Hello To All,
Thanks to all who attended my session today in Atlanta at the ACSM Health & Fitness Summit. Whether you attended or not, I believe that this information can help you train you older clients more successfully and reduce their falls risk.
In health,
Dr. Chris
Hello to all,
Thanks to all who attended my presentations at the 2013 ACSM Health Fitness Summit in Las Vegas. I have posted the PowerPoint presentations here and corresponding videos will be posted on YouTube. My channel is http://www.youtube.com/thompsonfitnesssolut
In Health,
Dr. Chris
Hello To All,
As promised, here is the PDF of the “Introducing You To The TRX” workshop that I did with Leigh Crews on Thursday March 29, 2012. Videos to be posted soon at http://www.youtube.com/thompsonfitnesssolut
In Health,
Dr. Chris
Hello To All,
Please download the updated outline for my 2012 ACSM HFS presentation with the incomparable Leigh Crews entitled “Introducing You To The TRX”
Hoping to see some of you in Las Vegas!
In Health,
Dr. Chris
Greetings and Happy 2012 To All!
Well, we are officially one week into the New Year & I am hopeful that you all have kept your New Year’s Resolutions thus far. Only 358 days to go…so good luck with that! I actually did not make any for 2012 – just resolving to take it “one day at a time”.
Having turned the Big Four-Oh (that’s 40 years old, folks!) last year, I have become more aware of the media’s coverage of age and longevity issues lately. For example, I came across an article in a recent issue of National Geographic that really caught my eye (and it wasn’t even because of Nat Geo’s famous and incredible photography).
The article title was what got my attention – “This Baby May Well Live To 100” and the article stated that babies born today in the U.S. and other developed countries have a greater than 50% chance of living to be centenarians. Wow! It is hard to imagine a world where 100-year olds are the norm, rather than the exception… In fact, the article estimates there will be over 600,000 centenarians as of the year 2050 (up from a measly 53,000 in 2010).
That got me thinking, what would it be like to be around for 60+ more years? On the surface, it sounds pretty good to me (think about all the rounds of golf that I’ll get to play!), but I need to remind myself that QUANTITY of life does not equate to QUALITY of life!
That distinction was made very clear to me during my holiday travels. For Christmas this year, I was in Joplin, MO (site of a devastating tornado in 2011) 
and I accompanied people as they delivered meals to homebound elders in the community. Virtually every house we visited was dark, messy, reeked of smoke, and had bottles and bottles of pills in the kitchen. The people, although grateful and kind, lacked vitality – as if they were just waiting for their time to come. It occurred to me that none of these folks would end up being centenarians, and I would guess that none of them would want to live to be 100.
So, this year I am resolving to take it one day at a time. After all, we only have today – just ask the people of Joplin, Missouri… Let’s all resolve to use it wisely.
In Health,
Dr. Chris
Well, figures it would take me forgetting something to get around to posting a blog entry… Sabbatical is about 2 months away, so I’ll kick it back into gear soon enough!!!
I’m in Anaheim enjoying the ACSM Health & Fitness Summit. Today, I presented to a great group of folks on Falls Prevention – Assessment and Implementation Strategies (informally sponsored by Gatorade…those that were there know what I mean!). Anyway, I did not have enough handouts for my audience & did not have the normative values attached to the handouts anyway. Handouts are posted below and some great videos of the assessments & some of our key exercises (including our favorite TADA!!!) are posted on my YouTube channel: ThompsonFitnessSolut
So there you go & thanks for coming! And if you were not there today, why the heck not???!!!
In health,
Dr. Chris
Hello to All,
It seems like almost all the new blockbuster films lately have been touting “Now In 3-D!!!” with more white-knuckle action scenes and computer-generated special effects. Now we can watch cars explode all around us and bullets whiz by as if we were right there ourselves – just sitting there in a nice, comfortable seat watching this exciting world go by. It’s almost as like the movie studios are saying all other action films ever made that were not done in 3-D are inferior and obsolete. Well, excuuuuuuuuuse me for disagreeing! I saw Avatar in 3-D earlier this year & there is absolutely, positively NO WAY I would rank that above Die Hard on my list of most freaking awesome action movies of all time.
I actually think that these state-of-the-art special effects actually make a film seem much less like reality and more fake (anyone who saw 2012 really want to try to disagree with me on that one?????). However, I do strongly believe that there is a time and a place for people to seek out stuff in 3-D: during their workouts.
What do I mean by that??? Simply put, we live in a 3-D world. Stuff is happening all around us & we need to react and adapt to our environment. Every day we ask our bodies to move in innumerable different ways. We’ve got to walk, run, jump, reach, lift, turn, pull, push, spin, lean, twist…etc in varying degrees at different times just to live our lives. Makes me think that we need to live life by the title of that old Clint Eastwood film: Every Which Way But Loose!
About a month ago, I was interviewed by Rodney Corn from PTA Global (probably the most comprehensive fitness certification program available today – check them out at http://www.ptaglobal.com) and asked to emphasize the importance of training the body in 3 dimensions, particularly with older adults. Take a look at the video by clicking here.
Unfortunately, in the past, we have traditionally exercised our bodies in less than 3-D. We have been told that the key to fitness is in focusing on one muscle group or one part of the body at a time. Step foot in any gym & you will see all kinds of expensive-looking contraptions with padded seats and moveable parts and weight stacks with long cables running all over the place. Sit in one of these gizmos and you’ll almost feel like you are an astronaut getting ready for Mission Control to launch your rocket into orbit. These machines are made to make sure that you move your body in only one direction at a time without having to worry about violating any law of biomechanics like having your knee go too far forward during a lunge (gasp!!!!) or your torso being unsupported during a chest exercise (oh my!!!!). If you want to try living life in 1-D or 2-D, then by my guest and use these machines as your only way of training. I can guarantee that you will have a nice comfortable seat from where you can watch the exciting real world go by because it bothers your knees too much if you were to go for a hike with your kids or your back might get hurt again if you to go golf with your buddies. Because that is exactly what will happen if you spend your time training your body for a 2-D lifestyle & then try to live in a 3-D world…
Keeping with the action movie theme of this post, I’ll sign off this time with one of the great lines in action film history, courtesy of Arnold Scwharzenegger in Terminator 2…
Dr. Chris
Hasta La Vista, Baby!
Poet Max Ehrmann described the process of aging in his poem Desiderata as “gracefully surrendering the things of youth.” Unfortunately for many people, aging is anything but a graceful process; rather it is characterized by a slow, but sure downhill slide. Like a frog put into a pot of cool water then placed over an open flame, most 65 year olds are rarely fully aware of this deterioration- and then are taken completely by surprise when challenged by activities that once seemed effortless. If given a glimpse into the future say 10, even 5 years, these people would be horrified to see what lays in store for their bodies and take immediate action in the form of diets, exercise, and even possibly a few cosmetic changes (Botox, anyone???). They would be like a frog tossed into an already boiling pot of water that jumps to safety escaping the immediate danger of the status quo.
However, this downward spiral does not occur at the same rate for everyone. We all know older adults who live active and energetic lives and perform impressive athletic and physical feats. This wide range of capabilities among people in the same age cohort has made it difficult for those in the field of gerontology to agree on a single definition of aging. One thing is certain, the concept of aging is not regarded as being graceful, except maybe by Max Ehrmann. Look what good it did him…he’s dead.
As such, history has regarded aging as a phenomenon that should be avoided at all costs. In the 16th century, Spanish explorer Ponce De Leon spent the better half of his life searching for the mythical Fountain of Youth in the swamps of present-day Florida. It was said that one sip from this legendary spring would render one immune to aging and disease. Unfortunately for De Leon, his search ended abruptly when he died from a poison arrow wound on one of his many failed expeditions.
While we all know there is no literal Fountain of Youth, many ambitious entrepreneurs have staked a claim in the fast-growing market of age-defying products that tout the latest medical, nutritional, or hormonal breakthrough that will slow or even reverse the aging process. Yet these products and procedures are not successful over the long term because they do not (and cannot) address the multitude of factors that contribute to aging. And the clock just keeps on ticking away.
In reality, aging results from a complex interaction of lifestyle, environment, and genetics. Therefore, a commitment to physical activity, good nutrition, and other healthy choices may modulate the expression of one’s genetic code so that beneficial genes are expressed while deleterious genes are inhibited. A very simple way of understanding this relationship is the following statement: A person’s genes determine what might be, but lifestyle choices determine what actually happens. Good choices = Good outcomes. Bad choices = Bad outcomes.
Get it??? Got it???? Good!!
In health,
Dr. Chris
Hi Everyone!
August is almost here – we’re officially in the middle of the summer heat and humidity (unless you live in San Francisco like I do…). This puts the body at greater risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke – and that is BAD NEWS!
Older adults in particular have issues with thermoregulation during exercise due to a reduction in the sweating response and poorer circulation to the skin than younger adults. This may cause older adults to feel cold or hot more easily. Due to these alterations, it is very important to be aware of signs of heat-related illness, even in controlled temperature conditions (like a nice gym or spa facility) or during low intensity activities (like playing golf or even just sitting outside on the patio). Watch out for these symptoms & get out of the heat ASAP if any of these issues arise:
If you are a trainer who works with older adults, make sure that you always check the weather conditions prior to working with an older adult and modify the intensity of exercise if extreme temperatures or high humidity conditions exist. Consider moving workouts to an earlier part of the morning or a later part of the afternoon. Always have water on hand and encourage your older client to drink water frequently during a workout. Workouts lasting 90 minutes or longer may benefit from having an electrolyte drink available and/or carbohydrates on hand for energy.
Remember, it is always better to exercise than to not exercise – just make sure you make good decisions during these dog days!
Till next time, see you in cyberspace!
Dr. Chris
www.thefitnessprofessor.wordpress.com
Hello To All!
Summer has officially started & the 4th of July holiday is right around the corner. Have a fun and safe time everyone!
The month of June included the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. It was, as usual, a GREAT event. This was the first year of the combined ACSM & Exercise Is Medicine meeting. Going with the theme that “Exercise Is Medicine”, many of the keynote speakers, including the Surgeon General of the United States, stressed the importance of regular physical activity. My favorite speaker was Dr. Jeff Koplan from Emory University School of Medicine who described the secret conspiracy of making the U.S.A. as physically inactive as possible – complete with photographic evidence such as these pictures:
Very clever – and sadly accurate.
At ACSM I was also able to present the first peer-reviewed abstract from my ongoing Falls Prevention project at University of San Francisco. Data from these participants have proven our 12-week exercise program to be a great way to reduce falls risk in older fallers. Take a look by downloading our PDF!
Here is a handout for patients/family members/clients that you might know who need some work on their balance – these are now PROVEN TO WORK!
Next step in our research is following up for a year with our participants & hoping to see less falls than before they started the program.
Keep on coming back for more updates & don’t forget to visit my website at www.thompsonfitnesssolutions.com!
Happy 4th of July everyone!
Dr. T.
The Fitness Professor 