BodyForTheAges.org Blog

Exercise takes time. Not only the amount of time spent engaging in the exercise itself, but preparation as well, and even the energy spent on mentally drumming up the motivation to set aside that time!

When it comes to having a healthy heart (the foremost mission of the Body For The Ages Online Wellness Program), how many minutes per day do we really need to be spending on exercise? The answer brings both good and bad news:

According to an intensive study done at the Institute of Medicine, we should be exercising for about an hour every day, for optimal heart health.

Reports Richard N. Fogoros, M.D. for About.com, “

“This [Institute of Medicine] report is a comprehensive synthesis of what is known and unknown today about optimizing our caloric intake (carbohydrates, fat, protein, etc.) and our output (physical activity) in order to maintain an advisable weight, a favorable body composition (i.e., proportion of muscle to fat), and cardiovascular health.”  Read more here: http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/exercise/a/enoughexercise.htm

Are they kidding? Who has that kind of time? (Those are the first questions that come to mind, for many of us.)

But if we’re being honest? Well, most of us have that kind of time…at some part of the day. It’s a matter of priority and motivation, no? Maybe the answer to the struggle of setting aside an hour a day is having a place that nourishes this time we’re choosing to dedicate to our health – a place that’s a haven for an hour well spent. A place with no distractions.

Body For The Ages Health Center, located in a historical landmark San Francisco building in Pacific Heights is just this kind of haven. My membership brings the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the hour I’m committing to my healthy heart is an hour cradled in one of San Francisco’s most serene, sophisticated, and soothing centers for health and wellness.

Best of all, Body For The Ages Health Center offers free tours and brief assessments for those who may be interested in making it their workout location. Learn more here: http://www.bodyfortheages.com/bfta-health-center.php

And if you’re leaving this page with a bad taste in your mouth from that one-hour exercise mandate, cheer up. If you simply can’t set aside that kind of time, here’s some very good news from Dr. Fogoros:

“More than 40 studies in the scientific literature document that cardiac risk can be reduced by 30 - 50% by regular, moderate exercise - exercise averaging far less than one hour per day. Indeed, on September 5, the very day the Institute of Medicine report was released, yet another major article appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that, among 73,743 women followed for a number of years, those who reported walking at least 2.5 hours a week (roughly 20 minutes a day) reduced their cardiovascular risk by 30%. Women who exercised more than this reduced their risk even more, but the point is that 20 minutes a day was enough to gain a substantial improvement in cardiac risk. This study is consistent with a large body of medical literature.”

That’s it for now. Maybe I’ll see you soon at the Body For The Ages Health Center!

-Melissa

Body For The Ages Blogger

The holiday season proves to be a challenging chapter of the year.  With over booked schedules, non-stop holiday parties, and pastries at every turn, it’s no wonder people are stressed out and gaining weight!

According to a study published in the US National Library of Medicine, the average weight gained during the holiday season by Americans is 1lb.  Not so bad. However, it is a pound that you will never loose!  After thirty five years of indulging in the holiday junk food-a-thon, it’s no wonder the mid-section tends to grow!  A second study published a year later showed that obese people gain on average 5lbs!  So how do we enjoy the festivities and keep the weight down?

According to an article posted on WebMD, the food choices we make are connected to our emotional state.  Our emotional state has a huge influence on what kind of food we decide to eat and how much.  If a person is exercising daily and feeling strong, he/she is less likely to over eat. Regular exercise keeps the stress down and the weight off!

Review additional suggestions at WebMD about keeping healthy during the holiday seasons here: WebMD

Balance is the key to a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits.  At Body for the Ages, we believe in our online Wellness Program which delivers the support and encouragement you need in order to create a healthy balance in your life!  The online Wellness Program offers an individually tailored plan to each unique person.  Pax Beale, founder of Body for the Ages, believes that with proper nutrition, exercise and supplementation, each person has the potential to live their genetic lifespan!

To read more about the Body for the Ages online Wellness program, go to: www.bodyfortheages.org.

Be Well!!

Donnamarie Alesia

Body For the Ages Blogger

After a stressful day, most of us just want to relax, and getting exercise may be the last thing on our list of priorities. However, research is increasingly proving that exercise is just what we need to significantly decrease daily stress and anxiety.

From a Mayo Clinic staff study, “Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood.”

How does it work? In a variety of ways:

Chemical: Exercise releases “feel good” chemicals in your brain. You may have heard of the “runner’s high”. Well, it’s not just a ploy to get you to exercise! Physical activity releases endorphins, which deliver a mood lift to your body and mind.

Healthy Choices: Beyond chemical stimulation, exercise most often makes you feel good about your choices. When you’re confident that you’re improving your health, you’ll increase your overall confidence.

Distraction: Exercise can be an opportunity to step away from the worries of the day, and spend time by yourself, focusing on your body, and letting stress take a back seat for a while. That’s a daily prescription we could all use!

Read more of what the Mayo Clinic has to say regarding exercise and anxiety here:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043

And go here to read about how the Body For The Ages Online Wellness Program can deliver an exercise, health, and wellness program tailored to your specific needs:

www.BodyForTheAgesNonprofit.org

-Melissa Chandler, Body For The Ages Blogger

Turning Back the Clock

If you’ve reached middle age and your health habits are less than desirable, don’t give up hope.  Making a change at this stage of life will yield significant results, and set you on your way to an improved quality of life now, and in your senior years.

Dr. Dana King, a University of South Carolina professor of medicine, is part of a research team whose findings indicate that changing lifelong unhealthy habits in middle age may yield you a longer life.

“It’s not too late,” says Dr. King.  “If you make [healthy] changes now, it has a tremendous impact.”

Dr. King and his team colleagues looked at four healthy habits in over 16,000 people between 45 and 64 years of age.  Here are the categories they evaluated: eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, 2.5 hours or more of exercise per week, a healthy weight level, and not smoking.

Dr. King’s research team found that the people who adhered to the four healthy habits were “40 percent less likely to die and 35 percent less likely to suffer heart problems than those who did not adopt the beneficial habits.”

Read more about the findings here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=5314059&page=1

Body For The Ages is committed to helping you make the health changes necessary for you to enjoy a vastly improved quality of life for years to come. 

By becoming a Body For The Ages Member, and participating in the Body For The Ages Online Wellness Program, you’ll be assigned your own personal coach via the web.  Your personal coach will create a wellness program tailored to your specific needs, and walk you through workouts, nutrition, supplements, and most of all, be a knowledgeable and dependable motivating force, as you reclaim your health.

Visit http://www.bodyfortheages.org/, for details on our Wellness Program, and how to become a Team Body For The Ages Member.  Join now.  Body For The Ages is here to help you turn back the clock.

Are you self-conscious about going to the gym? 

Check out this quote from the Apria Healthcare website:

“In today’s weight room, you’re as likely to see a grandmother working her glutes as a quarterback working his quads, now that resistance exercise is recognized as vital to building strong muscles and bones.” 

Read more here: http://www.apria.com/channels/1,2748,94-193,00.html

Pax’s Prescription Method of Training will show you how weight-resistance training will not only strengthen your muscles, but your heart as well. 

Pax didn’t just treat his heart disease – he reversed it.  Now his passion is to show others how to do the same.  Why?  Because it’s completely unnecessary that 50% of people die from Heart Disease or heart related illnesses.  Body For The Ages seeks to eliminate this insidious statistic. 

Read Pax’s story at www.BodyForTheAges.com.  He’s living proof that you can take control of your health, beat heart risks, and have fun in the process.

Until Next Time,