🧠 Exercise and brain health: Physical activity boosts neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, enhancing mood and focus. 💪 Immediate effects: A single workout can improve attention and reaction times for at least two hours post-exercise. 🔄 Long-term benefits: Regular exercise increases hippocampal volume and improves long-term memory.

🧍‍♂️ Attention and focus: Exercise enhances attention and focus, which depend on the prefrontal cortex.😊 Mood improvement: Sustained exercise maintains higher levels of mood-enhancing neurotransmitters over time.🛡️ Protective effects: Exercise strengthens the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, areas vulnerable to aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

🏋️‍♂️ Accessibility: Achieving benefits requires moderate exercise, like brisk walking, without needing a gym. 🔬 Personal journey: Suzuki’s own experience with exercise led her to shift her research focus to study its brain benefits.

👩‍🔬 Scientific backing: Suzuki’s findings align with a growing body of research supporting exercise’s positive impact on brain function. 🎯 Optimum exercise prescription: Ongoing research aims to tailor exercise recommendations to individual needs for maximum brain health benefits.

A single workout that you do will immediately increase levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline. That is going to increase your mood right after that workout.

What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory -- and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

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health

Health

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

sports

Sports

videos

Videos

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know.

TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com

Wendy Suzuki: The brain-changing benefits of exercise | TED

Improving mental health awareness can make our society more understanding and accepting. Education and support can decrease stigma and promote well-being.
<ul>
 <li>Learn about mental health to better understand it.</li>
 <li>Speak up against discrimination and support your peers.</li>
 <li>Take care of your own mental health and seek help when needed.</li>
</ul>

Ways to Promote Mental Health Awareness

LET'S MAKE MENTAL HEALTH A PRIORITY, TOGETHER! 🧠💚

food

Food

mindfulness

Mindfulness

mentalhealth

Mental Health

Mental Health Awareness

You’ve probably already heard sone one telling you to eat healthy, but what is healthy food? To put it simply, the less processed the better. Things like meat, eggs, fruits, are very natural foods and our body knows what to do with them. The more our food gets processed, the worse it is for our bodies. Look at the ingredients, if you can’t recognize half of them, it’s a sign that it’s not fit for consumption.<ul><li>Start eating healthy</li><li>Avoid processed foods</li><li>Stick to natural sources </li></ul>

Proper Nutrition

People talk about staying active, but what does that really mean?To stay active, you need to actively be pursuing fitness goals. Wether it’s to run a slightly faster mile, or hit a new PR in the gym.Having goals and things to strive for motivates you to want to follow through with them. Combine this with consistency In actively chasing those goals and you have all you need.<ul><li>Set fitness goals</li><li>Follow through on your word</li><li>Chase your goals</li></ul>

Daily Exercise

It’s not enough to get 7-8 hours of sleep. you need more than that, your body works best when you have a consistent routine for when you sleep. Try not to deviate more than an hour in between bed times. Set a goal to go to sleep at that time, and do it. Set a goal to wake up at a certain time, and do it. <ul><li>Have a consistent sleep schedule </li><li>Get 8+ hours each night</li></ul>

Your Sleep Schedule

Most people are chronically dehydrated all of the time. Our bodies need half a gallon to a full gallon of water each day. Anything less than that will yield sub optimal results for your health.<ul><li>Half a gallon to a gallon of water a day</li></ul>

Hydration

Humans are very social creatures and we need the attention from other people. Spending too much time alone leads to a variety of mental health issues such as depression and social anxiety.<ul><li>Stay social</li><li>Don’t remain in complete isolation for too long</li></ul>

Social Health

Your health is your greatest asset, we don’t want to lose it. Learn what your body needs and how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

longevity

Longevity

The Absolute Basics to Health

First, determine your baseline level by measuring your HRV at rest for 4-6 weeks. Measure it the same way every day, preferably first thing in the morning because that's the most stable part of your day.After this, compare your HRV to your rolling average and to the same day in the previous weeks:<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">If it drops too much, you're in fight-or-flight mode likely due to a lot of stress</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If it rises too much, you're in rest-and-digest mode, but you're experiencing too much recovery due to accumulated stress, overtraining or sickness</li></ul>Either way, if your HRV is outside your baseline levels, you should rest.

How to interpret your HRV at rest stats

A higher HRV is generally a good thing, but there are exceptions that the app picks up on. You want your HRV to gradually increase over time (weeks, months, yea

Is a higher Heart Rate Variability always better?

Showing up to any goal is what helps you progress. The more you show up:~ The more you get done~ The faster you progress~ The easier it becomes to stay consistent

Why Consistency Matters

Learning why you do what you do is vital for results. For this to work you’ll need to examine your subconscious thoughts and beliefs. Often times when we don’t want to do something, our subconscious remembers that and puts limitations on future progress. The opposite is true however and the more love and attention we give to something, the more our subconscious will think about it. When you get your subconscious to start thinking, you’ll get more ideas, and you’ll open up a lot more towards your goals.

Overcoming A Negative Subconscious

With any goal, it can be hard to keep that motivation and consistency to really stick. The main things that drive us, are often much deeper than we give them credit for. Here’s an example:You don’t want to lose weight, but you’re tired of people making fun of you and not having any respect for you.The driving force here is inadequacy. You hate the person you’ve become and want to become better. When we tie our goals to really strong emotions such as hate or love, we connect with them better and can be much more willing to work towards them.

Identifying Why You Want It In The First Place

The goal is to always move forwards. Ultimately if you aren’t progressing, you’re regressing. And after all the work that’s already been it into our goals, that’s the last thing we want. To overcome this, we have to realize that what we achieved yesterday no longer matters. It’s about what we do day after day. Giving up after a week is no way to succeed in a weight loss program. There will come a day where you can relax and focus on other goals, but that day is not today.

The Idea Of Staying Static

To become great in any human metric is going to be difficult, it’s not for everyone. And if you can’t handle a little pain and discomfort, then maybe it’s not for you. Most people give up before they fail, and they never get to see the final result from their labors. The best way to overcome this is to simply realize that it’s going to be difficult, and that’s why it’s worth pursuing. If everyone had it, it wouldn’t have any value would it? It’s valuable because it’s difficult to obtain and that makes people envious of those who can put in the work.

Why People Fail

Staying consistent is what compounds our efforts into our dreams.A negative mindset won’t serve you any more than a broken keyboard helps you type, change your mindset to better cultivate a better reality.Everyone has goals, but unless you have a reason to get behind that goal, it’ll eventually fade. Tie your goals to strong emotional triggers to better work towards them.Staying stagnant means regressing on your goals. Always keep moving, no matter how slow.Failure comes from quitting. If you never give up, you’ll be that much closer to living the life of your dreams.

Conclusion

Learn how important consistency can be, and how you can become more consistent in your goals.

productivity

Productivity

philosophy

Philosophy

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

How to Overcome Consistency in Your Goals

Your heart rate is constantly changing to adapt to what you're doing and keep your body in a steady state (homeostasis). As such, your Heart Rate Variability reflects your body's capacity to adapt to physical and psychological changes.In general, a higher HRV indicates better fitness, but too much variation means you're wasting energy. Worse even, too little variation indicates chronic health problems, where the body is struggling to adapt to changes.

A healthy heart is not a metronome

Heart Rate Variability: New Perspectives

A paper published in Nature Metabolism shows conclusively that lactate is produced normally in humans after ingestion of carbohydrates. Lactate rapidly enters the bloodstream, even before glucose shows up. Far from being a toxic byproduct to be eliminated during hard exercise, dietary glucose is converted so rapidly to lactate that it preempts or shares top billing with glucose as the two main carbon-energy carriers in the body.

Lactate Rivals Glucose As An Energy Carrier

The results of the study show that the rapid conversion of glucose to lactate, starting initially in the intestines, is a way for the body to deal with a sudden dose of carbohydrates. Lactate, working with insulin, buffers the appearance of dietary glucose in the blood.Instead of a big glucose surge, we have a lactate and glucose surge after eating. And the more of it that is converted into lactate from glucose, the better it is to manage glucose. Lactate is a carbohydrate buffer.

Lactate Is A Carbohydrate Buffer

The new study confirms that lactate plays the same role during normal non-exercise activity and resting as in during intense exercise. It's evidence to show that lactate shouldn't be associated with anaerobic metabolism. It's just a normal response to consuming carbohydrates or to exercise. In exercise, lactate is utilized as the dominant fuel source. That's why our blood lactate increases as we exercise a little harder. It's not that we're making it as a waste product. It's getting into the blood because it needs to go to tissues that need it to continue their physiological performance.

Lactate Is Not A Waste Product; It Is, in Fact, A Fuel

The researchers found that the bodies of the volunteers began converting the dietary glucose into lactate before it even left the intestines. Levels of lactate began rising in arterial blood a mere 5 minutes after the meal, while glucose, often touted as the energy currency of the body, only showed up in the bloodstream 15 to 30 minutes after glucose ingestion.

Lactate: The First Responder

The first carbohydrate after a glucose meal gets into the blood as lactate because a) that's what intestinal cells do and because b) most of the glucose is captured by the liver before it is released into the blood for the muscles, where glucose is going to be converted to lactate. This shows that lactate is just a major energy highway for distributing carbohydrate—carbon energy flux.

Lactate: An Energy Highway For Distributing Carbohydrate

In his 1984 book, “Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications” George Brooks coined the term "lactate shuttle" to describe the body's metabolic feedback loop in which lactate is the intermediary sustaining most if not all tissues and organs.

The Lactate Shuttle Theory

Dr Brooks has shown, for example, that in many tissues, lactate is preferred as a fuel over glucose. During intense activity, the muscle mitochondria burn it preferentially and even shut off glucose and fatty acid fuel use. Brooks used tracers to show that human skeletal muscle, heart muscle and the brain prefer lactate to glucose as fuel and run more strongly on lactate. Lactate also signals fat tissue to stop breaking down fat for fuel.

“Cut The Glucose! Bring On The Lactate!”

One gap in these studies was what happens during normal non-exercise activity and resting. The current study fills that gap and supports the idea that when lactate levels in the blood remain high, it is a signal that something is disrupting the lactate shuttle cycle, not that lactate itself is harming the body."It's really informative about various medical conditions," Dr Brooks says. "I think what's significant about the current result is that it's just not a muscle thing. It starts with dietary carbohydrate. This was a missing piece in the puzzle."

It’s Just Not A Muscle Thing

A new paper refutes the notion that lactate is a danger sign of oxygen deprivation in the muscles or a toxic byproduct to be eliminated.

As a student competing in track and field at his Parlier high school, Robert Leija was obsessed with how to improve his performance, and in particular, prevent the buildup of lactic acid in his muscles during training. Like many athletes, he blamed it for the performance fatigue and muscle soreness he experienced after intense workouts.

Lactate: A Fuel, A Vehicle And A Highway Combined

Walking for just 30 minutes a day can significantly enhance heart health by improving blood circulation, which in turn distributes oxygen and nutrients more effectively throughout the body.

Heart Health Improvement

A daily 30-minute walk can increase metabolism for up to 12 hours afterward. Combined with a healthy diet, walking is an effective strategy for weight loss, as demonstrated by participants in Dr. Balduzzi's fitness programs.

Metabolism and Weight Loss

Walking after meals is particularly beneficial for reducing blood sugar spikes. This physical activity helps activate glucose receptors in the leg muscles, which absorb sugar from the blood, aiding in blood sugar management and preventing diabetes.

Blood Sugar Regulation

Regular walking applies a healthy amount of mechanical stress on bones, which helps prevent them from becoming brittle, particularly important for post-menopausal women. Additionally, walking, especially in nature, has been shown to boost memory and attention by 20%.

Bone Strength and Mental Health:

Walking not only has physical health benefits but also contributes to mental health by reducing stress and improving mood. This is enhanced when walking is done outdoors, where exposure to natural environments ('forest bathing') provides significant psychological relief.

Stress Reduction and Improved Well-being

I think this is an interesting video for anyone trying to lose some weight or get healthy because walking is something that I think a lot of people can do on a daily basis!

Learn about all of the research-proven 30-minute walk benefits!
Get our Fit Mother 30-Day Fat Loss Program here → https://fitmotherproject.com/fm30x-letter-video
Subscribe to our channel here → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK_RW7ahFJx53C5aY0iYqJg

Our free resources: Fit Mother Jumpstart (Exercise + Healthy Eating) → https://fitmotherproject.com/get-free-fmjs/

"Walking is the best medicine" - Hippocrates

Walking is essential for good health. Walking research is very clear. If you take a 30-minute walk each day, your heart will be dramatically healthier. As you walk, your heart pumps in a nice and relaxed manner, circulating oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. When your body is receiving this vital oxygen-rich blood and nutrients, your body and tissues stay younger and healthier. The benefits of walking for exercise are infinite.

Is walking for losing weight effective? A 30-minute walk can boost your metabolism for up to 12 hours after the walk! Pairing a healthy diet with a 30-minute walk can help you lose weight without exercise. Additional benefits of walking include strengthening your bones and improving your attention and memory.

Taking a walk after eating a meal is a great idea. Walking helps to decrease the blood sugar spike that happens after eating a meal. Start taking a walk every day and let us know how you feel in the comments below! 👇

If you feel your lifestyle could use an improvement, then check out our FM30X 30-Day Transformation Program at → https://fitmotherproject.com/fm30x-letter-video

Your friends here at the FMP, 
-Dr. Balduzzi + The Women's Health Experts @ The Fit Mother Project 

P.S. For more great workouts, fat loss, and healthy eating tips for busy Moms, *SUBSCRIBE* to our channel here → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK_RW7ahFJx53C5aY0iYqJg

**Disclaimer: This information is for reference purposes ONLY and cannot replace personal information you can and should discuss with your Doctor. If you have any concerns about your health, you should see your Doctor immediately. Results vary by individual, so we do not guarantee you will get the same results as any shown here or on our website.

At the Fit Mother Project, our mission is to help women over 40 achieve greater health and wellness, live longer, happier lives, and lead and inspire their families. We offer straightforward nutrition and exercise advice for busy moms over 30 who want to get fit, regain energy, and lead their families. 

We've helped tens of thousands of busy moms in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy for themselves and their families.

Our team of women's health experts has created some of the best meal plans, workouts, and motivational videos specifically built for you as a busy mother in your 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond!

The Fit Mother Project - Fitness For Busy Moms

Research-PROVEN 30-Minute Walk Benefits

Mamba Mentality is a term used to describe the basketball superstar Kobe Bryant. Simply said, it is trying to improve each day even if it is by a small %.
As a matter of fact, if you improve 1% each day of the year - at the end of the 365 days you would have become 37.78 times better (1.01^365)! That's the power of small, but consistent steps for your success.

What is Mamba Mentality?

Around 2003-2004 Bryant was at a low point in his career and personal life. Just before that he was at the peak of his game and all of a sudden, he fell like he had absolutely no idea where his life is going. Until he watched a scene from Kill Bill, where an assassin killed another character with a venomous snake. He was amazed by the snake's bite, length, strength and how it shed its skin. Symbolising not only the ability, but the need to change. Inspired by this, he created an alter ego, called Black Mamba.

How the Mamba Mentality was born

Talent matters, but discipline is what most people underestimate. It would be unfair to say that Kobe Bryant was untalented, but it was not the talent that set him apart from the others. It was his discipline. He was more than disciplined, he was obsessed at becoming better at his craft. That translated outside of the game, in his personal life as well. He was the embodiment of discipline and hard work. There are numerous stories how when his teammates partied - he worked, when they were on vacation - he..worked. So it was no surprise that he was one of the best.

Discipline over talent

If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out.

Do not be afraid to start something new. Because the first step to being good at something is to be bad. Nobody starts and becomes the best at anything - this is simply not how life works. Hence, why you should not limit yourself and instead try new things and do not be afraid to fail. There is this cliché, that the successful people failed more times than the unsuccessful even tried - but I can't emphasise enough how true this is.

Every master was once a novice

To be successful you just need to win more than you lose - that's it. It doesn't mean that you should never lose or that you should mostly win. No, you should just win more than you lose. It might be 60% (win) - 40% (lose) but surprise, surprise this is still very good. Imagine that you bet 1,000$ and you have 60% chance of winning and 40% of losing, in the long run you will easily see how far you can go with this mindset.

Win more than you lose

There was a study made that compared accomplished people (winners) vs not so well-accomplished people. The results were incredibly insightful. It is not really that the so called winners didn't lose. They still won more than the other group, but it was not by much. The difference was elsewhere:When the "winners" lost, they didn't lose that much testosterone, but when they won they gained a lot. The other group was the opposite - their testosterone levels dropped a lot when they lost, but didn't increase that much when they won.

The mindset of winners (1)

This was all caused by their perception of the reality, instead of the reality itself. The reality was that both groups lost relatively the same amount of times. However, the perception in the groups was different. The first group viewed the loss as something normal and insignificant, but the win as big achievement that they deserved. The second group perceived the situation differently, they "suffered" a lot more from the loss, than they were "happy" about the win. In order to make yourself a winner, change your perception about the winning & losing dynamic.

The mindset of winners (2)

Mamba Mentality, or how to achieve great results by impeccable focus

career

Career

habits

Habits

Mamba Mentality: You Too Can Be GREAT

Mastering the perfect dive involves understanding physics. Angular momentum and body positioning dictate a diver's rotation and entry into the water. This precise alignment minimizes splash and maximizes scoring potential, crucial for competitive diving success.

Title: The Physics of Perfect Diving

Competitive swimmers shave to minimize water resistance. Even the smallest amount of body hair can increase friction, slowing swimmers down. Studies detailed in "Science Behind Swimming" show how a smooth surface enhances speed by reducing the drag force exerted by the water.

Why Swimmers Shave Their Bodies

Chlorine in swimming pools does more than keep the water clear; it neutralizes harmful bacteria that can pose health risks. The book discusses how chlorine's reactive properties transform it into an effective disinfectant, ensuring a safe environment for swimmers.

The Chemistry of Chlorinated Pools

Buoyancy is influenced by body density—fattier tissues are less dense than muscle and bone, making some athletes more naturally buoyant. "Science Behind Swimming" explores how swimmers can leverage their natural buoyancy to improve their efficiency in the water.

Buoyancy and Body Types: A Swimmer's Guide

Water temperature significantly affects swimmers’ performance. Warmer waters can over-relax muscles, reducing effectiveness, while colder waters may lead to muscle tightening and decreased reaction times. Optimal temperatures help maintain muscle performance and prevent injuries.

The Impact of Water Temperature on Performance

fficient breathing is critical in swimming. Proper techniques help maintain a steady supply of oxygen to muscles and regulate buoyancy. "Science Behind Swimming" describes how rhythmic breathing aligns with stroke movements to maximize air intake and conserve energy.

Breathing Techniques for Enhanced Swimming

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this post because I recently started swimming at my local indoor pool. To my surprise, I broke quite a sweat while having fun! It took me 20 years to realize how much I love this activity, but better late than never!

Behind the flips, splashes, and speed of Olympic water sports, science is at work. Gravity and centrifugal force are at work as a diver spins and flips before splashing into the water. Olympic swimmers shave their bodies to reduce drag as they zip through the water. Find out how science is involved in all your favorite water events and how athletes take science into account in their quest for the gold medal.

books

Books

meditation

Meditation

Amanda Lanser

Science Behind Swimming, Diving, and Other Water Sports

Find 100+ Fun Facts about Exercise - Curated from popular Videos, Podcasts, Books, Guides & Articles - Genuine Insights from like-minded Users like You!