As a visitor or patient at the Hirslanden Clinic, you have more in common with a Formula 1 driver than you think. An F1 driver who spends 7 hours in the car (and another 7 hours in meetings) needs maximum endurance, strength and the best reaction time to repeatedly cross the finish line safely and quickly. Executives with 90 Key Performance Indicators or seniors at the age of 75 want to improve or maintain their performance in a different context, whether it is a corporate project or hiking with the grandkids. To take it to an "F1 level in life", you have to look at the body holistically and consider muscle strength as one of the most important measures of prevention and rehabilitation. Whether it is in motorsport, in business or in everyday life. In medicine, we speak of primary and secondary prevention.

As the saying goes, opposites attract. This is also true for my fitness routine, specifically for my yoga practice and weekly strength training. Even though yoga and strength training don't have much in common at first glance, from my experience they complement each other extremely well. If you ever found yourself on a yoga mat trying to feel and look good doing asanas, then you will recognize yourself in my story. Maybe you will even get inspired to pair your yoga routine with strength training!

Eggs - a pure vitamin and mineral bomb that should not be missed not just at Easter, but also at the daily breakfast table. Eggs are real powerhouses with many valuable nutrients. They are rich in vitamins A, B2, B12, D and folic acid, as well as phosphorus, selenium, iron, zinc and choline. Almost all the proteins and amino acids contained in eggs can be converted and absorbed. And now comes the surprise: egg yolk contains more proteins than the protein itself! Yup, egg yolk consists of about 50% water, 32% fat and 15% proteins. Liquid egg white, on the other hand, is about 90% water and only 10% protein. #sorrynotsorry but so much for the trends of eating only egg white omelette with leeks and spinach on the weekend. Oh yeah, and one thing right up front: the information in this blog post refers exclusively to the chicken eggs and NOT the chocolate eggs.

Ever been to a physiotherapist or orthopedist? Every year, around 400,000 athletes are injured in sports accidents in Switzerland, over 90,000 of them in winter sports. You can't train for accidents, but you can increase your body's resistance. For top athletes, this is a regular routine. In the event of an injury, athletes receive optimal, round-the-clock care from several specialists. For a regular sports enthusiast, the situation looks quite different. One invests much less in injury prevention and preparation and needs much longer for recovery and readiness to sport. So what can you as a regular sports enthusiast do to enjoy life as pain-free as possible and save visits to physical therapists, orthopedists, and surgeons?

The pandemic has shown us that health and social relationships matter most. And the lockdown has changed the way we live (at least for a while) and the way we perceive time. When gyms closed and fitness classes were canceled, we had to figure out how to exercise at home. Turns out, 3-4 hours of sweat sessions every week shaking that bootie are not just unnecessary but have also been robbing our time. So did the daily commute. We learned that the popular workout routines varying from yoga, pilates, spinning, body pump, to body boost can be done from home. Alone these apps can get you the needed amount of physical and mental fitness. Except for the 6 Minute high intensity workout performed on our “time machine”. Time, because it literally buys you time and improves your quality of life.

I must confess: the creamy shake that tastes like roasted pistachio, salty caramel, or Swiss chocolate is also my favorite post-workout snack. Whether it's a healthy choice is another question. Now before you too get seduced by the beautiful protein powder packaging and get confused by the endless list of L-amino acids on the package, let's answer some key questions about how much protein you actually need and what sources are best. Nutrition and sports performance experts Albers-Concepts, betteryou and Sarah Ledermann share their recommendations. 

Who really wants to try a "Brigitte sauerkraut diet" that relies on 1200 kcal a day to lose 2 kilos? Hopefully no one. Because diets cause stress, even unhappiness, are difficult to adhere to and do not bring long-term success. Meanwhile a nutrition strategy does, especially if it is developed personally for you on the basis of your body analysis. We observe that 90% of clients make outstanding progress with smart nutritional adjustments combined with the 6-Minute Workout and they are able to stick to their self-imposed regime. Why do diets fail and, in contrast, nutritional strategies based on individual body analysis lead to long-term success?

Exercise isn’t all about your body. In fact, building muscles and conditioning your heart and circulatory system are mere side effects of working out. Exercise is really about your brain. But not just any exercise. It’s one that challenges, frustrates, and rewards to an extent that signals neuronal changes in the brain. While resistance training is known to not just train your muscles but also the muscle-nerve connection, there is so much more to it. With 80-100 billion nerve cells, known as neurons, your brain is capable of some astonishing feats. If you understand how to make your brain change for the better, you know the ultimate longevity secret to keep your mind bright and clear and your body capable of performing at the age of 100.