Justin G. Walls, Certified Personal Athletic Trainer

From the IRS website : You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay to lose weight if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease). This includes fees you pay for membership in a weight reduction group as well as fees for attendance at periodic meetings. You cannot include membership dues in a gym, health club, or spa as medical expenses, but you can include separate fees charged there for weight loss activities. Many employers offers an FSA (flexible spending account) or HSA (health savings account) as part of their health care package. This means that you may be able to use the money from those accounts towards personal training. You need to do two things before jumping in and purchasing sessions: You need a prescription from a medical doctor, or a note from your health care professional describing your need for a personal trainer. You should consult with your tax advisor about writing off the co...

The constant battle with the scale can be unending and unnerving. Before you even consider using it as your guide to a healthy weight, you should really consider the alternatives: Body fat percentage : this is the most accurate measure of health and fitness. It means a low weight or lean person can have too much body fat and still have the potential for many ailments associated with being "overweight" including Type II diabetes and osteoporosis, for example. A heavier person with normal body fat percentage would actually be better off. Technology allows us to measure body fat percentage through a bioelectric resistance pad, which are those silver pads you can find on some scales. Make sure you purchase that kind of scale because it really appraises you of true progress- more lean tissue and less fat. See how you fall out on the chart below: Waist-to-Hip Ratio: this is another effective way to measure how much fat has accumulated around the abdomen. As a general rule...

In a recent UCLA study , a variant in the oxytocin receptor gene has demonstrated different expressions of empathy and social skills. In their study, those with one type of variant were predisposed towards depression. Oxytocin is generally related to certain types of outgoing behavior, generousity, and is also known as the "cuddling gene" (from orginal tests that oxytocin made rats cuddle). The study sheds light on an issue that certain people may not have the same fundemental psychological tools to cope with stress and other life challenges, leaving them predisposed and tending toward symptoms of depression. It's important to note that, according to this study: nobody is doomed to fail. It just means that you have to stimulate your own production of oxytocin. In a study at  SUNY Stoney Brook , scientists were able to link dopamine and oxytocin production to people who had a real goal (specifically: this study was about "falling in love"). The production of th...

I was reading a wonderful post from R. Stephen Baars titled: What is The Worst Word in the English Language? His point rings true for many people trying to get their workouts in regularly. So many external factors to blame: I have to do this for this person, that for that person. If you can't get it done for you, then how can you expect to get it done for them? Taking responsibility for the issues that surrounds you is the first step to being successful. If you can blame your life for your lack of time, then you will have to blame it for all of the health issues that WILL develop. How do you prioritize which jobs will get done and which won't?  As R. Baars himself notes: If you remove blame from your life, then you have no excuse but to succeed. Success is measured by getting the job done, not by finding excuses around it.

There is a fantastic blog post on the New York Times Science Blog Concerning the effect of strenuous exercise on patients suffering from excessive amounts of depression. There is very little news in this piece. The positive effects on dopamine production resulting from regular exercise has been  documented  by journals of psychology and neuroscience. The importance of this study is the KIND of exercise needed to see results: strenuous exercise. Getting on a treadmill and walking at 2.0 mph is ok for a start, but clearly will not "lift your spirits." Dopamine production is closely related to that feeling of accomplishment: wow, I just ran X number of miles or lifted X number of pounds. This is also related to greater neurosensory reception, meaning that your neurons connect better with your muscles, kinda like an upgrade from dial-up to broadband - you communicate faster. I am not advocating that someone exercise instead of seeking professional help, but the fi...

Sounds challenging? Not really. It requires some preparation. First off: you need to have some "me" time even on vacation. You may be with friends, family, whatever. Block out 30 minutes as "me" time. Second: shut off or put away the smartphone. They are great for keeping tabs on business while away, but for 30 minutes, you can "get away." Third: Locate the exercise area. Some facilities have a complimentary gym. If there isn't a gym. then you can try to find a local gym and ask about a day pass. Last resort: go for a run outside, initiate your own individual boot camp, or run up and down the stairs where you are staying. The worst thing that can happen is getting out of the routine. Vacationing should relieve stress from work. Stress causes tightening of blood vessels that can be counteracted through regular exercise. You have got to learn to love activity on your vacation time. Find something that you like, and go at it for 30 minutes.You will l...

People always ask, "How much exercise do I need to get?" There are actually different answers to that question: Average healthy adult under 65: The ACSM recommended  minimum exercise is 30 minutes of cumulative activity, five days every week. That's either 30 minutes on a treadmill, walking, jogging, or whatever activity that is a) cardiovascular and b) moderate intensity. This recommendation of ACSM is approved by many national health organizations, including the American Heart Assoc. (AHA) Strength training: Strength training makes a body look strong, lean, and upright with good posture. Strength training also has the important benefit of averting lean muscle loss. Lean tissue atrophies after age 25 in both men and woman, but takes a precipitous loss in men after 35 years of age. Weight lifting and axial loading stimulates bone growth, which is important as the rates of occurance in osteoporosis have become more common and prevelent in both genders at very young ages...