[00:00:05] Speaker A: The Michael Hatfield ReMax team presents real Estate and more. Bay Area real estate is different than all of America and why? What's up with home buyers? What's on sellers minds, how is the market and much, much more.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Now here's your host, Michael Hatfield.
[00:00:25] Speaker A: Welcome to the Real Estate and More show and thank you for tuning in as we kick off a brand new year of us are focusing on improving our health, staying active and living our best lives, you know, Joining us today is a very special guest, a repeat guest, Karen Owak. Karen has spent more than 20 years as a clinical exercise physiologist having specialized in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at the Palo Alto VA Hospital Medical Center. You've seen her on television as a renowned author, nutrition expert, exercise physiologist and longevity expert. Her mission is to see us all reach 100 years of age. Be sure to listen closely today and grab a copy of her wonderful book and let's see if I can hold it up correctly, not upside down. This is the one you want to get. So welcome, Karen. It's good to see you.
[00:01:21] Speaker C: Well, thank you, Michael. Thank you for having me again.
[00:01:24] Speaker A: It's always a pleasure. Before we get too deeply into this, many people don't realize understand what flexibility really is. Can you give us a brief definition of that because that's an important topic.
[00:01:37] Speaker C: Well, flexibility is one of the components of physical fitness and it is explained as your muscles being able to stretch to its optimal ability. So if you're really tight and haven't been moving a lot, those muscles can be very shortened and we're looking to lengthen them.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: I see. Well, you know, there is this big connection that you have identified in past shows. I know you've been talking about it a lot in your wonderful book that you have.
What is the connection between flexibility and how long we live? There's a connection there.
[00:02:20] Speaker C: There is. And this is, I talked about this over a decade ago when these studies came out. The Japanese actually did a study and they found a connection between arterial stiffening flexibility and those that had poor trunk flexibility also seemed to have very stiff arteries in the lower extremities. And this is really interesting because there's not so much a cause and effect type relationship, but more or less the flexibility is a good metric of health. And so if those arteries are stiff, that means you're not going to get really good blood flow because to have good cardiovascular health you have to have very flexible arteries because they have to go expand to push out all the blood and then contract really well, to push the blood out. So, yeah, very important to have healthy arteries. And that connection between flexibility is pretty valid.
[00:03:22] Speaker A: Wow. So the theory is, if we improve our flexibility, then our cardiovascular system is going to benefit from it as well.
[00:03:31] Speaker C: It will. Yes. And it actually will indicate that you are more. Less sedentary. You know, people that are very inflexible tend to have very sedentary lifestyles, and they suffer from a lot of chronic diseases like osteoarthritis and things as a result of being sedentary.
[00:03:56] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: I know.
[00:03:57] Speaker A: As I get older, I seem to get more aches and pains. And when I get up in the morning, I'm not Gumby.
[00:04:03] Speaker C: I mean, you're the Tin man, right?
[00:04:06] Speaker A: That's pretty much what it feels like. And, you know, I want to do something about it. So I'm thinking maybe you're suggesting that when I first wake up, stretch all of those leg muscles, hip muscles, and so forth. What do you think?
[00:04:20] Speaker C: Well, okay, so a couple things are happening when you wake up and when I. When we talk about flexibility, I like to talk about muscle health as well as fascia health. Are you familiar with fascia? Not a lot of people are.
[00:04:37] Speaker A: No.
[00:04:38] Speaker C: Fascia is that thin connective tissue that surrounds muscles. And I have. I don't know if you can see this, but this is five pounds of muscle, and I have it surrounded with Saran Wrap. So think of that as your fascia. And fascia is this thin, kind of very flexible coating. And when you're young, it's very slippery and you can move very well. You know, think of babies, how they're pretty much like Gumby, but as you get older, it can dry up.
A couple reasons why. Because it's made with. It's comprised of collagen, elastin, and lots of water. And as people get older, they become more dehydrated and they lose a lot more of the collagen. So you become very stiff. What happens with the fascia? It becomes unhealthy. It could get very dry. You get these. What's called adhesions, knots. You ever get muscle knots?
That's the fascia drying up and causing these little adhesions in the muscle, in your tissue.
And fascia is everywhere. It surrounds your muscles, your nerve fibers, your organs, your bones. So it's everywhere. So very important to take care of your fascia. And that's why in the morning, it's very responsive to heat. So if you've been sleeping, you wake up, you haven't been moving for a While so your body's a little cold and that's one reason why it's more stiff in the morning. A nice hot shower would be a great way to start.
[00:06:20] Speaker A: Well, you must have been talking with Nancy. I get this one muscle that's bothering me a little bit, and maybe it's not the muscle, maybe it's the fascia. And I use a heating pad in the morning. It works a lot better still. I gotta remember to definitely do the stretching as you propose. And it's all in Karen's book. It's an amazing book. It's called Athletes in the Nutrition Playbook to 100. Here, take a good look, guys. You can find it just about anywhere. It's on Amazon as well. So I would definitely recommend getting that and I definitely recommend to myself to do something about improving my flexibility.
[00:07:01] Speaker C: Now, Michael, think of your fascia.
Think of it as a like a cube of butter. You know, when it's at, when it's cold, you just take it out of the refrigerator. It's nice and hard. But then as it sits at room temperature, it starts to get soft and start to get very pliable. Think of that as your fascia. As it becomes warmer, it's going to become more pliable.
[00:07:24] Speaker A: So what do you consider the foundation of the many common wear and tear injuries and pain?
[00:07:30] Speaker C: Well, wear and tear injuries, we're talking things that are caused by overuse as well as improper use of the body. So posture is very important part, a key part of that. Spine care, core stability as well as your muscle, your movement patterns.
A lot of people have poor movement patterns of the shoulders, the hips and the feet and the knees. So looking at all of those that contribute to pain and our own self pain, things that we cause on our own because of the way we live our life.
[00:08:15] Speaker A: Wow. You know, amazing is one part of your body is so connected to other parts of your body and in what you're suggesting that, you know, your flexibility is definitely connected to how long you live. And so it's also according to cardiovascular. I imagine it has to deal with the other systems of the body.
[00:08:35] Speaker C: We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.
[00:08:38] Speaker A: The ReMax.
[00:08:42] Speaker D: The Real Estate Minute with ReMax expert Michael Hatfield. Bay Area housing markets are always changing. What should we think of that, Michael?
[00:08:50] Speaker B: You know, Mark Twain said, I seldom saw an opportunity until it ceased to be one. We live in the greatest housing market in the nation. But careful thought should be given each time one buys or sells a home. A good agent can help you grasp a great opportunity.
[00:09:05] Speaker D: Tell us about discount agents, Michael.
[00:09:07] Speaker B: Discount agents can list your home, but without telling my secrets, they're unlikely to do all we do for clients. It's an unnecessary risk to save a few thousand by hiring a junior agent and lose tens of thousands through a poorly done transaction. You don't know what you don't know. It's wise to hire someone who does.
[00:09:25] Speaker D: If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home, call the Michael Hadfield ReMax team at 925-3227 or go to michaelhatfieldhomes.com when your real estate needs are beyond the standard and you demand more than the status quo, look no further than the Michael Hatfield ReMax Accord team with offices in Danville and nine more Bay Area locations. Here's Michael Hatfield to tell us more.
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[00:10:12] Speaker A: Now.
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[00:10:39] Speaker A: Now back to our show.
[00:10:45] Speaker C: It has to do with everything and, and remember that game operation where the hip bones connected to the.
Yeah, there you go. So it is, everything is connected. So what I do, I, I first start at the feet and look at the feet and the flexibility of the ankles because that tells me how well a person can move. If you don't move well, you' going to be able to get good cardiovascular training. It's all connected and good blood flow means that your brain is going to get good blood flow. If you don't get good blood circulating through the brain, you'll end up with early onset dementia, some of those things.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: So I better work on that. I'm getting up to the back nine age or I'm in it, I'm going to have to work on that to some degree. So we touched on the fact that flexibility could have or does have a big effect on your cardiovascular system. What does it have to do with cancer.
[00:11:48] Speaker C: Oh, so cancer. That's also many of the cancers are lifestyle diseases. So the poor, poor nutrition as well as inactivity. And so when you don't move well, then you could make yourself more vulnerable to diseases like cancer.
[00:12:10] Speaker A: Not a good thing. Not a good thing.
Just fascinating how the human body is so connected in this way. Just it's so totally connected. So if we really focus on our flexibility by stretching, then I think that we might be in much better shape as we get on to the back nine of that golf course of life.
[00:12:35] Speaker C: Correct, Right.
And a lot of the common complaints are low back pain, headaches, shoulder pain, neck pain, knee pain, hip pain. And those are. A lot of them have to do with the way we live and how inflexible we are. And those things can be fixed. A lot of treatments are treated with medication. We're treated with ISIS and that kind of thing. But we're really not getting to the core of the problem problem. And we're just treating the symptoms.
[00:13:15] Speaker A: Not so good. Well, you're listening to the Real estate and More show. Our special guest today is longevity and fitness expert Karen Owoch, spelled O W O C. And you've seen her on television before. Very nice lady. So I'm your host, Michael Hatfield. And we're back with Karen. Now, we get another question going on here because I'm finding this fascinating for a person of my vintage. What can we do about it? Karen, you know, you talked about the fascia of the muscles. What other than stretching can we do? Is there a special type of training program that you recommend?
[00:13:52] Speaker C: Well, when it comes to stretching, there are two different types of stretching. There's dynamic stretching as well as static stretching. The static stretching is the type of stretching where you're holding a position for a longer period of time. And those are really good to do after you're warmed up, after you've can play tennis or golf. The dynamic stretching is the type that you should do before you go out and play a round of golf or play pickleball. And those are exercises where you're actually moving but still lengthening those muscles. So even things like, for example, arm circles and lunges, those are more dynamic stretches versus holding a quad stretch for 60 seconds. And we really do, when it comes to, as we get older, we need to hold those stretches longer. So I say if you're 60 or over, hold those, stretch those static stretches for 60 seconds or longer.
[00:14:57] Speaker A: Wow. So is there a training program that you are actually involved with? I think the last time there was a training program that you were involved with and you really liked?
[00:15:07] Speaker C: Yes. Well, I train people.
Not only do I have my patients at the VA hospital, but I do have my own private practice. I focus on balance training and mobility training because those are the foundation of our longevity.
Move better first. We also need to be able to balance and that's all tied into strength and mobility and the different types of.
[00:15:35] Speaker A: Stretches without putting you on the spot. Is there a time that medications sometimes work adversely to the cause of increasing your flexibility?
Sometimes, yeah.
[00:15:47] Speaker C: Yeah, because medications have their side effects and they also, you know, some of. A lot of the studies show that they do have an effect on the mitochondria. And the mitochondria, those are our energy systems in the body. So my philosophy is to try and, and prevent having to go on any of those medications.
A lot of the medications that we are put on are the result of how we live our life.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Is it also, or am I assuming too much, that research is indicating that there's an increased likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease in cancer middle aged adults as a result of being inflexible?
[00:16:34] Speaker C: Yes. Yeah. And the studies are pretty valid and significant that pointing to that. So real important to. And a lot of people tell me I don't have time to stretch.
Do you? Do you? Michael, today after your workout, did you spend some time stretching?
[00:16:56] Speaker A: No, but I have to tell you, I knew I was going to see you today. So I knew that when I got out of bed, I did my. Well, actually in bed I did my stretching that way, but I did not after, after the workout. That I did. I did not. But I knew I was going to see you, so I got the first one down.
[00:17:15] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. And it doesn't take long. You know, if you put in four weeks of regular stretching, you're going to see some significant results.
[00:17:26] Speaker A: Wow. I'm gonna have to try that. I really am. And be a little more determined, I think, or tenacious with it. So as I get older, you're saying that the reason that the flexibility declines is because of the, the fascia, you know, going away and then it's making it a little bit rough to move. So therefore you don't move. So your offset that to. That is to actually do the flexibility training and practice.
[00:17:58] Speaker C: Exactly.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: Stretching.
[00:17:59] Speaker C: Yes, definitely. The movement when you're in a job or your recreational activity requires you to stay in one position for a long period of time, especially sitting or standing, then you're putting your body in a static position. When it's in a static position, like that blood doesn't flow. So your blood is, is accumulating metabolic waste like lactic acid, resulting in pain and flexibility.
[00:18:33] Speaker A: So a person can tell if they're inflexible and assess their own ability. Correct.
[00:18:39] Speaker C: There are tests for that just like there are tests for balancing. And that's usually when I put people through these tests, they say, oh, I didn't realize that was so stiff and inflexible.
And one is a lot of people don't move their shoulders well. So the one I like to do is called the back scratch test, is where you take one arm, place it behind your back, and then take the other arm and then try and touch your two fingers, your fingers and hands together. And that will show whether you have good flexibility in the shoulders, both internal and external rotation. And when we lose that, because I had some rotator cuff injuries in the past, that it was very, very debilitating. I couldn't reach up and get a glass off the shelf. I couldn't get dressed. I couldn't put my arms up and put on a T shirt. And that was a real eye opener. And when you lose flexibility, you are really disable.
[00:19:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:48] Speaker C: We're gonna take a short break. We'll be right back.
[00:19:53] Speaker B: There's a shortage of Bay Area homes for sale. And you've been watching home prices rise year after year. And now your home is worth a great deal more. And you're thinking, time for something new. Why not sell before interest rates and market conditions change everything? You'd like experts who can help you get the best deal possible. Negotiate on your behalf and work hard to ensure a smooth transition. List your home with us if you're buying or selling a home. Call us now.
[00:20:20] Speaker E: Working with Michael and Nancy. I was a first time home buyer and I was very nervous about the process. I didn't really know what to expect. Michael and Nancy were able to take that fear away from me and answered all of my questions. They were right by my side the entire time and they really helped me find the perfect home for me. And I'm so thankful for excellence in real estate.
[00:20:40] Speaker D: Call the Michael Hatfield ReMax team at 925-32-2777 to michaelhatfieldhomes.com D R E 01493761.
[00:20:53] Speaker C: Now back to our show.
Yeah, and that's something we can control.
[00:21:00] Speaker A: So there's. There's something like six routines that you recommend to target longevity through flexibility. Correct. Can you explain those?
[00:21:10] Speaker C: Well, I look at the. What I look at are posture, Posture. So Exercises that affect posture. You're sitting up.
[00:21:22] Speaker A: Yeah. You see me sit up here a little bit. I'm slumping a little bit.
[00:21:25] Speaker C: And then those that protect the spine and work on the spine, I look at hips as well as knees, the feet and ankles, all of those things combined. So I'm looking at the entire body and taking each part separately and trying to kind of strengthen as well as lengthen those muscles.
[00:21:51] Speaker A: So you were saying earlier, Michael, did you stretch when you first got up? You sounded like my mother there for a moment. Did you stretch those muscles when you got up? And I said, yeah, I did. I knew I was going to see you, so I did. Then she asked the big question. Well, I knew you worked out. Did you stretch after? So that's going to lead me to say, how often do you expect me to drop down on the floor and, and stretch? How many times a day and how long do I stretch?
[00:22:20] Speaker C: So when you first wake up in the morning, that's when your fascia is pretty tight. You know, you're not. So it's better to kind of get your hot shower in, get or just move around to get warm before you start your stretches. So not necessarily stretch while you're in bed because you're still kind of cold, you're not as pliable.
I say every day, every day, try and spend a few minutes every day stretching and attacking every joint. So my philosophy is, if you want to move that joint 20 years from now, then stretch that joint and put that joint through the full range of motion every day. And it doesn't have to be a full long session, but just start moving. And I think a lot of people forget, you know, you sit at a desk for hours at a time, you're in that static position, you're not getting good blood flow.
It's going to have long term effects. And I have, because I work with patients of all age ranges, I see what happens. What's the result of, you know, when you get to your 80s and 90s, what happens when you don't take care of your fascia and your muscles?
[00:23:43] Speaker A: So in other words, we want to stay very flexible.
Because if we're flexible and we do our stretching and thus flexible, we're not likely to fall. And also internally, our internal systems, cardiovascular and the other ones are going to do better because we're more flexible. But the real reason is if we stay limber, flexible, we're not as likely to fall, thus break a hip, do this kind of a thing, I think.
[00:24:15] Speaker C: Yes, exactly. And when I address posture you think when a lot of things that I see are the rounded shoulders, the forward head, because of the people sitting at the computers, texting and just becoming more and more rounded, a lot of that, the center of gravity changes and you are more likely to fall forward. And also if the spine is not taken care of and you're, you're bending too far forward again, you're going to have that, that vulnerable vulnerability is when it comes to falling and that's a life changing injury. If you fall, it's, it's, it's a life game changer. For sure.
[00:25:00] Speaker A: For sure, for sure.
[00:25:02] Speaker C: And whether you're an athlete, athletes fall too.
So it's important for everybody.
[00:25:09] Speaker A: Yeah. So I know you said earlier that it only takes like four weeks if you have a plan to become incredibly more flexible, thus gaining all of the benefits from being more flexible. But what if you were to go the other way? What if you've got this plan going and you're all flexible and you stop stretching and now you start to what? When will I lose all those gains?
[00:25:32] Speaker C: Yeah, that's a good question. Because a lot of people are really gung ho January 1st and then they kind of start falling off the wagon and just kind of set it aside.
If you make those gains and then lay off for a week, you're gonna lose 30% of those gains.
[00:25:54] Speaker A: So we need to keep going.
[00:25:55] Speaker C: If you stay off for a month, you're gonna lose 80% of those gains and it's going to take about another six weeks to get it all back. So you don't want to go slide backwards.
[00:26:06] Speaker A: So how can a person fit in with all of your daily to do's, how can you fit in more movement and more time to do this stretching? I guess you have to make it a priority.
[00:26:18] Speaker C: Well, that's true, make it a priority. But what I like to suggest to people, because I know how it is and especially if I have appointments back to back to back and trying to, you know, fit in a full hour, it just doesn't always happen. So what I call, what I call these are movement snacks. Whereas you go in and you, you maybe do two minutes of maybe whether it's some type of stretching and some type of strengthening, but you just fit them in here and there. And they found that the accumulated effect is just as good as if you were to do it all at one time. So if it takes you two minutes to go to the refrigerator, get a snack, you can spend two minutes stretching.
[00:27:08] Speaker A: Well, Karen, in addition to picking up a copy of your new book, Athletes in the playbook to 100. What are some great thoughts that you would like to leave our audience with today?
[00:27:21] Speaker C: Well, think of stretching.
It's a little different from strength training. And so think of it not so much as exercise but as a source of relaxation and renewing yourself and recharging yourself. So think of it that way. And again, I really emphasize, if you want to use those joints in 20 years, then make sure that you put them through the full range of motion every day.
[00:27:48] Speaker A: Wow. All those are really great words. We can stretch regularly, say two to three times a week and that can achieve the results that Karen is suggesting. And if you want more on this subject, it's Karenowoch.com that's an easy way to look up and see all of the wonderful things she's doing to make us better and potentially able to attain the year 100 in our lives. So I would suggest that you do that. So I appreciate you coming on the show today. Author, nutrition expert, longevity specialist, and all around nice person, Karen, a person who actually cares about ourselves as people and our health. There's more reasons that she has for caring about our health. You could have seen that reason in a past show that she's had with us. So you can find real estate and more shows at My Real Talk show on YouTube or find us on all the major podcast platforms. Please subscribe and like and we'll be right back with our next special guest. Stay tuned. Thank you, Karen.
[00:28:53] Speaker C: Thank you, Michael.
[00:28:55] Speaker B: Please remember to go to our new YouTube handle, my real Talk Show. That's My Real talk
[email protected] and touch that subscribe button. You can also find past air shows at our handle myrealtalkshow on YouTube dot com.
