This analogy was a big Ah-ha moment for me.  I was travelling to a conference and had the pleasure of finding myself next to a delightful German woman, who was leaving after visiting her brother in the Rochester, NY area. 

We got to talking about health and she told me a story about when she went backpacking and her knees hurt.  She went to the Doctor and he said, “you can either carry a 30 pound backpack or carry 30 pounds extra on your body but not both.”  She lost weight and went backpacking again and there was no problem with the knees. 

It hit me then that our cartilage is a lot like cheese on a cheese grater.  If you don’t push very hard,  you don’t burn through very much “cheese.”  But when you do push down hard, you can really shred that cheese!  Movement is the cheese grater.  If you are moving with a lot of extra weight on your body,  you are pressing hard on that cheese grater and burning through cartilage. 

Once the cartilage is gone and you get to bone on bone,...

Ever grab that sponge that’s been drying in the sun and try to bend it?  RIIIIPP!!!  It crunches, tears, and basically turns to dust.  Our joints react in the the same way. 

“Thanks for the encouragement trainer guy!”

Ok, if I leave it at that,  it is not very encouraging.  What happens if you add water to that old sponge?  It softens, it bends, it doesn’t tear.  The lesson here? 

Drink water.  While there are hundreds of other reasons to drink water, this is a pretty good one.  If your body doesn't have enough water, your joints get more brittle and less lubricated and they can get injured and fail to recover as quickly (or ever).  Check out www.watercure.com if you want your mind blown by Dr. Batman! 

The recommendation?  ½ your body weight in OZ of water per day.  Example: a 150 pound person would have a 75 Oz per day goal.  If you are experiencing joint pain and you know you aren’t drinking much water.  It might be worth giving it a shot.  It’s cheaper than a ...

“Low cardiorespiratory fitness is a sounder predictor of death then risk factors such as hypertension, smoking, and Diabetes.”  Franklin Booth (2012)

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the #1 cause of death

31% of all deaths globally *CVD, Oxidative stress, Inflammation, & Aging: WHO (2016)

Now honestly, you will die of something.  And, this is the most common something.  BUT, there is something that you can do to improve your odds and prolong this outcome.  (no guarantees in life of course, but better odds). 

Pioneer Study: Shephard, R. J. (2008).  Maximal oxygen intake and independence in old age.  British Journal of Sport Medicine Online First, April 10, 2008, pp 1-19. (A Review of 30 studies (since 1990) with male and female subjects age 64 years of older)

The common measure for cardiovascular ability and strength is the maximum volume of oxygen usage per minute (VO2 max).  Measured in (ml/kg/min).  For Men VO2 max tends to drop 5 ml/kg/min each decade after 20 (st...

Live like you are going to live to 100. 

Be smart with your body

Be smart with your nutrition

Be smart with your finances

Be smart in your relationships

If today was my last day on earth, I wouldn’t exercise, I wouldn’t eat any vegetables and I would spend a little more money than is reasonable to do every day.  And while I truly love my job, I would skip work on my last day to spend extra time with family. 

I think we need to live everyday like it could be our last in our personal relationships but not in all areas. 

Move like you want to be independent at 90. 

Eat like you want to have energy in your 70’s. 

Save money like you are going to live to 100. 

And tell people what they mean to you as if you will never see them again. 

About the Author:

Jeremy “the tall trainer” Biernat is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Strength Coach, has his Bachelors in Exercise Science, and enjoys writing, speaking, and inspiring people online and in person. See his new book!  More importantly he is a husband, father, and follower of God. His practice is in upstate NY (Canandaigua) where he works with people in one on one and group sessions to make awesome changes in their lives. He doesn’t do everything perfect, cries in movies, and would love to hear from you. You can contact Jeremy by commenting to this post, emailing [email protected], or calling 1(800)380-7047. 

Please share this with friends!

About the Author:

Jeremy “the tall trainer” Biernat is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Strength Coach, has his Bachelors in Exercise Science, and enjoys writing, speaking, and inspiring people online and in person. See his new book!  More importantly he is a husband, father, and follower of God. His practice is in upstate NY (Canandaigua) where he works with people in one on one and group sessions to make awesome changes in their lives. He doesn’t do everything perfect, cries in movies, and would love to hear from you. You can contact Jeremy by commenting to this post, emailing [email protected], or calling 1(800)380-7047. 

Please share this with friends!

This is what I carry with me when I run now.  I hate that this isn’t being dramatic-or over the top.  It’s just smart.  I have had a couple scary experiences in my life running and the danger is REAL!

So why do I do it anyway.  The love is greater than the fear.  Moments of just me outside feeling my muscles work and my breathing tested.  Doing something that challenges me and doesn’t come easy always makes me a better person.  Running is one of those things. 

I hate that I can’t just run free and enjoy being outside pounding the pavement on this beautiful earth.  Every vehicle that passes by I study in case it comes by again or if I have to report it.  I hate that my first thought when a car slows down is “are they going to try something” instead of being kind and respectful of me on the road.  I hate that I can’t run the same route at the same time or any pattern and feel like I am not a target.  I hate that I can’t just run where the road takes me-but I have to give detail t...

About the Author:

Jeremy “the tall trainer” Biernat is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Strength Coach, has his Bachelors in Exercise Science, and enjoys writing, speaking, and inspiring people online and in person. See his new book!  More importantly he is a husband, father, and follower of God. His practice is in upstate NY (Canandaigua) where he works with people in one on one and group sessions to make awesome changes in their lives. He doesn’t do everything perfect, cries in movies, and would love to hear from you. You can contact Jeremy by commenting to this post, emailing [email protected], or calling 1(800)380-7047. 

Please share this with friends!

About the Author:

Jeremy “the tall trainer” Biernat is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Strength Coach, has his Bachelors in Exercise Science, and enjoys writing, speaking, and inspiring people online and in person. See his new book!  More importantly he is a husband, father, and follower of God. His practice is in upstate NY (Canandaigua) where he works with people in one on one and group sessions to make awesome changes in their lives. He doesn’t do everything perfect, cries in movies, and would love to hear from you. You can contact Jeremy by commenting to this post, emailing [email protected], or calling 1(800)380-7047. 

Please share this with friends!

About the Author:

Jeremy “the tall trainer” Biernat is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Strength Coach, has his Bachelors in Exercise Science, and enjoys writing, speaking, and inspiring people online and in person. See his new book!  More importantly he is a husband, father, and follower of God. His practice is in upstate NY (Canandaigua) where he works with people in one on one and group sessions to make awesome changes in their lives. He doesn’t do everything perfect, cries in movies, and would love to hear from you. You can contact Jeremy by commenting to this post, emailing [email protected], or calling 1(800)380-7047. 

Please share this with friends!