Most people don’t think about the fact that their heart is a muscle.

“Heart attacks don’t occur because of a lack of endurance.”, says Al Sears, M.D., (fast becoming one of the nation’s leading authority on longevity and heart health). “They occur when there is a sudden increase in cardiac demand that exceeds your heart’s capacity.”

LESS IS MORE

Conventional wisdom says that your heart needs endurance training to remain healthy. But heart attacks aren’t caused by a lack of endurance. Heart attacks typically occur at rest or at periods of very high cardiac output. Often there is a sudden increase in demand. A person lifts a heavy object, receives an unexpected emotional blow, etc. The sudden demand for cardiac output exceeds that heart’s capacity to adapt.

A recent Harvard study examined middle-aged men, exercise, and cardiovascular health. Researchers found that men who performed repeated short bouts of exercise reduced their heart disease risk by 100% more than those who performed long duration exercise.

The following is an excerpt from an article written by Al Sears, M.D. titled: Aerobics is Dead!

“The biggest mistake of the 1980s is finally over and done with…Jumping around for 45 minutes to an hour won’t boost your lung capacity, it won’t strengthen your heart—it won’t even help you lose weight.

“I can’t tell you how many times my patients have come to me thinking that aerobics and long-duration “cardio” is the best and only way to improve their heart and lungs. NOTHING could be further from the truth! If you only exercise within your current aerobic limits, you do so without improving your aerobic capacity. In other words, you never push hard enough to stop to catch your breath. This kind of aerobic exercise trains your body for endurance and efficiency.

That sounds great, right? But this kind of “logic” causes “shrinkage:” Smaller muscles, smaller heart and smaller lungs. What’s worse, it wipes out your heart’s and lung’s reserve capacity. Your reserve capacity is what your heart and lungs use to deal with stress. Injuries or physical trauma—these all demand reserve energy.

Reserve capacity means your heart has the ability to pump more blood, faster in times of stress. Reserve capacity for your lungs allows them to deal with high exertion like lifting, carrying, running or going up stairs. Without reserve capacity, you are much more likely to drop dead from a heart attack or pneumonia when faced with stress.”

Researchers from the University of Missouri found that short bouts of exercise were more effective for lowering fat and triglyceride levels in the blood, and strengthening the heart. Simply exercise at a pace you can’t sustain for more than a short period!

I realize at this point you’re saying to yourself, “Are you kidding me…all those hours of aerobic exercise have been counterproductive for my heart and lungs?” “Certainly that can’t be right!” Let me ask you this; have you ever seen a cheetah jogging? For that matter, have you ever seen any animal jog?

The animals that have the strongest hearts and lungs, and oh-by-the-way, the strongest and leanest bodies (as compared to a cow), are those animals, like cheetahs, whose physical exercise consists of; (A) short bursts of highly intense sprinting, in pursuit of their prey, and (B) after pouncing on their catch, continue their short-duration-high-intensity-strength-training by using every muscle in their body in a wrestling match. After all that (it usually takes around 10 to 15 minutes), they settle down for a big meal.

Notice that the preceding workout description was void of aerobics. It was, rather, a brief but highly intense anaerobic workout!

Therein lies the secret. You do not have to do aerobic exercise to have a lean strong body, and a strong stress-proof heart.

Taken from Chapter 6 of Dave Hubbard’s book: BAD CHUTE! Why Most America’s fail with fitness

Take this quick 10 question true/false
quiz to find out if you know the truth
about certain foods, verses what’s advertised. 

You will also get 7 short eBooks from Dave on health and fitness. See example CLICK HERE

“Thanks for your fitness tips… they’re helpful, inspiring, short and very doable.” -Elizabeth

This simple fitness evaluation will help you discover how fit you are for your age, along with helping you determine how much you exercise, and how balanced your workouts are aerobically and anaerobically. You will answer a few questions and do several exercises. You do not have to do every exercise, however, for the best comparative results, complete as many you can.

1. To achieve a goal it must be attainable

When people talk about goals, they’re usually talking about aspired outcomes that may or may not be within their grasp to achieve. The first question to ask of any goal is; “Is it really possible?” It’s not uncommon, especially in America, to hear from high spirited and high achieving parents, coaches, or teachers, that anything is possible if you set your mind to it… if you really want it bad enough, etc. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but that’s simply not true! There are certain things in this life that we cannot control, like our DNA. No matter how badly I might have wanted to become a prize winning jockey, or regardless of how hard I might have been willing to work at, it was never going to happen! Unless there is a Kentucky Derby for Clydesdales!

2. To achieve a goal it must be YOUR goal and not someone else’s

Even if the goal being pursued is realistically attainable, there is still one other mandatory requirement; it must be a goal that YOU really want to accomplish.

I grew up in a musical family (talent from my mother’s side). My mother was an excellent pianist. We had a piano in our home and spent many hours around that piano listening, singing, and enjoying music. A goal of my mother was that each of her five children learn how to play the piano. Each of us, at various stages growing up, took our turn under her tutelage. Her goal, however, was not achieved. It only stuck with one of us, my younger sister. Each of us said that we wanted to learn, but when push came to shove, only one child accomplished the goal. Why? Because she was the only one who actually wanted to go through the grueling and tedious hours, months, and years of practice required to obtain the goal. She was able to accomplish the goal because it was actually HER goal too.

3. To achieve a goal you must have a plan

The third must-have for any goal, is a plan. And not just any old plan will do. Winnable goals must have a detailed plan, a road map if you will, consisting of carefully thought out action steps, that when taken one at a time consistently, will achieve the goal. This takes focus, not on the goal, but on each specific action needed to achieve the goal.

Typically just the opposite takes place. If someone’s goal is to lose 10 pounds their next action step is often purely random. They may download a calorie-tracker app on their phone, or buy some new exercise clothes. After doing those two things they’re really not any closer to losing weight, but they can feel good about the fact they’ve done something to get started. There’s a big difference between doing something, and doing the specific actions necessary to actually reach the goal.

4. To achieve a goal you must work the plan to completion one action step at a time

The guiding principle is that if you have a goal without the specific action steps needed to move you forward to reach that goal, you will fail every time. Goals are seldom reached in leaps and bounds. Rather goals are achieved by carefully and faithfully taking one small step at a time.

The one-step-at-a-time approach also eases the pressure of feeling overwhelmed when your focus is on all that has to be accomplished to ultimately reach the goal. Once you have the specific steps to your plan clearly identified, giving you the next specific task that you must physically perform, your mind no longer wanders in a cloud of “all the stuff” you need to do. You’re now looking at a very finite set of action steps, one following the other.

Actions speak louder than goals

Goals without actions are like balconies without steps. No amount of wishful thinking will get you there. That’s why IRUNURUN was created. IRUNURUN is a performance and accountability app designed to help people achieve greater results in their work and lives through focus, consistency, and accountability, by tracking their progress, one action step at a time, so they never give up.

If you have goals you will absolutely love the IRUNURUN app. It’s easy to access, easy to learn, and even easier to use. Learn all about it and put it to use at www.irunurun.com. It’s also available as an iPhone app.

IRUNURUN is also the accountability app used in my 21 Day Fitness Challenge.

The dictionary definition of motivation is: (1) The reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. (2) The general desire or willingness of someone to do something.

Over the last 25 years, I have witnessed a dramatic shift in what motivates people to get and keep their act together regarding their health. Years ago, the primary motivating factor was to extend one’s life. Most people did not want to have their life cut short because of a health issue that could have been prevented by living a healthier lifestyle.

That’s not necessarily the case today, primarily because we are living so much longer than our ancestors. In fact, 21st century Americans, due to dramatic medical advances, are going to live longer than they ever dreamed possible. The desire to live longer is not typically what motivates people toward establishing the disciplines of healthy living, through the habits of good nutrition and exercise.

One increasingly compelling motivational factor on the rise with many Americans today, however, is the rapidly rising cost of healthcare. In 2008, Harvard researchers discovered that 62% of all those who filled for bankruptcy in the U.S., did so because they could not pay their medical bills. That was in 2008! Trust me, the conundrum of unaffordable healthcare is going to get worse before it gets better. As a result, when it comes to financial matters that can be controlled, personal health and fitness is rising rapidly on the motivational scale. It’s just common sense. If it’s possible to do, or not do, something now, that can prevent ones cost of living from going up, why not take action?

A weighty matter

If you stop and think about it, there are many ways in which not taking care of yourself physically can end up costing you down the road. Here are five things that can affect your financial bottom line, if the size of your bottom continues to increase.

These statistics were compiled by Emily G. W. Chau, with Fitbie.com.

1. Medical costs – According to a George Washington University study, overweight people spend an additional $346 per year on medical costs, obese people pay out an additional $1,474 a year.

2. Day’s off work – Days missed at work due to illness causes overweight women to lose an additional $106 per year. It costs obese $212, and obese women $674.

3. Clothes – I personally (at 6’7″ and 230 lbs, having once weighed as much as 280) can attest to the fact that the bigger you are the more expensive your clothes will be. Buying bigger clothing simple cost more. For example, Old Navy’s standard boot cut jeans costs $34.50, but the plus-size version is $43. A cable-knit sweater from the same store costs $37; the same plus-size design sells for $40.

4. Travel – Under its customers-of-size policy, Southwest Airlines requires people who can’t fit into the planes’ 17-inch-wide seats to purchase two tickets, so obese individuals may have to spend twice as much to fly.

5. Life Insurance – In their report, the George Washington University researchers calculated that obese people pay an extra $111 a year compared with normal-weight individuals.

Smokey Bear’s famous line is, “Only you, can prevent forest fires.” The same holds true with the cost of your future as it relates to how you decide to manage your most valuable asset – your body!

This is a guest post by Travis Dommert. He is president of IRUNURUN, a performance and accountability platform designed to help people and organizations achieve greater results in their work and lives. For more tips on peak performance and building a culture of accountability, visit the IRUNURUN blog. America’s Fitness Coach is partnered with irunurun, we use their app for the 21 Day Fitness Challenge.

From the days of Enron and Worldcom to more recent Wall Street collapses, Ponzi schemes, and political scandals, much has been written about the need for greater accountability in the workplace. Cultures of accountability foster trust, integrity, and sustainable performance. But the reality is that few companies do this well. Here are six myths that sabotage accountability in the workplace and what you can do about them:

Myth 1: Focus. Everyone knows what matters most. We don’t need to spell it out.

There is a reason Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey starts with the question “Do you know what is expected of you at work?” It’s because crystal clarity is the single most important factor in determining whether or not you have a workplace that will attract and retain top performers.  Even marginal uncertainty can undermine the focus on an entire organization.

Spell out key responsibilities in writing and review it again and again. If people don’t know how they are being measured, it is difficult for them to be accountable for delivering results!

Myth 2: Consistency. Any initiative will stick if it comes down from the CEO.

Wrong.  While it may be true that initiatives that lack the CEO’s support are often doomed to languish, a rubber stamp from the top does not ensure success.

You must spell out what new behaviors are expected, who will be measuring them, and how often…and then actually do it! Otherwise, just save yourself the time and frustration of rolling out another new program.

Myth 3: Visibility. Publicizing commitments and failures only weakens morale.

If your culture supports open dialogue and learning from mistakes, public commitments and public results can fire up morale.

Friendly competition raises everyone’s game, and sharing post mortems on things-gone-wrong (TGW’s) can lead to new learnings.

Myth 4: Training. Training is sufficient for hard-wiring new behaviors.

Most training introduces new skills. Terrific! But how many persist after 30 days? Typically few. If you want your training to deliver a lasting impact, translate the learnings into specific behaviors that must change.

Prioritize them among existing priorities. Publicize them. Measure whether or not they are done.  Don’t just go through the motions with training and expect things to be different this time.

Myth 5: Work-Life Balance. You can’t hold people accountable for taking care of themselves.

When leaders realize that peak work performance requires immense energy, and that energy renewal often comes from “life activities,” they may begin to embrace the fact that work and life complement, not compete with one another. (See this great HBR article on this topic.)

Where there is trust and employee engagement, the opportunity exists to talk openly about healthy personal habits. Provide education on fitness, nutrition, and stress management and then get creative with an office challenge or other accountability initiative to celebrate group achievement.

Myth 6: Stress. Stress is a bad thing.

To preserve company morale and avoid the moniker of local tyrant, leaders may shy from stretch goals that stress the troops.  To the contrary, stress is fundamental to growth and peak performance.  No super star performs without stressing themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally.  

The key is to understand that accumulated stress is a bad thing. Instead, develop cycles of stress and recovery. Just as with building a muscle, the better people master the stress/recovery cycle, the more power they bring to work. (For more insights into this process, check out Stress for Success by Dr. James Loehr.)

Whether by luck or brute force, any individual or team can deliver a single great performance, but sustaining excellence in a manner that honors the organization’s mission, vision, and values requires a culture of accountability.

While this sounds simple enough, pitfalls are common and leaders must focus, think long-term, and challenge conventional wisdom to avoid “the road paved with good intentions.”

This article is from Dr. Josh Axe who is a wellness physician with a passion to transform lives. He just released his first book, The Real Food Diet Cookbook, and is traveling with professional athletes, helping them perform at the highest level possible. His practice is located in Nashville, TN.

Winter is soon approaching upon on us and with the colder weather comes the vaccine industry pushing their flu shots, again. By mid October we’re going to be bombarded with all the media hype telling us to get a flu shot! Ever wonder why, if the flu shot worked so well, people are revaccinated year after year? The CDC claims their vaccines work super well and that if vaccinated a person is immune from contracting the flu, and yet, in the same breath they let us know we need to be revaccinated.  Huh?

CDC and Ambiguous Advertising

Revaccinated? What’s that all about? Apparently the vaccine wears off.  Oddly they revaccinate with the very same strain they used in the previous year.  What’s even more strange about this whole CDC picture of being revaccinated is human antibodies are supposed to last a lifetime. This means, say, if you get the chicken pox as a kid you will not develop the chicken pox again because your body creates antibodies which make you virtually immune to contracting chicken pox ever again!

The vaccine industry advertizes that their flu shot vaccine works exactly the same way, meaning the flu shot creates antibodies against that particular viral strain so you won’t get that type of flu ever again! Wow that is quite a claim. I say claim, because that’s all it is since they are pushing revaccination with the same inoculate strain they used last year. So then what is all of this revaccination hype?

When you contemplate this carefully you’ll realize that none of it really makes too much sense, except for the fact that flu shots aren’t free; they cost $25 per shot, according to Eric R. Esterbrook, pharmacist and owner of Esterbrook Pharmacy.  I think it would be safe to say that what they advertize about the vaccines is ambiguous at best.

Have you ever wondered why they push the flu vaccine on perfectly healthy people? This year they are advising that everybody over the age of six months be vaccinated. Last year and the year before it was only children, elderly and those who are immune compromised. Wow, they must have made a big batch of the flu stuff this year!

Do they really care if we get the flu or not?  Aren’t the flu vaccines just another form of revenue for the ones who push it, such as the researchers, manufacturers, pharmaceutical Industry, FDA and others? I mean, why push the flu shot onto perfectly healthy folks? Go figure.

Should I Get a Flu Shot, I’m Healthy?

The truth is most people who get the flu do not have any complications whatsoever, except for being uncomfortable through the duration of the flu. But a small percentage of people have complications. Deaths from the flu are hyped up and spread throughout the media to cause undue fear in people so they’ll rush down and get vaccinated.  The Vaccination Industry is big business and the more people who run down and get their flu shot, the more revenue.

Last year two young men (two different cases) died from simple tooth infections too.  Sadly, they couldn’t afford to have root canals done on their teeth and the infection killed them. This could have been prevented! These kinds of tragedies happen all the time, but they aren’t doing anything about those people who can’t afford to have medical and dental! This is because when it comes out of their own pocket they do not want to have anything to do with it. You never hear about these kinds of tragic and preventable stories because it makes them look bad. The point is terrible complications can arise from someone having a cavity!

It’s true, a very few amount of people will have complications when they contract the measles and they die; some people have complications when they catch the common cold because it turns into an infection in the lungs and they die.  Wouldn’t it be safe to say then that most people do NOT need to have a flu shot? It would be far better for your health to go ahead and contract the flu and ride it out so your body can then truly build up antibodies against that type of flu!

Study after Study Shows the Flu Shot is a Scam

• A study published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons. The researchers concluded that “significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting” examined.
• A 2008 study published in the Lancet found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. This also supports an earlier study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
• Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia in the elderly, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.
• In 2007, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases:
• A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children under 2. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

Skip the Shot and Naturally Protect Yourself!

Our bodies are not intended to be given noxious toxins such as what the flu shots are made of.  According to an article on doctor Mercola’s website, vaccines have aluminum, sucrose, animal tissues, MSG, and antifreeze in them. Ugh!

The best way to help YOU from getting sick this winter is to take care of YOU. Treat yourself better than you ever have before. That starts with a healthy eating regime. Get healthy now and stay healthy!

• Eat a wide variety of raw fruits and vegetables (get your seven colors in daily)
• Cleanse your digestive tract (colon cleanse) before the flu season hits
• Include more probiotics in your diet now such as yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut
• Don’t stay up late, de-stress your life and get plenty of sleep
• Amp up your water intake by two extra glasses a day
• Eat an organic apple with the skin on every night before bed (helps with constipation)
• Start juicing today, organic fruits and veggies each morning on an empty stomach (don’t forget to add two or three cloves of natural antibiotic, garlic)
• Get some sunshine on your skin
• Exercise regularly even if its brisk walking a few miles every day (get outside and enjoy the fall weather)
• Don’t let the media hype scare you into getting the flu shot

Be good to yourself! If you happen to get the flu even though you are doing all of these things, your symptoms will be very mild and you will get over it more quickly. You can bet on it! Take care of yourself and let nature take its due course.