Restful Sleep isn’t a Myth, just do it right!

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santa barbara chiropractic, Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic, Sleep

Sleep should be simple, but we just weren’t given a manual for how to do the most trivial things, things that we do every single day of our lives and for hours and hours, yes I’m talking about sleep. We could be talking about a lot of things though, like walking, lifting, sitting, driving, watching tv…etc, so one at a time, I’m going to go over the HOW TO’s of everyday life with a the thought of longevity in mind. Keeping your body in working order for years to come. This one is on sleep so check it out!

To attend a live workshop on how to move and live in your body please call or email the office 805-682-4620, the next lecture/action series will be taught June 20th 2012 at 630pm. Limited space available.

Dr. Nick Araza from Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic teaches the fundamental sleep postures that allow for restful sleep and a healthy body.

Stress Buster that takes 1 min and costs zero dollars!!

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breathing exercises, chiropractor in santa barbara, chiropractors in santa barbara, Dr. Nicholas Araza, Good Posture, Innate Body Boot Camp, Innate Fitness, Jennifer Nadeau, Santa Barbara Chiropractor, Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic, stress managment, Wellness

YOU NEED THIS!!!

PRACTICE THIS TYPE OF BREATH TO DECREASE YOUR STRESS AND IMPROVE YOUR DIGESTION!!

For those of you who have practiced yoga, you’ll know that there are many ways of breathing.  I want to focus on 2 that are fundamentally different in their affect on your physiology.

The PROBLEM:

The first is common, but unnatural to stay in for long periods of time, which is troubling because that is the type many people find themselves in.  It is called chest breathing, and to no surprise, it is performed by breathing into your chest.  It is characterized by short or shallow breaths performed by the intercostal muscles (muscles on the ribs) that cause the chest to rise.  This is the fastest way to breathe, the way you would want to breathe if you were under attack (stress).  This type of breathing triggers the sympathetic nervous system what is crucial in fight or flight.  However, humans are only designed to be in a stressful state for short periods, really only long enough to get out of the stressful situation (change our environment to a more hospitable one).  Nowadays we find ourselves in chronic stress with deadlines to meet, family’s to run, children to constantly monitor and very little community support nor movement to deal with that stress.

The SOLUTION:

That is why I want to talk to you about diaphragmatic breathing.  This is a completely different way to get oxygen to your cells from a physiological standpoint.  This breathing is deep; it causes your belly to push out rather than your chest to rise up.  This breath is accomplished primarily by the contraction of your diaphragm, a muscular umbrella at the bottom of your ribcage that pulls air in and gently massages your internal organs in a rhythmic way.  This is the way children breath (picture a toddler breathing, their breath seems to go all the way into their belly.  This is the way you breath you are supposed to breath pretty much all of the time.  This triggers the parasympathetic nervous system for rest and repair.  Plus it feels great; you can actually feel your stress decrease after just a few deep breaths!

How to:

1.  Assume Proper Posture / Stand (or sit up) straight & drop your shoulders back and down.  (Lift your heart to 45 degrees)

2.  Inhale slowly through your nose trying to get the air down as far as possible into your belly.  (Your belly will push out, that is normal).

3.  Pause for a second or less.

4. Exhale slowly through nose (2 x longer than inhalation).

5.  Repeat 5-10 times

6.  Do this every hour and feel the stress fall away.

Practice diaphragmatic breathing for 5-10 breaths before you lie down to sleep and before you eat.  These activities require a predominantly parasympathetic nervous system activity.

Breathe 4 Health!

Dr. Nicholas Araza DC CCWP

For you visual or auditory learners check out this video on diaphragmatic breath!

Is Sitting Really the New Smoking, and how much is too much?

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chiropractor in santa barbara, chiropractors in santa barbara, Dr. Nicholas Araza, Innate Fitness, Jennifer Nadeau, santa barbara, santa barbara chiropractic, Santa Barbara Chiropractor, Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic, sedentary lifestyle, SITTING IS THE NEW SMOKING, spinal degeneration, Wellness

SITTING = BAD NEWS

 

Have you heard about this?  That sitting can be as bad for your health as smoking!  Well studies are coming out more and more that this is true, the first time I heard that experts were relating desk work mortality rates to those who puff away part of their life expectancy was back in 2009 from the NY Times

Katzmarzyk NY Times 2009

“Of particular note is the link between sitting and premature mortality: individuals who sit most of the day have a greater chance of dying early compared with people who sit very little.”

I wasn’t shocked but it was a powerful visual that I was eager to pass on to my family, friends and patients in order to help motivate them to MOVE and move often!  It’s fairly obvious that chairs and computer screens do nothing to increase our health, but to find out that they are on par with big tobacco can be a bit of a shock.  Galen Cranz professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley states that “

“There are problems associated with both sitting and standing. No posture is perfect. As a species we are designed for movement. The best posture probably is the next posture.”

There you have it, how much is too much? ANY!  Crazy isn’t it!  Not to scare you too much, but to get you to ACT, check this out from an article in The Atlantic…“Its most striking finding was that people who sat more than 11 hours a day had a 40% higher risk of dying in the next three years than people who sat less than four hours a day. This was after adjusting for factors such as age, weight, physical activity and general health status, all of which affect the death risk. It also found a clear dose-response effect: the more people sat, the higher their risk of death.”BACK TO THE NEXT POSTURE!! That means on the go.  Now that doesn’t help you desk workers out there, so for what to do and a bit more motivation, check out this new video post….the first of many!

Move For Health,

-Dr. Nick Araza DC CCWP CFL1

What to Eat for Lunch…the Paleo Way to Keep Bread Out of Your Day!

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chiropractor in santa barbara, chiropractors in santa barbara, Dr. Nicholas Araza, Jennifer Nadeau, santa barbara chiropractic, Santa Barbara Chiropractor, Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic

Eat This

Or This

NOT THIS!!!!

That’s right, your body knows better what to do with insects for lunch than the food-like Wonder product above (“wonder” being a descriptive for the amount of chemicals in it, and it’s still being sold for human consumption!?  As I said to Dr. Ryan the other day, I’d more trust a farmer to build me a rocket than a scientist to make me a healthy lunch!).

I hear this again and again, “Okay, okay, I get it, bread is bad for me, but I can still have sandwiches, right?”  And the answer is you can do whatever you want, but because I care about you I want you to make informed decisions - so remember that bread is toxic to your cells and to your health.  I will not argue that it is a tasty way to grip your lunch, but that is because bread is essentially sugar which spikes your insulin, moving you toward poor immune function and diabetes.  Most bread also contains gluten, gliadin, and phytic acid which moves you towards osteoporosis and fungal infections, while irritating the crap out of your intestines (literally) - and it sets you up for all sorts of allergies, irritable bowl syndrome, auto-immune disorders (Krohn’s, possible links to MS), etc.

As hopefully you know, I don’t like to just give a bunch of info without some action steps or solutions, so here are some ideas of breadless lunches - some of my favorites that I smash on the regular…enjoy!

Bread Replacers:

1. Lettuce Wrap – that’s right folks, lettuce actually serves as an excellent and much more nutritious means to grip your turkey/tuna/veggie/ filling.  Everything else stays the same - just grab some romaine or iceburg and wrap away (note – doesn’t work that well for peanut butter and jelly, but we shouldn’t be eating either of those either – another blog topic).
   
   1. Paleo Tacos are the Araza household favorite. – Grass-fed beef seasoned well. Avocado sliced into strips. Diced Onions, Jalapenos and Tomatoes. Put all of that on a large leaf of Romaine Lettuce and top with your favorite salsa….delicioso!! Maybe best of all 10 min prep time if you are Jen, 15 if you are Nick ;-p.
      

 2. The bowl of whatever you were going to put between bread
plus some healthy dressing – just take the ingredients of your sandwich, cut into smaller chunks, add some extra veggies (just for the heck of it) and consume - you will find that it is still quite delicious, or you will find that it was just the bread that you enjoyed, and you will need to add a bunch of veggies as well as some dressing (olive oil-based) to spice it up.

No Bread Necessary Options:

1.  The SALAD! – One of my favorites because it can be so different and sooooo delicious, and as I heard at a recent wellness seminar, “You never regret a salad.”  How true - I always feel great after eating a salad.  If taking it to work, put salad in Tupper Ware and then bring dressing in a separate container so it doesn’t get all soggy.  Here are a couple winners:

1.  
   1. The (modified) Greek – Kale or Spinach, ½ a cucumber, 1 big tomato, olives, handful raisins, ¼ onion and dressing.  The bigger the better.
      
   2. Tortilla (I had this today) – Kale, butter lettuce, 1 tomato, 1 cucumber, ½ can of black beans, handful of Trader Joes Flax & Veggie tortilla chips (underlined is not paleo, but better than bread as long as corn based and not flour. It is also a great stepping stone toward paleo) crushed and sprinkled on top, ½ avocado cut into chunks, green salsa, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon fish oil.
      
   3. Anything I have in the fridge – on bed of kale, chop up any thing and add a very tasty dressing.  Dressings should be olive oil- based, but as long as you are eating tons of veggies I occasionally let the dressing slide - just make sure you understand the ingredients!
      

2.   Eggs, grass-fed beef and veggies.  Be creative, but if you want specifics, the video you saw included: 1 lb grass-fed beef ground, 6 farm fresh eggs, 1 large zucchini, 1 red pepper, 3 cups spinach, 1.5 avocado.  Cook it slow and add the avocado chunks last.  Prep time 15 min.

3.  Soup or stew:  Cook a HUGE pot of veggies, tomato sauce &/or meat.  Then eat over course of next week.  Left-overs are the best! Just reheat and eat.

4. Veggies and grass-fed beef or chicken sausage (nitrite-free), slow-cooked on skillet for about 10-15 minutes.

That’s all I have for now. I am going to try and post more specific recipes from time to time on here.  But know this, I always use the same basics: veggies, meat, and more veggies, and it’s always delicious - except when it’s super delicious!

Eat 4 Health,

Dr. Nicholas Araza DC CCWP

Allergies? Eczema? Are you deficient in bacteria? How was your (child’s) birth process?

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allergies, chiropractic, chiropractor in santa barbara, chiropractors in santa barbara, digestive wellness, Dr. Nicholas Araza, eczema, healthy bacteria, paleo diet, probiotics, Santa Barbara Chiropractor, santa barbara chiropractors, Wellness

Did you know that if your child did not have a normal (vaginal) delivery and was on or has been on any antibiotics since their birth, they are deficient in healthy gut bacteria (probiotics) that is crucial for healthy immune function, aids in digestion, provides essential vitamins as well as decreases fungi, yeasts and other harmful micro-organisms.

Probiotics are health promoting bacteria (normal flora) that are supposed to line the walls of our digestive tract.  There are 10 times more cells in the form of bacteria in your guts than in the rest of your entire body.

PROBIOTICS have many functions & are ESSENTIAL for YOU to be HEALTHY.  Sadly AMERICANS ARE DANGEROUSLY DEFICIENT in these essential organisms!

The TOP 3 FUNCTIONS OF PROBIOTCIS:

1. Probiotics help normalize (which will mean improve to pretty much all Americans) the function of your immune system, which should be high on your list of bodily functions to keep in prime working order coming into the flu season.  Improving your immune system should not just be a goal for the cold & flu season, but all seasons considering we’re entering the cancer decade and the diabetes century, and that’s because all lifestyle diseases are directly related to your immune system.
   1. Probiotics are able to improve your immune system by out-competing bad (pathogenic – disease causing) bacteria, yeast, fungus & other harmful microorganisms for space on the wall of your digestive tract.  80% of your immune system is in your digestive tract because it is the largest area of our body that is exposed to the outside world (largest area for bad stuff to get into us).
      1.                                                                           i.      Let me give you an analogy that should fit right in here in New England.  Let’s say the Sox were playing the Yankee’s here at Fenway.  There are a limited number of seats for a game like that, right?  Well, if we were able to fill Fenway completely with Sox fans, there would be no room for those yucky (pathogenic) Yankee’s fans, and the Sox fans would be able to really help the Sox play their best & win the game, right?!.  It’s the same thing with your digestive tract; it is supposed to be filled with healthy bacteria that work together with you to help you run as efficiently as possible.  When we don’t have enough probiotics, for reasons discussed later, there is room for bad bacteria (Yankee’s fans) to take root and start producing toxins (foul language, negative energy), which can disrupt not only or immunity, but cause lots of symptoms, poor digestion, irritable bowel, head aches…etc (errors & lost games).

2  Probiotics improve (normalize) our digestion by breaking down certain foods & nutrients that we can’t absorb without them.

3  Probiotics make a certain number of vitamins that we don’t typically get enough of.  These include many of the B vitamins, which have to do with energy production, as well as vitamin K, which is important in clotting/coagulation in wound repair.

So, if we have so many of these things in our guts, why should I take any more?

Well, there have been massive amounts of research done on this topic, and as always it boils down to this: we aren’t living a life that anyway remotely resembles our hunter gatherer ancestors, which wrecks havoc on everything, including our friendly bacteria.

Here’s the 5 reasons Why:

We aren’t eating dirty foods covered in healthy bacteria; we now wash our foods and spray them with terribly toxic things.  This translates into you getting roughly 1,000,000 times less of these nice little guys into your GI tract.  (and keep in mind, you want to be like a healthy lake or pond, i.e. good inflow and outflow, outflow only or stagnation & and you die)

1. Many of the things we do eat here in America (processed foods, unhealthy meats, dairy, & grains) are as terrible for our little helpers as they are for us.  They produce acidic environments that kill off our healthy bacteria and promote the environment where yeasts and fungi thrive.
2. We consume antibiotics by the truckload, I know that roughly 20 million prescriptions are written incorrectly each year, not to mention all of the antibacterial soaps and other ridiculous products that straight up target and destroy our friendly buddies.
3. We rarely play in the dirt!  We now play computers, Nintendo, or in swabbed gyms.  This would be absolutely absurd to a hunter gatherer; it was the only thing they could play in.  This not only ensured enough of the good bacteria, but it also ensured that his or her immune system was challenged in the right time and way to guarantee an extremely powerful immune system.
4. Chronic Stress – wreaks havoc on us and our synergistic bugs, they don’t even have a chance.

Now that you know the WHY, you are ready for the How…

ACTION STEPS:

1. Buy some Probiotics, but not just any probiotics.
   1. They should come refrigerated or out of the freezer (because they are alive they need to be cold to keep them alive long enough to ingest them).
   2. Also, there are certain strains (types) of healthy bacteria that have been shown to be more beneficial than others.

1.                                                               i.      You want to make sure your probiotic has some of the following strains of bacteria: L. plantarum, B. bifidum, L. acidophilus L. rhamnosus, and L. casei which are genetically congruent with humans.
2.                                                               i.      If this happens, start by taking one capsule every other day for the first week, then one/day for another week or two, then up to the full 2 capsules per day recommendations.  I like to take mine morning and night, because I like to spread out my wellness.

2. Take the probiotics!!  This is something you take daily for life, to address a deficiency.
   1. I take Innate Choice Probiotic Sufficiency (retail about $35 for a months supply) because I feel that it is the healthiest brand out there.  There are some decent brands I have found @ Whole Foods, just make sure it is cold and contains some if not all of the above strains of bacteria.
   2. Note — DURING THE FIRST WEEK OR TWO OF STARTING PROBIOTICS THERE MAY BE SIDE EFFECTS, SUCH AS HEAD OR BODY ACHES, GAS, BLOATING &/OR DIARRHEA  … This is ok, this is normal.  This happens because the harmful microorganisms are fighters, & as they get pushed out and/or killed by the good bacteria, they often produce more toxins as they die, but stick to it because you are worth it!!

3. Children should take ½ of a capsule/day per 40lbs of body weight.  (you can pull the capsule apart and put it in a smoothie, water or on food.  It’s flavorless.)
2. Lastly, enjoy knowing that you are one sufficiency closer to living a wellness lifestyle (kind of gives you that warm and tingly feeling all over doesn’t it ;-p) and that you just increased the quality and the quantity of your (and your family’s) life.

I’m Proud of you for caring!

Probiotics 4 Health,

Dr. Nicholas Araza DC CCWP

Paleo Breakfast – Healthy Breakfast in a Bowl

While the countless commercials may have been right in that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they were dead wrong about what to eat. Pretty much all of the commercials about what to eat for breakfast say “part of a complete breakfast” and I would agree if their cereals & yogurts were the part of the breakfast you throw away before eating something healthy. That’s right, I know that many of you are coming to grips with the fact that we humans did not evolve with grains nor pasteurized dairy in our diet; and that when consumed as any part of our diet there are pretty serious consequences in the long run. (I always say long run because a bowl of frosted or unfrosted cereal will not kill you, just like 1 cigarette won’t kill you; it is our bad HABITS that kill 75% of us in this country).

A great option for breakfast is something called PaleoCereal, which is only ½ true to the name because there are no cereal grains whatsoever, nor is there any milk. What we have is a bunch of fresh fruit & nuts with ground flax covered in almond milk. This seems to satisfy our current odd behavioral desire to eat something cold, sweet & crunchy for breakfast, while not compromising our quality of life or our longevity in the long run. Can anybody say “BONUS”!!

Here it is in video form: (it’s a little heavy on the nuts but still a great bfast option)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GVuEKLPy0

For more exact recipe check out Beautifully Strong Project

For those of you unfamiliar with the term “paleo” it stems from a period of time (Paleolithic era) before the advent of agriculture ranging from roughly 250,000 years to as recent as 10,000 years. This time was characterized as Old Stone Age where all humans lived as hunters & gatherers.

Have YOU Tried Eating Less and Exercising, But Still Can’t Lose the Weight?

Is this You?

I hear it all the time:  ”Dr. Nick, I’ve tried everything, but still can’t lose these extra pounds.  It’s just my right here on my stomach (hips, legs, arms, etc.).”

Here is why:

Did you know that adipose (fat) cells store more than just fat?  Yep, they actually store many things, but we can group the biggest items into two categories:

1. Fatty Acids – to be used by the body for energy later in times of energy shortage
   
2. Toxic Waste – compounds that will harm the body if left in blood stream
   

Now let’s think about this:  if fat cells are not only responsible for holding excess energy, but also toxic substances, why would your brilliant body (and it is brilliant) shrink a fat cell if it also has to dump the toxic material it was also holding back into the blood, along with the fat?  It wouldn’t.  You see, in order to lose weight, you must make the energy balance go in the direction of fat loss (eating less than required for daily activity), but you must also increase the healthy foods that will buffer the toxic substances that that have been stored in those fat cells along with the excess fat.  Oh yeah, and you also need to stop eating the toxic foods!

Let me explain:  many of the foods that western culture is based on (processed foods, milk, cheese, yogurt, bread, pasta, and unhealthy meat (i.e.  raised on unnatural grain based diets)) result in toxicity to the body.  Acidity in the blood stream is a great example.  Just as our body temperature is tightly regulated by our brilliant body to keep us alive, our blood pH (acid/base) balance is also tightly regulated.  When we consume foods that are more acidic than our body was designed/evolved for, our body has to figure out what to do with them.  Besides getting rid of them in our waste, much of these TOXIC SUBSTANCES ARE PUSHED OUT OF OUR SKIN, resulting in pimples, eczema, boils, etc. –  but if the body still is out of balance it then begins to buffer these acids with our own bone calcium and magnesium, RESULTING IN HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, CRAMPS, OSTEOPOROSIS, ETC.  If the acid/base balance is still skewed, your
body will store much of these toxic substances and acid in your fat cells - THEREFORE, YOUR BODY WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE FAT STORES ON PURPOSE TO DEAL WITH THIS TOXICITY. 

What does all this mean?  YOU GET FATTER.
Nothing proves this better than the fact that people actually gain more weight on diet soda than regular soda. I am in no way saying that soda is healthy, but because the unnatural chemical ingredients (aspartame (NutraSweet), Splenda, etc.) in diet drinks are so toxic to the body, you’re body will actually increase fat stores (despite the lack of calories) just to get the toxic substances out of your body’s circulation!

This is why when you decide to eat less and exercise more, you notice a difference (AND YOU BECOME HEALTHIER), but if you do not change WHAT you eat as well, your body will fight to keep the fat in your cells (and on your hips, butt, stomach) – because if it doesn’t, it knows that the toxic substances will also be back in the blood stream wreaking havoc.

ACTION STEPS: In addition to eating less and exercising more, you need to eat more natural (unprocessed) foods that will buffer the acid, allowing your body to release it (and the fat that is being released to compensate for the energy deficit you are creating), or it just won’t happen like you want.

1.  Raw fruits and vegetables are the best source of alkaline (basic) foods that will normalize your body’s blood chemistry by buffering the acids coming out along of your fat cells when you exercise and eat less.

2.  Drink lots and lots of water! This  will also help flush those toxic substances from your body.  I recommend drinking at least ½ of your body weight in ounces of water.

3. Incorporate fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice (yes you have to cut a lemon and squeeze it, lemonade is not the same thing!!) into your diet.   At least one per day with 80z or more of H2O.  Fresh squeezed lemon and/or lime in your water will help to get more of those basic (buffering) minerals into your body.  (Despite the citric acid in lemons and limes, they actually end up alkaline or basic in your body because of the mineral content!!).

AS ALWAYS, REMEMBER:  You need to eat and move (exercise) for health , not for weight loss.  It just so happens that the foods your body requires for health are the same ones that will normalize your body’s weight.  Thin and healthy is normal!  When we eat and move for health, we become healthy, and the side effects of health are that you feel great, look great, have loads of energy and strength, can think well… and the list goes on and on.

 Consistency 4 Health!

 Dr. Nicholas Araza DC  CCWP

Quit Hurting Yourself!

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chiropractic, Dr. Nicholas Araza, Good Posture, Health, Innate Body Boot Camp, Innate Fitness, Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic, Wellness

Are you doing this to your spine?

It’s true, most of your problems come from your bad habits.  But hey, don’t feel bad!  A lot of them aren’t your fault, you weren’t given a users manual at birth, nor did anybody show you the best way to sleep, wash dishes, walk, sit, run, lift…etc and you’ve been doing your best.  You may have even been getting away with some pretty awful form for quite some time with no problems.

Yeah, this is going to last long...

But we all know that misusing a tool decreases its life expectancy and the same is true for your body, the most wonderful tool of all. So here’s a little tip on how to get the most out of your body, so that it will last a lifetime and not break down on you years before it should.

For every other topic you can think of there is usually a best posture or position that will also offer the longest durability and least wear and tear on your body.  To find out what they are please join our community education event this Thursday Feb 9th at 630 here at the Santa Barbara Health and Fitness Epicenter “Innate Fitness and SB Family Chiropractic” 360 S. Hope Ave Suite c100-105.

Move like you should for Health!

-Dr. Nick Araza DC CCWP Crossfit Trainer

Is the way YOU drive causing YOUR Pain?

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bad habits, digestive wellness, Dr. Nicholas Araza, driving pain, ergonomics workshop, Good Posture, santa barbara chiropractic, Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic

Is this you?

It is our bad habits that cause the majority of our problems whether spinal related or other.  So, this week I thought I’d reintroduce the importance of good posture while driving and what it is.  Poor sustained postures over a period of time result in much pain and suffering in our country as well as digestive, reproductive and other health issues.  Take a look at this short video to make sure your driving habits aren’t breaking you down.

http://yourhealthbuddy.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/you-can-drive-4000-miles-without-back-pain/

PS Next Thursday at 630 at SB Family Chiropractic we are going to explore the other common postural habits that cause most problems from throwing your back out while lifting, or sneezing and the best way wash to the dishes, sit, stand, sleep, read and more.  The workshop will be action oriented with practice and 6 coaches to help you learn proper technique.  To reserve your seat call or email and This workshop is free but space is limited.

Use your body like it was intended for health!

-Dr. Nick Araza DC CCWP CFL1T

How should YOU work out to see YOUR abs?

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Dr. Nicholas Araza, functional fitness, how to exercise, Innate Body Boot Camp, Innate Fitness, Santa Barbara Family Chiropractic

Way Better than this...

There are so many ways to work out these days; it can be hard to choose. Some regimens focus on calorie burning, some focus on endurance, some gyms just let you go at it alone with no guidance and on the other spectrum others supervise you’re every move. With so many ways to work out, what should we do? As always that depends on what our goals are. My fitness journey began with Arnold, looks and “big guns” as my motivation, but after much pain, injury and little result, I started asking “how should I exercise to get healthier and feel better.” Much to my surprise the answer to the second question made the biggest change in my physique and has done so for thousands of others. You see healthier people are more fit and more functional (useful) because they can lift, run, squat, endure, hold as well as feel great. So the answer of how you should workout to feel your best also equals how you should work out to LOOK your best!

This is one thing you need to know before we continue: the healthiest humans that have ever lived are/were hunter gatherers who moved (functionally), ate unprocessed foods from the earth and lived in tribes where community and contribution is/was an essential part of life.

Knowing that a hunter gatherer lifestyle produces the healthiest human beings is incredible because that information gives us a reference standard and guides our education curriculum at SBFC and IF, ensuring that there are reasons for everything we do and recommend. This is also why we recommend FUNCTIONAL FITNESS as the best form of exercise for health.

Functional fitness is defined as movements using natural, universal motor recruitment patterns, in which there is a wavelike contraction from a person’s core out to the extremities, eliciting a powerful neuroendocrine (nervous system and hormonal) response and enabling people to move their body or objects quickly and safely. Basically functional fitness trains movements NOT muscles.
It is core centered, excellent at burning fat, building strength, is super safe and can be applied to everyday life, making YOUR LIFE EASIER. For example, one of the hallmark moves of functional fitness is the SQUAT. Done properly this move strengthens knees, hips, low backs and is a tremendous abdominal workout. This move is so practical in everyday life that it is nearly impossible to go a day without doing one, but most people do it improperly wreaking havoc on all the parts listed above. By training movements, functional fitness programs MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER because you learn to use your body efficiently while teaching you what you can and cannot do, which is super helpful when life throws something heavy to lift your way.

Another thing you need to know is that intensity not time is most important for getting your body to respond to what you are doing. Once you have your form down, working hard = results! Plain and simple to get the most bang for your buck (beauty for your body) interval training is a necessity. This is the type of exercise that IF excels at especially in a safe environment because when you push, there is a tendency to let your form go, which = injury, slow progress, pain and poor results. (goodbye abs).

Thirdly, the broadest spectrum of movement is very important if you want that well defined formed body with the V or hourglass figure. The more varied your program, the better adapted your body will be for life and for looks.

Lastly, lifting heavy stuff is also important for its hormone release and strength gains. Humans were created/evolved for life and life requires lifting things. Sure we have engineered out much of our required lifting, but that doesn’t mean our body has benefited from that. Not lifting is a sure fire way to ensure you can’t lift. The strength gained from lifting heavy things will carry over to make your life easier and the act of lifting sends powerful messages to your system telling it to add muscle and burn fat. This is exactly what gives the figures that most of us want. You should be lifting to improve your STRENGTH to WEIGHT ratio, that will ensure you look and feel strong but will not get bulky like an strongman.

Look for programs like we have at Innate Fitness or at a Crossfit near you. Make sure they take form seriously and get after it. The results will keep you at it for a lifetime!

Train Functionally 4 Health,

Dr. Nicholas Araza CCWP