COVID-19 and the Mental/Physical Health Connection

Researchers have long known that there is a connection between physical and mental health. Physical activity releases hormones that are mood lifters; exercise is not necessarily a cure-all for emotional or mental ills, but it is a contributing factor in better outcomes.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has taken a huge physical toll in our country–not just in terms of the 600,000+ who have died of COVID-related illnesses, but also in terms of the tens of millions who were sickened by the virus but survived (some with long-lasting effects). Even those who were not infected have suffered stress from the situation. Some of that can be attributed to the relationship between lower levels of physical activity during the pandemic (due to closed gyms, group classes being limited, etc.) and negative mental health outcomes.

Idea Fitness Journal’s September-October, 2021, issue reported on a recent study by McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, Canada; the research looked into why people seemed less motivated to be physically active and what the perceived barriers were. The data showed that those whose mental health had worsened the most were also those who were the least physically active; that same group also showed the most improvement when they became more active.

Based on the study, the article suggested that individuals can become more active (and have better mental health outcomes) by:

–Scheduling activities (to eliminate decision-making and choice

–Do activites they personally enjoy

–Listen to their favorite music

–Train with a friend

–Try lower-intensity activiites

–Get creative; use body weight or whatever is available

–Go outside and be in nature.

Of course, another option for those who are demotivated because of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, is to turn to on-line classes and training that can be done from home.

The issue is a complicated one and, as I said earlier, more exercise is not a panacea. There can be deeper issues at work that make the thought of more physical activity anxiety-inducing. As always, it is best to check in with healthcare professional if depression or anxiety prevent a person from carrying out activities of daily living, including exercise.

For most people, however, it is just a matter of planning ahead and taking the first step. The rest should come more easily.

An Accounting of our Health

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins this coming Monday evening at sunset. It ushers in a period known as the Ten Days of Repentance that ends with Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year.

Unlike the frivolity and celebration of the secular New Year, this ten-day period is more serious. It is ideally spent in prayer and reflection. Traditionally, Jews review the last year in what is called in Hebrew, Cheshbon HaNefesh, literally an “Accounting of the Soul.” We look at the “asset column” of the positive things we did in the last 12 months; and then we look at the “debit column” of things that did not quite work out well, where we could have done better. Hopefully the good outweighs the bad, but no matter how the ledger sheet balances out, our attention turns to how we can do better in the coming year.

As a rabbi and personal trainer, I see an intersection between the “Accounting of the Soul” and an “Accounting of our Health.” Of course, there is spiritual health, but none of that is possible unless we take care of the body in which our spirit resides. Additionally, Judaism teaches that in the final analysis we are judged not by our thoughts/beliefs, but rather by what we do. “Doing” requires a body that is well enough to act. We can have all the best intentions to make our lives and the world around us a better place, but ultimately we have to find a way to move past intentions into action. This requires our body to be healthy.

The connection between body and spirit is well established in Judaism. At this time of the year, we would be wise to not only consider spiritual matters; we should also commit to living in a way that allows our bodies to bring blessing and holiness to others. An “Accounting of our Health” should be part and parcel of this holy season.

Best wishes to all those who celebrate Rosh Hashanah for a happy, healthy, and fit 5782!

Happy 1st Anniversary “At Home Senior Fitness!”

I never thought I would own my own business, but here I am one year after At Home Senior Fitness trained its very first client!

What have I accomplished in that year?

I have worked with two web designers to establish a presence on the internet: http://www.athomeseniorfitness.net.
I have been supported by and supported the work of the Cleveland East Senior Network–bringing entertainment and joy to seniors in long-term care facilities, while creating connections with others who serve older adults.
I have built my client list to over 30! The youngest are in their 50s and the oldest in their 90s. They are mostly in Ohio, but I train clients remotely in California, New Jersey, Illinois, and even Israel! I am joined in my fitness classes by folks from the Bronx to Vancouver.
I have turned a profit and been able to re-invest in the business and give charitably.
I have been interviewed for newspapers and radio for my expertise in working with older adults.
I have maintained this blog; it now has over 300 followers.

Through it all, I have gotten to know some pretty amazing clients. The relationships are what make it all worthwhile; I have tried to be there for my clients and they have been supportive and flexible–especially when I was out for a few weeks after my kidney donation surgery.

Most importantly, I have watched my clients progress. They have become stronger and more flexible. Goals are being met. Nothing thrills me more than hearing “I went up the stairs and didn’t even get winded,” or “I walked four miles,” or “people tell me that they notice something different.” Everyone has engaged me as their trainer or group fitness instructor for a different reason; I am honored that they have entrusted me to help them reach their fitness goals.

What’s ahead for Year 2? Lots of exciting and new stuff is planned for the coming 12 months…but let me get through the Jewish High Holidays first!

Thanks to everyone (especially my wife who believed I could do this) for making me and At Home Senior Fitness the success that it is!

One Year Since Bicep Tenodesis Surgery

Disclaimer: this is a stock photo off the Internet. My actual bicep size may vary!

It has been a year since I had bicep tenodesis surgery through the Sports Medicine department at the Cleveland Clinic. My last post about the surgery was 6 months ago. Back then I noted that it had been about a month since I began to feel like I was “back to normal.”

Here I am at the one year mark and my verdict is that, despite the fact that recovery was longer than I expected, it was worth it. 99.9% of the time I don’t even think about my shoulder; before the surgery, pain and discomfort were my constant companion. The only differences I notice now are that when I sleep on my left side, I can only sleep with a pillow supporting my right arm (the one that had the surgery), and that during certain exercise that involve raising my arm overhead I hear clicking. Aside from these minor changes, I have no limitations.

Final thought: as we age, we often think that we have to accept pain, discomfort, and limitations on our mobility. That is not necessarily the case. Every person is different and individual circumstances will dictate the best course of action. Sometimes physical therapy is called for, or simply rest and ice. In my case, when those options did not improve the situation, I am glad that I was a candidate for this surgery and had a successful outcome.

Not Going Back to the Gym?

The New York Times ran an article at the beginning of the year that addressed the changes that had occurred in the fitness industry–in particular with fitness facilities–since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It focused on individuals who decided to forego the gym and were willing to pay thousands of dollars for personalized workouts. The examples in the article were somewhat extreme, but they point to a significant trend that has been addressed in later publications as well.

Gyms are having a tough go of it. During the time when gyms were shut down, people invested in equipment to use at home; some spent heavily on products like Mirror, Peloton, weights, mats, etc. I have an elliptical in my home now too! The spending spree continued when gyms re-opened but much of the public was reticent to re-enter them. I work with some clients who have nothing more than a pair of 2-pound dumbbells, but I also have clients with an array of weights, exercise balls, resistance tubes, and cardio equipment such as recumbent bikes and treadmills. With so much invested at home, why return to the gym…and start paying those monthly fees?

Still, there was something that was missing. For many people, it is hard to stay motivated at home. There are those that worry that they may not be using the right equipment or using it correctly. Enter people like me, entrepreneurs who have stepped into the personalized virtual and in-person training domain. I started my business just under a year ago and left the gym where I worked a few months later; my schedule is almost completely full and the inquiries continue on a regular basis.

What I offer is more convenient, less costly, and no less effective. There is no monthly gym membership to pay in addition to my personal training fee; I have much lower overhead and can pass those savings along to my clients. There is no commute–either I come to the client’s home or we Zoom–which is an extra bonus for older adults. There is also no worry about whether the guy coughing on the next treadmill over has been vaccinated or not.

This business model is one that I imagined before the pandemic arrived; the events of the last 18 months only accelerated the demand for it. Offering a niche service–training only older adults–has put me in even higher demand. The next step is finding ever more innovative ways to meet seniors in the virtual and “real” world to help bring fitness to an often-overlooked demographic knowing that many senior adults will never go back to the gym. I am proud of the work that I am doing–and, more importantly, of the results my clients are seeing.

Not going back to the gym? You are part of a growing trend. The next question is: what are you doing to keep yourself fit and healthy as the pandemic drags on…and in the years beyond it?

HIIT Me Baby One More Time

No, this is not about a Britney’s Spears song. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training; this is a form of exercise that combines short bursts of high energy exercise (usually for a fixed amount of time) with longer periods of rest or lower intensity exercise (also for a fixed amount of time). Generally, HIIT is used with aerobic or cardio workouts, but it can contain elements of resistance as well.

I have blogged previously about HIIT workouts. In the past, many in the fitness industry felt that HIIT workouts were inappropriate for older adults, but the most recent research shows that it can actually increase a person’s lifespan. As a general rule, the only people who should avoid HIIT workouts are those with injuries, women who are pregnant, or women who are 3-6 months post-partem (but consult your own doctor for specifics).

HIIT is an effective way to work with seniors who may not be able to sustain longer periods of aerobic activity, but who can still tolerate and benefit from intervals of higher intensity exercise. I often begin my workouts with older adults using a TABATA: 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest with 8 sets incorporating two different exercises alternating. With other clients I may do a 5-minute HIIT comprised of 1 minute of low intensity walking, stationary bike, treadmill, or jogging-in-place followed by 20 seconds at a higher speed; this cycle is repeated 3 times with a minute of low intensity at the end. For a longer workout, the periods of high and low intensity can be adjusted; for example, one could do 2 minutes of walking followed by 30 seconds of easy jogging. As a client progresses, the higher intensity periods can be lengthened.

The advantage of HIIT is that if it is done for a long enough period (opinions vary), it can raise the heart rate and resting metabolic rate for an extended amount of time–as long as 24 hours! The body can continue to burn calories long after the workout is over. Even for shorter workouts, let’s call them “quickies,” it has the advantage of pushing the client to work more intensely but for a period of time that is manageable. A person may not be able to run for one minute straight, but they may be able to run 3 sprints of 20 seconds separated by a minute or two.

I will continue to explore ways that I can use HIIT workouts with my clients. Research shows that there are no downsides except that they should be limited (at least for HIIT workouts of longer than 20 minutes) to three times a week to prevent overtraining and/or boredom which would lead to demotivation to exercise. For my older clients, there are many advantages, most important among them that it can add to a person’s life expectancy.

The “Don’t Kiss Me” Exercise

lovers paint like a child couple kissing relationship and love paintings the kiss painting artist painter raphael perez

Several years ago, I began to notice that I had developed a numbness and tingling in three of my fingers of my left hand. This was alarming since I tend to use my fingers a lot.

I went to my primary care physician who ran the appropriate tests to make sure it was not anything too nefarious, and then referred me to a Physical Therapist. It turns out that I had a slight impingement in one of the vertebrae of my cervical (upper) spine that was affecting the nerve in my hand. I was given the “chin tuck” exercise to do.

The chin tuck was described to me as follows: “Sit or stand with your head up. Pretend that someone is coming in to give you a kiss and you do not want that kiss, so you back your head away.” A more scientific way to explain it would be as follows: Have the head directly over the shoulders (ears lined up with them); place a finger in front of the chin, then move the head back as far as possible from the finger. Hold for 5 seconds and repeat 10-15 times; others call for holding the pose as long as possible.

This exercise not only relieved my symptoms within a few weeks, but it also became a part of the my regular repertoire of stretches I do for myself and recommend for my clients. In addition to resolving impingements, chin tucks are one of the most effective exercises for relieving neck pain (often caused by the head being too far forward). It also helps with overall posture. This is a problem more now than ever as we often crane our heads over our keyboards.

The exercise looks silly while it is being done, but it if done on a regular basis, it can make a big difference in one’s posture, preventing possible pain further down the line.

Even though this exercise plainly says “don’t kiss me,” it is a stretch that most people will learn to love!

Rerouting

Thoughtful words from a long-time friend and colleague. Thanks Rabbi Avi Friedman!

shalom RAF

We knew that Simone Biles’ Olympic experience was going to be a memorable one.We just didn’t know what was going to make it so memorable.

My hunch is that very few of us can understand the physical, mental and emotional pressure felt by elite athletes like Simone Biles.I know that I couldn’t possibly put myself in her place.She lives in a different universe.

However, we all face challenges as we go down the path of life.Sometimes, we are ready for them.Sometimes, they cause us to zig instead of zag.Sometimes, they cause us to stop right where we are because we can go no further.It’s in moments like that we need help from others to figure out how to keep going.

In this week’s Torah portion, Moshe was thinking about the years that he had spent together with the Israelites wandering in the wilderness.He said the following to the Israelites: “Remember…

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Decrepit No More

It was late 2020 when I got a call from a woman responding to an advertisement I had placed in the Cleveland Jewish News for my personal training business. She told me that primarily she was calling about her husband; he was in his mid-70s and in her words “decrepit.” Could I help?

I met with them, and after making all the proper arrangements began training with him 3 times per week for 30 minutes at their home. This was before vaccinations were happening so we were all masked up and training outside on the back deck when possible. I do not know if I would have used the word “decrepit,” but there were a lot of issues: balance, stamina, strength, and flexibility. I created a program specific to his needs and abilities and stuck with the plan.

It was tough going at first, but it was clear that progress was being made. It was proof to him and his wife–and to me–that we are capable of making positive changes in our levels of fitness at any age. It also demonstrated that the definition of “too far gone” needs to be rethought. Things for my client were looking great!

Unfortunately, he had a serious stroke a few months ago. I was worried that all of the progress would go down the tubes. On the contrary, the work we had been doing together helped prepare him to be successful at the inpatient rehab facility where he was for several weeks. He was their star student! Imagine my surprise when I started working with him again and he looked even better than before the stroke; of course, there was (and still is) a lot of work to be done to maintain and increase strength and mobility, but without a doubt between rehab and our workouts he was making a comeback.

Yesterday at his first workout of the week we commented on how he no longer looks or feels decrepit. It took about 8 months–and a stroke intervened–but this guy is proof that a supervised fitness program for older adults can be the difference between independence and decrepitude.

I know this is only one example, but I see progress with all of my clients. Word needs to get out so that older adults can begin to think differently about themselves and their fitness. As we age, we need be decrepit no more.

Testosterone Therapy or Exercise for Older Men?

The most recent issue of Idea Fitness Journal presented a summary of recent research results regarding the efficacy of testosterone therapy in promoting health benefits–especially cardiovascular–in older men. The article reports on studies from the University of Western Australia in Perth.

Many of us know that there has been a boom in sales of testosterone products for older men; they make all kinds of promises. Some are over-the-counter creams, while others are prescriptions available only through a physician.

The study at UWA looked at whether circuit training (a workout technique using different exercises in rotation with minimal rest, often with different pieces of equipment) had the same, less, or greater effect on men’s health than these products. The test followed 78 men aged 50-70 who had no history of CV disease, larger-than-normal waist circumference, and low-to-normal T-levels. Four groups were compared: T-therapy with exercise and without; placebo with exercise and without. Results showed that exercise increased testosterone levels, and that creams added even more. Most importantly, cardiovascular health improved more in those who exercised regardless of whether they had T-therapy. One of the investigators, Daniel J. Green, PhD., noted that while T-therapy seemed to increase muscle mass in legs, there seemed to be no benefit in arterial health and function.

A couple of take-aways for older men: 1. There is not magic pill (or cream) for better health; exercise, proper diet, and rest are still key. 2. The focus in older adults should be less on building muscle mass (although it is certainly desirable to maintain what is there), and more on maintaining and improving CV health if one wishes to avoid the maladies such as heart attacks and stroke.