Researchers find weight and other health benefits of coffee

I am not a big fan of coffee as I have seen it have detrimental effects to your health. Researchers, however, have recently found that your daily cup of coffee, when drunk at the right time, can in fact be used with a health and fitness program.

In this recent study, athletes who drank coffee before exercise burned 15% more calories for 3 hours post-exercise, compared to a control group.

Other health benefits of a pre-workout cup of coffee include improved blood microcirculation, reduced pain, enhanced endurance, preservation of muscle, and memory improvement.

When drunk before exercise, coffee will give you an energy boost, and will work to optimize the benefits of exercise; stimulating production of energy and fat burning.

Drunk after exercise, coffee is more likely to inhibit recuperation and rather continue mimicking the effects of exercise on your body.

If you exercise in the late in the day, you may want to miss the pre-workout cup of coffee however, as it can disturb your sleep cycle by keeping you alert well into the night.

Dominick Hussey

Functional Medicine and Osteopathic Manual Practitioner

Ottawa Holistic Wellness Centre

Benefits of exercise on bone health

Some of my middle aged clients particularly women come to me diagnosed with either osteopenia or osteoporosis. There are many factors which influence bone health including nutrition however there is significant evidence that exercise plays a critical role.

Recent research found that boys and girls who were the most active throughout their lives (starting at age 5) had denser bones and better bone shape at age 17 than less active participants.

Research also found that half of the bone size and one-third of the bone strength built up by early-life physical activity was retained throughout life.

Elderly men who stay active by playing soccer have improved function, improved bone mineral density, increased bone turnover, and improved bone formation.

Whole Body Vibrational Training (WBVT) using a Power Plate is a particularly safe, natural way to improve bone strength and density, and maintain bone mass, even if you’re disabled or elderly.

Mechanical loading – running and jumping -- is one of the best strategies to help your kids build excellent bone mass early on, and these are the types of activities that occur naturally during free play.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Osteopathy and Functional Medicine

Ottawa Health Wellness Centre

Are you sitting your health away

The majority of my clients in Ottawa spend a vast amount of time sitting in front of a computer.

Research has found sitting for extended periods of time is an independent risk factor for poor health and premature death.

Even if you exercise regularly, if you uninterruptedly sit for a great percentage of the time, you’re still at an increased risk of dying prematurely.

Research shows that seniors who live a generally active life have better heart health and live longer than those who remain sedentary for most of the day. This holds true even in those who do not engage in a regular exercise routine.

Simply standing up 35 times or more spread throughout the day is a powerful antidote to long periods of sitting and is more effective than walking.

Proper posture and properly using your body to work against gravity is foundational for good health. Chiropractic and the Osteopathy both address posture-related pain and teach you how to improve your posture.

Dominick Hussey

Osteopath and Functional Medicine Practitioner

Osteopathy and Functional Medicine

Ottawa Health Wellness Centre