Happy Wednesday, Team!
It's another big day on the scales for many of you. Who's poised to crack 15 pounds lost? 18? 20? More? Shoot me an email and let me know how you did! Many members have sent in inspiring emails over the last couple weeks revealing big leaps from our starting positions and telling stories of great success. To me, the lifestyle changes including better sleep, more food choices, better energy levels, and an overall happier personality trump anything the scale could ever tell you.
Did you re-take your measurements and one-month pictures yet? If not, get to it! You're almost halfway into the second month and they're important documentation for tracking progress.
On Monday I took the opportunity of a warmer evening to get out on a fast-paced run around the main city of Grand Island. Weaving on and over broken sidewalk and twisted roads I could feel energy coursing through my body. Faster I felt myself falling until I was at a sprint pushing the limit right up to the turn-around. That day I turned back at 18:36. Not bad. A few minutes at a lesser pace and before I knew it the wind started to whip by faster and I was racing cars down 2nd Street. Making it back to the hotel my legs were electrified and I felt like walking on air.
It wasn't planned this way. I actually had no intention of going for a run OR pushing the limits for 30+ minutes. It just happened. And I always smile when it does.
Have you had a similar experience yet? Share it with us!
NUTRITION TIP OF THE DAY: Don't be afraid of the extremes or randomness. This reminds me of a new word for your personal dictionaries: kurtosis. Straight from Wikipedia, here's the description: "In probability theory and statistics, kurtosis (from the Greek word κυρτός, kyrtos or kurtos, meaning bulging) is a measure of the "peakedness" of the probability distribution of a real-valued random variable... Higher kurtosis means more of the variance is the result of infrequent extreme deviations, as opposed to frequent modestly sized deviations."
So what does it mean? Really, what we're looking at is the last sentence. More variance is the result of infrequent extreme deviations.
In terms of our health and well being this means that infrequent (2 or 3 times a week), yet extreme (go hard and fast, push the limit) exercise will result in greater fitness and health gains than any standard straight-line model.
You saw this at work in the video presented on Tuesday. (Awesome write-up, by the way, Neseth. Thank you for taking the lead on that!) The standard of Calories in < Calories out = Weight loss has been proven wrong time and again, yet people still do it. There is a reason why I can jump in and run in 35 and 50 miles races with no specific training and not only not get hurt, but do pretty well. Welcome to the art of the Kurtosis Workout. Heck, even infrequent extreme eating deviations (intermittent fasting, for one) have tremendous health benefits. There might just be something to this!
WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Let's make this one easy: Ten rounds for time - 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, 10 squats. Do a few first to get the blood moving then GO! No warm-up this time. The bear doesn't care that you didn't stretch. Make sure you do some good recovery work afterwards, however. And if you are feeling a pinch - stop. Work it out and start again.
Included below is an article that was printed in the USA Today yesterday. It is a very interesting study about people who live the longest. I think that it has some merit as it is a good reminder that some stress is good (not chronic!), activity is best, and it's okay to work hard. Just remember to play hard too.
Get out and lay in the sun today! Let those minds go and enjoy the ride.
Mike.
The secret to a long life isn't what you think
By Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY Updated Feb 28, 2011 8:06 PM
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/story/2011/02/5-myths-about-living-longer/44304898/1?csp=ylf
Prescription for a long life: Work hard. Don't retire early.
Being active in middle age was most important to health and longevity in the study.
The idea that your job or your boss is leading you to an early grave is one of several myths debunked in an analysis of a 90-year study that followed 1,528 Americans. Among other myths: be optimistic, get married, go to church, eat broccoli and get a gym membership.
Researchers Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin report their conclusions in a new book, The Longevity Project. "Everybody has the ideas — don't stress, don't worry, don't work so hard, retire and go play golf," says Friedman, a psychology professor at University of California-Riverside. "We did not find these patterns to exist in people who thrived."
At the core of their 20 years of research is a study started by Stanford University psychologist Lewis Terman in 1921. Terman died in 1956, but other researchers carried on the study. One participant was biologist Ancel Keys, whose life-long work helped popularize the Mediterranean diet. He died in 2004 at age 100. He enjoyed gardening as an activity much of his life.
"It became really clear to us if your activities rise or stay high in middle age, you definitely stay healthier and live longer," says Martin, a research psychologist at University of California-Riverside. Here are five of their key myths about thriving:
Myth No. 1. Thinking happy thoughts reduces stress and leads to a longer life.
Reality:In the study, children whose parents described them as "extraordinarily cheerful and optimistic," "never sees the dark side" or "never worries" were less likely to live to an old age. This is one of "the biggest bombshells of the project," the researchers write.
"We keep hearing this advice to cheer up and stay happy because it will keep you healthy," Friedman says. "We just disagree with that after seeing the results of the study."
The participants who lived long, happy lives "were not cynical rebels and loners" but accomplished people who were satisfied with their lives. Many knew that worrying is sometimes a good thing. The authors also looked at a study of Medicare patients that found that "neuroticism was health-protective."
Myth No. 2. Gardening and walking aren't enough to keep you healthy.
The authors say the government's guidelines that recommend spending 30 minutes at least four times a week expending energy at a moderate to intense level is "good up-to-date medical advice but poor practical advice."
Reality:Being active in middle age was most important to health and longevity in the study. But rather than vow to do something to get in shape (like jogging) and then hate it and not stick with it, find something you like to do.
"We looked at those who stayed active," Friedman says. "It wasn't the kids on sports teams. It's the ones who had activities at one point and had the pattern of keeping them ... They were doing stuff that got them out of the chair ... whether it was gardening, walking the dog or going to museums."
Myth No. 3. Lighten up; being serious is bad for you.
Reality:One of the best childhood personality predictors of longevity was conscientiousness — "qualities of a prudent, persistent, well-organized person, like a scientist or professor — somewhat obsessive and not at all carefree," the authors conclude. They say the most obvious reason "is that conscientious people do more things to protect their health and engage in fewer activities that are risky."
"What characterized the people who thrived is a combination of their own persistence and dependability and the help of other people," Friedman says. The young adults who were thrifty, persistent, detail-oriented and responsible lived the longest.
Myth No. 4. Take it easy and don't work so hard. You'll live longer.
Reality:Those with the most career success were the least likely to die young. Those who moved from job to job without a clear progression were less likely to have long lives than those with increasing responsibilities.
Among participants who were still working in their 70s, the "continually productive men and women lived much longer than the laid-back comrades. ... This production orientation mattered more than their social relationships or their sense of happiness or well-being."
"It wasn't the happiest or the most relaxed older participants who lived the longest," the authors write. "It was those who were most engaged in pursuing their goals."
Myth No. 5. Get married and you will live longer.
Reality:The authors looked at the remarried, steadily married (never divorced), divorced and steadily single and found many differences among the groups and between genders.
"We're able to say that a sexually satisfying and happy marriage is a very good indicator of future health and long life," but being single for a woman can be just as healthy as being in a marriage, especially if she has other fulfilling social relationships.
The married men in the study lived the longest. Single men outlived remarried men but didn't live as long as married men. Among women, the number who divorced their husbands and stayed single lived nearly as long as steadily married women.
"Being divorced was much less harmful to a women's health," the authors say.
It's another big day on the scales for many of you. Who's poised to crack 15 pounds lost? 18? 20? More? Shoot me an email and let me know how you did! Many members have sent in inspiring emails over the last couple weeks revealing big leaps from our starting positions and telling stories of great success. To me, the lifestyle changes including better sleep, more food choices, better energy levels, and an overall happier personality trump anything the scale could ever tell you.
Did you re-take your measurements and one-month pictures yet? If not, get to it! You're almost halfway into the second month and they're important documentation for tracking progress.
On Monday I took the opportunity of a warmer evening to get out on a fast-paced run around the main city of Grand Island. Weaving on and over broken sidewalk and twisted roads I could feel energy coursing through my body. Faster I felt myself falling until I was at a sprint pushing the limit right up to the turn-around. That day I turned back at 18:36. Not bad. A few minutes at a lesser pace and before I knew it the wind started to whip by faster and I was racing cars down 2nd Street. Making it back to the hotel my legs were electrified and I felt like walking on air.
It wasn't planned this way. I actually had no intention of going for a run OR pushing the limits for 30+ minutes. It just happened. And I always smile when it does.
Have you had a similar experience yet? Share it with us!
NUTRITION TIP OF THE DAY: Don't be afraid of the extremes or randomness. This reminds me of a new word for your personal dictionaries: kurtosis. Straight from Wikipedia, here's the description: "In probability theory and statistics, kurtosis (from the Greek word κυρτός, kyrtos or kurtos, meaning bulging) is a measure of the "peakedness" of the probability distribution of a real-valued random variable... Higher kurtosis means more of the variance is the result of infrequent extreme deviations, as opposed to frequent modestly sized deviations."
So what does it mean? Really, what we're looking at is the last sentence. More variance is the result of infrequent extreme deviations.
In terms of our health and well being this means that infrequent (2 or 3 times a week), yet extreme (go hard and fast, push the limit) exercise will result in greater fitness and health gains than any standard straight-line model.
You saw this at work in the video presented on Tuesday. (Awesome write-up, by the way, Neseth. Thank you for taking the lead on that!) The standard of Calories in < Calories out = Weight loss has been proven wrong time and again, yet people still do it. There is a reason why I can jump in and run in 35 and 50 miles races with no specific training and not only not get hurt, but do pretty well. Welcome to the art of the Kurtosis Workout. Heck, even infrequent extreme eating deviations (intermittent fasting, for one) have tremendous health benefits. There might just be something to this!
WORKOUT OF THE DAY: Let's make this one easy: Ten rounds for time - 10 push-ups, 10 sit-ups, 10 squats. Do a few first to get the blood moving then GO! No warm-up this time. The bear doesn't care that you didn't stretch. Make sure you do some good recovery work afterwards, however. And if you are feeling a pinch - stop. Work it out and start again.
Included below is an article that was printed in the USA Today yesterday. It is a very interesting study about people who live the longest. I think that it has some merit as it is a good reminder that some stress is good (not chronic!), activity is best, and it's okay to work hard. Just remember to play hard too.
Get out and lay in the sun today! Let those minds go and enjoy the ride.
Mike.
The secret to a long life isn't what you think
By Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY Updated Feb 28, 2011 8:06 PM
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/medical/story/2011/02/5-myths-about-living-longer/44304898/1?csp=ylf
Prescription for a long life: Work hard. Don't retire early.
Being active in middle age was most important to health and longevity in the study.
The idea that your job or your boss is leading you to an early grave is one of several myths debunked in an analysis of a 90-year study that followed 1,528 Americans. Among other myths: be optimistic, get married, go to church, eat broccoli and get a gym membership.
Researchers Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin report their conclusions in a new book, The Longevity Project. "Everybody has the ideas — don't stress, don't worry, don't work so hard, retire and go play golf," says Friedman, a psychology professor at University of California-Riverside. "We did not find these patterns to exist in people who thrived."
At the core of their 20 years of research is a study started by Stanford University psychologist Lewis Terman in 1921. Terman died in 1956, but other researchers carried on the study. One participant was biologist Ancel Keys, whose life-long work helped popularize the Mediterranean diet. He died in 2004 at age 100. He enjoyed gardening as an activity much of his life.
"It became really clear to us if your activities rise or stay high in middle age, you definitely stay healthier and live longer," says Martin, a research psychologist at University of California-Riverside. Here are five of their key myths about thriving:
Myth No. 1. Thinking happy thoughts reduces stress and leads to a longer life.
Reality:In the study, children whose parents described them as "extraordinarily cheerful and optimistic," "never sees the dark side" or "never worries" were less likely to live to an old age. This is one of "the biggest bombshells of the project," the researchers write.
"We keep hearing this advice to cheer up and stay happy because it will keep you healthy," Friedman says. "We just disagree with that after seeing the results of the study."
The participants who lived long, happy lives "were not cynical rebels and loners" but accomplished people who were satisfied with their lives. Many knew that worrying is sometimes a good thing. The authors also looked at a study of Medicare patients that found that "neuroticism was health-protective."
Myth No. 2. Gardening and walking aren't enough to keep you healthy.
The authors say the government's guidelines that recommend spending 30 minutes at least four times a week expending energy at a moderate to intense level is "good up-to-date medical advice but poor practical advice."
Reality:Being active in middle age was most important to health and longevity in the study. But rather than vow to do something to get in shape (like jogging) and then hate it and not stick with it, find something you like to do.
"We looked at those who stayed active," Friedman says. "It wasn't the kids on sports teams. It's the ones who had activities at one point and had the pattern of keeping them ... They were doing stuff that got them out of the chair ... whether it was gardening, walking the dog or going to museums."
Myth No. 3. Lighten up; being serious is bad for you.
Reality:One of the best childhood personality predictors of longevity was conscientiousness — "qualities of a prudent, persistent, well-organized person, like a scientist or professor — somewhat obsessive and not at all carefree," the authors conclude. They say the most obvious reason "is that conscientious people do more things to protect their health and engage in fewer activities that are risky."
"What characterized the people who thrived is a combination of their own persistence and dependability and the help of other people," Friedman says. The young adults who were thrifty, persistent, detail-oriented and responsible lived the longest.
Myth No. 4. Take it easy and don't work so hard. You'll live longer.
Reality:Those with the most career success were the least likely to die young. Those who moved from job to job without a clear progression were less likely to have long lives than those with increasing responsibilities.
Among participants who were still working in their 70s, the "continually productive men and women lived much longer than the laid-back comrades. ... This production orientation mattered more than their social relationships or their sense of happiness or well-being."
"It wasn't the happiest or the most relaxed older participants who lived the longest," the authors write. "It was those who were most engaged in pursuing their goals."
Myth No. 5. Get married and you will live longer.
Reality:The authors looked at the remarried, steadily married (never divorced), divorced and steadily single and found many differences among the groups and between genders.
"We're able to say that a sexually satisfying and happy marriage is a very good indicator of future health and long life," but being single for a woman can be just as healthy as being in a marriage, especially if she has other fulfilling social relationships.
The married men in the study lived the longest. Single men outlived remarried men but didn't live as long as married men. Among women, the number who divorced their husbands and stayed single lived nearly as long as steadily married women.
"Being divorced was much less harmful to a women's health," the authors say.
No comments:
Post a Comment