Tate Body Sciences

02/02/2025

A treat to see these kids bring it, with enthusiasm and sportsmanship every time they play!

Congratulations to the Chatham-Kent Wildcats Basketball of Ontario, Canada on winning a divisional championship at the FAAST February Bash!

Please share this post with your team, parents and friends so we can give these kids the recognition they deserve!

03/29/2023

I've got an idea you probably thought of too... go for a walk this morning!

03/27/2023

So, I'm going in for root canal soon it looks like... the pain has me awake at some odd hours and then back to sleep again - its not great.
BUT, I can tell you for sure that taking a walk when the pain creeps up is way better than sitting around.

When things have you down, go for a walk!

03/22/2023

Stimulated by a walk down memory lane I've been looking back at some of the older research. Recalling my own time on the bike, being hollered at and coached to push my limit... and the discomfort of biopsy wounds... I remember now why I got into coaching. My fascination at WHAT the outcomes of the research (incredible cascades of cellular and genetic communication and signalling) palled in comparison to wondering HOW do we get more people confident to push themselves to take advantage of this time-saving and potently health-promoting exercise tool.
This experience, among others, has led me to look at my day in search of intervals I can sneak in... I encourage you to do the same!

Furthermore, the early work in interval training has led to its application in areas far removed from high performance. Maybe you're dealing with a chronic disease or even trying to improve your cognitive performance; increasingly, the answer is intervals can and should make up a regular part of your week (see below links for more details).

It's time to sprint to get my garbage out and back... where can you sneak some intervals into your day?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19088769/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36743598/
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01277.2013?view=long&pmid=24408997

High-intensity aerobic interval training (HIIT) is a compromise between time-consuming moderate-intensity training and sprint-interval training requiring all-out efforts. However, there are few data regarding the ability of HIIT to increase the capacities of fat and carbohydrate oxidation in skeleta...

03/21/2023

Just had a friendly reminder about the power of interval work. If you happen to have an axe and a love for chopping firewood, look no further for a great way to sneak in some intervals. Choosing the work:rest ratios is a bit of a trick here as it depends on how long it takes you to fell your tree, so if you're splitting wood, my suggestion is to line up a few pieces so you can move from one to the next!
Every time you get your heart rate up there, it's a win. But if you can hang out for increasing ( # or intensity) of intervals, incredible cellular machinery kicks into action!

03/09/2023

A couple clients have forwarded me the recent articles describing the LACK of connection between running and hip OR knee osteoarthritis in people who run (and its a wide variety of people they measured)!

The take-home message is that Exercise is crucial in preventing and managing chronic disease progression and pain. It provides numerous physical benefits, like improving flexibility, strength, and balance, and it can also help alleviate pain and improve overall quality of life. So, if you're worried about or currently dealing with chronic pain, remember to include exercise in your pain management plan.

Exercise does some wild things for you mind and body like releasing endorphins and other signalling molecules linked to not just developing strength, power and balance, but also to measures of cognitive and mental health... but that's for another article!

While there's good evidence that Aerobic activities like walking, cycling, and swimming are effective for reducing chronic pain, strength training can build muscle, improve posture, reduce the risk of injury, and increase bone density. Stretching and flexibility exercises can reduce muscle tension and improve posture and joint health. Mind-body techniques like mindfulness and meditation can also reduce stress and anxiety, which can exacerbate chronic pain symptoms.

In short, as I replied to my clients, the VAST MAJORITY of data points to "motion is lotion" and "use it or lose it."

03/08/2023

I love going to the gym, but there's nothing like getting a new toy to really get my heart pumping!

I exercise regularly in large part for 4 reasons (in no particular order):
1) I want to be able to do things like swing a 5lb Felling axe 3-4x/week so I can heat with wood.
2) I want to be able to get on the ground or chase my kids (and theirs one day?!!) for as long as possible (in years, not just minutes!)
3) So my wife and I can enjoy this whole adventure for as long as possible.
4) So I can keep playing basketball and Dunk again in my 40s and beyond...

What gets you going, or what's in the way?

02/10/2023

Fight Parkinson's Disease with Exercise: The (not so) Surprising Benefits!

Have you or someone you know been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease? Research shows that exercise can significantly improve the symptoms and quality of life for those affected, no matter the age of onset.

This article explores the benefits of various types of exercise for Parkinson's disease and how it can help alleviate symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and balance issues. And it's not just physical activity but also mental and social stimulation that can positively impact people with Parkinson's.

Don't let Parkinson's Disease hold you back any longer. Discover the power of exercise in our latest article and learn how to take control of your health.

Click the link to read more about the surprising benefits of exercise for Parkinson's Disease and start taking control of your health today!

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder affecting motor and non-motor systems, but movement and coordination are the earliest intervention and diagnostic points.

01/20/2023

The Polar Plunge is BACK – are you ready to get ?

01/16/2023

Spoon Theory, Fork Theory and all things energy/load and pain management have been coming across our radars lately.
It just so happens that Jon Goodman wrote a LinkenIn post that really tickled a response!

The take home message, no matter what words or theories you explore to explain and understand the state of your health, movement can be a feature of it and using the "warm-up" time as a body check-in time can be invaluable.

An important feature of a consistent "warm-up" or "movement prep" phase of workouts is making sure our clients know why they're doing this. Jon's points are…

01/10/2023

One of my clients used our 20 minute rule today. I was proud of him.

The idea is, instead of punishing yourself through 45 or 60 minutes of something you and your body might not be ready for, commit to starting and persisting for a good chunk, finishing is pure bonus.

Sometimes we warm up, find the groove and get into that thing (in this case exercise). Other times we stay feeling stiff, achey, or we start to feel drained, not invigorated. And that's OK.

The central idea is that starting is more valuable than a perfect finish. Take roughly 1/3 of the expected time before you throw in the towel, that's it.

For example, I love little 8 min sprint/interval sessions in my front yard/street, so I go get loose, then hit the timer and aim for 2.5 minutes of work before I decide to stop or keep going.

Maybe your microdoses of exercise are 15 minutes- so set your bar at 5 minutes. You get the idea by now.

I will always remember the Mark Messier Baked Lays commercial from my youth, the idea was "I betcha can't have just one..."

In my 15 years+ of experiences as a coach, I can tell you that well over 90% of the time if you start, you'll keep going.

Another sneaky victory with this philosophy is that you will learn more about your relationship with your mind and body, a meta-skill to be sure. Expect to notice things about challenging situations. Expect to lean into things differently or, notice yourself feel and say a firm no sooner - both are great skills and assets you really start to develop when you intentionally start things.

My final thought on things is deciding if you like to explore or like to be led. It's way easier to implement this rule if you are getting into the activity with the type of mindset and plan you thrive in.

In other words, get personalized programs made for you if you like that level of detail, or get themes to riff on if you want more flexibility in your life and routines.

Go start something... and stick with it for long enough to really feel if its over, or just getting interesting!

12/29/2022

Move that energy around!

"Lifting Heavy Things" by Laura Khoudari just popped onto my reading list, thanks to a colleague, so if you want to read more like me, that's where I'm headed…