Functional and Mental Performance, Prevention, Health and Great Look through Fitness an Wellness
July 9th, 2008 Milan
Older people who maintain their mental acuity tend be both physically healthy and physically active. They are usually socially connected and they tend to be engaged in stimulating or intellectually challenging activities.
I heard that cardio exercise for six months will buy you 15 to 20 % improvement in memory, decision making ability and attention and I strongly believe that.
I believe that regular physical activity improves brain function, both by increasing blood flow to the brain and stimulating the production of hormones and nerve growth factors in building nerve connections.
Exercise also pays a role in countering diseases like Type 2 diabetes, which increases the risk of dementia.
Stimulation through interesting work, continuing education, reading, traveling, taking up new language or learning to play a musical instrument is also very beneficial.
Exercise or any intesive physical activity has also effect on decreasing stress, anxiety, depression and helps with improving memory and decision-making.
Try to maintain flexible attitude and be willing to try new things. And if you are older, you have to expect that things will shift over time and won’t be the same as when you were young. Those who manage to roll with punches, and enjoy change rather than fighting it, tend to do well.
Here are some examples of physical activities to learn, that have big stimulating effect on your brain:
- play table tennis - ping-pong
- play tennis
- jump rope - forward, backward, on left and right leg
- learn how to juggle with 3 balls - takes about 1 month to learn this
- if you are swimmer, try backstroke
- brush your teeth with left hand
- learn to roller blade, skate
- play games like volleyball, soccer, basketball, or any kind of new fun challenging game
You will get great cardiovascular exercise with most of these activities, plus you will stimulate your brain to build new nerve connections to make your brain perform better.
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July 4th, 2008 Milan
If you have a lot of problems, you are stressed and you need a break, you should focus on fitness. Intensive circuit training where you incorporate various exercises targeting all muscle groups will free you from stress. Cardio workout outside like running, biking, kayaking will make you happy again too.
Workouts that make you breathe harder help ease anxiety and tension long after you’ve finished your workout. This also applies to environment. Being outside in the nature, where trees or water is around, makes you relax faster.
Regular cardio and strength exercise, deactivates symptoms of stress by helping lower your resting heart rate and blood pressure. It downshifts your brain into low-anxiety gear.
Being active helps reduce stress, so when you feel anxious or stressed, get out for a quick run or walk and you will feel better. Guarantied!
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June 20th, 2008 Milan
Regular exercise boosts the immune system………unless you overdo it.
In moderate amounts, physical activity reduces the risk of upper respiratory tract infection.
It works in opposite if you go to extremes. Marathon runners have higher risk of colds after a race, because immune function goes down after a prolonged intense exercise.
It is similar with inflammation, which can be a sign of weakened immune system. Regular exercise decreases inflammation. On the other hand, playing a hard game of soccer or basketball only once in a month or once in 2 weeks can boost inflammation if that’s all you do.
The weekend athlete who does something strenuous once in a while can do more harm than good to a lot of systems. You should perform vigorous activity at least two or three times a week to avoid making things worst.
Build up to it with regular exercise - weight training, cardio workout, flexibility training for at least 6 weeks before you start doing vigorous activity like playing soccer. And than, when you start, don’t stop and do it at least 2 times per week. Your body will get use to a work load and you can push it even further without any harm.
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April 23rd, 2008 Milan
Surfing is great exercise.
It gives you the whole package:
- paddling is good for your cardio
- pulling yourself up is a good arm workout
- balancing gives you a core and leg workout
- you feel like a different person after 2 hours of surfing
I will be in Maui for 8 days, leaving tomorrow.
Plan of my trip is mainly - surfing.
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April 17th, 2008 Milan
These steps will help you stay motivated for your important regular workout:
- select pleasant locations for your workouts; try to avoid stuffy gyms, smell of automobiles, unappreciative audience
- do your workout outside as much as you can; I personally think that majority of your cardio workouts like running, swimming, biking, playing tennis, soccer, rowing, kayaking should be done outside
- wear appropriate clothing, maybe even a bit “professional” looking
- be careful about exercise in hot and humid weather; your exercise will feel more pleasant if done early or late in the day when the sun is low
- for running, cycling, cross country skiing, try the hills, a rolling terrain where uphill is mixed with downhill and level progression is ideal
- persevere! On occasion you feel like getting lazy, fool yourself, stop thinking, go to the closet, put on your exercise clothes very fast, get out of your house and start running or walking immediately, try to run or walk for 30 minutes
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April 16th, 2008 Milan
Bicycling is an excellent activity for aerobic conditioning, but:
- it is extremely efficient method of covering distance
- you use less than 1/4 the calories of brisk walking and 1/6 the calories of running a set level of distance if you cycle it
- the energy cost of cycling 15 miles is the approximate equivalent of covering 3 miles on foot
- to burn calories for weight control, a very long distance must be covered
If you really want to get in shape by bicycling, take your heart rate monitor with you and keep your heart rate between 130 - 160 for extended period of time, for at least 30 min. The best thing you can do to get great cardiovascular workout on bicycle is to ride it uphill. You should combine bicycling with other cardiovascular exercises like running, swimming, rowing and other.
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April 10th, 2008 Milan
“Dream as if you will live forever, live as if you will die today.”
- James Dean
Write it in big letters and stick it on the wall, or on the door of your bathroom. Look at it every day and start adjusting.
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April 1st, 2008 Milan
Everybody experienced back pain before. Last time I had back pain, it was after moving bunch of furniture and doing it for all day. This is what I did to get rid of my back pain:
1. I Applied ice
As soon as possible. I applied ice, cold pack to my injured back (10 to 15 minutes every hour). Cold limits swelling, reduces pain, and speeds healing.
2. I did pelvic tilts
This exercise gently moves the spine and stretches the lower back:
- lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor
- slowly tighten your stomach muscles and press your lower back against floor, hold for 20 seconds (keep breathing, do not hold your breath), and slowly relax
3. I walked
I took short walks (5 to 7 minutes) on a level surface (no inclines or declines) every 2 hours.
Walk only distances you can manage without pain!
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March 12th, 2008 Milan
There are many ways to define physical fitness.
I like this one the best:
Optimum physical fitness is the condition resulting from lifestyle, that leads to the development of an optimal level of cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility, as well as the achievement and maintenance of ideal body weight.
Cardiovascular endurance,
also referred to as aerobic fitness, describes the ability of the cardiovascular/cardiopulmonary system (heart, lungs, blood vessels) to deliver an adequate supply of oxygen to exercising muscles.
Muscular strength,
is the maximum amount of force a muscle or muscle group can develop during a single contraction.
Muscle endurance,
is the number of repeated contractions a muscle or muscle group can perform against resistance without fatiguing, or the length of time a contraction can be held without fatigue.
Flexibility,
describes the length of movement which can be accomplished at a joint, such as shoulder, knee, usually referred to as the “range of motion of a joint.”
Ideal body weight,
represents an ideal body composition:
- Body fat
- Lean body mass - represents all the body’s weight, excluding fat - muscles, bones, organs, and nervous tissue.
It is possible to measure one’s level of fitness in each of the areas of optimum fitness using a variety of fitness tests.
You can probably already tell, considering your lifestyle and nutrition if you are in optimal fitness.
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February 24th, 2008 Milan
Survivor:
- he or she is confident but also
- he/she doesn’t complain or blame others
- he/she thinks: “what is the next right move to get out of this”
- he/she doesn’t give up and
- she/he is going to do whatever it takes
Fit and active people occasionally face dangerous situations.
There’s no such a thing as magic plan for every sort of emergency. But there is a basic strategy:
- in battle against nature you first need to win a psychological battle against yourself - calm, cool thinking is a key. If you run around saying, I’m going to die! I’m going to die! You probably will.
- stay calm and focus on what you can do
- take 7 minutes to calm down and asses the situation
- don’t start moving for the sake of action
- don’t make any hasty decisions
- give yourself a pep talk/use your sense of humor - “That’s a cute bear, I wish I had such a beautiful white teeth”
- celebrate your little successes along the way - “I got a fire started!” “I claimed a tree” (bear can climb too)
- Think creatively to make use of the things available to you
- try to get enough sleep (make sure you’re getting at least 2hr sleep per 24)
Be prepared:
I am a surfer, and occasionally I am thinking what I will do if shark is around. I learned few simple things how to behave in these situation. I will fallow these steps before he eats me:
- I will not confuse shark fin with fin of dolphin - If it’s shark, I will typically see dorsal fin and tail fin at the same time, wit dolphin you are not likely to see dorsal fin and tail at once
- whales are harmless, but they are big and scary, I’ve seen them right next to me
- no urinating or bleeding in the water, no shiny jewelry, they all attract sharks
- I will watch shark - large circles mean curiosity, sharp turns mean an attack may be next
- I will bluff aggression - I will swim toward the shark with confident stroke, then I will slap the water with the palms of my hands and shout underwater
- I will fend of with my feet
- I will try to go for the eyes and gills with my fingers and fists (gently to don’t harm that beautiful animal)
Ok, I will certainly let you know, how I did, if that happens.
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