The Sentinel: Exercise

Supercharge your brain, 20 foods that will boost your brain health

Ultra-processed foods have been trending lately, with health experts giving them more attention than usual because of their negative effects on people’s health.

Photo: David J. Boozer/Unsplash

by Matt Sheehan
OSF Healthcare

Dr. Tiffini Franada

PEORIA - Pondering what cooking options are best for your brain? Here’s some food for thought.

Tiffani Franada, DO, is a neurologist with OSF HealthCare who specializes in Multiple Sclerosis. Part of her passion is working with patients choosing brain-healthy diets and lifestyle, which prevents neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis.

The MIND diet

"The MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean diet, which is healthy fats, olive oils, fish, fruits and vegetables. And the DASH diet, which is a low-sodium diet,” Dr. Franada says. “It's particularly helpful for patients who live with hypertension (high blood pressure). The two of those combined seem to be very effective at preventing the development of Alzheimer's."

Patients on the Mediterranean diet often have lower levels of inflammatory markers in their spinal fluid. Higher levels are suggestive of Alzheimer's. Patients also perform better on cognitive testing, Dr. Franada adds.

Fiber-rich foods

"In regard to carbs, whole grains are probably best, and they have really good fiber in them. As well as things like legumes and beans which have good fiber levels, which make you feel full for longer," Dr. Franada says.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) lists many high-fiber foods here. Lentils, vegetable soups, whole-wheat bread and pasta make the list. As well as fruits and vegetables like apples, apricots, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.

Berries and antioxidant production

"Blueberries are great, really berries of all kinds. They really help that antioxidant production," Dr. Franada says. "For vegetables, leafy greens are really helpful. They have a good amount of folic acid, which helps to reduce homocysteine (amino acid) in the brain. Homocysteine promotes inflammation and shrinkage in the brain, and we want to reduce that."

“Fats are not the enemy”

The word “fat” oftentimes has a negative connotation to it. Dr. Franada says there are healthy fats out there that offer benefits to brain health.

"Fats are not the enemy. Healthy fats are good for the brain. Your brain requires them, like fatty fish (salmon), which have good Omega-3s in them. If you don't eat fish, flax seed is a great alternative," Dr. Franada says. "Walnuts also have great, healthy fat in them. As well as olive oil, which has monounsaturated fatty acids which protects against inflammation in the brain."

Lean meats, like chicken and turkey, can be good for brain health because there’s healthy amounts of protein and fiber in them, Dr. Franada says.

Don’t dismiss dark chocolate!

"Dark chocolate is great. Dark chocolate has good amounts of antioxidants. Of course, all things in moderation. But a dark chocolate square once a night, not a bad thing," Dr. Franada says. "Also, caffeine! Believe it or not, a cup of caffeine, like coffee or tea, can help with focus, attention and is helpful for the brain."

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids that help brain functions

Photo: Elena Leya/Unsplash

Dark chocolate benefits brain health by providing antioxidants that protect against oxidative stress and improve cognitive function. Its flavonoids enhance blood flow to the brain, while compounds like phenylethylamine and serotonin precursors help boost mood and reduce stress. Regular consumption in moderation may support memory, focus, and long-term neuroprotection.

Dr. Franada recommends having your caffeinated drink of choice early in the morning, right when you wake up, instead of later in the day. Having it later in the day can give you a lot of energy, which leads to you not sleeping well at night. Sleep is also extremely important for brain health.

Foods to avoid

Ultra-processed foods have been trending lately, with health experts giving them more attention than usual because of their negative effects on people’s health. High sodium, added sugars and excessive amounts of bad fat headline are the reasons why we should avoid them, with these elements being linked to diabetes, obesity and cancer.

Obesity is typically part of a metabolic syndrome, where a person has elevated blood sugars, blood pressure and cholesterol. This puts patients at risk for stroke, sleep apnea, Alzheimer's and many other health issues. Those risk factors can put someone at risk for neurological disease.

"Heavily processed foods are not great for the brain or the heart. Excess sugars, like added sugars, should be avoided as well. If you're going to have sugar, have something with natural sugar in it," Dr. Franada says. "Berries are much preferred to things with added sugars. Also, white bread and processed carbs should be avoided, too."

Effect on white brain matter

"There's some real-world data showing that the Mediterranean diet can prevent white matter changes on the brain, which are little white spots that develop on patients’ brains as they get older. It's also seen in patients with vascular risk factors," Dr. Franada says. "If you follow the Mediterranean diet pretty strictly, you can prevent getting those white spots. They also found people who adhere to that diet have better structural integrity. The left and right sides of the brain talk better to one another."

What about cheat days?

If you exercise five or six days a week and give yourself a “cheat day” where you splurge a bit, evaluate how the food feels in your body. Instead of packing on the calories and going bananas, Dr. Franada recommends reeling it in a bit and focusing on moderation.

"You'll probably start to recognize it doesn't feel so great," Dr. Franada says. "Maybe it's a chocolate dessert at night, or something smaller that you can do to still stay with your healthy diet, just in smaller quantities."

Dr. Franada cautions against super rigid diets that make you "fall off the wagon" after a few weeks. "You have to find something that's sustainable for you," Dr. Franada adds.

Strength training can help women live longer, healthier lives

by Paul Arco
OSF Healthcare

ROCKFORD - It’s no great surprise to read that men and women both benefit from working out.

But women may receive greater benefits from regular exercise than men, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Photo provided

Mary O’Meara
OSF Cardiovascular Institute

The study centered on the importance of exercise as a way to avoid dying prematurely. The researchers studied data from 400,000 people and found that women who exercised were 24% less likely to die early from any cause. Men who exercised, however, were 15% less likely to die early.

The study also revealed that the women who exercise had a 36% lower risk of dying from a cardiovascular event, compared to men at 14%. That’s important because women have twice the risk of dying from a heart attack than a man.

Mary O’Meara is a nurse practitioner with OSF HealthCare. She says society still views heart attacks more as a man’s disease. That’s simply not true.

“Usually, a male is feeling this really bad chest pressure, chest pain going in the left arm into the jaw, very pale. Women, very often, will just complain of fatigue, nausea or heartburn. ‘I feel wiped out. I just can't walk across the room. I need to sit down,’” explains O’Meara. “Unfortunately, that can be a sign of a heart attack in a female, and it gets missed quite often.”

While any movement is good, O’Meara stresses the importance of women incorporating strength and/or resistance training, such as lifting weights. Frequency and the amount of weight depend on the person and their situation.

Photo: MovePrivateFitness/Pixabay

“For a long time, women were encouraged to do more aerobics-calisthenics. We were always thought of as the weaker sex, I guess you can say, and we weren't really encouraged to do any weight bearing exercise,” says O’Meara. “A lot of research has come back that states that women should be focusing on weight bearing exercises for several different reasons.”

Strength training can also help women as menopause becomes an issue. According to O’Meara, hormones start changing between the ages of 40 and 50 – a time when women start losing muscle and see an increase in body fat. Strength training can help with that change, along with other health issues.

“We found that weight bearing exercise can reduce our risk of dementia and Alzheimer's, and also reduce our risk of osteoporosis, which is a big one,” says O’Meara.

O’Meara also has a nutrition tip for her patients. Protein, she says, is important for women to prevent muscle loss, especially during menopause. O’Meara recommends 30 milligrams of protein before and 15 milligrams after a workout, to help rebuild muscle that has been naturally broken-down during exercise.

Additionally, O'Meara is a proponent of healthy fats. She encourages patients to incorporate grape seed oils, olive oils, fish oils, flax seed oils, nuts and avocados into their diets. Her philosophy is that good fats battle bad fats, and good fats protect our heart.

O’Meara stresses that it's never too late for women to start exercising. Even a short walk or work around the home, for instance, can go a long way to a healthier future.

“You read many testimonials from people who were couch potatoes and never exercised,” she says. “And then, they go into these exercises and do wonderful things that have really made a difference.”

More articles:

Creatine: Kicking your fitness level up a notch or two, it can work for you

Photo: Alora Griffiths/Unsplash

by Matt Sheehan
OSF Healthcare

In the sports world, victory can be just inches or seconds away.

Photo provided

Dr. Karan Rai

BLOOMINGTON - Think about ‘The Longest Yard’ in Super Bowl 34 between the Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams. In the final play of the game, one yard was all that stood between the Titans and the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Or look at the 2024 Summer Olympics! Noah Lyles earned the United States a gold medal after winning by just five thousandths of a second in the 100-meter final.

Athletes look for game changers to help propel themselves ahead of the competition, and creatine has entered the chat.

Who does creatine work for?

“Creatine, when used appropriately, can improve your max power. It can help with muscle growth in certain individuals, it typically does not have as significant of an impact when you're doing more endurance-based sports," says Karan Rai, MD, a sports medicine physician with OSF HealthCare. "If you're a weekend warrior or CrossFit athlete trying to get a little extra boost, while practicing appropriate hydration and dietary intake, I think creatine has benefits.”

Dr. Rai adds that in the realm of supplements, creatine has been “decently studied over the years.” He says football players, power lifters and track sprinters could benefit from the supplement. However, if you’re training for an upcoming Ironman or triathlon, it’s really not necessary.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

It’s no surprise that extreme exercise increases the amount we sweat. With or without creatine, that’s reason enough to up your water intake. But Dr. Rai says with creatine, there’s an added reason to why water is so important.

“Commonly I'll find someone who is new to using a supplement and they'll come see me and talk about muscle cramps or excessive fatigue after their workouts,” Dr. Rai says. Oftentimes it's because of an imbalance in their intake, whether that's food intake or hydration."

If you already cramp constantly or are not as experienced in weight training, Dr. Rai would recommend caution in using creatine. He says to talk to your primary care physician or a sports medicine physician to see if creatine is a beneficial option for you.

Best times to use creatine

Before and/or after your workouts are times Dr. Rai recommends taking creatine. He says like most dietary changes, don’t rush it.

"When someone is using creatine, I recommend they start slowly. Typically, utilizing it before the workout and making sure your workout is power based vs. endurance-based matters," Dr. Rai says. “Just starting off, depending on the serving size, use one to two scoops.”

Careful with the caffeine!

Avoid a ton of caffeine consumption if you're using creatine. Caffeine can elevate the heart rate and creatine can cause cramping, so combining those things could lead to "adverse outcomes," Dr. Rai says.

"Supplements are meant for augmentation," Dr. Rai adds. “A healthy diet, hydrating appropriately while cultivating your goals, whether you're a power or endurance athlete, gives the max benefit. Really we should be looking at creatine or sports drinks as a way to augment and get that extra 5-10% we are pushing for, based off our goals.”

If you’re looking to add creatine to your lifestyle, Dr. Rai recommends creating an individualized plan with your doctor or sports medicine team.

Due to limited data, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend creatine for kids under 18.

5 tips for healthy hearing, maybe pickleball can help

Photo provided

BPT - Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, with many seniors roaring onto pickleball courts nationwide. But whether it's a friendly game or an intramural matchup, all senses must be engaged for the best play - especially our hearing.

Think about the last time you had your hearing tested. Was it recently? If it wasn't and you find yourself turning up the television or straining to hear conversations in crowded rooms, it's time to have an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist check your hearing.

According to the National Council on Aging (NCOA), hearing loss affects more than 60 million Americans ages 12 and older. By the time people reach age 65, more than 30% experience hearing loss, and that percentage only goes up as people age. The NCOA also reports nearly 30 million Americans could significantly benefit from wearing a hearing aid.

HearingLife + USA Pickleball

That's why HearingLife, a global leader in hearing care, has become USA Pickleball's official hearing care partner to raise awareness about the importance of hearing health and the dangers of hearing loss. HearingLife knows that participating in an active lifestyle - like a pickleball match - encourages an all-around healthy routine, including hearing care.

At select USA Pickleball events throughout the year, HearingLife is offering complimentary hearing assessments to attendees and players.

"Hearing loss can prevent people from doing activities they love, like pickleball," said Dr. Leslie Soiles, HearingLife's chief audiologist. "And it's ironic because these types of activities and exercises can actually help slow hearing loss. That's why getting your hearing checked is so important. It's a gateway to a more active, fulfilling life."

In addition to offering on-site services such as free screenings, HearingLife's presence will include educational resources on how hearing loss can impact not only athletic performance, but also overall quality of life. Visitors can also learn about the latest advancements in hearing aid technology, including devices that are designed to enhance clarity in noisy environments - perfect for sporting activities like pickleball.

The risk of untreated hearing loss

Many people brush off hearing loss and don't think about hearing as essential to health and longevity. Untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation, loneliness, social withdrawal and even problems at work if you miss instructions or don't understand coworkers. Worse, it can cause cognitive decline, memory problems and even increased risk of falls.

Caring for your hearing

You care for your teeth by brushing twice each day and for your body by eating right and exercising. What about your ears? Here are some ways to care for your hearing, from the pros at HearingLife.

1. Mind your exposure to loud noises. Loved those packed concerts in your youth? We did, too. For the reunion tour, it's wise to wear earplugs. That also goes for exposure to construction sites or loud machinery.
2. Monitor how long you wear headphones or earbuds. Turn down the volume of your favorite podcast or playlist, and don't wear the ear devices for an extended period of time.
3. Get regular checkups. Visit your hearing care professional on a regular basis, especially if you notice worsening hearing loss or other symptoms such as ringing in your ears.
4. Manage chronic conditions. High blood pressure, diabetes and smoking can contribute to hearing loss. Managing those conditions and quitting smoking helps keep your ears healthy.
5. Keep active. The improved blood flow you get from exercise is great for your ears. Walking, cycling, canoeing, working out at the gym, all contribute to good hearing health. Why not take up pickleball?

HearingLife is making it easy to get started. The company is sponsoring a giveaway to the USA Pickleball National Championships! One lucky winner and a plus-one can enter for a chance to win a three-night trip to Mesa, AZ, for the USA Pickleball tournament taking place Nov. 9-17. It's free and easy to enter: just visit https://www.hearinglife.com/pickleball-sweepstakes and submit your email. The winner will be notified on Oct. 23.

Keywords: USA Pickleball, hearing loss, hearing instrument specialist

Exercising in your golden years, the right way to go about it

Photo: Ketut Subiyanto/PEXELS

Exercising as you age is helps reduce the risk of many ailments like heart disease, Alzheimer's, high blood pressure and obesity. In general, doctors agree, people who maintain muscle mass as they age experience fewer health issues.

by Tim Ditman
OSF Healthcare

PONTIAC - With age comes physical limitations. But it’s important to stay active, says John Rinker, MD, an internal medicine physician who specializes in geriatrics at OSF HealthCare. When you keep moving, it helps reduce the risk of things like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, cancer and neurocognitive diseases like Alzheimer's.

In other words, Dr. Rinker says, it’s not fun to live long if you’re not well. Your lifespan versus your health span, as he puts it.

“It really, really pays to maintain exercise and be in good physical shape as you age. It reaps huge dividends on how long you live,” Dr. Rinker stresses.

Guidelines

Each person should have a tailored plan as advised by a health care provider. But regardless of your age, the American Heart Association (AHA) generally recommends 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 70 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week, spread out over several days. A brisk walk would qualify as moderate intensity (also called zone two training), while running, swimming or riding a bike would be vigorous. Vigorous exercise is associated with a term called VO2 max, referring to maximum use of oxygen. In layman’s terms, you’re breathing hard and conditioning the heart.

“Most of that type of [vigorous] training is at a higher interval. You’re going to get breathing really hard for three to five minutes while you sustain a pace that’s rather difficult. Then you’re going to rest and let that heart rate come back down. Then go back to the hard exercise,” Dr. Rinker explains. “That back and forth with the heart rate really helps to train how well your heart can pump blood to muscles. That’s a really good marker of how well conditioned you are.”

The AHA also recommends two days of strength training per week. That could be lifting weights, using resistance bands or calisthenics, where you use your body weight for resistance rather than equipment.

“I really like the strength training piece,” Dr. Rinker says.

“It doesn’t take a lot as you age to tension a muscle enough to maintain muscle mass. We really find that people who are able to maintain muscle more muscle mass as they age are going to do much better with those health span and lifespan issues,” he adds. “So, the goal isn’t to make everyone a huge bodybuilder. The goal is to decrease the rate of decline as we age.”

On the days you do strength training, aim for 30 minutes per day. Dr. Rinker says if you really want to lean into this area of fitness, consider getting a personal trainer.

Limitations

It’s important to work around your ability and not push through pain, Dr. Rinker says. If aging has brought back or leg pain, skip the treadmill and try swimming or a weightlifting session while seated.

“You want to make sure you’re not going to injure something further. That will create a bigger setback or other deficit that are not going to help you in the long run,” Dr. Rinker says.

The bottom line

From VO2 max to zone two to calisthenics, there are a lot of terms to keep straight. If you don’t want to overthink it, just remember to keep moving. Push yourself with some vigorous workouts if you can, but commit to some form of exercise regularly.

“Most of your day-to-day exercise [as an older adult] should be just basic activity,” Dr. Rinker says. “Think of a brisk walk. Walking at a pace for about 30 minutes where you could still hold a conversation with somebody, but it would be difficult to sing a song.

“If I can just get someone to walk every day, I think they’re going to be in good shape,” he adds.

Viewpoint |
Heart rate zones aren’t a perfect measure of exercise intensity

Runners make their way along the 2023 Illinois Marathon course through Urbana. Jogging and running are rudimentary forms of exercise important in maintaining excellent heart and cardiovascular health. The human body is remarkable in its abilty to adapt quickly to moderate- and high-intensity exercise.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

by Jason Sawyer, Bryant University

Aerobic exercise like jogging, biking, swimming or hiking is a fundamental way to maintain cardiovascular and overall health. The intensity of aerobic exercise is important to determine how much time you should spend training in order to reap its benefits.

As an exercise science researcher, I support the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendation of a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise, or 75 minutes per week of high-intensity exercise. But what does exercise intensity mean?

There is a linear relationship between heart rate and exercise intensity, meaning as the exercise intensity increases, so does heart rate. Heart rate zone training, which uses heart rate as a measure of exercise intensity, has increased in popularity in recent years, partially due to the ubiquity of wearable heart rate technology.

The way exercise intensity is usually described is problematic because one person’s “vigorous” may be another’s “moderate.” Heart rate zone training tries to provide an objective measure of intensity by breaking it down into various zones. But heart rate can also be influenced by temperature, medications and stress levels, which may affect readings during exercise.

Heart rate and exercise intensity

The gold standard for determining aerobic exercise intensity is to measure the amount of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide exhaled. However, this method is cumbersome because it requires people to wear a breathing mask to capture respiratory gases.

An easier way is to predict the person’s maximum heart rate. This can be done with an equation that subtracts the person’s age from 220. Although there is controversy surrounding the best way to calculate maximum heart rate, researchers suggest this method is still valid.

What happens when you reach your maximum heart rate?

The American College of Sports Medicine outlines five heart rate zones based on a person’s predicted heart rate maximum. Zone 1, or very light intensity, equals less than 57% of maximum heart rate; zone 2, or light intensity, is 57% to 63%; zone 3, or moderate intensity, is 64% to 76%; zone 4, or vigorous intensity, is 77% to 95%; and zone 5, or near-maximal intensity, is 96% to 100%.

However, other organizations have their own measures of exercise intensity, with varying ranges and descriptions. For example, Orange Theory describes their zone 2 training as 61% to 70% of maximum heart rate. Complicating matters even further, companies that produce heart rate monitors also have higher thresholds for each zone. For example, Polar’s zone 2 is up to 70% of maximum heart rate, while the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a zone 2 of up to 63%.

Adapting heart rate zones

Zone training is based on the idea that how the body responds to exercise is at least in part determined by exercise intensity. These adaptations include increased oxygen consumption, important cellular adaptations and improved exercise performance.

Zone 2 has received a lot of attention from the fitness community because of its possible benefits. Performance coaches describe zone 2 as “light cardio,” where the intensity is low and the body relies mainly on fat to meet energy demands. Fats provide more energy compared to carbohydrates, but deliver it to cells more slowly.

Because fat is more abundant than carbohydrates in the body, the body responds to the cellular stress that exercise causes in muscle cells by increasing the number of mitochondria, or the energy-producing component of cells. By increasing the number of mitochondria, the body may become better at burning fat.

While you don't have to be a competitive level cyclist, even at a low level of 30-60 minutes along with a healthy protein-rich diet has been proven to lower many health risks and help in the weight-loss process.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

On the other end of the spectrum of exercise intensity is high-intensity interval training, or HIIT. These workouts involve exercising at a high intensity for short durations, like an all-out sprint or cycle for 30 seconds to a minute, followed by a period of low intensity activity. This is repeated six to 10 times.

During this sort of high-intensity activity, the body primarily uses carbohydrates as a fuel source. During high-intensity exercise, the body preferentially uses carbohydrates because the energy demand is high and carbohydrates provide energy twice as fast as fats.

Some people who turn to exercise to lose fat may eschew high-intensity training for zone 2, as it’s considered the “the fat burning zone.” This may be a misnomer.

Researchers have found that high-intensity interval training produces a similar increase in markers for mitochondria production when compared to longer, moderate aerobic training. Studies have also shown that high-intensity exercisers build muscle and improve insulin resistance and cardiovascular health similar to moderate-intensity exercisers, and they made these gains faster. The main trade-off was discomfort during bouts of high-intensity exercise.

Moderate- or high-intensity exercise?

With varying guidelines around heart rate zones and conflicting evidence on the potential benefits of training in each zone, exercisers may be left wondering what to do.

In order to yield the health benefits of exercise, the most important variable to consider is adhering to an exercise routine, regardless of intensity. Because the body adapts in similar ways to moderate- and high-intensity exercise, people can choose which intensity they like best or dislike the least.

Swimming is a good activity to maintain heart and cardiovascular health.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Notice that the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendation for exercise falls under moderate intensity. This is equivalent to zone 3, or 64% to 76% of maximum heart rate, a range you can only meet in the upper levels of most zone 2 workouts. If you’re not seeing desired results with your zone 2 workouts, try increasing your intensity to reach the moderate level.

A commonly reported reason for not exercising is a lack of time. For people short on time, high-intensity training is a good alternative to steady-state cardiovascular exercise. For people who find exercising at such a high intensity uncomfortable, they can get the same benefit by doing moderate-intensity exercise for a longer period.

About the author:
Jason Sawyer is an Associate Professor of Exercise and Movement Science at Bryant University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

3 ways business executives can benefit from yoga and meditation

Photo: Elina Fairytale/PEXELS

BPT - The business world can be a stressful place. When working as a business executive, you can feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a leader in a world that requires relentless multitasking and decision-making. Inevitably, you'll feel burnt out.

While you may not be able to eliminate all the responsibilities and stressors in your life, you can incorporate mindfulness practices to help you better manage your thoughts and emotions. For example, practicing yoga and meditation can help you find moments of calm and clarity even on the most hectic workday. Check out these three benefits of yoga and meditation that can help business executives thrive and become better leaders.

1. Reduce stress

Stress is an ever-present co-worker for many executives. Between deadlines, managing teams and making important decisions, you can feel like you're in a constant state of tension. Integrating yoga and meditation practices into your routine can help you reduce stress. Even just a few minutes a day can make a huge difference.

According to the American Psychological Association, researchers have found that mindfulness meditation changes a person's brain and biology to improve mental and physical health. Whether you practice breathing exercises, yoga or a guided session, mindfulness meditation can help you reduce and manage stress at home and in the office.

2. Improve focus

Yoga and meditation are a great way to improve your focus. By focusing on your breath and the task at hand, whether it's a yoga position or a meditative mantra, you can clear your mind. Without the mental clutter, you can see the big picture clearly, allowing you to make strategic decisions that benefit your team.

Photo: Avelino Calvar Martinez/Burst

This improved focus isn't just a result of relieving stress and settling your mind. It can actually change the way your brain works. According to University Health News, researchers have found that yoga can greatly affect neural patterns in the brain, improving your ability to concentrate and focus. The next time you find yourself stuck on a problem or unable to concentrate on a project or proposal, take a few minutes to do a quick yoga flow or five-minute meditation.

3. Enhance leadership skills

To be an effective and inspiring leader, it takes more than smarts. Great business executives and managers must also have high emotional intelligence (EI), that is, the ability to monitor your own and others' feelings and emotions and use that information to guide your decisions.

While some people are naturally gifted with EI, you can build this skill and improve your leadership skills through mindfulness practices. According to a study published in the IIMB Management Review Journal, practicing yoga and yogic meditation can enhance someone's EI and improve managerial performance. Add yoga and meditation to your managerial toolbox and see how improving your EI changes your managerial style and positively impacts your projects and team members.

Start or deepen your practice to thrive

These are just three of the many benefits of yoga and meditation. By investing in your mental and emotional health through yoga and meditation, you can become a more effective business leader while balancing your work and personal life.

Whether you're new to yoga and meditation or want to deepen your practice, check out the teachings of practitioners like Keiko Aikawa's Himalayan Siddha Meditation workshop.

Aikawa is known as the "Yogmata," a supreme Himalayan saint who has reached the final stage of yoga and meditation called "samadhi" (equivalent to nirvana in Buddhism). She is the first female saint in history to reach samadhi.

Her books "108 Teachings," "Empty Your Mind and Achieve Your Dreams," and "The Road to Enlightenment" are great resources for developing and deepening your yoga and meditation practices.

You can also attend her upcoming workshop in New York and learn her teachings and breathwork firsthand. To learn more, visit yogmata.net/en_darshan.

Fitness Tracking Competition from NFL PLAY 60 launched, competition starts next week

by The American Heart Association

DALLAS - The American Heart Association and National Football League are asking classrooms, afterschool programs and other student groups to join the NFL PLAY 60 Fitness Tracking Competition from Jan. 22 to Feb. 9. The classroom with the most activity minutes in each of the 32 NFL club markets will receive a $1,000 grant with an additional $1,000 PLAY 60 grant awarded to the top classroom overall. The competition and the goal of NFL PLAY 60 is to increase physical activity in kids which impacts overall mental and physical wellness which is essential to help children reach their full potential.

The NFL PLAY 60 Fitness Tracking Competition takes place in the free NFL PLAY 60 app, (available for iOS and Android devices). The app invites users to select their NFL team and control personalized avatars onscreen with their own physical movement. Users can create custom workouts, earn special PLAY points and unlock cool NFL gear for on-screen PLAY 60 avatars. Using the Group Quickplay feature in the app's Teacher Dashboard, students will get active together adding to their classroom's total activity minutes. Educators can commit to participating now at heart.org/NFLPLAY60 and will officially register their student group via the app on Jan. 22.

"Working together with the National Football League on NFL PLAY 60, we're excited for continued ways to support getting youth across the country moving towards a healthier and more active lifestyle," said American Heart Association Chief Executive Officer Nancy Brown. "It's our 100th birthday and we're committed to making our future all about improving yours. Prevention skills as well as lifesaving skills, such as CPR, are critical to change health outcomes across generations."

The American Heart Association and the NFL offer students, teachers and families different ways to add movement minutes to achieve their daily goal of 60 minutes of play. In addition to the NFL PLAY 60 app, the NFL PLAY 60 Exercise Library features two-to-three minute on-demand exercise videos from each of the 32 NFL teams featuring players, NFL Legends, cheerleaders and mascots.

Lastly, the NFL PLAY 60 Fitness Break broadcasts are a series of three 15-minute synchronous broadcasts that get students moving with sneak peeks into the NFL season, including tentpole events like the Kickoff, Super Bowl and Draft. The last Fitness Break broadcast of this school year, the NFL Draft broadcast, will air on April 25 at 1 p.m. ET/ 12 p.m. CT/ 10 a.m. PT. Advanced registration is required.

Rooted in American Heart Association science, the NFL PLAY 60 initiative helps children develop healthy habits for a better chance of a healthy adulthood. The program encourages kids to get a minimum of 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day to meet the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans[1]. Reducing sedentary behavior and increasing physical activity are keys to immediate and long-term health for children.

"As proud partners of the American Heart Association, the NFL is excited to once again kick off the NFL PLAY 60 Fitness Tracking Competition to encourage students to achieve the daily goal of 60 minutes of play," said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson. "Through our NFL PLAY 60 app, we are providing youth across the country with an interactive and engaging platform to get moving with their favorite NFL teams."

The NFL and the American Heart Association have been teaming up since 2006 to inspire kids through fun and engaging ways to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. Information on NFL PLAY 60 resources and additional grant opportunities can be found online at heart.org/NFLPLAY60.