PFTL UPDATE
Clients who have returned to the studio have reported that they feel very safe in the space. We will continue to monitor all people who enter the studio, require masks and wipe down all surfaces constantly.
Several clients have opted for virtual training. This can be done easily using Zoom or Facetime. If you want to get back into a fitness routine, this is a good way to do this while in your own home.
We are aware that several clients would like to return, but do not feel comfortable wearing masks while exercising. I hope we can relax this requirement sometime in the future, however, it is too early to do that yet. COVID is still very active in Cook County (and the US, as well), so it will be some time before we will change that precaution.
HOW TO HELP YOUR BODY DEAL WITH INFLAMMATION (from Fitness Journal – July-August 2020)
Did you know that there are two types of inflammation, the body’s response to injury?
Acute inflammation is painful but essential because, by telling the body that injured tissues require immediate attention, it triggers immune reactions that help us heal.
Chronic inflammation, however, is bad. It plays a central role in heart disease, cancer, neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, pulmonary conditions, anxiety and depression. It is also implicated in Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, osteoporosis, asthma and weight struggles.
Eating a plant-based diet is one thing that can help you manage inflammation and strengthen immunities. Teri Mosey, PhD, a holistic nutrition consultant with 25 years in the health and fitness industry, explains why this type of diet can help.
Why a Plant-Based Diet? – Choosing a primarily plant-based diet limits inflammation and supports the immune system, encouraging the body’s natural healing and cellular renewal. Plant-based foods are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds. A more plant-focused diet supports the immune system with an abundance of nutrients that you can’t get from animal sources.
Phytonutrients -Phytonutrients are bioactive plant compounds that enhance immunity. Among the thousands of phytonutrients, scientists have identified three categories that pack a powerful protective punch: glucosinolates, flavonoids and carotenoids.
Glucosinolates have been found to fight inflammation, support detoxification pathways and possibly protect against cancers. They’re found predominantly in cruciferous vegetables—arugula, broccoli, bok choy, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens and kale (Bosetti et al. 2012; Tilg 2015; Lam et al. 2009).
Flavonoids help prevent chronic ailments such as heart disease, cancer, neurological disorders and digestive illnesses. Flavonoids are found in berries, red grapes, citrus and green tea (Gonzalez-Gallego et al. 2010; Kumar & Pandey 2013; Serafini, Peluso & Raguzzini 2010).
Carotenoids are known for their antioxidant properties, particularly against heart disease and cancers. They’re found in sweet potatoes, carrots, squash and tomatoes (Rao & Rao 2007).
SOLUTIONS FOR AGE-RELATED DECLINE (Fitness Journal – September 2020
Use exercise to limit the biological damage created by a loss of function during aging.
Did you know that age-related deceleration of movement plays a critical role in the declining health of older adults? Slowing typically begins after age 62 with a marked decrease in walking speed. It can lead to dysfunction, poor mental and physical health, a loss of independence, and a higher mortality risk. In older adults, fatal falls due to dysfunction more than doubled between 2000 and 2012, while nonfatal falls increased by 23%.
The good news is that the right kind of exercise can help you put the brakes on these declines. Micah Josephson, PhD, assistant professor at Alvernia University, who works primarily with older adults and people with Parkinson’s Disease, explains what you want to do.
Exercise Recommendations for Age-Related Slowing
Optimal exercise programming can decelerate the degenerative biology of aging. Focus on improving motor skills such as balance, coordination and agility to combat the physiological causes of age-related slowing. Power training is also important, as function happens during quick movements, like catching yourself when you fall.
Power training typically involves exercises that rely on applying force as fast as possible; based on the idea that strength plus speed equals power. Any strength training exercise can be turned into a power exercise by increasing the movement’s velocity. This may require lightening the load a little bit.
How to Progress Exercise – Progression of skill-related exercises should be based loosely on the stability and complexity elements of Gentile’s taxonomy of motor skills. The taxonomy’s stability elements include body stability in early progressions and body movement in later progressions.
Complexity elements begin with a closed, predictive environment and progress to an open, unpredictive environment. Within these environments, tasks can be performed the same way or in a variety of ways.
An application of Gentile’s taxonomy in your workout can take several forms. Stability progressions should begin with a wide, stable base of support (BOS) and narrow as you become more proficient. Unstable support apparatuses, like a rocker board or BOSU® Balance Trainer, should be added after you master a narrow BOS. A dynamic (moving) BOS can be added after the narrow base has been mastered.
Complexity progressions should begin with simple exercises in a predictable setting. The exercises can be progressed by adding alternating movements or intertrial variability, then adding secondary actions. (Intertrial variability is when a movement is performed in a different manner each time, such as lining up three chairs of different heights and performing sit-to-stands in one chair after another, never going to the same one twice in a row.) Exercises can be further progressed by repeating the same progressions in an open environment. (Open skills require you to adjust to environmental changes.) The environment can be progressed by adding more unpredictable elements. This application of the overload principle creates an ongoing state of motor learning.
Note: Our personal trainers use appropriate progression exercises for all our clients.