Vital Signs(Aired 06-05-2025) Heart, Brain and Peak Performance: Smart Health Moves

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sa Foreign. [00:00:30] Speaker B: Welcome to Vital Signs. I'm your host, Jen Gode, and we're here to dive into your greatest asset, your health. Today we're going to talk about all things exercise in the heart, heart health. So how much is enough? You don't need a gym membership or a marathon medal to protect your heart, but you do need to move with intention. Today we're going to break down what really works, especially in Houston's summer heat. I've got in studio Dr. Yasir Sunbol, owner of a private cardiology practice specializing in general and interventional cardiology, to do just that, especially timely as we head into Houston's sweltering summer. Welcome to the studio. [00:01:08] Speaker C: Hi. Thanks for having me. [00:01:11] Speaker B: I'm really excited to talk about this. It's a real and relevant topic for us. Dr. Sombal. So let's start with the basics. What's the minimum amount of movement that someone needs weekly for heart health? And what's the ideal amount of movement? [00:01:26] Speaker C: Sure. I mean, I think that the minimum amount of movement people Recommend is probably three times a week. You're looking at at least 30 minutes of, you know, moderate exercise. Right. So by moderate exercise means anything that brings your heart rate up so you don't have to go out, like you said, run a marathon or do, you know, extraneous things. But it's something that has to bring your heart rate up. So sometimes people equate, you know, exercise, you know, and I ask patients, do you exercise? And they say, yeah, well, I walk around all day at work. Well, I'm not really sure that walking at work is equated to exercise. Right. Because you probably walk at a mild pace. You're not, you know, walking fast or doing anything. You're walking uphill or downhill that would technically, you know, qualify as exercise because it doesn't really bring your heart rate up. Or people that say, well, I take the stairs when I go to work, you know, I mean that somewhat of an exercise because it may bring your heart rate up, but it's not continuous enough in the amount of time because you may climb a flight of stairs and then rest for 20 minutes. So it really is about 30 minutes of continuous exercise at least three times a week is probably appropriate. [00:02:33] Speaker B: For people who don't love working out or exercise or maybe they have joint issues or some other mobility concerns. What are some heart healthy alternatives to traditional exercise that that population can engage in for those 30 minutes? [00:02:52] Speaker C: Well, I mean, there, there's all sorts of forms of exercise. Right. And nobody likes to exercise. No, matter how much people tell you. I mean, I've been exercising for three years. I went on a big weight loss mission and lost like 70 pounds. You know, all this stuff. But, you know, it's not like I really enjoy having to go to the gym, but I do it because it's an unnecessary evil. But having said that, I mean, you know, there's all sorts of forms of exercise that people can try to do. You know, if you. Let's just say something like we talked about something as simple as walking, that's a form of exercise, but it has to be at a certain, you know, at a pace for 30 minutes straight. You know that it brings your heart rate up at some point. Let's say you have, you know, joint issues and you can't really walk very far because riding a bike, whether it's a stationary bike or, you know, a regular bicycle, those are alternatives. Water aerobics, that's another alternative, right? So you can't really walk on the street, or you can't do moderate exercise with weights. But water aerobics are, you know, somewhat reasonable for people who have a lot of joint issues and lack mobility. You know, certain things that people can do even if they do have joint issues is actually weight training. You know, that's another reasonable option. The beauty about exercise really is you don't really need to have a gym to go to exercise. You can exercise at home. I mean, there's so many things out there now that can allow you to do exercise from home. Whether it's the subscriptions to videos, just any at home workout subscription. Investing yourself in a. Whether it's a stationary bike or a treadmill or even a set of dumbbells or something. There's all these online things or these things that you can buy at home. You know, like the. What do they call it, that Lululemon thing, the mirror or that all have these workout programs that you can do from home for the convenience of trying to get something done. [00:04:46] Speaker B: So talk to us because we know there's wearables. We know we can watch our heart rate with wearables. They're not necessarily always the best at reporting, for example, heart rate necessarily. So. So if people are watching at home and they're like, great, I'm going to do home workout for 30 minutes, how do they know that they've got their heart rate up enough? What are we paying attention to? Is it I can carry on a conversation, I can sing, or is it I can say a few words, but then I have a little bit of Heavier breathing. What does that look like to them? Reframe that so that they know that they're getting the right intensity level for heart health. [00:05:24] Speaker C: So I really think that varies on the type of exercise you do and also your own fitness level. Right. So I would say if you were, what, haven't exercised in years and you're out going on a walk, if you can walk and talk comfortably and carry on a conversation, you're probably not walking hard enough. So in general, when you depends on the intensity of your workout. But when you're working out, you should feel like you're a little bit short of breath and it should be tough to carry on a conversation. So if you ever go to a gym and you watch these people walking and they're talking on their phone the whole time, you know, it really is a fitness level thing. So if they're in really good shape and they're not really pushing themselves, then, yeah, they could probably do it. But if you're really out of shape and you're able to still carry on a full conversation while doing it, then you're probably going to exercise hard enough. You know, you should be able to feel your heart rate increasing when you're exercising, if you're exercising at a moderate enough exertion level. Those are all really simple things besides wearing wearables. I mean, I wear a wearable, but I don't necessarily track my heart rate doing it just because I can usually feel that, you know, I'm tired or I'm worked out and my heart rate's up there. So, I mean, those are kind of really the simple signs. [00:06:43] Speaker B: That's fantastic. And, you know, we opened today talking a little bit about Houston's extreme summer heat. Dehydration, overexertion puts even more strain on our bodies, on our hearts, on everything, really, our body systems. What extra precautions should we be taking as temperatures soar? Because we are really knocking up on that right now. What safety tips should we keep in mind when exercising outdoors in the heat? And maybe what are some of the warning signs that we are having a little too much exposure and it may be impacting our heart? [00:07:16] Speaker C: Sure. So obviously, you know, simple things as staying hydrated, that's clearly very important in the summer heat, especially if you're exercising outside or doing things outside during the day here, you know, other things that you need to keep in mind is just the timing of the day. Right. So in the summer, you know, the best times to do any exercise, if you're going to do it outdoors, is either in the morning before sunrise or in the evening after sunset, because they're the two coolest times of the day. If you want to go for a walk at, you know, noon or one o' clock, then it's maybe pretty hot at that time. And, you know, you got to be careful. So other things that, you know, those things that can impact your heart that way is obviously if your heart has to work harder because you're a dehydrated or, you know, just pushing through this, it's definitely going to put a strain on your heart regardless. You can get, you know, obviously dehydrated and that can cause your heart not to be able to fill with enough blood. And then all of a sudden you feel lightheaded, dizzy, like you're gonna pass out. Those are all, you know, signs of dehydration, especially if you're out in the heat, you know, definitely a clear indication that you need to drink some fluids, sit down, you know, get off your feet so that blood can actually get back to your heart quick enough and maybe even put your feet up so that it helps with, you know, keeping you from passing out. But those are, you know, probably about two years ago, I went on this, like, spree where I walked, I don't know, 280 days straight and I didn't miss a day. And actually, you know, obviously, summer, whatever, and I tried one time walking at like 4 o' clock in the afternoon, and that was, you know, really tough. But I really just would make it a point to get up early in the morning and, you know, get my walk in. So, you know, fitness really, and exercise and things like that. It's really all about how dedicated you are to it, just as anything else you do in your life. [00:09:06] Speaker B: Well, I'm gonna ask the next question because I know people are thinking, well, that's great for you, doc, but I'm juggling family, work, health concerns. I don't really have time to get 30 minutes in in my day. How, what, what would your, what would you say to somebody who is really, maybe they're working multiple jobs because they're a single mom, feeding their family? How do they find this, prioritize this so that they can be healthy for everything else in life? [00:09:32] Speaker C: Yeah, I think you bring up a really, really good point. And, you know, it's hard. I mean, I prioritize it, having my own practice, being on call, having two kids that I got to help as well, a family, everything else. And so, you know, you can become really complacent and say, well, I Just don't have the time. And that's really easy to do. But, you know, the hardest part about exercise is just actually doing it. So it's getting to that point where you take the first step to say, okay, I'm going to exercise today because this is important for me. I remember when I went on that walking spree. I don't know what triggered it, but one day I just decided to come home. I leashed the dog and just started walking, and I just kept walking every day because it made me feel good. So, you know, you got to be able to, in order to do that, you just got to find a small amount of time in your day. Sometimes it requires you to wake up early and do it because that's the only time of the day you can. Sometimes it requires you to do it maybe right before you go to bed because that's the only time you can. I think in general, it's hard, yes. But I think if we all want to define 30 minutes to do something, we can at some point. But it's just a matter of being strategizing your schedule and, you know, just trying to find that break where you can get it done. You're not going to be able to get it done all the time and sometimes you're going to miss it, which is okay. But it's a matter of if you miss, you can just get back on the horse and do it again. [00:11:00] Speaker B: Fantastic. Thank you for that. We do have to take a brief break, but just want to emphasize what you said, guys. It's time to prioritize your health because we only get one body. It's the same body that we're going to be living in. And the body we have today is the one we're going to be living in 20 years from now, hopefully. And so we need to take care of it. We need to prioritize it. So whatever you need to do to get it in, today's the day to start. We will be right back to talk a little bit about heart attacks. What to do before it's too late. After these important messages. A heart attack doesn't always look like what we see in the movies. Sometimes the warning signs are subtle, and if you miss them, it could cost you your life. I'm here with our expert in all things heart health cardiologist, Dr. Yasir Sunbol, to demystify some of the aspects of early signs of heart attack. Welcome back, Dr. Sonbol. [00:12:21] Speaker C: Thanks for having me back. [00:12:24] Speaker B: We know the common signs. Oh, chest pain. We know the common signs of Heart attack. But there's a lot of commonly misunderstood signs, early signs really, of a heart attack, especially in women and older adults or children. What are some of the atypical symptoms that could be a sign that we may be having a heart attack? Sure. [00:12:50] Speaker C: You know, so you're right. I mean, about maybe 25% of people actually present with classic symptoms for a heart attack, and the rest have some sort of, you know, abnormal symptom or atypical symptoms. Sorry, not abnormal. So, you know, a lot of atypical symptoms could be. For example, people feel like they have heartburn, not necessarily having chest pain, but it feels like indigestion to them. Very common atypical symptoms. And they, you know, they'll end up taking tums or doing some sort of the over the counter antacid, and it just doesn't get better. And then they eventually decide to go to the emergency room, and lo and behold, their EKG shows that they're having an acute heart attack and need to get worked on. In women, for example, shortness of breath is a very common symptom, atypical symptom that could present as people with heart disease or heart attacks. People can just get pain in between their shoulder blades. It's kind of like a really bad back pain, and it just doesn't want to get better and doesn't go away. Neck pain, jaw pain, pressure there, that just. It's not making sense why you have it. Just pain in the arm, the left arm in particular. These are all atypical symptoms. Sweatiness, just excessive. Being excessively sweaty. Again, I said shortness of breath. So these are all symptoms that are different than just the usual chest pain as signs of a heart attack sometimes. [00:14:16] Speaker B: So if. If we're experiencing some of these symptoms or someone that we love is. Is experiencing these symptoms and we suspect we might be having a heart attack, what's the very first thing that we should be doing? And I'm gonna. I'm just gonna clarify this because in my life, I know of someone who was doing yard work and started to feel pressure and tightness and pain in the chest and drove himself to the ER and almost didn't make it. So what are the things that we should be doing if we notice these signs or symptoms in ourselves or someone else? When is it. When is it okay to drive versus call for 911? Coming from you, the expert. [00:15:01] Speaker C: Yeah. So, you know, it is never recommended that you drive yourself to the hospital in this situation. So if you or someone you love, you think is having a Heart attack, Honestly, the most important thing you can do is call 911. And there's a reason behind that. Now, having said that, I've seen a lot of patients drive themselves or have somebody drive them and it happens and, you know, they're lucky. But in a heart attack situation, things can decompensate pretty quickly. You know, you can go into a bad heart rhythm that needs to be shocked, or you can have more pain, or your blood pressure can drop and require medicines to give you support. You know, you hear these stories all the time where somebody is in a car with somebody else and that person just passes out in the car and they have to rush them to the nearest emergency room. You know, so, you know, obviously being in the care of, you know, experienced, you know, medics and people, EMTs and so forth that can help with, you know, assisting you and getting you to the hospital and getting things done for you that need to be done is much safer. So my recommendation is never drive yourself. Always call 91 1. [00:16:09] Speaker B: Thank you for shedding some light on what we need to do if we suspect we or a loved one is having a heart attack. It's real, it's relevant. But let's back it up a little bit and talk about risk. What are some of the biggest lifestyle or medical factors that increase heart attack risk? What are we seeing more of in younger populations so that we can be a little bit more aware that maybe we do have an elevated risk of heart disease, Heart attack? [00:16:34] Speaker C: Sure. So, you know, risk for heart attack remains the same regardless of your age. Right. So there are certain risk factors that just people are. Makes it more likely for them to have heart disease. A big one obviously is diabetes. So, you know, if you're young and you have type 1 diabetes, you know, insulin requiring diabetes because you're born that way, then obviously your risk of heart disease starts a lot sooner than somebody your counter age that doesn't have diabetes because you're just that. Diabetes is probably the number one risk factor for heart disease. Cholesterol obviously is another risk factor. Genetics is another risk factor. You know, do you have a strong family history? Heart disease, does that family history occur at a certain age, before the age of, let's say, 65 or 55. So it makes it premature in medicine, what we call. And so it puts you at higher risk, obviously, high blood pressure. Tobacco use is clearly another risk factor for heart disease and other diseases. Even certain other people, you know, like, let's say you were a transplant patient, sometimes they're at increased risk actually of heart disease because of the immunosuppressants that they take. And it's particularly in heart transplant patients. You see that. So. But yeah, so these are all kind of the pretty much, you know, sedentary lifestyle, obviously is a risk factor. I'm not sure how much it contributes or not. But obesity. So all these things are all risk factors for heart disease. I think genetics is probably the one that nobody can control. You know, actually yesterday I was on call and I actually had to take care of a guy who was 34 years old that had a heart attack. And it was a real event. So, you know, I think that's most likely a genetic thing that, you know, that's the reason he had it, because he's so young. But the other ones, obviously are modifiable risk factors that we have control over to a certain extent. [00:18:30] Speaker B: And so if we think about the modifiable things that we can do, what are some of the immediate change? Like give me one immediate change. Someone watching today that maybe has some of these risk factors that they could make that would significantly lower their heart attack risk. [00:18:46] Speaker C: Sure. I mean, obviously, clearly one is, if you're a smoker, do your best to quit. It's clearly a really hard habit to quit, and it's difficult. But there are things in place that can help people try, whether it's nicotine replacement, whether it's certain medications like Chantex or Wellbutrin that sometimes can alleviate people's need to smoke. Clearly, if you have any medical issues, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, make sure that you're seeing a physician, make sure that you're getting treated for this appropriately, make sure you take your medications. Clearly, a number. The thing we've been talking about this whole show is exercise. Obviously, if you're not exercising, one way to modify your risk factors is to exercise. And believe it or not, that's probably the one thing that I think is the most important in lifestyle modification, just because it leads you to want to make better choices and better decisions. So when you're exercising or you want to get in shape, you tend to eat better because you're more conscientious of that. You may not want to smoke as much because it may bother you while you're exercising, and it may reduce your need for medications if some of these other illnesses that you have actually improve and get better because of a lifestyle modification. So I think those are all things that I would advise people who are watching today and want to maybe take some immediate action. Obviously, immediate action is you know, lifestyle modification, whether it's exercise, diet, or quitting any bad habits. [00:20:18] Speaker B: And I just want to remind everybody this is for educational purposes only. If you have some sort of a disease process or you haven't exercised in a while, make sure you consult with your physician. It's always a good idea to consult with your practitioner. We don't give medical advice here, just educational purposes only. It was so amazing. Thank you for sharing that. And I also want to just say heart health isn't built in an emergency. It's built in the quiet daily decisions that we make every day. And thank you for sharing some of the easy lifestyle habits that we can take. How to act before it's too late. It could save our life. It could save the lives of our families. So for those who are watching and would like to learn more about you would like to learn more about this topic or maybe you're in search of somebody with your expertise, how can they reach you? [00:21:02] Speaker C: Yeah, you can find us online at Sugarland Cardiology Specialists. We're on social media and all our information is on the website. How you can contact my office and find us. [00:21:14] Speaker B: Thank you so much for sharing with us today. Is there anything that you would like to leave the audience with? Maybe creating a smart heart plan, something that you would like them all to do today so that they can move forward and know exactly what to do in the case of an emergency? [00:21:30] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, I think just going back to re emphasizing if you think someone you or someone you love is having a heart attack. I think the first step you do is either yourself or have somebody call 911. I think that's the most important thing because it really is, you know, a life saving event. And time, as we say in medicine, is muscle. And so the more time you delay getting to the hospital, the more likely that you may have some bad outcomes from that thing. And also, you know, you want to be in the care of somebody who knows what to do in case circumstances change or you decompensate or deteriorate at any moment, which in these situations is very unpredictable. So my one and only recommendation and the one and only plan you should have is if you're concerned and it doesn't have to be that you're right or wrong, if you are concerned and you believe you're having a heart attack, call 91 1. [00:22:24] Speaker B: Thank you so much for that. Couldn't be clearer folks. If we're, if you suspect that you're in, or someone you love is in this situation, definitely 911 is your saving grace. Thank you for everything. We do have to take a brief break, but we will be right back after these messages. [00:23:03] Speaker C: Foreign. [00:23:11] Speaker B: Welcome back to Vital Signs. I'm here. And we are going to shift gears just a little bit and talk about one of the biggest complaints in modern day life. Brain fog. Feeling like you're constantly running on empty, Feeling like you have brain drain. Joining me today is Dr. Ryan Williamson, board certified neurologist, Navy veteran, founder of Transcend Health. He's here to share some of the basic daily habits that can clear your mind, sharpen your focus, and reboot your energy. If you're ready to feel better, think clearer and perform at your best, just don't wait. We're going to dive right in. Welcome to the show, Dr. Ryan. [00:23:48] Speaker A: Thanks, Jen. I'm so happy to be here. [00:23:50] Speaker B: All right, so we're living longer, but are we thinking clearer? I mean, we have all of this constant noise, all of this stimulation, and we're sort of feeling foggy, scattered, and like we're running on empty. Is it stress? Is it breakdown? What, what's happening here? To those of us who are, whether we're high performers or, or just general population, feeling burned out and overwhelmed, I. [00:24:15] Speaker A: Think that it's, it's a culmination of things like most stuff. I think we were thrown into this world that has become suboptimal for how we're designed. And what I mean by that is think about how we're designed, how we evolved, how our brains evolved. And it was not in the studio environment that you and I are in with artificial lights, you know, beaming across states. Right. It's, it's not the constant barrage of notifications, alert fatigue, poor sleep, poor nutritional choices, lack of movement, and, and we're just, we're like a car, like anything else, we're just designed to operate a certain way and we don't do that. And when we go against our nature or how we are supposed to work in our biology, it doesn't go well. And it's no surprise, but I think the challenge, or one of the challenges is that because this is normal and it's become normal and accepted as commonplace, and we all kind of deal with it, people don't tend to question it. They just feel awful and they don't know why. And that's a problem. [00:25:19] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And we've come to accept that burnout, overwhelm and brain fog, that that's just the new normal. So you're an expert in all things the brain. What are some of the top Signs that our brains are just calling out for help. [00:25:36] Speaker A: Yes. So poor sleep is one. If you are ruminating and stressed before you go to bedtime, that can absolutely impact your sleep. Reaching for things that are comforting or pivoting or escaping to comfort. Escapism is another term for this. And this is really subtle. So people really have to be introspective and think this. But rather than doing something that's engaging or fulfilling or something that they enjoy, maybe people will catch themselves scrolling mindlessly on their phones or, you know, reaching for, I don't know, their favorite sweet treat or savory treat, if you're more inclined that way. And doing behaviors that feel good in the moment but that sabotage our health long term. Those are, those are surefire signs that you are running from something because your brain tries to preserve your happiness. So if you are, if the outside world is constantly stressing you and not providing an optimal existence, your brain's going to try to fix that and make you feel good some other way. And the easiest way it knows how is the lowest energy way, which is to just get some dopamine or something going so you can feel better. But man, that cycle is not healthy at all. [00:26:43] Speaker B: And so what I'm hearing is, and I just want everybody to take a pause and get real and think about yourself in your life. We're overwhelmed. We are plugged in much more than we need to be. We have digital overload with all of these, all of these notifications and everything. And when we start to feel uncomfortable, what do we do? We pick up the phone and we start to doom scroll, which only sort of creates a bigger problem. And it's really subtle. You don't recognize you're doing it until an hour later. And so let's break this down because I know you've developed the Core 4. I know you talk about this a lot. What's the core four? And how do we start to take control or take back control over our health and well being, especially when it comes to brain health. [00:27:26] Speaker A: Yes. So again, the way I think about this is how are we designed to operate? And the four basic pillars are kind of this core four thing. I'm sure this has been said many different ways, but that's move more. So just integrate movement into your day, put the right fuel in your body. So have a solid nutrition plan, achieve quality sleep and manage your stress. And Jen, if you or your audience can do those basic four things, which might sound really difficult, but I assure you it is not, this is responsible for up to 90% of your health outcomes overall. 90%. [00:27:59] Speaker B: And I'm hearing that's not expensive things either. Those are things that don't cost a whole heck of a lot. [00:28:04] Speaker A: Most of them, yeah. Other than, I suppose, investing in the right kind of nutrition, the rest of it's free. That's exactly right. Or very close to it. [00:28:12] Speaker B: So let's dive into the one that most people don't think about, and I feel that it's probably the most underestimated and that's sleep. [00:28:20] Speaker A: Yes. [00:28:21] Speaker B: Talk to us about what is quality sleep? Because you mentioned quality sleep. It's not just getting sleep or getting the number of hours or whatever. It's getting quality sleep. What does that look like and why is that effective quality sleep non negotiable for our brain health? [00:28:37] Speaker A: Sleep is absolutely non negotiable. And I think that's how people need to look at this. Because all animals sleep in some form. People are certainly designed to sleep between seven and nine hours. And when you think about it, again, from how we're designed and how we ended up here, why in the world would something that takes that long be conserved? Right? Think of the opportunity cost of a predator coming into a camp or a village and eating somebody or a natural disaster. Right. This is not an ideal thing from an evolutionary perspective, but the answer, Jen, is it's that important. Because sleep is the only time that our brains and our bodies heal, that we recover from any kind of exercise or illness. It primes our immune system, it keeps our blood pressure healthy, keeps our blood sugar healthy. I mean, we could do an hour on just this, right? So I'll try to keep it short, but I love to say that quality sleep starts in the morning and that kind of surprises people. But there are really two basic things that people can do to actually achieve quality sleep at night. The first is to actually go outside, and when the sun's nice and low in the sky, get some light in your eyes. So that sleep, your sleep, is responsive to what's called your circadian rhythm. And so your circadian rhythm is regulated by light. So getting light early in the day, especially when it's kind of the sun's that low angle, orange, red, that actually primes your circadian rhythm and tells you, hey, it's time to be awake, it's daytime, that actually improves your daytime performance. And it improves the quality of your sleep at night. Because when it's nighttime, your brain thinks, oh, it's time to be asleep. So, so very easy pickup. Not to mention that same light actually ends up in a different center of your brain that regulates mood. So you get a two for one there, which is pretty cool. So easy thing, get outside, get some fresh air, get some light. That's an easy one. And the second is just exercise in the morning. That's a super, super easy pickup. And when I say exercise, if the gym is your thing, go to the gym. If it's pickleball, go do pickleball. If it's walk with your family, your dogs, and you move that way, go, go do that. But exercise in the morning in particular also promotes quality deep sleep at night. And again, we can talk about this forever, but you have all these different sleep stages. Sleep is a very active process for your brain. But the deep component, which is the reparative, the restorative component for predominantly the first half of the night, that's actually improved by vigorous or intense exercise in the morning. There's actually a study, goodness, this is maybe a week or two ago from WHOOP users. So I have an OURA ring that helps as a sleep tracker. No relationship to Aura, but WHOOP is another one that are popular that your user that your audience rather may use. And they did a joint paper with Nature that looked at was over like a million nights or 1.4 million nights or some, some insane data number. And people that actually exercise late had poorer sleep because of all these mechanisms that it turns on and kind of waking up and activating people. And so when they looked at the WHOOP data as far as like resting heart rate, heart rate variability, all these things that these sleep trackers monitor, poor sleep actually can be a result of late exercise. So again, exercise early, get early morning light, easy pickup, two good places to start. [00:31:29] Speaker B: So I want to just dive into that one because I even brought this up. We talked about exercise at the beginning of the show today for our heart health as well. And I really want to ask the question, what if it's not possible to get our vigorous exercise in the morning and we have to do that in the afternoon or evening? Is it better to just skip it altogether or is it better to get it in when we can, because not everybody has that capability. [00:31:53] Speaker A: That's a great question, Jen. That literally was the very next question I asked myself. And this has come up with my transcendent health members that I coach and teach. But I don't know that that head to head comparison has been done. And I may be totally wrong about that. So if anyone in your audience knows that study, please email it to me. I'd love to Break it down. But my general take is that exercise is so powerful. I mean, if there were a longevity drug that we could bottle and package and give people, exercise would be it. So my general take is that if it's later or not at all, I would probably encourage people to exercise now. It is a curious observation that again, intense exercise within about four hours before bedtime, that's what the study suggested. So if you could really push it in the afternoons or evenings, but you're going to sleep four hours after that, probably have nothing to worry about, but you just don't want to go pound three scoops of pre workout and go try to run a marathon or max out on your squats or whatever right before you're trying to fall asleep. Probably not going to promote quality sleep. [00:32:57] Speaker B: I can definitely understand, understand that. But I do know there are a lot of people leverage exercise after work as stress management. And so I just wanted to ask the question because a lot of times that's where we get it in, we get it where we can fit it. And it's a twofer after work because it also helps us to break that stress loop. We have just about a minute before we have to break. So I wanted to kind of dive into the next question, which is, what if we have mobility issues? How vigorous do we need to be exercising in order to get the benefit for our brain? [00:33:33] Speaker A: Not, not vigorous at all. I mean, more is better. And I'll try to keep this brief, but even six minutes a day, if your audience can remember that six minutes a day can be beneficial for your brain, your heart, your whole body. These are called exercise snacks. Big study that looked at people doing two minutes at a time three times a day of just air squats, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, high knees, whatever you can tolerate if there are mobility issues. And that lowers your risk of dying of anything by about 40% for six months a day. [00:34:00] Speaker B: So folks, you've heard it here, movement snacks are better than anything. If you're needing to move and you're feeling like I can't get it in during the day, movement snacks are great. We've actually talked about that. We've talked about minute movement snacks every hour as well to kind of give you a little bit of a digital break. So you heard it again, you heard it. Six minutes a day, beneficial for your brain, little exercise snacks, do what you can. And we are going to dive deeper into. Your brain isn't broken, it's just overworked. And a few other targeted changes that we could do to Feel more energized, focused and in control. Just after these messages. Welcome back to Vital Signs. I am here with Dr. Ryan Williamson. We are talking all things brain health. How do we utilize lifestyle change really? He talked about some simple changes. His core four moving your body, fueling your body with nutrition, getting sleep and managing stress as the keys to unlocking clarity in your brain and giving it the love and attention that it needs so that you can be a peak performing human being. So Dr. Williamson, thank you for everything that you've shared so far. Prioritizing our sleep, getting outside first thing in the morning so we can have that circadian rhythm nourishing our brain, moving our body. Let's move to the power of managing stress. Stress is we're inundated by it. I don't even know any other way to put it. We're inundated by it. We're living a stressful life in a way that we were not designed. So what is it that you find with your clients is really powerful to break that stress loop and help us to de escalate once we're already there? [00:36:13] Speaker A: First, I think it's important to just identify the problem because I truly believe that most people don't realize how stressed they are. And some quick data that I'm familiar with. So about 50% of Americans report chronic stress in their daily lives. So that's half and at least three quarters. So 75% or more report feeling stressed sometime in the last month. And those are just the people that report it. I mean, if you look around and you know the signs to look for. Jen, it is everywhere. That's all I see anywhere. So it's not to be alarmist or disheartening or any of that, but or doomsday or whatever term you want to use, but it's everywhere. So getting people to recognize that it is happening is the first step. And getting people to kind of wake up to that. And once people identify, oh geez, yeah, maybe I really don't feel so great. And again, there's some techniques there that can be helpful. It's all about reframing how we view our day, how we approach our life. And that really does reshape how we feel. Because what happens here is your reality. I mean, that's how our brain is just a processor that decodes the outside world and so assigning meaning. And again, the right kind of lifestyle to our day is the best way to do that. [00:37:24] Speaker B: I want to dive into this a little bit deeper. We've talked about these core Four habits we've talked about stress. We're all stressed out. We have ways to take care of our health. Which of the core four habits are the most critical? When we start thinking about longevity and brain span and long term brain protection and performance, what's the most important habit for us? [00:37:44] Speaker A: All of them. They all interrelate. One of the ways I think about this, and again, I'll try to keep this light, but There are these 11, what are called hallmarks of aging. These are subcellular changes that happen without us knowing about them. And there are very complex interplays between all the chemicals in your brain and your body that e either keep you healthy and slow your rate of aging or they accelerate it. And so to maintain a healthy, well, a good, a decent health span, right, which is how long we live. Well, and of course a long lifespan, which is how long we live, which is what most people are familiar with, we have to be able to modify these mechanisms to our advantage. And there are ways to do that. And so again, as we just talked about sleep, if you're achieving quality sleep, that actually slows the rate of aging in your brain, lowers neuroinflammation, lowers your blood pressure, lowers your cortisol response, that chronically elevates your blood sugar, that elevates your blood pressure, that leads to heart attack, strokes, premature dementia, so on and so forth. So these, these things all interrelate, but what else helps manage blood sugar, blood pressure, et cetera? Exercise does that and, and so does the right kind of nutrition plan and the right calorie content and effectively managing stress. So they, they, they all fit in. And that's why, I mean I jokingly, but also seriously say they all matter. You really, you got to do it all. And that might sound overwh, but the neatest thing about this gin is that when what I find, at least when people pick up even one new habit and they start just to, just to feel a smidge better, this compounds and snowballs so quickly because they have more energy and more presence and awareness to then go do the next thing and then they feel even better and then that compounds and you can imagine, right, very quickly that people kind of get used to feeling better. And so if they veer from that routine and they kind of revert to old ways, they're like, oh my gosh, I don't want the Doritos again. Or like, I'm definitely going to the gym today because it feels so much better. And not only does it help your performance now, it helps your lifespan and your health span, as we mentioned. So living longer, better, which is the mission. [00:39:43] Speaker B: Oh, I definitely see this. I work with executives all the time to become peak performers. And it's a habit stacking situation. And that for everybody who's watching, that's exactly what Dr. Williamson is talking about. It's habit stacking. It's picked the one thing that you heard so far today, I'm going to pick exercise. If you're not exercising, we're going to get it in, because that's my favorite personally, and I feel like it's the one that gives you the quickest boost. When we start exercising, we get all those feel good endorphins, we start to feel better, and it, it's easier sort of to do that than to change our diet sometimes or to get quality sleep. So, like, pick the one habit that you're not great at and start with that one. And once it becomes a part of your day and you start to feel better, then pick the next one. And just a little bit down the road, it's just going to be natural for you. So I'm gonna, I'm, I wanna get to your book and I wanna, I wanna, like, sneak peek because I know you're writing one, but I also want to ask you, where does functional medicine fit into this longevity conversation? How does it go beyond traditional approaches to cognitive health and cognitive performance and neurological resilience? Because you come from traditional medicine, you're now kind of doing this integrative approach. And a lot of people have questions about, like, when do I go where? What does it look like? How does it different? So can you shed a little bit of light on, on that? Where does functional medicine fit into this conversation? [00:41:07] Speaker A: I think functional medicine has become the conversation, in my opinion. I come from the Western conventional training pathway, and as a neurologist, I mean, I went to medical school. And so we learned about how the body works and what can go wrong, and we all kind of get that basic education. But then we all split off and then we go to our own respective residencies. So surgeons learn how to cut things out and neurologists learn about all the problems of the brain and the nervous system and so on and so forth. And, and even in my world, I mean, 97% of adult neurology graduates do a subspecialty or a fellowship. So they aren't even just worried about the nervous system. They're just doing strokes or migraines. And so we have this very siloed fractured care system, which is a real problem because Very few Western providers look at the body as a whole or this functional, integrative approach which you're referencing. And I think that is such a disservice to patient care. And we see it every day. I mean, you know, you look at the 74% of Americans that are overweight or obese and the 60% that have at least one chronic medical condition, and on and on and on. I mean, I could literally read these statistics off all day. It's just, it's abysmal and it's. And it's horrifying. But we don't have a healthcare system. We have a sick care system. We have a malaligned or misaligned system that is designed to keep people sick. I don't get a phone call or a page unless somebody has already had a problem. And that is a problem, in my opinion. And so we wonder why the system's overworked, overused. People are chronically sick. They're not getting better. Doctors are only getting paid to actually do these procedures that in a way, keep people sick, which sounds horrible. And as a provider in that system, I can tell you that doctors have, most of the time, the right mind and the right heart. And that's why we all went to medical school to go help people. We're just stuck in a bad system. And so that's through the book and through my work at Transcendent Health, that's part of what I'm aiming to change, along with a handful of other folks that have taken that route out. Not sure if they answered your question, but. [00:43:03] Speaker B: No, it actually, it absolutely did. I mean, I can. I heal from traditional medicine as well. I was in the sports medicine arena, and I left because I was no longer able to be more integrative with my approach because of, you know, the way that it has, has evolved over the years. And I found the same things, like I'm not here to treat a body part. I'm here to treat a whole human. You can separate different aspects, especially when you're talking about, you know, your musculoskeletal schizophrenia system. Everything overlaps with everything else. So you're absolutely right. And I wanted to talk about the impetus about your book, like, what inspired it, what inspired you to write the book, and, and what is it going to teach everybody who's maybe watching today and how can they start applying those insights now? [00:43:48] Speaker A: So I was in the military for about 12 years, and I worked with mostly healthy people at that point in time because by definition, most active duty folks are pretty Healthy. And it wasn't until I left the service in 2022 that I went back to civilian medicine and I started seeing older adults again that have even more chronic medical issues. And in particular, in my world, again, these are the Alzheimer's, the Parkinson's, the strokes, so on and so forth, heart attacks, brain death, just. Just really sad situations. And as I had already been following the longevity literature, I dove into it deeper and said, wait a minute. I mean, again, most of this is preventable and why aren't we doing a better job? And I started to feel ineffective as a provider and question, why in the world am I not doing something about this? And how can. I mean, these are conversations I'm having one on one with people in the clinic or at the hospital, but how can I scale this? How can I reach more people? How can I help more people? And a book seems to be the natural answer, along with hopping on podcasts and speaking on stages and just getting this message out to more people, because I truly believe that that is what the world needs. And if I didn't need another sign, right as I was starting this journey, I had a very tragic personal event in my life. My. My lifelong best friend actually passed away about a year ago when I was starting on this journey. And I said, you know, I mean, life. Life is just not guaranteed. It's short. We sometimes don't know what we're given. And it's. I truly feel called to do this and go help more people. [00:45:15] Speaker B: Well, thank you for the work that you're doing. If you're watching, longevity isn't just about adding years to life. It's adding life to your years. And what I've heard you say is protecting your brain doesn't begin with a diagnosis. It starts with your next meal, your next night of sleep, your next deep breath. So how can people learn more, reach out to you if they're interested in some of the work that you're doing? Or maybe get on the list for when your brain. When your Incredible Brain book comes out. [00:45:41] Speaker A: Yes. So people go head to transcend health group.com so t r a N S C E N d. Transcend health group.com, that's our website. We have a free newsletter that I try to put out regularly. I've got. There it is. We've got an email list. We've got the Incredible Brain that'll be launched on September 10th. We have a membership where I do this kind of thing and educate small groups of people, which is just super fun. I also do private one on one coaching for high performing CEO entrepreneur types, business owners that really need the extra time and attention and everything in between. Also on social media, so the links are on the website, but it's Ryan Williamson or at Transcendent Health Group, but that's all accessible there. [00:46:21] Speaker B: Thank you so much for your brilliance and sharing with everyone today. I appreciate you being here. Thank you, Dr. Ryan. [00:46:27] Speaker A: Thank you, Jen. It's my pleasure. [00:46:29] Speaker B: And you. Yes, you. Unfortunately, all good things do come to an end, including this show. But you've got some real action steps. And the first one is to get moving. Today's the day to get off the couch. Get moving. Protect your heart, protect your brain. Without further ado, we'll see you same time, same station next week. Until then, have an amazing rest of your day.