The Sequoia Advisor

IN THIS ISSUE                                                               February 15^th 2016

• A Modern Training Approach for Better Health and Fitness
• Up and Coming Health and Fitness Events
• March 17th Community Fall Prevention Screening Workshop
• Video... Sara Meeks, PT Talks About The LivMD Benefits
• Posture Perfect!^TM  Gift Certificates

Feel Better... Live Better

A Modern Training Approach for Better Health and Fitness

by Woody McMahon 

Do You Have a Modern Fitness Program?
Science has made many important discoveries in the field of fitness and conditioning. Unfortunately many of their cutting-edge findings are not being included in the typical exercise program. New findings surrounding brain health, exercise safety, balance and posture have all changed the look of the modern fitness program. Because falls, fractures and unhealthy brain changes are all on the rise, your exercise regimen wants to include activities that help cover all the bases. To get the most benefit for the time spent, it is best if your exercise program prepares you for the greatest number of real life scenarios. We call these scenarios ADL's (Activities of Daily Living).

Your Body and Brain Both Like Variety
Your muscles and brain adapt very quickly to repeated movement patterns and postures. Learning something new is an excellent way to stimulate muscle and brain cells. Instead of the old-style stationary exercises, learning multiple movement patterns keeps you safer and injury free during daily activities. Adding exercises that stimulate your brain and balance helps keep you from falling and boosts coordination during ADL's.  Engaging your brain as you exercise also helps form new connections improving memory and thinking ability.

Transition From "Old Style" to Cutting-Edge
"Old style" fitness is what you see happening in health clubs and YMCA's all over this area. People standing on treadmills and sitting on bikes getting their cardiovascular training and then going to lift weights using seated exercise machines is what we call "Old Style" fitness. These programs lack balance training, flexibility, real world cardiovascular stimulation and brain training activities. This style of conditioning has been used for over 50 years with limited results.  

Here are four simple suggestions to maximize your exercise benefits and bring your exercise program into the 21^st century. These changes will also make your new program safer, more appropriate and twice as effective.

Suggestion 1: Stand Don't Sit When You Exercise
Seated exercise machines place unsafe loads on your spine, rob you of balance training and restrict your range of muscular motion. Free weights or free body exercises offer a unique exercise opportunity helping improve strength, balance and coordination all at the same time. When performed standing, free weight exercises are safer for your spine and provide better balance training as well.

Example 1: Try the Shoulder Press Standing
Try the seated shoulder press standing instead of sitting. Sitting creates high compressive forces on your spine. Pressing weight over your head while seated just adds insult to injury. Standing, on the other hand, reduces compression and requires that more muscles work to perform the exercise. Standing more closely resembles the activity of putting something into a tall kitchen cabinet. Now, instead of just the arm and shoulder muscles working, you have balance stimulation, leg, hip and core muscle strengthening as well.

Suggestion 2: Challenge Your Balance Regularly
Including balance activities in your exercise program increases both the mental and physical challenge of your workout. Balance is learned when you are young and it can deteriorate if not practiced regularly. Many people blame their lack of balance on age. But in truth, practicing your balance less, sitting more and weak leg muscles are really more to blame. 

Example 2: Single Leg Balance
This exercise is simple to perform anytime or anywhere. Simply stand on one leg and see if you can balance for 30 seconds. You can try it at the check out line at the grocery store, doing the dishes or brushing your teeth. Just a few minutes several times a day will make a huge improvement in your balance. When you can perform on one leg also consider including fitness toys such as the BOSU, foam half rolls and balance boards. These exercises are both fun and add a new dimension of physical and mental challenge.

Suggestion 3: Try Exercise Combinations
If you are more advanced, exercise combinations are one of the best ways to add variety and reduce your time spent exercising. They also most closely mimic the ADL's that I spoke of earlier. Here is an example of three exercises normally performed individually and now can be done simultaneously for a great physical and mental challenge.

Example 3: Squat, Curl and Press
Start with both arms at your side holding a comfortable weight. Next lower yourself into a squat. Come back to the starting position and while keeping your knees slightly bent, perform a biceps curl. At the top of the curl, press both arms straight above your head. Now reverse the sequence back to the starting position.

Suggestion 4: Brain Games
Your brain needs just as much physical stimulation as the rest of your body to make sure that the signals it sends to your muscles are fast and accurate. Your brain is not only a thinking organ but orchestrates your balance, coordination and movement patterns on a daily basis. Training your brain while you train your body is the "smart" way to workout. 

Example 4: Paddle Drills and Ball Skills
Using a simple ping pong paddle and ball or a practice tennis ball is all you need to light your brain on fire. Take the ping pong paddle and ball and see if you can balance the ball on the paddle. Start palm up for 2 to 3 minutes and then try palm down. Next bounce the ping pong ball on the paddle into the air 10 times and then stop the ball on the paddle without touching the ball with your other hand. Again try this activity for 2 to 3 minutes.

Do You Have a Modern Fitness Program? A stronger body, better balance and a healthier brain means a more confident you that can go out and have more fun. If you need additional suggestions and advice on modernizing your health and fitness program, contact me for a no cost Strategy Session at 703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com. We can figure this out together and get you into a cutting-edge fitness program today.

Up and Coming Events

Free Weights Friday (FWF)... Fridays at 10 am
Free Weight Friday is a small group training class that offers a complete, functional whole body strengthening program. This is an ongoing class that blends dumbbells and medicine balls, whole body movements, dynamic warm-up, balance activities, stretching and brain exercises all in one. FWF incorporates the latest and safest techniques to help improve bone health, sports performance, cardiovascular fitness, balance and coordination. Call for more information and registrations.

Whack-it!^TM Lessons and Leagues Starting in February
The History of Whack-it!^TM
After playing and teaching tennis and racquetball for years, I realized that many people reach a point in their lives that they either do not or cannot play games like tennis, Pickleball, volleyball or racquetball. All these games provide superior strengthening to the heart, lungs, balance systems and brain over treadmills, stationary bicycles and elliptical trainers. I needed to invent a game that was softer, gentler on the body and more social but still provided all of the health and fitness benefits. The game I invented is called Whack-it!^TM. Call for more information and registrations. Read More>>> 

Well Woman Workshops... Coming in March
I am organizing a series of three two hour small group workshops offering the ultimate in healthy lifestyle and self improvement programming. These workshops provide real world solutions for stressed and time pressured women of all ages. You will learn basic skills in the best exercise strategies for your body; stress reduction techniques to calm your mind and improve sleep quality and healthy eating habits and food choices to fuel your brain and body. We’ve assembled all of the healthy lifestyle tools necessary for women to begin the rebuilding process from the inside out. Call for more information and registrations.

March 17^th Fall Prevention Workshop and Screening at Congregation Beth Emeth...

Fall Screening and Prevention Program! 

Thursday March 17^th is our first community fall prevention workshop and screening at Congregation Beth Emeth in Herndon. Workshop and screening times are at 1 pm and 6:30 pm at Congregation Beth Emeth. All educational workshops and screening events are free and open to the general public. Continuing fall prevention classes will be offered at a nominal charge. For more information please contact Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

We are seeking additional community Fall Prevention partners in the Fairfax, Loudoun and Arlington counties. Please contact me for more information.

A Commitment to Fall Prevention
At Sequoia Health we are committed to helping our clients and the community prevent falls and fractures. Problems with your balance can occur at any age and generally develop slowly over time. Better balance and a stronger body are THE KEYS to preventing falls, fractures and improving the quality of your life. To read more about our fall prevention program and testing go to http://www.sequoiahealth.com/falls_screening.

Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition
We have joined the Virginia Fall Prevention Coalition that is a part of a national Falls Free initiative started in 2006 by the NCOA. As a part of the coalition, we will offer free balance testing at our office in Herndon and at selected partner sites throughout Northern Virginia. We will also hold regular falls prevention workshops and balance classes to help people reduce their fear of falling, enhance their balance and increase the quality of their lives. Call for more information about becoming a partner site.

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance
We are offering one of the best falls prevention programs in the world. What makes this program so unique is that it has been shown through scientific and clinical research papers to reduce the frequency of falls by over 50%. Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance modifies eight traditional Tai Chi movements and creates a unique, therapeutic balance system. The movements and activities integrate motor, sensory and cognitive components to improve postural control, balance, gait and enhance performance of daily functional tasks and mobility for older adults. The classes are especially helpful for those who have movement and cognitive impairments and balance challenges such as Parkinson's and Alzheimers's disease.

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance is a 2 hour a week, 24 week program. It has the potential to prevent and manage various diseases by improving balance, circulation, coordination, confidence, well-being and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. It is a great addition to the CDC recommended goal of participating in 150 minutes of regular exercise per week.

To introduce as many people as possible to thos wonderful program, I am offering FREE introductory classes for the Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance functional therapy program. 

For more information please contact Woody McMahon at 703-628-2880 or by email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Falls & Fractures!
We Can Help You Stay Safe!

A Simple 10 Minute Test That Can Save Your Life!

Our Fall Prevention Screening offers three simple tests that can accurately predict your risk of falls, future mobility and balance that can lead to fractures and other injuries. These tests are a part of the CDC- STEADI Fall Prevention Program. Once you know your score and risk level, we'll help you create a falls prevention and balance program to reduce your risk of falling. You can practice these simple activities at home or join one of our Falls Prevention Classes.

To lean more go to Fall Prevention Screening and watch the videos that demonstrate the tests that we will use in your screening. For more information or to schedule your screening contact Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.   

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Sara Meeks, PT Talks About the Benefits of the LivMD

LivMD Updates

A New LivMD Testimonial Showing Bone Density Test Improvement

Here is a link to another excellent LivMD customer testimonial that talks about significant increases in bone density scores by using the LivMD. http://livmd.us/customer-writes-in-to-marodyne

More Volunteers Need for Our LivMD
Investigational Study

We are conducting an investigation study of the Marodyne LivMD Low Intensity Vibration device. We are looking for a wide range of study participants with a broad set of health conditions. The study will collect a variety of information from the volunteers to assess the effectiveness of the LivMD for:

• Improving Circulation
• Restoring motion to joints
• Redeveloping muscles
• Assisting as an adjunct treatment for obesity
• Relieving aches and pains throughout the body

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer study participant, please contact Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Give the Gift of Health!
Posture Perfect!^TM Classes...

Looking for the perfect healthy birthday gift for someone? Consider purchasing a gift certificate for one or several Posture Perfect!^TM classes. Gift certificate amounts start at $25. This is the perfect gift, the gift of health, to give to someone you love.

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Woody

Woody McMahon
The Sequoia Advisor

Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483A Carlisle Drive
Herndon, VA
20170

Required Disclaimer: The material provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The material is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than suggesting that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The material and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on material in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

Copyright (c) 2006-2016 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.

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