Walking Can Reduce Risk of Alzheimers

The hippocampus is a region of the brain responsible for our ability to learn and to remember.   As the incidence of Alzheimer's continues to rise, people are scrambling for ways to keep their brain sharp.  The good news is that exercise increases blood flow to the hippocampus which can help sustain new neurons.

Check out this link and the study that demonstrated that walking reduced Alzheimers by 48%.
Get out, get walking.

Stay Engaged,
Kelly
The Fall Prevention Lady



Here's the article:
 Hippocampus and Exercise for Better Memory 

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Nervous System 101 meets Fall Prevention

Here's an exerpt from new book, ABCs of Balance; Aging, The Brain and Coordination 

The nervous system does three things:
1.  Receive sensory input messages
2.  Interpret those messages and decide what to do
3.  Send a motor output

This continuous flow of communication is how we move through life.  The quality of the input messages directly affects the quality of the motor output.  A motor output is anything muscle-related.  Muscles get their information from nerves.  Neural impulses and hormonal responses are motor outputs.

Simply put, the better the input, the better the output.  Having your brain make decisions regularly improves the efficiency of the system.  These three steps must happen quicker than one-quarter of a second or you will fall down.

An efficiently running nervous system is the goal if you want to live life to the fullest while having a minimal risk of a falling down.  Heck, I want an efficient nervous system so I can move better through life, so my brain can function at it's highest potential and so I can feel and be the best me possible no matter what age I am.

Kelly Ward, Z-Health Practitioner  & Balance Expert

As a Z-Health Neuro-Practitioner and Nervous System Specialist, I believe maximized brain function requires active training of the brain structures; not passively thinking about life and envisioning the best me possible.  Your thoughts definitely influence brain patterns but I want to activate the entire nervous system and it's three functions.

Logically thinking, to improve nervous system communication I would think increase speed of the three functions of the nervous system; increased input message transmission speed, increased brain interpretation and decision making speeds and increased motor output speed.

To prevent a fall, training for speed only makes sense because the quicker the response, the less likely you are to lose your balance.

In order to increase reaction speeds, you need to know how to train the three components of the nervous system.  Personal trainers, strength coaches, yoga instructors and group fitness instructors teach motor output training techniques and classes.  ZHealth Brain Practitioners train the sensory inputs and the brain's interpretation and decision making skills in addition to motor outputs.

Motor output is only one part of the nervous system.  While it's important to maintain the muscles, tendons and ligaments,  if you want to reach your maximum potential, it's time to train the entire nervous system; not just one component.  It's time to start training the inputs!

1.  Input.
2.  Interpretation.
3.  Output.

That is the basis for everything we do.  The basis for how we move through life,  how we respond to environmental signals (both internal and external) and how we react to life's imbalances.   And as a nervous system specialist and Z-Health Brain Practitioner and Neuro-Performance Coach, I train the entire nervous system.

Next level training with the Brains and Balance Lady.  2020.  Neuro-Balance Training begins with the ABCs of Balance so you can understand what aging does to your body, your brain and
mostly, your balance so you don't Fall Down!

TO maximize the potential of your nervous system, supplement with collagen protein.   I recommend adding clean, grass-fed source of Collagen Protein to your diet.  Collagen is the building block for your nervous system and connective tissue.

Order your Great Lakes Collagen Protein today for the health of your nerves and nervous system.   Here's $5 off your first order: $5 Off Great Lakes Collagen Protein for Nerve Health

New Brain Cells. New YOU.

Neurogenesis.  Your brain produces new cells everyday.  In fact, your nervous system makes new neurons (basic cell of the nervous system) well into the ninth decade of life.   What does this mean to you?  You can change the way you move, your balance and your thoughts no matter how old or young you are.

Here's the catch; these new neurons need to be stimulated or they will die.  You have to do something to keep them alive.  The way to stimulate new neurons is to make new memories and learn new skills.

LEARN AND GROW.

What does that look like for you?

1. Get out of your comfort zone.  We are creatures of habit.  We do the same things everyday, we eat the same foods every week.   Try something new.  Go a different route to the store.  Walk a different direction around the track.  Try a new restaurant.  
2. TURN OFF THE AUTO-PILOT.  Quit going through life without being present.  People go to the gym and do the same routine with the same weights week in, week out.  They are not thinking about their breath, or their body    We are in one place physically but mentally, you're worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.  Be present.   
3. Learn new skills.  It's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.  Learn how to move your body in ways you've never imagined.  Learn a new language.  Take an art class.  Learn how to dance.  Gain control of your body through specific joint mobility drills.

In my Brains and Balance classes, you will do all three things necessary to stimulate newly formed neurons.  An added benefit from the sensory and motor skills you will learn in class is the ability to change the way your brain is wired; improve what you already have.  This is called Neuroplasticity.   

Stay tuned for my next blog about Neuroplasticity; the science of hope and the future of fitness and key to a fulfilling, engaged life. 

Why Your Eye Doctor Doesn’t Give You Vision Training Drills

We are a vision-dependent society.  In other words, we heavily rely on input from our eyes to help us navigate through life.  This is because vision is the number one input to the brain.  Our brain relies on visual information to decide how to move and where to go.

Each eye sends over 1.2 billion bits of information per second to the brain.  That is an enormous amount of information per second, per eye, flooding the brain.  The brain has to decide which information is accurate in order to act quickly and appropriately.    Appropriately means safe.

Each eye has 6 muscles!

What's interesting is that vision is brain-wide event; it's not just the transmission of information on the optic nerve.  Vision includes the occipital, temporal, parietal and frontal lobes and there are four components of vision necessary for good "vision".

As Z-Health Neuro-Performance Specialist, I implement brain-based drills to train the four
components of vision.  What's awesome is that every brain is different and therefore, each brain needs different types of activation.  Through assessment and reassessment practices, you learn the types of vision drills your brain craves and responds well to.

What's fascinating is that vision is a skill and like all other skills, it will improve with practice however you must train all four components regularly if you want to improve your vision.  

Clients are blown away with instant results and often ask, "Why isn't my doctor telling me how to do this?

One simple answer:  the applied neurology training techniques I use are cutting edge, neuroscience-researched practices based on the science of neuroplasticity.  Neuropolasticity is the science of hope.  Medical doctors can't give you hope or they'll get sued if it doesn't work.

Eye doctors sell glasses, eye surgeries and medications.    Physical therapists sell costly treatments covered by insurance and are driving up the cost of Medicare for conventional approaches to movement.  

The medical community, doctors and physical therapists included, are going to have to go back to school to learn the applied functional neurology training techniques that I am teaching because more and more evidence proves new things about the brain and nervous system

Brain-based training is the future of fitness.  If you want to move better and see better, you have to train the systems involved, from the brain's perspective.   Find a trained neuro-performance specialist (Z-Health Trainers) and learn how to activate parts of your brain that need activation.

If you've tried everything and nothing has worked, it's time to try something different!!!!
Train your eyes for better vision.  Train your brain with better visual input.

Get those eyes moving!

Goals #1 and #2 as certified Brain Exercise Therapist

As a health and fitness professional who studies the neuroplasticity of the brain and the enormous physical and mental benefits of brain activation, I have goals.  I want to make sure people understand the power of brain training and why they need to get started.

Kelly Ward, Brain Exercise Therapist 

I am an avid follower and studying practitioner of Dr. Eric Cobb's Z-Health Performance brain-based Solutions training and my number one goal is to "Re-educate those neural systems rendered dysfunctional from injury and disuse".   Dr. Cobb

Re-education of neural systems occurs via regular drills. Through comprehensive motor and sensory testing, I gather a picture of the brain's function and identify what needs more (or less) activation for optimal performance.

Once identified, I have my client do high pay-off drills frequently enough to make permanent changes.  It takes time to 're-educate the nervous system.  This requires behavior rehabilitation because a client has to do the exercises frequently and consistently to reap benefits on a permanent basis.

My second goal is to help you understand that big things come from little things.  I can guarantee that the drills you will do with me are new and unlike anything you have done with other trainers or health care professionals.  I do lots of 'sensory testing' and while these may not be huge "ah-ah"moments for you, I am gathering valuable data.

You don't have to have a background in neuroscience or know anything about the brain to work with me.  You'll probably hear me mumble things like 'right PMRF' or 'left saccule' or 'right side cranial nerve 7' but never mind me; I'm just gathering data.   The more sensory input, the greater the brain activation.  These little activations can have a huge impact on how you move.

As a certified Brain Exercise Therapist, I provide optimal sensory input to activate areas of the brain with decreased function.  These little drills add up.  When the brain feels 'safe' the pay-off is remarkable.  And pain-free.

Brain training. It's the future of fitness.  What have you got to lose?  Pain?  Poor posture?  Horrible balance?  Fading vision?  Yep, you can lose those things.

Let's re-educate your neural systems that have been injured or not used.  Subtle, small things can make a huge difference to your brain.  Let's get started!

Neck Flexibility Improves Posture and Balance

The spinal column is the highway of the nervous system.  Billions of neural messages are transmitted along the spinal cord each second; some descend from the brain to the body while billions of other messages take the fast route upward from the body to the brain.

An aligned spine facilitates quicker transmission of messages.
A properly aligned spine doesn't cause pain when moving.

TO improve your posture, sit in lengthened spine. Lengthened spine creates space between vertebrae which enables healthy nerve movement.

We need to make sure that we keep our body joints moving in the range of motion which God created them to move.  Starting your day with this neck exercise routine will prepare you for the day ahead with a smile and better balance.

Align your spine with these brain-based neck mobility drills.
Coach Kelly

Posture begins in Lengthened Spine

Studying Z-Health functional applied neurology, I have learned more about balance and the brain than I had ever imagined.  The brain determines not only how we move through life but also how we see, balance and think.  This information is so good, I have to share tidbits that will help you move better, balance better and see better.

Today I am going to talk to you about posture. Posture is a reflex and posture is controlled up to seventy (70) percent by your vision!  Wow, think about those two statements for a minute.  Posture is reflexive. And posture is driven by your vision.

The Fall Prevention Lady's Lengthened Spine Demo

First, posture is a reflex.  For those people (and I used to train people this way) who throw your shoulders back, stretch chest muscles, strengthen neck flexors, hold your head level and even get massages to reduce tension in upper back, you know that the minute you walk out of the training session, your posture goes back to the way it was when you walked in.

That's because posture is reflexive.  In other words, your brain is focused on a level horizon and despite life circumstances (accidents, bumps and bruises) and occupational hazards (poor posture from a desk job), your brain is going to keep the horizon level for balance purposes.

As a result, your head will tilt, bend and turn to keep vision level.  The body will adapt physically to whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level.  If you slouch your shoulders and stick your neck out all day to keep the computer screen level, then your body will adapt to forward head, shoulders slouched and whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level.

The scientific phenomena known as the SAID principle states that your body gets good at whatever you do, however you do it.  If you look at the floor while practicing your drills, you will get really good at doing drills while looking at the floor.  Look up and your balance won't be good.  Cracks me up when I see people wasting money on 'balance manuals' that demonstrate people staring at the floor while doing the drills.

If you want to improve your posture, your balance and your vision, I suggest that you get into lengthened spine.  I start all of my classes discussing how people are carrying their head on their shoulders.  The average skull weighs between 8-12 pounds.  When perfectly aligned, your vertebrae are aligned and the spinal cord is lengthened.  When the head is jutted forward, the neck muscles have extra strain and weight of the skull.

Let me explain how to attain lengthened spine since how you carry your head directly impacts your vision, balance, posture and strength.

Lengthened spine: Sit or stand tall; both feet on the floor facing forward, top of the back of your head extended up toward ceiling, chin level and tucked back.  Here's the kicker, tilt your front teeth SLIGHTLY down toward collar bone.   NOT EXCESSIVELY but down where you see a level horizon.   Keep your chin tucked back and yes, you now have a double chin but you're in lengthened spine!!!!

Every time you so much as think about your posture, get into lengthened spine and keep your eyes on a vertical target in front of you at eye level.  Practice lengthened spine for every vision drill and try to maintain lengthened spine during balance challenges and all dynamic joint movement drills.

Posture begins with your eyes and is a reflex to life's imbalances.  In my classes, I teach vision drills, balance drills and movement drills designed to activate the parts of your brain that crave activation in order to move well, balance well and see well.

It all starts in lengthened spine; shoulders are down, chest is lifted, pretend you have a string on the back of your head lifting toward the ceiling, your chin is slightly down, and your eyes are focused on a vertical target at eye level....NOT AT THE FLOOR.

Do this exercise throughout the day. Anytime your even think about your posture, immediately get into lengthened spine.  Your spine and your posture will thank you.  So will your brain.