Exercise Is Health

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss two of the biggst myths in the fitness industry - the myths that machines are not useful and the best trainers do not use machines.  They break down why machines are extremely valuable if you have quality equipment and know how to use it as well as dismantle some of the most prominent arguments for why somebody should not use m...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie interview Dr. Konstantinos Kostas, Ph. D. .  Dr. Kostas is a health psychologist specializing in helping patients cope with the psychological difficulties of chronic pain.  Dr. Kostas treats patients within the Amita Health System in the Chicagoland area. In this interview, Julie and Charlie discuss many of the physiological factors th...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie answer a common question they get about one of their top exercise recommendations - lifting slowly.  If you have ever wondered why Julie and Charlie so strongly recommend that you move slowly when you lift weights when the majority of the fitness industry is recommending the opposite, give this episode a listen!

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie interview Dr. Thomas Obermeyer of Barrington Orthopedic Specialists to discuss one of the most common shoulder issues plaguing many people today - rotator cuff disease.  What is rotator cuff disease?  What are contributing factors to it?  What can be done about it?  Check out all of this and more in this week's episode!

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss muscle health and why it encompasses more than you may have originally thought.  Often times, when you think of improving your muscles, you may think of more or less two different categories - 1) strengthening them and 2) relaxing them.  But, there is a third category that often isn't considered that can completely amplify the...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie interviews Charlie about his newest project - Fit4T1D.  Charlie dives into details about what Fit4T1D is, why he felt it was a necessary program to create, and how Fit4T1D is helping Type 1 Diabetics better manage their blood glucose levels through exercise.  Check out all of this discussion and more in this week's episode! You can find Fit4T1D on...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie tackle one of the bigger questions they hear when working on clients for Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®).  So often we think that where we are experiencing symptoms is where our issues actually are.  However, this is rarely the case.  Julie and Charlie explain why the "local symptom, local problem, local treatment" approach may be...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie interview Dr. Bikram Dhillon of Physicians Total Wellness in Schaumburg, IL. Dr. Dhillon brings the unique perspective of being both an emergency room doctor as well as an integrative physician.  He has authored three books - " The 7 Reasons Why You Can't Lose Weight: Weight Loss Solutions That Work ", " The Diamond Rule ", and " The M...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss a predominant myth in the fitness world - the Magic Muscle Myth.  The idea behind the Magic Muscle is that there is one muscle that, if released, relaxed, or strengthened, will be the fix-all to ALL of your physical health issues.  Julie and Charlie discuss three of the most common muscles that are promoted in this manner - the...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss one of the more common scenarios they see with new clients - they are starting to exercise because of doctor's orders but they have NEVER exercised before.  What considerations do you need to take if this is your situation?  Check out this week's episode for all of the details!

This week on the Exercise Is Health, Julie interviews Charlie about his MAT® origin story - what was his career path like before MAT®? How did he find out about MAT®? What does the future look like for MAT® and Muscle Activation Schaumburg?  Check out all of the details in this week's episode of Exercise Is Health!

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast Julie and Charlie answer an important question from one of their colleagues - "How can I help my clients understand when they have performed their final rep?"  This question is particularly important for those who work out on their own, as well as for trainers who are looking to help their clients.  Check out Julie and Charlie's answer in this week's epi...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie interview Dr. Richard Powell, DC of Greater Chicago Functional Health . Dr. Powell discusses the 5 foundations his practice addresses to help his patients reverse their Type 2 Diabetes.  He has over a 90% success rate at helping his patients reverse their Type 2 Diabetes by using a customized testing program looking at multiple biologi...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie lay out the three questions you need to answer in order to determine whether you would be a good candidate for Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®).  Have you heard about MAT® but are unsure if it would be worthwhile for you to try?  Give this episode a listen to see if MAT® would be right for you! Resources discussed in this episode c...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss three areas of your body that are uncommon to exercise, but are absolute musts to train if you want to maintain your health and function - your feet, your hands, and your spinal muscles.  They reference much of their past work in this episode, the links to which can be found below: 5 Exercises You Can Do Anywhere To Strengthen...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie answer a listener-submitted question about how to exercise if you have plantar fasciitis or are experiencing platar fasciitis symptoms.  They break down the three things you need to keep in mind when you exercise and give you tips to help you keep exercising whether you are symptomatic or not.  As always, make sure to consult with your...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie sit down with Dr. Sarah McCormick, D.O., OBGYN to discuss exercise, health, pregnancy, and menopause.  Dr. McCormick is not only an advocate of exercise, she is an NPC body building national qualifier as well!  Dr. McCormick shares how she practices what she preaches and gives Julie and Charlie insight into the advice she recommends to...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss a new term - Intentional Tightness Symptom (ITS). What is it, how is it affecting your life, and what things can be done to help prevent and address this, if any?  Check out all of this and more in the week's episode of Exercise Is Health!

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss the minimum amount of exercise that is needed in order to maintain health.  They discuss the two different types of exercise that are absolute musts if you want to maintain your health.  They also give recommendations of simple things you can do to ensure you get both types of exercise in.  Check out all of this and more in thi...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie are answering listener-submitted questions about some of their previous content.  Listeners had questions about stretching as well as the idea of focusing on time instead of reps, so Julie and Charlie dive in deep to discuss their thoughts behind their recomendations.  Hear the full story in this week's episode of Exericse Is Health!

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie interview Kurt Hutchinson, a phyiscal therapist with the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute.  Kurt discusses in detail the new OrthoHealth program they are running at IBJI.  What is OrthoHealth?  What does this program offer?  Would you be a good fit for the OrthoHealth program? What advanced practices is the OrthoHealth program using to...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie discuss a concept that is commonly thrown around when talking about Muscle Activation Techniques® (MAT®), and it is this idea of "looking for the cause".  What does this mean?  How does it make the MAT® thought process different than many conventional modalities?  Check out all of this and more in this week's episode of Exercise Is Hea...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie are discussing a growing trend in the fitness industry - group style and online workouts.  Why are these kinds of workouts so attractive?  What are the pros?  Are there any potential cons?  As a consumer of exercise, it is important for you to get these details.  Check it all out in this week's episode!

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie are answering your questions!  They had two questions submitted about an earlier episode, Six Exercise Principles To Keep In Mind If You Are New To Exercise , and they are diving in deep to explain the reasoning behind some of their principles. If you would like your question featured on a future episode of the Exercise Is Health podca...

This week on the Exercise Is Health podcast, Julie and Charlie interview a very special guest - Dr. Bob Cates (Charlie's dad).  Dr. Cates practices family medicine in Wisconsin and is a HUGE advocate of the many benefits of exercise.  In this episode, he discusses the changes he sees in his patients when they begin exercising, as well as the changes he sees when they stop.  He also dives into his...