My patient TL could hardly walk. She weighed more than 250 pounds and could only move her body for about 45 seconds before coming to a stop and panting for breath.
Most mainstream doctors usually give up on their patients by this point and settle for managing their weight gain and the risk of associated conditions with a barrage of Big Pharma meds. They may even push you to consider bariatric surgery.
But by the time TL and I were done, her breathless 45 seconds had turned into brisk power walks up steep hills, as well as “pleasure” runs and bouts of strength-building calisthenics.
After two years, I’m delighted to report TL was almost 100 pounds lighter than when she first shuffled into my clinic. She’s shed 66 pounds of fat and built 14 pounds of muscle.
In a minute, I’ll share the secret of exactly how she did it.
But first, I’m going to tell you about the real health risk you face when you cross the line from a well-deserved evening rest on your couch to becoming a bone fide couch potato.
You see, almost every part of your body — including your heart, digestive tract, muscles and bones, even your brain – screams for exercise.
Your Body was Designed for Exertion and Movement
British researchers recently studied 45 healthy adults in their 30s who reduced their daily step count from 10,000 to 1,500 for just two weeks – and they were shocked by the results.1
The researchers found that even short periods of inactivity:
- Worsen your cardio health
- Increase blood sugar levels, raising your risk of diabetes
- Impair respiratory ability
- Increase levels of dangerous visceral fat around your liver and abdomen
And another study by researchers in Canada found the effects of short-term inactivity were even more
severe for older, overweight and prediabetic adults. This cohort included vastly increased insulin resistance, loss of muscle mass, and a high the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.2The good news is these health dangers can be reversed – and my patient TL proves it.
TL used my PACE exercise program, which has “consistency” built into its regime – and it only takes 12 minutes a day.
PACE stands for “Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion,” and it uses brief but vigorous daily routines of increasing intensity.
If You Can Stand Up, You Can Do PACE
Each time you do PACE, you push yourself a little harder. This lets your body adapt quickly to new challenges – building strength and health in your heart, muscles and lungs. And you’ll be surprised just how quickly your body replaces flab with new muscle.
It doesn’t matter what your age or physical condition is. You can choose any exercise that makes you stop and pant for breath. It could be as simple as going up and down the stairs, biking, walking or swimming. The important thing is to increase your challenge gradually over time.
If you want to learn some specific PACE exercises, go to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AlSearsMD/videos. I have more than 30 different exercises and a complete workout to help you get started.
To help increase your lung power and exertion abilities, I also recommend supplementing with the ancient medicinal herb ashwagandha.
As well as a treatment for cancer and arthritis, multiple studies show it can dramatically improve cardiorespiratory endurance during exercise.3
For supplements, I recommend 300 mg to 500 mg twice a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS