Today’s PrimalMed Prescription…Go slow
Take it easy… and avoid the black hole of excessive chronic cardio
No, I wasn’t in Winslow, Arizona but I was taking a slow easy run yesterday and was listening to both the Eagles AND the Jackson Browne original of “Take it Easy” and my mind got to a thinkin’. What really is PrimalMed exercise, or more important, what are PrimalMed movement patterns that are in concert with our genetic blueprints?
Here’s the deal… lots of folks exercise excessively at a hard or semi-hard pace or intensity that is a CHRONIC stressor for our bodies. If you are “training for longevity” rather that training for an event or peak performance, then I would say…. Slow down…maximal gains can be made with less stress.
There is no doubt that movement= GOOD and daily exercise not only boosts your mood (google BDNF if you are curious) and leads to improved body composition AND can delay aging and minimize chronic disease risk factors if done correctly. I get asked all the time about marathoners who come down with cardiac issues such as atrial fibrillation, myocardial fibrosis and coronary calcifications from too much chronic cardio (please note that as a former marathoner, I have taken a keen interest in this topic). What’s up with that?.. Can chronic cardio be maladaptive?
PrimalMed sensible exercise balances stress and rest. If you go too hard, too often, your genes think you are always being chased by a tiger. Goin too hard too often has your body in a chronic stress pattern that increases appetite ( most folks tend to overeat after working out.. that’s called caloric overcompensation), and promotes inactivity for the rest of the day ( that’s called the Active Couch Potato Syndrome).
Goin too hard, too often chronically spikes your cortisol and tells your body to store fat so you can be prepared for the next tiger chase. You are in a chronic daily “fight or flight” stress response. Oh, and if that ain’t bad enough.. for you fellas…chronic high cortisol can cause your free circulating testosterone levels to tank….no bueno…
The PrimalMed take…move slow and frequent throughout the day ( avoid prolonged stillness) and embrace NEAT..non-exercise activity thermogenesis.. so your body is burning fuel at a sane slow steady pace. Check out the chart below..your caloric burn throughout the day is mostly your basal metabolic rate (like your heart and brain and kidneys functioning), as well as digesting your food ( bonus point.. eating protein has the highest thermic effect….25% of your protein calories go towards burning those calories) and activity.. the majority of which is constant daily slow movement.
And please don’t get hung up on the 10,000 steps a day. (The 10,000 step benchmark originated from a marketing campaign from a Japanese company (Yamasa Corporation) that hyped that number to promote their new step-tracker, building off the momentum of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics). I can assure you that if you only reach 9999, you won’t turn into a pumpkin. The latest research shows overall health benefits are achieved with as little as 6000 steps…besides… you know when you’ve been movin about and when you’ve been a lazy sloth….
Walk after your meals.. especially dinner! When you exercise…emphasize movement of all kinds and keep those run, bike, and other cardio sessions at a sane slow pace. Rule of thumb…conversational pace or 180-your age. So.. a 60 year old might want to keep his runs or rides at a heart rate of 120-ish. (To exercise geeks, this is called Zone 2 training and allows your body to access FAT as a preferred fuel and not need as much glucose ..During Zone 2 training you will increase your number of efficient mitochondria, and help to increase your metabolic flexibility….see last week.. You CAN be a fat-burning beast!)
Occasional bursts of intense exercise or movement, like sprints on the bike or road or elliptical or whatever mimic events of our Primal ancestors fending off the enemy and promoting optimal gene expression that make us more robust and harder to kill. It is a BRIEF ADAPTIVE stressor rather than a CHRONIC inflammatory stressor. Chronic overtraining is a “black hole” that is exhausting and make you ripe for overuse injuries. ( That sore achilles tendon didn’t just “happen overnight” if you dig my drift).
Last point… I promise….your body becomes good or efficient at whatever you feed it. If you do the same chronic cardio at a too fast pace everyday, your bodies metabolism slows down in an effort to be more efficient at that specific imposed demand, will burns LESS calories over time as an adaptation..and that may explain why so many get so frustrated that they are hitting the gym everyday and yet much to their dismay, still are not seeing results.
Today’s PrimalMed prescription… Embrace NEAT !!!! Embrace those Zone 2 workouts when you do your cardio. Going SLOW and “takin it easy” will allow you “feed your genes” and give ‘em the input they both need and expect !!!
BONUS QUESTION: What IS going on in the first photo?..please leave some comments!.. Like these musings?..Please share ‘em with your friends and family!…and ask them subscribe for free…….We can all use a little PrimalMed Prescription! Oh..and btw… here’s the OG 😎
Glad you like the content Nancy !!! Please share to your friends so they to can enjoy the weekly musings!
Hi Dr Metzger… 2 things
1. My husband and I have been doing a walk/run a couple of mornings a week. I used to be a big runner back in my younger years. Alan NEVER a runner. It has taken some getting used to changing it up and slowing down. Thank you for reinforcing the “slow it down”!
2. Alan knew immediately what the picture was about. We love the eagles and I have always been a big Jackson Browne fan!