This week, we had the pleasure of introducing local physicians from the Franciscan Skemp Clinic, now Mayo Clinic, to the science behind properly working out.  It was eye opening to many of the physicians, many of whom were first introduced to this science behind how to properly work out.

Let's review what we've been taught to stay in shape.

• We've been taught that one needs to walk and do aerobic exercise every day for heart health.  We've been taught to walk 10000 steps a day. 
• We've been confused by the stereotype that weight lifting is only for movie stars, or that we will become big and bulky.
• We've accepted that having aches and pains, joint replacements, and diabetes is a fact of life.  

Is what we've been taught working?  Let's review our nation's health.   Obesity rates are the leading cause of preventable death in the US.  Joint replacement is going to triple by 2030, and repeat joint replacements is going to double by 2030.  ...

Dear Veterans,

You gave your service to defend our Freedom.  

We have times of peace because of your contribution.  You help protect us in times of conflict, at home and abroad. 

Your families, your friends, your communities all have benefited immensely from your service in the United States Military. 

Our futures will always depend on Veterans to enable the Freedoms that we greatly appreciate.

From all of us at NorthStar Fitness, we thank you!

Arthritis in the hands, elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees can be debilitating.   It affects our ability to exercise, and ultimately our well-being.  As the effects of arthritis take hold, it can greatly affect us physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

We often accept the fact that the arthritis is only cured through medicine, surgery, or injections.  However, that doesn't have to be the case.

Athritis is often due to painful swelling and irritation.  When a joint doesn't move as it should, it can cause irregular sliding and wear that causes inflammation in the joint.

As we age, our joints and muscles become weaker, the bones start to get out of alignment.   When we walk or do cardio, this can often cause more swelling when the joints aren't moving as they should.  It can set us back even further, as we need to rest the joints to heal.  And the cycle continues through continuously weaker joints.

Is there a solution?

The first step...

Breathing can do a lot more than help us not pass out during a workout. It can affect the overall quality of our workouts and our energy levels. So it's important to understand how your body uses that oxygen.

Your body processes the oxygen you breath to be able to pass into your blood stream to feed the muscles of your body.  The stronger muscle you have, the more oxygen your body processes. 

As you age, we don’t process oxygen very well.  That’s why you get winded going up stairs.  Your body neither demands more oxygen nor uses it. During a resistnace training workout, your muscles require oxygen much greater than when doing walking or running.  

After the proper stimulus is applied, your body uses more oxygen to help with the muscle rebuilding process, called the EPOC Effect.  Your body calls for more oxygen that helps muscle rebuilding over days.  When you walk, however, the EPOC effect is very small and does not extend past the...

When it comes to exercising, the quality of the technique is more important than quantity. While good technique can produce quality results, improper technique can do some serious harm to your body. In addition, improper technique will not give you the results that you are looking to obtain from such exercise.

Where do I begin?  Beginners should expect to devote time to learning proper form. Even the more experienced can benefit from some occasional form feedback. Thankfully, proper form is something that can be learned. Having you coach there to help you is key to ensure good form throughout the exercise.

Improper form is unsafe.  The most prominent reason why form matters in a workout is to avoid injury.  The spine and muscles surrounding are especially is prone to injury caused by improper form. Bad form can also cause damage to your joints and ligaments. If you lift a bag of salt with improper form, you strain the muscles that aren’t supposed to be working,...

BMI (Body Mass Indicator) has for decades been used to determine if someone is in a healthy range for their body.  But how many of us have been labeled as Overweight, Obese, and Extremely Obese, and not known what to do.  Or maybe you are in the "healthy range" but don't feel that way.

The bad news is that you or someone you know may have been put into one of these categories.  Even healthy individuals who may have more muscle are labeled as overweight and obese.  The good news is that there is hope! 

The problem with the BMI chart is that it does not really tell you what you need to do do overcome it and live a healthy life.  It simply puts a number on a chart.

Heading down the Wrong Road

To reduce our BMI and try to get in the healthy range, we are told to lose weight.  And weight loss clinics, fad diets, fat burning supplements, lead you the road of losing weight.   There are a number of diets on the market to help you lose weight,...

Your muscles have glycogen stores (energy stores) that beg to be expended. If you don’t, your body stores excess energy in the form of fat. When performing cardio like walking, you use minimal glycogen stores, which in turn means that you burn calories only while you are working out.

When you incorporate guided, personalized high intensity training, you are able to fully deplete those glycogen stores when you reach the point of momentary muscular failure (MMF). It sounds bad, but it’s a good thing.  You've effectively exhausted the glycogen stores in your muscles, meaning your body will start to dig into your fat stores to replenish.  Your body also releases a hormone called epinephrine, which gives your body a rush of energy that makes you feel great.

One key way to to achieve this MMF is having increased time under tension.  You will also achieve MMF if you can work in both directions, both in pushing and resisting.  Often, our body's are only...

Obesity related illnesses are set to surpass smoking as the number one cause of death in the United States.  The impact to individuals, families is heartbreaking, and medical costs and the financial burden associated with it are skyrocketing.

One of those Obesity related illnesses that you might be familiar with is diabetes.   Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes, is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes mainly from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose get into your cells to be used for energy. (https://www.niddk.nih.gov › diabetes › overview › what-is-diabetes › type-2)

You may know someone who has died or has had to amputate a toe, a foot, a knee, a leg, or even an arm due to the effects of diabetes.    People with diabetes are prone to nerve damage and circulation issues that...

One of the keys to maintaining proper fitness level starts with…core strength. Core is more than an abdominal six-pack; it is a group of muscles that stabilizes the pelvis and spine and influences the body from head to toe.  Just like the core of the apple is the center of which everything else grows, Core strength helps posture, keeps joints intact, improves mobility, prevents injury, and improves balance. If you have struggled sitting upright or standing up, you likely have a weak core.

As we age…

We lose that lean mass if we don’t implement strength training under proper guidance. This results in loss of strength, and bones and cartilage start to wear. We then experience more pain (back, hip, knee, foot, neck). Weakness results in an imbalanced core, which leads to problems up and down the body. For example, knee pain is often caused by insufficient pelvic stabilization. When we then stop working out due to pain, our fitness falls off, we put on weight...