Thanks for reviewing these Field Notes from Koach Dave and 7s.fit
Summer’s grip means longer days, hotter afternoons, and for a growing number of us, smokier skies. For numerologists, astronomers or history fans, August has heavenly events to ponder, like Lionsgate, the no-kidding, best meteor showers in America, a total solar eclipse, and a lunar eclipse.
We face quite a month ahead in a crazy world. Because these are crazy times, I underscore the importance of self-interventions and personal risk management tactics to die harder and later.
Speaking of loco living, I offer this HAIKU about a front-page parasite that is sickening many and crashing salad sales in our retail stores. Yup, my repeat mention of Cyclospora is a tiny Elephant in the room that will hopefully go away – – –
Tiny Bugs in Food
Make our stomachs very ill
Wash all produce well!
Eight
For our symbolic eighth month of 2026:
- Let’s consider how to safely train when the air itself is working against you,
- Put real numbers behind our mind-body connection,
- Self scan and care steps to actually listen to your body when it’s asking for rest,
- Revisit the microplastics story with a heart-health lens,
- Spotlight selenium as an interesting micronutrient,
- Separating hype from evidence on isometric holds and effect on testosterone processes for women and men.
- The Complex Move of the Month – The Loaded Back or Front Squat
- Heavenly history and Lionsgate (see how I snuck in 8 topics for August 🙂
And away we go on our down-aging journey to die harder and later……
* Remember that human genetics set our stage (“nature”), our daily self-directed interventions (“nurture”) dictate how long we stay on the stage and and how well we act (applause is accepted here)…
1. When the Air Itself Is the Obstacle: Training Smart Through Suspect or Armageddon air quality (AQI)
Wildfire smoke isn’t a once-a-summer inconvenience these days. It’s a recurring, almost apocryphal feature of both life and the training calendars of millions. And, despite the Clean Air Act, Americans still face plenty of environmental hazards that impact our livelihood.- Canadian wildfire smoke has elevated air quality to unhealthy levels across parts of the Northern USA and southwestern Europe, and most KABOOMERs living anywhere near the western half of the country have learned to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) the way they used to check the weather.
Our EPA’s AQI chart here scales from 0 to 500 that rolls up several pollutants ‚ most critically PM2.5, the fine particulate matter in smoke that’s small enough to lodge deep in your lungs and cross into your bloodstream. The quality scale runs in these bands:
| AQI Range | Category | What It Means for Training |
| 0 -50 | Good | Train outdoors as normal |
| 51-100 | Moderate | Fine for most; sensitive groups take note |
| 101-150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups *| Sensitive groups scale back or move indoors; healthy adults can continue moderate activity with awareness |
| 151-200 | Unhealthy | Everyone should reduce prolonged or vigorous outdoor exertion |
| 201-300 | Very Unhealthy | Move training indoors |
| 301+ | Hazardous | Stay indoors; this range is an air quality emergency |
“Sensitive groups” include older adults, anyone with asthma, COPD, or heart disease, and pregnant women. I for one, fall into this limiting category for calendar years. If you are like me for a sensitive rating, more conservative thresholds in this table apply to you, even on days when the general population is told it’s still fine to train outside.
**A timing trick worth knowing.** Wildfire smoke exposure research suggests that PM2.5 particle inhalation during exercise tends to run higher in the morning than in the afternoon or evening . Why? As the day swarm, the air column near the ground expands and dilutes particulate concentration. If you have flexibility in your schedule and the AQI is borderline, an early-evening session may expose you to meaningfully less particulate than the same workout at sunrise.
What might I do at each level of the announced AQI?
AQI 101-150: In this gray zone, shorten the workout or activity length. Drop intensity from Zone 2/3 work down to Zone 1 (see Windspan), and self-scan for symptoms . Any coughing, chest tightness, unusual fatigue, or headache are a signal to stop, not push through.
AQI 151+: This is a indoor day, not an outdoor one for cardio. A stationary bike, treadmill, rower, or even a brisk pace around an air-conditioned mall or a big-box store should keeps your weekly stamina deposits on track without hazardous exposure.
– If you must be outside: A well-fitted N95 mask offers meaningful protection against particulate matter. [A basic cloth or surgical mask does not.] Keep windows closed at home, run a HEPA air cleaner if you have one. Set your car or home A-C unit to recirculate rather than pull in outside air.
*Know your emergency signs: Shortness of breath or chest pain during smoke exposure warrants an immediate call to your doctor or 911. This isn’t a good moment to be stoic or foolhardy.
A Koach takeaway? A bad smoke (AQI) day isn’t a lost day for proper exertion. It’s a day to make your stamina deposit indoors instead of outdoors.
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SPECIAL TOPIC: - Mind-Body Alignment: Putting a Number on It
Mind-body alignment (MBA) isn’t mystical or impractical. ‚In this context, MBA is your the practical skill of noticing what’s actually happening in your body as you move, recover, or awaken. - The Number 2 (minutes) A simple entry points: a two-minute body scan before your workout (feet, knees, hips, low back, breath. Is anything tight or feeling off today?), breathing deliberately through your nose during Zone 1 work, and paying attention to which side of a lunge or press feels different from the other. This isn’t separate from your Strongspan or Windspan training ‚ it’s the awareness layer that makes both safer and more effective.
Putting a number on cognitive health: CANTAB. - Some of you have asked about CANTAB (the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), after learning of it from a source like OURA. CANTAB is now run commercially by Cambridge Cognition. Consider it a validated tools to “guesstimate” human memory, attention span, executive function, and processing speed.
Note: CANTAB usage generally require going through a professional or a research study. One free path is to join a research registry like the Brain Health Registry, that invites adult volunteers to complete brief online cognitive assessments (including CANTAB tasks like Paired Associates Learning) every six months, at no cost, while contributing to Alzheimer’s and brain-health research. You won’t get a private diagnostic report the way you would from a clinician, but you will get a legitimate, research-grade way to track your own cognitive performance over time. And you’ll help to advance brain science in the process.
=> If you prefer a periodic professional check instead, ask your physician about a standard in-office cognitive screen (such as the MoCA) . These office screens take about ten minutes and gives a useful baseline, especially once you’re past 60 (as I am).
SPECIALTY Topic: Listen to Your Body as Prudent Self-Care
Frankly, self-scanning is a hard skill, as it runs against the “no days off” instinct that got most of us here in the first place. Yet knowing when to make a withdrawal from your physical 401(k)‚ instead of forcing another stressful deposit is itself a form of strength.
**The “above/below the neck” rule.** A long-standing sports medicine heuristic for training through minor illness: if your symptoms are confined above the neck ‚Äî a mild stuffy nose, minor sore throat, sneezing ‚Äî light to moderate exercise is generally fine and won’t slow recovery. - However, ff self-scanning suggests symptoms below the neck‚ such as chest congestion, body aches, fever, GI upset, or unusual fatigue ‚ that’s your body asking for rest and recovering. Training through a fever in particular is genuinely risky; it can worsen dehydration, strain the heart, and in rare cases contribute to serious complications like myocarditis.
Now, the distinction between discomfort of training (adaptation) vs. a sensory signal of harm should be made.
*Adaptation discomfort: DOMS sensed after a strength session or stamina workout, heavy breathing in Zone 2 efforts, and the sensory burn of the last few repetitions in a set can be expected (and desired).
*A signal of harm may be a sharp or localized pain, chest pain, dizziness, unusual shortness of breath, or a joint that feels “wrong” rather than tired. This feedback is not something to push through, journal, or reframe as toughness. Stop, rest, and if it persists or is severe, call your doctor.
*Recovery is training too! I have read three articles in recent weeks about the growing importance of proper recovery efforts as we age. This isn’t a new idea for Strongspan and Windspan practitioners. Deload weeks, 48-72 hour rest windows between muscle groups for resistance sessions, your built-in rest days. All of these are actual elements of training progressions. If you’re sick or injured, the deposit you make by resting properly protects the larger sum you’ve already banked. A missed week rarely erases meaningful progress; training through illness or a real injury can set you back months.
If you don’t do self-scans regularly: - Invest a minute or so to monitor and journal your mojo‚ energy level, sleep quality, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, hydration, mood, and abnormal soreness. Do invest in the vital self-awareness that makes “listening to your body” more than a slogan. Over time, you’ll start recognizing your own early warning signs before they become a bigger problem. Yes, X-factor appliances or applications can help. Yet you should be the judge and jury, even when that Apple watch, Whoop, or Oura ring isn’t available.
- Microplastics and Your Heart‚ New Research
I’ve written on microplastics before. Yet credible cardiovascular research has moved fast enough to warrant my fresh look.
A landmark 2024 study in the *New England Journal of Medicine* examined patients undergoing surgery to clear plaque from their carotid (neck) arteries. Those whose plaque contained microplastics and nanoplastics were ~ four times more likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke, or death over the following years than patients whose equivalent plaque was plastic-free. - Both the research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2025 meeting, and a newer study in the *European Heart Journal* found these particles circulating in and around the heart‚ with early associations to chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes too.
Right – – – these are observational, associational findings of possible correlations. They suggest that microplastics show up alongside cardiovascular risk. They don’t yet prove that plastic itself is the direct cause. That acknowledged, the biological plausibility appears to be growing. Lab studies show these particles can trigger oxidative stress and inflammation in vascular tissue, which can elevate arterial plaque in general.
Another reason not to smoke! Cigarette filters are made largely of semi-synthetic plastic. Studies have found that smoked filters shed thousands of microscopic fibers. Research measuring microplastics in lung fluid has consistently found that smokers carry significantly higher microplastic burdens in their airways than nonsmokers, with levels dropping (though not disappearing) after quitting. So while the arterial-plaque studies and the smoking studies are separate research threads, they point in the same direction. - Toxic inhalation is a major, underappreciated route of microplastic exposure, and smoking measurably increases it as another cardiovascular risk with long known risks about smoking and heart disease.
Defensive and Preventive efforts
– Favor glass, stainless steel, or ceramic over plastic for food storage and drinking water, especially for anything hot (as heat accelerates particle-shedding from plastics).
– Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers.
– Vacuum and dust regularly‚ household dust is a documented source of ingested and inhaled microplastics.
On this unhealthy subject of inhaled plastics and environmental toxins, think about the alarming statistics of unhealthy molds found in residences and office buildings.
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MICRONUTRIENT SPOTLIGHT: Selenium
Selenium is a trace mineral your body uses to build selenoproteins ‚most notably glutathione peroxidase, that is a key antioxidant enzyme. It also plays a supporting role in immune function.
*How much you need. The U.S. RDA for adults is 55 micrograms (mcg) per day. The tolerable upper limit is 400 mcg/day from all sources combined ‚though it’s worth knowing that European regulators have set a more conservative upper limit around 255 mcg/day, reflecting some disagreement in the research on where the safety margin should sit. - Either way, more of this micronutrient is not better. Selenium is one of the few nutrients where a healthy diet alone typically covers your needs. Ddeficiency is genuinely uncommon in the U.S. and Canada thanks to selenium-rich soil and varied diets.
Best food sources:
– Brazil nuts are a most concentrated source, at roughly 70 mcg per nut. One or two nuts a day comfortably covers your RDA. This is a case where less truly is more: a small handful can push you toward or past the daily upper limit in a single sitting, especially if you’re also taking a multivitamin or dedicated selenium supplement.
– Seafood – like tuna, sardines, halibut, and shrimp are all strong sources.
– Meat, poultry, and eggs are reliable, moderate sources as part of one’s normal healthy diet.
– Sunflower seeds and whole grains smaller but meaningful contributions, depending on the selenium content of the soil they were grown in.
*On supplementation. Because dietary deficiency is rare in North America, routine selenium supplementation generally isn’t necessary unless a blood test shows you’re actually low, or you have a specific thyroid or health condition your doctor is managing. If you do supplement, check your multivitamin’s selenium content first. Stacking a multivitamin, a dedicated selenium supplement, and a daily Brazil nut consumption habit is one way that people unknowingly approach the upper limit.
Signs of excess (selenosis)? A garlic-smelling breath, a metallic taste, brittle hair and nails, and gastrointestinal upset are typical signs. These are rare but worth knowing if you’re a heavy Brazil nut enthusiast.
*Bottom line: Enjoy one or two Brazil nuts a day, a normal intake of seafood, poultry, and eggs, and you’ve almost certainly got this one covered without needing a supplement.
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Isometric Holds and Testosterone level‚ Separating Signal from Hype
Isometric positions‚ like a deep squat hold in free space or as a Wall Sit‚ are popular and for good reason. But let’s be candid about what evidence supports, since not every claim floating around our fitness world holds up under scrutiny.
What are isometric squat holds good for?
– Blood pressure reduction. This is the best-documented benefit by far. Multiple studies show isometric training ‚wall squats and handgrip holds especially ‚ lowers resting and ambulatory blood pressure by a meaningful margin, in some comparisons rivaling or exceeding what aerobic or dynamic resistance training achieves, for less weekly time invested.
-Joint-friendly loading. Because there’s no repetitive impact or momentum, isometric holds let you load muscles and connective tissue hard while keeping stress on the joints comparatively low ‚useful for KABOOMERs managing arthritis or working around old injuries.
-Functional carryover. A deep squat hold directly trains the strength and mobility pattern behind getting up and down from the floor, a chair, or the toilet without using your hands ‚one of the clearest markers of independence in later decades.
Heavy, dynamic, compound lifts, like loaded back squats and deadlifts near your working max 1RM, are best for triggering a short-term rise in circulating testosterone and growth hormone. Thus far, isometric holds specifically haven’t shown that same clear, consistent hormonal signature. Now, that doesn’t mean isometric holds do nothing for him or her hormonally. Time-under-tension (TUT) in large muscle groups like your quadriceps and gluteals could contribute something to “T” processes. But current evidence doesn’t support isometric holds as a reliably potent testosterone trigger the way some fitness content implies. This applies equally to men and women, since both sexes produce and rely on testosterone for muscle, bone, and metabolic health, and both show similar patterns in what the strength-training literature has found so far.
Koach’s recommendation? - Do held deep squats when your hips, knees and ankles are prepared – that is. Endured Glutes to Ground squats are physical medicine for blood pressure regulation, joint resilience, and of course functional strength for your activities of daily life (ADLs).
- – Just don’t do them expecting a “T” hormonal bounty. If that’s your goal, your heavy dynamic lifting days are a better-evidenced tool for “Mister T” levels.
Starting Steps:
Remember that you are a unique athlete, so these protocol steps may need to be adjusted for your own strengths and weaknesses. 1. Stand with feet shoulder-width, lower into a squat where your thighs are roughly parallel to the ground (or as low as you can control with good form).
2. Hold, keeping your chest up and weight through your heels, for 20 -30 seconds to start.
3. Rest 60-90 seconds; repeat for 3 sets.
4. Progress by adding hold time (up to 60 seconds) before adding a light external load (holding a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest).
5. If you have knee or hip issues, check with your physical therapist or doctor for selecting a safe squatting depth before progressing. - That’s a wrap for August ’26
Stay smoke-smart, keep listening to what your body is telling you (or trying to tell you), and keep making those physical bank deposits whether you are indoors or out. - Talk to you in September.
/s/
Koach Dave, 7s.fit
*This blog is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your exercise, diet, or supplement routine.*
- ps – BOLO for sequential nutritional posts that my colleague, Hafsa Abid, is authoring.
- Canadian wildfire smoke has elevated air quality to unhealthy levels across parts of the Northern USA and southwestern Europe, and most KABOOMERs living anywhere near the western half of the country have learned to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) the way they used to check the weather.
