BHS Fitness Center

05/10/2024

Focus on YOU.
✔️💪

05/05/2024

How much time do I need to spend exercising?” It’s a question I hear often, and it is the subject of countless research studies and popular press articles. And yet, this question misses the point.

When it comes to exercise, we should only concern ourselves with duration insofar as it influences what we really care about: results. Exercise is not a goal in itself – rather, it is a means of achieving good cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, and metabolic health, and the ultimate indicators of sufficient exercise are therefore a good VO₂ max and adequate muscle mass.

- Peter Attia, MD

04/24/2024

Things in your control that you should focus on:

Exercise:

Making time for regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your body. Developing a program that works for you can have a profound impact on your overall health.

Nutrition:

Eating a balanced and nutritious diet is another critical component of a healthy lifestyle. While you may not be able to control everything you eat, you can make mindful choices about the foods you consume, such as incorporating more whole foods, reducing your sugar intake, and drinking plenty of water.

Sleep:

Getting enough sleep is essential for your body to function properly, and it is an area you can control. By prioritizing a consistent sleep schedule and creating a comfortable sleep environment, you can improve your overall health and well-being.

Stress Management:

Managing stress is crucial for both your physical and mental health. While you may not be able to control all the stressors in your life, you can control how you respond to them. Engaging in relaxation techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, can help you manage stress more effectively.

Accountability:

Finally, holding yourself accountable for your fitness goal is something you can totally control. By setting realistic goals and tracking progress, you can stay motivated and on track towards achieving your desired outcomes.

So there you go...

I encourage you to take the time to reflect on these areas and consider how you can make positive changes in your life.

03/28/2024

Go train.
👉🏃‍♂️🚴🏻‍♂️🏋️‍♀️💪

03/25/2024

Food for thought quote from someone I was texting with about various health topics:

“Seriously, I think we know from experience what a bad ending looks like, and we have tried to take better care of ourselves. Scripture says God has numbered our days. I know we can't add to that number but we can spend them somewhere else besides a doctor's office.”

This really made me smile!

03/17/2024

03/01/2024

Untreated high blood pressure has been linked to complications from diabetes. The best way to know if your blood pressure is in a healthy range is to get it checked. Here’s what the numbers mean:

02/29/2024

One of the big benefits of working out is that it helps our bodies become more resilient to the effects of the physical and mental stress of life by improving our ability to turn our stress response system OFF

In fact, one of the hallmarks of a higher level of fitness is higher heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects our body getting better at turning off the sympathetic stress response system and turning on the parasympathetic system

But the reality is that you don't have to go to the gym to get these benefits

Controlling your stress response system is a function of both fitness and skill

Spending as little as 5 minutes a day focusing on decreasing your stress response and activating your parasympathetic system through whatever form of mediation/relaxation/breathing you enjoy the most, can have dramatic effects

After 20 years of using HRV with myself and everyone I've trained, I'm still amazed at just how impactful a few minutes a day can be

If you're not already doing any type of focused relaxation, there are endless ways to do it and more apps than ever that make it easy

When you're first starting, a good way to get better at relaxing is monitoring your heart rate (HR)

When you turn the stress response system down, you'll also see your resting HR decrease. It takes some practice, but with time, you should be able to drop your HR significantly within just a few minutes

Once you've developed this skill, you can use it to cool down after a workout, to fall asleep faster, and to manage the stress of daily life

It's impossible to overstate how important it is for your long-term health and wellness to get really good at managing stress

Read "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers" if you want to get into the science of it all

➡ Check out my conditioning program, Metamorphosis or my certification for coaches (🔗links in bio) if you want to learn how to build the physical side of resilience

02/19/2024

To the body, anything that elevates your heart rate and turns on your sympathetic nervous system is a form of stress

Too much life stress on top of training stress just equals more stress. They do NOT cancel each other out

So if you're feeling tired and stressed from life, you can still exercise, but keep the volumes and intensities lower and focus on things like mobility, breathing, and active recovery

Instead of driving your heart rate as high as possible, focus on heart rate recovery and bringing it down as quickly as you can

If you didn't get enough sleep and had a long day at work, you shouldn't be training the same as if when you're at your best

The truth is that not every workout has to be a test of how hard you can run yourself into the ground

Training should be about building your body up and that takes more than just endlessly breaking it down

Exercise is a powerful tool to improve your body's resilience and help it get better at dealing with the stress of life, but only if it's used with the right mindset

A simple but powerful rule of thumb is that if you walk out of the gym feeling better than you did before you went in more often than not, you're on the right track

02/08/2024

Exercise is essential for helping to prevent cardiovascular issues, both now and later in life.❤️

If you’re looking to optimize your workouts for better cardiovascular health, here are a few activities that research has found especially effective in that department:
👟 Walking
🧘‍♀️ Yoga
⏱ High-Intensity Interval Training
🏋️‍♂️ Strength Training

Read more at the link: https://www.acefitness.org/about-ace/press-room/in-the-news/8232/4-excellent-ways-to-exercise-for-a-strong-healthy-heart-real-simple/

02/08/2024

If you have type 2 diabetes, it’s essential to:
✅ Understand your heart and stroke risks
✅ Know what to do about them
✅ Be an active part of your health care team

Find resources to help you thrive at KnowDiabetesbyHeart.org

01/15/2024

The first two weeks of the year have reminded me of a fundamental truth: most of the “popular” nutrition trends are science fiction packaged up as science. And that means the more you invest in these methods, the less likely you are to flourish, and the more your results will feel like a fantasy.

I come to you from a place of empathy, understanding, and shared pain. But I’ve seen around the bend, and if you use me as a cautionary example, you can navigate a wellness industry that has become incredibly deceptive.

You’ll hear people sharing two types of information:

The “lose weight quickly” promises with superfoods and elixirs, metabolism boosts, and superior exercises.

The “fear and danger” pitches of all the common behaviors that seem good for you or benign but are actually terrible and make you fat and unhealthy.

Both are a misdirection. Rather than try to debunk every myth, there’s a simple way to see the forest through the trees.

Start by asking yourself: Do I know my problem, or am I buying someone else’s solution?

More to come…

12/31/2023

There’s lots that can be said about setting resolutions or goals, but instead of pretending like I have all the answers (I don’t), I want to share something that has helped me navigate long-term planning more successfully.

All the stats show that most people fail with New Year’s resolutions. But it’s not specific to plans that start on January 1. Long term goals are difficult because they require a level of commitment and focus in the face of unpredictability, stress, and difficulty. As Mike Tyson is famous for saying, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” And while life is undoubtedly our greatest gift, it will always find a way to punch you in the face.

Some hits you can’t see coming. They will take you from the blindside and you’ll need the resilience and grit to bounce back.

But, most of the punches you can see coming, either because you’ve been hit before or you know the opponent.

As you prepare for the year ahead, I encourage you to start at the end and anticipate when and where life will hit the hardest, and how you can protect, plan, and prepare so those hits don’t hurt as much or at all.

When you set your goals or resolutions or vision or whatever planning you hope to accomplish, take the time to fast forward 3, 6 or 12 months and ask — how will this go wrong?

This is not to deter you. It’s the opposite. Planning for your failures helps make it less likely that you’ll fall short of your goals. Because instead of just setting a plan designed for best case scenarios, you’re creating a blueprint that’s designed for real life.

It’s great to be optimistic. And it’s helpful to be realistic. Put the two together, and you remove your need to be perfect and are positioned to be good enough to succeed, in spite of whatever curveballs life throws your way.

You won’t anticipate every obstacle, but you don’t need to. You just need to plan enough to have options available, and you’ll know you didn’t expect the road to be easy. That alone can help shift your mindset and help you thrive in discomfort. And that will serve you in more ways than any resolution ever could.

Happy New Year!

12/22/2023

Today, I'm reminded of the timeless wisdom of Coach Chuck Noll, and how his words hold true for all of us, not just on the football field, but in life itself.

Chuck Noll's greatest strength was his unwavering consistency. He believed in principles that applied universally. He challenged us within a structured framework, even if it sometimes felt like the wrong path. But he did it to prepare us for the right situation. Noll knew that adversity is a part of life, and he always valued fairness and honesty, even when it was tough to hear.

Every lesson he taught in football was a life lesson in disguise. He called it our "life's work" because the football field is a microcosm of life, a stage where we learn invaluable lessons. Are you ready for life's curveballs? Will you trust your principles and habits, honed through preparation? If you've done the work, you won't falter. But if you've neglected your weaknesses, they'll be exposed.

Chuck Noll's wisdom isn't confined to football; it's a blueprint for success in life. His lessons are as relevant today as ever, guiding us towards consistency, trust in our principles, and thorough preparation.

As we navigate our unique paths, let's draw inspiration from Coach Noll and embrace these universal truths.

12/20/2023

SIMPLE NEW YEAR STRATEGIES TO REDUCE CALORIE INTAKE:

Prioritize protein at each meal – Compared to dietary fat and carbohydrates, protein has a stronger effect on satiety, a lower likelihood of being converted to body fat, and higher thermogenic properties.

Drink more water – Staying hydrated can help reduce hunger.

Eat more fiber-rich foods – Foods higher in fiber can increase food volume without increasing calories, leading to better satiety.

Eat less highly-palatable, highly-processed foods – These can increase energy intake and result in less feelings of fullness.

Emphasize nutrient dense, whole foods.

Find a diet that works for you to maintain a calorie deficit.

SO, YOU ARE READY TO GO! BUT...LET’s GO OVER SOME SIMPLE STRATEGIES TO BURN MORE CALORIES.

12/20/2023

SIMPLE NEW YEAR STRATEGIES FOR BURNING MORE CALORIES

To avoid putting the cart before the horse when it comes to weight loss (a top New Year’s resolution) lets first start by giving examples of some simple strategies to burn more calories via exercise:

Walk more – For some, this might mean taking breaks from your desk at work. For others, it might mean taking a walk after dinner with your partner. Find ways to move more and enjoy doing so.

Lift weights – The most powerful tool we have for maintaining muscle mass while losing weight is to resistance train.

Stick to a workout schedule.

Don’t let more than 2 days go by where you don’t exercise.

Join a fitness class that you will enjoy (e.g., spin class, CrossFit, Zumba, rowing, yoga).

Keep it simple and be consistent.

12/20/2023

Choosing how we react to stress is always in our control. Be in the moment.

12/18/2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. While the holidays invite joy and goodwill, the constant hustle and bustle of this season can make visions of worry rather than sugar plums dance in our heads. 🎅 Try some of these tips to reclaim your ho-ho-ho and stay happy and healthy. https://www.yourethecure.org/seasons_greetings_2023_5?utm_campaign=nat121323newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=yourethecure

11/23/2023

One of the most important pieces of reaching your health and fitness goals is having the right perspective and mindset

This starts with recognizing that reaching a high level of health and fitness, the kind that adds years to your life and keeps you free of disease, is a journey that literally lasts your entire life

The importance of training, getting enough sleep, eating well, managing mental stress, etc., isn't something that ever stops...

At the same time, making your health and fitness a lifelong priority minimizes any negative impacts from a day of poor sleep, a missed workout, or excess calories

The problem is that a lot of people get caught up in the quick fix approach and try to make huge changes in short time periods of time

The fitness industry loves to sell short-term programs because they know a lot of people have short attention spans

At the same time, research papers on exercise are rarely longer than 4-6 weeks because of the costs and impracticality asscoiated with long-term studies

All this is a problem because it leads people to make decisions about diet, intensity, volume, and training that are short-sighted and unsustainable

Making very fast progress now often comes at the expense of being able to make slower progress over a much longer period of time

People go on diets and training programs that deliver great results for a few weeks, but then they burn out because the volume/intensity was too high and the calories were too low

This is how people get themselves into a never ending cycle of two steps forward, two steps backward

It's much better to just take one step at a time over weeks, months, and years

Fitness is a long game.

The only way to win is to make decisions about what to do inside and outside the gym each day accordingly.

11/23/2023

So very Thankful! Happy Thanksgiving 🍁🦃🍽

11/18/2023

In a fluidly changing work culture, giving feedback is a work in progress in changing settings. This is a good formula.

11/13/2023

"The most important thing to know about exercise is that finding the time and having the health to do so is a privilege.”

Yoni Freedhoff, MD
Associate professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa and medical director of the Bariatric Medical Institute.

11/10/2023

Keep an open mind and be willing.