#i know i can change behavior. like the sedentary thing. its just so much energy to even change for a day

[kargaroc]

you know the stories of people turning to dragons because of greed? they become dull-minded, stuck in one place, figuratively and almost literally, usually not being able, or wanting to, move very far

it just kinda reminds me of what happened to me, I guess you can call the incitement a sort of greed, reverse-greed? being overburdened by life, being pushed hard, obsessively focusing on progress, to the point of a break, and then being punished for it

my mind is dull, I am stuck, it is harder to pass as a normal human, can't mask, solitary and sedentary despite wanting to not be that way

[eaglehealthworks]

Lots of words, lots of meanings Pt. I

This entry is intended to bring a little educational understanding to those who are unsure of what all the different terms mean in the world of people with drug/alcohol/behavioral issues. For the sake of discussing the individual, he/she/they are known as such and will be in active use, active recovery, or active wellness (complete remission, perhaps). There are those that will state that one cannot be cured and there is only a state of recovery because the individual is never not addicted to whatever caused problems. I contend that an individual can achieve active wellness which would include complete abstinence and a life without psychoactive substances and/or other excessive repetitive patterns know as behavioral addictions (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping &c.) in healthy, sustainable, and satisfying ways.

Yes, if someone who has been in the throes of chemical dependency or behavioral disorder return to the substance and/or behavior, the cycle begins where it left off for many biological reasons. The point is it is absolutely possible and very much achievable to never return to that way of existing. If you follow medical orders after realizing a high blood pressure diagnosis, the problem becomes completely manageable. If you get your blood pressure down then revert back to a lifestyle which caused it to increase then guess what, it will return with a vengeance. Same exact thing.

I’ll step off of my “You can live well” pulpit and get into the terminology because the layers to wellness are many, deep, and worthy of their very own post(s) .

What is drug addiction, and should we use the term or its derivatives?

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA, 2019), it is “a chronic disease characterized by compulsive, or uncontrollable, drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences and changes in the brain, which can be long-lasting”. Note how it is considered a medical disease by the established medical community. This gets some people in a tizzy and those are often heard exclaiming, “You did this to yourself!, It’s not a disease!, Cancer is a disease!”, &c. The number one cause of death in these United States is heart disease caused largely by; you guessed it, the sufferer (Weatherspoon, 2019). Smoking, diet, overweight, sedentary, all contribute significantly to this problem. Those previously mentioned anger mongers will often retort “Yeah, well it is also genetic!”, and so is chemical dependency (Johns Hopkins, 2021).

Whether or not the term is used or not is always up for debate, and only time will determine its existence. Addiction as a term is fairly straightforward and accurate; however, the term addict is filled with negative connotation, stereotype, and stigma. I can assure you that easily half of everyone I have ever treated looks and behaves just like every other citizen walking around in any neighborhood anywhere. Rich, poor, elderly, young, and all points in between describe people with substance use disorders and behavioral addictions, many of whom you would never guess. I have also known many straight edge folks who the average American might easily mistake for someone who abuses drugs based on appearance alone.

How does someone get diagnosed?

Well, it must be done by a licensed and qualified medical professional who has spent many years in study and has the student debt to prove it. Or you can generally ask someone who is suspected of having a problem with drugs, alcohol, or circumstance and they will know if it can be controlled or if help is needed. This does not take into account those in denial or fear of losing something by the very nature of the question (like safety, shelter, liberty, &c). In the case of the former, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-V) by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) uses the following criteria to determine whether a problem exists and/or the degree of severity if present (APA, 2013):

A. A problematic pattern of [insert substance or circumstance] use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by at least two of the following, occurring within a 12-month period:

1.     [insert substance or circumstance, e.g., alcohol, opioids, gambling, &c.]  are often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.

2.     There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control [insert substance or circumstance] use.

3.     A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the [insert substance or circumstance], use the [insert substance or circumstance], or recover from its effects.

4.     Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use [insert substance or circumstance].

5.     Recurrent [insert substance or circumstance]  use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.

6.     Continued [insert substance or circumstance]  use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of [insert substance or circumstance].

7.     Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of [insert substance or circumstance]  use.

8.     Recurrent [insert substance or circumstance]  use in situations in which it is physically hazardous.

9.     Continued [insert substance or circumstance]  use despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance.

10.  Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:

a.      A need for markedly increased amounts of [insert substance or circumstance]  to achieve intoxication or desired effect.

b.     A markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of an [insert substance or circumstance]. (Note: This criterion is not considered to be met for those taking [insert substance or circumstance]  solely under appropriate medical supervision.)

11.  Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:

a.      The characteristic [insert substance or circumstance]  withdrawal syndrome (refer to Criteria A and B of the criteria set for [insert substance or circumstance]  withdrawal).

b.     [insert substance or circumstance]  (or a closely related substance) are taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms. (Note: This criterion is not considered to be met for those individuals taking [insert substance or circumstance]  solely under appropriate medical supervision.)

NONE – Presence of 0-1 symptoms

MILD – Presence of 2-3 symptoms

MODERATE – Presence of 4-5 symptoms

SEVERE – Presence of 6 or more symptoms 

Questions? Anyone? Let’s keep moving. Now with this information held firmly in your mind, you still need to be properly credentialed in order to affix a legitimate diagnosis to anyone, so this is for informational purposes only. Here are a few more terms to add to your lexicon though:

1.     Drug Intoxication. This is elusive because many people with a substance use disorder(s) have been using for so long that their strange and erratic behavior has become accepted traits. Often the presence of intoxication is a sudden change in demeanor, i.e., one moment a person is restless and anxious, they go to the bathroom and after emerging proceed to pass-out after sitting down anywhere (opioids). Or an individual is nervous and even a little shaky but after a few moments alone returns happy, smooth in gait, and chatty (alcohol). Perhaps a loved one is lethargic and grumpy, but after returning from the bathroom is full of energy and talking a mile a minute (cocaine, methamphetamine). Of course, there are many indicators, but you get the point.

2.     Drug Abuse. The continued use of a psychoactive drug or behavioral patterns despite the knowledge that it is causing social, occupational, psychological, or physical problems (APA, 2013). Put simply, doing something to excess where the consequences outweigh the benefits; An ice cream cone is great, a half-gallon  makes you vomit (in most cases).

3.     Drug Dependence. Maladaptive pattern of use resulting in significant impairment or distress, as shown by compulsive use, increased tolerance, withdrawal, and obsessive thoughts about it (APA, 2013).

 You know, the word withdrawal has been presented several times in this post and it deserves its own little section because it is this experience alone that keeps more people in active use than any other single precipitating factor. The human mind is in a constant state of seeking homeostasis or normal acceptable functioning. All people, not just those with drug/alcohol issues seek the avoidance of pain. Ok, somewhere there is a body builder claiming no pain no gain but let that pain be a sciatic or tooth nerve and he/she is reduced to a tower of gelatin seeking immediate relief.

 This next sentence is a value statement directly from the horse; withdrawal is an exquisitely harrowing experience engulfing the entirety of the human experience and reducing it to the most detestable overall sensation of prolonged living death. The only relief which is desperately sought and despised simultaneously is more of the substance that caused it. I really don’t know a better way to explain it. I know of septuagenarian Rockwellesque grandmothers who have sold themselves for heroin because their medical provider overprescribed opioids for years and due to pressure from governing authorities cut them off, just to avoid withdrawal. People question this but its sadly true, and not even the worst of the stories.

 If you ever want to chat with me about this or anything else related to relief from substance and/or circumstance please contact me here or at the clinic. Feel free to click on any of the links provided for more reading. Thanks for taking the time, enjoy.

-        Edesepam

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Johns Hopkins. (2021). Substance Abuse / Chemical Dependency. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/substance-abuse-chemical-dependency on 2021, June 30.

NIDA. (2019, January 17). Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction DrugFacts. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction on 2021, June 30

Weatherspoon, D. (2019, March 29). What Are the 12 Leading Causes of Death in the United States? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/leading-causes-of-death on 2021, June 30.

[drxfit]

Science Backed Benefits of Weightlifting for Seniors

The aging process is a daunting and inevitable one. Which is why effort and action must be taken to improve the overall health, longevity, and quality of life. Despite this, 80% of adults are not engaging in enough physical activity to reach prescribed guidelines. In general, but especially for seniors, inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are extremely dangerous. What are the dangers exactly? Increased risk of serious adverse health conditions such as blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity, cholesterol issues, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, depression, and death from any cause. In 2008 there were 5.3 million deaths worldwide caused by a lack of physical activity out of the 57 million deaths worldwide. Many people know weightlifting is hugely beneficial but think light walking or recreational activity is “good enough” for seniors. There is this misconception that older aged individuals should stay away from any strenuous activity that can build strength like weightlifting. Continuing on completely unaware of the benefits of strength training. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Because of this, I spent hours upon hours researching and reading over 200 scientifically backed, peer-reviewed studies, 126 of which were used specifically for this article. All in order to provide you with the benefits of strength training for older adults and elderly.

Physical Fitness for Healthy Aging: Is resistance training with weights safe? It is a good question. At any age there is a level of “danger” that comes with weightlifting in all of its forms. But are there greater risks or dangers for those who are in the older populations?  There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of studies with volunteers from ages 55-90 weight training. Training with weights, whether that be heavy or light, has been shown to be a safe, enjoyable, and beneficial activity for older adults and the elderly.But, as with all ages, there is always a risk of injury. To keep it safe, studies suggest using safe equipment, careful warming up and cooling down, and a focus on using the correct range of motion is important. You should be sharing your new or current physical endeavors with your doctor and get the two thumbs up from them as well.What about the type of training? The safest type of training focuses on progressive increases in intensity, much like the

Stronglifts DRS Workout

. The focus being on power development that increases the speed of force production.Through this training, the level of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness improves. These improvements are a key factor in injury prevention among older adults and the elderly. This is especially true for seniors who hope to remain active in their favorite actities and sports. For example, strength training for golf is known to significantly aid in injury prevention.So not only is weightlifting safe, there are also ways to increase the level of safety of the activity. All while playing a major role in reducing the overall chance of injury.

10 benefits of weightlifting for age-related muscle loss/sarcopenia for seniors

As age increases, muscle mass and strength decreases.  From age 50 muscle mass begins to decrease by 1-2% annually. In your 50s, muscle strength starts to fall by 1.5% and from age 60 and older it begins to decrease by 3% annually. It is estimated that 5-13% of elderly people in the age range of 60-70 years old and 11-50% for those aged 80 or above suffer from sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss).This issue can lead to an increase in frailty and a significant increase in the risk of falls.The continued loss of lean muscle mass with age adds to the development of age-related metabolic dysfunction.Strength Training for Muscle Mass & Strength1. Although it may be obvious, picking things up and putting them down improves muscle mass and muscle quality.2.  While your building that muscle you are also experiencing Increases in general strength, maximal strength, and muscle power.Resistance Training Benefits For Endurance & Efficiency3.  Not only will you be building muscle, your overall endurance will have a boost as well. Weightlifting improves the endurance of the muscles themselves, aerobic conditioning, and walking speed. Participants also demonstrated an increase in VO2 max. The max amount of oxygen you can use during exercise. 4.  These improvements in endurance were also seen by increasing cycling economy and the overall gross efficiency, the amount of energy produced in relation to the total energy used. Think about gross efficiency as trying to start a fire. If you did it by rubbing sticks together it will take a great deal of energy to produce the fire. In comparison, just flicking a lighter and holding it on for a little requires less energy.The greater the gross efficiency the more energy produced in comparison to the energy used.Weight Training Benefits On The Cellular Level5. These endurance and efficiency improvements had some support on the molecular level. Support came from higher levels of blood lactate concentrations, hemoglobin, and capillary-to-fibre ratios. 6.  The increases in blood lactate and hemoglobin both play roles in increasing performance capacity.  While the increased capillary-to-fibre ratios allow for greater delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the muscles. All together empowering muscles to perform optimally.How Strength Training Improves Lifting & Life7. Long-term lifting is the best way to prevent age-related muscle loss from ever becoming an issue. 8.  One study found that strength-trained masters athletes (older adults with long-term strength training) have an overall higher muscle force-generating capacity and level of overall functional performance. Physically active adults with a consistent level of recreational activity were significantly outperformed by “The Masters”. So what if you weren’t ahead of the curve and have limited to no experience in weightlifting? Don’t stress, you don’t need to hit the gym five times a week for hours at a time.In fact, one study took the guesswork out for you. They even took it a step up by studying this in osteosarcopenia obesity. This is a new geriatric syndrome that is a combination of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and increased fat mass.9.  What they found was that by doing 1 set of exercises three times a week were enough to provide increases in strength, skeletal muscle mass, and decreased body fat over 12 weeks. Increasing that to 3 sets of exercises three times a week resulted in a dramatic boost in results.10.  All-in-all making weightlifting a valuable way to improve the overall quality of life and functional independence of those who are suffering from severe age-related muscle loss or sarcopenia. The VerdictWeightlifting is the most effective treatment to prevent, slow down, or partially reverse age-related muscle loss/sarcopenia. Don't forget about fending off the detrimental health issues that come with it as well.

8 Benefits of weightlifting for fighting obesity and increasing metabolism in seniors

As we age, the levels of important hormones begin to change. Your muscle mass decreases. Along with other critical factors that lead to the inevitable decrease in metabolism. This, in turn with poor health behaviors and a sedentary lifestyle, leads to the increase of fat mass and damaging of your metabolic health. With this come greater risks for functional capacity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary abnormalities, cancer, urinary incontinence, cataracts, and more.Burning fat no matter your age1.Not only will hitting the weights provide gains in the muscle department, it is also an extremely effective strategy for burning fat. Studies demonstrated significant decreases in total fat mass, intra-abdominal fat, and visceral fat. 2. Although both men and women saw increases in fat-free mass and fat loss, women tend to lose more intra-abdominal and subcutaneous fat. Increasing metabolism to speed up weight loss3. Another avenue that weightlifting enhances weight loss is through increasing metabolism. 4.  One study demonstrated an increase in metabolic rate by 7% and a decrease in fat weight of 1.8kg over 10 weeks of training. So not only will you be losing weight and gaining muscle, it will also increase the level of calories your body is burning on its own while active and resting.5. Another way it will help burn fat and boost metabolism is by how weight training significantly increases levels of the hormone isrin.6. Isirin is a hormone that plays a role in converting “white fat” into “brown fat���. White fat is used as an energy reserve in the body, insulation, and as a cushion for our organs. But excess white fat is that fun little tummy pouch we have all dreadingly poked at in the mirror. Whereas brown fat contains a large number of mitochondria and blood vessels which plays a role in burning fat and generating heat. By increasing levels of isrin, you are increasing levels of brown fat and increasing overall fat burning potential.Benefits of increased muscle massThere is more to this “building muscle” thing than just being in shape and stronger.7. Having higher muscle mass is actually associated with a lower mortality risk in people with heart disease. Lower mortality risk is a benefit everyone loves, which we will dive into greater detail later on in this article.8. Volunteers in the age range of 61-80 were able to add 2.4 pounds of muscle and saw their physical age reduce by an average of 5 years. Allowing them to literally feel younger and be healthier.The verdictWeightlifting will help fight obesity, increase muscle mass, reduce fat, boost metabolism, improve overall body composition, and even reduce risks for developing type-2 diabetes.

11 Benefits of weightlifting for reducing risk factors for falls and improving functional independence for seniors

Being able to be functionally independent is a major quality of life factor. The more functional independence you have the less likely you are to experience a fall. Approximately 9,500 deaths in older American adults are connected to a fall each year. On top of this, the vast majority of minor or serious injuries are connected to falls. Those that experience fall will do so again within six months.So it is clear, any way to reduce these risk factors and improve functional independence is critical.Balance and movement control1. Starting with the basics, when standing or moving, you need to be able to have solid balance. Training with weights demonstrated consistent improvement in static and dynamic balance. There is another aspect of biological functioning that also degrades with time and lack of activity. That is your neuromuscular functioning. This is your body’s ability to control movement, proper movement, knowing where your body and all limbs are at all times, understand the amount of effort being put into moving, and balance.2. Working with weights improves the age-related declines in neuromuscular functioning. 3. Those who have been lifting throughout the years as a way of life have protection against any age-related declines in neuromuscular functioning.Maybe you are concerned about how much time, energy, and intensity will it require to get these benefits? Do you have to be moving hundreds of lbs on your back, day in and day out, for hours at a time?4. This is the best part. Three separate studies were able to show that both low and high-volume weight lifting geared towards improving strength slowly but surely will improve neuromuscular functioning. Not to mention all of the functional benefit that comes with it! 5. These improvements were demonstrated through improved balance, greater functional capacity, and proper movement. Mobility and flexibility6. Another important factor to consider is flexibility. Having proper flexibility at the joints ensures greater functional capabilities. This and safety while doing various movements when up and about. 12-weeks of training was able to improve flexibility in essentially every joint movement. 7. Increasing the frequency of weightlifting provides greater improvement in frontal hip flexion. Functional capabilitiesThis is all sounds great but how is this going to actually benefit you in the day-to-day activities of your life?8. First off, you can move with greater ease and grace. For example, weightlifting was able to improve step length, step speed, and improve single-step balance recovery by 15-30%. 9. As your strength increases the benefits begin to appear in general functionable capabilities. One study demonstrated that it led performance and time to complete various tasks improves. Specific tasks studied were climbing stairs, rising from chairs, and going from standing to sitting. 1.0 Weight training is as effective as aerobic-based training in improving physical skills and functional capabilities. 11. Whether you have not had a serious fall yet or you already have a history of falls, there still seems to be a lingering fear of falls. This fear can hold elderly and older adults with limited functional capabilities back from doing the simplest activities or tasks. Thankfully, weightlifting has been shown to reduce the fear of falling whether the volunteer had a history of falls or not. The verdictThe science is clear. Weightlifting will help reduce tons of risk factors for falls, improve functional independence, functional capacity, and quality of life. Making weightlifting a necessity in the growing older adult and elderly populations.

7 Benefits of weightlifting for quality of life for seniors

Growing old can be a difficult and scary process. Improving the experience of aging, the health of the older populations, and the quality of life is a valuable endeavor. When these objectives are achieved, it can empower older adults and elderly to live a fuller, more engaged, and active life.Pain free living1. Thankfully, training helps improve the overall quality of life. One way is by reducing the level of general aches and pains as well as disorder-specific pain.2. That is exactly the point. Reducing pain levels allows for greater ease of movement, fewer restrictions when moving, and in general, feeling better with less negative stimuli coming from your body. Mental and emotional3. On top of being able to move around with less pain, improving strength and muscle through weight lifting improves health-related factors. Which can improve physical capabilities as well as the emotional and mental state. 4. Now with these improved physical functional capabilities you are able to lead a more engaged and active lifestyle.5. Being more active, engaged, and having more social interaction is the golden ticket that improves mental and emotional health on various levels.6. Weight training also innately improves mental, emotional, and cognitive health through biological mechanisms that enhance the quality of life.Urinary incontinence7. Other areas of quality are less obvious, for example, urinary incontinence. 25 million adults in America suffer with urinary incontinence and 75-80% of those are women.124 23% of women over the age of 60 struggle with incontinence. Frail older women who struggle with this issue who underwent weight training saw a 50% reduction in daily leaks. VerdictMore engaged and active lifestyle. Less pain. Improved cognitive, mental, and emotional health. Weightlifting is a crucial aspect of improving the quality of life of older adults and elderly.

5 Benefits of weightlifting for improving osteoarthritis and bone health for seniors

Over 30 million adults in the US struggle with osteoarthritis. Factors like obesity, previous injuries, muscle weakness, bone density, and joint health play a role in the development of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. With this diagnosis comes a great deal of pain from moving, stiffness, loss of flexibility in the joints, and overall impeding a pain-free life.  Osteoarthritis1. Weightlifting has been shown across several studies to reduce the pain for those afflicted with osteoarthritis.2. On top of that, they were able to demonstrate an improvement in function for those with osteoarthritis. 3. This included a significant reduction in levels of the measure of disability and general physical performance. Bone healthEvery year that adults do not perform weight training or general strength and muscle building activities, they may experience a reduction in bone mineral density. This reduction can range anywhere from 1-3%. This alarming statistic shows how the combination of aging, a sedentary lifestyle, and any other potential bad health behaviors can accumulate into a great deal of issues down the road.4. To counteract this there is a major need for weightlifting. This is because it was demonstrated to help improve bone mineral density and overall bone health.5. In fact, weight training alone or in combination with impact-loading types of training are the most osteogenic, bone producing, activities one can do. VerdictWeightlifting is a critical aspect of reducing the pain of osteoarthritis, improving bone health, reducing chances of injury, improving frailty, and is even prescribed for the prevention of diseases like osteoporosis.

5 Benefits of weightlifting for cardiovascular health for seniors

According to the CDC, 1 in every 4 deaths, or 610,000 people die of some form of heart disease in the US every year. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women with around 735,000 individuals in the US experiencing a heart attack each year.With aging, there tends to be less and less physical activity. On top of this, there is a deterioration of the cells that maintain the natural beating pace of the heart, and increased rigidity of the heart. All leading to reduced or slowed flow of blood throughout the body. With other factors playing a role in this issue, it becomes a major focus and cause of concern for the aging population.Blood Pressure1. Weightlifting is known to improve many factors of cardiovascular health, with one being blood pressure. Showing the ability to decrease both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Lipid PanelIt is also known to significantly improve your lipid panel which is detailed in systematic reviews and many specific studies.2. High-Density Lipoprotein or HDL (good) cholesterol can be difficult to improve. With that said, weightlifting has been shown to improve HDL (good) cholesterol by 8% to 21% on average. 3. Low-Density Lipoprotein or LDL (bad) cholesterol was shown to decrease 13% to 23% on average due to weight training.4. Levels of triglycerides also reduced an average of 11% to 18%.Inflammation5. On a more detailed point, researchers also noticed that weight training reduced levels of several inflammatory molecules. Specifically, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and c-reactive protein.These molecules in the body are all produced in response to inflammation. They are critical markers that are measured to assess the level of disease and predict future potential cardiovascular events. Some, like interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, can also cause further damage when present at consistently higher levels. VerdictWith heart disease leading to 1 in 4 deaths , weightlifting is vitally important for the aging population to build not just muscle but a healthier heart and cardiovascular system.

6 Benefits of weightlifting for cognitive functioning in seniors

Unfortunately, as you begin to age, your cognitive function can start to decline. You may have experienced this as you aged or have seen loved ones go through this process. Although there is no cure-all for this, anything that can be done to improve it is of great value for the overall quality of life.Brain Health: Boosting Your Memory and Cognitive Functioning1. Those with prior memory compromise or mild cognitive impairment saw improvements in memory and overall cognitive functioning.2. What about those who didn’t have prior issues? Older adults who are cognitively healthy also saw an improvement in memory from weight training.3. In case you were wondering, weight training is just as beneficial as aerobic-based training in improving levels of confusion. 4. But when it comes to improving cognitive functioning as a whole, moderate and high-intensity resistance training delivers and does so significantly better than aerobic-based training.Molecular levels5. You see, training promotes an increase of a very important molecule in the brain. This molecule is known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF for short.6. BDNF helps existing neurons survive to help prevent the deterioration of the brain. It also encourages the growth of new neurons and synapses. Therefore, it plays a vital role in various areas of cognitive health such as in learning, memory, and higher level thinking.VerdictWeightlifting is an integral part of maintaining healthy cognitive functioning to empower the older population to live a more independent and engaged life.

6 Benefits of weightlifting for mental health in seniors

As decreases in functioning, energy, independence, and ability to do some of the things us youngins’ take for granted begin to occur with age. It can start to take a toll on mental health. Everything from depression, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, and more start to come into play.Depression1. This is where training with weights provides some hope yet again. Weight lifting can lead to significant reductions in depressive symptoms in healthy older adults and the elderly. This was also the case in specific issues such as wheelchair-bound older adults with dementia. So how much can weightlifting improve depressive symptoms?2. Well, one study used the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression to measure. They found that when doing high-intensity training 61% of the volunteers and 29% of the low-intensity training volunteers had over a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms. Anxiety3. Improving strength through weightlifting is able to improve levels of anxiety and levels of tension. Psychological well being 4. Doing daily light training and training in general was able to improve volunteers’ self-perception of physical well being, functional competency, physical condition, body satisfaction, and self-esteem. So clearly, even just keeping it light and simple can be enough to make some great progress in this department.5. Weightlifting is also just as effective at improving mood, tension, and levels of fatigue as aerobic-based training. Lastly, one study compared the impact of the amount of sedentary time and level of intensity of the training mental health composite scores.6. They found, regardless of what level of intensity the training, that reducing the amount of sedentary time markedly improved the volunteers’ mental health scores. Additionally, the higher intensity also seemed to outperform the low-intensity training groups. VerdictHaving at least daily light training up to consistent high-intensity training are valuable ways to improve the overall mental health of the aging population.

2 Benefits of weightlifting for reducing mortality risk in seniors

All the research above suggests weightlifting is going to help you live a much more functional, independent, and more engaged life through the aging process. In the previous sections, we discussed some ways it will help in the health department with some more to come as well.These next two come from massive research undertakings in the form of two studies and are probably the most powerful benefits of all.1. One European study enlisted 334,161 individuals and followed up with them over 12.4 years. Among the vast amount of data they discovered, they found that those doing as little as 20 minutes of light exercise daily could reduce a person’s risk of early death by as much as 30%.2. The National Health Interview Survey data from 1997-2001 was linked to the National Death Index. The survey responses, demographics, past medical history, and other health behaviors were all collected and analyzed. What they found was that adults 65 and older who reported doing the prescribed amount of strength training (twice a week) had a 46% lower odds of all-cause mortality than those who did not. This percentage remained even after adjusting data for all past medical history and other health behaviors.67The vast amount of data that these studies drew their conclusions begs the question, can anyone really afford to not be exercising in the form of weight training?

11 Benefits of weightlifting for glycemic control and type 2 diabetes in seniors

Glucose levels1. Weightlifting reduces resting blood glucose levels.2. Weight training is the better choice for improving glycemic control than aerobic exercise. This is true in healthy adults and adults with type-2 diabetes. Insulin resistance & sensitivity3. Insulin resistance is a common factor in the development of pre-diabetes and then diabetes. This means that the cells are unable to use insulin efficiently and therefore do a poor job of absorbing glucose from the blood. Simply put, weightlifting helps reduce entire body insulin resistance. 4. It also has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity for up to 24 hours and the amount of glucose uptake by muscle cells for one week. Meaning a single bout of training can help use insulin more efficiently and utilize more glucose for energy in muscles. Rather than going through the unfortunate and complex process of being converted into fatty acids stored in fat tissue.Molecular level5. Participants in studies demonstrated reduced levels of HbA1c, a fancy term for the number of red blood cells that have been bonded by a molecule of glucose.6. Training was also shown to increase hSGLT3 mRNA transcript levels by a factor of 10. This molecule is believed to play a crucial role in sensing glucose levels. This then would lead to signaling the body for a more appropriate response and effective transporting of glucose. This increase in hSGLT3 was correlated with reduced glucose toxicity and improvements in insulin resistance.7. A molecule known as glucose transporter type-4 (GLUT4) increased in density in response to weight training. What does that mean?When you eat and glucose(sugar) levels in our blood increase and insulin is released in response. When insulin attaches to receptors on the plasma membrane (exterior side of the cell), the cell takes GLUT4 “out of storage” and moves it to the plasma membrane. Once GLUT4 is there it will begin  transporting and absorbing glucose into the cell.All this means that training increases GLUT4 density (amount on the outside of the cell) leading to higher levels of glucose absorption into muscle cells and adipose tissue.8. Another study found that the training was able to reduce the level of serum blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus at a higher level than in non-diabetics. This improvement was correlated with higher levels of miR-146a circulating in the blood. This molecule is typically downregulated in diabetes and although not yet fully understood, seems to play a role in regulating inflammatory molecules as well as a mediator in other important biological processes related to diabetes.9. Inflammation is a critical factor to consider in the disease state of diabetes. Thankfully, putting work in at the gym helps reduce systemic inflammation significantly. Specifically, they found that it reduced interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-a), and C reactive protein (CRP).Molecules such as TNF-a and interleukin-6 play a role in increasing insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and potentially further inflammation which only worsens the state of diabetes. Whereas higher levels of CRP have been shown to be correlated with poorer glycemic control and increased glycosylated hemoglobin.10. The hormone adiponectin increases in levels in response to weight training. Produced and secreted by adipose tissue, the role of adiponectin is to help in regulating glucose levels and breaking down fatty acids.11. I know these molecule names are getting confusing...but they are important which is why I have to tell you that training also increases interleukin-1 beta and TGF-Beta1 in older adults with type 2 diabetes.Interleukin-1 beta plays an inflammatory role where it can lead to the loss of beta-cell mass and beta-cell death (beta-cells are what produced insulin) in the pancreas as well a potential amplifier of cardiovascular events.As for TGF-Beta1, it also is out for the blood of beta-cells by inhibiting the growth of new beta-cells and inducing beta-cell death.  Reducing interleukin-1 and TGF-Beta1 can help improve glycemic control, proper beta-cell functioning, and growth of new, functioning beta-cells.VerdictWeightlifting is a powerful tool for helping improve the health status in type-2 diabetes and prevent developing diabetes to the point that studies have shown training being able to reduce the required dosage of prescribed medications.

3 Benefits of weightlifting for improving sleep in seniors

Despite what is common now in our society and culture, “burning the midnight oil” should not be some form of badge of honor. Lack of sleep is a serious issue and health concern. Proper sleep is crucial for improving mental, physical, and emotional health no matter what age you are.Sleep quality1. A single session of resistance training was able to improve sleep latency, the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, as well as sleep consolidation. The last one there, sleep consolidation, is important for proper functioning of the brain’s role in memory and learning.2. On top of that is was able to improve general sleep quality, sleep latency, and scores on the month-long

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

.Sleep apnea3. Lastly, combining training with some light walking can reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Although it doesn’t cure you of sleep apnea, any improvement will allow for greater levels of proper breathing, reduce the amount of disruption of normal sleep patterns, and the other issues that can stem from this disorder.The verdictWeightlifting improves sleep which is a necessity for all people of any age, but especially as we age as issues with memory, learning, cognitive functioning, and overall health become a bigger concern.

3 Benefits for age-related mitochondrial impairment in seniors

The mitochondria are “the powerhouse” of the cell. Found in every cell in the body, except red blood cells, they are responsible for producing the energy for the cell to do their jobs.You have probably seen fad products, articles, or programs all around enhancing your mitochondria. But what does that mean and why does it matter?Here is a little scenario to help show why improving your mitochondrial health is extremely valuable for overall health and longevity.Think about a typical city as being the human body and the major components being cells. Let’s say the police force, fire department, hospital workers, and emergency medical technicians are all individual cells. Then, we make it so all of the people that fill these roles can only get four hours of sleep a night, eat 1,000 calories, drink two cups of water a day, and no coffee *gasp*. It is clear that this city would be in severe danger, would have an increase in accidents, less success in solving crimes, putting out fires, or saving people’s lives.This is the exact same thing that happens in the body with mitochondrial impairment. If the cells in your brain aren’t producing enough energy to do their job well, they will be doing their job as well as the sleepy-eyed, emaciated, and most definitely hangry ambulance driving EMT. That’s no good.This can show its face in the form of reduced performance, impaired health, and a myriad of other aspects of life.Age-related mitochondrial impairmentThankfully, weight training can help.1. It does this by decreasing the amount of oxidative stress in the mitochondria and increasing complex IV of the electron transport chain (ETC). This oxidative stress at higher levels can cause a cascade of biological mechanisms to occur in the cell that leads to cell death. Whereas complex IV plays a critical role in the functioning of mitochondria. Disorders, where this complex is defected, is severe and typically fatal. By increasing complex IV it allows for greater functioning as well as decreasing the level of oxidative stress.2. These two benefits are believed to be powerful enough to improve overall functioning in daily activities as well as potentially prevent worsening of disease states.3. The issue of age-related mitochondrial impairment and the corresponding muscle weakness was shown to be able to be partially reversed through six months of resistance exercise training. Therefore, incorporating weight training into your lifestyle as early as possible will help prevent or postpone this issue for as long as possible. The verdictMitochondria are what allow our cells to function and perform their jobs which weightlifting can help preserve healthy mitochondria, form new ones, and prevent the death of others.

The Benefit of weightlifting for seniors with hip fractures

The CDC states that over 300,000 adults 65 years of age or older are hospitalized for hip fractures. Now clearly weightlifting can’t magically reverse this issue but could it help?Recovery1. Adults recovering from hip fractures were shown to improve muscle function, symmetry in sit-and-stand tasks, and general physical functioning due to weightlifting.The verdictUsing weight training when recovering clearly needs the okay from your doctor, proper supervision, training, and guidance but can be beneficial for recovering from hip fractures.

It is time to make a change for the better

Start by talking with your doctor. Reach out to find a Health coach in your area. Or at least take the time and effort to learn how to best workout on your own. Set a plan in place and take action! Starting is as simple as doing body weight exercises right now. Through slow, consistent progression, you can graduate to using weights and increasing those weights over time.

[fatphobiabusters]

Do you know if depression alone can alter weight, without changing diet or anything like that? I've had depression since childhood and I've been steadily gaining weight for years because of a poor diet etc, and i peaked at 195, but over the last 6 months ive been gradually losing weight, a total of about 12 pounds, despite a lifestyle where i should be still GAINING. And its not steady either, about half of those have been in the last two months. (1/3)

I eat lots of junk food and I'm totally sedentary. I've started doing musical theatre again, so for a while i attributed it to the increased exercise from dancing, but my last show ended aug 5 and i haven't been in one since, so now im exercising even LESS and yet still losing weight at an increasing rate. Ive also been gradually more and more lethargic, and ive been on a worse bout of depression as well. (2/3)

I put "unintentional weight loss" into the webMD symptom checker and suggestion 2 was depression (#1 was hyperthyroidism but I've already checked that recently and im fine). So I'm just wondering if you know, if the presence of it alone, with no real changes, can cause that? Or do you think it could potentially be something more serious? I'll go to the dr when i can but I'd also like advice from someone who i know wont just say "well you're obese anyway so be grateful!" Thanks in advance! (3/3)

Hello there! First, allow me to say it’s a pleasure having a blog I have long admired come into our inbox. Thank you for trusting us with your concern.

Secondly, I would like to make the disclaimer that I am answering this from the perspective of someone who has depression and is studying psychology, but who is by no means an expert on mental illness.

So, the reason depressed people often find themselves losing weight is that depression can affect their emotions, behaviors, thoughts, and appetite. For example, I go through periods of extreme disinterest where literally nothing is pleasurable to me and I am too emotionally drained to do much of anything. During these periods, I spend most of my time sleeping, I get bored incredibly easily, and I struggle to find the desire or energy to shower, eat, or do other necessary things. I also find my appetite severely decreased; not only do I not have the energy or will to cook or find a snack or what have you, but I also feel no need to actually eat anything. I won’t be hungry for long periods of time, and when I do eat, it’ll only be a bite or two once a day, if even that. And this is something that happens to lots of depressed people; those with far better metabolisms than I will lose weight because of this lack of eating, especially if this continues for a long period of time. For me, it can be anytime from a week to two months; for other people, it can last far longer. And this is only one example of how depressed people might lose weight due to depression. They might also choose to starve themselves as a form of self-harm, or they might find themselves doing other things that can lead to weight loss, like increasing their daily exercise as a way to help them feel better.

But, see, all of these are behavioral. Meaning the weight loss is caused by behaviors. True, the behaviors are caused by the thoughts and feelings depression makes people have, but it’s not the depression itself doing this.

So, as far as I know, depression alone won’t make you lose weight; your behaviors as a depressed person are what causes weight loss or weight gain.

Now, this doesn’t mean this weight loss is caused by something serious. You could be underestimating how much you are exercising, overestimating how much you are eating, etc. But it’s absolutely a concern, as rapid weight loss can be very unhealthy, and it is something you should definitely discuss with a doctor.

@bigfatscience might be able to give you some more information and suggestions as to possible causes, as they know far more about health and weight than I do. I would highly recommend sending them an ask.

Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. But thank you for coming to us and please do let us know what your doctor says.

-Mod Bella  

[liberallifeblog]

Exercise Motivation, The Weird Way

image: flikr

Do you look forward to a strenuous workout? If so, congratulations! But the rest of what follows may seem like incomprehensible gibberish to you. If you don't need to twist your brain into pretzel-like configurations in order to motivate yourself to exercise: you are free to resume websurfing. Enjoy a few more videos of rhinos cuddling with meekrats, or watch with terrified fascination as the next Trumpian plans for the apocalypse are announced. Google up a tasty gluten-free avocado brownie recipe! Or hell, go out and run a marathon and follow it up with a nice little nap. There all sorts of healthy ways to motivate to exercise! I've talked a lot about exercise motivation and demotivation and remotivation over the years, and will doubtlessly yammer on for years to come. I have all kinds of healthy motivational tricks that I'm not embarrassed to share, and these are a large part of my aresenal. But there is also a seamy back-alley of exercise will-power, and I have some other secrets you don't see mentioned in respectable publications. Yet for some of us, these are a real help in keeping us consistent throughout the years, yielding the numerous physical and emotional benefits that sedentary people do not get to enjoy. Just what the heck am I talking about? But first, a little more about what I'm up against. Anyone else? Doing Battle With Natural Reluctance and Sloth Here's the problem: I have a highly evolved human brain. It knows vigorous exercise is good for me. But still: I don't wanna. The prospect of changing into a special outfit, removing myself from my comfortable house, transporting myself to some inconvenient location in order to lift heavy things over and over, or flail around until my heart pounds and my legs weaken and I can barely breathe, and to end up all sweaty so I need to shower and change again? I'm like: Fuck this, do I have to? Really? And yet it's weird: most of the time when I go, I don't hate it all that much, and in fact, I often even enjoy my workout for many minutes at a time! So what gives? Why can't my logical brain put these two facts together, conclude that reluctance is a shitty predictor of future reality, and skip all the melodrama? Apparently there's a stubborn, archaic part of my brain that is still trying to "protect" me from the possible unpleasantness of physical exertion.

Get Back on That Couch, Crabby!

image: wikimedia

Yep, I think it's my inner cavewoman. She can't help it though, she's wired that way. Sure, she would motivate me very efficiently if I were starving and needed to climb a tree for fruit or catch a rabbit, or alternatively, to flee from something with fangs and claws contemplating me for dinner. But she seems to believe that I need to conserve my energy for these rare circumstances, and should rest up whenever I can, and hang on tenaciously to my precious fat stores in case famine is looming. In particular, she wants me to stay the hell out of the gym. "You're going to be miserable, Crabby," cavewoman warns, as she spies my workout clothing coming out of the drawer. She pumps out a huge dose of fear-and-loathing chemicals for good measure. "Don't do it, you'll be sorry!" "Shut the hell up, you ignorant unevolved hominin" my modern brain says,  "it's not going to be that bad!" And yet, deep within my twisted psyche, I believe her. If it were just the two of us, cavewoman would win every time. But instead.. It's Inner Neurotic to the Rescue!

image wikimedia commons

So what skills does this maladjusted motivational hero bring to the fight? Illogical Reasoning! My inner neurotic is completely looney tunes when it comes to cause and effect. It over-generalizes, catastrophizes, makes unjustified leaps.  "You MUST WORK OUT today Crabby, or you will immediately lose all your muscle tone, gain 100 lbs, become a lazy unmotivated loser, and your life will spiral downhill in such a shocking way you may wake up tomorrow morning in a trash dumpster with the smell of Cheetos and Thunderbird on your breath." OK, so maybe some of these visualizations are unconscious. But I'm pretty sure they're in there, or else why would the "shoulds" and "musts" be so amazingly effective? There are all kinds of other "shoulds" I ignore with no problem! Obsessive Overthinking! My neurotic brain loves to plan, scheme, analyze, invent, hypothesize, experiment, tinker, refine, and of course narrate and opine and explain things to imaginary audiences. So a simple question like: what might be the optimum way to exercise today? I can keep my brain circuits firing for hours on that, before, during, and after the actual athletic endeavor. (Just yesterday I developed a whole new running-in-the-park interval and functional fitness routine, specific to a particular section of Balboa Park. Which is interesting timing considering we are moving, leaving town tomorrow, and that was probably my last Balboa Park workout for the foreseeable future.) Is it healthy to devote so much mental energy to something so trivial? No! But it adds a whole level of entertaining intellectual engagement that I believe may help keep me coming back for more exercise year after year, despite what cavewoman has to say about it. Narcissism! When I'm in really good shape, I believe I look "better," according to the arbitrary aesthetics our superficial screwed up society currently endorses. I do know, intellectually, how stupid and shallow this source of motivation is.  And yet I'd be lying if I said it doesn't help me get my ass out the door and onto an elliptical machine. Procrastination! I don't look forward to exercise but there are always chores and tasks and decisions that cause me more angst than working out does. Exercise is concrete, physical, and time-limited, and if I have some other obligation I'm avoiding, strapping on a heart rate monitor and filling up that water bottle start to seem a lot more appealing. Guilt and Self-Flagellation! To exercise or not is a lifestyle choice, not a moral dilemma. I am not a "better" person if I work out, or a "bad" person if I do something else instead.  My brain gets confused about this though.  (Again, with plenty of help from a superficial society). The idea that I can somehow "buy" virtue by lifting a few weights or logging a few miles is preposterous. And yet I suspect this delusion helps me crank out a few more reps when I might otherwise quit. Important Cautionary Note:  Beware Truly Self-Destructive Exercise Habits I am blessed with a natural slothfulness that keeps me from every taking these neurotic tendencies too far. So I feel I can make light of them. There is still debate among experts as to whether exercise addiction is truly a thing, in the sense of being a recognized psychopathology. But we've all seen people who are truly compulsive about their exercise behavior, and who have lost the ability to make rational decisions about when to exercise and when to stop. It often seems to accompany disordered eating behaviors such as anorexia and bulimia. Exercising to the point where you endanger your health is no joke. If you are getting feedback from those around you that have an issue, don't dismiss it out of hand. You don't have to take their word for it, but consider getting some professional, objective input about your behavior and its impact on your health. OK, enough of the serious responsible shit. Anyone else use ridiculous methods to motivate yourself sometimes, or are you guys all healthy and normal about getting exercise? Exercise Motivation, The Weird Way posted first on http://ift.tt/2kDxLY4

[billionairedestiny]

Habits That Change Boys Into Men

The demise of our culture will result from the demise of its men if something isn’t changed quickly. Far too many men remain directionless, devastated and scared children.

Male suicide rate increased to three to four times higher than the female suicide rate. Men are twice as likely as women to become alcoholics. And males are far more likely to commit juvenile crime.

Much has been said and written in recent years about the challenges of men and boys. A sampling of book titles includes:

Why There Are No Good Men Left

The Demise of Guys

The End of Men

Why Boys Fail

The End of Men, And The Rise of Women

Boys Adrift

Manning Up: How The Rise Of Women Has Turned Men Into Boys

A common theme is that men and boys have become increasingly confused about their identity and role in society. Kay Hymowitz, author of Manning Up, put it this way:

“It’s been an almost universal rule of civilization that whereas girls became women simply by reaching physical maturity, boys had to pass a test. They needed to demonstrate courage, physical prowess, or mastery of the necessary skills. The goal was to prove their competence as protectors of women and children; this was always their primary social role. Today, however, with women moving ahead in an advanced economy, provider husbands and fathers are now optional, and the character qualities men had needed to play their role — fortitude, stoicism, courage, fidelity — are obsolete and even a little embarrassing.”

I

  It is the norm in Hollywood films, TV and cable shows, and even commercials to portray men as incompetent, immature, or self-absorbed. This underlying message has subtly and increasingly become the collective unconscious with devastating repercussions.

Academically, it is reported in the United States that:

Girls outperform boys now at every level — from elementary school through graduate school.

By eighth grade, only 20 percent of boys are adept in writing and 24 percent adept in reading.

Young men’s SAT scores in 2011 were the lowest they’ve been in 40 years.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), boys are 30 percent more likely than girls to drop out of both high school and college.

In 2017, women will earn more than 60 percent of bachelor’s and more than 63 percent of master’s degrees.

Boys make up two-thirds of students in special education remedial programs.

Women deserve the increased success they are getting. They’ve been oppressed for far too long. They’re hungrier and more motivated than most men. And hopefully society will continue to allow them the increased equality they deserve.

However, this article’s focus is on helping the struggling and confused young man. Indeed, many young men have taken the adverse cues of society as an excuse to evade responsibility and never really grow up.

If you are a young man and you’re struggling, you are not alone. This article is intended to challenge you to rethink your entire approach to life. If applied, these habits will radically set you apart from the decaying norm.

1. Think Beyond Yourself

Kids look to their parents for all the answers. When they become teenagers they know all the answers. Many never mature out of this stage and remain incredibly narcissistic, which is displayed in the following ways:

Believing you are better than others

Exaggerating your talents or gifts

Expecting constant praise and admiration

Failure to recognize other people’s emotions or feelings

Expressing disdain for those who seem inferior

Trouble keeping healthy relationships

Acting as if you have nothing to learn

Moving beyond self-consciousness requires an increase in overall consciousness.

By heightening your level of consciousness, you’ll see the brilliance of humanity in general, be able to relate deeper with others, experience greater joy, and have enhanced ability to manifest the destiny of your choosing.

The following are ways to increase your level of consciousness:

Allow yourself to experience your feelings, rather than block them out. Meditation is a helpful way to do this. You experience your thoughts and feelings, learn from them, then let them go.

Let go of framing your idea of what should be and genuinely accept what is. The journey is the end, not simply a means to an end.

Identify the meaningless things to which you’ve assigned meaning. Happiness and security can never be experienced when dependent on the external — they can only be achieved internally.

Begin trusting your inner voice. If you feel a prompting to bring an umbrella with you, even when the weather report says the contrary, bring it.

Explore the world, experience new cultures, and have your paradigm shaken and reframed.

Question your own intentions and motivations.

Be humble about your own humanity.

Act with love, and become aware when you are not.

2. Stop Playing Video Games

There are a host of both positive and negative effects of playing video games. However, approximately 15 percent of American youth have an unhealthy addiction to video games. Another study reported that 31 percent of males and 13 percent of females have felt “addicted” to video games.

Naturally, boys have a strong need for accomplishment and challenge. Yet, studies suggest that some of the most popular video games are disengaging boys from real-world pursuits. Boys’ need for accomplishment is satisfied by “leveling up” in the game; so they don’t feel the need to go out into the world and solve real problems. Thus, society is not being served by their efforts.

Gaming often gets in the way of important relationships or meaningful life pursuits. 15 percent of divorces are filed by women because their husband prefers video games over them.

This point is particularly significant to me. I myself spent a large portion of my time in junior high and high school playing World of Warcraft. Literally thousands of hours logged-in and lost.

I see many of my high school friends and family members who are now in their late 20’s and 30’s continuing to play 4+ hours of video games per day — even when married with kids.

Playing video games is being touted as a “healthy” way to escape reality. Yet, one must ask: Is escaping reality (especially for extended periods of time) ever healthy?

The need for achievement and challenge can be accomplished in real life. You can “level-up” the real you while simultaneously solving social problems.

3. Learn In Healthy Environments And Lay-Off The Meds

The industrial classroom model is killing our boys. It is not a healthy environment for them. Young boys need more physical stimulation.

The result is that many are improperly and lazily diagnosed with ADHD. Their natural characteristics, emotions, passions, and gifts are being curbed by medications.

Although it is not a popular notion, boys and girls are wired differently. Girls are often exclusively motivated by praise. They will perfect their handwriting just to have it noticed.

Boys on the other hand, are often motivated by tangible experiences that relate to real life. Thus, many boys see no point in having good handwriting if one day they will spend their time typing. They don’t care as much what other people think. They just want to be challenged.

4. Get Intensive Physical Stimulation

Short and intensive learning spurts, followed by rigorous physical stimulation is a powerful and positive way for boys and men to learn. Rough-and-tumble play helps develop the frontal lobe of the brain, which is used to regulate behavior. Sadly, many public schools are removing gym class and recess, further exacerbating problems among boys.

In the recent book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, authors John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman share some amazing science and stories. For instance, despite many schools removing gym-class from their curriculum, others have put more focus on it and found staggering results. When kids exercise in the morning, they learn far better. In fact, they improve in all areas of their lives. Human beings are holistic. Your brain, your emotions, your relationships, are all tied together.

If you’re living a sedentary life as a man, you’re not getting the needed stimulation you need. Research has found that males thrive in kinesthetic learning environments — learning through moving.

Healthy Testosterone Levels

Intensive physical activity, like sprinting or heavy weight lifting (followed by extended rest periods) are a good outlet for men’s need of physical stimulation. Moreover, these intensive physical activities can activate healthy levels of testosterone which produce many positive effects — including:

Fat loss

Muscle gain

Healthier bone density

Normalized blood pressure

Lower likelihood of obesity and heart attacks

Increased energy

More enjoyment of career and family

Feeling younger, stronger, sexier, and healthier

Healthy sex drive

Studies have found that healthy testosterone levels affect men’s cognitive performance, and can improve focus, motivation, and memory.

The Need For Physical Pain

Interestingly, boys and girls experience pain differently. For boys, physical pain can be a stimulant fueling mental clarity. On the other hand, physical pain for girls can be a narcotic, making them feel hazy and confused.

I’ve seen this in myself. Some of my greatest insights have come while pushing myself to the extreme while doing yard work or while exercising. This phenomenon is also seen in endurance athletes who push themselves through pain for many hours at a time.

5. Take Responsibility For Your Life And Set Your Standards High

In his book, Boys Adrift, Dr. Leonard Sax explains that boys need — not want — to be responsible. If they are not needed, they don’t flourish.

Men step down if they’re not needed. And because of society’s message that men are no longer needed, many are staying in their parents basements.

Although most men will not go out of their way to take on challenges and responsibility, this is the very thing they should do if they want to thrive. Indeed, it is becoming common knowledge that perception is followed by physical experience in the form of self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you will succeed, you often do.

If you set your sights high in life, you will achieve incredible things. In order to do this, you can no longer play the victim to circumstances. Blaming the world, your parents, school, or the challenges you’ve faced in life is not going to solve your problems. It’s going to keep you stuck and bitter.

Instead, take the time to imagine and mentally create your ideal life. Mental creation always precedes physical creation.

You have the inner power to create whatever life you want to achieve. All you have to do is spend the time creating that world with intention. Write down exactly what you want in life. Set your standards ridiculously high. Don’t hold anything back.

Read, rewrite, and reread your ambitions often. These will soon consume your subconscious mind creating new patterns in your brain. Eventually, you’ll manifest the world you’ve been creating in your head.

6. Prayer, Meditation, And Journal Writing

Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and every other religious and spiritual tradition strongly stress the significance of regular prayer. Although the form of practice may be different, the purpose is the same: — -

Gratitude

Inspiration

Self-realization

Deepened connection to God/existence

The improvement of humanity as a whole

Prayer (and modifications such as meditation and gratitude journals) are regularly found to increase physical and mental well-being.

For me, I often combine prayer with journal writing as a form of meditation. I seek inspiration, direction, heightened perspective, and gratitude.

Scientifically supported benefits of prayer include:

Improves self-control

Makes you nicer

Makes you more forgiving

Increases your trust

Offsets negative health effects of stress

People are often turned-off by prayer, believing it is a strictly “religious” practice. Even if organized religion is not your thing, you can still have a positive and healthy relationship with prayer.

7. Earn Good Friends

You are who you surround yourself with. There’s no way around it. If you want to evolve past your current state, you need to remove yourself from the negative forces in your life. This will not be easy. Misery loves company.

However, when you decide to remove yourself from negative people — and instead surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you — your life will dramatically improve.

Take the leap. Invite your friends to come along with you. If they don’t understand your needed evolution, kindly bid them a loving farewell.

8. Commit Fully To Someone

“We’re supposed to believe that relationships tie people down, that they are the death knell for creativity and ambition. Nonsense.” — Ryan Holiday

With all the productivity and success advice going on in the world today, very little is written about the benefits of finding a spouse who supports you and makes you better.

It is quite rare for people to stay committed to anything or anyone these days. There are countless fatherless children. Many seek easy sexual prey followed by the internal pit of emptiness — too afraid to reveal and confront their true identity.

Research has found that committed relationships can reduce the chance of illness and increase the length of life. Other benefits of long-term commitment in relationships include:

Greater sense of life satisfaction

Increased happiness

A host of practical benefits, such as shared assets and children

Less likely to engage substance-abuse

Decreased likelihood of depression and neglect of one’s health

“Choose your love, love your choice.” — Thomas Monson

I got married at age 24. I’ve never felt restrained by that decision,  liberated. Now 29, we have three foster children, what most would consider a huge blow to our freedom.

This could not be further from the truth in my experience. Instead, I’m challenged to become a better person every day. I’m challenged to think beyond my own needs and to learn patience, humility and love.

I would never make such monumental decisions without prayer, fasting, meditation, and journaling. However, when you’re in a state of clarity, you can follow your intuition and consistently make good decisions. As Malcom Gladwell expounds in “Blink,” snap decisions are often more accurate than well-thought-out ones.

Of course marriage isn’t easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But why choose the easy path? As a man, challenge and responsibility is precisely what is needed to thrive.

9. Fall In Love With Learning

Ordinary people seek entertainment. Extraordinary people seek education and learning. We now live in a world where you no longer need to go to college (or high school) to become educated. At your fingertips is an unlimited and ever-increasingly well of information. You can become an expert at anything.

Many of the world’s most successful people attribute their success to a love for learning. They often read one or more books per week. With a few books, you can learn how to build wealth, healthy relationships, and the life of your dreams.

With more information and education, you will make better lifestyle choices. You’ll be less likely to have destructive addictions and make ignorant decisions.

You’ll be more likely to surround yourself with brilliant people, learn new languages and explore the world, come up with solutions to the world’s problems, and have passion and zest for life.

Stop gaming and start reading. The real world awaits. And it’s amazing.

10. Take Bigger Risks

“Don’t fail by default.” — Richard Paul Evans

Richard Paul Evans, the famous writer, often tells a story of being a shy high school kid. In one of his classes, he sat next to the girl of his dreams. He spent an entire year wishing he could work up the courage to ask her out. But he never ended up talking to her.

“Why would she be interested in a loser like me?” he would say to himself.

A few years later, at a high school reunion, they met and talked.

“I just have to ask: Why didn’t you ever ask me out?” she asked. “I always liked you and hoped you would talk to me.”

Evans was shocked.

He had been wrong that entire time and missed the opportunity he spent over a year dreaming about. In that moment, he determined to never fail by default again.

“If I’m going to fail, I’m going to fail big,” he has said. “If I fail, I’m going to fail after giving it everything I’ve got.”

Stop playing life small. Date people that seem absurdly out of your league. They’re not — only in your head.

Don’t be conservative in your career until you’re in your 40’s. There is little risk while you’re young, energetic, and motivated. Now is the time to take huge risks. Embrace rejection and failure. In turn, embrace enormous and unimaginable success.

Conclusion 

You can have whatever life you choose.

Don’t be afraid to dream big for yourself.

Have the courage to seize that life and truly live, rather than only imagining living.

The world needs you.

from Habits That Change Boys Into Men