Alcohol Consumption and Exercise Performance
Alcohol consumption is a topic that is not often discussed with respect to exercise performance. Typically, people joke about alcohol consumption, in general; and yet, alcohol abuse is a very serious subject. In addition, it has been well established that alcohol negatively affects health and exercise performance. Alcohol has been shown to result in damaging effects to […]
Mental Health Awareness and the Role of Exercise Professionals
May is Mental Health Awareness month, which the American Heart Association calls “a time to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experience.” We might increase awareness by letting people know about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which provides around-the-clock emotional support for people in crisis. […]
Effects of Physical Activity on Mental Health in Vulnerable Populations
If you or someone you know is managing a mental illness, then you or they are not alone. Many Americans struggle with mental illnesses. Almost one in five adults live with a mental illness (52.9 million in 2020). Mental illness is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as a mental, behavioral or emotional […]
National Mental Health Month: Promoted Resources
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. While we all know that physical health is obviously important to the wellbeing of a person, mental health is equally key. Mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, are known to reduce the ability and desire to participate in health-promoting behaviors, making it an essential component in any […]
Mental Health and Heart Rate Variability
Two hot topics for athletes (and anyone interested in feeling/performing their best) right now are mental health and heart rate variability. For mental health awareness month, let’s talk about both! Mental performance and mental health exist on a continuum, and there’s frequent discussion in the world of sport psychology about distinctions, but one’s performance can impact […]
Client Challenge: Life-Change Stress Leads to Overeating, Unhealthy Food Choices
In this series, we’re exploring a variety of client scenarios. We describe a few tips from my science-based coaching toolbox to help you help your clients engage fully in a fit lifestyle that allows them to thrive, whatever thriving means in their lives. Today, we explore how to coach a client whose work responsibilities bring […]
Exercise Modality Influences Why Our Muscles Fatigue
During strenuous exercise, the neuromuscular system is repeatedly stressed, causing impairments to occur at various potential sites along the brain-to-muscle pathway. These perturbations cause a reduction in the ability of our muscles to generate force, which can increase our sense of effort, cause us to slow down and reduce our capacity to perform high intensity […]
How Does Exercise Improve Immune Bioenergetics?
Natural killer (NK) cells, which are found in the blood, are crucial in the prevention and treatment of cancer. They function by eliminating malignant tumors in an innate immune manner. NK cells express an array of activating and inhibitory receptors that recognize cancer cells without the need for immunization. Cytotoxicity is a process that results […]
Henry Ford Health Reimbursement Case Study
The Preventive Cardiology department at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, employs 18 clinical exercise physiologists (CEPs) across three sites, as well as two registered dieticians (RDs); there are no other allied health professionals on staff. The Henry Ford Health CEPs provide a wide variety of services: For all of these categories, the CEP documents […]
High Intensity Physical Activity in Individuals with Elevated Levels of Coronary Artery Calcium Appears to Be Safe
The 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans notes that there is no obvious “best amount” of physical activity and no evidence of increased risk, even among those that engage in high intensity activities. However, vigorous physical activity may acutely increase the risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death in some individuals. Recent studies have shown that large […]