My Body Odyssey

By: Fluent Knowledge LLC
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  • Summary

  • My Body Odyssey chronicles the rewards and challenges of individuals pursuing active lifestyles despite chronic illness, recurrent injury, behavioral issues and more. Their stories are complemented by insights from researchers, medical doctors, physical therapists, psychologists, and other wellness experts. An award-winning show, My Body Odyssey will be launching Season Two later this year. Subscribe and stay tuned to learn more! www.mybodyodyssey.com
    Fluent Knowledge LLC
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Physical Illness & Disease Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Success
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Episodes
  • Nordic John on the Parkinson's Trail: Family Support, Muscle Memory & Ski Wax

    Nordic John on the Parkinson's Trail: Family Support, Muscle Memory & Ski Wax
    Jan 3 2024
    “I haven’t had any medical people tell me that I shouldn’t go all out,” says our protagonist in this episode, Nordic John. He’s 80 years young but still competing internationally in cross-country skiing despite  the onset of Parkinson’s disease a decade ago. “That is really effective when you push yourself to the limit.” Our expert guest, Dr. Jerry Vitek, Head of Neurology at the University of Minnesota Medical School,  confirms John’s experience. “Exercise is one of the best things we can do and recommend to our patients.” Nordic John’s wife, Gina, attests that John is no stranger to the  vigorous challenge of cross country skiing. John directed the Nordic Skiing Program at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Vermont for decades. And both attended the 2023 Master’s World Cup of Skiing in Austria.  “I just need to get him to the start line because then when the gun goes off he just knows what to do,” she explains.  That means Nordic John’s muscle memory for skiing remains intact despite the onset of other symptoms, such as tremors and loss of balance.  “There's no question that when you start to become proficient at something, you've clearly changed those connections and strengthened them,” confirms Dr. Vitek.  We’ll also hear from Coach Ollie, who has taken over John’s former position at the Craftsbury Center yet now directs John at his Master’s practices. And we’ll learn about the important role played by the actor Michael J. Fox and his foundation in raising $1 billion for Parkinson’s research so far. How do John and Gina fare in disappointing snow conditions at the Master’s World Cup? What important research is on the horizon for the many millions of Parkinson’s patients worldwide? Tune in to learn more on this  final My Body Odyssey episode of Season Two, Nordic John on the Parkinson’s Trail.  My Body Odyssey is a Fluent Knowledge production. Original music by Ryan Adair Rooney.  SHOW NOTES Experts: Jerrold Vitek, MD, PhD Studies: Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson Disease: An Expert Consensus and Review of Key Issues Forced, Not Voluntary, Exercise Improves Motor Function in Parkinson's Disease Patients Resources What is Parkinson’s?  Parkinson’s disease: overview and symptoms Stanford Medicine: The Benefits of Exercise for PD Parkinson’s Foundation: Exercise NIH: Role of Physical Activity in Parkinson’s Disease American Parkinson Disease Association: Which types of exercise are best for Parkinson’s? American Parkinson Disease Association: Approved Medications for Parkinson's American Association of Neurological Surgeons: Causes of Parkinson's Parkinson's Foundation: Postural Instability Stanford Medicine: The science behind muscle memory Preserved motor memory in Parkinson's disease Benefits of physical exercise on Parkinson’s disease disorders induced in animal models Neurotrophic Factors Growth Factors The Relationship Between Stress, Anxiety, and Parkinson's Disease How Stress and Stress Management Impact Parkinson’s Can Exercise Slow Parkinson's Disease Progression? with Daniel Corcos, PhD The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research John Broadhead: VT Ski Hall of Fame, 2019 Climate change makes the future of Nordic skiing uncertain  Craftsbury Outdoor Center Ski For Parkinson’s University of Michigan Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research Jaxon XC Bethel Outing Club NENSA Nonstop Nordic Silver Star
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    29 mins
  • PTSD & Open Water Swimming: Atlantic Annie Finds Calm Within the Waves

    PTSD & Open Water Swimming: Atlantic Annie Finds Calm Within the Waves
    Dec 6 2023
    The benefits of open water swimming are widely felt and observed but not yet fully documented by the scientific community, as they combine the effects of immersion in nature, cold water and strenuous exercise all at one time.  “It actually does change your pulse and it changes our physiology as humans,” says our protagonist, Atlantic Annie. “And it's apparently activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which I have come to understand over the last 10 years, is our relaxation response, activated when we sleep, when we're with our favorite pet, with a lover. And I was getting that by swimming.” For Annie these benefits are particularly important because of childhood trauma which surfaced as full-blown PTSD some years later as an adult. She has since  been successfully treating this chronic anxiety for two decades now, adding in open water swimming over the past ten years.  “I love the way I feel after, and I love the experience itself," Annie tells us after a swim at her favorite spot along the Southern New England shore. “And I haven't found many sports where I feel such a sense of calm.” Annie is far from alone in feeling these benefits, according to our expert this episode, Dr. Heather Massey, a lecturer in Physiology at the University of Portsmouth (UK) and an avid open water swimmer. “People have sent me their Garmin watch information about their resting heart rates,” Dr. Massey says, “and told me when their periods of regular outdoor swimming have been compared to when they haven't swam outdoors.”  Dr. Massey theorizes this calming effect has to do with a well documented phenomenon known as the Mammalian Diving Reflex. “Cold water swimming is  what we call a perturbation, and it totally disrupts the status quo within the body,” she explains. “It's putting the body in a position where it needs to react to the stimulus of cold water.” Open water swimming has serious risks and should not be undertaken alone or without prior medical consultation. But swimming safely against a small amount of potential risk may paradoxically have a calming effect on open water swimmers like Atlantic Annie and others with anxiety issues.  Tune in to find out more about the calm within the storm of open water swimming this episode, “PTSD & Open Water Swimming.”  My Body Odyssey is a Fluent Knowledge production. Original music by Ryan Adair Rooney. Expert: Dr. Heather Massey Show Notes: What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? CPTSD (Complex PTSD) Open-water swimming: a beginner's guide Health Benefits Derived from Forest: A Review Harvard Health Publishing: Take the plunge for your heart Improved mood following a single immersion in cold water Cold Water Swimming—Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review Physiology, Diving Reflex The Mammalian Diving Reflex: 4 Fascinating Things Happening to Your Body When You’re In Water The Mammalian Diving Response: An Enigmatic Reflex to Preserve Life? Parasympathetic Nervous System Effects of Cold Stimulation on Cardiac-Vagal Activation in Healthy Participants: Randomized Controlled Trial Vagus nerve stimulation How Does Vagus Nerve Stimulation Reduce PTSD Symptoms? Understanding PTSD From a Polyvagal Perspective The effects of cold water immersion and active recovery on inflammation and cell stress responses in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise Health effects of voluntary exposure to cold water – a continuing subject of debate Short-Term Head-Out Whole-Body Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect and Increases Interaction between Large-Scale Brain Networks The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
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    28 mins
  •  Cycling & Sweating Sue: Two Decades Outriding Metastatic Breast Cancer 

     Cycling & Sweating Sue: Two Decades Outriding Metastatic Breast Cancer 
    Nov 8 2023
    Completing the 200-mile Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) bike ride every year for two decades would be an accomplishment for anyone; but it’s particularly remarkable in the case of Cycling Sue, who has ridden 10 of those 20 years with metastatic breast cancer. “I've had many friends who I've met through this journey,” Sue tells us in this third episode of a series on cycling and cancer. “And they aren't here. But I also know that they would say, ‘What are you crazy? Just keep pedaling!’” Sue entered into breast cancer treatment largely alone back in 2003 with her initial diagnosis. But she’s since found a community of caregivers and patients through the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the PMC ride benefitting research there. In this episode (a first for My Body Odyssey), we speak with three of Sue’s actual caregivers from Dana Farber, past and current, about the challenge of metastatic breast cancer, the benefits of exercise for cancer patients, and the motivational power of the PMC event.   “She was all in, you know, welcoming me to Dana Farber like an ambassador,” recalls Jenn McKenna, Sue’s Nurse Practitioner (NP), of their first meeting over a decade ago. “I just really liked her right away.” We’ll also hear from Sue’s current oncologist, Dr. Rachel Freedman of Dana Farber, as well as her former oncologist, Dr. Eric Winer, now President of the Smilow Cancer Center at Yale Medical. Through their insights, we get a deeper understanding of this chronic disease and the importance of a positive attitude like Sue’s during the demanding rounds of treatment.  “She doesn't spend… anytime feeling sorry for herself. None of that,” says NP Jenn McKenna of her patient and sometimes-Peloton-partner, Sue. “She just keeps living her life, doing all the things that make her happy in a way that we all should.” Some high quality inspiration on this episode with Cycling Sue. And amidst a lot of perspiration, too. In addition to completing the 200-mile ride this year, Sue has again claimed an additional title: The Sweatiest Person at the PMC Award.   “You can't see it on the podcast, but I keep my wristband on for a few days and it's all gross and worn away,” she says in a boastful moment. “So I've crowned myself as The Sweatiest Person again.”  Special thanks to Producer Debbie Blicher for her reporting on this episode. And huge thanks to our expert guests as well; see more of their information in our show notes. My Body Odyssey is a Fluent Knowledge production. Original music by Ryan Adair Rooney. Experts: Rachel A. Freedman, MD, MPH Eric Winer, MD Breast Oncology Program Treatment Team at Dana Farber Sources: Metastatic Breast Cancer Pan Mass Challenge Physical Activity as the Best Supportive Care in Cancer: The Clinician’s and the Researcher’s Perspectives Physical Activity and Cancer Physical Activity Boosts Brain Health The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed Physical Activity and Cancer Care—A Review Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity
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    21 mins

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