Run Five Miles a Day for Health Benefits?

According to a recent NBC news report, running five minutes a day may be all you need to reduce your risk of death from heart attack or stroke by 45%. This isn’t news, really. Running is physical activity; running is exercise. Running is a form of challenge to the body, which the body must adapt to. The question is whether or not the challenge is appropriate. Not everyone should get out and run for five minutes, at least not at the beginning. If someone hasn’t run before, or hasn’t in years, or is obese or overweight, running may not be a good idea at all.  Another form of exercise that challenges the body may be even more beneficial.

Each of us have a certain physical tolerance or threshold. We each have specific structural capabilities. Our current tolerance or threshold should not be exceeded and instead should be built up with proper micro-progressions over time. Because we are monitored by homeostasis, the body’s innate response/control mechanism, we will only adapt to what we’re being challenged by. The body won’t do what it doesn’t have to do (efficiency).

We need to assess our current level of fitness, make specific short-term and long-term goals for ourselves, and progress ourselves safely toward those goals. Don’t do something because everyone else is doing it. Rethink and question everything.

National Run Day!

Happy National Run Day!  Get out there and jog a few blocks, or settle in with a few miles!  Demonstrate your love to run, and reaffirm your commitment to fitness!

The Results Are In: There Is No "Best Diet"

There is no best diet. The foods you should be eating are very dependent upon your lifestyle.  Level of activity, allergies, intolerances, and causes of inflammation are just a few of the things that should be taken into account. For those that follow the cult of one specific diet, it’s time to reconsider your position. Much like personal training, each person’s nutrition should be treated on an individual versus a one-size-fits-all basis.

FDA Proposed Nutrition Labeling

Finally, a step in the right direction! It amazes me every time I see someone pick up a product from the shelf, look at the nutrition label, and think things aren’t bad based on what the label says. Labels are deceiving, and oftentimes serving sizes get overlooked. The FDA’s new nutrition labeling proposal would require that all the contents of the package, including how much of the product a person should consume in one sitting, be identifiable at a quick glance—no thinking or calculating needed. I believe this will make a difference and promote greater health awareness.

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month. In celebration, here’s a list of fruits and vegetables that you can enjoy for both taste and health benefits. I suggest you begin incorporating these foods into your diet if you are not already doing so. The takeaway: keep your diet colorful!

Heart Health Awareness

February is American Heart Month. Be cognizant of what you can do to increase your activity level, better your diet, and avoid unhealthy habits in order to prevent heart disease, the leading cause of death in our society. Even if heart disease runs in your family, it can be controlled and prevented, depending on your awareness.

RTSm Exam Passed

I passed my long-awaited RTSm exam last week! Many courses and long hours of studying have paid off, and now I can include myself in what I consider a group of elite, well-educated, hard-working, openminded trainers.

RTS is a process within a continuum of education and training that focuses on the specifics of the human body: joint forces, physics, and mechanics. Thank you to those who have been patient and helpful along the way. And thank you to those in my study group led by Michelle Amore at Precision Human Performance who met on a weekly basis. It truly is a pleasure being able to learn side by side with such a great group of like-minded individuals. And now, on to learning more and passing this education and experience onto others.