One month away!

Just one month until Thinfluence is released by Rodale press! The book a collaborative effort which I have written with my co-authors Dr. Walter Willett and Dan Childs examines the powerful effect friends, co-workers, family and even our surroundings have on our weight! We provide a constructive action plan for making changes in these important domains in our life.  Pre-order your copy today!Buy the book Thinfluence

Exercise Benefits Brain Function as We Age

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Geriatrics/GeneralGeriatrics/30694?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&email=mjwood@partners.org&eun=g432914d0r&userid=432914&mu_id=


In the study above, researchers found that Seniors who both rode a stationary bike and  played a racing game demonstrated improvement in their overall executive function on testing as compared with riding the  bike alone.  This type of synergistic activity in the study reduced progression of mild cognitive impairment by 23%.


Here is a paragraph from our book  Smart at Heart where we discuss the cognitive benefits of exercise:

Multiple studies have shown that people who exercise regularly have a reduced risk of Alzheimer's and other cognitive disorders, and othere studies have determine that aerobic exercise enhances memore and brain function.  Wanting to investigate the effect of resistance training, researchers at the University of British Columbia put 106 women, ages sixty-five to seventy-five, on a strength-training program either once or twice a week for thirty-minute sessions.  The eight-move program included exercises for the major muscle groups, like leg presses, bicep curls, and hamstring curls.  After a year, both groups improved their cognitive function (the ability to reason, organize, and decide) by 10-12 percent, while a control group, which did balance and tone training (read: not as intense exercsie) lost 0.5 percent of their cognitive function.* I find this study to be very exciting; as little as thirty minutes weekly of resistance training doesn't just make your body stronger- it makes your mind stronger too. 

So my take is that it is never to late to start exercising. Even a little bit has a huge impact on your overall health.  Here are just a few benefits:  You'll have a longer life, you will build a stronger less disease-prone heart, you will enjoy better quality of life, you are likely to be leaner than if you don't exercise which means less risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, degenerative joint disease and the many other health issues associated with being overweight. 


*T. Liu-Ambrose, et al., "Resistance Training and Executive Functions:  A 12-Month Randomized Controled Trial," Archives of Internal Medicine 170, no 2 (2010: 170-78)

Get fit on a budget...In winter!

Living in Massachusetts, I am no stranger to cold weather and long dark days!
Last year I received a Jillian Michaels DVD for a Christmas gift and really switched it up.
Her approach to fitness, in your own home, at your own pace is right on!
Most everyone has a DVD player or computer with internet access.
Having an inspirational trainer like JM right in your living room is a great way to get started- on a shoestring.
And for those of you who complain that they just don't have time to work out....Come on ...Everyone has 20 minutes a day they can spend getting fit....Long term benefits are reduced weight , better sleep, less risk of diabetes and heart disease...

Technology helps!

One of my patients, a businessman and father of four who found himself 45 lbs overweight woke up one morning, didn't like what he saw in the mirrow and turned it all around. He started training and modified his diet and managed his stress.  He lost 50 lbs over the course of one year and started competing in triathlons. He is now a very accomplished triathlete and has found that exercise was a great way to manage his stress.  At his last visit he told me about a new app:  myfitnesspal.. This tool tracks your weight, activity and diet.  The app has a huge dictionary of food items and gives you the nutritional content.  As long as you are honest about your intake it gives you the straight scoop on days to get to your target weight. 

Smart at Heart

I am so excited.  The book I have written w Dimity McDowell Davis - Smart at Heart is scheduled to be released on December 27th! The book is being published by Ten Speed Press and offers a 10 step holistic program to improve your heart health.  It is never to early to start taking care of ourselves. It's time for your to get Smart at Heart! Here is the Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Heart-Holistic-Approach-Preventing/dp/158761278X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317060972&sr=1-1

Happy Friday!

Welcome to my blog.  I think it is appropriate that my inaugural blog will be written on a Friday. Fridays are the days most of us wind down our professional brain and wind up our creative, athletic, social brain.  My personal view is that we should try to live more of our weekdays with a weekend philosophy by taking time to treat ourselves to social time, exercise, reading and fun. 

I will try to navigate the somewhat complicated world of medical research and give my readers understandable practical interpretations of new studies as they come out and possibly to demystify some of the better studies that are already out there!

Today I thought I would mention a study that I was fortunate enough to be part of that was done here in Boston.  Dr. Greg Lewis and a group of physicians and scientists affiliated with MGH and the Broad Institute have used a new technology to the effect of exercise on individual metabolic signatures in humans. This study involved the use a mass-spectrometry-based system to examine and profile large numbers of metabolites. 

 
The study included people performing exercise tests as well as 25 runners who were participating in a study of heart function and who all completed the 2006 Boston Marathon were also studied. Changes were seen in the metabolic profiles of the runners which differed from individuals who exercised for shorter periods of time.  The marathon runners in addition to demonstrating heightened fat, glucose and carbohydrate metabolism also exhibited a drop in their amino acid levels suggesting that these amino acids are likely used to help maintain energy levels during prolonged exercise. 

Stay tuned, there will be more information in this exciting area coming down the road.  

Bottom line, train safe, train smart and keep running- and be sure to eat well for optimal performance.

Reference:  Sci Transl Med. 2010 May 26;2(33):33ra37.












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