The evidence regarding regular exercise and cancer prevention isn’t exactly conclusive, however, as I’ve written about in past “60sec Reads”, regular exercise most certainly plays a huge role in preventing diseases that result from less than optimal lifestyle choices. And here’s the thing: more often than not, cancer develops due to lifestyle and environmental exposures, not because of genes - this is a common misconception about cancer. There have been plenty of studies performed about the effect regular exercise has on the risk of developing certain cancers, and each one tends to vary… For example, the statistics show that it can reduce people’s risk of developing colon cancer by about 20%, while it could decrease a woman’s risk of breast cancer by around 30-40%, [I don’t know whether studies have looked at possible differences in males vs. females for either of these cancers]. But the evidence suggests that, like Diabetes, even if it runs in your family, regular exercise can prevent cancer from ever developing in your body. That’s incredibly empowering information! Yes, our genes and our environment can increase our risk and likelihood of a cancer diagnosis, but the decisions we make every day hold just as much power - maybe more. It’s also worth noting that, worst case scenario, if you’re exercising regularly and still end up battling cancer, regular exercise before, during and after treatment will in fact reduce your risk of recurrence, as well as improve your quality of life during and after treatment. Basically, fighting disease or not, prioritizing your fitness will help you lead a happier, more fulfilling life - even if “the C-word” barges into it. So just move! That’s all you gotta do, kids!
Trainer Tip Tuesday: Relieve Tension in Neck, Chest & Shoulders
Here's 3 stretches I lead clients/classes through whenever I get complaints about neck tension or when people appear stressed and overwhelmed. They feel sooo good!! Enjoy!
60sec Read: Regular Exercise Can Naturally Reduce Chronic Pain
There are over 1.5 billion people on the planet who struggle with chronic pain. Living with conditions like fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and migraines is a confusing and frustrating struggle. Living with a non-stop, seemingly untreatable pain may lead to other health issues like depression and insomnia. Completely understandable, right? Not only that, but when it hurts to move, it’s difficult to go out and run errands, let alone hit the gym… and then you’re at risk for developing chronic diseases that result from an inactive lifestyle, like heart disease and diabetes. And then there’s the opioid crisis. Traditional medications used to rid people of pain, when you’re dealing with chronic pain, could lead to a life of addiction. A nightmare scenario… Needless to say, living with chronic pain can be uh… stressful. It’s not hopeless though!! Regular exercise can help reduce stress, boost your mood, and improve your quality of sleep - all things that people with chronic disease often struggle with. Not only that, exercise can actually help to reduce the pain itself. With certain conditions, like arthritis, researchers have found that strength training at least twice a week is an incredibly effective way to both reduce pain and improve quality of life. In my experience with clients who battle chronic pain, while a particular workout might feel fantastic one week, it may feel like absolute shit the next… that’s just the nature of these conditions, but it’s nothing to be discouraged about. Consistency is key, and it will get better if you stay consistent. If you or someone you know suffers from chronic pain, do your research about what exercise methods will best help with your condition, and know that: each day you’ll have to play by ear; it’ll be trial and error; just keep an open mind and always be flexible. If you commit to regular exercise with that mindset, your quality of life will improve in ways you never imagined!
60sec Read: Regular Exercise Can Reverse Symptoms of Type II Diabetes
Chances are you or a member of your family suffer from Type II Diabetes. More than 29 million adults in the United States have the disease, which is the 7th leading cause of death in the country. What’s worse is that nearly three times as many adults, [over 86 million], are pre-diabetic. Here’s the kicker… Type II Diabetes usually develops as a result of poor lifestyle choices, and in those cases, it’s completely preventable. But that’s kind of awesome news, right?! It's preventable! So what do I do? Well, you have to: eat a diet that mostly consists of nutritious produce, whole grains and lean proteins, and exercise regularly. Here’s the thing though, being physically active alone isn’t going to cut it; strength training each major muscle group at least twice a week is what will truly help your body improve it’s insulin sensitivity. This is something many medications for diabetics are designed to do, but strength training does it naturally. Cleaning up their dietary habits and committing to a strength training regimen may be all a pre-diabetic individual needs in order to get their blood glucose levels back under control and prevent themselves from developing full blown diabetes. As for those who already suffer from the disease, they may find that they rely less on medications, or may even get their blood glucose levels down to pre-diabetic levels, at which they no longer need the help of prescriptions. How amazing is that?! So now you know: stay active, lift weights often, and put good foods into your body. Then hopefully you won’t ever have to worry about Type II Diabetes. The End.
60sec Read: Regular Exercise Improves Your Sleep Quality
Do you lay in bed most nights, tossing and turning, while you wish you were actually sleeping? Or do you struggle to make it through the entire day without feeling as though you could climb into bed and immediately fall asleep? Whether you have trouble falling asleep, struggle to stay asleep, or just feel exhausted during the day, regular exercise can, and probably will, help improve the quality of your Zzz’s. In fact, just 150-minutes of physical activity each week, [30-minutes per day, 5 days a week], improves people’s sleep quality by an average of 65%! Researchers have found the correlation, but have yet to really nail down the cause. They speculate that the reason for the improvement in sleep quality may be related to the fact that exercise reduces stress, which can ease your mind as your head hits the pillow. Not to mention, exercise can help “use up” excess energy in general, making your body more ready and willing to recharge when the lights go out. It is worth noting though, that you may want to finish your workout/activities at least 3 hours before hitting the hay… Otherwise your endorphins may still be flowing too heavily and work against your quest for better shut-eye. Oh! And 1 more cool thing about sleep - it improves the results you achieve from your workouts, which makes a pretty solid case for the mutually beneficial relationship between exercise and sleep. So we can agree that both are extremely important, and neither are as effective without the other. That’s all you gotta do to be a dope human: earn quality dream time with your workouts, and then earn quality results from your workouts with your dream time, repeat. You’re welcome ;-)