Health and Fitness Tips and Recommendations Thread

[DaveBrown74]

I know there have been threads before where people outline their exercise routine and things like that, but in this dry NFL stretch I thought it might be helpful to have a thread devoted to health-related tips you can share, based on your own experience, that have worked well for you. It doesn't need to be pertaining to diet/exercise either. It can really be anything health and well being-related.

It can also be things that have decidedly NOT worked for you, or pitfalls that you feel people should try to steer clear of.

I have no idea if people will be interested in running with this thread idea, but I thought I'd give it a shot. I'd love to hear from people on this one.

[DaveBrown74]

Here are a couple from me just to kick things off:



1. I'll start off with something that definitely HAS NOT worked for me. Everyone has heard the claim that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I think there are all kinds of loosely thrown-around statements like this one, and many of them are either partially true or not true at all. This one however has tons of truth to it in my experience. Throughout my career I have worked hours that involve me being in the office at my desk by 6:30/6:45am, and plenty of times earlier than that. A number of years back I went through a phase where I wasn't eating breakfast. Basically I'd have a couple of coffees and just get engrossed in work, and then not have breakfast. Because of that, I was hungry by 11am or so and generally had lunch around 11:30am. That meant I was generally starving by dinner time, and as a result of that I was having bigger portions at dinner. During this period, I don't think I was necessarily eating less healthy foods, but I was backloading my caloric intake towards the later end of the day, rather than the other way around. As a result, not only did I routinely feel more hungry, but I actually gained weight during this period. Since then, I have made a point to always have breakfast, even if it's just something as simple as a yogurt and a piece of fruit. I think eating breakfast makes your whole eating cycle throughout the day more balanced and regulates your hunger better.




2. One thing I have become a big fan of in recent years is drinking tea in the evenings. I usually have one cup (chamomile is my go-to) usually sometime between 8:30 and 9:30. There are a few things this has helped me with:

(1) If I'm slightly hungry, I find it fills me up enough to where that's no longer an issue and I lose the temptation to go have an evening snack (something I try hard to avoid). Given there are next to zero calories in a cup of tea, this is great.

(2) If I'm feeling full, I find it settles my stomach well.

(3) It is soothing and seems to help me get tired and ready for bed.




3. I think I mentioned this once in a sleep thread here, but I will just repeat it since I feel strongly about it. I am a big believer in the 4-7-8 breathing technique. I do it almost nightly. Essentially, it is a three step technique that you just repeat over and over. The steps are:


(1) Breathe in through your nose for four seconds.

(2) Hold your breath for seven seconds

(3) Breathe out through your mouth (I tend to slightly tighten my lips when I do this so as to create a little resistance) for eight seconds.


I find this to be an incredibly helpful way of relaxing me and calming my mind. I can feel my heart rate go down when I do this, and even when I'm not tired it tends to help me fall asleep. I think part of the trick is that, by requiring your mind to focus closely on counting the seconds in each step, you render it unable to think about much of anything else. Executing this technique properly simply requires too much careful mental focus to have any time to think about anything else. In addition, deep, slow breathing, which this requires, calms you and soothes you. So I feel like there are both mental and physiological effects from this technique that really help with getting to sleep or just getting relaxed. It is certainly feasible to do it during the day too if you're dealing with stress and want to calm down. There is plenty of material on it online if you're interested in learning more, but I highly recommend it.

[MightyGiants]

I will start with a couple of platitudes I believe in

1-  The best exercise is the one you do

2-  You are more likely to rust than wear out


I have been working out regularly for the last 25 years.  Way back when I reasoned that starting to work out was challenging, but stopping was easy.  In my 20s and early 30s, I would work out for stretches, but something inevitably stopped it, and that was the end of the run.   So I  committed to working out a minimum of 3 times a week.  It could be as little as 5-10 minutes, but I would do it.  I reasoned it's far easier to "ramp up" a workout than get off the coach and work out.  I rarely did the short workouts unless I was sick or very busy, but it was a commitment that was rarely missed.  Since that, I learned that I stumbled on what is now known as converting a task into a habit.  Each of us has a limited amount of willpower.  If you do a task often enough, it no longer takes willpower because it becomes a routine.  Think about showering or brushing your teeth.  Those are chores, but no one really thinks about them as chores because they become habits.

I started with mostly weight/resistance training.   Since then, I have added walking, cycling, and, most importantly, stretching (I feel that becomes more important as we age).  When I was younger, I used to do rollerblading.   I never did running and I couldn't play many sports owing to some very bad knees (they can only be fixed by replacement at this point).

One thing I have enjoyed since retiring as an EMT is getting regular and proper sleep.   So much better for me.   No more tired and cranky.

On the nutrition front, I believe in a multivitamin, vitamin D, and probiotics.   Pretty much the rest of my supplements are owing to my knees.

I have recently boosted my protein.  I once again had a low white blood cell count.  Low protein can cause that.  I used to make sure I got enough protein based on the USDA recommendations.  I did some research, and I had three things working against me on that front.   First, protein requirements are weight-based, and the guide is for someone 150/160 pounds.  I needed more, just being 195.   Secondly, if you work out a lot (and I am doing quite a bit these days), you need more protein to rebuild the muscles you break down.  Finally, as you get older, your body has a harder time digesting protein.   So I started supplementing my protein.   The one thing I immediately noticed is that I am no longer hungry all the time.  Other than shortly after a meal, it wasn't uncommon for me to be hungry.  I just assumed that was normal.  Since the protein, that hunger is gone. 

I will see in a few more months when I go for a blood test if my theory is correct in terms of my blood count.

I do try to eat fruits and veggies.  I also try to minimize fatty foods and limit carbs (not a lot, admittedly).  I don't smoke, and these days I drink in moderation.

My biggest health challenge is anxiety and stress, but these days even that isn't as bad (I do meditation to help).

[DaveBrown74]

Rich,

Great rundown and some really great points.

I know what you mean about turning would-be chores into routines by just doing them over and over again. This happened to me with flossing. I know it's a basic, non-demanding thing, but while I always brushed my teeth in mornings and evenings, I used to only floss some of the time, usually when I knew I needed it after certain kinds of foods (like corn on the cob). After talking to the hygienist at the dentist's office one year who was busting my chops about the plaque level I had on my teeth, I decided to just make sure I flossed every night. For a little while it took some mental self-coaxing, but after a period of what I would say was just a couple weeks, it became rote and I didn't even think about it.

Now granted, flossing is a lot easier and less of a chore than going to the gym or going for a jog, but the principle (which you noted) around creating routines is the same. I like your point about having a "floor" of three workouts of 10-15 minutes a week, no matter what. Having the floor level be minimally demanding like is a nice trick, because, to your point, you're probably rarely only going to do the minimum once you start the process. I think this is a smart technique and can be applied in other areas of life that require a bit of discipline.

I also found your points on protein interesting. I prioritize protein too, but I am not keeping close enough tabs on exact amounts and I am not supplementing it. I turn 49 this fall, so these are among some of the many things I have to start thinking more about. I'm due for a physical soon so I'll probably bring this up to my GP.

[DaveBrown74]

Rich,

You mentioned meditation. This is something I have been somewhat interested in but have never really looked into deeply other than reading a few basic articles here and there when I see them and doing some pretty basic internet research.


Some things I'd be curious about:


How extensively have you researched/studied it?

How often do you do it?

Is there a time of day that works best for you?

How long is each meditation session?

How do you feel afterwards?


I have generally heard and read positive things about the benefits of meditation. I actually was steered towards "mindfulness" by a friend of mine, and I tried that a few times (listening to a taped voice guiding me through it). It is hard for me to say what positive effects, if any, that it had on me, but I am open-minded about this sort of stuff. I'm curious to hear more about your experiences and background with meditation if you're open to sharing.

[Bill Brown]

Rich.

2-  You are more likely to rust than wear out

This may be true for most things but not knees. They wear out but fortunately can be replaced. My wife just had partial knee replacement on both knees and I  just saw a surgeon who said I am dealing with bone on bone and probably heading for that too.

Bill

[MightyGiants]

Rich,

You mentioned meditation. This is something I have been somewhat interested in but have never really looked into deeply other than reading a few basic articles here and there when I see them and doing some pretty basic internet research.


Some things I'd be curious about:


How extensively have you researched/studied it?

How often do you do it?

Is there a time of day that works best for you?

How long is each meditation session?

How do you feel afterwards?


I have generally heard and read positive things about the benefits of meditation. I actually was steered towards "mindfulness" by a friend of mine, and I tried that a few times (listening to a taped voice guiding me through it). It is hard for me to say what positive effects, if any, that it had on me, but I am open-minded about this sort of stuff. I'm curious to hear more about your experiences and background with meditation if you're open to sharing.

I found that the app Head Space was the best way for me to get into meditation.  The app gives a pretty good  free sample and then it's a subscription-based product.

[DaveBrown74]

I found that the app Head Space was the best way for me to get into meditation.  The app gives a pretty good  free sample and then it's a subscription-based product.

I have heard of the "Calm" app and know a couple people who use it and like it, but I have not heard of Head Space.

Will take a look. Thanks.