PROTIME-FITNESS HOLISTIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS

  EXTREME ATHLETES: PUSHING THE LIMITS Your body is an incredible machine. It can adapt to almost anything you throw at it—even running 100 miles through the mountains or cycling across entire countries. But what happens when you push it to these extremes? Ultra-endurance athletes are conducting a massive experiment on their bodies. They're the people who look at a marathon and think, "That's just the warm-up." We're talking about 24-hour races, multi-day cycling events, and swims that cross entire channels. Their bodies adapt in fascinating—and sometimes concerning—ways. Take the heart, for instance. An ultra-athlete's heart reshapes, growing larger and stronger to handle the constant demand. Scientists call it "athlete's heart," which sounds scary but is usually just the body's way of adapting. Think of it like upgrading your car's engine to handle longer races. But like any upgrade, it has its own manual and warning lights. Muscles and...

  AGE OPTIMALLY: EXERCISE IS KEY Many people assume that getting older means a more prolonged and painful recovery after exercise, but new research from Lancaster University suggests otherwise. A study published in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity challenges the widespread belief that aging muscles are more fragile and slower to heal. The findings offer encouraging news for adults over 35. The research shows that older adults and younger people tolerate exercise and report less muscle soreness following workouts. To put this in perspective, after analyzing data from 36 studies, researchers found that older adults experienced 34% less muscle soreness 48 hours after exercising, and 62% less soreness at the 72-hour mark, compared to younger participants. Creatine kinase measurements, an indicator of muscle damage, were also 28% lower in older adults each day after workouts. Dr. Lawrence Hayes, senior author of the study, noted, “These results overturn much of what we previou...

  WEEKEND WORKOUTS: ALL YOU NEED Good news for those who can't hit the gym daily: cramming your workouts into the weekend is as good for your health as spreading them throughout the week. A groundbreaking new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that "weekend warriors" can reap the same life-extending benefits as daily exercisers, as long as they hit 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. Think about it: that's just two-and-a-half hours total. You could knock that out with a long hike on Saturday and a pickup basketball game on Sunday. Or a couple of intense cycling sessions. The key isn't when you do it – you do it at all. The Science Behind the Sweat Researchers tracked more than 93,000 people in the UK using wrist-worn activity monitors (much more reliable than asking people to remember their workouts). They split participants into three groups: weekend warriors, regular exercisers, and those who barely moved. What th...

  EATING WELL: SCIENCE APPROVED Figuring out what really counts as good nutrition can feel like a maze with all the latest diets, trends, and conflicting studies popping up every year. But if you stick to the solid science that’s stood the test of time, some truths stay clear—and they don’t need a viral hashtag to back them up. Why the Mediterranean Diet Still Wins Fad diets come and go, but the Mediterranean diet keeps showing up as a winner in research. It’s all about loading your plate with veggies, healthy fats, whole grains, and fish. No calorie counting or complicated rules—just simple, proven eating that’s been backed by decades of solid studies. Foods That Deserve a Spot on Your Plate Leafy Greens Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are packed with vitamins like folate and minerals like iron. You don’t have to eat them raw; toss them in soups, smoothies, or stir-fries and enjoy. Small Fish Sardines and similar small fish bring in omega-3s, vitamin D, and calcium. They’re wallet-...

  BRAIN ENHANCEMENT WITH MOVEMENT Think working out means sweating buckets in a gym? Turns out, your brain doesn’t care where you move or how hard you push yourself—just that you do. Recent research from the University of South Australia, which pored over data from a quarter of a million people, makes one thing clear: any movement, no matter how small, helps your mind stay sharp. Stretching in the morning, taking a stroll at lunch, or even chasing after your kids all count. You don’t need to run marathons or lift like a bodybuilder to see benefits. The study found that gentle activities—like yoga, walking, or Tai Chi—delivered the most powerful memory and focus boosts. And if you enjoy those dance video games or Pokémon hunts, keep at it: active gaming turned out to be a surprisingly strong brain booster. Kids and teens with ADHD saw the most significant leaps in memory from regular activity. But adults and seniors aren’t left out—everyone showed better thinking and concentration w...

   SUPPLEMENTS: THE ESSENTIALS  Let's talk about supplements. Walk into any health food store, and you'll face walls of bottles promising everything from better sleep to eternal youth. But here's the thing: while most of us could benefit from a few well-chosen supplements, we don't need nearly as many as marketers would have us believe. Think of supplements like backup singers - they support the main act (your diet), not steal the show. Here's what matters, based on the latest science: Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin We're All Missing If you're like most people, you're probably not getting enough vitamin D. Unless you're a lifeguard in Hawaii, you might need this one. Recent research shows it's essential if you work indoors, live in a cloudy climate, or have darker skin. Your doctor can check your levels with a simple blood test. Omega-3s : Your Brain's Best Friend Remember when everyone's mom was pushing fish oil? It turns out she was o...

  EXERCISING: SHORT SETS WORK Want to get healthier but feel like you don’t have the time? Turns out, you don’t need much. New research suggests that just five minutes of the proper movement each day can kickstart improvements in your physical and mental well-being. A team at Edith Cowan University discovered that “eccentric exercise”—where you slowly lengthen your muscles while they’re under load—can have a significant impact, even for people who don’t usually work out. Imagine slowly lowering yourself into a chair, or easing down from a push-up. These controlled moves are simple, but surprisingly effective. Dr. Benjamin Kirk and Professor Ken Nosaka put this idea to the test. They asked people to do easy exercises like chair squats, chair reclines, wall push-ups, and heel drops—just 10 slow, steady repetitions for each. The results were impressive. In just four weeks, participants achieved significant improvements in muscle strength, flexibility, and mental health. As Professor ...