Recently I attended a fitness symposium held at UTC. It was a presentation of the findings of the Lancet Study on global physical inactivity. Although much of what I heard is what you would expect I still found it quite interesting, and I hope that what I picked up may be helpful for you personally, your family or a dear friend.

The Lancet study on global inactivity was an attempt to measure global inactivity. It certainly is a very difficult task, and in many ways could not be performed as scientifically as one would hope. However, the Lancet study desired to at least begin this type research since clearly global inactivity has reached pandemic proportions. The research hoped to uncover the prevalence of inactivity globally, its determinants, harms and strategies for intervention. Data was collected in 122 countries on adults and 105 countries on children making this the largest study on physical inactivity ever. It was a true global cooperation.

What did the study discover? Worldwide 31.1% of adults are physically inactive but in America the percentage was a whopping 43%. Inactivity was consistently found to rise with age, is higher amongst females and in high-income countries. Even more scary is the proportion of children 13 to 15 years old who exercise less than one hour per day was found to be 80%. The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that the risk of non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer increase proportionally with inactivity. In 2008, 53 million people died of one of these non-communicable diseases. Just a 10% increase in physical activity could avert 1.3 million deaths per year. The BBC reported in July 2012 that deaths related to physical inactivity have reached the same levels as deaths due to smoking. It was also found that three hours of screen time per day (TV / computer) increased one’s risk for heart disease by 64%. One hour of screen time increased one’s risk for heart disease by 11%.

So what should we do? The study discovered that 90% of the population will not do moderate to high intensity exercise. The good news is that the study found that a big difference was found in the markers for these non-communicable diseases by simple gaining 150 minutes of light exercise such as walking per week. This walking does not include that which is part of one’s normal movement routines of life but is in addition to normal activity. For some 150 minutes is a big number but can easily be broken down into manageable amounts of 5 days per week for 30 minutes or 7 days per week for just under 22 minutes.

What are simple strategies? Schedule a 22 minute walk into your day 7 days per week or 5 days per week at 30 minutes and put it down on your calendar. Set your alarm on your cell phone to remind you to get up and walk. There are even apps that can provide you accountability. Stopping work 5 minutes per hour to walk intentionally at a brisk pace and you will easily gain 40 minutes a day, and the multiple bouts of walking is even more effective as the heart rate remains elevated for several minutes following each walk. These small breaks have also proven to make for effective and efficient work. It truly is simple and easy to make huge differences in one’s health.

The findings were so far reaching that it can literally be said that ALL benefit from movement, even for quadriplegics who have therapists who move their limbs for them, demonstrates at the cellular level that the markers for non-communicable disease improve substantially. Physical inactivity has even proven at the cellular level to assist in the detrimental effects of stress and depression. Exercise is truly medicine.

The study does not say anything about nutrition. It focuses solely on physical inactivity. Imagine how much more one could improve their health, not by focusing on what to take out of one’s diet, but by simply making the choice to include 5 or more vegetables of different colors per day, eat one fruit each day, eat a handful of almonds or walnuts per day and make water your beverage at each meal.

The researchers of the Lancet study agree that perfect measures of physical inactivity remain elusive; however, 150 minutes of exercise is less expensive than medications and less tragic than death. So, get walking – Exercise Is Medicine!

Julian Kaufman has been working in the fields of fitness, nutrition and wellness for 18 years in the Chattanooga area.  He has a degree in Health & Exercise Science from Furman University, M.ED fromCovenant College and is certified through the NSCA – CSCS and USA Track & Field.  He is the owner ofFitness Together Chattanooga a one on one personal training studio located in 2 North Shore. He also serves at Baylor School in sports performance training, fitness and wellness.

The term “creeping obesity” was coined by Ellington Darden of the Nautilus Sports Medicine Center and has been used regularly for the last 25 years in health and wellness textbooks.  At about age 25 we lose up to ½ pound of lean muscle tissue per year.  And if that were not bad enough, fat cell growth may be increasing by 3 times per year. Although this sounds as if we are gaining lots of weight really fast, in fact it is truly creeping up on us.  For most people this means about a pound to a pound and a half increase on the scale per year.  And honestly who really notices a pound or a pound and a half per year?  No big deal it seems, but I am sure your brain has already done the math before I can finish this sentence – a pound to a pound and a half means that from age 25 to 55 I have gained 30-45 pounds, and all of us have seen this either because it has happened to us or we have observed it in mom and pop, Uncle Sam or Aunt Sue.

The loss of lean muscle tissue means our resting metabolic rate is slowing down.  When we lose a pound of muscle that means we lose the need for about 50 calories per day.  This seems small, but for every 3,500 calories we consume and do not burn we gain a pound of fat. Therefore, if you are burning 50 less calories per day but consuming the same number of calories per day, just multiply 50 calories x 365 days and you will see that this is a 5 pound gain per year.

Not only do we suffer the consequences of the loss of lean muscle tissue which leads to a slower metabolism, but if our consumption of food increases, obesity is then creeping up on us for two reasons: loss of metabolic rate and increased caloric intake. If we consume just 10 calories more per day than we are burning we gain a pound of fat per year.

Finally, we all understand how increases in body fat increase our risk for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and simply a loss in quality of life.  So, now that you are totally depressed, here is the good news of how to prevent this from happening or start reversing the effects.

1.  Begin an exercise program.  There are 168 hours in a week   Commit to giving 3 of those hours as an appointment to yourself each week.  Set the appointment and ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable to it, and if there is an emergency that causes you to miss then your trusted friend makes you reschedule your self appointment.  Each of these hours should contain a mix of weight bearing and cardiovascular exercise.  If 3 hours feels like too much start with 3 days per week of 15 minutes.  But you must start even if it is 3 days per week of 5 minutes.  You get the point … just get started with what you can physically and emotionally handle for now with the long term goal of 3 times per week of 1 hour.  The cardiovascular exercise will build strong lungs and heart, burn calories and prevent disease.  The weight bearing exercise will add lean muscle tissue increasing metabolic rate, build a functional body and prevent osteoporosis.

2.  Take a look at what you are consuming through the week and make note of the foods you could live without, and at the end of the week see what caloric value these foods have.  Then add it up, and it will give you a picture of what your year probably looks like in terms of calories that were not needed and what you could potentially lose in body fat.

If you can save just 50 calories per day you will lose an extra 5 pounds per year and that does not include the calories saved through your new exercise program.  What if you lose an extra 100 calories per day? … 10 pounds per year … What if you lose an extra 200 calories per day?  … 20 pounds per year.

And for a simple picture of how easy this might be for you, a can of coke is 140 calories.  So, if you drink a can of coke per day and you drink water instead then you would lose almost 15 pounds per year without changing anything else in your lifestyle.  Ask yourself this question:  Is it easier to exercise for 1 hour or skip the can of coke?

The simple nutrition goal is to eat “real whole foods.”  Real, whole, naturally occurring foods are rich in protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber and water all of which help you feel full.  Real whole foods are calorie self-correcting without ever having to count calories.

So, simply start by avoiding one food item per day that you can part with, start exercising even if it is only for 5 minutes and start adding in more whole foods, and you will be on your way to losing weight and, more importantly, improving your health and quality of life.

Julian Kaufman has been working in the fields of fitness, nutrition and wellness for 18 years in the Chattanooga area.  He has a degree in Health & Exercise Science from Furman University, M.ED from Covenant College and is certified through the NSCA – CSCS and USA Track & Field.  He is the owner of Fitness Together Chattanooga a one on one personal training studio located in 2 North Shore. He also serves at Baylor School in sports performance training, fitness and wellness.

This post was written by Julian Kaufman, owner of Fitness Together Chattanooga.

There is a lot of confusion about “carbs.” We often hear negative information regarding “carbs,” and there seems to be a general idea in the culture at large that “carbs” are bad. However, this is too simplistic because “carbs” are an essential nutrient that provide energy or fuel for the body. The key is an understanding of the difference in good and bad “carbs.”

One tool created to help understand carbohydrates is the Glycemic Index. This term is gaining recognition in the public but may be misleading. What is the glycemic index? It is simply a tool to measure a foods impact on one’s blood sugar, rate of digestion and absorption. Foods that fall below 55 on the GI scale are considered low, 56-69 medium, and 70+ are high.  Foods that are high on the GI scale will cause a large release of insulin. This results in another essential fat burning hormone, glucagon, to not be released. Those who consume a lot of high GI foods are in danger of gaining weight due to this response.  The GI is a good tool especially in the clinical setting and for diabetics, but for the majority of the population it creates some confusion.

Why is the GI confusing? When we eat we tend to have a variety of foods on our plate. Some of the foods will be high glycemic, some medium and others will be low. This creates another issue … glycemic load. The glycemic load for an entire meal may be appropriate; although, some foods may be individually high on the GI scale. Another problem is that high GI does not mean unhealthy and low GI does not mean healthy. For example, a banana is high GI and bologna is low. But which is better for you? Clearly the banana.

To further confuse the issue, carbohydrates are often divided into groups. One method separates carbohydrates as sugars, starches and fibers. Another method groups them as simple or complex. Although there is some use to these terms they tend to create more confusion. Most people would say we should not consume sugars or starches. Others would say we need to consume complex carbohydrates not simple carbohydrates. There is some truth in this, but the reality is that most foods are a combo. If simple carbs are unhealthy then we should avoid many fruits…right? Obviously, this is poor thinking.

So, how should we think about carbs? It is very simple. Is the food refined or whole? Refined foods are stripped of fiber, nutrients and water.  They have been processed and their original integrity and mystery of nutrients working together is gone. It is the difference in eating a beautiful piece of summer corn and drinking a coke. 100% of calories in a coke are from corn. Coke and corn on the cob are certainly not equals. Foods that have been refined and processed are not really foods at all. Whole foods are complete containing a diversity of nutrients that feed our 300 billion cells that we must repair daily to sustain life and prevent disease and promote vibrant health. Many whole foods contain high percentages of carbohydrates including fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.  The key is not understanding glycemic index, simple vs. complex, sugars vs. starches…the key is consuming carbohydrates that are whole foods. So, eat a variety of veggies, fruits, beans and whole grains!

Those who are hypoglycemic, diabetic or who have other food related issues should consult their physician regarding their food choices.

Julian Kaufman has been working in the fields of fitness, nutrition and wellness for 18 years in the Chattanooga area.  He has a degree in Health & Exercise Science from Furman University, M.ED from Covenant College and is certified through the NSCA – CSCS and USA Track & Field.  He is the owner of Fitness Together Chattanooga a one on one personal training studio located in 2 North Shore. He also serves at Baylor School in sports performance training, fitness and wellness.

• At Results Physiotherapy, our most experienced manual physical therapists are selected  and trained to perform TDN.  We have therapists trained to perform TDN at the majority of our clinics across the state.
• The cost is $35 per session. The average cost for acupuncture is $70-80/session. Insurance does not cover it at the moment, but we expect this to change as patients demand the service.
• Results Physiotherapy is committed to maintaining the highest level of training available for its therapy staff .  Dry Needling is an adjunct to a highly-skilled therapy intervention-it does not replace it. To be good at dry needling a therapist must have extensive skill in “hands-on” treatment. Results Physiotherapy continues to dedicate itself to having world-class “hands-on” or manual therapists.

Roxanne Zobava runs across Zion National Park
by Jeff Bartlett of Rock/Creek

Rock/Creek Race Team member Roxanne Zobava ran across Zion National park this May. Here’s a short report — but check out Roxanne’s Zion photos on our Flickr site!

This May, 6 of my friends and I met in Las Vegas for a 52-mile run across Zion National Park. After staying in Mt. Carmel, UT, we drove the 25 or 30 minutes to Zion. All of us were very excited about this trip; none of the group had run in Zion National Park before! We ran the trans-Zion route westbound.

Basit, who organized our trip, made sure the run coincided with a full moon, but we actually ended up running under the light of the “super moon.” Normally, we’d need headlamps for a 3AM starting time, but the moon was so bright we didn’t use them except for when running in the shadows of deep canyons or when the footing was particularly technical.

Since this is a point-to-point run, we had to drop a car off the night before. For the first 5-10 miles, we were running slowly; this was partly because there were some confusing turn-offs that we didn’t want to miss, and partly because it was a bit like running at the beach. Yep: the trail was made of sand. Once the sun began to rise, we were heading downward into the canyon and the terrain became more runnable (in addition to being downhill).

Since we had to filter water from springs along the way, I brought my SteriPen. It was actually really good, and very cold! At that point of the day, it was getting warm (without much shade). Past Angel’s Landing, we entered a forested area and followed single track to the finish.

Angel’s Landing was a must-see (10-13 miles into the run), though it takes a bit of bravery to run along the narrow single-track with a death-drop to one side. So beautiful!

This was one of the most beautiful runs I can imagine. Our group ran very casually and completed the 52 miles in 15 or 16 hours, taking in all of the scenery along the way.

See Roxanne’s Zion photos here.

Gear & food:
Montrail Sabino trail shoes
Salomon hat
Patagonia nine trail jacket (cant live without!! FAVORITE)
Smartwool tank and socks.. also my favs!
CWX ventilator 3/4 tight
Nathan pack
GU gels
Clif MoJo bars & shot bloks
Seabear ready-to-eat salmon
Steripen

Owner, 26 Tools llc

It is summer time. It is hot. But don’t let that deter you from getting outside and exercising. Use it as a time to try new activities. Here are a few tips to consider before getting out in the heat.

1.      Make sure you are hydrated.  Water- Water- Water there is no substitute! Before – During – After!!!

2.     Eat balanced healthy meals rich in vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts and whole grains. Do not exercise on an empty stomach.  A variety of healthy foods insure that we have the right mix of vitamins and minerals to keep our electrolytes supplied.

3.     Dress light so that the skin can breathe.

4.     Wear sunblock!

5.     Wear sunglasses! Maybe a cap too.

Now you are ready. So, get outside. The Chattanooga area is a wonderful area to enjoy a variety of activities – rock climbing, paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, biking or just a simple hike. Check out Outdoor Chattanooga for ideas and opportunities.  Recreational activities and leisure activities in the outdoors can add great value to your health in terms of exercise and can be a lot of fun. The longer days make it easier to get out and walk in the evening when it is cooler and thus burn a few more calories.  onsider setting up a badminton and/or volleyball net in the backyard for some family fun and some extra exercise. Have some fun this summer, try something new, connect with family and friends and stay fit.

Julian Kaufman has been working in the fields of fitness, nutrition and wellness for 18 years in the Chattanooga area.  He has a degree in Health & Exercise Science from Furman University, M.ED from Covenant College and is certified through the NSCA – CSCS and USA Track & Field.  He is the owner of Fitness Together Chattanooga a one on one personal training studio located in 2 North Shore. He also serves at Baylor School in sports performance training, fitness and wellness.

By Hollie Hennessy, PT, DPT, from Results Physiotherapy in Farragut, TN

How to perform the deadlift:

1. Feet are set roughly in the range of shoulder width
2. Arms are placed outside the thighs
3. Step to the bar with the shins against the bar
4. Toes pointed forward or slightly outward
5. Elbows outside the thighs – arms straight
6. Bar gripped with an opposing grip (one hand palm up the other palm down)
7. Back should not be round but straight and tight
8. Chest facing forward – not down
9. Head should be up in a neutral position
10. Feet should remain completely on the ground as one pulls from the floor
11. Initial drive from the floor is caused by the legs as the feet push into the floor
12. The chest leads the hips
13. Arms remain straight throughout the lift
14. The top of the lift has occurred when the lifter is standing fully erect – shoulders back
15. Return the bar to the floor by flexing the legs
16. Keep the back straight – do not allow the back to round
17. Lift is finished when the lifter has returned to the starting point

Although this seems like a lot of steps it is truly an easy and basic lift.  Simply “you tube” deadlift, and you can see it performed. If you want to get help with the deadlift, schedule a session with a personal trainer, and they can quickly teach you the proper technique. You can then get started and keep it up on your own. There are many variations, and different grips and stances may be used.

For those interested simply in the general health benefits of the deadlift: perform the deadlift 1x per week – complete 3 sets of 5 repetitions. Start with low weights that can be easily handled and continue to add weight over several weeks until the weight is a challenge but can be performed without compromising proper technique. The deadlift can be performed at any age the key is proper technique and load.

“Many ‘healthy’ sunscreens accelerate aging…Many of the new generation of sunscreens- and this includes almost all “healthy” mineral sunscreens listed by the Environmental Working Group– contain titanium and/or zinc nano particles. Because these minerals are non-toxic in their natural forms it was assumed these mini-sized versions would be equally safe. That was probably a bad idea. Here’s why…” READ the full article HERE

So, here’s the remedy and “How to make non-toxic homemade sunscreen…Most of the active chemical ingredients contain potent endocrine disruptors, and experts believe exposure to them is changing us for the worse. And as we talked about yesterday, many “healthy” mineral sunscreens contain nanoparticles which have been linked to accelerated skin aging, cancer and environmental toxicity.” READ the full article HERE