Wellness Wednesday

Germs at the Gym:
What You Can Do to Prevent the Spread
During flu season, the healthiest place to be may not be at health or fitness clubs.

This flu season has been absolutely dreadful, with the CDC recently announcing that the flu is widespread in virtually every part of the country. While the strain of the flu has changed, the mechanism by which its spreads has remained the same. The constant sneezing, coughing and then touching of objects such as door handles and pens/pencils only to be touched again by someone who was previously not infected is something that remains the same time after time. While the best way to fight the flu is to wash your hands, avoid touching your face, cough and sneeze into the crevice of your arm and to keep up with immune supplementation, one method (exercise) may not be the best thing if you aren't being cautious wherever you work out.

When you really think about it, fitness facilities can be germ infested virus and bacteria carriers due to the amount of sweat and other viruses you carry in off of the street. Keeping this in mind, here are some tips on what pieces of equipment to be cautious of and what we can do to prevent catching anything other than the fitness bug:

• Wipe Down Weight Adjustment Pins Before Use: Weight adjustment pins are constantly touched by everyone on the same spot. However, even if you are constantly wiping down equipment after using it, how many times can you say that you've wiped down those little pins? Well, you're not alone as the pins usually score very high in regards to germ levels. To ensure that you'll remain as healthy as possible at the gym, take a second to wipe down these pins before use.
• Free Weights Aren't Free From Germs: Little factoid for you; free weights contain 300 times more germs than toilet seats. With that in mind, you might want to make sure that you wipe down the free weights before use and after use.
• Water Fountains Will Shower You With Germs: E. coli, legionella, coliform and the flu are a few of viruses and bacteria that hang around on water fountains as they spray water, and whatever else previously mentioned, into your mouth. Another fun fact: Some water fountains studied also had more germs on them than toilet seats. When going to the gym, the safest thing to do may be to just bring your own water bottle.

Motivation Monday

“Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” —Jerry Rice

Fitness Tip of the Week:

• Choose a really good Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime show that you can only watch at the gym while doing cardio. Choosing a show like Stranger Things, will leave you on elliptical or bike for a longer period of time, waiting to see what happens in the next cliff-hanging scene. The key to making this work, is ensuring that you only watch the show at the gym. If you watch it at home, you'll no longer have the incentive to go to the gym to enjoy the show.

Breakfast Recipe of the Week:

• Banana Nut Muffin Shake
• 1.5 Scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1 Frozen Banana
• 1 Tablespoon of Almond Butter
• 8-16 Ounces of Water (Depending on How Much Room is Left in Container)

Lunch Recipe of the Week:

• Quinoa Bowl
• 3 Cups of Baby Kale
• 2 Cups Broccoli
• 0.5 Squeezed Lime for Flavor
• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 0.5 Red Bell Pepper
• 0.5 Red Onion
• 0.5 Tablespoon of Mustard
• 6 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Dinner Recipe of the Week:

• Asparagus Sweet Potato Chicken Skillet
• 1 Pound Boneless Chicken Breasts 
• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced 
• 1 Medium Sweet Potato, Peeled and Diced
• 0.5 Cups Chicken Broth or Water
• 0.5 Pounds of Fresh Asparagus 
• 0.5 Teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
• 0.5 Teaspoons of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 0.5 Teaspoons of Crushed Red Pepper

Visit This Link to View the Full Recipe

Exercise of the Week:

Row (3 sets of 10 reps):

Stretch of the Week:

Doorway Pec Stretch (3 sets of 30 second hold):

Fitness Friday

Activity in Older Women, No Matter the Amount, Linked to Lower Mortality Rates

A recent study published in the American Geriatric Society Journal found that those who were older and exercised lived longer.

In an aging society where many older adults are overweight and obese, exercise has become an imperative to try and cut healthcare costs. Current official guidelines for exercise in the older adult population dictate spending at least 2.5 hours every week completing moderate activity, or 1.25 hours of vigorous activity. The problem with these guidelines is that many people feel that they are not fit enough to start working out, whether it be because of fear of getting hurt or not being able to do it because they aren't fit enough to start. Despite this fear, it is essential that older adults exercise to continue to live healthy lives, and in many cases longer lives.

Researchers studied 6,489 female participants aged 63-99 years old and gave them exercises, accelerometers, and questionnaires to complete. Many were considered overweight, and 30% of participants were classified as obese. The study was conducted between 2012 and 2013, and the death certificates were reviewed in 2016 to see how exercise affected the mortality rate of participants. 1% of participants scored low on light-intensity exercise, 29% scored high on light-intensity exercise, and 15% performed moderate to vigorous physical activity. After reviewing the death certificates, the researchers concluded that older women with higher levels of physical activity were were less likely to die than women with lower levels of physical activity, no matter the cause of death. They also concluded that light activity overall, led to a decline in mortality rate.

Wellness Wednesday

The Risk of Snow Shoveling and Heart Attack, & What You Can do to Help Prevent It

Snow shoveling can be a strenuous task for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, and if certain precautions are not taken a heart attack may be in their future. 

For many in the US, exercise is not a constant in their lives. Because of this, it can be especially worrisome when the person is expected to do very strenuous activity all of a sudden. Instances such as these occur during a heavy snowfall and the person has to shovel or push a snowblower. This sudden strenuous activity can sometimes lead to injury, and in even some cases a heart attack. Those who are at risk for heart attack when snow shoveling are as follows: those with a history of a prior heart attack, those with a known heart disease, those with a history of high blood pressure or high cholesterol, smokers and those who lead a sedentary lifestyle.

So what can you do to prevent heart attacks if you fall in that category? Here are a few things that you can do before you shovel to ensure you don't increase your risk of heart attack:

• Talk to your doctor about shoveling before winter sets in.
• Don't eat a heavy meal, drink coffee, or smoke before shoveling the snow. Blood is diverted to the stomach when eating, while coffee and smoking elevates blood pressure an increases heart rate.
• Give yourself some time after waking up before shoveling, and be sure to warm up by marching in place an doing some stretches.
• Use a small shovel, drink lots of water and take frequent 15-minute breaks. 
• Dress in layers while being sure to cover your head, neck, and mouth.
• Watch for signs of heart attack (lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath,  and tightness or burning in the chest and neck/arms).  

Easy Healthy Eating Habits

Eating healthy is not easy, but there are some easy habits you can create that can make healthy eating easier. While this list may seem long, some of them you may already do and those that you do not, you don't have to try to adopt them all at once. Try to choose between one and three to focus on, and add in the rest as you feel necessary.

• Get rid of processed foods
• The best way to clean up your diet is to ditch the processed foods and focus on eating whole, real foods instead. Try to rid your cabinets of canned soups, instant grains and microwavable meals. 
• Aim to shop locally
• By doing this, you are also able to eat what is in season and you are able to support local farms. This helps your diet because it will be cheaper to purchase in-season produce and you will be eating more of a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.
• Eat for color
• Aim to get at least 4-5 colors on your plate a each meal. By adding more color into your meals, you will add more flavor, texture and added nutrients. 
• Bring your own lunch
• This is also another one of the best things you can do to improve your diet. By packing your own lunch, you know exactly what you are putting into your body and are not tempted to go through the drive through when you become starving at lunch time. You are much more likely to make healthy choices when you have them at your finger tips.
• Meal prep
• Preparing breakfasts, lunches, dinner and snacks ahead of time will allow to to eat healthy throughout the entire week. Having healthy food already prepared at work and when you get home from work will allow you to have health options and not having to whip up a quick meal or get take out.
• Make salad for dinner
• Salads are probably the easiest way to get in a ton of nutrients when you get home late or don't have a lot of time to make dinner. Keep fresh veggies/greens on hand with some prepped protein, quickly throw into a bowl for a quick, light and healthy dinner. 
• Swap out your sweeteners
• Having sweeteners on hand in necessary for certain foods and recipes. However, not all sweeteners are the same and you should try to swap out chemical-filled sweeteners for more natural options such as maple syrup and local honey. 

Fitness Friday

Stand Up For Your Health

In a world of rising desk work and overweight population, standing up at work may be just what is needed to help reset the trend of unhealthiness.

Even when people exercise regularly, the average person still manages to sit for at least 11 hours a day. The change in workplace habits over the years has reached an extreme, as almost all work is completed sitting down at a desk on a computer all day instead of standing and walking around to complete work-related tasks. This change in the workplace is ultimately a change in lifestyle for many people as the calories that they once burned in the workplace have been replaced by sedentary behavior in the workplace and at home. This prolonged sitting puts more people at risk for diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer, and ultimately increases healthcare costs and insurance premiums for those affected. 

Researchers at the University of Ontario utilized a six-week method similar to that used in smoking cessation and seatbelt compliance cases, to try and improve workplace compliance for an increase in standing and not sitting. The students involved in the study chose strategies (setting timers and reminders to stand) and met with researchers three weeks into the study to ensure they were complying. After six weeks the students had turned the strategies into habits, getting up every hour instead of every 90 minutes, while their control group counterparts showed no improvement. The researchers found that the best workplace strategies also included making more frequent trips to the water fountain/cooler instead of longer ones, standing during computer work or phone calls, and walking to an employees cubicle to talk about an issue instead of emailing them. 

Wellness Wednesday

Are Electronics Taking Over Your Child's Life?

A recent open letter from the Apple's board of directors has called on the software giant to do more when it comes to kid's addiction to iPhone's and other Apple devices.

Electronic devices have become a normal part of society. Checking one's phone for text messages and emails has become almost as regular as checking the time on one's watch; that is unless you have a smartwatch and can check all electronic correspondence on your wrist anyway. A recent report released by Influence Central in 2016 reported that the average age of a child receiving their first smartphone was 10.3 years, and that 39% of children receive their first social media account at age 11. Along with an increase in younger smart device owners, the percentage of children who use their devices in a shared room in the household dropped from 85% in 2012 to 74% in 2016. A year following this report, the primary shareholders of Apple (JANA Partners LLC and the California State Teachers' Retirement System) have also noticed a rise in the number of younger users, and the "addiction" to the electronic devices that has developed as a result in the rise. 

The shareholders wrote a joint letter to apple recently pleading with the company to do more to fight the addiction. The shareholders teamed up with researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School Training Center along with a psychologist at San Diego State University to study just how much these smart devices might be negatively affecting children, instead of positively. These are the highlights of their research:

• Research from the psychologist at the University of San Diego (Professor Jeane M. Twenge) showed that children who spend more than 3 hours a day on electronic devices are 35% more likely to have  risk factor for suicide than those who spend less than one hour on social media, while those who spend more than 5 hours a day are at a 71% increased risk of having a suicide risk factor.
• Teens who spend more than 5 hours a day on electronic devices are 51% more likely to get less than 7 hours of sleep, and are linked to long-term issues like weight gain and high blood pressure compared to those who are on their devices less than one hour a day.
• A study of 8th graders who were heavy social media users had a 27% higher risk of depression, while those who exceed the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise outside or through sports were much less likely to develop depression then or later in life.

Fitness Friday

Weak Abdominal Muscles Are At The "Core" Of Back Problems For Runners

Chronic back problems are an issue that often stymies runners' attempts at keeping healthy. New research from Ohio State University has revealed, however, that deep core muscles that are weak are often at fault for your sore back.

Runners, especially long distance runners, may often experience back pain after long bouts of training. This pain often hinders the runner's ability to keep their normal race pace, and may even affect their daily lives. Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have conducted research that has found that deep core muscles may often be the culprit of this back pain. The researchers conducted a study in which motion detection technology and force floor measuring plates were utilized to isolate and estimate certain muscle movements during activity. The researchers were able to virtually turn off certain muscles and see how the body compensated in reaction to the virtual muscle exhaustion. The conclusion of their study found that weak core muscles resulted in faster exhaustion and reliance on superficial muscles such as the abdominals and other back muscles along with increased strain on hip flexors. The leads on the research team recommended planking exercises on an unstable surface, which can be found below (Recommended 3 sets of 15-45 seconds per exercise. Stop if you have any pain especially in the back, as all work should be felt in the core):

Wellness Wednesday

Nothing Is Fishy About Getting To Get Your Kids To Sleep By Increasing Fish Meal Intake

New research from the University of Pennslyvania has found that increasing fish in children's diet improves IQ and sleep habits.

Parents are always trying to do the best for their kids, whether it be getting them into the best schools, getting them ahead in sports with personal training lessons, or getting them to eat right. New research from the University of Pennsylvania has found that children who eat fish at least once a week sleep better and have an IQ that is an average of 4 points higher in comparison to those who eat fish less than once a week. The study was based on previous research that showed a relationship between omega-3's and increased intelligence and sleep, but never connected as a whole. Looking to unite the ideas of these two different studies, a cohort of 541 9-11 year-olds were given a questionnaire to complete that asked how often they consumed fish in the past week and then given an IQ test. The parents were then asked how much sleep the children received at home, along with how often the children awoke during the night. The researchers, after gathering all information, concluded that children who ate fish at least once a week scored 4.8 points higher on the IQ test, those who ate fish on occasion scored 3.3 points higher and all those who ate fish reported a better quality of sleep. While more research is warranted, increasing fish in a child's diet may be an easier way to get your kid to bed.

Fitness Friday

How Fitness Can Help You Keep Your Smoking Resolution For The New Year

When it comes to quitting smoking, fitness may be the answer to staving off the nagging cravings.

When it comes to trying to quit smoking, it's far from an easy feat. More people are addicted to nicotine in the United States, than to any other drug. Research even suggests that the nicotine found in cigarettes is as addicting as heroin, cocaine or alcohol. Despite the difficulty in kicking the habit, roughly more than half of all smokers have tried quitting for at least one day. Those that attempt to quit often use a variety of quitting assistance methods that include counseling, behavioral therapies, prescriptions (nicotine and non-nicotine), and other alternative methods such as hypnosis. While all of these methods of assistance have their merits, researchers St. George's University of London have found that exercise may be smoker's best bet for kicking the habit.

The researchers at the university studied the underlying mechanism for exercises' way of protecting the body against nicotine dependence and withdrawal. Their research found that moderate intensity exercise markedly reduced the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and increased the activation of a type of receptor that is a target of nicotine. Their findings in the trial of two groups of nicotine-treated mice who exercised 2 or 24 hours a day, ultimately found a protective effect of exercise by reducing the severity of withdrawal symptoms. 

Wellness Wednesday

Wake Up! The Sugar Coma Is A Real Thing!!!

Recent research has found that sugar intake may impair brain function soon after ingestion.

Sugar is a necessity for energy production and consumption within our bodies. The carbohydrate form that it comes in is broken down into simple sugars that are processed by insulin and moved into our cells to be used as short-term energy. Glucose is a good sugar and an important form of complex carbohydrates that provides energy. Fructose is another sugar commonly found in fruit, however, when it's not paired with fiber (as is the case when not eaten as fruit) it can overwhelm the liver's ability to process it. Excess intake of sugar can lead to mood swings and weight gain, as can be seen in the more recent focus of the CDC to reduce sugar consumption more-so than fat. A more recent study, however, has shown that sugar may also impair cognitive function in some scenarios.

Researchers from New Zealand conducted a study using 49 individuals that consumed soft drinks containing either glucose, sucrose, fructose, or sucralose before completing three cognitive tests (a simple response time task, a measure of arithmetic time task, and the Stroop task). The participant's blood glucose levels were measured during the tests and ultimately found that those who consumed glucose or sucrose tended to perform worse on cognitive tests than those who consumed fructose or sucralose. The 

Top 5 New Year Healthy Habits

If losing weight or getting healthier is on your list of New Year's resolutions, rather than making that one broad resolution, try breaking it down into small, achievable healthy habits that you can adopt one at a time to get you closer to your health goal. Here are some of the top healthy habits you can incorporate into your life that can help you lose weight, or just be healthier in general.

• Exercise
• One of the first steps you can make into making a healthier you is to start an exercise program. If you currently don't have an exercise program at all, start slow and work your way up. If you already exercise on a regular basis, try to change up your routine by trying a new exercise or trying out a new class.
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Try to get in at least 5 servings each day. Additionally, try to eat more leafy greens and less fruits. Fruit is full of sugar, so eating too much can be detrimental to your health. Try eating more berries as your fruit, as they are lower in sugar and high in antioxidants.
• Avoid Sugar
• Try eliminating sugar for the first 7 days of the new year. This will help get rid of those cravings you have built up from all of those holiday treats.
• Get Regular Screens
• Make it a point to get your screenings done for the year. Start basic with a wellness physical, blood pressure and cholesterol screening. Depending on your age, get other screenings scheduled like a mammogram or colonoscopy.
• Sleep
• Without adequate sleep, many other areas of your health can decline and feel the effects of it. Make it a priority to get to sleep earlier and get 7-8 hours each night, as often as you can.