As the topic of mental health has gained attention over the past several years, you’ve no doubt heard a couple of related phrases you’re not familiar with. One is the vagus nerve. The other is heart rate variability. Here, we’ll delve into the vagus nerve and what it’s all about. … Keep reading…
Though heart rate variability (HRV) isn’t a new concept, its application in fitness devices, Sleep Number beds, and lifestyle trackers has made it a mainstream health and fitness measurement. But what is heart rate variability? How does your lifestyle affect it? Why is it such a valuable measurement to track … Keep reading…
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a common condition affecting many people, regardless of whether they play tennis. It occurs when the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to your lateral epicondyle (the bony bump outside your elbow) become inflamed, resulting in pain and tenderness.1American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. (2013). … Keep reading…
You’ve likely heard about the countless benefits of magnesium for overall health, but did you know it also plays a crucial role in sleep? As one of The 3 Pillars of VIGOR, getting sufficient quality sleep must be a nonnegotiable for anyone who wants to maintain good health. Unfortunately, many … Keep reading…
Over the years, I’ve noticed that people veer away from supplements with complicated-sounding names like nicotinamide riboside (NR). That could be what’s kept people in the dark so much about this specific form of vitamin B3. I have to admit that I ignored it for a while, when research papers … Keep reading…
It’s been six months since I fell off my bike, landed on top of my head, and broke my neck and damaged my spinal cord. From the morning after, when I got out of my hospital bed and stood up, we started talking about recovering in six months. When I … Keep reading…
It’s been three months since I broke my neck and sustained a spinal cord injury. I was planning to write an open letter to Regions Hospital about my experience, but after talking it through with Vanessa, decided it wouldn’t be the best use of time or mental energy. Instead, I … Keep reading…
It was a warm summer morning, July 30. Vanessa, our grandson Asher, and I were riding a single-track mountain bike course in Woodbury, MN. As always, I rode in the third position, ironically, in the event either of them ever had a bad fall. I came upon a skinny bridge … Keep reading…
When used appropriately, eccentric exercise helps you build more muscle and improves strength while giving your joints a break from the grind of concentric-focused, traditional strength training workouts. Unfortunately, eccentric training is often overlooked and underutilized. In this article, I’ll answer the following questions: I’ll explain how to combine eccentric … Keep reading…
In almost all cases, if you exercise after getting injured, you’ll recover faster, avoid unnecessary weight gain, and maintain better well-being than if you use your injury as an excuse to become sedentary. I’ve met many people over the years who explained they got injured years ago, stopped exercising, and … Keep reading…
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It’s that deep ache in your legs that makes it challenging to sit down without holding onto the arms of a chair, or the pain in your chest when you hug someone in the days following an intense workout. The good news is, it means … Keep reading…
Over the past decade, research has shown what the Finns and other Scandinavians have known for millennia. The sauna is good for you! I’ve outlined seven reasons you should sauna, and described how to sauna to get the most health benefit. I also included some of the most common questions … Keep reading…