Addressing medical conditions that make sickness worse

“If you had to be admitted to an intensive care unit, the 'start' point from which you would atrophy all your organs is predicated on your degree of muscle mass. In other words, how long it would take before you reach multi-system organ failure and die is directly linked to your level of muscle mass“. ~ From the book Body By Science. Having more strength might make all the difference in the final outcome. One person's story here.

As we age, we lose strength and are more likely to develop medical conditions that can affect how well and how long we live. Medical conditions such as:

• Immune deficiencies

• Respiratory conditions

• Diabetes

• Heart disease

• Hypertension

• Obesity

• Frailty

These conditions decrease our chances of surviving bouts of illness. Medications, diet, and life-style changes are vital in addressing those conditions. Exercise, specifically high intensity training, can also positively affect those conditions.

Done correctly high intensity training (HIT) safely imposes demands on the body.  As a form of self-protection the musculoskeletal system, neurological system, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and endocrine system adapt making those systems stronger. A result of those adaptations is that you will be better able to combat sickness. The changes HIT can produce:

• “Acute exercise (moderate-to-vigorous intensity), less than 60 minutes is now viewed as an important immune system adjuvant to stimulate the ongoing exchange of distinct and highly active immune cell sub-types between the circulation and tissues.”1 Translation: It’s good for your immune system.  

• Increased respiratory volume to the degree that your doctor might even describe the improvement as remarkable.

• Reduced loss in heart function caused by type 2 diabetes.  One of our clients at our Austin Personal Training facility went from taking  five insulin shots a day down to one.  

• Increased nitric oxide availability which causes the blood vessels to dilate and lowers blood pressure.

• Increased strength along with a higher resting metabolism.  Dieting tends to lower one's metabolism. Proper diet and a higher resting metabolism is the formula for effective fat loss. 

Anyone of any age can do HIT. It is not predicated on how much exercise you can tolerate but how much is needed to produce a positive change. It takes about 30 minutes a week.  Each week you do a little more than you are used to handling.  Then let your body recover to come back stronger the next week. Over time those cumulative improvements will facilitate a longer active life along with enhanced resistance to injury and sickness.  
1 The compelling link between physical activity and the body's defense system

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I can breathe freely now

My asthma doctor asked me, “Why didn't you go straight to the emergency room?” Then, on the spot, he called my cardiologist to discuss whether or not I might have had a possible silent heart attack or have heart disease. 

My pulse and blood pressure were high, and my oxygen saturation level was 82. My forced expiratory volume (FEV- a measure of how much air a person can exhale) was registering about 40 percent of what should be my normal level. 

Subsequent tests revealed I did not have heart disease; however, my blood pressure was higher than normal, and I had gained weight. How did I get to that state? I had a respiratory infection that I did not attend to. Also, I had months of inactivity due a ruptured Achilles tendon that lead to other ailments followed by even more inactivity. 

While much of my problem was temporary (the infection eventually cleared up), I was slowing degrading my cardio-respiratory system and I was informed that I would develop heart disease if I did not make changes. 

People face far greater respiratory challenges; I was fortunate that my problems were fixable. It is possible to increase your lungs’ capacity to exhale - sprint training increases FEV of asthma sufferers.  I began sprint training on a stationary bike every week, and I returned to regularly strength training once a week (The type of strength training we do at our Austin strength training facility puts great demand on the cardio-respiratory system). That hour a week of seriously strenuous exercise made a life-changing difference for me.

A few months later I returned to my doctors. While FEV does decline as we age, my asthma doctor found it “remarkable” (his word) that my FEV reading was the highest I had registered in 12 years.  To restate: I was breathing better now than when I was 12 years younger.  I passed the stress test given by my cardiologist.  Both doctors gave me a clean bill of health. 

A compromised respiratory system, untreated high blood pressure, and heart disease are mortality risk factors. You can increase your odds for survival by taking steps to avoid those risk factors.

There is no way of knowing how you will fair if you contract the flu or coronavirus. Breathing freely and being strong (strength training builds a robust immune system) can help you increase your odds of survival, but more importantly, take the recommended precautions to avoid contracting these sicknesses altogether. 

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Increasing your recovery ability

The doctors were looking for an explanation as to why John was still alive. The doctors told him they had gone back and consulted their medical books. The doctors were amazed and gratified that he had recovered.

John had developed an infection after an operation. As a result of that infection John lost 62 pounds; 23 of those pounds were lean body mass! I went to see him in the hospital. He was propped in his bed. He was gaunt. He was so weak that his wife had to hold a juice box up to his mouth for him to drink.

Prior to the operation John, was a 6'2” healthy, fit, muscular 60 year old man. He had been a strength training client of mine for five years. Every one of those five years he had increased his strength. As part of the aging process it is normal for people to become weaker from age 55 to 60. John was not the norm.  I asked John if the strength training had been factor in his recovery. He said, “Absolutely”.

Upon receiving the go-ahead from his doctors, John returned to strength training. He was so weak that on his first visit his wife had to assist him in walking from the curb into the gym. I have seen a lot in 40 years in the fitness industry: that image is one I will not forget.  Every week it was heartening to see John's rapid improvement.  In short order he returned to being hale and hearty.

No one wants to go though an experience where one is fighting for their life, but if you do it is best to increase your chances for survival. A stronger body is more apt to survive, and strength training contributes to a more robust immune system. At our Austin Personal Training facility we work with all ages and levels of fitness, even those working to overcome illness and injury.

The recovery systems of compromised clients are fragile. Experienced trainers will properly “dose'' clients with exercise sufficient to stimulate positive change but not too much to overwhelm the system. Our personal training sessions are short and designed to efficiently stimulate a change; we then give clients plenty of time to recover.

Nineteen years have past. John is 79 years old, he still goes to work, and enjoys his extended family that has grown over the years. He still strength trains like his life depends on it … because it does.

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Radio Ads Part Two

A client recently heard our radio ads and wanted her friend to hear them. The first ad gives a synopsis of what we are all about and our approach to fitness at our Austin personal training facility.  The second ad tells of our clients' success stories.  Below are those two ads: 

 Hear previous radio ads.

You can experience this workout for yourself. Fill out the form on the contact page. Mention this post and you will receive two free no-obligation training sessions. Refer a friend and receive an additional workout.

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What could your health be like 10 years from now if you started exercising now?

It is January 2020. It is time for New Year’s resolutions. How about a new decade resolution? If your are going to make a ten-year commitment it has got to be something you are willing to stick to for the long haul, and if you are going to do it that long it better produce significant changes worthy of the commitment.

Cathy, a client at our Austin strength training facility, is 75 years old and she has been exercising with us for 10 years now. Reflecting back on the ten years she said, “It is the best thing I have done for myself. It’s phenomenal”.

For ten years Cathy has been strength training once a week for thirty minutes.  A lot of exercise programs work; the number one reason they don’t work is compliance.  Often people get hurt, or they just can’t seem to find the time. A thirty 30 minutes once a week commitment is something most people can stick to for ten years, for life really. It helps to set the bar where you are willing to jump over it each week and keep jumping.  

Another consideration is finding an exercise program that produces the most positive measurable change for the time spent. Seeing that quantifiable change serves as motivation to continue getting those results.  Such a program will not be designed to find how much exercise you can tolerate (a recipe for quitting and increased likelihood of injury), but how little you need to produce the most ongoing positive change. Each week do a little more than your body is used to handling.  As self-protection the body will make a positive adaptation.  Repeat that each week and over time the cumulative change will be dramatic.

The high intensity strength training (HIT) we do at our facility, will positively affect:

·         Muscular strength

·         Cardiovascular health

·         Body density

·         Energy levels

·         Capillarization

·         Cognitive function

·         Metabolism

·         Sugar levels

·         Breathing capacity

There is more.  From the website Body By Science, some of less familiar more esoteric benefits of high intensity strength training:

·         HIT/BBS enacts a hormonal cascade that is the antithesis of the metabolic syndrome.

·         Gut motility correlates with muscle mass. Risk of GI cancer inversely correlates with gut motility.

·         Organ mass correlates with muscle mass. Get in an accident or severely burn yourself and the time you have in the ICU before you die is correlated with organ mass. You have more time on the clock.

·         Get in a car wreck and this kind of conditioning may be the difference between 3 days of whiplash symptoms and a lifetime in a wheelchair (which will be a shortened lifetime).                                                

·         BDNF elevations with high intensity exercise staves off/reverses age related decline and dementia.

·         Enhances nitric oxide synthetase: you will have good blood pressure and will never need a little blue pill. You will not need to worry about “being healthy enough for sexual activity”.

·         Bone mineral density correlates with muscle mass. Even in osteopenia, strong muscles absorb forces and prevent fractures.

·         Basal metabolism and hormonal profile that fight obesity.                                                                                  

·         Reversal of age-related gene expression.

The cumulative improvements facilitate a longer, fuller, more productive life.  What will your life be like ten years from now if you don’t exercise? Would could your life be like a decade from now if you start exercising now?   For Cathy, “It is the best thing I have done for myself. It’s phenomenal”.

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Persistent back pain now a distant memory

I thought living with chronic back pain was going to be my lot in life. The pain affected how I moved, how I slept, how I sat, even how long I sat. I was limited in so many ways. It was disheartening, as there appeared to be no end in sight.

My back pain originated from three separate injuries: a broken lumbar vertebra, a bulging disc required a laminectomy, and significant trauma to entire back including a broken coccyx from a fall.  

 We restrict our movement to avoid pain.  Restricting our movement leads to remodeling of our fascia.  This remodeled fascia causes stiffness and immobility.  This lack of movement results in weakness leading to more pain. Rinse and repeat. If only there was a way to safely strengthen our low back muscles and increase our range of motion without causing more back pain.

 I ruled out surgery and dependence on medication.  Exercise often made things worse.

 In 2002 the Wall Street Journal published an article about the MedX medical low back machine. Subjects exercising on this equipment safely strengthened their lower back muscles and eliminated their back pain. One study showed improvement as much as 600% in back strength. I found a doctor who had this piece of rehab equipment, the only one in the city at the time. 

 Each week the doctor had me exercise on the MedX low back machine. As my back got stronger, my back pain disappeared.

In 2006 we acquired the MedX low back machine and an extensive line of MedX exercise equipment for our Austin personal training location. The entire line of MedX exercise equipment has rehab features that enable us to work with those who have physical limitations. With the right equipment and capable trainers we have helped clients strengthen their bodies, eliminate pain, and get their lives back. 

This is one client’s story -> here 

More information on MedX exercise equipment -> here

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To significantly lower your risk of death from heart disease start lifting weights

A meta-study of 338,254 participants concluded strength training once or twice a week can lower your risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 28%.  Further they found that if you add aerobic activities to that regime you can lower your risk by 48%.  

Interestingly, strength training more than five times per week was not associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. The goal should not be to find how much strength training you can tolerate, but to find the amount that produces optimal results.  Lifting just enough, eating well, and going for a daily walk is a doable prescription for good cardiovascular health and a longer lifespan.

It is important to note that muscles stimulate the cardiovascular system to make positive changes, not the other way around. When the muscles are too weak to push the cardiovascular system, cardio-respiratory fitness declines. High intensity training (HIT) for strength done properly can produce a very significant cardiovascular stimulus, and positively affect cardiovascular wellness.

The cardiovascular benefits of HIT:

§  Increased nitric oxide availability, your body’s naturally produced vasodilator

§  Added muscle, the engine for cardiovascular health

§  Increased capillarization

§  Increased protection of the joints for doing other cardio-activities like running

§  Increased forced expiratory volume

§  Better results for coronary artery disease patients

§  Lower rates of cardiovascular complications compared to aerobic exercise for those with heart conditions

§  Lower blood pressure

As a result of doing HIT your aches and pains will subside, and you will be able to do those aerobic activities you enjoy longer – walk, run, swim, ride your bike. At Austin Personal Training we offer a 30 minute full-body strength training workout that is done once or twice a week. This is a workout that you slowly build up to; anybody can do it. You’ll enhance your cardio-respiratory fitness and quality of life for decades to come.

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Getting a runner’s high without running

Each week I look forward to a runner’s high at an intensity level I rarely achieved by running. I don’t run anymore. After a couple of foot surgeries my running days are over. It takes me about 22 to 25 minutes to get to this relaxed euphoric state, and it stays with me the rest of the day. 

While this state is subjective there is an objective proxy to gauge the intensity of this high. One of the attributes of a runner’s high is lower blood pressure. With the runner’s high my blood pressure remains 10 to 25 points lower for up to 24 hours before returning to my normal reading.

Runners have long known that if you run long enough and hard enough you will experience a runner’s high. It wasn’t until 1975(1) that scientists pinpointed what prompted the runner’s high. It is a group of hormones called endorphins.  Endorphins activate specialized receptors throughout the nervous system that block pain messages, they reduce the release of chemicals that cause inflammation and swelling, and they lower pressure.

To get your body to release these endorphins by running, the run has to demanding enough to produce an anaerobic response that results in the build-up of lactic acid. According to one study(2):

“Intensive running with an anaerobic response causes an increase in the concentrations of β-endorphin…whereas slight aerobic exercise did not elicit any response.” 

Less demanding steady-state endurance running will release endorphins too, but it takes more running.  According to this study(3):

“In endurance exercise performed at a steady-state between lactate production and elimination, blood beta-endorphin levels do not increase until exercise duration exceeds approximately 1 hour.”

If running is not an option you can still release those endorphins.  Another study(4) found that:

“The results of this study indicate that acidosis [The buildup of lactic acid] rather than any other physiological change associated with high-intensity exertion is the primary stimulus for beta-endorphin release.”[Runner’s high]

The key here is that high-intensity exertion results in the buildup of lactic acid. Strength training can do that, particularly if there is less rest between exercises.  One study(5) found that strength training with one minute rest between exercises produced a greater endorphin response than a workout with three minutes rest between exercises. Less rest results in a larger lactic acid buildup.

The high intensity training (HIT) we do at our Austin Personal Training facility is a series of strength training exercises working all the major muscle groups with little rest between exercises.  In the photo above most of this 25 minute HIT workout is in the hardcore zone where there will be a buildup of lactic acid and a subsequent endorphin release.

Your trainer will have you build up to HIT slowly and see that you are constantly breathing and maintaining form. People of any age can do this. Over time you’ll be at a higher exertion level, produce more lactic acid, and have a significant endorphin response. Endorphin levels can remain elevated for hours and even into the next day. Your aches and pains will subside, you’ll be less stressed, your mood will improve, and you’ll sleep better. It is your body’s natural high. 

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1. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dh75en.html

2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0024320588901580

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1553453

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7836218

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8444727

Reversing the Loss of Heart Function Caused by Type 2 Diabetes

A recent study found that “three months of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improved heart function in adults with type 2 diabetes, without any change in medications or diet”.  This is an important finding considering that the leading cause of death of type 2 diabetes patients is cardiovascular disease.

The researcher stated: "Our research has found that exercise at sufficiently high intensity may provide an inexpensive, practical way to reverse, or reduce the loss in heart function caused by type 2 diabetes."

HIIT produces “exercise at sufficiently high intensity” and can be achieved with a series of short intervals of strenuous effort like sprints on a bike, rowing machine, hills, track, or stairs followed by moderate activity in between the sprints. A similar cardiovascular stimulus can be achieved with High Intensity Training (HIT), a series of strength training exercises with short rest between those exercises.

HIT produces a long list of cardio-respiratory fitness benefits. The added benefit is that HIT is effective in improving glycemic control. One our diabetic clients went from five shots a day down to one. 

At our Austin personal training facility we offer HIIT and HIT for strength. Some clients do both.  These workouts don’t take long, and you don’t have to do them with great frequency to have surprising results.  Is it worth an hour a week to increase your lifespan and more importantly your quality of life for years to come? We think it is.

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Increasing Nitric Oxide Availability, Vital for Cardiovascular Health

Vasodilators are medications that open (dilate) blood vessels. They prevent the muscles in the walls of arteries and veins from tightening and narrowing. As a result, blood flows more easily through the vessels.1  These medications often have side-effects. 

Your body naturally produces its own vasodilators in the form of nitric oxide gas molecules. Endothelial cells line the interior surface of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels. It is there that nitric oxide is synthesized from the interaction of an amino acid and an enzyme and then released throughout the body.  Nitric oxide gas diffuses through the cell walls to transmit signals to the cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems.  Nitric oxide signals the body to2:

·       Reduce blood pressure.

·       Expand and relax blood vessels so that more blood, nutrients, oxygen flow to all parts of your body.

·       Enhance blood flow necessary for male sexual performance.

·       Kill infectious bacteria.

·       Make energy supplying mitochondria more effective.

·       Make muscles more efficient; requiring less oxygen to work out at higher intensities i.e. it's easier for you to push yourself harder.

Nitric oxide levels decline as we age, but we can forestall that. Eat beets and spinach, and get plenty of sunlight and exercise. What type of exercise is best?

According to these studies (study 1 and study 2) “It has been shown high intensity interval training (at 85% to 90% of VO2 max) is more effective in improving endothelial function and nitric oxide availability than continuous moderate aerobic exercise.  These studies were done in humans and rats with metabolic syndrome and found that high intensity interval training reversed more risk factors of metabolic syndrome than did continuous moderate aerobic exercise”3.

There is a positive cycle. Exercise increases nitric oxide availability resulting in blood flow increases. This leads to an increase in the capacity for more exercise further facilitating even more nitric oxide availability.

When you push your body to do more than it is used to handling, as self-protection, your body makes a long list of positive cardiovascular adaptations; improved nitric oxide availability is just one of those adaptations.  

Our goal at Austin Personal Training is to safely “dose” clients with the right amount of high intensity training to effectively make those positive changes.  People of any age or fitness level can do this and it does not require hours in the gym each week. Do a little bit more each week; you’ll improve a little each week, and over time your health and well-being will improve dramatically. Do nothing, a negative cycle begins, and you know how that ends.

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1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure-medication/art-20048154

2 https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/how-boost-your-nitric-oxide-levels-without-supplements  

3  https://livelongstayyoung.com/boosting-nitric-oxide-with-exercise/

Exercise that will strengthen tendons and connective tissue

Too much tendon stress results in tears and overuse conditions such as tendinitis. These injuries often occur as a result of exercise. Injuries sustained in the pursuit of fitness can come back to haunt you.  They present themselves as nagging aches and pains that compromise your fitness as you get older. 

One of the objectives of exercise is to prevent injuries, not cause them. Proper strength training, by increasing bone density and muscle strength, gives one an added measure of protection from injuries. The same applies to tendons and other connective tissue - “Research indicates that resistance training promotes growth and/or increases in the strength of ligaments, tendons, tendon to bone and ligament to bone junction strength, joint cartilage and the connective tissue sheaths within muscle”.1

To minimize risk of injury, the goal is to exercise enough to produce positive change in your your muscles, joints, and connective tissue, not to see how much stress they can withstand . At our Austin Strength Training facility, we have years of experience determining the minimum effective dose of exercise (the amount that safely produces ongoing optimal improvement). Anything beyond that will at best result in a diminishing marginal return and at worst result in injury.

If you do nothing your muscles, bones, and connective tissue will become weaker and make an injury more likely. Is it worth a half hour of strength training each week to help avoid injuries and to live an active life?  We think it is.

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1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3633121

Strength/flexibility program shown to increase clubhead speed and driving distance

One of my clients, a club pro, told me he was hitting the ball farther. I asked him, “Are you sure?” He replied, “I use GPS to measure my distance. I am positive”.

To hit a golf ball farther you have to increase your clubhead speed. Increased strength helps; increased flexibility helps a bit more. When you combine both increased strength and flexibility the improvement in clubhead speed is more that the sum of the improvement from flexibility or strength alone, as reporting in the December 1997 industry journal Fitness Management, researchers Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., and John R. Parziale, MD,

RESEARCH STUDY RESULTS

Flexibility & Strength Strength Only Flexibility Only

Clubhead speed +20 mph +3 mph +5.4 mph

Shoulder Abduct +11.9 deg. +1 deg. +13.5 deg.

Hip Flexion +16.3 deg. +2.8 deg. +15 deg.

Hip Extension     +8 deg. +3.4 deg.

The study demonstrated the improvement recreational golfers can expect from both MedX Stretch flexibility exercises and MedX circuit strength training. Used properly, MedX exercise equipment will increase:

• Strength

• Enhanced flexibility

Properly performed Medx rotary torso exercise produces improvements in strength and flexibility.

Enhanced flexibility is more that increased range of motion. It also includes more strength through that increased range of motion. For golfers, the result is a more powerful swing and an added measure of protection from injury.

At our Austin Strength Training facility we have a extensive line of MedX exercise equipment. MedX equipment is engineered to provide less resistance at the point where the muscles are weakest (in the stretched position). The resistance in the stretched position is sufficient to stimulate strength increases but not too heavy to be unsafe. With regular exercise on MedX equipment you will be more limber, stronger, and if you are a golfer, you can expect to hit the ball farther. Expect similar improvement for tennis and other sports where strength and range of motion are important.

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36 minutes of vigorous exercise over 5 1/2 months, the results.

To get more out of exercise it is essential to accurately determine the minimum effective dose and the amount of recovery time needed to produce improvement.  Perry, age 69, does his weekly 30 minute strength training sessions at our Austin strength training facility.  He recently began sprint training on one of our stationary bikes about three times a month. 

For the strength training we measure Perry’s time under load (TUL) for each exercise.  When the TUL increases to a certain point we raise the weight the next session.  Perry has been training for four years and continues to improve.  We keep accurate records.

We do the same for sprint training. To accurately measure improvement we control the variables:

• ·         Same difficulty level

• ·         Same number of sprints(6)

• ·         Same sprinting interval (22 Seconds)

• ·         Same recovery level (heart rate) before beginning the next sprint.

In May it took Perry 28 minutes to do six sprints.  Five and half months later his time had gone down to 18:30 minutes. That is a 9 ½ minute improvement - the same work in far less time.  Adding up all the twenty-two second sprints that comes out to a total of 36 minutes of sprinting time over 5 ½ months.

With 330,000 workout sessions under our belts working with a wide range of ages and abilities, we have a good idea of what constitutes an effective dose of exercise (it is not that much) and the recovery time needed to produce ongoing improvement.The sprints are demanding - that is what stimulates change – but the time commitment is small, and the benefits are worth it.

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·    

Getting More Out Of Exercising Less

“Instead of trying to find how much exercise we can tolerate, we should try to find out how little exercise we actually require” ~ Arthur Jones, creator of Nautilus and MedX exercise equipment.

Jones further stated that any exercise beyond what is required is at best a waste of time and at worst dangerous.  It is dangerous because too much exercise can result in injuries and a waste of a time because exercise beyond what is required eventually leads to overtraining.  Overtraining occurs when your body cannot sufficiently recover and make gains.  This is particularly the case with strength training, as it takes longer time to recover and rebuild from your last training session.

If you start from the premise of finding out how little exercise you actually require you won’t overtrain, your likelihood of injury will drop considerably, and you will be far less likely to quit as it will require a smaller time commitment.  You will find the weekly improvement motivating as well. With more rest and recovery (and less time in the gym) you will get more benefits by exercising less.

The type of exercise that, by far, has the biggest positive impact on your bio-markers of aging is strength training. In addition to increasing strength the exercise program at our Austin Personal Training facility is designed to produce improvements in:

·         Energy

·         Flexibility

·         Resistance to injury and sickness

·         Bone density

·         Resting metabolism

·         Cardiovascular function

Workouts are 30 minutes – no time is wasted – and are generally once a week. People of any age and level of fitness can do this. Trainers have years of experience determining:

1)    The required amount of exercise to safely stimulate change.

2)    Sufficient time to recover and improve each week.

3)    The proper design of workouts suited to clients’ limits and needs. 

You can avoid injuries and the trial-and-error of finding what works.  You will improve each week. As your fitness improves you will be more inclined to be active, and you will have more time to enjoy life outside the gym.  It is an exercise program people can stick to.

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Still young and possibly facing life in a wheelchair she turned things around

Kate’s doctor informed her that if things continued on the same path, she may be confined to a wheelchair in six months.  Kate is still young; she has a rare genetic muscular disorder that has made her progressively weaker to the point that it has adversely affected her balance.

It has been six months since she started strength training with Glenn at our Austin Strength Training facility – no wheelchair for Kate.  She is stronger and her balance has improved remarkably. Her family was elated to see her walking in heels again, at a quicker pace, and up and down hills no less. This is not a small victory for Kate.

Glenn faced a similar prognosis because of his Multiple Sclerosis.  He was told that he would need a wheelchair within five years, so he began strength training. That was 12 years ago – no wheelchair for Glenn either.

It can be overwhelming when confronted with these health challenges.  You don’t know where to start - therapies, diet, life-style changes, supplements, and an endless array of exercise options. Consider strength training.  A long list of health problems can be alleviated with the right strength training program. The program should be customized to the individual’s needs and take into account these considerations:

• It would use equipment and a protocol adaptable to working with those with limiting conditions such as Kate’s as well those in top physical shape.

• It would deliver the minimum effective dose of exercise. The dose that produces the best result; any exercise beyond that is a waste of time and at worst detrimental. It was essential for Kate’s success that she not to overtax her limited recovery ability.

• It would produce quantifiable improvement each week. Tracking that improvement is important for dosing considerations. Also, seeing and experiencing that improvement is powerful motivation for Kate.

  Each week Kate lifts a little more, she lifts a little longer, and takes a little less time between exercises. Over time these changes add up. As Kate can attest, these changes can be profoundly life-changing.

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Yes Virginia, there is good news in your declining health

So you haven’t exercised consistently in years, and each year, you have gained a pound or two. That fat gain is accompanied by a decline in fat burning hormones, foremost among them testosterone.  Weight gain leads to lower testosterone; lower testosterone leads to even more weight gain - a vicious cycle. 

With that weight gain comes elevated blood sugar and cholesterol levels, plus the threat of metabolic syndrome and all that the syndrome entails - type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and a life cut short.   

You become less active. With that comes a decline in mitochondrial capacity  (your cells’ capacity to produce energy).  The result is even more inactivity and another vicious cycle.

Because you have not done sustained demanding work in years you become weaker. Human growth hormone - necessary for maintaining muscle and bone mass - declines quicker than age would otherwise dictate. Your muscle mass decreases, muscles become weaker, and bone density loss accelerates. 

Your heart becomes weaker. Strong muscles push the cardiovascular system and are necessary to condition the heart. Maintaining strong muscles results in a long list cardiovascular benefits.   

Weaker muscles make it harder to keep your balance. This leads to falling and possible serious injury. 

Your respiratory system becomes weaker.  Your forced expiratory volume (how much air you can forcibly exhale) goes down; pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses pose bigger threats than there should be. 

Cognitive decline begins. Without vigorous exercise there is less neurogenesis (the production of new brain cells), and there is a decline in brain-derived neurotrophic factor - important for the growth and survival of those brain cells. 

Aches and pains prevail. Pains dictates your range of motion.  That range becomes increasingly restricted.  Pain is associated with inflammation; chronic inflammation of joints results in arthritis. 

Pain, inactivity, and declining health can lead to depression.  You are not powerless to change this course. There is good news:

• All this can be reversed, sometimes dramatically.

• Unfit subjects’ relative improvement from exercise will be far greater than fit subjects’ improvement.

• It takes as little as 30 minutes of exercise a week to see that improvement.

While that is not the prevailing wisdom regarding the frequency of exercise, the proof is in the results.  We have clients who have experienced these benefits:

• A 12.4% increase in bone density in one year

• Going from five insulin shots down to one a day

• 35 % increase in testosterone level

• Asthmatic patient achieves highest forced expiratory volume in 12 years

• After years of living in pain client now lives pain-free

• A 14.1% increase in bone density

• Alleviation of neck pain

Start now. If you don’t have the time for exercise now you will have to make time for sickness and injury later on. At our Austin Strength Training facility we can guide you through a workout suitable for your age and condition.  Each week you will lift a little more, lift a little longer, and take a little less time between exercises.  Over time these small steps add up. You will reverse the path you are on, and best of all, as your fitness improves you will be more inclined to be active, further enhancing your health and quality of life.

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Thirty-five percent increase in testosterone level without hormone therapy

The right kind of exercise can significantly raise your testosterone level, while some forms of exercise will lower it. Testosterone affects more than just sex drive; it positively influences bone density, fat distribution, muscle strength and mass, metabolism, memory, and red blood cell production. It is vital for both sexes.

Steady state activities like long-distance running cause your testosterone level to fall, while high intensity activities such as sprint training and high intensity strength training  increase it1.  How much of an increase?  I wanted to find out. My urologist informed me that my testosterone level was low. It was not from too much long-distance running. I had not exercised for the better part of a year and had gained weight. 

I changed my diet and began exercising again – high intensity strength training once a week and stationary bike sprints one to two times a week.  On average it amounted to less than an hour of exercise a week. The first session of sprints liked to kill me. All I could do was two sprints before ending the session. I slowly build up to eight 30-second sprints.

In the four months that followed I lost 30 pounds.   I had my testosterone level tested again and tested a second time just to make sure the number was accurate. I was surprised to see that my testosterone level had increased 35 percent increase.

Testosterone is the most potent fat burning hormone we have.   High intensity strength training increases testosterone. Increased testosterone leads to fat reduction. The body adapts to its environment.  It does this using feedback loops.  The outcome of a feedback loop can be negative - weight gain and lower testosterone level – or it can be positive - weight loss and higher testosterone.

At our Austin Personal Training facility we do supervised sprint training and high intensity strength training.  We can help you start that positive feedback loop.

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1 https://kellypersonaltraining.com/blog-overview/2013/08/15/long-distance-running-lowers-testosterone-sprint-training-increases-it

Exercise replenishes the neurotransmitters vital to mental health

Neurotransmitters – such dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin - are released by neurons to communicate with other cells. They regulate our mental and physical health. Depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders occur when neurotransmitters are depleted. In one study, researchers used MRI scans to measure the impact that vigorous exercise had on certain depleted neurotransmitters. The results showed that exercise activates the metabolic pathway that replenishes these neurotransmitters.1"

A quote from the study:

“Vigorous exercise is the most demanding activity the brain encounters, much more intense than calculus or chess, but nobody knows what happens with all that energy, Apparently, one of the things it's doing is making more neurotransmitters…Exercise could become an important part of treating depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders linked with deficiencies in neurotransmitters.”

While the researchers point out that vigorous exercise will not work for every depressed person, it will work for many.

To start and stick to a vigorous exercise program it helps to set the bar at a height you are willing to jump over each week. Commit to one 30-minute strength training session a week. Each week lift a little bit more weight, lift a little longer on each exercise, and take a little less time between exercises.   You will see improvement each week - a motivating factor to encourage you to stick with it. At our Austin Strength Training facility we track these weekly improvements.  

Over time, you will find that your energy levels rise and aches and pains subside. You’ll then be more likely to engage in other physical activities.  Months from now you can be a lot stronger, physically and mentally.  Being stronger, living pain-free, and having more energy is a step in the right direction – an upward, happier direction.  

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Cardio, anaerobic, and aerobic exercise explained

In 1969 Dr. Kenneth Cooper wrote the book Aerobics and coined that word to describe a form of exercise. Before that, the word aerobic was more often used to describe a type of metabolism. Aerobic metabolism utilizes our energy stores in conjunction with oxygen, while anaerobic metabolism uses energy stores without oxygen.

Both metabolic pathways are working all the time. The aerobic pathway is predominant at rest or at lower intensity activities such as the beginning of a run or picking flowers. The anaerobic pathway predominates while doing demanding activities such as sprints or strength training and is crucial for survival in fight-or-flight situations.

Cardio exercise is exercise that maintains an elevated heart rate at a range of 60% to 85% of one’s maximum heart rate. Can strength training have a significant cardiovascular component? It can; it depends on how your workout is structured. Warm-up sets do not present great demands on the cardiovascular system or the muscles for that matter. Intermediate intensity sets, time resting between sets, and set up time for the next exercise will not be taxing to the cardiovascular system. In the course of an hour long workout there will be a significant amount of time where cardiovascular demands on the body are minimal.

The High Intensity Training (HIT) for strength we do at our Austin Strength Training facility involves a large cardiovascular component. At the end of the first exercise your body will be doing all that it can to accommodate the demands placed on the cardiovascular system – the heart rate increases, arteries dilate, venous return increases, and blood volume per beat of the heart increases.

That first exercise is followed with a series of strength training exercises addressing all the major muscle groups. People of any age can do this workout. You build up to this workout slowly. Each week you lift a little more or a little longer and take a little less time between exercises. With the facilitation of a personal trainer the workout takes less than 30 minutes; it really can’t be longer unless you pace yourself, i.e. exercise at a lower intensity.

The chart of 64 year old man. The average heart rate of 74% is well within the cardio range.

While the cardiovascular demands are high, [See chart] the long list of cardiorespiratory benefits makes it worth the effort. Best of all anaerobic exercise produces endorphins1. Just like a runner’s high, when the workout is over you’ll experience the deeply relaxed state that results when your body produces endorphins.  It is a great state to be in and one you will look forward to attaining each week.

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1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1553453

Comparing the side-effects of two different osteoporosis treatments

Two popular options to inhibit bone loss that results from osteopenia: You can take a drug or begin strength training. Both have side-effects.

From this NYT article Splits Form Over How to Address Bone Loss:

“Millions of people worldwide, most of them women, have been told they have osteopenia and should take drugs to inhibit bone loss. But the drugs carry risks, so many public-health experts say the diagnosis often does more harm than good.” 

The possible side-effects of osteoporosis drugs:

• Nausea

• Abdominal pain

• Constipation

• Indigestion

• Muscle pain

• Bone and joint pain

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal distention

• Acid backup

• Difficulty swallowing

• Esophageal ulcers

• Excessive gas

• Headache

• Stomach ulcers

• Vomiting 

An improperly designed strength training program results in injury, drudgery, and wasted time. The side-effects of a properly designed strength training program:

• Enhance joint flexibility

• Improves balance and coordination

• Increased metabolism

• Look better.

• Decreased mortality risk

• Increase strength

• Increased protection of bones and joints

• Alleviate symptoms of depression

• Improved neurological health

• Improves functioning of your immune system

• Reverse age-rated energy decline

• A long list of cardiovascular improvements

• Best of all you will just feel better 

The exercise program we use at our Austin strength training facility was derived from a study working with osteoporosis patients. Researchers found that bone density increased, joints hurt less, and muscles were stronger and more toned with minimal time exercising.  It has been shown effective for women and men of all ages.

One of our clients was 65 years old when she started. She worked out once a week for 30 minutes of strength training. It takes time for the muscles and bones to recover from the stress of strength training.  A year later her bone density had increased 12.4 percent.  Obviously results will vary, but others have had similar results.

Past blog posts on the subject of osteopenia: 

Increasing bone density at age 60

What clients are saying - "My doctor said it would not be necessary to start taking drugs to preserve my bone density”

Diagnosed with osteopenia at age 43 - 22 years later osteopenia free

Request a complimentary first session at Kelly Personal Training

 Click here to schedule a session to try it yourself

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*Before you stop by please call us. We operate by appointment.