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The Power of Regular Activity

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What if we told you that you have the power to add years to your life span, perform daily activities easier or prevent disease and sickness?

The truth is we all have this power and it can all be accomplished through consistent, regular physical activity!

This can be planned exercise or any activity really that requires you to expend energy.

The power of regular movement, be it planned exercise or not, has many proven positive benefits. The more consistent the physical activity is, the greater the potential benefits.

Here is a brief list of what you can expect to achieve by introducing regular physical activity and movement into your lifestyle:

  • Lower blood pressure
  • Lower blood sugar
  • Improve cholesterol
  • Reduce your risk of heart disease
  • Reduce your risk of diabetes
  • Lose weight
  • Gain strength
  • Improve bone density
  • Improve range of motion
  • Stronger joints
  • Improve joint conditions (eg. arthritis)
  • Help with depression
  • Improve sleep
  • Increase longevity
  • Perform daily activities better/easier
  • Maintain independence
  • Reduce risk of some types of cancer
  • Improve cognitive abilities

This list could go on and on.

The human body was meant to work. Today we sit more then ever in the history of our existence so building regular physical activity and exercise into your life has become a necessity. The more we move and challenge our bodies, the more fit we become, the more efficient and effective we are and of course the healthier we are. So, get moving!

How Do You Feel?

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There are certain things that one learns when he or she has been doing the same thing for many, many years: things that most people are not aware of and will likely go through their entire lives unaware. The specific thing that I’m talking about and the reason for the title of this article, is the way a human being should feel, the level of functionality, strength, endurance that one should have at any given age. How strong, functional, limber, flexible, enduring one should be at 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and even 90 years old differs all over the world. Why? Automation. I’ve written an article regarding automation and how it is causing us to age prematurely, but for this article, I’ll focus on what a human being in good health should, in my humble opinion, be able to do at any given age.

There are many examples all over the world of people who are physically fit all of their lives and can do in their senior years what most can’t do in their thirties. I don’t know of anyone personally that I can tell stories about and use as an example in this regard, so, I guess I’ll have to use someone I know very well…..myself.

As I trod along though my day, I see many, many people, especially in their sixties and seventies that are so debilitated, can hardly walk, grossly overweight, and most need some sort of mechanical assistance like a walker or cane. Granted, some of these people may have been in an accident of some sort, had a serious disease that caused their issues, but I’m not talking about them, I’m talking about the people that go through life allowing themselves to age quickly and prematurely simply because they don’t look after themselves properly. So here we go with those stories.

At 38 years of age, I started, yes started, competing in body building. I did nine total contests over 14 years and at the age of 52, I was still training like a madman and competed in my last body building contest, which I won. I’ll be 60 in May. Will I compete one last time? I don’t know for sure, but what I do know for sure is that I’m quite capable and if I do, I will likely win that one too. Two months ago, I cut down three gigantic Maple trees on my property measuring approximately thirty five feet high. How? Me, my ladder, my hand saw, my chain saw, and my climbing ability. Yes, I cut the top three quarters of those trees down by climbing them and cutting the branches with the hand saw. While I’m doing stuff like that, I can’t help but wonder how many 59 year olds have the ability to do the same. A few months ago, I dismantled a retaining wall on my property that was constructed of four and a half inches thick natural stone curbing that ranged from twelve inches long up to four feet long. The shortest ones were 35lbs. and the longest were 140 lbs. There were a total of 140 linear feet of these natural stone curbs. I lifted each piece off the ground, on to the back of my truck and then off my truck on to the skids all by myself. Was I sore that night? No. Was I sore the next day? No. I felt like a million bucks. Why? It’s because I’ve kept myself in great physical condition most of my adult life. A few weeks ago, I loaded approximately 2500 lbs. of flagstone on to my trailer by hand, one piece at a time, and delivered them to Niagara Falls. Piece ‘a cake.

When I took my wife to Italy ten years ago, I was amazed that the elderly (in their 80’s and 90’s) were still able to go for walks up and down the steep hills of my parent’s home town. Why are they capable of doing that? It’s because they always have, all of their lives. Why am I telling you all this? It’s because I believe, that if someone takes care of themselves by keeping fit for as much of their adult life as they can, they will reap the benefit of quality living far past their 60’s and 70’s….and so they should.

So, if you are in your 20’s and 30’s and limber and energetic, and you want to stay that way, make sure you take on some preventative measures like regular exercise….especially strength training. If you are in your 40’s and 50’s and feel that you are losing some ability and function, don’t blame your age, blame yourself. If you are in your 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or even 90’s and you feel great…..you’re probably a regular at our club. Congratulations, and keep doing what you are doing.


Gino

Modern Medicine and Your Physical Condition

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Today, the methods and machinery that our medical profession has at its disposal to diagnose our health issues are nothing short of incredible. Have a problem? Test, test, test, and voila, here’s your problem. They diagnose, and then shortly thereafter, in you go for surgery to repair, replace, reconstruct, whatever is required. But guess what? Do you know what the single most important thing you can do for yourself to pretty much ensure a successful, effective surgery? Get yourself into shape before the surgery!

I’ve had two hernia repairs done in my lifetime and both were done at one of the best Hernia Hospitals in the world right here in Toronto. Absolutely cutting edge (no pun intended). They knew the importance of being physically fit prior to surgery. If you were not at your optimum body weight according to them, they sent you home and told you to come back when you were. When it came time for your surgery, you were walked into the operating room and you climbed up on the operating table. Although they give you sedatives prior to surgery, you are still awake during the surgery and you are walked back to the gurney after it is over. They wheel you to your bed, let you sleep for four hours and then wake you up. You were expected to walk around as soon as you could. If you wanted to eat, the dining room was in the basement, and there was no elevator, just stairs. Rest was never mentioned. Walk, walk, walk. The more waking you did, the better you felt and the quicker you recovered. I was squatting over 300lbs. only six weeks later….no issues. 

In my 30 plus years in the fitness industry, I’ve seen my share of post surgery clients. Some do very well after surgery and some don’t. Let’s take knee replacement surgery for instance. Many of our members have had their knees replaced. For the most part, they’ve all done very well and recovered also very well. No issues. Why? It’s because they went into surgery with their leg muscles, tendons and ligaments in very good shape. (You’re welcome!) I’ve also encountered several people that I know who have had their knees replaced and have not recovered very well at all. Still in pain, still swelling, still stiff, etc. after six months, one year, and even longer. Why? These people were in terrible physical condition going into surgery. Not members by the way.

People need to understand that a brand new joint is just that, a brand new joint. But the muscles, tendons and ligaments that support that joint are still the originals, they’re still yours, and they need to be able to accept, heal and support that new piece of hardware that’s now in your body. If your musculature is weak and stiff, and your tendons and ligaments are weak, how do you expect your recovery to go? Think about it. The surgeon is there to place the new joint inside of you and re-attach all of the necessary supporting structure. The rest, (the recovery) is up to you, and that should all have started long before your surgery. Do you think all of that physiotherapy is required to get the new joint into shape? No, it’s required to get your leg muscles, tendons and ligaments into shape. The new joint doesn’t need physio, it’s new! Those who go into knee replacement surgery with their legs in very good physical condition are usually walking around a week later with no signs of any issues at all. Success. I personally know of several others that are still limping around six months and even over two years later after surgery. It really is avoidable.

So I just thought I’d write about this because I’ve recently come across another acquaintance that is still walking with a cane nine months after surgery, reluctant to get the other done and now you know why. So if you are in a situation where you find yourself needing a knee replacement or a hip joint replacement, or both, now you know what to do if you know what’s good for you.

Gino

It’s Just Human Nature

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Human nature can serve us very well in most cases, but truth be told, if you are not paying attention, human nature can also work against us, at least in regards to health and fitness. Let’s face it, most people automatically, without thinking, choose to do things the easiest way.

Last week I was at City Hall for a meeting. I entered the lobby and headed for the stairs. On the way, I encountered a City staff member who was headed for the same meeting which was to take place on the third floor. The stairs and the elevator are no more than fifteen feet apart, stairs on the left, elevator on the right. This staff member was half my age and knowing her position, this person likely was sitting most of the day. We walked together until I went left (towards the stairwell) and she headed right (towards the elevator). I said “I’ll see you up there, I’m taking the stairs.” I guess I guilted her into taking the stairs because she followed me up the stairs and mentioned something about her shoes as an excuse for heading for the elevator.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to judge or make fun of anyone for making the decisions they make all day long, that’s not my intent. My intent with this example is to show you how, if you are not thinking, you are being a detriment to your own health, in my humble opinion. I see things like this go on all the time.

Easier is better. Well, not so. I’ve seen grown men cutting their grass on a riding lawn mower that they could cut in 10 minutes flat with a push mower. I see people drive around shopping mall parking lots forever just to try to find a closer parking spot to the entrance. I see people all the time leaving their shopping carts in a parking spot next to their cars just so they don’t have to walk to the cart return to put it away like they should, just to save a 20 second walk. We think we are so smart finding these short cuts but in reality, we’re not so smart.

Why am I writing about this? Well, coming from a health enthusiast, and a professional trainer, most people don’t realize what a difference it would make in their lives if they just incorporate a few simple things into their lifestyles. Here are a few examples. Sure, one of these may not make a difference, but a combination of these things consistently will change the way you feel.

1. If you are headed to the second floor or even the third floor of a building, take the stairs, both up and down!

2. Stop looking for the closest parking spot to the entrance of wherever you are going, especially grocery shopping, It’s not like you have to carry your groceries. You have a cart to do that.

3. Speaking of shopping, take your shopping cart back to the cart return like you’re supposed to.

4. Depending on how large a yard you have, cut at least some, if not all of the lawn with a push mower and don’t buy the ones that drive themselves! Push it.

5. Get outside in the winter and shovel your sidewalks.

6. If you’ve been doing your cardio workout on the treadmill for ages, try an elliptical or even better a stair climber for a change.

7. Walk faster.

8. If you work, don’t sit around during your lunch break, especially if you sit at your job all day. Have a good healthy lunch and as soon as you are done, get outside and go for a brisk walk.

9. Again, unless you have a substantial amount of property, get outside in the fall and rake up the leaves using a rake, not a leaf blower.

These are some of the examples of how easy it is to make a difference in the way you feel and how your body stays fit. Stop looking for the easiest way to do things. We need to challenge ourselves physically more often than we are or Mother Nature will inevitably take over and before you know it, you will have no choice but to find the easiest way to do things or someone else to do them for you because you no longer can do them. Sad but true.

Gino