The Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent Fasting (I.F.) is receiving a lot of attention in the news and social media these days. What has long been a traditional practice in many religions and cultures is now gaining recognition for its potential health benefits, including heart health. This article by Dr. David Jockers, a well-known natural medicine doctor, caught our attention. It outlines some of the benefits of intermittent fasting. Given how much attention I.F. is receiving, we thought we’d take a closer look.  

NOTE: Before you begin any new health or fitness program, including intermittent fasting, you should discuss it with your physician. What works for one person might not be advisable for another! 

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Fasting is the practice of not eating any food for a certain number of hours in the 24-hour cycle of a day. As Dr. Jockers states in his article, fasting has been practiced for thousands of years for religious and spiritual reasons. In recent years, it has received more attention for the role it might play in healthy weight loss, as discussed in this article from Harvard Medical School researchers.  

I.F. can allow the insulin levels to go down far enough and for long enough that the body can begin to burn off fat. 

Recent research seems to indicate that when you fast makes a difference. You need to limit the hours of when you eat. Researchers have found that for fasting be most effective, you should eat earlier in the day, ideally between 7 am to 3 pm, or even 10 am to 6 pm. It would be best if you did not eat in the evening before bedtime. You may consume non-caloric drinks such as tea or water.

Heart Benefits of I.F.:

In his article, Dr. Jockers states that I.F. can improve heart health in several substantive ways; 

1. Decreases Inflammation and Oxidative Stress
2. Improves Mitochondrial Health
3. Enhances Insulin Sensitivity
4. Improves Cholesterol & Triglycerides
5. Burns Excess Body Fat
6. Repairs Dysfunctional Cells 
7. Improves Blood Pressure 
8. Strengthens Blood Vessels

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How to start Intermittent Fasting:

If you’re ready to try I.F., we suggest you start slowly with shorter periods of fasting and work your way up gradually. Below we summarize Dr. Jocker’s recommendations. We recommend you review these to understand the process and then visit his article for more comprehensive guidance.  

Again, remember to discuss I.F. with your personal physician to determine if it’s right for your body and health needs. Women, especially, need to talk to their physicians before they undertake more advanced I.F. practices.  

Simple Fast: Fasting for 12 hours with a 12-hour eating window. The 12-hour fast includes your overnight sleep, it’s easier to follow. It starts from the time you finish dinner until breakfast the next morning. You can increase your fasting to 14-hours if, after one to two weeks, you find your body tolerates it well.

Cycle Fast: This is a more advanced form of fasting with a 16-hour fasting window and done just three times a week. Pick your three days of the week that will be most convenient for your lifestyle. If you finish dinner at 6 pm, you will not eat again until 10 am the next day.

Strong Fast: This increases your fasting to a 16-18-hour daily fasting window. It’s an advanced form of fasting and is not for everyone. If you finish dinner at 6 pm, you won’t eat again until noon the next day. 

A few tips of Dr. Jockers’ tips for I.F.: 

• Stay well hydrated.
• Add a pinch of salt to replace electrolytes.
• Eat enough to meet your calorie and nutrient requirements. 
• Make sure to get plenty of good quality sleep. 
• Exercise regularly. 
• Reduce your stress levels. 
• I.F. is a lifestyle choice.

about

Kelly Fennelly

Kelly Fennelly has been a professional in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. She design and implement Wellness Programs for clients. Along with her passion for Wellness & Fitness, she has a passion for supporting local non-profits and contributing to our community. 

There is no shortage of full-body workouts. The right workout can help you transform your body or maintain a healthy fitness level. The challenge can be to find the best exercises that work the entire body. Below are five excellent full-body workouts you can try at home. We’ve selected these because they’re easy to follow (important when you’re working out without a trainer) and because they help strengthen and tone as well as target multiple muscle groups.

1) BURPEES:

Burpees work almost every muscle in your body, making them a great part of any full-body workout. Your legs get a good workout during the squatting and kicking back portion, while your arms, shoulders, and chest get worked out during the hand plank portion. Your lower back is worked with the combination of kicking back and planking. Overall, most of the burpee actions will require you to use your abs.

The classic burpee is a four-count movement consists of these four steps:

1. Assume a standing position.

2. Lower into a squat position with your hands on the ground.

3. Kick your feet back into a hand plank position. Keeping your arms extended.

4. Bring your feet right back into a squat position.

5. Stand up from the squat position and reach up to the sky on your toes.

6. Repeat.

For an advanced burpee, add a push-up while in plank. Take it up a notch further by jumping as you reach to the sky.

2) LUNGES:

A lunge works your hips, glutes, quads, hamstrings, core, and hard-to-reach muscles of your inner thighs. They’re a great move for beginners. Done correctly, they can work out your lower-body muscles without straining your joints.

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Be sure to engage your abs.

2. Take a big step forward with the right leg while shifting your weight

forward so that your heel hits the floor first.

3. Lower your body until the right thigh is parallel to the floor and the right shin is vertical. Your knee should not go past right toe. (For an added challenge, lightly tap left knee to the floor while keeping weight in right heel.)

4. Press into your right heel to pull back up to starting position.

5. Repeat on the other leg.

3) SQUATS:

Squats, if done correctly, will strengthen your legs, glutes, and core muscles.

They can keep bones and joints healthy and improve lower body mobility.

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and pointed about 15 degrees outwards.

You can keep them straight if that is more comfortable.

2. Face forward and hold your chest up and out.

3. Sit back and down like you’re sitting down into a chair.

4. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as close to it as you can). Your knees should over your ankles, not past them.

Start with three sets of 10 squats, and then add more reps (12, 15) as you get used to the motion. Be sure to maintain the correct posture through the squat.

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4) PUSH-UPS:

Push-ups are basically a moving plank. It works out your pectoral muscles, triceps, and the back of shoulders while maintaining good core and hip stability.

1. Get down on your hands and toes, placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.

2. Straighten your arms and legs.

3. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.

4. Pause for a moment, then push yourself back up.

5. Repeat.

5) DEADLIFT:

The “dead” stands for dead weight. It’s a weight training exercise in which a loaded barbell or bar is lifted from the ground to the hips before being put back on the floor. It is often done in combination with bench pressing and squats. There are five basic steps, and maintaining proper form is critical.

Deadlifts always start bottom up, with weights lifted from the floor.

1. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar. Shins shouldn’t yet touch it. Put your heels hip-width apart. Point your toes out about 15°.

2. Bend over at the hips without bending your legs. Grip the bar no wider than shoulder-width apart. Your arms must be vertical – straight down if seen from the front.

3. Bend your knees until your shins touch the bar. Do NOT allow the bar to move away from your mid-foot! If it moves, start again from step one.

4. Holding the bar, begin to straighten your back by raising your chest. Do not change your position – keep the bar over your mid-foot with your shins against the bar and your hips where they are!

5. Take a deep breath, hold it, and stand up while holding the weight. Keep the bar in contact with your legs while you pull up. Don’t shrug shoulders or lean back once at the top. Lock your hips and knees.

6. Return the weight to the floor by unlocking your hips and knees first. Then lower the bar by moving your hips back while keeping your legs almost straight. Once the bar is past your knees, bend your legs further. The bar will arrive over your mid-foot.

7. Repeat.

*We always recommend that you speak with your doctor if you are beginning a new fitness routine. Also, correct posture or form is often critical to achieving results but for safety. Consulting or working out with a trainer can be a great way to ensure you’re maximizing potential while maintaining safety.

about

Kelly Fennelly

Kelly Fennelly has been a professional in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. She design and implement Wellness Programs for clients. Along with her passion for Wellness & Fitness, she has a passion for supporting local non-profits and contributing to our community. 

If you’d like to learn more about food and nutrition, you might try watching some television. Netflix, to be specific. You will find there numerous informative documentaries that you could find particularly helpful.

**Super Size Me:** Dating back to 2004, Super Size Me might be considered the patriarch of food or nutrition documentaries. Morgan Spurlock transforms on camera throughout 30-days as he eats McDonald’s daily.

**Food, Inc:** This is an insightful look at the food journey from farm to table. Be ready to become horrified at the corruption the film discusses.

**Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret**: This delves into the impact of food on our environment. Executive Producer Leonardo DiCaprio teams up with filmmaker Kip Anderson to produce this insightful look at issues like deforestation as a result of the animal industry.

**In Defense of Food:** Michael Pollan, the author behind The Omnivore’s Dilemma follows up with the PBS documentary, In Defense of Food. It’s an adaption of his book on healthy eating.

**Food Chains: The Revolution in America’s Fields**: Laborers often work under unimaginable conditions and this movie highlights their work.

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**Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead:** if you want to learn more about the role of food and diet play in weight, this one is for you! Watch how a 300-lb man loses weight on a 60-day juice cleanse.

**Forks Over Knives**: This is documentary advocates for a vegan diet. Its director, Lee Fulkerson, switches to a plant-based diet for six months, and the results will surprise some. Before you scoff, you might want to watch as the film makes its case to viewers with solid research.

**Fed Up**: Learn about the dangers of white sugar and high fructose syrup and the growing obesity problem in the United States. Narrated by Katie Couric, several prominent figures appear in the film.

about

Kelly Fennelly

Kelly Fennelly has been a professional in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. She design and implement Wellness Programs for clients. Along with her passion for Wellness & Fitness, she has a passion for supporting local non-profits and contributing to our community. 

There’s no denying Americans’ appreciation for the men and women who serve in the military defending our democracy! So, we thought we’d pay tribute to them. You can draw inspiration from them when you feel challenged in life, including when you’re trying so hard to meet your health and fitness goals.

Here are eight great reasons to appreciate the service of the men and women serving on our behalf:

They understand the meaning of patriotism because they work every day to defend it.

They are committed to whatever they’re doing, whether it’s at home with family and friends or at work.

They value relationships. They sometimes spend a lot of time away from their loved ones, so they’ve learned to appreciate their time with family and friends deeply.

Our military members have a unique perspective on our country and our democracy. They’ve seen it in ways most of us haven’t.

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They know that we’re all capable of reaching higher and accomplishing more.

They know how to work to persevere when things get tough.

Military members have seen things most of us haven’t and never will.

They are brave and are willing to lay their lives on the line for their country and our freedom.

If you can draw one thing from our military to relate to your fitness and health goals, it’s their undeniable perseverance. Next time you’re working out and tempted to quit, think of those in the military. They keep going. So should you!

​

about

Kelly Fennelly

Kelly Fennelly has been a professional in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. She design and implement Wellness Programs for clients. Along with her passion for Wellness & Fitness, she has a passion for supporting local non-profits and contributing to our community. 

As we age, we lose flexibility – especially if we’re not exercising. Staying in motion and flexible is key to a healthy, aging body. Stretching is an essential part of any fitness equation because it keeps your muscles ready to move. If you’re older than 30, you’ve been losing flexibility an average of 1% a year. Read on to learn why is stretching important.

Why is stretching important

Don’t let muscle stiffness and movement rigidity kill your mobility. Keep your muscle healthy, flexible, and strong with stretching. This is the reason doctors emphasize the importance of stretching.Regular stretching regulates the blood flow in different parts of the body and it provides immense benefit to the body. As we age our body starts losing its agility, to slow down the effect of aging on your muscles. Read more post: How to Meet Fitness Goals the Second Half of the Year.

Importance Of Stretching:

Stretching can help your body in many ways, but here we are mentioning some top health-related problems that can be managed by regular stretching.

Lack of Flexibility:

Being inflexible doesn’t just age you, it can lead to health issues including balance problems which can cause falls, poor posture, limited range of motion, and tight muscles that contribute to back pain or difficulty performing simple tasks. As we grow older, it’s critical to be concerned about balance and flexibility to avoid potentially dangerous falls. Many health professionals and fitness experts have explained the importance of stretching time and again.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that “stretching activities be done at least two days per week. If you have lost some joint motion or feel stiff, range of motion or stretching activities should be done daily.”

ACSM recommends that a stretch should produce a slight pull on the muscle but not to the point of pain. With a static stretch, hold that position for 15-30 seconds, and each stretch should be repeated 3-5 times on each side of the body.

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Stretches:

Here are four stretches ACSM* recommends. As always, you should consult your doctor before starting any type of activity.

Hamstrings. Sit on the ground with legs straight in front of you. Gently lean forward from the hips (try to keep the back reasonably straight) until a stretch is felt on the back of the thighs.

Hip Flexors. Stand on one foot, and bring the other foot to the buttocks. Pull back gently, while keeping your knee pointed at the ground and your hip straight. If needed, hold onto a counter or chair to keep your balance.

Calves. Step forward with one leg. Shift your weight toward the front leg while keeping the back heel on the ground. If you press the hip of your back leg forward, this will also help stretch the hip flexors.

Chest Muscles. Standing in a corner, bring hands up to shoulder height and place against the wall on either side. Keeping hands in position, lean body forward until a stretch is felt in the front of the chest.

This can also be done using a doorway, turning away from the hand that is on the wall

*DIY: Improving Your Flexibility and Balance (Information from ACSM Fit Society, Winter 2012—Article written by Lynn Miller, PT, Ph.D., FACSM

Additional Senior Exercises:

Now you know why stretching is important, here are Some other exercises that you can incorporate along with stretching to stay fit as you age. Here are five activities to consider:

Walking

Water therapy

Tai chi

Pilates

Yoga

about

Kelly Fennelly

Kelly Fennelly has been a professional in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. She design and implement Wellness Programs for clients. Along with her passion for Wellness & Fitness, she has a passion for supporting local non-profits and contributing to our community. 

Stabilization exercises should be at the heart of any fitness program for runners. If you have
lower back problems or weak muscles in the lower torso, core stability exercises can help as well, but you should consult your doctor or physical therapist before you start.

Benefits of Core Stability Exercise:

There are myriad benefits of core stability exercises. A person that performs core stability exercises get the following paybacks:

• A good posture and balance
• Fewer Chances of injuries
• Minimal or no back issues
• Greater strength and power

Importance of stable core:

Whatever your level of fitness, a strong, stable core will help you avoid injury and maximize the
benefits of an exercise program. If you’re a distance or endurance runner, you’re even more prone
to injury. If you’re starting out with a fitness program, a stable core will stabilize your spine as
you grow stronger. A stable core is critical to avoid injury. Pelvic stability is key to preventing
running-related injuries, including leg strains, back pain, and IT band and piriformis syndrome.

Stabilization exercises:

You might not have heard of your Transverse Abdominus, but you should familiarize yourselfwith it. It’s a critical part of proper stabilization. It’s a deep abdominal muscle that stabilizes your spine. If you suffer from lower back pain, pay special attention to engaging this muscle duringexercise because the Transverse Abdominus helps ensure the spine is stabilized correctly. Below are four easy-to-do core stability exercises / stabilization exercises to help you strengthen and stabilize your core. Werecommend doing these stability workoutsno less than three times a week, more often if you’re advanced. Keep inmind that maintaining proper form is more important than how many you do.

Clam:

This is one of the core stability exercises that helps lessen pain by strengthening the core and lower back muscles. It targets muscles for hip stabilization:

• Lie on your side with your legs bent.
• Hips should be straight and knees at 90-degree angles and stacked on top of each other.
• Keep ankles together while opening your legs by raising your top knee up as you
  squeeze your top glute muscle (gluteus medius). It’s one of the primary hip stabilization
  muscles that is especially important for distance runners.
• Keep your hips stable through the motion of opening leg (like a clam), and avoid rotating
  your torso or top hip as you lift your knee. It’s fine if you need to limit the opening or
  motion to avoid rotating torso or top hip.

Two sets of 10-12 on each leg; progress to two sets of 30

Step-Ups:

To perform this core stabilization exercise,you will need a step or a very stable box. The higher off the floor, the more intense or advanced the workout. This is a very simple exercise that can strengthen your legs, glutes, and core.

• Step onto the box or step with one foot.
• The thigh of that leg will be parallel to the floor for a second as you boost yourself onto
  the box. Keep the knee stable.
• Step the remaining leg up onto the box so that you’re standing on both feet.
• Be sure to use the first leg to raise yourself up rather than pushing off the ground with the
  second foot.
• Be careful to keep both knees stable throughout the exercise.
• Two advanced versions:
  1. While standing on one foot on the box or step, bring up the second leg but maintain it in
  the air behind you as if in a running position.
  2. While on the first leg, raise your second leg to a high-knee motion in front of you as if in
  a running position. Then, lower back down so that both feet are together.

Be certain to use your core to stabilize throughout the exercise, especially if you’re doing the
more advanced version!

Two sets of six-eight on each leg; progress to two sets of 12

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Single-leg Bridge:

This a variation of a two-legged bridge, and it’s good for your hamstrings and glutes.

• Lie flat on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Grab one knee with your hands and pull it toward your chest while keeping the other foot
  on the ground.
• Engage the glute of the leg on the ground.
• While keeping your glute engaged, push through the heel to lift your hips into the air into
  a bridge position.
• Hold the position for one to two seconds before lowering back to the ground.

Two sets of eight-ten; progress to two sets of 15

Squats:

The squat is one of the core stability exercises that target your core muscle which includes the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and erector spinae.

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Begin the squat with your hips by sitting back as if lowering into a chair.
• Keep head up and the plane of your back level and flat.
• Keep your weight on your heels, and do not allow your knees to go past your toes.
• You should almost feel as if you’re going to fall into the chair, except the range of motion
  of the hamstrings and hip will keep you from falling back.

Two sets of eight-ten; progress to two sets of 15

If you’re ready to launch into 2020 and into a fitness program to help you strengthen and stabilize your car, these four core stabilization exercises can get you started! If you’re new to exercising, or have a weak core, start by doing them twice weekly and building up from there as you get stronger.

Consult your doctor before you begin any fitness or exercise program or if you are having any
new pain or discomfort.

Also Read :  Why Glutes Matter

about

Kelly Fennelly

Kelly Fennelly has been a professional in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. She design and implement Wellness Programs for clients. Along with her passion for Wellness & Fitness, she has a passion for supporting local non-profits and contributing to our community.