What Type of Exercise and How Often to Work Out for Weight Loss

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From Medical News Today
At its most basic level, weight loss is about solving a math problem.
A person must burn off more calories than they take in on a daily basis. Some of the ways a person can accomplish this include:
Eating fewer calories each day than they burn off
Increasing their physical activity to burn off more calories
Increasing their muscle mass so that they burn more calories at rest
There is controversy surrounding whether exercise alone is enough to achieve weight loss.

For example, some research suggests that exercise can cause the body to start to compensate by adjusting metabolism as a means to hold on to body fat.

Exercise still has a role to play in weight loss, but for maximum benefits, a person should combine it with a healthful calorie-controlled diet that reduces their calorie intake.

Researchers also note that continuing to exercise after weight loss can help stop people from regaining the weight.

The American Heart Association (AHA)Trusted Source recommend a combination of cardiovascular training and strength training to boost health and burn calories.

Cardiovascular training
The AHA recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity throughout the week.

A person can also engage in a mix of moderate intensity and vigorous activities should they prefer.

Example of moderate intensity activities include:

Brisk walking at a speed of at least 2.5 miles per hour (mph)
Dancing
Gardening
Riding a bicycle slower than 10 mph
Tennis
Water aerobics
Examples of vigorous activities include:
Hiking, particularly uphill or while wearing a heavy pack
Jumping rope
Running
Swimming
Taking an aerobics class
Vigorous yard work, such as digging
Ultimately, a person can gain the greatest health benefits by engaging in at least 5 hours of physical activity a week.

Strength training
Strength training involves using resistance to build muscle.

Muscle can help make the body more metabolically active, increasing the rate at which it burns calories.

The AHA recommend engaging in moderate-to-high intensity resistance training on at least 2 days of the week. Examples of approaches to resistance training include:

Lifting weights: This could involve using weight machines or free weights to perform exercises such as biceps curls, bench presses, and leg presses.
Using body weight for resistance: Exercise examples include lunges, squats, and tricep dips. A person does not require any equipment to do these.
Using resistance bands: Resistance bands are stretchy elastic bands that help increase the amount that a person’s muscles must work. Resistance bands vary in tightness, with tighter ones increasing the exercise intensity. A person can perform exercises such as squats, lunges, biceps curls, and triceps extensions using resistance bands.
Anyone who is new to exercise and unsure where to begin may wish to consult a certified personal trainer. A trainer can advise the individual on what exercises are suitable for their level of health and fitness, as well as how to perform them correctly and safely.

Ways to Reduce Chronic Stress

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Exercise – Being active can improve emotional well-being. Getting up and dancing, moving around, or stretching for ten minutes can help.  Dr. Birken has an article in this newsletter about the health benefits of yoga.

Practice deep breathing – Try sitting with your eyes closed and breath deeply. Slowly release your breath and repeat ten times.

Meditate – A simple meditation is to sit quietly for 10 minutes and focus on your breath. Pay attention to how each breath feels as you inhale and exhale. When you find your thoughts wandering, bring them back to your breath.

Practice gratefulness – Each day, write down three to five things you are grateful for. As you continue to do this, you might become more positive throughout the day and continuously look for what makes you happy.

Be social – Spend time getting together and laughing with friends. Creating relationships provides a sense of belonging and can give life meaning.

Listen to music – Make a playlist of music you like, sit back, close your eyes, and listen.

Take care of your body – Exercise, eating right, limiting alcohol consumption, and not smoking or using tobacco products are the keys to a healthy life.

Other Foods Good for Heart and Brain health

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From Medical News Today

According to the American Heart Association, a better cardiovascular and cognitive health is promoted by a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins, minimally processed foods, and moderate oil and salt intake.

Recent research has indicated that a Mediterranean diet may be the optimal diet for heart health.

A researcher discussed the benefits of “green veggies, specifically spinach, Swiss chard, and kale rich in nitrates, which can help dilate the arteries.  This helps to improve blood flow and improve vascular, heart, and cognitive function.

There are numerous other foods linked to cognitive health.  Omega-3 fats like wild salmon and sardines are linked to better cognition because of their rich DHA content and potent anti-inflammatory properties.

Some studies suggest unsaturated fats, like omega-3 fats, may also help lower levels of beta-amyloid, a component in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Health Benefits of Yoga

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From NY Times

One possible reason for yoga’s many benefits: It is an intentional practice that requires focus from both the mind and the body. Many people exercise while also engaging in other activities or distracting their minds to pass the time — they watch shows while doing elliptical training or listen to podcasts while jogging.

But “if you are in a yoga class, that doesn’t happen — usually you’re focused on the instructor, you’re focused on your breath, you’re focused on the alignment of your body and postures,” said Neha Gothe, the director of the Exercise Psychology Lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who studies yoga. “And so your mind is very much present in the moment in the movement.”

Because of this emphasis on connecting the mind and the body, yoga may lead to greater mental health benefits than other forms of exercise. Research suggests that yoga reduces anxiety, elevates mood and reduces stress, perhaps more than aerobic exercise. A 2023 clinical trial also found that yoga reduces symptoms of depression and improves sleep.

The act of doing yoga tamps down activity in certain pathways within the body that get ramped up in response to threats, collectively referred to as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, one scientist said.

Some studies suggest that yoga can also reduce the frequency and severity of migraines, and a recent review of five studies found that it “may offer benefits to cognitive function” among people ages 60 and older.

Yoga might provide relief for aching backs, too. In a 2020 report, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality analyzed the results of 10 clinical trials, concluding that yoga may ease lower back pain and improve low back function. The American College of Physicians now recommends yoga as a first-line treatment for chronic low back pain.

Yoga doesn’t require a huge monetary or time investment compared with many other forms of exercise. The only equipment you might want is a yoga mat and yoga blocks, but even those can be optional.

Although in-person yoga classes can be pricey, many online classes are offered for free and provide a similar quality of instruction, Dr. Nevins said. Dr. Das’s favorite classes include Yoga with Adriene and Do Yoga With Me. If you need modifications, Dr. Schmalzl recommended the Accessible Yoga Studio.

Dr. Birken practices yoga almost every day and also likes Five Parks Yoga online.

 

 

 

 

Sleep Health

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From Medical News Today

Stages of sleep

When people sleep, their body goes through four stages of sleep.

 

Three of these stages are non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, with each stage a progressively deeper sleep. The final stage is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where dreaming mostly occurs.

 

The body cycles through each stage around four to six times over the course of a night.

 

Stage 1 NREM (Light sleep)

This is the lightest stage of NREM sleep, where a person transitions from wakefulness to sleep.

 

In this stage, a person’s brain waves, heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements slow. Their muscles also relax, with occasional twitching.

 

A person usually spends only 5% of their total sleep time in stage 1, which typically lasts several minutes at a time.

 

Stage 2 NREM (Deeper sleep)

In this stage, a person’s heart rate slows and muscles relax further. Their body temperature drops and eye movements stop.

 

A person’s brain-wave activity slows but they experience brief bursts of electrical activity, known as sleep spindles. Studies suggest sleep spindles help with memory consolidation.

 

People spend most of their total sleep time in stage 2 (about 45%). This stage typically lasts around 25 minutes in the first cycle, with time increasing in each cycle.

 

Stage 3 NREM (Deepest sleep)

This is the deepest stage of sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), and accounts for about 25% of total sleep time.

 

A person’s heart rate, breathing, and brain waves slow to their lowest levels, and muscles completely relax. This stage is the hardest to awaken from, and when sleepwalking, bedwetting, and night terrors occur.

 

In this stage, a person’s body repairs itself, regrows tissues, strengthens the immune system, and builds bone and muscle. A person needs this stage of sleep to wake up feeling refreshed.

 

Stage 4 REM (Dreaming)

This is the stage of sleep where dreaming and nightmares mostly occur. It usually begins about 90 minutes after a person falls asleep.

 

A person’s eyes move rapidly from side to side with eyelids closed during this stage, and heart rate and breathing increase.

 

Brain activity becomes closer to that seen in wakefulness, but arm and leg muscles become paralyzed to stop a person from acting out their dreams. Experts believe a person needs some REM and non-REM sleep for memory consolidation.

 

People spend around 25% of total sleep time in REM sleep, with each cycle lasting from 10 minutes to an hour.

 

Tips for improving sleep:

Avoiding sleeping in when you have had enough sleep.

Going to bed around the same time each night.

Spending more time outside and being more active during the day.

Reducing stress through exercise, therapy, or other means.

 

Dr. Birken recommends a combination of a GABA supplement with melatonin – both are available in our office.

Also, Dr. Douglas Kasper offers telemedicine consults regarding prescriptive cannabis for sleep at https://woodlandscannabisclinic.com/

 

Mediterranean Diet and Health Benefits

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Mediterranean diets have long been associated with benefits to cardiovascular health. In the mid-20th century, the Seven Countries study showed that dietary patterns in the Mediterranean and in Japan in the 1960s were associated with low rates of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality.

Since then, research has shown that this type of diet not only benefits cardiovascular health, but it also reduces the risk of many other health conditions.

And recently, evidence has been increasing for the wide-ranging health benefits of following a Mediterranean diet. But what makes Mediterranean diets so healthy, exactly?

“The Mediterranean diet is characterized by high fruit and vegetables, high fiber, high levels of ‘good fats,’ moderate intakes of fish and meat, low amounts of high processed foods and sugary treat foods,” noted Dr. Eamon Laird, a visiting research fellow at Trinity College, Dublin, in Ireland.

“These food components give high amounts of fiber, good fats, antioxidants, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals — choline, vitamin C, potassium, B-vitamins, vitamin D from fish, etc. — [and] proteins which give health benefits throughout a large number of organ and tissue systems,” he explained.

Although the exact mechanism by which the Mediterranean diet benefits health is unclear, there is increasing evidence that the diet can have five main effects:

Lowering lipids

Protecting against oxidative stress, inflammation, and platelet aggregation

Modifying hormones and growth factors involved in cancer pathogenesis

Restricting specific amino acids

Influencing the gut microbiome to produce metabolites that benefit metabolic health.

Omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, resveratrol, vitamins, and polyphenols may contribute to lower levels of inflammation, and may improve endothelial function. By reducing levels of inflammation, improving blood flow, improving insulin sensitivity, and improving lipid metabolism, by default you are also reducing some of the major risk factors for CVD, cognitive decline, cancers, and diabetes.

To read more about incorporating a Mediterranean Diet, go to the following link:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324221