Training for Longevity and Brain Health
Week of March 27, 2021
Unleash Your Inner Athlete for Longevity and Brain Health
We all want to live a long and (more importantly) vibrant life. What if I told you the key to unlocking this through the exercise door is by training like an athlete? Think you’re too old for this? Think again! The revelation of neuroplasticity tells us that our brains are always changing and adapting. In this 4 session series, we will have 2 interactive fitness training sessions and 2 lecture-based classes. Our fitness sessions focus on using movement and exercise to challenge our brain and nervous system to keep us sharp and mobile as we age. This class can be modified for all fitness levels. Our lecture sessions will dive into the constantly emerging research that shows us how we can preserve and optimize our brain health through dietary and lifestyle choices.
Eric Cruz started his journey in health and fitness at the age of 13. After growing up as an overweight youth, he found exercise and nutrition as an empowering path for changing his life. Through reading and watching anything he could get his hands on related to health, Eric became his own experiment and first client. As he started to see results, he found that this lifestyle not only made him better physically but mentally as well. He gained self-confidence and a stronger drive for achievement and knew this was what he would spend the rest of his life practicing. Eager to get out in the field, Eric completed his Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Missouri State University early and moved to California. There, he attended California State University at Long Beach and received a Master’s degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. While his conventional education is foundational, he believes that continuing education is where health professionals really evolve and make a difference. To solidify his knowledge and expertise as a fitness professional Eric received credentials as a Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP-C) and Level II Exercise is Medicine Practitioner (EIM2) through the American College of Sports Medicine, an MS Fitness and Wellness Specialist (MSFW) through American Fitness Professionals and Associates, a Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and Functional Movement Techniques (FMT). With a strong foundation in the science of movement, Eric then took his nutrition education and practice to the next level by becoming a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner (FDN-P). It is this area that really sets him apart as a health and wellness professional as he brings the full picture of fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle together. Eric started Progressive Health & Performance, a health and fitness studio in Murrieta, CA in 2018 where a wide variety of populations such as: pain relief and autoimmune disease, athletic and tactical performance, and weight loss. Eric’s personal practice now focuses on working with older adults, specifically those battling neurological conditions like MS, Stroke, TBI, and Parkinson’s.