Nikhil Rao wrote in his article What Your Doc Doesn’t Know About Weightlifting (article here):

medical education is extremely intense, and extremely broad. It has to be. That said, there is a lot it doesn’t cover. We learn the atomic structure of every amino acid (most of us promptly forget all of this after the biochemistry final). We learn the equations for cardiovascular physiology. We learn the branches of every nerve, the origin and attachment for every muscle in the human body.

But we don’t learn the basics of healthy nutrition. We don’t learn about cardiovascular and musculoskeletal adaptations and responses to exercise. We don’t learn about how insulin facilitates the utilization of protein and creatine.

Rao makes a good point in his article that doctors are taught about how to treat the symptoms of disease, usually with drugs and/or surgery, but they are NOT taught about how to prevent it through healthy lifestyle strategies like physical activity and a healthy diet.

Now, wouldn’t it make sense that our culture should place a stronger emphasis on the study, education, and practice surrounding the topic of DISEASE PREVENTION, rather than disease treatment? You would think so, but it’s not the case – and that’s a story much too long for this article to tell. Basically, my opinion is that it all boils down to the love of money, and how that contributes to the medical industry.

Instead, most of our culture’s resources are spent on the research and practice of DISEASE TREATMENT, not prevention. Now, I see a similar theme present in the fitness industry – except it’s not doctors that are to blame, it’s personal trainers.

Personal trainers know all about exercise. Some of the good ones know a little about nutrition, too. Somehow, these personal trainers have figured out a way to keep in shape. They’ve figured out what works for them and their clients, which is why they are healthy all the time and do good business year round.

The problem I see is that many personal trainers will PRESCRIBE a fitness program much like a doctor prescribes treatment for a disease.

“You’ve got __________, so you need ____________.”

That’s generally how the rationale goes. You’ve got a weight problem, so you need to eat less food. You’re weak, so you need a strength training program. You’ve got lower back pain, so you need to stretch more. You’re too skinny, so you need to eat more.

This prescription format isn’t helping people in the way they truly need it. The advice may solve the symptoms of the problem, but it won’t solve the SOURCE of the problem, which could be any number of things – lack of knowledge, personal responsibility, motivation, or discipline to name a few.

For example, chemotherapy may get rid of cancer (while it poisons the rest of your body), but it won’t prevent it from coming back in the future. Similarly, an effective fitness program may get rid of excess bodyfat, but it won’t prevent it from coming back in the future. Much more has to change to ensure that results are natural, sustainable, and permanent.

Now, wouldn’t it make sense that our culture should place a stronger emphasis on the study, education, and practice surrounding the topic of FITNESS PROBLEM PREVENTION, rather than fitness problem treatment? Why don’t we just avoid the problems in the first place by nipping them in the bud? Again, we would think this is a no-brainer, but it’s just not the case with most personal trainers.

I’ve been there myself. I’m a certified personal trainer through the NSCA, and I have worked in health clubs, homes, parks, and churches one-on-one and as a group fitness instructor. I used to prescribe fitness programs to people who needed them, and the clients who followed my advice reached their goals. But I knew that my clients needed something more than just a good program to follow, they needed something that they could put into practice themselves, something that would make them less reliant on a fitness professional. Something that they could OWN.

My fitness program prescriptions were quick-fix solutions to their problems, and it was my solution, not theirs. You see, I’ve found what really works for me. I know how to keep myself in tip-top shape, how to achieve specific goals, and how to enjoy the process. But my way isn’t necessarily the best way for everyone. For me, I’ve cracked the code of how to maintain high fitness levels and enjoy abundant health in my lifestyle. It isn’t even hard work anymore, and I look forward to pursuing my goals because I enjoy the process. I’ve actually fallen in love with the process!

Now, as a personal trainer, I would have a hard time imparting that quality to my clients. What I love to do is probably different than what you love to do. Therefore, I’ve discovered that it takes a lot more than just personal training to give people what they really need and desire. A rote training program isn’t the solution. A personal trainer can easily prescribe a program that will treat the symptoms of an unhealthy lifestyle – that’s their specialty, but even the best program won’t cure the source of the problem.

Sure, my personal fitness program would probably be an effective solution for many people trying to achieve common fitness goals. If an average Joe put effort into a comparable fitness program catered to their goals, they would probably achieve them, no problem. But would they OWN those results and would they be able to sustain them long-term because they utterly enjoy the process? I doubt it. Not everyone will enjoy swinging clubbells, hiking, rock climbing, or Prasara Bodyflow yoga like I do. And I wouldn’t want to guide people into only sticking with those physical activities. There’s a diversity of choices out there that can’t even be measured. There are infinite ways to get into great shape, and the last thing I want to do is tell someone that they NEED to do it a certain way, and not to explore other paths.

The Solution

People need to be educated about how to live a healthier lifestyle, how to make abundant physical living an active part of their lifestyle, and how to prevent dis-ease through lifestyle strategies. More importantly, people need to take responsibility for their own physical education. If you don’t want an education, or rather, a re-education, then you’ll never understand the joy to be had in physical living. You can’t do it without first learning how – you won’t find strength, health, happiness, and freedom in a pill, in a magazine article, or in a special workout program. It doesn’t exist.

I’m sorry, but a cookie-cutter workout program won’t cut it. Most people hate working out, and won’t sustain that type of physical activity long term. They need something more, something exciting, something that they’ll dream about when going to sleep at night. They need something that they will ENJOY, that makes them feel happy and free, like a kid again. Now, some people have a genuine interest in lifting weights, cardio, aerobics, etc. Some people DO like to workout, and I’m all for it when that’s the case. However, for those that don’t enjoy working out at the gym, there are limitless options.

As detrimental to my career as it sounds, I wish nobody needed to hire a personal trainer. I wish my profession would go extinct! Fitness should not have to be a complicated subject, and it’s not when you strip it of all the cultural baggage we attach to it. Anyone can become physically fit with a very simple traditional formula – engage in vigorous physical activity regularly and eat good food most of the time. That’s the straightforward path to physical fitness. Add in some habits like avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol, and other toxic substance exposure, and you’ve got a recipe for good health for a lifetime.

With that simple fitness advice, there’s so much potential to play around with. So, shame on any personal trainer who dictates closed-minded, dogmatic beliefs about fitness to their clients. The goal of a good coach should be to teach their trainees how to embody their own expression of physical fitness, not to regurgitate a pre-set path to fitness that has been outlined by out-dated textbooks.

Which do you like better in regards to fitness training?

a) being told what to do, even if you don’t understand why
b) knowing why and how to do something, so that you can do it better for the rest of your life

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

That's me climbing a vine in Maui.

Most people I meet have Nature Deficit Disorder. That’s just a fancy way of saying they don’t get outdoors much, and are not in-tune with the natural world they live in. Frank Forencich refers to this as likened unto being aliens on our own planet. Erwan Le Corre calls it the zoo human syndrome. I’m sure various governing bodies call it the “epidemic of inactivity.” Call it whatever you want, the truth of the matter is that most people don’t get outside much. If you’re a regular reader here, then you know I’m always recommending that you get outdoors as much as possible. There are many good reasons for this, and it’s a little more than  just “good ‘ol advice.”

I remember my mother telling me to go play outside when I was a kid. It was supposed to be good for me, but I didn’t understand that then, and I would have much rather played video games or watch TV. Mom was right though, and there’s a lot of wisdom contained in that simple phrase, “go play outside.”

Top 10 Reasons to go Outside

1) Get “away” from it all - Going outside gives you an opportunity to forget about the phone, TV, internet, and to-do lists. We tend to carry our hectic schedule wherever we go, and getting outdoors is one good way to relax and recharge our body and mind.

2) Get moving! – Going outdoors will inspire you to move. You can stretch your legs, or use them over a variety of terrain. This creates a greater development of coordination and the muscles which stabilize the body. Soft and smooth surfaces adorn almost every floor of civilized society, so much so that we’ve literally lost touch with the natural environment around us. Try going barefoot, and you’ll see what I mean about being insensitive to your natural surroundings.

The world is always in movement. – V. S. Naipaul

3) Get some sunshine that is packed full of vitamin D – Getting enough vitamin D is super-important for maintaining a healthy immune system. This vitamin has been proven to help prevent osteoporosis, cancer, and Alzheimer disease. It also may help in the prevention of Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and heart disease. You know just as well as I do that supplements don’t really cut it, go for the natural source in the sun.

4) Get an opportunity to take chances, and develop independence – Going outdoors is a little more risky than staying in the safety of the confined indoors. This is an opportunity to try new things, to develop new skills, and test yourself in unique ways such as climbing a tree.

5) It’s good for your eyes – In our mostly seated culture, we tend to focus our eyes directly in front of us when looking at a computer screen or paperwork. There is no overstimulating TV or computer to stare at when you step out into mother nature. Your pupils contract, similar to muscles, when looking at various distances. Simply by walking around outdoors, your eyes have a chance to both focus on the ground in front of you and the landscape around you, which is great exercise for TV and monitor over-stimulated eyes.

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. -Henry David Thoreau

6) Get in better touch with nature – There is so much to be experienced out in nature, it’s almost silly to try to classify it in a blogpost. Listen to birds, smell the trees, feel the wind and the heat of the sun. Watch an animal going about its daily routine. Enough said.

To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug. – Helen Keller

7) Get some fresh air – Depending on where you live, going outside involves breathing fresh air. There are no toxic chemicals in the great outdoors – no cleaners, detergents, plastics, building materials to touch or breathe in.

Fresh air makes me throw up. I can’t handle it. I’d rather be around three Denobili cigars blowing in my face all night. -Frank Sinatra

8 ) Better mental clarity, longer attention span – Researchers Marc Berman, John Jonides and Stephen Kaplan found memory performance and attention spans improved by 20 percent after people spent an hour interacting with nature. They also believe the findings could have broader impact on helping people who may be suffering from mental fatigue. ya think? (study here)

9) Boost energy levels – Going outdoors has unseen therapeutic effects that actually increase your energy levels, and no one can argue with that!

When I go into the garden with a spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the most important resources that a garden makes available for use, is the gardener’s own body. A garden gives the body the dignity of working in its own support. It is a way of rejoining the human race. -Wendell Berry

10) A new, tangible community – When you step outside your doors, you have a chance to enter a whole new environment – not just physically, but relationally too.  By visiting a park, climbing a mountain, or sailing a lake you can make new connections with people that would have never been possible. You will learn more about someone from one hour of playing outside than you will in a year of working with them.

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. – Anne Frank (one of my favorite authors)

The Bottom Line

It’s funny how we know something is right, even good for us, and yet we still need reminders constantly.  Do we really need a top 10 list of reasons why going outside is good for us? I mean, come on – we all know that going outdoors is good medicine, just like we know that getting regular exercise is good for us. I think the problem we are facing is not a lack of useful information, but a lack of compliance and sustainability. Most people either don’t enjoy going outdoors, or they reserve it only for special, infrequent occasions.

That’s the root of the problem right there.

Many health and fitness programs recommend spending time outdoors, listing a selection of benefits similar to the ones above. Sometimes, these programs produce good short-term results, but mostly they teach people to focus on the wrong thing: the benefits (or the consequences of NOT following the program).

I’d like to offer you a different approach to health and fitness. I want you to seek after experiences that are rewarding in and of themselves, activities that you will do for their own sake. Going outside is fun, even liberating for some people. It can change your entire perspective if you’ll allow it.

Even though setting specific goals is an essential part of training, long-term lifestyle transformation  can only be sustained when you’re enjoying the process itself. So, I want you to try things that you just love to do outside. Play games or sports, make it a priority to have fun, and dare something worthy. Health benefits and consequences are distractions that take us away from the task at hand. Instead, focus on the journey, that is your new lifestyle.

If you don’t know where to start, just try taking your current fitness program outdoors. I hike, climb, swim, swing clubbells, practice Prasara Yoga, and explore bodyweight exercise outside almost year round.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

My Feet

If you can live with the fact that some people will think you’re weird for not wearing shoes and still avoid the religious “barefooters” who drink the Kool-Aid, then I think you can greatly benefit from some barefoot living. Going barefoot is becoming increasingly popular in some social circles, and I’ve been hearing a lot about it recently. So, I compiled a listing or resources to give you a comprehensive perspective on the benefits of going barefoot anywhere – whether it’s barefoot running, barefoot walking, or barefoot training in the gym.

The Case For Going Barefoot

It turns out that most people not only have very weak feet and ankles, they also have immobile feet and ankles. This is largely due to over-engineered footwear being the norm across the civilized, modern world.

Think about it – what does putting on a work boot do to your foot in terms of mobility? It limits it to a pre-determined range of motion. Sure, it stabilizes your ankle and protects your toes from falling objects, but it also prevents your ankle from moving through a full (and natural) range of motion, which means over time your ankles and feet will get progressively weaker. Your feet will become less independent and able to protect themselves from injury, and more dependent on the work boots to prevent a sprained ankle or any other foot injury. This starts a vicious cycle of poor movement patterns, which eventually leads to injury or worse.

Najia Shakoor and Joel A. Block of the American College of Rheumatology (1) found that walking barefoot decreases loading on the lower extremity joints. Here is a snippet from their study conclusions:

It has long been appreciated that excessive loading of the lower extremities is associated with the onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA); however, no attention has been given to the role that modern shoes may play in potentiating these aberrant loads. In the present study, we formally evaluated the differences in gait and joint loads that occur when patients with knee OA walk barefoot compared with when they walk in shoes. This study demonstrated that such patients undergo a significant reduction in their joint loads at both the knees and the hips while walking barefoot compared with when walking in their normal shoes. Moreover, whereas significant changes in several gait parameters were observed during barefoot walking, including changes in stride, cadence, joint ROM, and toeout angle, these changes in gait could not explain the significant reduction in loads at the joints. This suggests that the design of modern shoes may intrinsically predispose such patients to excessive loading of their lower extremities.

Michael Warburton of Gateway Physiotherapy (2) found that running in shoes appears to increase the risk of ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis and other chronic injuries of the lower limb. He also found that running in bare feet reduces oxygen consumption by a few percent = more efficiency. And I’ll agree with him that running shoes play an important protective role on some courses, in extreme weather conditions, and with certain pathologies of the lower limb.

Researchers Kong, Candelaria, and Smith from the University of Texas at El Paso (3) concluded that “runners should choose shoes for reasons other than cushioning technology.”

Phil Maffetone says in his book “In Fitness and in Health” (4, 1997):

For the most part, shoes are tested on machines, not people, because machines give the results the company wants and people don’t. A quick look in the medical journals will point out the abundant problems.

Did you know, for example, that the support systems in almost all shoes can weaken your ankles? And the soft, cushioned shoes of today can harm your feet? How about the height, in other words, the thickness of the sole? The farther above the ground you go in a shoe, the more unstable your foot becomes.

Scientific articles over the past decade or more strongly suggest that such protective features put in by shoe companies, including shock absorption and motion control actually increase the likelihood of injury.

Here’s a visual example of what happens to the body while running when wearing shoes versus barefoot:

Dr. Silverman from the New Jersey Sports Medicine and Performance Center created this video. This is the same runner on the same day, with no instruction given in between videos. On the left, the runner displays correct SHOELESS forefoot strike – good running technique. On the right, incorrect, wearing SHOES with heel strike, braking, and straining – incorrect and joint-damaging running technique.

A work boot is an extreme example that does the most damage to your feet over time (and to the rest of your body). Walking and running shoes and cross-trainers are still guilty of the same crime though, albeit to a lesser extent – they all limit your foot to a pre-determined movement pattern that is not natural. The take-home point is that wearing shoes will eventually lead to imbalances and injury. The other take-home point is that if you must wear shoes, take a minimalist view and adopt the philosophy of “less is better.”

The feet have ligaments and muscles just like the rest of the body, and they need to be exercised through a natural range of motion just like everything else. You wouldn’t put your hand in a cast before you go to work or to the gym, would you? (well, some people use gloves and wraps, which I almost always DO NOT recommend for these same reasons.)

Then why does our culture insist on doing the same thing to our feet? Well, for one – going barefoot doesn’t cost anything. It’s free, and that’s a pretty hard deal to beat for a shoe company. Obviously, the shoe execs want you to buy their shoes, and will tell you anything to get you to do it. So, there is advertising stating that shoes are better and healthier for your feet, and even for your performance – blah, blah, blah.

Like most messages in the health and fitness industry, this is only a half-truth. Sure, wearing shoes will help protect your feet from getting cut on glass or sharp rocks, etc. BUT, wearing an over-engineered shoe or boot will weaken your feet over time. So, it’s a catch 22! Protect your feet from the rough surfaces, but atrophy the muscles and ligaments of your feet.

And it makes sense too, how many shod runners do you know that don’t have an injury history longer than their laces? Sometimes, it seems like almost everyone who runs regularly has knee problems. Walk to any high school track and field meet and you’ll likely see half the team wearing knee wraps or taping from a sports medicine specialist. The sad truth is that these kids are usually better off than most adults.

And I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve been there, done that, too. I wore running shoes every season of Fall Cross Country Running, Winter Track, and Spring Track and Field in high school – and I had the injuries to prove it (3 years in physical therapy to rehabilitate myself from over-training via long distance running – anecdotal evidence, I know).

Now, that’s just the movement half of the story. Some other problems that shoes contribute to include: athlete’s foot, deformed toes, hammer toes, and ingrown toenails.

Now we know the drawbacks of wearing shoes, what about the benefits of going shoeless…

We already know that wearing shoes leads to injury such as plantar fasciitis, shortened calf muscles, knee osteoarthritis, tight ilial tibial bands, and lower back pain, among many other things. We also already know that running barefoot takes about 4% less energy than running with shoes. So, here are some of the other benefits of barefooting.

• Running or walking barefoot will help to naturally improve your gait and carriage, which will improve your performance. More effeciency = more speed.

• Going barefoot will help to develop strength in the muscles and ligaments in your feet, legs, and hips that are inhibited and disintegrated when wearing shoes.

• You won’t get athletes foot or other odd foot odors if you aren’t getting sweaty from unventilated shoes.

• There’s nothing like walking on sand or grass in your bare feet. Seriously, the more you can enjoy nature, the better for your well-being.

• It’s free. I don’t even want to know how much I’ve spent on high class running shoes in the past… going barefoot will save you a lot of money!

Some more info about the barefoot vs. shoe debate…

The UK’s first Barefoot Trail

http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1170253/The-painful-truth-trainers-Are-expensive-running-shoes-waste-money.html

http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/4314401.html

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25171370-5005961,00.html

So, where do we draw the line? Is there a healthy balance?

Obviously, we can’t just go barefoot all the time and everywhere. Society, propriety, and etiquette dictate when and where shoes are most appropriate, but you don’t need to wear them all the time. If you’re like me, then you’re looking for the most “bang for your buck” benefits without getting sucked into a subculture of hippies and other barefoot nerds.

That’s easy.

Just start to go barefoot whenever you can – around the house, around your yard, and at the park or the beach. These are easy transitions to barefoot living, and probably a better idea anyway. If you’re accustomed to wearing footwear, then you will want to “break your feet in” to barefoot walking. The muscles and ligaments will need to strengthen before you can jump into full-time barefoot walking without injury – not to mention your soles too. You may find that after an hour or two of being barefoot, the tiny muscles in your feet start to get sore. That’s because they are now moving in a range of motion that they are not used to.

Progress intuitively, and only go barefoot when you’re comfortable. You may find that some surfaces hurt a little and have you waving your arms with every step, but eventually, your feet will be so tough (read tolerant, not insensitive), that you’ll be able to run over some pretty rough surfaces while barefoot like MovNat founder Erwan Le Corre:

Barefoot Running

Bare Minimum Footwear Alternatives

Of course, there are times when we simply do need to wear shoes. So, when going barefoot is not an option, there are some good minimalist alternatives.

In general, look for footwear that allows the most freedom of movement. If the shoe can bend, flex, and twist easily, it’s a winner. Some shoes are better than others, but I have found that Nike Free’s are a somewhat viable option (minus the tall heel), and some Puma shoes are also decent. My wife and I both wear Puma’s (rawwwr!)

I’ve heard nothing but good reports about Vivo Barefoot shoes. There are many different styles from dress, to casuals, to athletic:

Vibram Five Fingers have received a lot of positive reports:

Traditional Huarache’s by Barefoot Ted (the barefoot guru of the internet – you’ll definitely want to check out his site if barefoot walking or running interests you.):

Barefoot Ted has been testing these huarache sandals for years. Now, he makes them and sells them too. All he needs from you is payment and a paper tracing of your feet. If you can get past the “ancient empire” look, they will serve you well. He even has a free how-to guide, teaching you how to make your own huarache’s at home – or buy one of his kit’s to do-it-yourself.

More Barefoot Living Resources

www.BareFooters.org

www.RunningBarefoot.org

www.BarefootRunner.org

Yahoo! Barefoot Running Group

Great Series About the Case for Minimalist Footwear

The Bottom Line

Go barefoot whenever you can and only where you are comfortable. Shop for shoes that will allow the most freedom of movement around your feet and ankle joints. The less and lighter, the better for your health.

If anyone asks why you’re not wearing shoes, just look them directly in the eye, point up towards the sky, and say “the aliens took them.”

The Society for Barefoot Living would like you to know that…

• It is healthy for your feet to go barefoot.
• It is not against the law to go barefoot into any kind of establishment including restaurants.
• It is also not against any health department regulation.
• It is not against the law to drive barefoot.

When and where do you go barefoot?

a) just at the beach
b) most places that don’t have a sign “shirt and shoes required.”
c) everywhere now that the aliens took my shoes…
d) never, feet are disgusting! if you aren’t wearing shoes, DON’T COME NEAR ME!!!
e) somewhere else

Please post your comments below.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Barefooter

References:

1) Najia Shakoor and Joel A. Block. ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM. Vol. 54, No. 9, September 2006, pp 2923–2927. DOI 10.1002/art.22123. © 2006, American College of Rheumatology. (read the rest of this study on Matt’s site here)

2) Michael Warburton. Barefoot Running. Gateway Physiotherapy, Capalaba, Queensland, Australia 4157. Sportscience 5(3), sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm, 2001 (read the rest of this study here)

3) Kong PW, Candelaria NG, Smith D. Running in New and Worn Shoes – A Comparison of Three Types of Cushioning Footwear. University of Texas at El Paso, United States. (read the abstract here)

4) Maffetone, Phil. In Fitness and in Health. David Barmore Productions; 3rd Rev edition. June 1997.

I see play as one of the greatest gifts humanity has been given, and probably one of the most under-used gifts we have access to. The benefits are obvious, but we shouldn’t be seeking the benefits. Nobody has sex for the health benefits, we have sex because we enjoy it. The same should be true of playing – the benefits come as a by-product of your creativity and enjoyment. I think it’s a good point to try and discern between slowly integrating play into your daily life and going all-out from this moment forward (that might not be a good idea). A little bit of playing at the right times can do a lot of good, but it’s difficult to know when it’s appropriate and when it isn’t.

I want to know what you think about this TED presentation. Please leave your comments below.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

Ageless Mobility is split up between standing mobility exercises, and floor-based yoga exercises, and I’ll be the first to admit that yoga is not my strongpoint. Sure, I can lift and swing weights all day long, but put me in a seemingly simple yoga routine and I can crumble if I don’t focus. Yoga is something that definitely does NOT come naturally to me, and I have to work extra hard to make minor improvements. My first AM yoga session pretty rough, challenging, and very frustrating – but with each subsequent session it gets better.

But with that said, I have made outstanding progress in the last 2-3 years of a semi-regular Prasara Yoga practice. The results DO come, even if slowly, with discipline and effort, and I’m better because of it. If you’ve never tried yoga before, then the Ageless Mobility program would be an excellent way to start that. I see AM as a way of dipping your toe in the water to see how cold it is before you jump in. It’s not completely yoga, and it’s not completely mobility – but it will make you feel better and move better. Practice for a few days and you’ll notice immediate improvements in your posture and movement. Practice for a few months and many aches and pains may just disappear, and other people will begin to notice a change in you. You’ll be much stronger, and able to access your strength more fully. I strongly recommend the Ageless Mobility program to anyone that wants better health and natural athleticism.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Yoga Neophyte

P.S. If you’re already working through a joint mobility program, then Ageless Mobility will be an excellent tool to teach you how to go much deeper into a range of motion.

Steve Wilson, MA., CSP, a psychologist and laugh therapist says, “I believe that if people can get more laughter in their lives, they are a lot better off. They might be healthier too.”

Wilson even says that the physiological effects from laughter may be synonymous with some types of exercise. No doubt, laughing hard does burn calories as muscles contract and stretch quickly and repeatedly. I can think of several times after a “heavy laughing session” when my abs were actually sore!

So, what does laughter do for us?

• Laughter has shown evidence of increasing blood flow (duh! in case no one else has noticed the veins on my forehead – tell us something we don’t know!)
• It increases our immune response, effectively creating more anti-bodies to fight infection and bacteria.
• It can lower our blood sugar levels (not a bad way to prevent diabetes).
• It helps us sleep better.

While the article got quite in-depth about the intricacies of laughter and it’s impact on health, I prefer to keep things simple. I like the closing line from Provine… “Obviously, I’m not anti-laughter,” says Provine. “I’m just saying that if we enjoy laughing, isn’t that reason enough to laugh? Do you really need a prescription?”

That’s all I need to hear – so here are two videos that have given me and my family a good laugh. Both are “g” rated:

Laughing Baby

Funny Laugh – this one had family rolling on the floor

Your Question of the Day is: have you stopped laughing yet?

Have an awesome weekend!

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Wellness Warrior

Read the full CBSNews story here.

Problems that joint mobility exercises can help prevent

If you have been following along with the blog for awhile, you have probably heard me mention joint mobility exercises a few times. This little-known, yet quickly emerging method of exercise is starting to take a prominent place in some of today’s fitness programs, and it is very important for those who have limited range of motion. There have been several joint mobility programs that have been developed over the past few years, and there is a good reason why – these exercises work! I have seen joint mobility exercises prescribed as a method of rehabilitation, pre-habilitation, workout warmups, and a means of athletic enhancement. It has even been referred to as the fountain of youth. This brief article will explain what joint mobility is, why it’s important for your training goals, and how you can get started using joint mobility exercises today.

Think of how well kids move when they’re at the playground – swinging, leaping, and climbing all come naturally to children. Would you think I’m crazy if I told you it is our birthright as adults to move with this same amount of freedom as super-active kids? As we grow older, and stop moving around as much, our body actually forgets how to move. The good news is that this process is completely reversible through highly-accessible, low tech, and easy to implement joint mobility exercises.

Movement is one of the first, integral steps to any physical goal. Having full, healthy range of motion at each joint is imperative to staying injury-free and maximizing our performance in recreation and life, in general.

Joint mobility exercises involve moving each joint through its full range of motion. Some people do this naturally everyday, oftentimes tilting the head left and right or rolling it in a circle to relieve tension. We begin with linear movements such as forwards/backwards, and left/right. Eventually, we can graduate into circles and more complex movement patterns. These exercises involve reaching to the fullest range of motion possible, without moving through tension. It may resemble a form of standing yoga, streching, or tai-chi, but joint mobility is in its own class and not dependent upon old traditions – it is fully supported by the latest research and science of the West as well as the ancient art and practice of the Eastern traditions.

Joint mobility exercise acts as a foundational technique to increase range of motion and restore lost movement patterns, but the benefits don’t stop at increasing range of motion. There are a host of benefits waiting to be explored. I’ll include the immediate benefits of joint mobility training in this article and save the long-term benefits for a later blog post.

Immediate benefits:

1. Once you have finished a whole-body joint mobility session, you will feel completely relaxed. Any tension that was present has either been eliminated or softened.

2. You will restore health at each joint in your body by washing them with synovial fluid (joint lubrication). Prior to adolescence, our body would automatically feed our joints with nutrition. After puberty, the body stops doing this, and the only nutrition that our joints receive is that which we feed it through movement. So, if we don’t move through a full range of motion at each joint, we are literally starving our joints.

3. Another immediate benefit of joint mobility is that it provides a method or reaching a heightened sensory awareness which will improve your ability to concentrate. In other words, you will feel fully awake and aware. A personal note is that once I finish my daily full-body session, I feel ready to do anything, completely prepared for any task.  I could run 10 miles, lift something heavy with ease, or swing from the monkey bars at the playground.

So, how do you begin to use this powerful training tool today? It’s really quite simple. Joint mobility is available to everyone. Young and old, fit or fat – it doesn’t matter, everyone progresses in a predictable way. And it doesn’t take anything more than your own ingenuity and determination to practice.

To begin, if you feel tense anywhere in your body, start by moving that area – just move it, it’s that simple. If your arm is tense, move your elbow back and forth, don’t just flex and extend – move in circles too. There’s no right or wrong way of doing this in the beginning – any movement that you normally don’t do will help to begin to restore proper joint function. Shrug your shoulders in circles, do hip circles – it’s ok if you look like your dancing. If you’re not comfortable with how you look, don’t do it in the front of the health club. If you are seated a lot during the day, move your neck and your shoulders. This is all you have to do to start – just baby steps.

The one important thing to keep in mind is not to move into pain. Experiencing minor discomfort is ok – and we actually want to move into this discomfort, not through it into pain though. Keep your discomfort level at a 3 out of 10 (10 being extremely painful, 1 being minimal discomfort).

There will be more information coming about this superb training method in future blog posts (including some beginner routine videos!). Look for the next installment to be my personal story about finding and exploring joint mobility exercises.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Wellness Warrior

P.S. As I said in the introduction, there are a lot of joint mobility programs out there – and I’ve reviewed many of them. If you want a complete system for joint mobility training, I recommend Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow program here: http://www.rmaxi.com/products/intu-flow.html With this program, there is no guesswork involved, you simply follow along with the DVD and your body will thank you for it. Intu Flow stands head and shoulders above the other joint mobility programs I have encountered.

P.P.S. Stay tuned for the next blogpost about joint mobility exercises, where I explain how I discovered joint mobility training, and all of the benefits I have received since.

Brian Grasso

I just got an e-mail from my good friend, Brian Grasso, this morning. If you don’t know Brian already, he’s arguably the worlds leading expert on children and youth fitness. I worked for Brian for a year, when his program Complete Athlete Development was released – and we built a good friendship together. I know that he is a man of strong integrity and that he has a huge heart that fuels his deep desire to help today’s kids.

Now, Brian has taken on a much broader issue than youth athletics, the child obesity problem.

I have a special place in my heart for today’s children and youth. I see so many kids living with low self-esteem and poor health. Overweight children are having trouble fitting in at school, and participating in sports (or even recess!). The child obesity problem is only getting worse, as the statistics of overweight children climb every year.

Brian just announced the release of a new program, and I can tell you without a doubt that this is going to be the Child Obesity Solution. I know that Brian has left a huge impact on tens of thousands of kids lives already, and that number will continue to skyrocket with this new SOLUTION.

Seriously, if you have kids, or know someone with children that are overweight, or otherwise sedentary – you owe it to yourself and to them to pick up a copy of Brian’s program:

“The Youth Obesity Solution”

You can pick up your copy, along with a free quick-start guide, by visiting Brian’s website here: www.TheYouthObesitySolution.com

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Wellness Warrior

P.S. Grab your copy of Brian’s free special report by clicking the image below…

His name is Nakodo’s Warrior’s Friend ‘Ronin.’

Ronin will be 12 weeks old this weekend.  He is a male purebred akita, and he’s growing FAST.  He’s gained 8 pounds since we picked him up two weeks ago.

Meet him in this video while I encourage you to get outdoors this weekend.

Getting Active Outside with John Sifferman

Some quick facts about Ronin:

• he eats rocks when we’re not paying attention to him outside
• he’s sedentary most of the day, but LOVES going outside to play for a few hours
• it’s difficult for people not to love Ronin – he is adorable, after all
• he will probably grow to be 100-115+ pounds
• he licks EVERYTHING – shoes, socks, feet, toys, walls, grass, rocks, wood, you name it!

Akitas are known for being excellent family dogs, always quite loyal to their pack.  They were originally bred in Japan for hunting and as house dogs.  Akitas are generally gentle with children, aggressive toward other dogs of the same sex, and excellent guard dogs.  They are not barkers, unless something is unusual – certainly not the yappy-type.  Akitas do not shed (and I can attest to this, we can’t get fur off of him, even with a slicka brush!).  They blow their undercoat twice a year, though – making for a furry mess around the house.  Akitas are very people-oriented, but can also be independent – they will take charge if their human leaders don’t.

We couldn’t be happier with our new family member!

Your Question of the Day is: do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Wellness Warrior

John pretending to be a monkey in Maui.

I love lists – they’re concise and easy to remember.  They give you a good grasp of a subject without requiring you to read a book or a boring research paper.  More importantly, lists give you a look at the “big picture” of a subject like strength training for instance.  Also, lists open doors to new areas of exploration.  There might be a numbered item below that piques your interest, and may encourage you to look into something a little more.

Today’s post is one of these lists.

5 Things You Need to do to Stay Strong for Life

1) Stay Healthy

OK, you’re probably thinking I’m a wise guy, which is sometimes true, but I’m being serious right now.  I put “stay healthy” at the top position because your strength is completely dependent on your health.  If you’re sick frequently, you will never make substantial progress in a strength training program.  Your entire foundation of living is based on your health.  If you don’t practice and attain good health, you will never be strong.  Period.

So, there is a lot that goes into being healthy, and I’ll go over a few things:

• Drinking plenty of clean water.
• Eat whole, nutritious foods that were alive and growing from or on the earth.  A good rule of thumb is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid foods with “marketing” on the boxes trying to convince you that the food is good for you.  Usually, the more colorful and eye-appealing the box is, the worse the food is for your health.
• Get fresh air and sunlight daily.  If the weather is nice, roll up your sleeves and get some vitamin D.
• Drink alcohol only in moderation, if at all.  Binge drinking is out.
• Never smoke – if you’re reading this, and you smoke – stop.  I can appreciate the occasional cigar or smoking a pipe (and I stress OCCASIONAL) – but if you smoke regularly, stop.  If you smoke cigarettes, stop.
• Avoid contaminants – don’t subject yourself to an unclean environment.  This goes from washing your hands before meals, to using better cleaning products. Try switching to all natural products.  I like 7th generation cleaning products, myself.  A lot of homemade products can be created as well, search for these via google.

2) Protect and care for your joints

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve consulted with who are walking wounded.  Everyone seems to have an injury that prevents them from performing at their best.  Sometimes, it’s an “old football injury,” and other times it’s just “something I pulled at the gym.”

Regardless of what an injury was from, probably the best thing to do to avoid injury is pre-habilitate your joints through joint mobility exercise.  Joint mobility exercises act as a way of restoring nutrition and lubrication to your joints.  We don’t normally think of our joints needing lubrication, but it is essential to ensure you stay pain-free for life.  The best joint mobility system I have ever used is Scott Sonnon’s Intu-Flow program – which is literally like an encyclopedia for human movement.  It teaches you how to recover your full range of motion at EVERY joint in your body so that you can move pain free.  You’ll notice some dramatic body awareness improvements too, meaning you will move with more grace and poise, naturally being more coordinated and balanced.  You can find Intu-Flow at Sonnon’s website here:

www.rmaxinterntional.com/products/intu-flow-complete

It’s well worth the money.

3) Train all the body all the time

Again, this sounds a little simpleton, but it is imperative to do this.  Neglecting an area or movement in your body always means injury, and injury means having less strength for less time.  If you want to stay strong for life, you need to train your entire body.  Unless you will be stepping on stage for a physique contest, forget body part specific isolation routines.  This does more damage than good since it teaches your body to move in parts, instead of as a whole.  A better way to think about your muscular system is as one unit.  Your body is more like one big muscle that can do a LOT of different things – than it is a bunch of smaller muscle groups that each have their purpose.

Some examples of this in a training program

• Do squat thrusters instead of separating squats and vertical presses
• Do burpees instead of separating squat jumps and pushups
• Do clean and jerks instead of curls and overhead presses
• Pick multi-joint exercises instead of isolation exercises (ie deadlift instead of leg curl, horizontal pulling movement instead of biceps curl, woodchop exercise instead of ab crunches, etc.)

4) Use progressive resistance training

One of the most common gym mistakes I see is jumping into a training program with 110% effort.  Too much gusto too early usually means two things: unexpected injury and unexpected plateau.  Your best bet is to perform every strength training program with baby steps.  Over time, these small improvements will add up to much more than you could have achieved with the all-or-nothing-until-injured mentality.

There are many ways to progress including

• performing an exercise with better technique
• performing an exercise with less discomfort
• increasing your training frequency (how many times during the day/week you train)
• increasing your training volume – total work being done during sessions is more via extra reps, sets, new exercises
• increasing your training effort
• increasing your intensity – the percentage of your maximum load lifted
• increasing the sophistication of the exercises
• increasing the amount of time-under-tension per exercise
• trying a more advanced training tool

Using a combination of the above protocol to progress in your training program will prove to be a lifelong method for achieving your goals safely – going after them one at a time.

5) Enjoy your training

If you’re not having fun, you won’t last long – and you won’t stay strong for life.  If you HATE training at the gym, cancel your membership.  Buy some equipment for your new home gym.  If you don’t like training by yourself, find a workout partner or join a group exercise class (there are fitness bootcamps spreading like wildfire!).  If you’re tired of using barbells and dumbbells, try out some bodyweight exercises or buy a pair of kettlebells or clubbells.

There’s no reason you should dread training.  You are taking time for YOU, and you should enjoy every minute of it.  If you’re not having fun, something needs to change.

Be strong. Be well.

Your Question of the Day is: what other lists would you like to see featured here in the future?

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Wellness Warrior