⭑ How long will it take me to get fit? ✔ Here's my 25 years worth
⭑ Shocker ✔ Study finds standing desks don’t improve your health
⭑ Some ultra processed foods aren't killers ✔ And others are ...
⭑ An exercise you've never heard of will extend your healthspan ✔ Fact

All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Hello,

Spring

Has sprung here Down Under. It was a glorious day today, and I headed out for a 5km run about 30 minutes after dawn. I'm surprisingly aerobically fit, considering I haven't run for 10 weeks due to the hamstring and glute injuries.

On the other hand, I kept up all my exercises that did not harm my injuries, including continuous 300 1-handed kettlebell swings (12 kg 26 lb) once weekly, progressions with heavier kettlebells other days, and plenty of stationary cycling. I did this to maintain my aerobic fitness

If you're a runner I came across this article during the week "Why your toenails turn black and how to fix them". You'll know what I mean.

I also found this surprising list, the median distances completed by Strava users categorised by generation, according to the 2023 End of the Year In Sport Report.

• 13-26 years old (Gen Z): 14.0 miles
• 27-41 years old (Millennials): 13.8 miles
• 42-57 years old (Gen X): 17.4 miles
• 58-76 years old (Boomers): 20.9 miles

I guess the Boomers have more time on their hands - good to see them being active.

Standing desks have been a thing for as long as I can remember. It turns out that if we just stand the detriments to our health outweigh the oft-touted benefits—see item #2.

When people start exercising, they often wonder how long it will take them to look better. Over the past 25 years, I've watched thousands of people exercise. I can tell you how long it will take for someone to mention that something looks different about you—see Item #1.

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01 How Long Should It Take for My Workouts to Produce Results?

I came across this article in Men's Health , which grabbed my attention because it is something I have taken an interest in over my last 25 years of exercising regularly. These days, I'm less able to indulge my interest in this topic because I have mainly been exercising at home since Covid.

First, let's see what the article says:

• Initial improvements noticed within 2 weeks.
• Visible changes in 4 to 8 weeks.
• Improvements in energy levels in the first few weeks.

All-in-all, the article suggests ⇒ visible changes in body composition typically become apparent within 4 to 8 weeks of consistent training and proper nutrition.

What this means for you: N-O-T-H-I-N-G. Z-I-L-T-C-H.

If you are between 18 and 24 years old, there is some truth in the article.

But for you, you are not going to feel improvements in energy levels in the first few weeks, on the contrary. You will tired, and this is a signal to pay a lot more attention to rest (sleep) and recovery (actively moving your muscles with a light load).

First, let me define what "produce results" means for me. It means when someone says to you, "you look a bit different and more alive, what have you been doing?".

It may just be that you have a better posture or a stronger stride—something that they notice.

Here's my formula, based on my 25 years of observation (for people over 50):

• To have someone comment, will take your AGE divided by the NUMBER OF TIMES YOU EXERCISE EACH WEEK. Not activity, but real exercise. In simple terms - the number of times you go to the gym and do real exercise.
• To GET FIT, will take your AGE DIVIDED 25, in years.

⇒ To know this should not be discouraging. It simply means that you should set realistic expectations and be consistent. It will come :)

On the other hand, if you have unreal expectations, you will certainly be discouraged and potentially give up way too soon.

It took me 2 years of running before I could run 5 km, and I was super fit when I started at age 69.

Related: ​​​​​​​​The Exact Slow Pace You Must Run and Cycle To Max Fat-Burning​​

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02 Standing Is Bad For Your Health!

A landmark study just published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported, contrary to popular opinion, that standing as an alternative to sitting does not negate the harmful effects of sitting yet introduces different harmful outcomes.

This is because, in our modern world, we stand - without stepping - 2X as long as our hunter-gatherer forebears. Here are facts isolated by the study:

• Research data suggests every additional 30 minutes of standing per day is associated with an 11% higher risk for orthostatic circulatory disease (abnormal blood pressure and heartbeat).
• No significant beneficial or harmful associations were found between standing and major cardiovascular disease incidence (coronary heart disease and stroke).
• Replacing physical activity with standing correlates with worse cardiometabolic profiles.

⇒ There is an association between standing and venous stasis, which may lead to varicose veins and potentially deep vein thrombosis.

What this means for you: While standing is very often portrayed as an accessible and feasible solution to outweigh the detrimental health effects of excessive sitting—for example, by introducing sit-stand tables to office workers —the effects of standing on cardiometabolic health are negative!

In my opinion, combining standing with moving would overcome most of the negative outcomes. Here are 12 exercises to do at your standing desk.

⇒ And the killer movement to do regularly is A A Mikulan's Standing Heel Lifts - see item #4. These are deceptively beneficial.

Related: ​​​​​​​Brain Health Is Boosted By Eating Less, Often — Here’s How To Start​​​​​​​​​​​

@Medium - Follow me on Medium ↗, covering ⭑food, ⭑brain, ⭑body, ⭑life

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03 Navigating Nutrition for Your Cognitive Vitality

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining our cognitive vitality. With the rising consumption of ultra-processed foods, understanding their cumulative effects on our brain health has never been more crucial.

The recent findings from a comprehensive study involving over 200,000 UK adults revealed alarming associations between high ultraprocessed food intake and increased risks for heart disease, which can subsequently affect brain health.

The study identified sugar-sweetened beverages and processed meats as particularly detrimental.

⇒ Interestingly, when these harmful categories were excluded from the data, much of the risk associated with ultraprocessed food consumption vanished, highlighting the importance of selective eating.

What this means for you: To protect your cognitive health, implement these dietary strategies:

Reduce your consumption of these foods:

1. Sugar-Sweetened Drinks: This includes sodas and fruit punches high in added sugars.
2. Processed Meats: Examples include bacon, hot dogs, breaded fish products, chicken sausages, and salami sandwiches.

Don't sweat over these, but reduce them if you can:

• Breakfast Cereals: Some types can provide valuable nutrients.
• Sweetened and Flavored Yogurts: These can be a part of a balanced diet.
• Savory Snacks: Packaged popcorn and crackers may be less harmful than sugary drinks and processed meats.

⇒ Although processed meats and sugary drinks are the worst, limiting all ultra-processed foods is crucial. For better health, prioritise unprocessed or minimally processed options such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.

Related: ​​Too Much Omega-6 Can Harm Us, Unless We Eat More Omega-3​​​

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04 The Remarkable Benefits of the Standing Heel Lift

Our exercise of the week is... standing heel lifts.

The Vibrogimnastika standing heel lift technique is a unique exercise developed by the Russian doctor A.A. Mikulin. He sought to improve blood circulation and overall physical health, particularly for people over 50 and in the simplest way.

This technique involves a simple yet effective movement of lifting and dropping the heels, creating a vibration effect that stimulates blood flow throughout the body.

Mikulin researched for decades and eventually centred his study on heel lifts, for which he claimed the following benefits (and I'm prepared to believe him):

1. Improved Venous Circulation: The vibration generated by the heel lifts and drops stimulates blood flow, particularly in the venous system. This helps prevent blockages and promotes the efficient transport of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
2. Reduction of Age-Related Ailments: Regular practice can help reduce the risk of age-related conditions such as varicose veins by improving blood circulation and preventing the accumulation of lactic acid in the leg muscles.
3. Mental Strain Relief: This technique is beneficial for those engaged in prolonged mental work, helping to relieve head heaviness and mental fatigue, thus promoting mental clarity and focus.
4. Reduction of Fatigue and Stress: This exercise can help reduce fatigue and stress by enhancing blood circulation and facilitating the movement of venous blood from the head to the heart, leading to increased energy levels and overall well-being.
5. Enhanced Metabolism: Improved blood circulation aids in the elimination of lactic acid from leg muscles, contributing to better muscle function and recovery.

⇒ You might see a connection between Mikulin's work and the Russian invention of the vibrogym - originally based on research done by Russian Space Scientists to combat the effects of micro-gravity on cosmonants. You would be correct.

What it means for you: You can do no harm by doing this routine for the rest of your life. I do these daily, it takes 3 minutes of my life.

Starting Position:

• Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Keep your spine straight, head lifted upwards, and gluteal muscles slightly contracted.

Execution:

1. Heel Lift:
   • Inhale and gently lift your heels about 1 cm off the ground. This movement should be smooth and controlled.
2. Heel Drop:
   • Quickly lower your heels back to the floor, creating a gentle impact. The impact should be forceful enough to generate a vibration but not so hard as to cause pain or discomfort.

Exercise Pace:

• Perform the heel lifting and dropping at a slow and steady pace, approximately once per second. Avoid rushing through the movements to allow blood to accumulate in the venous valves.

Repetition and Duration:

• Perform two sets of 30 heel drops, with a 5-10 second rest between sets.
• The entire sequence should be repeated 3-5 times daily.
• Each session should last about one minute.

Caution:

• Do not lift your heels more than 1 cm off the ground to prevent unnecessary strain.
• Avoid overly sharp movements that could cause discomfort or harm.

⇒ You have everything to gain and nothing to lose, and if you are often standing with little movement then you have a LOT to gain - see item #2.

Related: ​The Surprising Way Hip Flexors Pull You Down Into An Elderly Stoop And ​Shuffle, And How To Avoid It​​​​​

Thanks for reading!

P.S. If you are not yet subscribed to my free exercise app, try now ↓↓↓ Free forever. Opt-out any time. Opt-in by CLICKING HERE PLEASE SEND ME THE EXERCISES. NOTE: YOU ONLY NEED TO SUBSCRIBE ONE TIME.

>> My Latest Blog Post: Energise Your Golden Years: Boosting Your Desire to Exercise with Gut-Healthy Foods​

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