Aerobic Exercise May Improve Memory In Seniors

by Michelle Trudeau for NPR (February 21, 2011)

Listen To “Aerobic Exercise May Improve Memory In Seniors” NPR Feature

There’s a very small structure deep in the center of our brains called the hippocampus. It’s smaller than your pinkie, but it plays an absolutely essential role in learning and memory. The hippocampus encodes new information so that we can recall it later. Without a hippocampus, we would be unable to form new memories; we’d only be able to remember the old ones.

As part of normal aging, the hippocampus shrinks. And this shrinkage speeds up as we grow older, foreshadowing memory problems and dementias like Alzheimer’s disease.

But there’s been some good news in the past decade: Scientists have discovered that in certain areas of the aging brain, new cells are born and grow throughout through life. Neuroscientist Peter Snyder, a researcher at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital, says the hippocampus is one of those brain areas that continue to form new cells and make new connections between cells.

“What we’re finding is that of all of these noninvasive ways of intervening, it is exercise that seems to have the most efficacy at this point — more so than nutritional supplements, vitamins and cognitive interventions,” says Snyder, who studies what we can do to maintain memory as our brains age.

Power Of Exercise

Snyder says several studies have been published recently on the power of exercise on the aging brain.

“The literature on exercise is just tremendous,” he says. “What we find is that with exercise — with aerobic exercise, a moderate amount on a regular basis — there are chemical changes that occur in the brain that promote the growth of new neurons in [the hippocampus].”
The major chemical change in the hippocampus during aerobic exercise is an increase in a brain protein called BDNF, which acts like a fertilizer during the birth of new brain cells by nourishing new connections between neurons.

Some of the most provocative evidence on the power of exercise on the brain comes from a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by neuroscientist Art Kramer at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Kramer and his colleagues have documented the impact of exercise on the growth of the hippocampus in a small group of elderly people over the course of one year.

“The participants in our study were 120 very sedentary people,” Kramer says.

He adds none had dementia or memory problems when they entered the study. “They were relatively healthy, but certainly ‘couch potatoes’ would fit as a label.”

Getting Couch Potatoes Moving

One of those “couch potatoes” who volunteered for the study was Gregory Stanton, a 66-year-old semi-retired college professor. He admits to not exercising regularly but counters that he was physically quite active remodeling his home. So he refers to himself as “a semi-couch potato.”

Stanton and the other 120 men and women in the study ranged from 60 to 80 years old. When they entered the study, they were randomly divided into two groups.

“One was the aerobic exercise group,” Kramer says. “Those were people who walked further and faster as time went on. And the others in our control group were in a toning, stretching and light-strengthening group.”

Stanton was randomly assigned to the aerobic exercise group.

“Basically, it’s walking a track in one of the gym facilities,” Stanton says. He and the others in the aerobic group walked the track for about 40 minutes three times a week for a year. Stanton says he averaged about 3 miles each session. After each session, he was breathing hard and had worked up a sweat, he says.

The idea was for each participant to walk fast enough to reach aerobic exercise level, Kramer explains, which is generally considered to be 70 percent of one’s maximum heart rate.

Walkers Fared Better

All the participants in the study had MRI brain scans done before the study began and again a year later when the study ended. Then the researchers analyzed the MRI data.

“What we found,” Kramer says, “is that individuals in the aerobic group showed increases in the volume of their hippocampus.”
The increase in volume — again for the aerobic but not for the non-aerobic group — was about 2 percent.

Scientists are trying to figure out how physical and mental exercise protects the brain.

“The 2 percent increase we can think of as turning back the clock about two years,” Kramer says.

The increased volume was found in the anterior, or front part, of the hippocampus. That’s the area of the hippocampus that has been shown to grow as a function of exercise in several animal studies.

By comparison, “the individuals in the control group — in the toning and stretching group — lost about 1.5 percent [of their hippocampal volume],” Kramer says. “So we can think of it as about a 3.5 percent difference compared to those individuals who didn’t benefit aerobically.”

The results are small but suggestive. This finding shows that not only did the aerobic exercise protect against normal shrinkage, but also that new cells were added to the hippocampus. The researchers also saw a significant increase in that important brain-fertilizing chemical BDNF in the plasma of those in the aerobic exercise group — but not in the control group.

Impact On Memory

But did the growth in the hippocampus translate into improvements in memory? Both groups were given memory tests before and after the yearlong exercise program. Kramer says these tests looked specifically at a type of memory called “spatial memory,” which records information about our environment, like the layout of the neighborhood or the interior of the grocery store.

At the start of the study, both the aerobic and the non-aerobic group scored similarly on the spatial memory test. But after the yearlong program, the group that did aerobic exercises had improved significantly on its spatial memory tests, bettering its own scores from a year earlier. The non-aerobic group had not improved in memory after a year of stretching, toning and lightweight lifting.

As for “semi-couch potato” Stanton, who’d been in the aerobic group, he says he didn’t notice any improvement in his memory. He still has problems remembering people’s names. But he did notice he had more physical stamina after the yearlong aerobic walking program.

In spite of this, Stanton says he still doesn’t maintain a regular exercise regimen. He says while he knows it’s good for him, he, like many of us, can’t find the time. He’s just too busy.

npr.org

Success Stories from our FT Clients on FTGetsResults.com, including many Seniors

Success Stories on YouTube
 

Aerobic Exercise May Improve Memory In Seniors

by Michelle Trudeau for NPR (February 21, 2011)

Listen To “Aerobic Exercise May Improve Memory In Seniors” NPR Feature

There’s a very small structure deep in the center of our brains called the hippocampus. It’s smaller than your pinkie, but it plays an absolutely essential role in learning and memory. The hippocampus encodes new information so that we can recall it later. Without a hippocampus, we would be unable to form new memories; we’d only be able to remember the old ones.

As part of normal aging, the hippocampus shrinks. And this shrinkage speeds up as we grow older, foreshadowing memory problems and dementias like Alzheimer’s disease.

But there’s been some good news in the past decade: Scientists have discovered that in certain areas of the aging brain, new cells are born and grow throughout through life. Neuroscientist Peter Snyder, a researcher at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital, says the hippocampus is one of those brain areas that continue to form new cells and make new connections between cells.

“What we’re finding is that of all of these noninvasive ways of intervening, it is exercise that seems to have the most efficacy at this point — more so than nutritional supplements, vitamins and cognitive interventions,” says Snyder, who studies what we can do to maintain memory as our brains age.

Power Of Exercise

Snyder says several studies have been published recently on the power of exercise on the aging brain.

“The literature on exercise is just tremendous,” he says. “What we find is that with exercise — with aerobic exercise, a moderate amount on a regular basis — there are chemical changes that occur in the brain that promote the growth of new neurons in [the hippocampus].”
The major chemical change in the hippocampus during aerobic exercise is an increase in a brain protein called BDNF, which acts like a fertilizer during the birth of new brain cells by nourishing new connections between neurons.

Some of the most provocative evidence on the power of exercise on the brain comes from a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by neuroscientist Art Kramer at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Kramer and his colleagues have documented the impact of exercise on the growth of the hippocampus in a small group of elderly people over the course of one year.

“The participants in our study were 120 very sedentary people,” Kramer says.

He adds none had dementia or memory problems when they entered the study. “They were relatively healthy, but certainly ‘couch potatoes’ would fit as a label.”

Getting Couch Potatoes Moving

One of those “couch potatoes” who volunteered for the study was Gregory Stanton, a 66-year-old semi-retired college professor. He admits to not exercising regularly but counters that he was physically quite active remodeling his home. So he refers to himself as “a semi-couch potato.”

Stanton and the other 120 men and women in the study ranged from 60 to 80 years old. When they entered the study, they were randomly divided into two groups.

“One was the aerobic exercise group,” Kramer says. “Those were people who walked further and faster as time went on. And the others in our control group were in a toning, stretching and light-strengthening group.”

Stanton was randomly assigned to the aerobic exercise group.

“Basically, it’s walking a track in one of the gym facilities,” Stanton says. He and the others in the aerobic group walked the track for about 40 minutes three times a week for a year. Stanton says he averaged about 3 miles each session. After each session, he was breathing hard and had worked up a sweat, he says.

The idea was for each participant to walk fast enough to reach aerobic exercise level, Kramer explains, which is generally considered to be 70 percent of one’s maximum heart rate.

Walkers Fared Better

All the participants in the study had MRI brain scans done before the study began and again a year later when the study ended. Then the researchers analyzed the MRI data.

“What we found,” Kramer says, “is that individuals in the aerobic group showed increases in the volume of their hippocampus.”
The increase in volume — again for the aerobic but not for the non-aerobic group — was about 2 percent.

Scientists are trying to figure out how physical and mental exercise protects the brain.

“The 2 percent increase we can think of as turning back the clock about two years,” Kramer says.

The increased volume was found in the anterior, or front part, of the hippocampus. That’s the area of the hippocampus that has been shown to grow as a function of exercise in several animal studies.

By comparison, “the individuals in the control group — in the toning and stretching group — lost about 1.5 percent [of their hippocampal volume],” Kramer says. “So we can think of it as about a 3.5 percent difference compared to those individuals who didn’t benefit aerobically.”

The results are small but suggestive. This finding shows that not only did the aerobic exercise protect against normal shrinkage, but also that new cells were added to the hippocampus. The researchers also saw a significant increase in that important brain-fertilizing chemical BDNF in the plasma of those in the aerobic exercise group — but not in the control group.

Impact On Memory

But did the growth in the hippocampus translate into improvements in memory? Both groups were given memory tests before and after the yearlong exercise program. Kramer says these tests looked specifically at a type of memory called “spatial memory,” which records information about our environment, like the layout of the neighborhood or the interior of the grocery store.

At the start of the study, both the aerobic and the non-aerobic group scored similarly on the spatial memory test. But after the yearlong program, the group that did aerobic exercises had improved significantly on its spatial memory tests, bettering its own scores from a year earlier. The non-aerobic group had not improved in memory after a year of stretching, toning and lightweight lifting.

As for “semi-couch potato” Stanton, who’d been in the aerobic group, he says he didn’t notice any improvement in his memory. He still has problems remembering people’s names. But he did notice he had more physical stamina after the yearlong aerobic walking program.

In spite of this, Stanton says he still doesn’t maintain a regular exercise regimen. He says while he knows it’s good for him, he, like many of us, can’t find the time. He’s just too busy.

npr.org

Success Stories from our FT Clients on FTGetsResults.com, including many Seniors

Success Stories on

Fitness Tip: Exercise Using The Snow

Local fitness experts weigh in on how to make the most of the white stuff.

Article from Melrose MA Patch by Kate House

More than 60 inches of snow has fallen in Melrose since Jan. 1. If you prefer the Great Outdoors when you get your exercise, chances are your fitness routine has taken a hit as of late. But with polls and studies released as recently as the past two weeks showing that 76 percent of people in the northeastern U.S. states battle severe blues in the winter and that regular exercise can help overweight children’s cognitive abilities, it can be difficult to justify a sedentary winter.

The truly depressing part? We’re probably not out of the woods yet. The Melrose region typically sees an average snowfall of eight inches of snow even in March, with an average of four snowy days that month.

Since neither cursing at snowbanks nor sliding on black ice counts as cardio activity, it might be a perfect time to consider these three tips on using snow to your advantage, provided by fitness experts across Melrose.

1. Don’t doubt the plow. More local trails are plowed than you might suspect, says Sue Rittenburg, owner of Body Empower in Melrose, where class participants follow the Les Mills program with an emphasis on group fitness. Her favorite winter walk this year? The paths at nearby Breakheart Reservation , which are regularly cleared of snow and are very kid-friendly.

“It’s like a winter wonderland,” Rittenburg said. “Get Yaktrax or spikes that secure to your footing. It really gets your heart working and lifts your spirits. You’re double-dipping: You get a great workout and it lifts the winter blues.”

Another great—if unlikely—place to rev up your ticker? Cemeteries. Joy Fay of Melrose Boot Camp (whose next session is about to kick off on Feb. 28) is a big fan of the cleared paths of Wyoming Cemetery.

“I head to the cemetery, where cars and dangerous sidewalks are not factors,” Fay said. “For many of us, running is a time for meditation and reflection. The cemetery provides the perfect, peaceful and safe setting for getting a run in and encouraging positive thoughts to flow. ”

2. Go ahead: Play! If the snow is putting a crimp in your usual outside regimen, loosen up the rules a bit. Some of Fay’s favorites, which often make their way to early-morning Boot Camp sessions? Snow angels.

“Choose a snowy area away from icy pavement and make snow angels and snowball rolling part of your plan,” Fay suggested. “Run through the soft snow and see how that added resistance adds value to your training. We burn more calories exercising outside in the winter. Take advantage of this―embrace the season and boost your calorie burn and your spirits at the same time!”

Samantha Jones of Melrose’s Fitness Together, where clients get one-on-one personal training in private suites, agrees.

“Crawling around and lifting heavy snowballs is great for getting you sweating, as is building an igloo or snowman with your family,” Jones says. “Running in your yard with the dog can get you knee-deep in heavy snow, torching some major calories and getting the family pet healthy, too.”

Jones also mentioned another fun whole-family activity that might not get enough feel-good press: sledding.

“Climbing up the hill is not only worth the calorie roast, it earns you a fun trip down the hill,” Jones pointed out.

3. Reevaluate your shoveling form. Yes, you hate it. But shoveling somehow doesn’t seem quite as bad when you consider its health benefits.

“Shoveling can burn up to 400 calories a half hour for a person weighing 200 pounds, or 400 calories in an hour for a person weighing 150 pounds,” Jones says.

The most important thing to remember when heaving yet another foot of snow off the driveway? Make sure you are using the correct technique. According to Jenine Wright of Fit Lifestyle Studios, which offers everything from personal training to pilates, the last thing you want to do is ruin your exercise regimen with a weeks-long injury.

“Make sure you contract your abdominal and back muscles,” Wright recommended. “Warm up a little prior to starting. Drink plenty of water. Remember, [even though] it’s cold out, you still need to stay hydrated.”

Fitness Together Melrose

Melrose MA Patch

For our other Fitness Together Studios across Eastern New England go to FTGetsResults.com

Healthy Recipe of the Month: Winterfest Salsa w/ Whole Wheat Pita Chips

We found this recipe around the time of the Superbowl when everyone, and their foodie-related websites, were trumpeting their bowl-related (pun intended) salsas, dips, and other fat-inducing treats couch potatoes could snack on during the big game.

Obviously we wanted to give you something healthier for the rest of the Winter season, and so here it is; the renamed Winterfest Salsa. A nice treat for night with a crackling fire inside (or just some lower wattage on those living room lights), a brisk wind kept outside, and your favorite person, or if in a real festive mood, a crowd of your friends with you.

Winterfest Salsa
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1/8th recipe, 87 grams or ~ 1/3 cup)

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Juice from one lime
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
½ medium sized Vidalia onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix lemon juice, lime juice, and salt together in a mixing bowl until salt dissolves. Add tomatoes to juice and stir. Add in onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro. Mix well and chill until serving time.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (~ 1/3 cup):
Food Weight: 0, Calories: 22, Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 76 mg, Carbohydrate: 5 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 2 g, Protein: 1 g

Whole Wheat Pita Crisps
Yield: 1 serving (serving size: 1 whole pita cut into 4 wedges)

1 large 100 percent whole wheat pita bread cut into wedges
Dash paprika

Cut pita into 4 wedges. Place pita on baking sheet and sprinkle with paprika. Toast in toaster oven or conventional oven until crisp. Repeat as often as necessary, or until guests are sated.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1 pita):
Food weight: 1.0 Calories: 120 , Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 240 mg, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 0 g, Protein: 4 g

Workout Advice: Cardio Vs Strength Training

As selected by Cathy Schaum, FT Tyngsboro/Nashua from Women’s Health Magazine

A WH Fitness Face Off
by Liz Plosser

In one corner: Dumbbells. In the other: A jump rope. The ref: WH, slicing and dicing the research to determine whether strength or cardio rules.

Passat or Prius?
Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods? And when it comes to getting the body you want: strength training or cardio? Back when you carpooled in Ma’s minivan, men went to the weight room and women hit Jazzercise. But recently, taking a cue from athletes, many fitness gurus insist that strength training is where it’s at. Some even suggest ditching cardio altogether.

To resolve the strength vs. cardio conundrum, we culled research and chatted up experts to find out how each would fare in a head-to-head matchup (don’t worry, nobody’s going to bite anyone’s ear off). Whether you want to get buff, torch calories, or run your fastest mile ever, we’ve decoded which discipline you should devote your sweat to — and created a workout that’s perfectly proportioned to give you all the benefits. Now, let’s get ready to rumble…

Ulimate Goal: To KO fat — AND KEEP IT OFF

Cardio’s edge
Calorie for calorie, cardio has a slight advantage. You’ll burn 8 to 10 calories a minute hoisting weights, compared with 10 to 12 calories a minute running or cycling, says Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., director of research at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Strength’s edge
Lifting weights gives you a metabolic spike for an hour after a workout because your body is trying hard to help your muscles recover. That means you’ll fry an additional 25 percent of the calories you just scorched during your strength session, Westcott says. “So if you burned 200 calories lifting weights, it’s really closer to 250 overall.” And if you lift heavier weights or rest no more than 30 seconds between sets, you can annihilate even more.

And there’s more good news when it comes to iron’s fat-socking power. “For every 3 pounds of muscle you build, you’ll burn an extra 120 calories a day — just vegging — because muscle takes more energy to sustain,” Westcott says. Over the course of a year, that’s about 10 pounds of fat — without even changing your diet. Yes, please.

Winner: STRENGTH

Cathy Schaum Owner FT Tyngsboro/Nashua
I have been the owner of Fitness Together in Tyngsboro, MA since 2005. The convenient location of our studio, allows us to serve clients from many areas, including the greater Tyngsboro-Dunstable, Lowell, and North Chelmsford areas, as well as, Nashua & southern, NH. I am extremely proud to say that for over 5 years my studio has produced some of the best Fitness Together client success stories in New England, if not the country! I believe that a team-oriented approach is the key component to our clients’ many success stories. My role, as owner, is significant to bringing the trainers and each client together on a mutually established path towards success.

After a very successful, yet demanding career in the corporate world, I realized the professional challenges and stress were creating havoc to my well-being. Therefore, I made the decision to work towards a career that held my passion and allowed me to help other people. For over twelve years, I have educated myself in health and fitness through seminars, course work, the process of certifications, and extensive practical personal training experience. Playing a role in helping people change their lives has been an extremely rewarding experience. I take special pride in the medical improvements my clients have achieved over the years, because I understand the detrimental affects medical issues can have on a family, as well as on the individual involved.

Read the complete article from Women’s Health Magazine

FT Tyngsboro/Nashua

Real client success stories at FTGetsResults.com

Megan Gates: Healthy tips to help keep you in shape this year

by Megan Gates/Gym Source

With the start of the New Year many are feeling a bit of anxiety about maintaining their New Year’s resolution. If increased health is on your radar, you don’t need to purchase a BowFlex and commit yourself to a daily gym routine. There are many smaller choices you are able to make on a daily basis that will work toward bettering your overall health and diet without radically altering your already jam packed life. It has been proven that smaller changes are able to be sustained for a longer period of time, and are most easily able to be integrated into daily routines.

Here are some suggestions for subtle changes that can be made to your daily routine, which if maintained, can yield positive results.

Take the Stairs
This is a cliche, yet cliches are what they are for a reason. According to the Bethesda Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, taking the stairs burns more calories per minute than any other form of exercise. Taking the stairs, parking not so close in a parking lot, and walking with a friend on your lunch break are small steps toward increasing your daily activity and burning calories. As soon as you begin to turn these actions into habits, the sooner they will be a permanent part of your daily routine and life.

Focus on Food
Cut out all of the unnecessary. You can do your wallet and waist a favor by reducing or cutting out the number of times you eat out during the week. During the workweek, grabbing a quick bite might be easy, but it is a serious drain on your finances and health. A lot of the food people grab on the go is processed and over priced. It takes a bit of forethought; however, you can make healthy and filling lunches for yourself the night before. Also, many people do not realize that eating breakfast in the morning gets your metabolism working. Breakfast provides fuel for your body to work off of. Many people neglect to eat breakfast and then crave large amounts of food at lunchtime, putting anything they can find in their mouths. Prevent this from happening by eating breakfast and in the process you will be healthier and save money.

Multi-Task
This has truly become a world of multi-taskers. So why not put your abilities to good use in an effort to keep your New Year’s resolution by staying in shape. After a long day at work, it is understandable that many people do not feel up to braving the crowded gyms. So, while watching the news or reading your favorite magazine or book, try running on the treadmill or elliptical at home. If you do not have exercise equipment at home, you can purchase inexpensive free weights and use them to tone and strengthen your back and arm muscles, all in the comfort of your home.

Megan Gates is an outreach representative for Gym Source a leading retailer of home gyms and various other exercise and fitness equipment. Megan contributes written work to the blogosphere related to health and fitness and we hope to see more tips from her here in the future.

For more tips from our FT Clients who achieved success with their health plans last year check out FTGetsResults.com

Fitness For Valentine’s Day: Yoga For Couples

Article selected by Kate McNally, Certified Personal Trainer, FT Dedham from Livestrong

Overview

Yoga is a series of movements that help stretch, lengthen and strengthen your muscles. Many yoga instructors offer partner yoga classes for couples looking to improve their overall well-being and better their relationship. Performing yoga postures with a partner allows couples to learn to work together while providing support during stretches. There are a variety of partner yoga moves and stretches that can be incorporated into your daily fitness routine.

Double Standing Straddle

Stand back to back to your partner about a foot apart. Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend forward at the hips, maintaining a flat back, and reach through your legs to grasp your partner’s arms. Keep your head in alignment with your torso and hold the pose for the desired length of time. The double standing straddle targets your hamstrings and hip flexors.
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Double Boat

Sit facing your partner with knees bent. Sit close enough so your toes touch each other. Extend your arms to grasp your partner’s hands. Take your right foot and lift your toes off the floor so the ball of your foot is touching the bottom of your partner’s left foot. Extend your right leg up as you push your foot against your partner’s. Keep your right leg up — for your partner, the left leg — while performing the same steps with your left leg. Both legs should be up and straight. Maintain a straight back and tilt your head back to gaze upward. Hold the position and release. The double boat pose targets your abs and hamstrings while stretching your spine.

Supported Back Arch

Stand back to back with your partner. One partner stands with feet wider than shoulder-width apart and bends forward, while the other partner rests on his partner’s back, arms extended overhead. The partner bending forward should fall forward enough to place hands flat on the floor for additional support. Hold the stretch for the desired amount of time as you incorporate deep breathing. Switch roles and repeat. The supported back arch targets the thighs, hips and abdominal muscles in the partner who bends forward. Increased flexibility is gained in the back, neck, quadriceps and hip flexors of the partner who bends backward.

Partner’s Padahastasana

Stand back to back with your partner while keeping a distance of at least 1 foot from each other. Reach behind and hold your partner’s hands. Slowly move into a forward bend until your backs are parallel to the floor. Allow your chest to lengthen as you press your glutes into each other. Gradually move your hands to your partner’s forearms while you both bend forward deeper. One partner lifts the torso back to the parallel position while the other partner maintains the deep stretch. The partner in a deep stretch should bring the torso back to the parallel position while the partner bends forward into the deeper stretch. Continue alternating between stretches for one to two minutes and then slowly come up together.

Read more at Livestrong

Kate McNally
Certified Personal Trainer
Kate enjoys an active lifestyle. She has been running competitively for eight years. This has made physical fitness a big part of her life. Looking to satiate her need to move, Kate found a fulfilling career in the fitness field as a Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor.

Kate attended Eastern Nazarene College, graduating in 2008 with a Bachelors of Science in Physical Education and Movement Arts. She has been a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Association of Sports Medicine since 2008. Kate also received certification as a Group Exercise Instructor through the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America.

As a trainer Kate likes to take a holistic approach, striving to carefully match a client’s personality and goals to their program. Specializing in body composition change and endurance training, Kate is prepared to use a wide variety of training styles to fit her client’s goals.

Fitness Together Dedham

More on our FT Studios across New England at FTGetsResults

Inspiration @ 80: Ironman Lew Hollander

An Appreciation by Michael Cardoza VP Operations Lifestyle Fitness Corp

Have you ever wondered what you would be doing at the age of 80 years old?

Each year I watch the Ironman World Championships on NBC and each year I am totally shocked by the person stories. All of the stories are inspiring (it’s TV) but none more than Lew Hollander’s story.

Hollander competed in 2010′s famous Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Last years race was actually his 21st consecutive time finishing the Ironman in Kona. This is a feat for anyone never mind an 80 year old. He even won his age group (he was the only competitor in his age group). Just to remind you what an Ironman triathlon is, it consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and then run a marathon (26.2 miles). Hollander finished the race in 15 hours, 48 minutes, which was over an hour faster than his time in 2009.

Obviously his Ironman accomplishments are impressive but his personal story and passion are truly inspirational. He is a scientist that is still working and appears to be obsessed with defying the barriers that come with aging. Below is an excerpt from his website that offers great advice from the ageless wonder:

While we stand around, suffering from curable diseases and aging, waiting for the theological objections to be mitigated there are a few things one can do to enhance the quality of life as we age. These will not break the 110 year barrier but they may enhance life during the aging process.

Here are a few thoughts that may help you retain what you have:

1. USE IT OR LOSE IT.
2. Go hard, live long.
3. Go anaerobic every day.
4. Eat well, fruits and vegetables with abundant supplements
5. Set your plans well in advance and have achievable goals.
6. Have a stress free relationship.
7. Keep socially active and interested in life and it’s challenges.
8. There are no fat old people so watch your calorie intake.

If you ever get a chance to watch the NBC special of the Ironman you will see Hollander’s story first hand but here is 30 seconds taken from his piece:

Below is a comment he makes during the full video which is probably the most important thing you can take from this short inspirational story.

“If you want to be functional at 80, you better damn well pay attention at 40″.

Now I ask, never mind 80 what are you doing today?

Michael Cardoza
Michael has been with Fitness Together since 2003. Michael started with Fitness Together as the manager of Dedham and has also managed the Norwell and Westborough studios. Before taking on the Vice President role Michael was the Area Director for Lifestyle Fitness Corp. Lifestyle Fitness Corp. owns and operates Fitness Together studios in Dedham, Cohasset, Norwell and Westborough.

Michael has been a certified personal trainer since 2001. He earned a finance degree from Bentley College and a master’s degree from the University of London (North London Campus). He believes staying fit requires a lifestyle commitment. He feels a balance of strength training, cardiovascular training and healthy nutrition are the key elements to staying healthy. Michael has been active his entire life. He was a three sport athlete in high school and played soccer at the collegiate level. Now, he prefers staying active through strength training, triathlon and any other outdoor activities.

More inspiration from our own clients at FTGetsResults

Over 40 & Overweight: FT Success Story Gayle Clemons

Gayle Clemons

Before joining Fitness Together, I had really let myself go. I found myself in my forties with my weight increasing and my physical stamina decreasing. With a strong family history of heart disease, I knew I needed to make significant changes, but the idea was daunting and I worried about keeping myself motivated.

I started with Fitness Together in May 2009 and will admit that after those first few workouts I had doubts as to whether I could really do this. I am happy to say that many workouts later – and with lots of support and encouragement from my trainers, I really feel I am on my way. Now, my clothes are fitting more comfortably,

I have more energy and I feel better physically and emotionally.

More success stories at FTGetsResults.com

Fitness Together Fights Heart Disease

Fitness Together, the leader in one-on-one personal training, is rededicating its commitment to fighting health and fitness related problems. In order to educate the public about the health benefits of physical fitness, Fitness Together is offering a free session of individual personal training.

A recent study published in the September Journal of the American Medical Association came to a surprising conclusion regarding the health risk factors of inactivity and fat in regards to heart disease.

The study concluded that people who were physically fit were less likely to develop heart disease or a related problem than someone who was inactive. Our study shows that the lack of physical fitness is a stronger risk factor for developing heart disease than being overweight or obese,” said Timothy Wessel, the leader of the research study, and a physician at the University of Florida.

Most people today think that fat is the number one enemy of heart disease, but in fact, inactivity puts people at a greater risk,” says Justin M. Schulman, the owner Fitness Together in Natick, Massachusetts. Fat is still a problem, but jumping on the latest fad diet to get rid of fat may not be enough to protect yourself from heart disease – you need to start a fitness program.”

Another of the study’s authors, Bairey Merz, a physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles said that because physical fitness … has beneficial effects on many factors related to cardiovascular risk, including obesity, increased activity appears to be an ideal therapy…”

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