Solful Life

Create Lasting Change & Be 100% Confident In the Body You Are In

Fitness

Need A Reason To Workout?

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Lifting Weights As You Age Cuts Your Risk Of Early Death By 46%.

Lifting Weights Decreases Risk of  Dementia and Increases Brain Function.

Researchers at the Penn State College of Medicine looked at a group of people aged 65 and older and their fitness habits for 15 years. In their study, the researchers found that although only 10% of the participants lifted weights, the ones who did were 46% less likely to die than the participants that didn’t lift.

“Older adults have the ability to achieve strength similar to those decades younger by engaging in simple strength training routines,” says study author Dr. Jennifer Kraschnewski.

The University of Sydney for the Study of Mental and Resistance Training conducted research on resistance training and brain function in those over 55, who were suffering from mild cognitive impairment. The researchers found that an improvement in cognitive function was related to an increase in muscle strength.

Here are a few reasons to lift weights and increase strength:

  • Protects your brain cells from aging – Decrease the decline of cognition, and may even reverse memory impairment.
  • Improves Stamina, Balance, and Bone Density
  • Fat Loss

Women have double the risk of Alzheimers Disease than that of men. I know most women want fat loss, but I am pretty confident they also want to avoid cognitive diseases, falling and breaking hips, and early death.

Consequently, many feel confused about where to begin, finding the time, and how to star.

Is your risk for dying early due to sitting?

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Sitting its Considered A Disease? Crazy right, or is it? Our bodies are designed to move, and we have the power within to live a full, happy, healthy life. The Journal of the American Medical Association released a study done through the Cleveland Clinic that revealed individuals with a sedentary lifestyle and had a 500 percent (!!!!! OMG) higher risk of premature death than those who were incredibly fit. A sedentary lifestyle then is three times higher than the danger posed by smoking.

Even if you exercise, if you sit 6+ hours a day, an hour of exercise is not enough to offset the damage the sitting causes. Studies have confirmed prolonged sitting is an independent risk factor for disease and early death. ⁣
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Here is a brief rundown from the study:
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✅ The study involved 120,000 patients between 1991-2014⁣
✅ Lack of fitness was predictive of early death to a greater degree ⁣ than smoking, heart disease or high blood pressure❗️❗️❗️⁣
✅ Many sit each day for up to 12 hours in 16 hours of waking time, this increases the risk of premature death and chronic disease independently of any exercise they may perform during the day. (Meaning your hour of exercise each will not offset 12-16 hours of sitting)⁣
⁣✅Nine to 12 hours of sitting each day cannot be counteracted by one 30- to 60-minute workout.⁣
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Other studies show that muscle mass can prevent all-cause mortality better than any other factor (lifting weights).⁣
Exercise also will boost your brain health, slow down aging, increase your happiness, shrink fat cells, increase your desire to eat healthier, and improve recovery in chronic disease. ⁣
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Personally, it saved me from depths of depression. And turned into a passionate, life-giving career,  and seeing others take on a love of health and fitness, and potentially saving lives.⁣
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FYI – Statistic: smoking kills 6 million people a year. ⁣

Your doctors next prescription will look like this:

“Exercise Daily, and Get up from your desk once every 30 minutes.”⁣
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Need help getting started and support along the way you know I am here for you. Think of me as your advocate for habit change.

Today we tend to live more on the road, in our cars, behind screens and processed fake food is abundant. I believe it is time to take our power and health back into our own hands and turn our current habits into ones that make us smarter, happier, sexier, and more productive.

Join me and let’s take personal responsibility for our daily choices and quit giving power to outside circumstances. The demands and stress of today’s everyday life and the fear of failing make the thought of change seem impossible. I am here to tell you it is far more straightforward than you would believe, and it is critical to living well as you age.

Here is a link to the study 

Also, I would love to know what more you would like to hear. My focus is on Aging Vibrantly Well. We are living longer, but shouldn’t we be living a longer healthier fulfilled life?

 

Here is a quick video I posted about it on FB

 

 

 

Best Ways to Handle Stress

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This may sound like an impossibility in today's environment  with the grind of excelling at work, the pressure to be an exemplary parent, spouse, friend, the fast pace of knowledge we are inundated with, the polarity of our political climate, and the horrific catastrophes and crimes we are faced with daily. 

Why Bring Up Stress, won't it only aggravate us more?

Sorry, to be a bummer or stressor but I promise there is an upside here we can practice.

The reality is it is important to acknowledge stress so you can reduce it or manage it with more ease. Ideally, ease is what we would like to create versus tension, illness, and overwhelm. 

Even though certain stressors may not change in your life, the ability to manage them with more ease can impact your body, mind, and soul. Simply a small incremental change in the ability to choose how to process stressors can make an exponential improvement on the impact in your body, you’ll stay healthier and increase your ability to handle the stress.

Isn't the ability to create more ease worth it? I certainly think so.

Truth - What are some of the effects of stress on your body?

Let's have a little “Come to Buddha” moment and know how stress IS affecting our bodies….

  • Stress increases cortisol production associated with weight gain (especially in the belly), an inability to lose weight or gain muscle and premature aging
  • Stress decreases nutrient absorption due to decreased enzymatic production from the stomach, pancreas, and liver and decreased bile flow from the gallbladder
  • Stress increases nutrient excretion such as urinary loss of calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, chromium, selenium and microminerals
  • Stress decreases gut flora populations by destroying healthy intestinal bacteria and can lead to immune problems, skin disorders, nutrient deficiencies, and digestive distress
  • Stress will increase sugar cravings leading to insulin resistance and other metabolic disorders
  • Stress increases salt retention which can lead to high blood pressure
  • Stress decreases the thyroid hormone which can negatively affect your metabolism
  • Stress decreases sex hormones which lead to loss of libido and low energy

STOP THIS DEB, you may be saying right? You’re not reading this just to hear about problems, you’re reading to find solutions! 

How can I reduce or cope better with stress?

Since you can’t always control stress in your life, the goal is to reduce your experience of it by even 1%. In particular, when there are painful events it is inevitable that stress is managed even though it certainly may be the last thing you consider. While you work through the process of tragedy, loss, and difficulty, in particular, we need to allow ourselves extra support and kindness, in the form of finding the best de-stressing practices. 

Here’s how, pick a few which will work for you to start NOW:

  • Look at your calendar for the next 7 days. What’s one activity you’ve committed to that you can cancel?
  • Look at your to-do list. What’s one item you can delegate to someone else in the next 24 hours?
  • Start your day with protein, and ensure you get enough throughout the day. Protein will assist to stabilize blood sugar levels, to help you stay focused without the mood swings. Start with eggs, or a high-quality grass fed-whey, collagen or vegan (no-soy) based protein shake. Make sure to include protein at each meal.
  • Consider your schedule today. Where can you fit in 20 minutes for yourself —where you’re not taking care of anyone else or being “productive”—so you can just relax and play and do something mindless?
  • Look at your calendar for tomorrow. Where can you fit in a 10-minute walk or Frisbee toss in your backyard? The fresh air and movement will help you cope waaay better with stress. 
  • Find other relaxers such as: Yoga, Meditation, Deep Breathing or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Tapping. Click here to find out how this works it's a game changer. 
  • Eliminate or limit caffeine and alcohol. Excess caffeine likely will only increase the inability to manage the situation, and as easy as it is to grab a glass of wine it's best to care for the body and honor what is going on around you than using it to "numb out".
  • Take in extra nutrients as stress depletes them in the body. In particular,  B vitamins, which can act as a bit of a buffer with stress, and help with energy. Ideally a high-quality multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, along with Omega 3's, extra D, and anti-oxidants to keep you healthy. 
  • Before your next meal, try what I call the “5-5-7” breath. Inhale for a count of 5, hold your breath or a count of 5, then exhale for a count of 7. Repeat at least 3 times. This gives your body a chance to relax before your meal, which will increase your digestive capacity and help your body pull more nutrients from the food you’re eating.

What Do I Do Now?

If you feel too stressed to relax, and you KNOW it’s affecting your health, your weight and your energy levels, then Click Here NOW to schedule a time to talk with me about how to reduce or cope better with stress, overwhelm, or overall well-being. 

I’ve helped many of my clients solve this problem, and chances are very good that I can help you, too.

Dog Days Of Summer Complete With An Eclipse

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I love the warmth of the summer, and all the extra outdoor opportunities it offers. Although summer is the time of year we enjoy more relaxed schedules, it appears at times to be more difficult to stay on track with our health, and wellness mainly due to the lack of a formal routine. For me personally, I broke up my so-called routine by spending two months in Boise and while I have spent time creating programs, studying, and working with clients, my routine has completely been tossed out the window. I get far more accomplished each day when I am on a more regimented schedule.

Let's go back to why I am in Boise for the summer - Why? I miss it, to be honest, miss the friends many who I have known for over 20 years, miss the ease of living, miss the great vibe of this small city, and then the bonus is one of my sons lives here and it has been great to be close to him these past two months. The other great bonus is I stay with my dearest friend Liz and her husband John who have been more than patient with me and my dog, Lexi living in their home. There has been one surprise of the summer and it was the arrival of a new family member for Liz and John - Winston. Well, if there was ever something to throw you off your game it's a puppy.

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