I'm not saying that you need to do the splits or put your foot behind your head, just have enough movement for your normal activities. And if you don't move enough, you may have some stiffness and/or pain.
Another idea was that if you have been sitting for 50 minutes, you need to stand up and move around a little. I agree strongly with this one. Also, stretching is beneficial in work or industrial settings where you are sitting or standing in the same position for a long time. In this case, stretching can improve posture and reverse muscle imbalances.
This is a big reason that I love mobility work so much, because it involves movement and many of us don't move enough and end up with stiffness in our muscles and joints. Posture is also a dynamic process and not just static.
My philosophy on movement can be summed up in the words of the 14th Century physician Tissot, "movement as such may take the place of many remedies, but all the remedies together can never take the place of the effect of movement."
For more information on mobility and different types of stretching, go to www.brianmorganfitness.com
Today let's take a look at some of the recent research on stretching. A couple of studies recently published looked at different types of stretching done as a warm-up before exercise. Both of these studies showed a decrease in performance directly after static stretching. It seems the muscle-tendon junction relaxes too much and can't store elastic energy very well.
One of these studies also showed improved performance after dynamic stretching. These dynamic stretches are similar to the actual movements that will be performed and this likely contributes to the gains that are seen.
This doesn't mean that static stretching isn't useful, it is. It just means that you would want to wait about 30 minutes before attempting any explosive movements, such as running or jumping.
Static stretching is more useful after exercise or when used between bouts of exercise to help with recovery and prevention. There are some exceptions to this, but dynamic stretching is generally more effective prior to exercise. This involves movements similar to what you will be doing, gradually increasing your speed of movement and stretching a little farther as your body adapts. In very hot settings this would require less time than colder settings.
For example, when playing softball in 90 degree weather your body warms up much faster than it does at 55 degrees. Your muscle and connective tissues will be much more pliable when warm. In colder weather, you will need more time to warm-up and go a little slower with your movements - common sense.
Some other points brought up in the American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Summit include: for most of us, its better to be somewhere in the middle, not super inflexible or super flexible, either. I would agree with this very much.
While I talk about mobility and dynamic flexibility a lot, I'm not saying that you need to do the splits or put your foot behind your head, just have enough movement for your normal activities. And if you don't move enough, you may have some stiffness and/or pain.
Another idea was that if you have been sitting for 50 minutes, you need to stand up and move around a little. I agree strongly with this one. Also, stretching is beneficial in work or industrial settings where you are sitting or standing in the same position for a long time. In this case, stretching can improve posture and reverse muscle imbalances.
This is a big reason that I love mobility work so much, because it involves movement and many of us don't move enough and end up with stiffness in our muscles and joints. Posture is also a dynamic process and not just static.
My philosophy on movement can be summed up in the words of the 14th Century physician Tissot, "movement as such may take the place of many remedies, but all the remedies together can never take the place of the effect of movement."
For more information on mobility and different types of stretching, go to www.brianmorganfitness.com
Monday, April 09, 2007
Obesity and the Amish
What do the Amish have to do with obesity? Not much, as it turns out. I recently read an article reviewing the recent Health and Fitness Summit co-sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. This four day event featured 77 speakers on various topics related to health and fitness.
One of the speakers, Dr. Ted Mitchell spoke about the rising rate of obesity in this country, including our youth. He made some interesting comparisons to the Amish that you might find interesting. Such as the fact that the obesity rate among the Amish is 4%, while the rest of the US is 26%.
Their typical diet includes plenty of fat from bacon, eggs, and butter, yet obesity isn't much of a problem. One of the reasons given is that they move around a lot. The average adult male takes 18,000 steps a day, compared to 7000 or less for the typical American male. For American women that number is around 5000 steps.
Without the conveniences of modern society, they burn more calories through physical exertion than the rest of us. Environmental, hereditary, and behavioral factors all influence how you age. In 1900, the top killers were the flu, tuberculosis, etc. Today, some of the top killers, such as heart disease and diabetes, are largely caused by our behaviors - lack of exercise and poor diet.
Another factor that may play a role is fast food and processed foods. I doubt the Amish go to McDonalds too often. All those chemicals in processed foods can't be that great for your health. If you have ever watched the TV show Survivor, you have noticed that everyone looks skinny and those that started out heavier are always much lighter by the time they leave.
Yes, these people are physically active and don't eat much food, but none of the food they eat is processed. Maybe that also plays a part in their leanness.
Maybe we just need to move around a little bit more to fight off obesity. Park your car farther out in the parking lot or take the stairs at work. Interestingly, one picture shown in the article was taken at another fitness and bodybuilding event.
The long flight of stairs going up was empty except for three people, while the escalator was jam packed, with people lining up to use it.
Maybe our modern lifestyles have made us soft and robbed us of our health in the process. Not a judgment, just an observation.
The article I mentioned was written by Chris Shugart.
www.brianmorganfitness.com
What do the Amish have to do with obesity? Not much, as it turns out. I recently read an article reviewing the recent Health and Fitness Summit co-sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Academy of Sports Medicine. This four day event featured 77 speakers on various topics related to health and fitness.
One of the speakers, Dr. Ted Mitchell spoke about the rising rate of obesity in this country, including our youth. He made some interesting comparisons to the Amish that you might find interesting. Such as the fact that the obesity rate among the Amish is 4%, while the rest of the US is 26%.
Their typical diet includes plenty of fat from bacon, eggs, and butter, yet obesity isn't much of a problem. One of the reasons given is that they move around a lot. The average adult male takes 18,000 steps a day, compared to 7000 or less for the typical American male. For American women that number is around 5000 steps.
Without the conveniences of modern society, they burn more calories through physical exertion than the rest of us. Environmental, hereditary, and behavioral factors all influence how you age. In 1900, the top killers were the flu, tuberculosis, etc. Today, some of the top killers, such as heart disease and diabetes, are largely caused by our behaviors - lack of exercise and poor diet.
Another factor that may play a role is fast food and processed foods. I doubt the Amish go to McDonalds too often. All those chemicals in processed foods can't be that great for your health. If you have ever watched the TV show Survivor, you have noticed that everyone looks skinny and those that started out heavier are always much lighter by the time they leave.
Yes, these people are physically active and don't eat much food, but none of the food they eat is processed. Maybe that also plays a part in their leanness.
Maybe we just need to move around a little bit more to fight off obesity. Park your car farther out in the parking lot or take the stairs at work. Interestingly, one picture shown in the article was taken at another fitness and bodybuilding event.
The long flight of stairs going up was empty except for three people, while the escalator was jam packed, with people lining up to use it.
Maybe our modern lifestyles have made us soft and robbed us of our health in the process. Not a judgment, just an observation.
The article I mentioned was written by Chris Shugart.
www.brianmorganfitness.com
102 Year old Golfer Hits Hole-in-one!
This weekend I saw something on one of the news channels about a 102 year old woman who hit a hole-in-one. She used a driver on the 100 yard hole, but because of the slope of the green, couldn't see where her ball went. When they approached the green, her companions found it in the hole.
Amazing! Most people don't live that long and most who do, have lost their mobility by that time.
Just goes to show that most of you can keep your mobility as long as you want with a little work. While I'm sure she has lost a little strength and flexibility with age, but obviously not enough to keep her from golfing. Another example of someone older who can still function well because she kept moving.
Its a simple formula. If you want to keep your posture and mobility as you age, you have to work at it! That doesn't mean that you have to join a gym and spend hours and hours exercising. You just need to move your body regularly and work your muscles against some resistance, whether it be dumbbells, tubing, or the weight of your own body.
You need to keep your muscles strong to support your joints and keep your mobility, and you need to move your joints in different directions, to keep them from getting stiff.
Anti-aging 101.
For more articles on joint mobility, posture and anti-aging go to my website www.brianmorganfitness.com
This weekend I saw something on one of the news channels about a 102 year old woman who hit a hole-in-one. She used a driver on the 100 yard hole, but because of the slope of the green, couldn't see where her ball went. When they approached the green, her companions found it in the hole.
Amazing! Most people don't live that long and most who do, have lost their mobility by that time.
Just goes to show that most of you can keep your mobility as long as you want with a little work. While I'm sure she has lost a little strength and flexibility with age, but obviously not enough to keep her from golfing. Another example of someone older who can still function well because she kept moving.
Its a simple formula. If you want to keep your posture and mobility as you age, you have to work at it! That doesn't mean that you have to join a gym and spend hours and hours exercising. You just need to move your body regularly and work your muscles against some resistance, whether it be dumbbells, tubing, or the weight of your own body.
You need to keep your muscles strong to support your joints and keep your mobility, and you need to move your joints in different directions, to keep them from getting stiff.
Anti-aging 101.
For more articles on joint mobility, posture and anti-aging go to my website www.brianmorganfitness.com
Friday, April 06, 2007
Younger Next Year
I recently came across a book review in a fitness trade magazine. It was a review of the book Younger Next Year - A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You're 80 and Beyond, written by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge. The idea presented in the book is that with proper exercise, you won't lose much function between the ages of 50 and 80, or older.
The authors advise joining a gym and to try a group exercise class. Dr. Lodge believes that some 70% of premature death and aging is related to our lifestyles, which would include a lack of exercise. That many of the diseases related to aging, such as heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, among others, could be reduced significantly through lifestyle modifications.
Lodge also speaks of certain chemicals in our bodies that control inflammation, repair, and growth. These chemicals, known as Cytokines, are produced in response to exercise, and help to keep your body from decaying. The idea is that your body is going to get older, but without exercise it will decay and lose function (your health) at a faster rate, unnecessarily.
Just by adding more movement to your normal day, whether it be walking, joint mobility, strength training, or whatever will add more "life" to your years.
Gyms and healthclubs are great places to exercise that usually have a variety of classes and equipment to appeal to most people, but if you would rather exercise on your own, whether outdoors or at home, you will still get the same benefits. Movement is vital to your health and wellbeing.
There are many cases of older adults who exercise frequently and have lost very little function. In one of my articles, I mentioned the 84 year old instructor of Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art. The man who walked an hour each way to teach the classes, 5 days a week. The 101 year old woman who trained with weights and does other exercise. She has her mobility and independence, and sings in her church choir.
Maybe if we exercised and ate better, we wouldn't need to take so many drugs, as we get older. I know my eating habits aren't quite as good as they could be, yet due to all the mobility and dynamic flexibility work, I feel no different than I did 10 years ago.
By improving how I ate that number would probably be even greater. So if nothing else, include more walking into your week and remember, it doesn't have to be done all at one time.
The book review was written by Rich Boggs and this book is one that I definitely would like to read. Don't wait until you have some health problems before you decide to start exercising. Its easier to prevent something than it is to fix it later. Focus on prevention.
For more information on mobility training and other anti-aging articles, go to www.brianmorganfitness.com
I recently came across a book review in a fitness trade magazine. It was a review of the book Younger Next Year - A Guide to Living Like 50 Until You're 80 and Beyond, written by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge. The idea presented in the book is that with proper exercise, you won't lose much function between the ages of 50 and 80, or older.
The authors advise joining a gym and to try a group exercise class. Dr. Lodge believes that some 70% of premature death and aging is related to our lifestyles, which would include a lack of exercise. That many of the diseases related to aging, such as heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, among others, could be reduced significantly through lifestyle modifications.
Lodge also speaks of certain chemicals in our bodies that control inflammation, repair, and growth. These chemicals, known as Cytokines, are produced in response to exercise, and help to keep your body from decaying. The idea is that your body is going to get older, but without exercise it will decay and lose function (your health) at a faster rate, unnecessarily.
Just by adding more movement to your normal day, whether it be walking, joint mobility, strength training, or whatever will add more "life" to your years.
Gyms and healthclubs are great places to exercise that usually have a variety of classes and equipment to appeal to most people, but if you would rather exercise on your own, whether outdoors or at home, you will still get the same benefits. Movement is vital to your health and wellbeing.
There are many cases of older adults who exercise frequently and have lost very little function. In one of my articles, I mentioned the 84 year old instructor of Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art. The man who walked an hour each way to teach the classes, 5 days a week. The 101 year old woman who trained with weights and does other exercise. She has her mobility and independence, and sings in her church choir.
Maybe if we exercised and ate better, we wouldn't need to take so many drugs, as we get older. I know my eating habits aren't quite as good as they could be, yet due to all the mobility and dynamic flexibility work, I feel no different than I did 10 years ago.
By improving how I ate that number would probably be even greater. So if nothing else, include more walking into your week and remember, it doesn't have to be done all at one time.
The book review was written by Rich Boggs and this book is one that I definitely would like to read. Don't wait until you have some health problems before you decide to start exercising. Its easier to prevent something than it is to fix it later. Focus on prevention.
For more information on mobility training and other anti-aging articles, go to www.brianmorganfitness.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
