Leg Bridges and Chest Flies from Body Smart. Photography by Beth Bischoff

Get ready for my Weekly exercise BodySmart:

This week: Advanced Core Exercise: 1 Leg Bridges with Chest flies-Core exercises can prevent not only low back pain but also improve your physical strength and stamina. Add to this core exercise a chest movement and you will have a phenomenal advance core exercise that will engage your upper and lower body in a challenging way promoting strength, chest definition, abdominal power and lower body conditioning.

Check out the previous edition of BodySmart! here you can read their last week edition FOR FREE check it out  here 

Shoulder Tapping from Body Smart- Photography Beth Bischoff

Fight stress with exercise! Get ready  for a brand new Super Body, Super Brain exercise from BodySmart. In this movement called “Shoulder Tapping” you will train your shoulders and your legs with one movement: your arms, your legs and your heart!

Whole Body Movements are the most popular line of research in the fitness community. I remember reading “Fascia Essentials you need to know” from IDEA Health and Fitness Association where stresses the importance of the fascia system and how whole body movements are critical to build a stronger connectivity between the joints and muscles. In this article that you can find online one of the most interesting findings was

Finding #1: The fascial system responds better to variation than to a repetitive program.
The evidence suggests that the fascial system is better trained by a wide variety of vectors–in angle, tempo and load (Huijing 2007).

What Helps build a Stronger Fascia

• Whole-Body Movements. Engaging long myofascial chains and whole-body movements is the better way to train the fascial system.
• Proximal Initiation.
• Adaptive Movement. Complex movement requiring adaptation click here to keep reading 

Whole body movements are more effective because it involves more muscles leading to better strength, our soft tissue system (Joints) to get stronger and our heart to increase blood flow to the different muscles improving our heart and muscles together! Whole Body movements will help you not only lose weight but increase lean muscle mass. My movement is based on professional sports and my inspiration was from playing basketball for over 17 years basketball basketball players practice tapping to improve defense then shoulder raise is one of the best movements to keep muscular strength on your arms and lets not forget your spine. Remember if you avoid strength training your muscles will die little by little so why not stop it now?

Check out BodySmart from Nomad editions where I write a column called “Move of the week  ” and shoot these beautiful videos. Lets start 2012 with Super Body, Super Brain moves!

No Walk in the Park: Factors That Predict Walking Difficulty in Elderly by Yale School of Medicine . This phenomenal study reports that one of the consequences of aging increases exponentially with the following factors:” Chronic Condition or Cognitive impairment, Low Physical Activity, Slower Gross Motor Function, Lower Extremity function and being hospitalized “

Health information can be the key for solving your aging puzzle and help you navigate aging gracefully and enjoying life more. Lets remember that aging starts at 30 not at 65. For many of you following my book and my line of research you know that I have been speaking about the causes of aging from a physiological point of view and believe me it starts much sooner that you think as early as 30! Why is this important? It is crucial because if we understand the biology of aging and what areas of the human body decline faster  maybe we can implement effective strategies such as specific exercise programs with the goal in mind of improving important functions of the human body such as a better brain muscle function and eventually prepare us for a better aging.

Lets go back to this phenomenal study from the Yale School of Medicine. I always wake up with the Science Daily: Mind & Brain News and one study pop out among others:

No Walk in the Park: Factors That Predict Walking Difficulty in Elderly by Yale School of Medicine . This phenomenal study reports that one of the consequences of aging increases exponentially with the following factors:

-Chronic Condition or Cognitive Impairment 

Chronic Condition is a disease that persists for a long time. A chronic disease is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

According to Medicine.net Mild cognitive impairment: Abbreviated MCI. A brain disorder in which thinking abilities are mildly impaired. Individuals with mild cognitive impairment are able to function in everyday activities but have difficulty with memory

Research is showing us that alternative treatment such as specific exercises or massage or even acupuncture can help us with chronic pain, let me suggest a great exercise to help you with chronic pain

Bridges from Body Smart-Nomad editions. Photography by Beth Bischoff

-Low Physical Activity

Physical Activity is defined to any activity that makes us move and function in a coordinated manner. When you turn this Physical activity into exercising your heart must be up to 50% of your maximum heart rate (MHR: 220-age) When we exercise in that range we are entering into the aerobic range  where studies have proven to be so beneficial for our health.

-Slower Gross Motor Function

Gross motor skills represent the abilities required to control movement of the large muscles of the body . The muscles required to perform gross motor skills are generally found in the arms, legs, back, abdomen, and torso. Unless trained these large muscle groups will experience decline in volume, speed and connectivity.

According to one of the best Neurobiologists in the country John Martin Ph.D and expert in the motor system explains how The motor systems of the brain and spinal cord control every movement we make, from the simplest to the most complex. Movements define us as humans every bit as much as our intellect, or our art. Movements have allowed us to excel over animals throughout evolution. Movement gives us mobility; to choose to go where and do what we want. Just as movements become hampered—such as weakness or paralysis after stroke or slowed by Parkinson’s disease—we loose something is important to us.

So I asked my Dr Martin this question: Why is the motor system so important  for the human being and for our aging process?

“Yes. It is our skills that got us where were are today! Certainly not our brut strength. Like a sharp intellect confers great advantage, so too do well honed skills. In many professions, like athletes, dancers, or surgeons, the need for motor skill is obvious. Most of the time it is not so obvious, but nonetheless important. Think about it, when you are trying to fix a loose screw in a pair of eyeglasses or tying a bow, driving a car, peeling potatoes”

EXAMPLE OF GROSS MOTOR SKILLS FROM SUPER BODY, SUPER BRAIN BOOK AND BODY SMART MAGAZINE

Gross Motor Skills by Body Smart. Photography from Beth Bischoff

-Poor lower extremity function

Lower Extremity Exercise for a healthy body from Body Smart Digital Magazine. Photography by Beth Bischoff

-Being Hospitalized

Being hospitalized it is an experience that no one wants to go through and it was really interesting that Yale School of Medicine pointed this factor as a critical one in the aging process. Even that is really important that in your rehabilitation process you add safe and effective exercises and a healthy and balanced diet.

My program is based on gross motor skills, balance, coordination, strength and lower body conditioning

Cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, auditory processes, motor coordination or executive functions like planning or multitasking deteriorate over the time unless used regularly

5 Tips to Prevent Cognitive Decline

TIPS:

1.- Keep your Mind motivated and your brain active in any field that makes you constantly learn: reading,  problem solving, brain fitness exercises, learning a language, playing an instrument or a memory game.

2.- Work your brain with movement. You can train your brain with movement in several ways:
a.- From left to right b.- From Front to back c.- From your sixth sense (proprioception) d.-From constant learning of  new movements  e.- Movement mastery f.- Practice cardiovascular activity daily. Check out some of my moves at Oprah.com

3.- Eating can influence your brain in a powerful way. Foods with high antioxidants, low fats, low sugars (apples, yogurt, berries salmon, walnuts, strawberries) check my article “12 foods that boost your brain power”

4.- Stay active- Keep yourself socially active and make sure you are surrounded by great friends:  you can join a book club, walking club or a gym. Staying socially active is really important.

5.- Avoid Stress! Practice daily meditation to make sure you achieve a powerful , calmer Mind and a more focused brain

Lets get with our health plan right now, thanks for reading.

Hand eye coordination from Body Smart. Photography Beth Bischoff

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Cross Chop from Body Smart. Photography by Beth Bischoff

WORKOUT TO INCREASE HEALTH, LOSE WEIGHT AND TONE UP FAST

Last week I was reading an excellent article from The New York Times on how Yoga can wreck your body. More and more research is supporting strength training with weights as the the most effective exercise program. If you do Yoga make sure you don’t push it too hard your joints may screaming few years down the line. Trick for Yoga do SUPER BODY SUPER BRAIN strength training on the side

In my post I want to help you to get ready for a phenomenal New Year 2012. Exercise can boost your immune system, create strength, shred inches and more!   Before we start with your program let me thank you BodySmart from Nomad editions where I write a column called “Move of the week  ” and shoot these beautiful videos. Lets start 2012 with Super Body, Super Brain moves!

Hand Eye Coordination Exercise: Hand eye coordination tends to decline with age unless trained properly. Think about it: when we drive, walk or work our reflex system needs to be fresh, young and in alert so we can react and take the wisest decisions that is why I am proposing an exercise to train this great inner strength.

Cross Chop exercise is one of the best exercises that tests core strength, balance, coordination, focus and cardiovascular. The inspiration of this SUPER BODY SUPER BRAINexercise comes from the Greeks where biomechanics, symmetry and focus were fundamental when comes to exercise performance. If you want to try this exercise give it a try: great for core, physical, balance and coordination

BOOKPERK OFFERS SUPER BODY, SUPER BRAIN FITNESS PLAN

BOOK SIGNING Super Body, Super Brain New Year offer

I am extremely thrilled to be part of an incredible offer by Bookperk the best Newsletter with the latest books in the market. Bookperk specializes in Pairing your favorite books with exclusive merchandise and author experiences! So we have been working together in bringing you an irresistible offer for the New Year

So i visited Bookperks offices last December to ultimate my upcoming Resolution offer:

Super Body, Super Brain Book signed

-Signed copy of Super Body, Super Brain

Sharpen your mind and get in shape at the same time, with an innovative new workout stimulating multiple areas of the brain as it strengthens and tones the entire body. Acclaimed sports trainer Michael Gonzalez-Wallace (O magazine’s “go-to guy” for anything about the body) shows readers a daily ten-minute workout that optimizes muscle power while boosting brain activity—training the brain by training the body.

Brain Muscle Workout dvd by Michael Gonzalez-Wallace-DVD "The Brain Muscle Workout"

-DVD “The Brain Muscle Workout”

-30 minute consultation fee

This offer will be live on January 3rd 2012 only @Bookperk so stay tuned

                                                                              Stay tuned for January 3rd Offer from Bookperk live at www.bookperk.com

Athletic Moves for the new Year. From BodySmart-Photography: Beth Bischoff

Best Super Body, Super Brain moves of 2011: Shred inches, Increase strength, stamina and muscle toning- Give it a try!

WORKOUT TO INCREASE HEALTH, LOSE WEIGHT AND TONE UP FAST

Get ready for a phenomenal New Year 2012. Exercise can boost your immune system, create strength, shred inches and more!  My Super Body, Super Brain Paperback has just been released but for now I want to share a great health program with you. Before we start with your program let me thank you BodySmart from Nomad editions where I write a column called “Move of the week  ” and shoot these beautiful videos. Lets start 2012 with Super Body, Super Brain moves!

Lets get started with these few moves that will increase your strength, reduce body fat, improve your cardiovascular function, increase your serotonin/ dopamine levels and energize you making you happier and healthier for the New Year 2012!

Brain foods and recipes

orbes features Michael Gonzalez-Wallace an Investment banker who went from promoting wealth to managing heatlh

Very excited that Forbes featured my book SUPER BODY SUPER BRAINand titled it: From Finance to Fitness. According to Forbes: “Meet Michael Gonzalez-Wallace creator of Super Body, Super Brain a fitness program that will help you get stronger and smarter, a former investment banker use his financial experience from managing wealth to promote health.. check out this segment@Forbes.com website:http://video.forbes.com/fvn/forbeslife/super-body-super-brain

As you move through Super Body, Super Brain’s innovative circuits—for little as 10 minutes a day—you will being to:

Results:

• -Improve your alertness and lessen fatigue
• -Become more mentally sharp with improved memory capability
• -Improve your mood
• -Lose weight and reduce your body fat
• -Strengthen your core muscles and tone your upper and lower body
• -Strengthen your heart and lungs and improve your endurance
• -Improve your balance and coordination
• -Transform your posture and become more flexible

As a powerful complement to these circuits, Gonzalez-Wallace has teamed up with a top nutritionist to create brain-boosting recipes that help maximize his program’s powerful results.

If you have a few minutes to spare, you have the power to look better, feel better, and tackle every day with more energy and efficiency than ever before!

Super Body, Super Brain

My SUPER BODY SUPER BRAIN PAPERBACK is finally here! My third format is here! Excellent for New Year Resolution 2012! it is your year! So excited that my publisher HarperCollins and HarperOne will publish my Paperback: SUPER BODY, SUPER BRAIN! Paperbacks are lighter, easier to go through all exercises, fast reading and very useful since you can take over 60 exercises and 20 recipes with you and lets not forget is cheaper and you can ask me questions about my book…thanks again! This is my link for my Paperback

What is Super Body, Super Brain?

Sharpen your mind and get in shape at the same time, with an innovative new workout stimulating multiple areas of the brain as it strengthens and tones the entire body. Acclaimed sports trainer Michael Gonzalez-Wallace (O magazine’s “go-to guy” for anything about the body) shows readers a daily ten-minute workout that optimizes muscle power while boosting brain activity—training the brain by training the body.

The Breakthrough Workout That Boosts Brain Power While Creating a Leaner, Stronger Body

While many fitness programs target the body, Super Body, Super Brain is the first workout that combines physical movement with cognitive stimulation. By challenging the body to coordinate multiple movements at once, these innovative exercise circuits actually create new neural pathways—all while delivering maximum cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening benefits. The result: a leaner body and a noticeably sharper mind. Best of all, this incredibly efficient workout packs hundreds of precise movements, and these extraordinary benefits, into as little as 10 minutes a day!

brain and exercise

Move, rest, read, move again, learn, stretch. Brain and Exercise make the best couple ever. Greek Philosopher Socrates said once “The Softening of the body involves a serious weakening of the Mind”. Lately there has been an increasing interest in the connection between the brain and the body. The Brain controls the body through motor networks involving voluntary and intentional  movement and sensory networks connecting our body, muscles, joints to the brain and informing where are we in space in a phenomena called Proprioception.

Not every movement is created equal.  Crossword puzzles, Sodoku, computer games, and DVDs—there’s no end to the products touting their brain-boosting benefits. But in this multimillion-dollar business, one crucial tool has been overlooked: the enormous power of physical movement.

For the last 10 years  I have been so  intrigued about the connections of the brain and the body that I wanted to share a  post explaining the partial scientific research for my book: Super Body, Super Brain.

There is an increasing interest on how Exercise can help our Brains. A recent study from scientists in Taiwan shed some light on what exercise can do to our brains. We can challenge our brain with movement. The more challenging the movement the more brain areas are involved. 

Result: Neural connections get stronger, new connections  are formed and new nerve cells are created among other benefits.

Extensive research is showing that may be up to us to challenge our brain NOT ONLY with words but with  MOVEMENT.

Here are the most important research fields in the area of the brain and exercise:

Enriched Environments. Exercise helps our brain work better but also create more synaptic connections.  When our brains and  bodies are in these enriched environments we are happier and in better shape than if we were in sedentary locations. Here is one of the most important studies showing the implications of exercise for brain health.

1.- Greenough, W. T., and A. M. Sirevaag. “Plasticity of GFAP-immunoreactive astrocyte size and number in visual cortex of rats reared in complex environments.” BrainResearch540, no. 1–2 (Feb. 1, 1991): 273–278.

6 months ago i wanted to know who is one of the top experts that is connecting physical exercise and cognitive function. So  I emailed  Dr  Arthur Krammer a Professor, Department of Psychology Director, Beckman Institute. Dr Krammer is one of the top scientists studying the connection of exercise and cognitive function. I wanted to ask him what were the implications of physical activity in one of the most important areas of the Brain: the hippocampus. Here is his original study:

2.-Krammer, Arthur F., et al. “Aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume in elderly humans.” Hippocampus 19, no. 10 (Oct. 2009): 1030–1039.

Cardiovascular activity is connected with intelligence: exercise your beautiful heart.  Can our heart makes us smarter? Charles Hillman Ph.D is a top scientist studying the connection of the heart  on cognitive function so I emailed him asking him about his research and his findings. My program uses actively the heart so I was extremely interested. He was so extremely nice when he answered me back with his incredible findings. Here is this groundbreaking study:

3.-Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Hillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF.

I still remember when neurobiologist Dr John Martin, expert in the motor system emailed me on a Saturday at 8 am revealing the incredible findings on the following study. Both of us have extensively discussed  that the more we use our brain the better brain connections and that same principle applies to physical exercise:  The study reflects that animals whose brains were challenged during exercise not only increased brain activity but also got smarter.  This is exactly what this revolutionary study says. New York Times mentioned it and did a great article about the study implications. This is the study:

4.-Jen, C. J., and H.-I. Chen. “Differential effects of treadmill running and wheel running on spatial or aversive learning and memory: Roles of amygdalar brain-derived neurotrophic factor and synaptotagmin.” Journal of Physiology 587 (July 1, 2009): 3221–3231.

With Neurobiologist John Martin PhD and my dad, another phenomenal scientist researching the immune system

It was May 6th 2005 when I was trying to make sense of my program. I found the incredible scientific research about the cerebellum: 50% of your neurons packed in an area responsible for balance and coordination! I found these great two retired scientists in Palo Alto who have been studying the cerebellum and they found out that the cerebellum also has powers to makes us smarter, think better, in other words the cerebellum is good  for cognitive powers!! Check out this wonderful study:

5.-Leiner, Henrietta C., and Alan L. Leiner. “The treasure at the bottom of the brain.”

We can create new neurons no matter our age! Yes! Neurogenesis is a process where we can create fresh new neurons. This process is very different from Neuroplasticity. Neurogenesis we know it happens in two sections of the brain: the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the Olfactory bulb. However when I was doing my research  I  found this great scientist in Turin, Italy where his team has just researched on how we can create new neurons in the cerebellum! Yei!! If this gets translated into humans (so far only rabbits were used in the experiment) it would have astounding benefits for aging, neurodegenerative diseases or teenagers and children brain development.  I always had the feeling that if we challenge the cerebellum via complex movements we can create more powerful connections and why not, new neurons!  Here is his wonderful research mentioned in my book:

6.-Ponti, G., B. Peretto, and L. Bonfanti. “Genesis of neuronal and glial progenitors in the cerebellar cortex of peripuberal and adult rabbits.” PLoS ONE yes that is the publication,

The key is motor plasticity. One of the most innovative trends that we know in fitness is that exercise complexity  increases attention, concentration and physical performance so i was so incredibly surprised when i found this study and its implications for brain activity when we learn more complex tasks: Like in Super Body, Super Brain!

7.-Selective synaptic plasticity within the cerebellar cortex following complex motor skill learning

Few years ago I emailed Dr Small A. Scott MD to ask him about about  his research and how could we create new neurons by exercising aerobically . His study focuses exactly in that area of research. New York Times titled an article “Lobes of Steel”. If we exercise our heart, at least 20% of the blood supply reaches the brain, so when monitor a specific section of the brain voila: new fresh neurons in this specific section of the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus showed up!…Fantastic news since this can have tremendous implications for Dementia and Alzheimer. This is his original study:

8.-Small A, Scott, Gage, Fred et al. “An in vivo correlate of exercise-induced neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus.” TK. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of United States of America, March 27, 2007  vol. 104  no. 13  5638-5643

Great Video showing the benefits of exercise from a Medical Doctor 

Once that I was developing my Super Body, Super Brain program I really found myself trying to research on the mechanisms that connect the central nervous system and the spinal cord with the rest of the body so when I found this study i was so excited since it says that when you train your body with specific movements it has spectacular physiological implications. These specific movements produces changes in the motor cortex and the spinal cord- The key is motor plasticity!

9.-Motor training induces experience-specific patterns of plasticity across motor cortex and spinal cord

DeAnna L. Adkins,^1,2 Jeffery Boychuk,^1,2 Michael S. Remple,^3,4 and Jeffrey A. Kleim^{1,21Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Hospital, Gainesville; 2Department of Neuroscience,}

I hope you have enjoyed reading my  journey and how all of us we can reach our maximum potential if we follow specific exercises: Plato in the voice of Socrates was totally  right:

He said: “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it”

biomechanics

From Nomad Ediitons/Body Smart- Photography: Beth Bischoff- Squat Trust: Core Squats with jumps

My new Super Body, Super Brain move of the week from Bodysmart magazine  is here! This week one of my most challenging moves. Get ready for a full upper and lower body workout. Jumping backwards from a full squat thrust position can add not only core strength but also cardiovascular benefits. Add the push ups and you have it a phenomenal full body workout and lets not forget the brain as well!

Full Body Workout- My Move of the Week: Squat Thrust plus jump backwards plus push ups!

 From a full squat thrust position with hands down on the floor with shoulder width jump backwards extending your legs completely and maintaining a proper posture alignment. If you feel this movement in the back means you are not strong enough and I will advice to not extend the legs completely click here to see a full description