Welcome to Week 5!
 
It may be the final week of our exercise mini resolution, but we hope it’s not your final week of using exercise as a tool to stave off cognitive decline!
 
Today, we’re taking a look at the importance of staying active through our daily activities.


For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected]

KEEP GOING!

This year, through Motivated Mondays, CCP is committed to helping you combat cognitive decline, and exercise has been extensively studied as a critical component of any brain health program. This month’s exercise mini resolution presented separate tracks for different exercise routine baselines. For our Track 1 participants, we focused on getting started, overcoming obstacles and staying motivated. For those in Track 2, we focused on intensity and explored three modalities- cardio-respiratory exercise, strength training and mind-body exercises.
 
Importantly, exercise…

• increases brain volume (bigger brains!).
• causes the secretion of myokines from muscles.
• improves blood flow to the brain, bringing with it critical oxygen and nutrients.
• "uses up" excess blood sugar and makes cells more sensitive to insulin.
• improves sleep which combats oxidative neurological stress.
• improves our physiological resilience to stress and anxiety.

 
Here is an interesting look at five things that happen when we stop exercising.

So no matter which track you followed this month, we urge you to keep going! And be sure to check in regularly with your concierge physician to ensure your exercise plan is suitable for you.

RESISTING A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE

As we’ve discussed over these past few weeks, planned and intentional physical exercise is a critical component of a comprehensive lifestyle program to improve cognitive function and prevent cognitive decline.
 
But today, in our final week of our Exercise Mini Resolution, we’re looking at the other side of the physical activity spectrum, through our Activities of Daily Living—which is just as crucial in our pursuit of building brawny brains and staving off cognitive decline.
 
Physical activity through your Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) is achieved by moving often throughout the day, not just during planned physical activity. Developing an active lifestyle helps to avoid sedentary behavior (defined as sitting for 5-6 or more hours uninterrupted, each day) which comes with its own slew of health problems.
 
Prolonged sitting impairs health by undermining the same physiological functions promoted by exercise. It is important to exercise and interrupt prolonged periods of sitting by standing, walking about or even with “exercise snacks.”
 
STEP COUNTS
 
Exercise scientists have studied step-counts as a practical measure of sedentary behavior (and associated health outcomes) outside of intentional exercise. In other words, step counts help to determine whether our ADLs keep our body in motion or whether we sit for most of the day.
 
Interestingly, even if you intentionally exercise for one hour a day, you are still considered sedentary if your steps are limited on average to about 2,700 steps a day. For example, if you jog five miles a day, i.e., 10,000 steps, but your step count outside that intentional activity is in the 2,700-step range, then you are still considered sedentary.
 
Thus, one can be physically  fit but still be at risk for diseases of a sedentary lifestyle, including but  not limited to cognitive decline. These people, who are “fit but sit,” are  defined as “active couch potatoes.”

DID YOU KNOW?
 
It is frequently cited that a daily dose of 10,000 steps is ideal for health promotion and disease prevention. Walking 10,000 steps is roughly equal to 5 miles and about 500 calories.
 
But you may be surprised to learn that metric was developed for a marketing strategy in 1965 to sell a pedometer called Manpo-Kei—translated to the “10,000 steps meter.”
 
For our purposes here, the minimal step count for reducing dementia risk was assessed in a 2022 prospective study to be 3,826 steps per day and the optimal dose was 9,826 steps per day.

Now that we know a little bit more about counting our steps, how can we make sure to move even more? Below are some ideas for stepping up your step count and create opportunities for “exercise snacks”:
 
In general:

• Restrict TV time to the amount of time you exercise each day. For example, if you exercise for one hour, allow yourself only one hour of TV at a time.
• Stand or walk around when speaking on the phone.
• Do your own housecleaning or gardening. (And save money as a bonus!)
• Walk the dog the long way home. (Fun fact: Studies show dog owners live longer and have lower BP, cholesterol and triglycerides!)
• Take your coffee break outside and go for a quick stroll, weather permitting.
• Get off the couch at each commercial break.
• Golfing? Skip the cart and walk the course.
• Go shopping in-person rather than online.
• Plan a day that involves walking such as visiting a museum, an art gallery, a flea market or a street fair, etc.

 
Getting around:

• Get off the bus or subway one stop early and walk the rest of the way to your destination.
• Walk errands.
• Take the stairs down, elevator up.
• Don’t use the drive-through window. Instead, park and walk inside.
• Park as far away from the store door as possible.

 
At work (if you are working in an office setting):

• Use the printer/copier farthest from your desk.
• Walk to your coworkers’ desks, rather than call or email them.
• Set a timer to go off every 20 minutes to stand up and walk around.
• Get out of the office for at least 20 minutes each day to walk outside (this is a great mental health break, too!).

 
If you are interested in monitoring your daily step count, here are some top-rated pedometers to consider.

That concludes our mini resolution! We’ll see you next week for a brand new mini resolution that is sure to help you stave of cognitive decline and build a brawnier brain!
 
We’d love to hear from you! Email Coach Michele ([email protected]) with your feedback.

Happy Monday! With two resolutions under your belt, we hope you’re sleeping better and continuing to exercise. Before we dive into our next big mini resolution, we’re taking this opportunity to recognize Earth Day with a micro resolution to spend more time in nature!

CCP helps you stay on track!
 
For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge:
 
[email protected]

Exposure to Nature

It’s been nearly 170 years since Thoreau’s exploration of living simply surrounded by nature, Walden, was published. In it, he famously says, “We need the tonic of wildness… we can never have enough of nature.”
 
This thought still holds true and is especially salient when we’re talking about cognition.

Immersion in Nature and Cognition
 
A growing body of evidence has shown that exposure to nature improves performance on cognitive tasks, whereas urban exposure may be detrimental to cognitive tasks. For example, a recent study found that those who walked for 35 minutes outdoors scored significantly better on the Stroop cognitive task than those who walked indoors on a treadmill. And a follow-up study found that those who walked outside in a forest scored better on a cognitive task than those who walked in an urban environment.
 
This phenomenon is supported by the ART theory, or attentive restorative theory, wherein the limited number of alerting stimuli in nature vs. urban environments allows the brain’s directed-attention mechanisms to replenish because it is using bottom-up involuntary attention.

Exposure to Green Spaces and Cognitive Decline

The health benefits of exposure to nature are so profound that some doctors have taken to prescribing time outdoors. Similarly, the Japanese practice of Forest Bathing has really taken off.
 
Those who reside in areas with high green space have a reduced risk of developing dementia. In those with dementia, time outdoors has been shown to improve mood and reduce agitation.
 
The proposed mechanisms by which exposure to green spaces may prevent neurodegeneration include:

Improved Circadian Rhythm (CR) function by exposure to daylight’s blue light. You may recall from our resolution to sleep better how critical CR function is to sleep quality and duration. Virtually every cell in the body has its own circadian rhythm. A 2026 study found that exposure to daylight vs. an office environment improved glucose control. Metabolic diseases have previously been identified as independent risk-factors for dementia

Reduced perceived stress and reduced stress biomarkers. The body’s “fight or flight” response is activated under stress, and being in nature applies the brakes by initiating the “rest and digest” system. Chronically existing in “fight or flight” mode exposes the body to a cascade of biochemicals that promote inflammation, oxidative stress and increase blood pressure. Hypertension is an independent risk factor for dementia. We will have a future mini resolution on reducing the physiological response to stress.

Providing olfactory enrichment. There is an interesting association between loss of smell and dementia. Based on evidence in both cognitive function tests and neurological imaging, smell training has been suggested as a low-cost, accessible tool for protecting against cognitive decline. Being outdoors exposes us to the terpenes of plants and trees and the aromatic compounds given off by them. An added bonus is the positive effect on mood from exposure to these terpenes

Interestingly, the benefits of being in nature can be achieved in as little as 15 minutes and seem to top out at 90 minutes.
 
Even if you’re feeling a bit skeptical, what do you have to lose? This week, synergize your walk with nature each day by lacing up those sneakers, grabbing a friend or the dog and heading out to the green spaces in your neighborhood. Bonus points if you take your walk after lunch! Importantly, be sure take a moment to see if your exposure to nature affects your mental outlook and ability to concentrate later in the day.
 
Then track those thoughts on the log or email us ([email protected]).

Rise and shine! Ready for Week 4?
 
Choose your track: Beginner or Intermediate!
 
And be sure to keep reading below for important info about rest and recovery.

For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected]



AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT REST & RECOVERY

By now, you may be feeling the effects of your new exercise program, like new or different aches and pains. Let’s talk about rest and recovery!

It is advisable to schedule rest days into your routine, as proper rest is crucial to the body’s replenishment of vital nutrients to your muscles. Just how often you need those rest days depends on how hard you are working. Harder workouts = more rest needed. If you don’t schedule it, your body will schedule it for you!
 
So, what exactly is the value in a rest day and what are the means for facilitating active recovery?

A rest day doesn’t necessarily mean a day on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry's.
 
Active recovery facilitates healing by delivering nutrients to the muscles via increased blood flow and is typically a better option for healing than a Netflix binge.
 
A few active recovery options include:
 

• Massage: this can be a pricey option. Here are some tips for keeping costs down.

 

• Foam rolling: this is a form of myofascial release, essentially self-massage, but not exactly as enjoyable. Foam rollers are fairly inexpensive on Amazon. Here are a few highly rated options, and here is a guide on how to foam roll.

 

• Stretching: an essential recovery tool, stretching is an important aspect of any comprehensive fitness program. Here is a link to a simple full-body sequence of stretches you can do at home.

 

• Bath time: have you outgrown baths as an adult? Maybe it’s time to revisit the benefits of this relaxing recovery technique with Epsom Salt Baths!

Good morning! We hope you're enjoying your exercise mini resolution! Let's get started on Week 3!
 
Choose your track: Beginner or Intermediate!
 
You  may find that your workout clothes stink, even after washing and drying!  Workout clothes may need a different approach to cleaning than your regular  laundry. Here are a few tips to try. There are also laundry detergents specifically made for gym clothes.

For questions or assistance, email your Motivated Mondays Coach Michele McCambridge: [email protected]