Exercise: A Requirement for Life! by Matthew Romans

Most of us desire to live a long, productive, and prosperous life filled with rich experiences. We want to be able to enjoy our kids, grandkids, and maintain our health and vigor as our years advance. Unfortunately, many of us are not living that way. As of 2015, over 30 million Americans had diabetes, and an additional 1.5 million people are being diagnosed each year. According to a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in 2015-2016 45.8 percent of Americans used prescription medication in the past thirty days. Go to any large gathering (sporting event, concert, etc.), and you will probably see a significant number of people who are obese and/or using mobility aids. Dr. Doug McGuff, who is an emergency room physician (and owner of an exercise studio with the same philosophy as Total Results) says that "now the bulk of emergency medicine became a matter of dealing with exacerbation of chronic illness and pulling people from the brink over and over again." It seems as though, despite the increasing profitability of the pharmaceutical industry, we are getting sicker rather than healthier.

It's important to understand the concept of physiological headroom. This can be defined as the difference between the most that you can do and the least that you can do; in Western civilization that is decreasing at an earlier age. While it was once accepted that you reached your physiological peak in your late 20s and early 30s, an increasing number of young children are being diagnosed with Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes. Dr. McGuff says that in his emergency room, more than half of the patients in their twenties need assistance in sitting up after being examined in a lying position. When there is no difference between the most you can do and the least you can do, that's called death. I'm not painting a rosy picture, but there is hope.

Exercise is the key. While the medical establishment and the TV talking heads say that we need more exercise, they are grossly ignorant of what real exercise is. When I say exercise is key, I mean brief, infrequent, and intense Total Results exercise. One or two Total Results workouts per week is your best weapon for staving off the "diseases of modern civilization", such as heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer (these diseases are virtually absent in hunter-gatherers and other non-westernized populations). As Dr. McGuff points out, "all of them (diseases of modern civilization) seem to be related to muscle loss that occurs with improper aging." This is also known as sarcopenia. Regular Total Results workouts help you to maintain your insulin sensitivity (diabetes), improve bone mineral density (osteoporosis), build lean muscle mass (sarcopenia), lower blood pressure and improve cardiac output (heart disease), and can even improve your mood (depression). Total Results workouts can also enhance your flexibility without additional stretching, protect against injury, and improve certain autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Maintaining strong muscles, bones, and properly functioning vital organs is key to our survival and our ability to move. Once we lose the ability to move, death is not far behind.

It's never too late to start. We have had two nonagenarian clients that began working with us fairly late in life, but partly due to the strength they gained were still very vigorous and active until just before they passed away. Our current oldest client is 88 years old and has been working with us since 2003. She exercises briefly, but intensely, and is still mentally sharp, very mobile and independent.

As far as chronic illnesses are concerned, the medical and pharmaceutical establishment are more focused on treatment rather than prevention. With the costs of medical care, prescription drugs, and health insurance skyrocketing, it makes sense to do whatever is necessary to stay out of that system. So many people using walkers, canes, and wheelchairs could greatly enhance the quality of their lives by regularly strength training. One or two twenty-minute Total Results workouts per week, combined with adequate sleep, proper hydration, a sensible whole-foods diet, and optimal vitamin D intake are all that is required to maintain a high physiological headroom into your 70s, 80s, and even 90s. Start living your best life today!