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Taking care of our brains – how to do it and why it’s important

Published: 3 February 2022
Written by Dev Ops
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Categories: Blog

Our brain function and the health of our nervous system is essential to living an attuned and healthy life. As our brain and nervous system begin to degenerate from negligence and age, so too does the quality of our everyday living, as our memory, cognition, and physical capabilities are directly affected. Once degeneration of the brain starts, it sets off a kind of domino effect throughout the rest of the body, so this month we’re looking at how we can keep our brains healthy and the neurons firing for the long haul!

I started listening to the Huberman Lab podcast a few months ago and I’ve been hooked. All of the information he shares is pulled from his own experience and research, as well as from other research professionals in the fitness, wellness, and health science industries. He’s a man of great knowledge and a great passion for living an intentionally healthy life. The information I’ll be sharing in this blog is heavily inspired by a couple of his episodes, and I’m super excited about it! He reminded me just how incredible our brain and nervous system are.

First things first, did you know that our brain doesn’t make new neurons throughout our life?  The neurons we have can change and develop over time (for better or for worse) but once they’ve degenerated to nothing, there’s no bringing them back. And this one fact right here should be enough to convince you of the importance of taking care of your brain every day. Without an intentional focus on nurturing peak brain function and maintaining brain health over time, our memory, focus, and cognition suffer greatly and it’s hard to feel truly healthy.

So how can we make sure that we’re doing all we can to keep our brain firing on all cylinders as it should? Of course, like anything in life, there are many different ways to ‘feed’ your brain. The first way is to literally feed it with food. Then there’s sleep, meditation, and exercise. And lastly, interactive and cognitive games/activities. When all of these healthy initiatives are combined, well then your brain and nervous system are feeling on top of the world!

MODULATORY COMPONENTS OF BRAIN HEALTH

Sleep

Sleep is an important time for our brain. Quality and ample sleep is the foundation of all mental and physical health. Poor quality sleep exacerbates dementia and affects focus, learning, memory, the ability to connect socially, physical health, and more. Without sleep, the brain struggles to function properly. Because they don’t have time to recuperate, neurons become overworked and are less capable of optimal performance in numerous types of thinking. 

It is suggested we do our best to sleep around the same time each night and to get the same amount of hours in each night (anywhere from 7-8 hours). Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake. 

Good sleep hygiene should be at the top of all our healthy habits to-do list!

Exercise

Specifically, cardiovascular exercise. It is recommended that everyone engage in a minimum of 150-180 minutes of cardio training per week. This type of exercise is crucial for heart health, which is directly related to brain function (blood circulation is key to nervous system health and function!).

Meditation

Try for just 5-10 minutes a day. Meditation – no matter how long each day – strengthens neural connections and can literally change the configuration of these networks. With regular practice, you can cultivate more resilient neurobiology that contributes to a greater sense of well-being and maintains brain health as you age. There are lots of meditation videos and apps available to choose from, but my personal favourite is the Headspace app because it offers a wide variety of meditations and some are as short as 3 minutes. Easy to fit in before bed or first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. 

MEDIATING* COMPONENTS OF BRAIN HEALTH

*mediating meaning directly controlling the nerves cells in our brain.

Food

Of course, food affects our brain health! The food that we invest indirectly impacts every part of our body. Our systems, organs, blood, cells. It’s why nutritionists exist. So we can help you fill your body with all the right foods to help you thrive!

Which foods/supplements are best to support the structure of neurons and cells of the brain that allow us to function? Believe it or not, studies and Huberman argue that the most important food element for brain function is fat. But not storage fat (nonessential fat), rather structural fat. The water content of the brain is incredibly high and the integrity of our neurons and cells comes from fat. This structural (essential) fat we’re referring to comes from particular foods.

Where can we source this magical, structural fat? You’ll find it in:

  • Omega-3
  • Phosphatidylserine
  • Choline
  • Dark skinned berries
  • Glutamine

Omega 3s are helpful for normal cognitive function as they support the cells that allow for cognition, movement and memory. They also offset depression and improve mood! Try for  1.5-3 grams per day.

You can get this from fish oil supplement Or krill oil/algae (for vegans). Or from eating foods including: 

  • Fish
  • Caviar
  • Chia seeds
  • Walnuts

Phosphatidylserine – lipid-like compound

  • Meat and fish 
  • Cabbage 
  • Supplements

Choline – is a neuromodulator, a chemical that modulates the function of brain circuits and circuits in the body. It works to exchange the chemical activity of some neurons and downplay the activity of others. It’s like a conductor and specifically affects your focus and alertness (through the production of an ego-choline). Eggs and egg yolks are incredible sources of choline and are a rich rich source of nutrients for the brain. For vegans, potatoes, nuts, and seeds are great options! Strive to get 500-1,000 mg per day.

Blueberries and dark berries or blueberry extract. These potent berries reduce DNA damage as well as cognitive decline.

Glutamine – an extra important supplement to ingest if you experience sleep apnea! Apnea (lack of oxygen to the brain) directly related to cognitive decline and dysfunction. It is a serious sleep and health issue. Among other interventions, glutamine can help with sleep apnea by reducing inflammation. You can take glutamine as a supplement in very small amounts. 

REMEMBER – because our brain is composed of 73% water, it is also important to consume adequate water in a day, as well as your daily dose of sodium and magnesium.

Hot tip! Ingestion of low-sugar fermented foods each day can enhance the quality of the mucosal lining of the gut and gut microbiome conditions. Think kimchi – yum!

What’s interesting about our brain and food, and what Dr. Huberman explains in his podcast is that the perception of what foods we like is a central phenomenon of the brain. Our food preference has nothing to do with the actual taste of the food but rather how your brain is perceiving it. Like hearing, vision, smell, and touch, the taste is an internal representation that has particular goals for you and your body. Your sense of what tastes good relates to what’s currently occurring in your brain and body. It’s not about what you like/what tastes good, it’s about what your body needs. Your body and brain are acting in a coordinated way to make you prefer certain foods and make you pursue those foods. There becomes a learned association of a particular taste with a particular quality/value that a food has. Incredible isn’t it?

What’s even more incredible is realizing that what our bodies are seeking when we eat is not taste, but rather food that allows our neurons to be metabolically active. We don’t realize this because it’s subconscious, but this reality is fundamentally important to understand why we eat specific foods and how we can change these foods to make sure we’re ingesting nutritious products for our brain health.

“Foods impact our brain and its health and they also impact how our brain functions and responds to food, and that is largely a learned response. When we regularly consume foods that are less sweet, less savoury, those foods that we say are super-palatable foods, we can adjust our sense of what we perceive as an attractive and rewarding food and indeed our dopamine system will reward those foods accordingly.”

This learned association helps us enjoy nutrient-packed foods more!

Interested in learning more about foods and supplements that can maintain and help your brain and nervous system thrive? I’d love to work with you one on one to reach your nutrition goals! Let’s chat 🙂

info@getfitfirst.ca

Contact Us

Want to learn more about the intricate science behind food and brain function? Check out the Huberman Hub podcast on Spotify, episode 42. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured Professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. For more than 20 years, Dr. Huberman has consistently published original research findings and reviewed articles in top-level peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Science, Cell, Neuron, and Current Biology.

Alignment, balance, and intention

Published: 26 January 2022
Written by Dev Ops
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Categories: Blog

Breaking down these three pillars of exercise and healthy living from the perspective of a personal trainer, JOGA coach, and nutritionist.

I don’t typically make new goals when January rolls around, as I tend to work on and reassess my personal fitness and nutritional goals regularly throughout the year. A new year is of course a fresh start, but it doesn’t always mean a reset of your personal objectives or a change in perspective. Many times, I’m working towards the same goals as I was the year before and the year after that. A new year is an exciting thing! But I don’t like to put too much pressure on myself or my clients to change things up if they don’t need to. This is why this post here won’t be a typical “new year, new goals” post that many of us are used to seeing every January from the fitness industry. 

Instead, I’d like to talk about three distinct, yet interconnected, pillars of fitness and health that I so strongly apply to my own exercise regimen and encourage with my clients and athletes; alignment, balance, and intention. Three incredibly important factors have an indisputable effect on the effectiveness of your physical exercises and mental health habits. When we focus on alignment, balance, and intention in our workouts we are allowing our body to strengthen, lengthen and operate in its most optimal state. And when we focus on alignment, balance, and intention in the way we think and perceive ourselves/our world, we are working to break negative thought patterns and manifest calmness, compassion, and curiosity in our minds. 

We’ll be addressing these three pillars as they relate to physical fitness and nutrition goals this month. Diving into the importance and benefit of each when it comes to exercise and food, and what they mean for a personal trainer, a JOGA coach, and a nutritionist (all of which I am!). 

Woo, here we go!

Having good alignment keeps your joints in their proper positions. This produces optimal muscle performance which translates to power and stamina.

Alignment 

Alignment refers to how the head, shoulders, spine, hips, knees, and ankles relate and line up with each other. 

Alignment is huge in the JOGA world. It’s one aspect we emphasize heavily as we transition to and from and as we breathe within each pose. From the crown of our head down to our toes, there is always a way to keep our neck and spine long, our hips square, and our knees in line with our ankles. Alignment in JOGA teaches us to tune into our bodies, stay focused within the exercise and adjust in ways that work for our particular body (because we’re all different!). When it comes down to it, alignment is at the very core of JOGA and that’s what makes it such an effective practice for people and top athletes in the world.

Much like in JOGA, alignment in the personal training world is all about keeping our joints safe and strong and preventing overcompensation in any part of our body as we’re lifting weights, using resistance bands, or supporting our own weight. I am always encouraging proper form and alignment to ensure the body functions at its best and the risk of injury stays low. We want to strengthen our muscles and joints, not put added stress on them. 

As a nutritionist, I like to encourage my clients to align their fitness goals with their nutrition goals. Make sure that the calories you are taking in positively affect the work you put in during your exercise days. Eat enough calories to fuel and refuel your body. Eat enough of the right foods to regenerate your muscles and help them grow/repair while you rest. Eat foods that sit well in your gut and give you the energy to keep you motivated for your workouts. When food and body are aligned, anything is possible.

Balance is a key component of fitness, along with strength, endurance, and flexibility. It is a fundamental aspect of any movement we perform.

Balance

Balance training is often neglected when people are developing their fitness regime. This may be because they don’t understand the incredible benefits it can have on our bodies and minds, or perhaps because it’s not an aspect that immediately comes to mind when we have exercise on the brain. The thing is, improving our balance will ultimately allow us to achieve more – achieve our goals! – in our respective sports or training programs.

In JOGA, we work a lot on keeping our bodies in balance, specifically when we transition from one pose to another. One-legged poses give us a chance to find our center of gravity and dance around its edges. When we balance, we align our body’s center of gravity with the earth’s gravitational field. The sustained effort to center and recenter, when successful, brings not only our flesh and bones into balance but also our nerve impulses, thoughts, emotions, and consciousness. 

A focus on staying balanced helps us find mental and emotional steadiness as well. Calmness of the mind is a huge takeaway from JOGA sessions.

Focusing on balance in JOGA is what rounds out an entire session, complementing the muscle-building exercises and our breathwork. Balance is what keeps us on our feet and allows our bodies to continue doing what we love to do, both in and out of our JOGA sessions.

I get many clients who come to me wanting a personal coach who will provide a program that focuses on weight loss and/or strength training. I love to create programs of all styles that will allow my clients to reach their personal goals, AND I never forget to add in the element of balance training (which many people aren’t prepared for!). As I said, it’s not an exercise element that readily comes to mind when you think about putting together a fitness program. But it’s essential to create a well-balanced, fully functional, and effective exercise plan. Improving balance is important for overall fitness and everyday activities simply because it increases overall movement function. Any workout move you do requires some level of balance—to even just walk you need to have basic balancing abilities. So balance is absolutely, always a key element that I include in my clients’ custom fitness programs. 

Balance for me, as a nutritionist, relates to the food we ingest and our personal nutrition goals. In order to find a healthy balance in our life, eating the foods we like that allow us to reach our goals, is so important. Otherwise, the food portion of your healthy lifestyle program will always feel like an uphill battle. Finding whole, healthy foods that work for your palate, your stomach, and your digestive system is essential to keeping your body feeling strong, energized, and functional in all respects (including your mind). As a nutritionist, it’s my job to work with the foods that work for you to create a custom plan that you’ll be happy to stick to day in and day out as you progress on your fitness journey. And I’m here for it!

Without clear intentions, people tend to wander aimlessly from one situation to another. Life then becomes one of least resistance, never really getting the molding needed to accomplish their goals.

Intention

We live in such a fast-paced world. Everyone is go-go-go. We need to be here, have to be there. Need to get this done, have to start planning a new project. Some days, it can feel hard to catch our breath. It can feel hard to simply stop and sit. We fly through the hours, many times on autopilot, and end up wondering where the weeks, months, and years go. And to top it all off, we’re inundated on social media with images and videos that distract us from our individual lives and make us think that we should be somewhere else, doing something else, with someone else; making happiness seem as though it can be attained elsewhere and that it’s not already exactly where we are. Living with intention and ensuring our healthy lifestyle programs – exercise and nutrition – are done with intention (acute attention and focus on the present movement, breath, activity, food) is extremely important to make the most of your JOGA sessions, workouts, and meals.

Every JOGA pose, movement, transition, breath, and exercise is led and sustained with absolute intention. It’s a fundamental pillar of JOGA as a fitness program. Bringing your focus onto the present moment, onto your body and all its sensations as you move and hold each pose is what allows you to get the most from a session. Bringing the focus to your body and your breath is what gets you out of your head and into practice. You can engage your muscles more effectively, inhale and exhale more efficiently and maintain the mind-body connection that makes JOGA an incredibly powerful exercise for athletes and people looking to level up their fitness program.

This mind-body connection we strive for in JOGA is just as important and just as encouraged in strength training. As a personal trainer, I also like to empower my clients to make intentional goals for their custom program. Do you want to deadlift a certain amount by the end of the program? Do you want to achieve a certain body mass index? Do you want to strengthen your body in a way that eliminates targeted pain and tension? What are your specific personal goals that have brought us together? I find that these goals allow for the magic to really happen. The hard work pays off too of course,  but goals without intention are just dreams. Let’s make some magic together this year!

When I think about intention as it relates to food, I think about mindful eating. Take your time to plate your food and then eat slowly enough to chew 20-30 times to really taste the food that’s on your palate. Savor the flavours, relish in your hard work and enjoy the textures of the foods you love. Aside from the pleasure portion of eating more mindfully, taking more chews in every bite is important, because the better your body is prepared to break down and digest the food, the more nutrients your body will absorb from said food. The stomach is a bit like a blender mixing everything up, and breaking down food into smaller constituent parts. Protein digestion starts in the stomach, so the larger the food particles are, the harder the stomach acid has to work to break it down, therefore absorbing fewer nutrients than it could if the food had been masticated more before swallowing. The physical action of chewing supports digestion.

So cook up your favourite foods, marvel at the plate in front of you, and take nice slow bites as you enjoy every part of your plate!

Starting a new year is always exciting – especially after the last couple years we’ve had! – and I look forward to what’s ahead for us as a collective, for me as an individual and for my clients. Cheers to a great January and a happy, healthy 2022!

Are we friends on social media yet?! If not, come join me on IG and FB!

Instagram: @getfitfirstlifestyle

Facebook: Get Fit First

Interested in giving JOGA a try for your sports team or as an individual? I’m available for in-person and virtual JOGA and I am currently offering two online sessions a week that you can sign up for here: link here

Looking for a dedicated personal trainer and/or fitness nutritionist for 2022? I’m accepting new clients and would love to work with you to create completely customized programs. Reach out to me via email to start the conversation: info@getfitfirst.ca

#getfitfirstlifestyle #getfit #fitness #fitnessindustry #newyear #joga #jogaworld #personaltrainer #personaltraining #healthy #nutrition #fitnessnutrition #nutritionist #strengthtraining #balance #alignment #intention #goals

The Importance of Nutrition and Physical Recovery After Exercise

Published: 27 December 2021
Written by Dev Ops
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Categories: Blog

Making sure your body makes the most of your daily exercise routine.

It is well known that daily/weekly exercise plays an important role in keeping your mind and body happy and healthy. It’s one of the greatest things we can do for ourselves, next to sleep and whole foods, to feel good and function at our absolute best! 

But did you know that in exercising regularly, you also need to help your body recover effectively? And that there are certain things you can do to help make this happen? If you want to learn more, you’re in the right place!

Let’s start here so we’re all on the same page: recovery is the return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. Optimal physical recovery is best attained through an integrative approach, focusing on nutrition/hydration, sleep, and stress management. 

Refuel, rehydrate and rebuild; these are our cornerstones of post-workout recovery. 

Now let’s get into the good stuff!

Proper nutrition is vital to optimize recovery after endurance exercise. Dietary carbohydrate and protein provide the requisite substrates to enhance glycogen resynthesis and remodel skeletal muscle proteins, respectively, both of which would be important to rapidly restore muscle function and performance.

Nutrition to Support Recovery from Endurance Exercise Optimal Carbohydrate and Protein Replacement – Moore, Daniel R. PhD

Post-exercise nutrition

The primary goals of recovery nutrition are to: appropriately refuel and rehydrate the body, promote muscle repair and growth, support immune function, and boost muscle adaptation from the training session. 

But all of this only happens when the right foods/drinks are being consumed. What we eat becomes very important post-exercise!

Inadequate nutrition recovery – from no food intake or the wrong food intake – can result in: increased fatigue during your next workout or daily activities like work/school/errands, reduced performance at your next training session/game/event, suboptimal gains from the session just completed and/or increased muscle soreness.

The food we eat to help our body recover is just as important as the food we eat to fuel our bodies.

What to eat post-workout

So what should we be preparing ourselves post-workout?

Of course, everyone is different in what they like to/can eat, what their appetite is like, and what sits comfortably in their stomach in the hours after exercise but speaking in a general sense, post-workout foods should: be rich in quality (quality = keyword!) carbohydrates to replenish muscle fuel stores, contain some lean protein to promote muscle repair and/or include a source of fluid and electrolytes to rehydrate the body effectively.

There’s never one “best” option for what to eat after exercise. We’re all different human beings, with different bodies, needs, exercise levels, dietary restrictions, etc. Finding the right food combinations for you may take a bit of trial and error, but it’s not something to stress over. Ingesting whole foods post-exercise is a great place to start and then you can get creative from there.

Here are some examples of quality carb, lean protein food options that you can incorporate into your diet on both exercise days and rest days:

  • Lean chicken and salad
  • Muesli with yoghurt and berries
  • Fresh fruit and Greek yoghurt
  • Spaghetti with lean beef bolognese sauce
  • Chicken burrito with salad and cheese
  • Small tin of tuna on crackers with a banana
  • Tofu/tempeh with brown rice and sweet potatoes
  • Zucchini pasta with avocado pesto

Read on to the end to find my fav smoothie bowl recipe!

Dairy-based fluids such as smoothies and flavoured milk are especially handy if you want protein, carbohydrate, fluid, and electrolyte in one go, and on the go!

Quick tip #1: The body is most effective at replacing carbohydrates and promoting muscle repair and growth within the first ~60-90min after exercise. However, don’t worry if you can’t get in your source of carbs that fast! This process will continue to occur for another ~12-24hr. So, you’ll maximize your recovery within the first 60-90min but that recovery can happen the next morning/day as well if the food you intake is healthy and of high quality.

Quick tip #2: Consuming frequent meals throughout the day containing adequate carbohydrates (according to training intensity – the higher the intensity the more carbs you want to consume) and protein (approximately 0.25 g·kg−1) will help to fully restore muscle glycogen and sustain it over prolonged recovery periods.

Remember, drink that H2O!

Rehydrating is also a part of post-exercise nutrition and a very important one at that! Water regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, and transports nutrients, so rehydrating should begin soon after finishing your training session, game, or event. During the recovery phase, staying hydrated can help stimulate blood flow to the muscles, which can reduce muscle pain. In addition, hydration can help flush out toxins which can exacerbate muscle soreness.

Dehydration can put the body through unnecessary stress affecting your blood pressure, stamina, kidney function, and physical efficiency in your subsequent exercises/workouts/games/events. Signs of dehydration can include fatigue, muscle cramps, and dizziness. 

Note: Caffeine and alcohol-containing beverages are not ideal rehydration fluids since they promote an increased rate of diuresis.

Indeed, sleep is often anecdotally suggested to be the single best recovery strategy available to elite athletes. Ensuring athletes gain an appropriate quality and quantity of sleep may be important for optimal athletic performance.

Nutrition, sleep and recovery — Shona L Halson, European Journal of sport science 8 (2), 119-126, 2008

Sleep

The relationship between sleep and overall physical health is well-documented. Sleep allows both the body and brain to recover during the night and services all aspects of our body in one way or another: molecular, energy balance, as well as intellectual function, alertness, and mood. 

But sleep isn’t just essential for the brain. Sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies. It affects growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health. Your body actually releases hormones during sleep that help to repair cells and control the body’s use of energy.

Here are some tips and tricks you can implement to help optimize your sleep each night: 

  • Keep bedtime hour and wake up hour consistent every day
  • Make sure your sleep space is dark, quiet, and comfortable.
  • Exercise daily (but not right before bedtime).
  • Limit the use of electronics/blue light before bed.
  • Unwind before crawling into bed. Take a warm bath/shower, meditate, read a book.
  • Avoid alcohol and stimulants such as caffeine late in the day.
  • Avoid nicotine.

Sleep must be made a priority and recognized as an essential part of our daily routines if we want to keep our body feeling and functioning at its best for our everyday activities and our high-intensity exercises.

Stretching

Stretching is often forgotten or actively avoided before/after exercise, but there is so much to gain from incorporating a good stretching routine to your exercise plan!

It’s been tested and scientifically proven that stretching your body, especially following exercise of any kind, can help reduce muscle soreness/tenderness, improve flexibility, and, consequently, improve the range of motion of your joints.

Better flexibility can lead to:

  • Improved performance in physical activities
  • Lower risk of injury
  • Joints moving through their full range of motion
  • Muscles working at their most effective

Full body stretching also increases blood flow to the muscle, which is exactly what helps it recover in the best way possible.

Skipping regular stretching means you risk losing the potential benefits. For instance, if stretching helped you increase your range of motion, your range of motion may decrease again if you stop stretching. Yes, stretching can take time, but you can achieve the most benefits by stretching regularly, at least two to three times a week, and especially post-exercise.

If stagnant stretching just isn’t your thing, no need to worry! Perhaps you can introduce some tai chi or yoga into your weekly exercise routine. You’ll be moving, stretching and rehabilitating your mind, body and spirit in a more active and engaging way.

A number of factors contribute to success in sport, and diet is a key component. An athlete’s dietary requirements depend on several aspects, including the sport, the athlete’s goals, the environment, and practical issues. The importance of individualized dietary advice has been increasingly recognized, including day-to-day dietary advice and specific advice before, during, and after training and/or competition.

Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery — Kathryn L Beck, Jasmine S Thomson, […], and Pamela R von Hurst

Nutrition/recovery for endurance athletes

Elite endurance athletes who are aiming to maximize post-exercise recovery so as to maintain or enhance subsequent exercise performance, should target a nutrition strategy that features optimal ingestion of both carbohydrates and protein.

Research has shown time and again that carbohydrates consumed shortly after exercise enhances rates of muscle glycogen resynthesis. This is incredibly important for endurance athletes because their legs are used for almost every activity. If the legs aren’t full of glycogen, performance will inevitably suffer. Complex carbohydrates are the best choice for endurance athletes. They allow the digestive system to rapidly and efficiently process a greater volume of calories, providing steady energy.

Reminder: Choose foods that have little or no refined sugar or saturated fats.

In addition to carbs and proteins, it is incredibly important to consume sufficient amounts of calories and fluids during workouts/games/races/events, and this includes electrolyte supplementation as well. Just as your car’s engine requires sufficient oil to keep its many parts running smoothly, the body requires electrolytic minerals to maintain smooth performance of vital functions, such as muscle contraction. Athletes who don’t consume a healthy amount of fluids and electrolytes will inevitably impair their performance and may incur painful and debilitating cramping/spasms; a sure way to ruin a workout or race.

3 main things to remember when it comes to feeling good in your body:

  1. Exercise in ways that feel the absolute best for your body. This is how you’ll stick with it.
  2. Eat the foods that feel good in your body. Nourish your body. You deserve it.
  3. Don’t forget to sleep, stretch and hydrate.

Looking for a personal trainer, a new exercise regimen and/or a custom nutrition plan for the new year? I’m accepting new clients and would love to work with you to achieve your fitness and health goals! Send an email and we can get the conversation started.

info@getfitfirst.ca

Don’t forget to follow me on social media to learn more about strength training, JOGA for elite athletes, JOGA for gymnasts, nutrition and MORE!

IG: @getfitfirstlifestyle

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Berry Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mixed frozen berries
  • 4 ice cubes
  • Splashes of light coconut milk (enough to get blender moving)
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • Handful of spinach
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon acai powder
  • Optional: maple syrup or sweetener of your choice, to taste

Topping options

  • hemp seeds
  • coconut flakes
  • blueberries
  • cacao nibs
  • freeze dried strawberries

Instructions

  1. Place the frozen berries, ice cubes, coconut milk, almond butter and spinach in a blender. Add acai powder, if using. Blend until smooth, adding additional coconut milk as needed. (As little as necessary so your smoothie will be thick). Taste and add maple syrup or sweetener of choice, if desired. Blend again.
  2. Pour into two bowls and top with hemp seeds, cacao nibs, coconut flakes, blueberries, and/or dried strawberries.
  3. ENJOY!

#exercise #JOGA #JOGAforathletes #enduranceathlete #hiit #highintensityworkout #mindbody #nutrition #exercisenutrition #personaltrainer #acefitness #fitness #healthyhabits #nutritionplan #nutritionist #coach #trainer #smoothiebowl

Get your physical activity on!

Published: 13 November 2021
Written by Dev Ops
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Categories: Blog

This month we’re talking about the benefits of staying active as adults and what activities we can do to stay happy, healthy, and strong. 

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things we can do for our health. As children and teenagers, it’s a great way to keep a healthy physical body, a sharp mind and helps to nurture strong self-esteem and self-confidence. As adults, physical activity has many of the same physiological benefits, with a few extras to keep our aging bodies strong, healthy, and sharp. 

Here’s a high-level breakdown…

Immediate Benefits

A single bout of moderate-vigorous physical activity as an adult provides immediate benefits for physical health including:

  • improved quality of sleep
  • reduced anxiety
  • reduced blood pressure

Long-term benefits

Regular physical activity provides important health benefits for our bodies and minds as we age, and more importantly helps in chronic disease prevention. In addition, it:

  • reduces the risk of developing dementia
  • lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes
  • lowers the risk of many types of cancer
  • improves bone health
  • improves balance and coordination 

It is medically proven that adults who participate in regular physical activity have a lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer, breast cancer, osteoarthritis, hip fractures, falls, and dementia. Doing aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening physical activity at a moderately-intense level can slow the loss of bone density that comes with age.

In addition to the many physical benefits of exercise, we see a plethora of psychological benefits; like keeping our thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as we age. Exercise increases the production of endorphins, which are known to help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain. Staying active in adulthood also helps reduce the risk of depression and anxiety, increasing self-esteem and ensuring a better night’s sleep. Who doesn’t love a good night’s sleep?!

Exercise keeps the body shaking and the mind moving!

Results of these studies suggest that exercise leads to a reduction in depressive symptoms when compared to the waitlist, social contact controls, and antidepressant medication.

Exercise training and depression in older adults
Krista A Barbour, James A Blumenthal
Neurobiology of Aging 26 (1), 119-123, 2005

So what kinds of activities are good to engage in and how do they help in adult life?

It is recommended that adults (anyone ages 19-64 years old), should try to be active every day and aim to do at least 150 minutes of physical activity over an entire week, through a variety of different activities. Here are some great options to get you off the couch, out of the office, away from your phone/laptop, and moving every day.

Walking/Power walking

Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers. Plus, you’ll be getting much-needed fresh air and have the chance to admire all the natural beauty – flora and fauna – that exists around you. An instant mood booster!

Strength/weight training

Training with weights isn’t just about bulking up and building muscle mass. Its benefits are long-standing and include improved posture, better sleep, gaining bone density, maintaining weight loss, boosting metabolism, lowering inflammation, and staving off chronic disease. At its heart, strength training is based on functional movements — lifting, pushing, pulling — in order to build muscle and coordination needed for everyday activities. Strengthening muscles and joints is very important as we age.

Yoga

As we all know, yoga improves strength, balance, and flexibility. Slow, intentional movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles while holding a pose builds overall muscular strength. A relaxing, guided practice not only strengthens our physical body but also helps ease anxiety/depression and improve sleep habits.

Recreational sports

Get that heart pumping! Recreational sports are great for their social aspects but physiologically speaking, they are great for building stamina, keeping your lungs healthy, and fine-tuning motor skills. If you love running, join a rev soccer, football or basketball team. Prefer to play alone? Take up tennis or badminton. Pickleball has also become a popular sport for adults as it combines a mix of tactile skill and endurance, without the running. 

Swimming

For all you water lovers out there. Swimming builds endurance, muscle strength, and cardiovascular fitness. It helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs, tones muscles and builds strength. The activity actually provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of the body’s muscles are used during swimming!

Running

An obvious contender here. Lots of people love to run! Probably for the fact that it is convenient and relatively inexpensive, but we love it for the numerous health benefits it offers; like decreasing your risk of heart disease, burning calories, strengthening your joints and bones, and relieving stress. It also helps you follow through, in all aspects of life. If you can power through a run, you can power through anything. 

Get motivated!

“But Rozita, I haven’t been physically active in a while and I don’t know where to begin! It’s all a little overwhelming to me.”

Does this sound like you? These are words I’ve heard before, time and again. It’s why I became a personal trainer and JOGA coach, and I’m happy to be the one who can help get you motivated!

Here are some ideas to get you started on your fitness journey and keep you moving each day of the week:

  • Look for opportunities within each day to reduce sedentary time and increase the active time. For example, instead of watching TV, take a quick walk after dinner.
  • Get a calendar, put it on your fridge, and set aside specific times to make physical activity part of your daily or weekly routine. Seeing the calendar each day will be a great reminder and motivator! 
  • Start with activities, locations, and times you enjoy. For example, you might like morning walks in your neighborhood; or perhaps a virtual class after work.
  • Start with activities, locations, and times you enjoy. For example, you might like morning walks in your neighborhood; or perhaps a virtual class after work.
  • Try activities with members of your household for fun and mutual encouragement. 
  • Start slowly and work your way up to more physically challenging activities. For many people, walking is a particularly good place to begin.

Looking for a bit more accountability and support? Then a personal trainer may be for you. Let’s connect and talk about your goals!

Exercise is the miracle cure we’ve always had and I’d love to be a part of your journey.

And don’t forget to breathe!

Breathwork and meditation may not be moderate-vigorous activities, but they are the perfect complement to your daily exercise routine. Taking 10 minutes to sit and breathe deeply and intentionally into your belly, either freely or with a guided meditation is a great way to stay healthy. We all know that the benefits of meditation on our minds and body (hello nervous systems reset!) are unparalleled, so find a 5-10 minute meditation you love or sit for 5 minutes with your hands laying gently on your legs, inhaling to expand your belly and exhale to contract and feel the benefits of a clear mind and relaxed body. 

Check out my Instagram post here for an accessible breathing exercise I know you’ll love: www.instagram.com/p/CVQaLnoNhDi

Older adults represent the fastest-growing age demographic of the population. Physiological changes associated with primary aging and concurrent chronic disease adversely impact functional capacity, health outcomes, and quality of life. For these reasons, there is a national emphasis for healthcare providers to improve the health, function, and quality of life of older adults to preserve independent living and psychological well-being.

Coming of age: considerations in the prescription of exercise for older adults
Amanda L Zaleski, Beth A Taylor, Gregory A Panza, Yin Wu, Linda S Pescatello, Paul D Thompson, Antonio B Fernandez
Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal 12 (2), 98, 2016

You’re never too old to strengthen your body! Studies have found that weight training can reverse muscle weakness even among people in their 90s. Truly amazing!

For all personal training inquiries, don’t hesitate to reach out: info@getfitfirst.ca

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