Your GenX imperative to die harder and later!

After all, who wants to die earlier and easier?

Thanks for reviewing these Field Notes from Koach Dave [me], as owner and operator of Well Past Forty, LLC and as the designer of the 7s.fit training system.

Credit: Dreamstime

October brings us crisp mornings, shorter days, and [darn it again] the clocks falling back on November 1. It is also the season when too many of us quietly trade outdoor motion for the couch. Let’s not even think about that trade! Autumn is your and my prime time to make fresh deposits into your physical 401(k) so that you die harder and later.

Ten for our tenth month. This issue walks through the full 7s.fit framework, one practical fact per S, plus you get three bonuses as treats rather than Halloween tricks:

1. Strength (strongspan): the Zercher squat
2. Stability: one test item from the Berg Balance Scale
3. Stamina (windspan): Zone 2 sessions of 45 minutes or more
4. Stretching: how to over-stretch, and a dynamic warm-up for pickleball and oter weekend warrior activities
5. Sustenance: lung-friendly, anti-inflammatory whole foods, plus a zinc spotlight
6. Sleep: the hormones restorative sleep switches on
7. counter-Stress: resilience practices for busy adults
8. A fall call to action to thrive and strive
9. News on my upcoming book, Burden? or Banish!
10. The 7s.fit online training platform

And away we go on our down-aging journey…

1. Strength (strongspan): The Zercher Squat

The practical fact: The Zercher squat position means holding a barbell in the crooks of your elbows, in front of your body. That front load keeps your torso more upright and makes your trunk work hard to stay braced.

This wonderful squat variation is named for Ed Zercher, a 1930s strongman from St. Louis. You may recall that our August newsgram addressed the loaded back and front squats. The Zercher is their gritty and valuable cousin. The good folks @ Fitness Volt describe benefits of this great resistance move.

As I want you to surround yourself with valuable and cost-effective resources, I suggest that a Fitness Volt bookmark may come in handy 🙂

Yes, there are wikis and other credible resources that I intend to share with you regularly.

How to do a Zercher:

1. Set a barbell in a squat rack at about belly-button height, with safety pins set just below your bottom position.
2. Wrap the bar with a pad or folded towel. Dip under it and cradle it in your elbow creases, hands clasped or fists up near your chest.
3. Stand, step back, and set your feet about shoulder-width, toes slightly out.
4. Brace your midsection, then sit down between your hips, keeping your chest tall and elbows up.
5. Descend to a depth you can control, drive through your whole foot, and stand tall.
6. Start with 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps at a light load. Rest 90 seconds between sets. NOTE: If you don’t have a Squat Rack or Smith machine – you can still perform the Zerchers, albeit with lighter weights on the barbell or with a weighted bar.

Your Benefits:

• Upright torso. The front load lets many lifters squat with less forward lean than a back squat.
• Core and upper back. Your abs, obliques, and upper back must fight to keep the bar from pulling you forward.
• No shoulder rack needed. Lifters with tight or cranky shoulders who cannot hold a back-squat bar position often can hold a Zercher.
• A Real-life carryover. It mirrors hugging a heavy load to your chest, like a bag of mulch, a grandchild, or a moving box.

Adaptations:

• Too uncomfortable on the arms? Add thicker padding, or wear long sleeves.
• New to squatting? Start with a goblet squat (a dumbbell or kettlebell held at the chest) to learn the pattern.
• Limited depth or knee concerns? Squat to a box or bench, or start from pins set at mid-depth (a pin or “dead-stop” Zercher).
• No barbell? Hug a sandbag or a heavy medicine ball in the same elbow-crease position.
• Blood pressure or spine concerns? Keep loads moderate, breathe steadily, and check with your doctor or physical therapist before progressing.

2. Stability: Berg Balance Scale, Item 14 (Standing on One Leg)

The practical fact: The Berg Balance Scale is a 14-item test that physical therapists use to gauge fall risk. The top score is 56, and scores below about 45 are commonly linked to higher fall risk.

The final and hardest item is simple to describe: stand on one leg, without holding on, for as long as you can.

How it is scored (0 to 4 points):

Try it safely at home: Stand at a kitchen counter with a hand hovering just above it. Lift one foot a few inches, eyes forward, and count. Switch legs. Note which side is weaker.

Train it: Practice a single-leg stand while brushing your teeth, 2 minutes a day, alternating legs. Progress by turning your head slowly, then by standing on a folded towel. Falls remain a leading cause of injury for adults past 65, so this 2-minute habit is cheap insurance.

3. Stamina (windspan): Zone 2 for 45 Minutes or More

The practical fact: Zone 2 is steady, low-intensity effort, at roughly 60 to 70% of your maximum training heart rate. You can hold a conversation in full sentences, but you would not want to sing while exercising or doing ADLs in this important zone.

Why 45 minutes or more? Longer, easy sessions give your slow-twitch muscle fibers time to do what they do best: burn fat for fuel and build more, better mitochondria, your cells’ power plants. That is the engine behind a longer windspan.

Find your Zone 2:

• Talk test: You can talk, but you notice your breathing.
• Heart rate: About 60 to 70% of max. A rough estimate of max is 220 minus your age, so a 60-year-old’s Zone 2 lands near 96 to 112 beats per minute. Yes, every athlete is different, so this is merely a guiding start.
• Medications matter: Beta blockers and some other drugs blunt heart rate. If that is you, lean in on the recommended talk test and remember your doctor’s guidance.

Awesome Autumn options: a brisk walk or hike, easy cycling, rowing, an elliptical, or swimming. Aim for 3 sessions a week of 45 to 60 minutes.

Dose and Response. As I wrote in Understanding MET: Optimize Your Metabolic Health Today (May 2025), exercise follows a dose-response curve. There is a safe, productive range between too little and too much. Make a note that too much of a very good thing can become harmful. Zone 2 is where most of us can bank a large, repeatable dose with low injury risk and fast recovery. Save a smaller slice of your week, about 20% of your workout time, for harder and or more intense Zone 3 to 5 intervals for heart rate.

4. Stretching: Yes, You Can Over-Stretch

The practical fact: More flexibility is not always better. Over-stretching can loosen the ligaments and joint capsules that hold your joints stable, and it can strain the very muscles you meant to protect.

Signs you may be over-stretching:

• Sharp, pinching, or burning pain, rather than a mild pull
• Forcing a position with bouncing or a partner pushing you
• Soreness or joint looseness that lingers the next day
• Joints that feel wobbly or “give” during play.

Timing matters, too. Long static holds, roughly 60 seconds or more per muscle, right before explosive play can briefly reduce power and quickness. Save your long holds (aka static stretches) for post-workout or event, when muscles are warm.

=> A 6-minute dynamic warm-up for pickleball and padel. Both sports mix quick lateral cuts, lunges, and overhead swings, the recipe for calf, Achilles, ankle, knee, shoulder, and elbow injuries. Perform each move for about 30 to 45 seconds:

1. Brisk walk or light jog around the court to raise body temperature.
2. Leg swings, front-to-back, then side-to-side, holding the fence.
3. Walking lunges with a torso twist toward the front leg.
4. Lateral shuffles, both directions, staying low.
5. Calf and ankle pumps: rise onto your toes, then rock back to your heels.
6. Arm circles and cross-body swings, small to large, to prep the shoulders.
7. Wrist and forearm circles to protect against “tennis elbow” (common in paddle sports, too).
8. Split-step practice: small hops landing on both feet, ready to move.

Finish with a few easy dinks or gentle volleys before your game is on…

5. Sustenance: Whole Foods for Your Lungs, Plus Zinc

The practical fact: Your lungs get exposed to more of the outside world than almost any organ, from smoke to microplastics to fall allergens. Unprocessed, colorful foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds help you defend and repair your pulmonary tissues. After a summer of smoky skies, this is timely.

Top lung-friendly, unprocessed foods:

The flip side: go easy on highly processed meats, fried foods, and sugary drinks, which tend to fuel our “Inflammation Nation.”

MICRONUTRIENT SPOTLIGHT: Zinc

Zinc is a trace mineral your body cannot store, so you need some every day. It helps run roughly 300 enzymes that are catalysts for metabolism.

Why Zn?

• Prevent defense. Zinc supports the immune cells that fight respiratory infections, a strong reason as we head into cold and flu season.
• Healing. It is needed for wound repair and for maintaining the lining of your airways and gut.
• Taste and smell. A fading sense of taste or smell can be one sign of low zinc.
• Muscle and protein building. Zinc helps make the proteins your strongspan workouts depend on.

How much: The U.S. RDA is 11 mg a day for men and 8 mg for women. The upper limit is 40 mg a day from all sources. Adults past 60 are more likely to fall short of adequate ingestion/absorption, often stemming from lower appetite or medication side effects.

Best food sources: Oysters are a clear #1. Beef, crab, lobster, pork, chicken, pumpkin seeds, cashews, chickpeas, and yogurt are solid contributors.

Absorption tips: Zinc from animal foods is absorbed more easily. Phytates in whole grains and legumes bind zinc, so soaking, sprouting, or choosing sourdough can help.

On supplementation: More is not better. Long-term high doses can cause a copper deficiency and weaken immunity. Check your multivitamin first, and supplement only if your doctor suggests it.

6. Restorative Sleep: Your Overnight Hormone Shift

The practical fact: Sleep is not downtime. It is when your body releases the hormones that repair muscle, balance appetite, and reset your stress system. Skimp on sleep and your whole chemistry set runs on empty.

Koach’s takeaway: Deep sleep is front-loaded in the night, so a consistent, early-enough bedtime protects your growth hormone pulse. Aim for 7 to 9 hours – regularly. This image from KABOOMER shows the weighty impact of diseases and conditions that restorative sleep can counter or deter…

With the clocks falling back on November 1, use October to lock in a steady schedule: dim lights an hour before bed, keep the bedroom cool and dark, and get morning daylight to anchor your rhythm.

7. counter-Stress: Resilience for Busy Adults

The practical fact: Resilience is a trainable skill, rather than a personality trait. Like strength, it grows through small, repeated doses. You do not need an hour a day; you need a few minutes, done often.

Resilience practices that fit a packed calendar:

1. The physiological sigh (1 minute). Two quick inhales through the nose, then one long, slow exhale through the mouth. Repeat 3 to 5 times. The long exhale engages the calming, parasympathetic side of your nervous system.
2. Box breathing (2 minutes). Inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. Use it before a tough meeting or a hard conversation.
3. Movement snacks (2 to 5 minutes). A brisk walk around the block, 10 air squats, or a flight of stairs every hour or two burns off stress hormones.
4. Green time (10 to 20 minutes). Time outdoors among trees or water lowers perceived stress. October’s cool air makes this easy.
5. One real connection a day. A phone call or coffee with a friend. Strong social ties are among the best predictors of healthy aging.
6. A gratitude line (1 minute). Write down one thing that went right today, before bed.
7. Protect the boundaries. Set a screen curfew and one no-meeting block each week. Saying no is a resilience skill, too.

Koach’s takeaway: Stack one practice onto a habit you already have, such as the sigh while your coffee brews. Small, daily deposits beat occasional grand gestures.

8. Your Fall Call to Action: Thrive and Strive

October is not a season to hibernate. It is a season to harvest. Pick at least one challenge this month and put it on your calendar:

• Walk or hike tot take in the fall colors for a 45-minute Zone 2 session each weekend.
• Join a pickleball or padel ladder, and do your 6-minute dynamic warm-up before every match.
• Rake, split, stack, and carry. Yard work is functional strength training; hinge at the hips and brace like a Zercher squat.
• Sign up for a fall fun run, charity walk, or turkey trot to give your windspan a target date.
• Test your balance on the first and last day of October with the single-leg stand. Track your seconds.
• Get your flu and updated COVID shots, and ask your doctor what else is due. It is a deposit in your safespan.

9. Coming Soon: Burden? or Banish!

I am excited to share that my next book, Burden? or Banish!, is nearly on its way to sources for you.

10. Train with Me on 7s.fit

The 7s.fit online training and education platform brings all seven S’s together in one place: Strength, Stability, Stamina, Stretching, Sustenance, Sleep, and counter-Stress. It is built for adults who want practical, science-backed guidance to live strong well past forty.

That’s a wrap for October ’26. Enjoy the crisp air, protect your sleep as the clocks change, and keep making those physical bank deposits.

Talk to you in November.

/s/ Koach Dave, 7s.fit

This newsletter is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your exercise, diet, or supplement routine.

Sources

• Understanding MET: Optimize Your Metabolic Health Today, Strong to Save blog, May 2025
• Your Die Harder & Later Guide for August 2026, Well Past Forty
• 7s.fit Training & Education Package

Well, autumn looms for us who live in the Northern Hemisphere of our wacky world.

I am one who enjoys the cooler weather, though the shortening hours of daylight are less enjoyable. I can’t tell navy blue from black when choosing my socks in the wee hours of these darker mornings.

Bah-de-dah as an Earth, Wind & Fire singer crooned,

A Supplement to consider:

Shilajit Mushroom

In my practical lab “tests” – the two brands that I have tried increase bowel movements, a common effect, according to Dr. Google.

If you are interested in Shilajit mushroom supplements, I recommend that you begin slowly, with lesser daily quantities ingested until your gut and you know. And naturally be diligent as our government does not regulate supplements like this…

An Acronym to Remember

SB – no, I don’t imply that you might be a Sum of a B#$%&.

I casll out SB to denote Sedentary Behavior – which you know is unhealthy for too many reasons to count.

Calculators (or Estimators)

I often ask clients, listeners, and readers how long they think their health spans and life spans might be through their looking glasses…

To gain some plausible structure to fitness (health span years) and longevity (lifespan) years, I implore them and you to review/use some free on-line (anonymous) tools:

1. Ask the Norwegians, who are assuredly healthy and studious! This Fitness estimator is based on VO2 MAX levels

2. Health Age questionnaire from the book, The World’s Healthiest People

3. The American Heart Association provides a “Essential 8″ questionnaire to help you understand your 10-year probabilities of disease or coronary events

4. Dr. Thomas Perls’ Living to 100 calculator (spoiler alert – floss teeth, wear seatbelts, don’t smoke…)

5.A trusty ExRx calculator for Health Age

6. A Biological Age Calculator based on epidemiological data

Granted, none of these estimators are either precise or accurate. Yet there is a degree of accountability that stems from logging estimates and gauging trends – with or without interventions.

#YogaAwarenessMonth

Yes, I’m late to acknowledge what the practice of yoga can subtly or profoundly change in our bust lives. It isn’t too late to sniff around your local Yoga studios to check more discounts 🙂

Foot Yoga

As I wrote recently, I apparently have enough Viking DNA to generate what is called “Viking’s Disease” if you cannot spell Dupuytren Contracture of one or both hands. You probably know of a person – generally an older male – who has digits that look like this:

What I learned from my orthopedist is that this disease of overactive fibroblasts can occur in some folks’ feet too. As you know, I write with an experiential point of view to promote shared learning for us who intend to favorably intervene on life’s slippery slope.

* I was glad to hear that there isn’t evidence of thickened tissue on the soles of my feet. Yet, I learned that I have moderately skewed feet – from heel to toe. And arthritis is present in both mid-feet which causes swelling on the topside of my arch (the cuneiform region). My feet don’t have great arch heights, yet they aren’t flat feet either. And I have minor bone spurs on my heel bones (calcaneus). I suppose that I am lucky, as my feet have supported me thus far in my active lifestyle.

What I commit to is renewed celebration of what our lower limbs and feet do for us. And, I commit to proactive management of my wheels…

Having a leg to stand on is a good matter – yes? And I will continue to practice what I “preach” in articles like this and this.

Foot Yoga was recommended by my podiatrist – stay tuned for my experiences with self-paced foot yoga regimens …

Pilates – yes

Today’s Wall Street Journal had a fitting article for us guys who think we are gym-fit. That frontpage article is titled “Pilates is Making Gym Bros Shake like a Chihuahua“.

I appreciate these mindful movements. If you are a trivia ninja, research the history of John Pilates and when he conceived these wonderful movements. Yes, you can do floor Pilates without the newfangled gear in many studios :). If you are like me, you appreciate his offering, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness”. I’ll drink to that. How about you?

Stay tuned for our October newsletter. One key topic is “Buy In”. The ACSM published an article on commitment, which I heartily endorse.

I will also build on the topic of Foot health as I advance my “do as I do”.

Did I mention that Burden? or Banish! will be launched before the Holidays?

Or, are you locked and loaded for my unique training and education platform – 7s.fit?

Stay well past forty, and reach out whenever …

Koach Dave

September, 2026

Welcome back. As summer transitions into early fall, it’s a natural time to pause, assess our progress, tune up our routines, and reflect on what keeps us strong, resilient, and grounded. And yes, are you ready for some Football?

Let’s dive into this month’s top ten takeaways.

1. The Power of “Maingaining”

If you’ve spent any time in fitness or bodybuilding circles, you’ve heard of the endless cycle of “bulking” and “cutting” to achieve bigger muscles and lower body fat. But as we navigate mid-life and beyond, large weight fluctuations can strain our metabolic health, joints, and hormonal balance. Enter Maingaining: the art of maintaining your overall body weight while building muscle and shedding fat over time.

Instead of chasing drastic scale changes, focus on eating sufficient protein, maintaining a slight energy balance, and hitting progressive resistance training goals. Maingaining builds real, sustainable strength that lasts—without the burnout.

2. “No Time“

Next time “No Time” plays in your head, challenge yourself to just 7 minutes of focused effort. You’ll be glad that you did.

Here is a 7-minute full-body workout:

3. Cheers to National Beer Lover’s Day!

Did you know beer is one of the foundational beverages that shaped human civilization? Historical and archaeological evidence suggests that the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to settled agriculture was driven, in part, by the desire to farm grains like barley to brew beer.

It provided early societies with a safer, fermented source of hydration and nutrition. So on National Beer Lover’s Day, raise a glass to history—just keep it balanced and in moderation!

4. Even Biohackers Face Risk (and Mother Nature!)

High-profile biohackers like Bryan Johnson spend millions measuring every biomarker, optimizing sleep protocols, and tweaking longevity algorithms. Yet no amount of tech or blood testing makes us immune to the unexpected risks of daily life, accidents, or the raw forces of Mother Nature.

True resilience isn’t just about micro-managing variables in a sterile lab or clinic—it’s about building practical physical adaptability, mental agility, and recognizing our human limitations.

5. Lessons from Unplugging & Reconnecting

As late-summer travel winds down, many of us are returning from time spent off the grid. Disconnecting from screens, immersing ourselves in nature, and spending uninterrupted quality time with family and friends resets our nervous system in ways no supplement can replicate.

The Wall Street Journal offered an end-of-summer travel think piece titled Mental Health Benefits of Getting Away. Amen!

For my wife and me – a total solar eclipse viewed at sea was beneficial, fer sure.

Takeaway: Don’t let those benefits fade just because vacation is over. Preserve mini “off-grid” moments weekly—take walks without your phone, sit around a table with friends, and let nature ground you.

6. 25 Years Later: Remembering the Heroes of 9/11

This week marks the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. We pause to honor and remember the brave first responders, service members, and everyday heroes who showed extraordinary courage, selflessness, and sacrifice on that day and in the quarter-century since. Their legacy reminds us of the true power of community, service, and strength in unity.

7. Labor Day 2026: Work is Good Medicine

Labor Day celebrates the hard work that builds our communities, but purposeful effort applies just as much to our personal health. Moving your body, tackling difficult physical tasks, and engaging in active work isn’t a chore—it’s practical, affordable, and effective medicine. Physical labor and focused exertion build density in our bones, strength in our muscles, and resilience in our minds. Doing the work keeps us useful and vital. Just ask actor Tom Hanks.

8. Why Recovery is Essential for Windspan & Strongspan

In periodized training, hard work is only half the equation; adaptation happens during rest. Whether training for Strongspan (building and maintaining muscle, power, and bone density) or Windspan (aerobic endurance, VO2 max, and stamina), recovery days are non-negotiable. Quality sleep, proper nutrient timing, active recovery walks, and mobility work ensure that your and my body enjoy that vital “R&R” – to restore and recover.

9. 5 Mid-Life Fitness Benchmarks You Should Measure

How well is your body holding up in strength, mobility, and core endurance? Test yourself on these five foundational movements:

a. The Dead Hang

Tests your grip strength, shoulder health, and spinal decompression.

• Goal: Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip for more than 30 seconds (ladies) and at least 60 seconds (gentlemen).

b. Pushups

Tests upper-body pushing power and core stability.

• Goal: Maintain a straight plank position from head to heels while lowering your chest close to the floor and pushing back up. Aim for 10–20 strict repetitions.

c. Sit-to-Rise Test (SRT)

Tests lower-body strength, mobility, and balance.

d. One-Leg Stand with Eyes Closed

Tests proprioception, ankle stability, and vestibular balance.

• Goal: Stand on one foot, lift the other off the floor, close your eyes, and hold your balance for 10–30 seconds.

e. Hollow Hold (or Boat Pose / Navasana)

Tests deep anterior core strength and spinal stability.

• Goal: Lie on your back, press your lower back flat to the floor, lift your arms and legs slightly, and hold for 20–40 seconds (or hold a balanced Boat pose on your sit bones).

10. Five “Telling” Vital Signs for Successful Aging

Beyond standard lab tests, embrace, record, and celebrate these 5 vital indicators on your successful down-aging journey:

1. Body Temperature: Consistent thermoregulation reflects robust metabolic and autonomic nervous system health.
2. Resting Pulse & Heart Rate Variability (HRV): A lower resting heart rate coupled with good HRV indicates cardiorespiratory fitness and stress resilience.
3. Blood Pressure: Maintaining normal blood pressure (<120/80 mmHg under age 60) protects vascular elasticity, kidney function, and brain health over time.
4. Gait Speed: How fast and smoothly you walk is a measure of: your longevity prospects, lower extremity strength, and nervous system coordination.
5. Cognitive Sharpness: Executive function, memory retention, and mental processing speed are vital pillars for lifelong independence. Master that morning puzzle. Write a colorful limerick. Play a musical instrument… Just do ot.

Stay well past forty, keep moving, and keep investing in your health for the long haul!

Koach Dave

Thanks for reviewing these Field Notes from Koach Dave and 7s.fit

Summer’s grip means longer days, hotter afternoons, and for a growing number of us, smokier skies. For numerologists, astronomers or history fans, August has heavenly events to ponder, like Lionsgate, the no-kidding, best meteor showers in America, a total solar eclipse, and a lunar eclipse.

We face quite a month ahead in a crazy world. Because these are crazy times, I underscore the importance of self-interventions and personal risk management tactics to die harder and later.

Speaking of loco living, I offer this HAIKU about a front-page parasite that is sickening many and crashing salad sales in our retail stores. Yup, my repeat mention of Cyclospora is a tiny Elephant in the room that will hopefully go away – – –

Tiny Bugs in Food

Make our stomachs very ill

Wash all produce well!

Eight

For our symbolic eighth month of 2026:

1. Let’s consider how to safely train when the air itself is working against you,
2. Put real numbers behind our mind-body connection,
3. Self scan and care steps to actually listen to your body when it’s asking for rest,
4. Revisit the microplastics story with a heart-health lens,
5. Spotlight selenium as an interesting micronutrient,
6. Separating hype from evidence on isometric holds and effect on testosterone processes for women and men.
7. The Complex Move of the Month – The Loaded Back or Front Squat
8. Heavenly history and Lionsgate (see how I snuck in 8 topics for August 🙂
   And away we go on our down-aging journey to die harder and later……
   * Remember that human genetics set our stage (“nature”), our daily self-directed interventions (“nurture”) dictate how long we stay on the stage and and how well we act (applause is accepted here)…
   
   1. When the Air Itself Is the Obstacle: Training Smart Through Suspect or Armageddon air quality (AQI)
   
   Wildfire smoke isn’t a once-a-summer inconvenience these days. It’s a recurring, almost apocryphal feature of both life and the training calendars of millions. And, despite the Clean Air Act, Americans still face plenty of environmental hazards that impact our livelihood.
   • Canadian wildfire smoke has elevated air quality to unhealthy levels across parts of the Northern USA and southwestern Europe, and most KABOOMERs living anywhere near the western half of the country have learned to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) the way they used to check the weather.
     Our EPA’s AQI chart here scales from 0 to 500 that rolls up several pollutants ‚ most critically PM2.5, the fine particulate matter in smoke that’s small enough to lodge deep in your lungs and cross into your bloodstream. The quality scale runs in these bands:
     
     | AQI Range | Category | What It Means for Training |
     
     | 0 -50 | Good | Train outdoors as normal |
     | 51-100 | Moderate | Fine for most; sensitive groups take note |
     | 101-150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups *| Sensitive groups scale back or move indoors; healthy adults can continue moderate activity with awareness |
     | 151-200 | Unhealthy | Everyone should reduce prolonged or vigorous outdoor exertion |
     | 201-300 | Very Unhealthy | Move training indoors |
     | 301+ | Hazardous | Stay indoors; this range is an air quality emergency |
     
     “Sensitive groups” include older adults, anyone with asthma, COPD, or heart disease, and pregnant women. I for one, fall into this limiting category for calendar years. If you are like me for a sensitive rating, more conservative thresholds in this table apply to you, even on days when the general population is told it’s still fine to train outside.
     
     **A timing trick worth knowing.** Wildfire smoke exposure research suggests that PM2.5 particle inhalation during exercise tends to run higher in the morning than in the afternoon or evening . Why? As the day swarm, the air column near the ground expands and dilutes particulate concentration. If you have flexibility in your schedule and the AQI is borderline, an early-evening session may expose you to meaningfully less particulate than the same workout at sunrise.
     
     What might I do at each level of the announced AQI?
     
     AQI 101-150: In this gray zone, shorten the workout or activity length. Drop intensity from Zone 2/3 work down to Zone 1 (see Windspan), and self-scan for symptoms . Any coughing, chest tightness, unusual fatigue, or headache are a signal to stop, not push through.
     AQI 151+: This is a indoor day, not an outdoor one for cardio. A stationary bike, treadmill, rower, or even a brisk pace around an air-conditioned mall or a big-box store should keeps your weekly stamina deposits on track without hazardous exposure.
     – If you must be outside: A well-fitted N95 mask offers meaningful protection against particulate matter. [A basic cloth or surgical mask does not.] Keep windows closed at home, run a HEPA air cleaner if you have one. Set your car or home A-C unit to recirculate rather than pull in outside air.
     *Know your emergency signs: Shortness of breath or chest pain during smoke exposure warrants an immediate call to your doctor or 911. This isn’t a good moment to be stoic or foolhardy.
     
     A Koach takeaway? A bad smoke (AQI) day isn’t a lost day for proper exertion. It’s a day to make your stamina deposit indoors instead of outdoors.
     —
     SPECIAL TOPIC:
   • Mind-Body Alignment: Putting a Number on It
     Mind-body alignment (MBA) isn’t mystical or impractical. ‚In this context, MBA is your the practical skill of noticing what’s actually happening in your body as you move, recover, or awaken.
   • The Number 2 (minutes) A simple entry points: a two-minute body scan before your workout (feet, knees, hips, low back, breath. Is anything tight or feeling off today?), breathing deliberately through your nose during Zone 1 work, and paying attention to which side of a lunge or press feels different from the other. This isn’t separate from your Strongspan or Windspan training ‚ it’s the awareness layer that makes both safer and more effective.
     
     Putting a number on cognitive health: CANTAB.
   • Some of you have asked about CANTAB (the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), after learning of it from a source like OURA. CANTAB is now run commercially by Cambridge Cognition. Consider it a validated tools to “guesstimate” human memory, attention span, executive function, and processing speed.
     Note: CANTAB usage generally require going through a professional or a research study. One free path is to join a research registry like the Brain Health Registry, that invites adult volunteers to complete brief online cognitive assessments (including CANTAB tasks like Paired Associates Learning) every six months, at no cost, while contributing to Alzheimer’s and brain-health research. You won’t get a private diagnostic report the way you would from a clinician, but you will get a legitimate, research-grade way to track your own cognitive performance over time. And you’ll help to advance brain science in the process.
     
     => If you prefer a periodic professional check instead, ask your physician about a standard in-office cognitive screen (such as the MoCA) . These office screens take about ten minutes and gives a useful baseline, especially once you’re past 60 (as I am).
     
     SPECIALTY Topic: Listen to Your Body as Prudent Self-Care
     
     Frankly, self-scanning is a hard skill, as it runs against the “no days off” instinct that got most of us here in the first place. Yet knowing when to make a withdrawal from your physical 401(k)‚ instead of forcing another stressful deposit is itself a form of strength.
     
     **The “above/below the neck” rule.** A long-standing sports medicine heuristic for training through minor illness: if your symptoms are confined above the neck ‚Äî a mild stuffy nose, minor sore throat, sneezing ‚Äî light to moderate exercise is generally fine and won’t slow recovery.
   • However, ff self-scanning suggests symptoms below the neck‚ such as chest congestion, body aches, fever, GI upset, or unusual fatigue ‚ that’s your body asking for rest and recovering. Training through a fever in particular is genuinely risky; it can worsen dehydration, strain the heart, and in rare cases contribute to serious complications like myocarditis.
     
     Now, the distinction between discomfort of training (adaptation) vs. a sensory signal of harm should be made.
     *Adaptation discomfort: DOMS sensed after a strength session or stamina workout, heavy breathing in Zone 2 efforts, and the sensory burn of the last few repetitions in a set can be expected (and desired).
     *A signal of harm may be a sharp or localized pain, chest pain, dizziness, unusual shortness of breath, or a joint that feels “wrong” rather than tired. This feedback is not something to push through, journal, or reframe as toughness. Stop, rest, and if it persists or is severe, call your doctor.
     
     *Recovery is training too! I have read three articles in recent weeks about the growing importance of proper recovery efforts as we age. This isn’t a new idea for Strongspan and Windspan practitioners. Deload weeks, 48-72 hour rest windows between muscle groups for resistance sessions, your built-in rest days. All of these are actual elements of training progressions. If you’re sick or injured, the deposit you make by resting properly protects the larger sum you’ve already banked. A missed week rarely erases meaningful progress; training through illness or a real injury can set you back months.
     
     If you don’t do self-scans regularly:
   • Invest a minute or so to monitor and journal your mojo‚ energy level, sleep quality, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, hydration, mood, and abnormal soreness. Do invest in the vital self-awareness that makes “listening to your body” more than a slogan. Over time, you’ll start recognizing your own early warning signs before they become a bigger problem. Yes, X-factor appliances or applications can help. Yet you should be the judge and jury, even when that Apple watch, Whoop, or Oura ring isn’t available.
     
   • Microplastics and Your Heart‚ New Research
     
     I’ve written on microplastics before. Yet credible cardiovascular research has moved fast enough to warrant my fresh look.
     
     A landmark 2024 study in the *New England Journal of Medicine* examined patients undergoing surgery to clear plaque from their carotid (neck) arteries. Those whose plaque contained microplastics and nanoplastics were ~ four times more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, or death over the following years than patients whose equivalent plaque was plastic-free.
   • Both the research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2025 meeting, and a newer study in the *European Heart Journal* found these particles circulating in and around the heart‚ with early associations to chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes too.
     
     Right – – – these are observational, associational findings of possible correlations. They suggest that microplastics show up alongside cardiovascular risk. They don’t yet prove that plastic itself is the direct cause. That acknowledged, the biological plausibility appears to be growing. Lab studies show these particles can trigger oxidative stress and inflammation in vascular tissue, which can elevate arterial plaque in general.
     
     Another reason not to smoke! Cigarette filters are made largely of semi-synthetic plastic. Studies have found that smoked filters shed thousands of microscopic fibers. Research measuring microplastics in lung fluid has consistently found that smokers carry significantly higher microplastic burdens in their airways than nonsmokers, with levels dropping (though not disappearing) after quitting. So while the arterial-plaque studies and the smoking studies are separate research threads, they point in the same direction.
   • Toxic inhalation is a major, underappreciated route of microplastic exposure, and smoking measurably increases it as another cardiovascular risk with long known risks about smoking and heart disease.
     Defensive and Preventive efforts
     – Favor glass, stainless steel, or ceramic over plastic for food storage and drinking water, especially for anything hot (as heat accelerates particle-shedding from plastics).
     – Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers.
     – Vacuum and dust regularly‚ household dust is a documented source of ingested and inhaled microplastics.
     On this unhealthy subject of inhaled plastics and environmental toxins, think about the alarming statistics of unhealthy molds found in residences and office buildings.
     —
     MICRONUTRIENT SPOTLIGHT: Selenium
     Selenium is a trace mineral your body uses to build selenoproteins ‚most notably glutathione peroxidase, that is a key antioxidant enzyme. It also plays a supporting role in immune function.
     
     *How much you need. The U.S. RDA for adults is 55 micrograms (mcg) per day. The tolerable upper limit is 400 mcg/day from all sources combined ‚though it’s worth knowing that European regulators have set a more conservative upper limit around 255 mcg/day, reflecting some disagreement in the research on where the safety margin should sit.
   • Either way, more of this micronutrient is not better. Selenium is one of the few nutrients where a healthy diet alone typically covers your needs. Ddeficiency is genuinely uncommon in the U.S. and Canada thanks to selenium-rich soil and varied diets.
     
     Best food sources:
     – Brazil nuts are a most concentrated source, at roughly 70 mcg per nut. One or two nuts a day comfortably covers your RDA. This is a case where less truly is more: a small handful can push you toward or past the daily upper limit in a single sitting, especially if you’re also taking a multivitamin or dedicated selenium supplement.
     – Seafood – like tuna, sardines, halibut, and shrimp are all strong sources.
     – Meat, poultry, and eggs are reliable, moderate sources as part of one’s normal healthy diet.
     – Sunflower seeds and whole grains smaller but meaningful contributions, depending on the selenium content of the soil they were grown in.
     
     *On supplementation. Because dietary deficiency is rare in North America, routine selenium supplementation generally isn’t necessary unless a blood test shows you’re actually low, or you have a specific thyroid or health condition your doctor is managing. If you do supplement, check your multivitamin’s selenium content first. Stacking a multivitamin, a dedicated selenium supplement, and a daily Brazil nut consumption habit is one way that people unknowingly approach the upper limit.
     
     Signs of excess (selenosis)? A garlic-smelling breath, a metallic taste, brittle hair and nails, and gastrointestinal upset are typical signs. These are rare but worth knowing if you’re a heavy Brazil nut enthusiast.
     
     *Bottom line: Enjoy one or two Brazil nuts a day, a normal intake of seafood, poultry, and eggs, and you’ve almost certainly got this one covered without needing a supplement.
     —
     Isometric Holds and Testosterone level‚ Separating Signal from Hype
     
     Isometric positions‚ like a deep squat hold in free space or as a Wall Sit‚ are popular and for good reason. But let’s be candid about what evidence supports, since not every claim floating around our fitness world holds up under scrutiny.
     
     What are isometric squat holds good for?
     – Blood pressure reduction. This is the best-documented benefit by far. Multiple studies show isometric training ‚wall squats and handgrip holds especially ‚ lowers resting and ambulatory blood pressure by a meaningful margin, in some comparisons rivaling or exceeding what aerobic or dynamic resistance training achieves, for less weekly time invested.
     -Joint-friendly loading. Because there’s no repetitive impact or momentum, isometric holds let you load muscles and connective tissue hard while keeping stress on the joints comparatively low ‚useful for KABOOMERs managing arthritis or working around old injuries.
     -Functional carryover. A deep squat hold directly trains the strength and mobility pattern behind getting up and down from the floor, a chair, or the toilet without using your hands ‚one of the clearest markers of independence in later decades.
     
     Heavy, dynamic, compound lifts, like loaded back squats and deadlifts near your working max 1RM, are best for triggering a short-term rise in circulating testosterone and growth hormone. Thus far, isometric holds specifically haven’t shown that same clear, consistent hormonal signature. Now, that doesn’t mean isometric holds do nothing for him or her hormonally. Time-under-tension (TUT) in large muscle groups like your quadriceps and gluteals could contribute something to “T” processes. But current evidence doesn’t support isometric holds as a reliably potent testosterone trigger the way some fitness content implies. This applies equally to men and women, since both sexes produce and rely on testosterone for muscle, bone, and metabolic health, and both show similar patterns in what the strength-training literature has found so far.
     
     Koach’s recommendation?
   • Do held deep squats when your hips, knees and ankles are prepared – that is. Endured Glutes to Ground squats are physical medicine for blood pressure regulation, joint resilience, and of course functional strength for your activities of daily life (ADLs).
   • – Just don’t do them expecting a “T” hormonal bounty. If that’s your goal, your heavy dynamic lifting days are a better-evidenced tool for “Mister T” levels.
     
     Starting Steps:
     Remember that you are a unique athlete, so these protocol steps may need to be adjusted for your own strengths and weaknesses. 1. Stand with feet shoulder-width, lower into a squat where your thighs are roughly parallel to the ground (or as low as you can control with good form).
     2. Hold, keeping your chest up and weight through your heels, for 20 -30 seconds to start.
     3. Rest 60-90 seconds; repeat for 3 sets.
     4. Progress by adding hold time (up to 60 seconds) before adding a light external load (holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest).
     5. If you have knee or hip issues, check with your physical therapist or doctor for selecting a safe squatting depth before progressing.
     
   • That’s a wrap for August ’26
     
     Stay smoke-smart, keep listening to what your body is telling you (or trying to tell you), and keep making those physical bank deposits whether you are indoors or out.
   • Talk to you in September.
     /s/
     Koach Dave, 7s.fit
     
     *This blog is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your exercise, diet, or supplement routine.*
      
   • ps – BOLO for sequential nutritional posts that my colleague, Hafsa Abid, is authoring.

Author: Hafsa Abid, Nutritionist. Peer reviewed by Dave Frost

Note: Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a synonym for Time Restricted Eating in this combo nutrition and fitness post.

Overview:

IF/TRE isn’t about what you eat — it’s about when. Growing research points to real healthspan and lifespan benefits for many of us:

✅ Supports healthy weight management & insulin sensitivity
✅ May promote autophagy (cellular repair)
✅ Linked to better heart & gut health
✅ May support quality sleep & healthy aging

Popular methods: 16:8 · 14:10 · 5:2 — pick what fits your life and what can be sustained.

💡 Key reminders:

• Break your fast with whole foods, not sugar/processed carbs
• Pair with protein, fiber & the right exercise intensity
• Not for everyone — pregnant/breastfeeding women, kids, those with eating disorder history, or underweight individuals should skip it.

Bottom line: The best plan isn’t the most extreme — it’s the one you can sustain for life. 🌱

Not medical advice — talk to your healthcare provider before starting.

The complete article can be downloaded, and devoured (after you break your fast, that is 🙂

From WELL PAST FORTY

Greetings and thanks for checking in! Hafsa and I are pleased to share our sweat-based and science-backed hacks to help you on your journey to thrive and strive into your nineties!

Hafsa’s targeted nutrition weblogs are ongoing …

What’s in store for you in this month’s post:

• what professional athlete training data tells us,
• the lettuce outbreak that’s made national headlines,
• a supplement worth a second look,
• how to train smart as outdoors temperatures climb, and
• the muscle-preservation strategy every GLP-1 user over 40 should know.

1  Professional Athlete Training Hours and “MET-Hours”

1. Let’s consider the volume and intensity of two elite athletes that are in the news this summer.  One is from Cycling and the other from the world’s most popular sport – soccer (Futbol).

Tadej Pogčar (cycling)

• This Slovenian reportedly invested 578 hours on 200 rides, or ~ 9–10 sessions a week for his Tour de France workups. A notable wowza fact is that his “low intensity” rides are done at ~ 330 watts for hour after hour.  Yes, Tadej also has exceptional sprint power at over 1300 peak watts. Yet it is his unique training volume at “low” intensity that dazzles a guy like me who thinks he develops pretty good wattage in his sport…
• His resting heart rate is a high mark for freaks of nature – at a guesstimated 30-33 bpm (His UAE cycling team keeps absolute metrics for the world’s greatest cyclist a secret.)
• His estimated VO2 maximum is 94.
• What is most amazing to me is that his heart rate variability (HRV) – a  true sign of a well-managed, not just high-volume professional, is what I label as sky-high (estimated 115-130 milliseconds). He works very hard, yet his recovery is astounding.
  •                 (I ask my clients to become true students for methods to lower their own HRVs so that they can bounce back without injury or sickness).

• Kylian Mbappé (world football)

Remember  that elite team-sport performances are tracked internally  and in secretive fashion (GPS distance, high-speed running metrics, sprint counts). Metrics are rarely released for our inspection. Thus clever sports analysts are my source of guesstimated  volume and intensity for arguably the world’s premier striker at this time.

2  Food Safety: America’s  2026 Cyclospora Outbreak, and How to Avoid Being Next

Sadly, the U.S. is on pace for its worst cyclosporiasis year on record: with 1,645 confirmed cases and 141 hospitalizations across 34 states. Currently more than 5,100 additional illnesses are under investigation. On July 16, the CDC and FDA traced a five-state cluster (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia) to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell stores, sourced from a single Taylor Farms de México supplier; Yesterday, Taylor Farms began pulling lettuce from that distribution channel.

Why lettuce is our main culprit (this time)

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite spread through food or water contaminated with human fecal matter. Yup.

Pre-washed, bagged, or shredded greens are handled and mixed at scale before they ever reach a restaurant or store, so one fecal-contaminated source can taint a very large batch for many of us. Because Cyclospora can take up to six weeks to be confirmed in a lab, outbreaks are often bigger and further along than headlines suggest.

Your Risk Management?

• Favor whole heads of lettuce over pre-washed bagged or shredded salad mixes when you can — they’re harder to contaminate at scale and easier to inspect.
  • * Discard the outer two to three leaves of a head, then thoroughly rinse the inner leaves under running water before eating.
• Watch for recall notices on bagged salad brands rather than assuming “it’s just produce, it’s fine.”. Cyclospora doesn’t wash off with a quick rinse the way dirt does.
• If you develop watery diarrhea that won’t quit, often with fatigue, cramping, or loss of appetite, and you’ve eaten shredded lettuce recently, please alert your doctor! Cyclospora needs a specific stool test and a specific antibiotic (it won’t resolve on its own the way a typical stomach bug might).

Source: CDC and FDA outbreak investigation updates; Michigan Dept. of Health & Human Services consumer guidance, July 2026.

Now – let’s put “FoodNet” official outbreaks in historical perspective, with a little help from Claude.ai:

“There was essentially no systematic tracking before 1996 — the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak is what pushed CDC/USDA to build FoodNet. Our Nation has seen ups and downs since the Center for Disease Control established FoodNet for us…

We have seen real declines in E. coli thanks to targeted meat-industry rules. Yet rising numbers for several other pathogens (including Campylobacter, Listeria, and now  Cyclospora.)

• Much of that “rise” is better diagnostic tests catching cases that used to slip through, not necessarily more actual illness. Our national burden estimate (~48 million sickened/year) has stayed fairly flat for a while. Yet, since last summer( 2025), our CDC has limited mandatory FoodNet reporting to just Salmonella and STEC (e.coli).
• Sooooo, several pathogens — including Cyclospora — are outside mandatory reporting (until caught)
• Food-safety journalists have directly tied this summer’s messy outbreak response to that gap.

Mass-produced vs. locally sourced: Large-scale producers have more resources for testing and traceability, and paradoxically their outbreaks are often easier to detect precisely because the cluster is big enough to trigger a statistical signal (small local outbreaks can go unnoticed). But centralization means one contaminated source gets blended into batches reaching tens of thousands of people nationwide — exactly what happened with this month’s lettuce story. I presented both sides rather than picking a winner, since it’s more of a values/policy question than a factual one.

Join me in a shout out to our Public Broadcasting System (PBS) for an eye-opener that I commend to you and your “digestion” – https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/what-happened-in-5-previous-outbreaks-of-foodborne-illnesses-at-restaurant-chains

Of local remembrance for folks like me in San Diego: ten years ago, a San Diego restaurant chain get very bad press for its e.coli propagation from lettuce.

A Bottom Line?

Be eternally vigilant for clean sourcing of “farm to table” produce and for meat supply chains.

Duh – invest a few more seconds to wash your hands.

Your gut may thank you!

Keep in mind: While a robust microbiome is your amazing defense system, it isn’t invincible.

If you consume a massive dose of a pathogen—or if your microbiome is weakened by a poor diet, stress, or recent antibiotic use—an infection can still take hold. This is why habits like thorough handwashing remain your vital first line of defense!

3  Supplement Spotlight: Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Let’s ponder and possibly consume adequate measures of this “conditionally essential nutrient.”

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) is a chemically active form of carnitine associated with brain health. It’s the one worth knowing about heading into your forties and fifties, when “where did that word go?” moments creep in.

According to our nation’s Office of Dietary Supplements factsheet for health professionals, carnitine ”plays a critical role in energy production. It is an essential cofactor that helps transport long-chain fatty acids into our mitochondria so that they can be oxidized to produce energy – adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Carnitine also helps transport some toxic compounds out of the mitochondria…

=> About 95% of total body carnitine is stored in heart and skeletal muscle.  

* Average bodies need about 15 mg/day of carnitine from a combination of dietary sources and endogenous synthesis. Foods of animal origin provide most of the carnitine in American diets. A typical omnivorous diet provides about 24 to 145 mg carnitine daily for a person weighing 165 pounds. In contrast, a vegan diet for a person of the same bodyweight provides about 1.2 mg carnitine. That is clearly inadequate!

Dosing and caution

Studied doses typically range from 1,500 to 3,000 mg/day, taken for at least several weeks before effects are assessed. Up to roughly 2,700 mg/day is generally considered safe for most healthy adults. Mild stomach upset is the most common side effect.  

Source: Examine.com; NIH Office of Dietary Supplements; Healthline supplement review, 2026.

4  Safely optimize Your Training when the heat is on

Peak summer means peak heat stress on a workout — and the right fix isn’t to “tough it out,” it’s a short, deliberate acclimatization block. Anyone who has seen a sufferer of heat sickness or  heat stroke knows how important it is to avoid, and deal with these sometimes deadly conditions!

Stats

Among athletes at all levels, exertional heat stroke deaths have averaged about 3 per year since 1995 in the U.S., per the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research . That number hasn’t improved despite decades of prevention education, mostly clustering in high school football.

Zooming out to the general population :

• Our CDC’s documented baseline for an average year sees about 67,500 heat-related ER visits, 9,235 hospitalizations, and 702 deaths nationally.
• And for 2023, the hottest year on record at the time, saw 119,605 ER visits for heat illness — a 20% jump in the ED-visit rate over the 2018–2022 average, with July/August visit rates running nearly 50% above the prior peak.

The core protocol

• Heat adaptation takes about 7–14 consecutive days of exposure — shorter blocks give partial benefit, but the full effect (lower core temperature, more efficient sweating, expanded blood plasma volume) needs the full window.
• Aim for roughly 60–90 minutes of heat exposure per session, at moderate intensity (around 60% of your max effort) — it doesn’t need to be your hardest session of the week to work.
• If you can’t train outdoors in the heat, passive exposure works too: a 20–30 minute sauna or hot bath immediately after a regular workout, on consecutive days, produces meaningful adaptation — useful for anyone whose summer schedule or joints don’t love outdoor heat training.
• Time it right: complete your heat block one to three weeks before any event or trip to a hot climate, since adaptations fade at roughly 2–3% per day once heat exposure stops.

Non-negotiables while you adapt

• Start every heat session already well-hydrated — don’t try to out-drink dehydration mid-workout.
• Expect early sessions to feel harder at the same pace or weight than usual; that’s the stimulus working, not a sign something’s wrong.
• Back off immediately for dizziness, confusion, or stopped sweating — those are heat illness warning signs, not “push through it” territory, and matter more the further past 40 you are.

Source: Gatorade Sports Science Institute; International consensus statement on training and competing in the heat (Racinais et al.); Korey Stringer Institute, 2026 guidance.

5  GLP-1 Maintenance Doses: Keeping Body Mass Down and Strength Up

As more readers move from active weight loss into GLP-1 maintenance phases, the question shifts from “how much weight” to “what kind of weight?”

This “what?” concern is real: at higher doses, GLP-1 medications can pull 25% to 40%+ of total weight loss from lean mass rather than fat. And older adults with lower baseline muscle are hit hardest — grip strength and functional measures like chair-rise time can drop 5–10% if nothing is done to counter it.

What actually preserves muscle and function

• Absorb your daily protein target of1.2–1.6 grams per kg of body weight per day during active loss. You may get by with less protein (1.0–1.2 g/kg) once you’re in maintenance, though adults over 65 do better staying at the higher end (1.4–1.8 g/kg) since older muscle needs a bigger protein stimulus to optimally respond.  
• Resistance training is the single biggest lever: supervised strength training combined with adequate protein has been shown to preserve — or even increase — lean mass despite the caloric deficit. This matters more than any other variable on this list.
• Rate of loss matters: losing weight faster than roughly 1–2% of body weight per week sheds a larger share of muscle.
• Track function, not just your poundage on scale. The simple free check is whether you can still lift the same weights (squat, press, row) as you lose pounds. If your numbers hold, you’re likely preserving muscle; if your lifts drop sharply, that’s worth flagging to your care team.   

Source: AJMC coverage of ADA 2026 symposium; 2026 clinical guidance summarized by Ubie Doctor’s Note; GLP1Toolkit.io.

Until net month:

train safely in the heat, wash your hands, and emulate the recovery methods of elite performers!

Coach Dave

ps – drop me a line if you please : dave@wellpastforty.com

Summer Fitness, Sport, and Winning Your Longevity Match

Happy summertime (in the Northern Hemisphere).

Yea for longer daylight hours, a brighter sun, and hopefully for a boost of your mojo. Let’s take our fitness outdoors, redefine our limits, and celebrate returns on our invested capital of time, talent, and sweat for our physical banks.

This month, we showcase peak performance, grit, and unwavering community spirit. Watching elite athletes raise their trophies of victory can inspire us to for our own health journeys.

Agony, Ecstasy, and Trophy

What a month it has been for sports fans. just We witnessed the high-stakes end of professional hardcourt and season on ice. I say, congratulations, to our new NBA and NHL champions. Those two squads again showed that championship glory is often built on discipline, resilience, and teamwork. Yes, a freak of nature, like the Spurs’ 23-year-old Wemby [Victor Wembanyama], can impose his physical presence, with his 8-foot wingspan and size 20 shoes. Yet, there is no “I” in team.

Shifting to a sport on ice, I shout out (and wish him a happy birthday today :)) to the Carolina Hurricanes’ backup goalkeeper, Brandon Bussi. Those minutes on ice were his minutes to shine on a very big stage. As a nostalgic guy, I also assert that a Canadian team will win the coveted Stanley Cup in my lifetime. It has been a very long dry spell for my neighbors north of the border. Eh.

Ole-Ole-Oh Le Oh Le

Squads of forty-eight nations are now playing for the FIFA World Cup on pitches in 16 North American cities.

Soccer at this level is a top display of stamina and strategy. We fans ride emotional roller coasters with every match. We cringe at the agony of a missed penalty kick. We go wild after a brilliant extra-time goal, and we acknowledge the coordinated thrusts and counter-thrusts by “our team.”

Unyielding passion isn’t just found on the soccer pitch.

If you look to the North, the legendary, roaring Scottish and Viking “rowing” crowds remind us of unhibited communal spirit. Their historic, thunderous energy is memorable.

=> Why not channel a bit of that inner Viking or highlander in you for passionate and successful workouts this month?

Silent Threat: Manage Hypertension with Lifestyle Diet

While elite athletes fight for trophies, many of us are fighting a quieter, much more critical battle right here at home with cardiovascular dis-ease.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) remains a primary driver of cardiovascular risk, despite wonder drugs and Western medical technology. But we hold a powerful weapon in our hands.

=> Our dietary habits directly impact blood pressure.

Yes, diets can affect men and women differently.

• For Men: Excess processed meats, excess sodium, and a lack of potassium-rich foods can stiffen arteries. Focus on lean proteins, leafy greens, and cut out hidden sugars to drop a high systolic number.
  • I am experimenting with aged garlic, hawthorn berry, and beet extracts to help drop my systolic number. Stay tuned!
• For Women: Post-menopausal hormonal shifts can cause a sharp rise in blood pressure. Ladies can benefit from a diet rich in magnesium and calcium (like seeds, nuts, and complex grains) along with strict sodium management to maintain arterial elasticity. Remember, ultra-processed foodstuffs are accomplices in this HTN battle!

A plain bottom line is this: clean, anti-inflammatory food is our medicine.

Choose whole, single-ingredient foods that support blood flow rather than restricting it. Take care when making smoothies as all that blending can lower drinks’ effective nutrients for you. Yup, sensitive water-soluble vitamins may get oxidized, and your blood sugar may spike.

Secure Your Longevity: The Power of 1–2 Hours

As we talk about heart health, let’s look at the ultimate insurance policy for your healthspan. If you want to stack the odds of a long, independent, and vibrant life heavily in your favor, the prescription is simple:

Train 1 to 2 hours each week by moving stuff to drastically improve your longevity odds.

Strongspan and windspan are foundations of down-aging. Lifting weights, engaging in bodyweight calisthenics, or hitting rigorous resistance circuits trigger cellular repair, preserves bone density, and keeps your metabolic engine humming. You don’t need to live in the gym. Just invest 60 to 120 minutes each week in deliberate, progressive overload.

Our June Challenge: Tap into the Summer Surge

This June, let’s borrow the discipline of the NBA and NHL champions, the passion of the World Cup contenders, and the fierce energy of the Viking crowds.

Clean up the plate to protect your heart, schedule your resistance blocks like you do for important professional meetings, and get out there to enjoy the summer sun (with safe sunscreen, that is.)

Stay strong, stay resilient.

Yours in optimal health,

Dave Frost

Master Fitness Trainer & Coach

strongtosave.blog | wellpastforty.org