Mindset

Aging Gracefully And Staying Active

Aging Gracefully And Staying Active

Published by on November 10, 2024 | Leave a response

Aging gracefully is always better than alternatives. You look your best and face the future with optimism and joy. It’s about staying active and fit, enjoying the company of others, and exuding a spirit of happiness for all that life has to offer. Instead of being the cranky old man or woman who yells, “Get off my lawn.” You enjoy the company of others and welcome people into your life. Many things affect how well you age. You can’t control all those variables, but you can control some. When you gracefully grow old, you focus on the things you can control.

What you eat makes a big difference.

If your primary sustenance is junk food, you may not age gracefully. You might know someone who doesn’t eat healthy but still looks fantastic and robust. Life isn’t always fair. Those people may have exceptional genes, eat healthier in private, or have other factors that maintain their youth. For most people, focusing on good nutrition can help you stay fitter. It provides the necessary nutrients for good health and improved immunity. A healthy diet helps prevent obesity, which leads to serious conditions and makes you look and feel older.

Staying active plays a major role in mental and physical fitness.

Staying mentally and physically active is necessary for graceful aging. Mental activity keeps you sharp and interesting. It helps promote a healthy social life. Studies show that people who have a good social life live longer. Staying active physically keeps your body and mind stronger. It helps lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes, and improve heart health. Staying active helps you mentally, too. It keeps oxygenated and nutrient-laden blood flowing to the brain, reducing the risk of neurological disorders.

Get adequate quality sleep.

If you fall asleep watching TV and sleep in the chair with the TV blaring for hours, you aren’t necessarily getting quality sleep. Your brain requires that you go through four stages of sleep several times throughout the night. There are non-rapid eye-movement stages. One is a rapid eye movement stage. Quality sleep allows your body to heal and your brain to recuperate and reorganize. Adequate, quality sleep helps protect your heart, boosts your energy, improves your mood, and aids in weight management. Exercising regularly, sleeping in a cool, dark room, and maintaining a sleep schedule helps you sleep better.

  • Exercising helps improve digestion and the quality of your microbiome. A healthy diet also helps the microbiome. Scientists call the microbiome our second immune system. It also affects your mental health.
  • Exercise also lengthens the telomeres, which prevent the chromosomes from unraveling. The longer the telomere, the better it is. Once the telomere is gone, damage to the cell or cell death can occur. That can cause illness, aging, and death.
  • Smile more. Laughter is the best medicine. Studies show that people who smile more live longer, healthier lives. An attitude of gratitude for all the blessings you have also improves your life.
  • Enjoy the outdoors and do safe sunning. Studies show most Americans have a vitamin D deficiency, especially seniors. Spending time in the sun can help.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Surprising Sources Of Protein

Surprising Sources Of Protein

Published by on October 10, 2024 | Leave a response

Finding healthy and inexpensive protein sources has become the goal in many households in Sacramento, CA. Some people look for alternatives for other reasons. They may be bored with traditional sources like beans, beef, or chicken. They also may want protein sources that contain a host of other nutrients. Some of the surprising sources of protein provide both macro and micro micronutrients.

Amaranth and other pseudocereals are rich sources of protein.

Pseudocereals are also called ancient grains. They are rich in nutrients and higher in protein. These grains have remained relatively unchanged for thousands of years and are staples for people across the globe. They’re not highly processed like most of today’s grains and have far more nutrients than wheat, corn, or rice. Amaranth, kamut, teff, and freekeh are higher in protein, containing 8 to 13 grams per cup. All are higher in fiber and loaded with nutrition. One of the best-known pseudocereals is quinoa. It’s high in fiber, folate, vitamins B6 and E, iron, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, potassium, zinc, and protein.

Eggs aren’t just for breakfast.

One more traditional protein source is the often-ignored egg. It’s a great addition to noodle dishes like pad thai as the protein source or with a mix of vegetables in an omelet. Eggs contain 7 grams of protein for a large egg. It has high amounts of leucine that boosts protein synthesis to build muscles. The protein in eggs is easy for the body to digest and use. Eggs contain high amounts of choline to improve brain functioning and zeaxanthin to improve eye health.

Green peas are both colorful and a source of protein.

Many vegetables provide protein. Peas are among them. Vegetarian bodybuilders often use pea protein as their go-to when making protein smoothies. Green peas contain approximately 9 grams of protein per cup. Peas are high in fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, thiamine, folate, manganese, iron, zinc, and more. Leafy greens are also good sources. They contain most of the same vitamins and minerals and are higher in some, but only half the amount of protein as peas.

  • Trail mix containing nuts and seeds are loaded with protein. Sprinkle almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and other nuts and seeds on salads for extra protein.
  • Bone broth is a good source of collagen. Collagen is a protein beneficial for joints, hair, nails, muscles, bones, and skin. A cup of bone broth has 9 grams of protein. Add your favorite vegetables for a complete meal.
  • Most people consume vegetables for their vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, but many are protein sources, too. A few examples are edamame from soy, broccoli, kale, and sweet potatoes.
  • When choosing eggs for protein, opt for pastured eggs if possible. The hens eat a more natural diet and get sun exposure. It’s more humane, and their eggs have more omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, D, and E.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Why You Should Prioritize Sleep And Recovery

Why You Should Prioritize Sleep And Recovery

Published by on September 25, 2024 | Leave a response

Do you stay up late to stream your favorite movies or catch up on social media? You might be jeopardizing your physical recovery. You should prioritize sleep, especially if you’re maximizing your workouts. It’s a time for the body to heal and renew. If you’re trying to shed extra pounds, sleep also helps. When you lack sleep, your body produces more ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and less leptin, which makes you feel full. You’ll need to eat more calories to feel the same satiety level.

Exercise breaks down muscle tissue.

When you exercise, particularly if it’s intense, it causes microscopic tears in the muscle tissue. Those tears heal when you sleep. Recovery is when you build muscles. It’s the scar tissue that forms when they heal that increases bulk. HGH—human growth hormone—increases when you sleep. HGH boosts muscle building, improves bone density, and helps maintain muscle mass. Lack of sleep reduces testosterone levels, which also boosts muscle formation. The real magic of building muscles takes place during recovery and sleep.

You need more than sleep. It should be quality sleep.

You go through approximately four to six sleep cycles each night. The length of each cycle varies. Each cycle has four stages: three non-rapid eye movement stages—NREM—and one rapid eye movement stage—REM. During the NREM stages, the body heals. Breathing slows, blood pressure drops, and blood to the muscles increases. That’s when the repair and growth take place. The REM stage is when you dream. A lot of brain activity occurs. It’s vital for memory and organizing the brain. Poor quality sleep disrupts the process and slows recovery. If you don’t enter a deep sleep phase, it could diminish HGH and your efforts to build.

Improve the quality and quantity of sleep.

Everyone’s sleep needs differ, but the average person requires between 7 and 9 hours. Some need more. Others need less. A lot of things can prevent you from getting that sleep. Keeping a sleep schedule, even on the weekends, can help maintain your circadian rhythm. You go to sleep and arise at the same time each day. That will help you fall asleep faster. Keeping your room dark and turning off all blue screens, whether it’s the phone, computer, or TV, also helps. Keep the room cooler for the soundest sleep.

  • If you have problems sleeping, learn meditation and deep breathing exercises to help you relax and calm your mind. It can do double duty. You can use it during the day to help relieve stress.
  • Sleep is also beneficial for the heart and immune system. It slows the heart rate and lets your body rest. Sleep boosts your immune system by creating cytokines. These are messengers that help direct the immune responses.
  • When you get adequate sleep, you’re more likely to stay motivated and have more productive workouts. When you’re exhausted, going to the gym and pushing hard is far less inviting if you’re not well-rested.
  • Sleep studies show that lack of sleep interferes with athletic performance. Tennis players had decreased accuracy. Reaction time was slower in other athletes who lacked sleep. All studies showed regardless of the sport, sleep-deprived athletes had less endurance.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Workouts To Help You Grow Your Arms

Workouts To Help You Grow Your Arms

Published by on September 10, 2024 | Leave a response

If you want workouts to grow your arms, develop a six-pack, and have the best, most impressive body possible, you need a plan. At Team ISC in Sacramento, CA, we provide a plan of action to match that goal, and the workouts and nutrition guidance to achieve it. One area that many people focus on is their arms. Adding inches to your arms involves exercises that also build the rest of the upper body. When you reach your goal, you’ll also see dramatic changes everywhere.

Before you start working out, check your nutrition.

No matter how hard you work out, if your diet isn’t healthy and geared to building muscle, you won’t get the results you want. A great body starts in the kitchen. It then moves to the gym. Your body needs the raw materials to build muscle. While the amino acids from protein are the primary requirement, you also need magnesium, iron, potassium, and carbs. A diet of leafy greens, fish, eggs, poultry, lean meat, fatty fish, fruits, healthy fat, and vegetables helps build muscles. We help you develop a plan specific to your goals and needs.

We’ll design a plan to match your fitness level, goals, and special needs.

It takes dedication to build a great body. It also takes a plan. When you have the motivation and the right program, you can achieve your goal. When you exercise, your body makes micro tears in the muscle. You also need 48 to 72 hours for those muscles to heal. If you overwork the muscles and don’t give them healing time, you’ll lose ground instead of gaining it. When you first start working out, you’ll see improvement regardless of whether you’re lifting lighter weight and more reps or lifting heavier with fewer reps. Heavier weights build strength and denser muscles. Lighter weights build stamina and definition. Both enhance muscle growth and change the shape of the muscle.

Vary your workout plan.

You can use standing barbell curls, incline dumbbell curls, or both to build biceps. The standing barbell curl is often preferred. Twisting dumbbell curls involve the forearm and biceps. Build the brachialis with dumbbell hammer curls or straight bar reverse curls. Close grip chin-ups, EZ bar preacher curls, and hammer curls benefit the biceps. A diamond push-up, bench dips, tricep kickbacks, tricep extension, and close-grip bench press also work on the arms.

  • You can modify your push-ups or pull-ups to work more muscles or work them differently by putting your hands closer together or further apart. Add weights to increase the effort.
  • Do strength-building workouts at the start of your session to maximize the benefits. Don’t eliminate all cardio. Cardio increases insulin sensitivity and allows you to eat more, consuming more muscle-building nutrients.
  • Always focus on form before increasing weight or reps. If your form isn’t precise, it can diminish the results and may even cause injury. Include flexibility, warm-up, and cool-down exercises in every session.
  • When you sleep, your body does more than heal. It increases hormones like testosterone and HGH necessary to build muscle tissue. Lack of sleep increases cortisol, which negatively affects muscle-building efforts.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Lower Your Risk Of Diabetes

Lower Your Risk Of Diabetes

Published by on April 25, 2024 | Leave a response

Like other areas of the United States, Sacramento, CA, faces an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes. It all starts with insulin resistance. Insulin opens cells so they can uptake glucose. When the cells fail to respond to normal amounts, the body makes more insulin. That increase can keep blood glucose levels in check. The cell sensitivity continues to decrease until one day, blood glucose levels climb and prediabetes begins. Prediabetes leads to diabetes. You can lower your risk and even reverse the process naturally.

If you continue your lifestyle, the problem grows worse.

One out of three adults have insulin resistance. If you’re one of those people, you cannot continue with the same lifestyle and expect things to get better. If you ultimately get diabetes, you’ll have to change lifestyle habits anyway, so why not stop the problem before it escalates? Stress, excess weight, and lack of exercise can cause the problem. It’s time to take action before it begins or when you first have symptoms. What are the symptoms of insulin resistance? Some people experience no symptoms. Others have increased thirst, hunger, and urination. They may have headaches, skin or vaginal infections, slow healing, or blurred vision.

Changing your diet is a good place to start.

What you eat can increase or decrease your risk of diabetes. Eating a high intake of food and drinks with added sugar and highly processed foods increases insulin resistance. Choosing whole grains, non-starchy vegetables, and citrus fruits increases insulin sensitivity, so the body requires less insulin. Include high-fiber food, like beans and nuts, protein-rich food, antioxidant-rich foods like berries, unsweetened drinks such as water or tea, and unsweetened fermented food like yogurt.

Increase your activity level.

Exercise helps make the cells more insulin sensitive. It can help reduce abdominal fat. Abdominal fat is a leading cause of insulin resistance. It increases free fatty acids and inflammatory cytokines that directly affect insulin sensitivity. A sedentary lifestyle can help reverse the problem. Your body requires less insulin to maintain control when you exercise. It makes the insulin work faster and more effectively. The exercise should be mild to moderate aerobic workouts executed at the same time daily.

  • Don’t confuse type 1 with type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t create enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when it doesn’t use insulin correctly. A healthy diet and regular exercise help both.
  • Changing your diet isn’t enough. You also have to change what you drink. Sugary soft drinks, fruit juice, sweetened teas, and sweetened coffee can increase blood sugar levels. Opt for water and unsweetened drinks.
  • Regular exercise helps control blood sugar levels and helps prevent damage caused by diabetes. It can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease, and lower BMI, reducing the risk that occurs with obesity.
  • Studies show blood sugar levels are lower for up to 24 hours after exercising, it can lower the risk of diabetes when combined with adequate sleep, a healthy diet, and stress management.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Working Out Alleviates Anxiety

Working Out Alleviates Anxiety

Published by on April 10, 2024 | Leave a response

There’s a reason therapists are using exercise as an adjunct therapy. It helps! Studies show that working out helps both anxiety and depression. If it’s mild anxiety about an upcoming interview or other situation that’s temporary, it can even help with the temporary anxiety caused by those issues. It’s not a replacement for professional counseling for anxiety disorder, but it does complement therapy. Always get professional help when anxiety is debilitating.

It’s about the fight-or-flight response.

The fight-or-flight response is a primitive response that helps you flee danger or fight for survival. It prepares the body for either, diverting blood from digestion then sending it to the extremities. That can cause a sick feeling in the pit of the stomach. It increases blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. It causes the pupils to dilate and the body to tremble. If that reaction sounds the same as what you experience when feeling anxious, it’s because it is. The hormones released during stress and anxiety are the same.

You probably don’t worry about saber-toothed tigers.

Modern men have different stressors than Cavemen, but the reaction to the stress is the same. You may not have to worry about wild animals, but that traffic jam, angry boss, or screaming neighbor triggers the same reaction. It doesn’t have to be a real threat to trigger an anxiety attack. It just has to be stressful. Sometimes, a vivid dream, a movie that triggers a memory, or a sound or smell can cause anxiety. Studies show that exercise helps reverse that reaction.

Exercise diverts your attention and changes your focus.

When you exercise, you move your muscles. That decreases muscle tension and reduces the negative effects of stress. The less muscle tension you have, the lower the feeling of anxiety. It helps change the production of neurochemicals like serotonin, BDNF, and other anti-anxiety neurochemicals by raising the heart rate and changing brain chemistry. It causes the release of endorphins that make you feel good. These hormones are messengers that relieve pain, improve your mood, and reduce stress.

  • Regular exercise changes you physically. It improves your posture, which makes you look and feel more confident. It also makes you feel stronger and more able to handle situations as they occur.
  • Studies show that exercise is as effective as an adjunct therapy as medication. The only side effect of exercise is a healthier, more attractive body.
  • Learning meditation and focused breathing techniques can also help reduce stress. You can use relaxation techniques anywhere and immediately lower stress and anxiety levels.
  • Regular exercise can help you control mild anxiety that occurs in everyday life, even when chronic anxiety isn’t a problem. It can help prevent belly fat linked to stress hormones.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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How To Improve Your Running Form

How To Improve Your Running Form

Published by on March 25, 2024 | Leave a response

People from Sacramento, CA, who come to ISC often want to improve their athletic performance. That requires work in every type of fitness, strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. No matter what the exercise is, doing it correctly is vital. It makes the difference between success and failure and sometimes injury. Most people fail to realize that’s also true for running form. You may have been running since you were a toddler, but it doesn’t mean you’re doing it right and probably means you’ve picked up bad habits along the way.

Learning the proper breathing technique for running is essential.

Breath control is an intricate part of running. It affects your whole body, no matter what exercise you do. Focus on breathing properly when you first begin and don’t worry about how fast or far you run. First, learn belly breathing to improve your breathing technique by helping you learn to take deep nasal breaths. Breathe through your diaphragm. Now transfer that knowledge to your run. Run slowly as you focus on inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Use the rhythm of your feet for your breathing rhythm. It helps reduce muscle tension and allows you to use your energy for running.

Prepare your core muscles for running.

The stronger your core muscles, the more strength and stability you have. It also improves your balance and reduces the potential for injury. Maintaining good posture as you run is also vital. Keep your spine erect and stretched through the crown of your head. Lean your chest slightly forward. Reduce your body tension that affects all body parts by stealing energy. Keep your hands relaxed and avoid clutching your fist. Let them brush your hips as you run. Raise your hands to chin high and then back toward the lower back. Don’t cross them over in front of your body in a punching style.

Start slowly.

Work on hip and ankle flexibility to prevent injury to your lower back, ankles, and knees. Focus mostly on form at first and gradually increase your intensity, duration, and frequency. Reduce your body stress by taking more steps per minute. Land softly using a forefoot strike that pushes you forward at the toes. Your thigh should be parallel to the ground. Don’t twist or rotate your trunk.

  • If you feel muscle pain or believe you might have an injury, take a break. If the pain lasts longer or is reoccurring, see your healthcare professional.
  • Get the right shoes for your gait and for the type of running you do. If you’re running on asphalt, you’ll use a different type of shoe than if you’re running on grass or rough terrain. Get advice from a running shoe expert when you buy.
  • Don’t overstride. Your foot strike should be directly under your knee, not in front of it. It can lead to injury, particularly if you’re going downhill.
  • Keep your feet low. Don’t lift them too far off the ground. That causes a bounce and burns more energy. You can modify your run to get in shape faster by making it a HIIT—high intensity interval training—session.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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Try Boxing For A Great Full-Body Workout

Try Boxing For A Great Full-Body Workout

Published by on March 10, 2024 | Leave a response

If you’ve never used boxing as an additional workout or used the moves in boxing, you’re missing out. Just air boxing can build strength. Boxing is a full-body workout that addresses all forms of fitness. It builds strength, cardio, balance, and flexibility. You’ll get a lot of relief from stress even if you don’t have a partner and only punch a bag or the air. Boxing is fun, challenging, social, and a good workout for both men and women.

You’ll work your entire body when you box.

Boxing is great cardio. Because you aren’t constantly moving fast, it provides many of the benefits of a high intensity interval training—HIIT—-session. It improves balance and coordination. You have to think ahead and plan your next move while anticipating your opponent’s move, so it improves both physical and mental agility. It’s all about proper form, dodging and dipping, and building upper body strength as you’re getting power from your legs and your hips.

You’ll burn tons of calories.

As noted previously, you’re constantly changing intensity, going from recovery as you wait for your opponent’s next move, to high intensity, either dodging that move or getting in your punches. That mimics HIIT workouts that burn hundreds of calories while you do it and continue to burn them after you quit. It boosts your heart rate during boxing, which helps reduce your resting heart rate. Depending on the difficulty level, you can burn as many calories as you would running. Whether you’re punching a bag, sparring, or in the ring, it helps you lose weight faster.

Boxing can be addictive.

Once you get into boxing, you get hooked on the fast pace and the adrenaline rush. Not only are you more likely to box since you enjoy it, but you’re also more likely to do other workouts to help prepare you for the ring. Whether it’s jumping rope or running up and down stairs, boxing can become a motivating factor. Like all types of exercise, you’ll do it more often if you enjoy it. The competition keeps you coming back for more.

  • Boxing improves hand-eye coordination. It challenges your mind as it builds your muscles. You’ll build new neural pathways in the brain. That can improve cognitive thinking.
  • Many of the moves in boxing are part of traditional calisthenics. Squats, knee-high moves, butt kickers, and reverse lunges are all moves you make in the ring. Preparing your body to box takes dedication.
  • You can adjust boxing workouts to meet your goals. You can make them strength-building, cardio, weight loss,
  • Boxing increases your energy, lowers blood pressure, and improves cardiovascular health. It helps decrease anxiety and depression.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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What To Do When You're Too Tired To Workout

What To Do When You’re Too Tired To Workout

Published by on February 25, 2024 | Leave a response

It can be too easy to feel too tired to work out, especially if you had a stressful day at work. All you want to do is lay down and rest and that 45 minutes or hour of effort seems insurmountable. If just thinking about getting ready for the workout makes you sign in exhaustion, here are some solutions that can help. The first one is to acknowledge how tired you are and determine whether there’s a reason for it. If you spent all night with a sick baby or have a touch of the flu yourself, giving in and lying down may be your best option.

Most people reach for a cup of coffee to combat fatigue.

Coffee is usually everyone’s go-to beverage when they’re feeling exhausted, but it shouldn’t be. Sometimes, all you need is a little hydrating. Nothing is better for that than a tall glass of water. Dehydration can make you feel weary and about to drop. Drink a tall glass of water and you’ll probably feel better. You’ll notice your energy rising within minutes of drinking it if dehydration is the problem.

Try a healthy snack to get you moving.

If the cold water doesn’t work, follow it up with a healthy snack. You may need a little energy boost. If that doesn’t work, try a psychological approach. Remind yourself who is in charge. Tell yourself that if you go to the gym and don’t feel more energetic after a few minutes you can go home. Usually, a short exercise session can stimulate blood flow and improve circulation. That sends energizing nutrients and oxygen to your entire body to boost your energy level.

Create a shorter version of your workout you can do throughout the day.

Sometimes, the thought of getting changed and putting in 45 minutes to an hour causes the problem. For those days you feel tired all day, doing shortened versions of your workout throughout the day can help. Have five to ten-minute sessions throughout the day. You can do some exercises, like lunges and squats, almost anywhere. You’ll get as much benefit from five 10-minute workouts as you do in one 50-minute session.

  • Only you can tell if you’re physically too tired to workout and know if it’s not just ordinary exhaustion from the day. If you aren’t feeling good, don’t go to the gym. You’ll be doing yourself and others at the gym a favor.
  • When your energy level drops and drinking water doesn’t work, practice belly breathing or deep breathing. Deep breaths can boost your energy and help you throughout the day.
  • Are you getting enough sleep? You may be sleep-deprived if you aren’t sleeping between 7 to 9 hours. Adequate sleep is vital to good health. Lack of sleep causes your body to overproduce the hunger hormone and underproduce the hormone that makes you feel full.
  • Before you decide the gym is off-limits, walk around for a while. Sometimes just moving can make you feel better. Healthcare professionals suggest you get up and move at least five minutes every hour.

For more information, contact us today at Team-ISC

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