StateraQ

03/10/2026

After years of working with individuals recovering from complex health challenges, I’ve been building something new behind the scenes.

StateraQ™ is an adaptive recovery intelligence platform designed to help people better understand the relationship between activity, stress, and recovery.

The goal is simple:
help people move forward without constantly crashing.

It brings together what I’ve learned as a research exercise physiologist working with long-COVID and other complex recovery conditions — translating that experience into a practical system people can use every day.

We’re still early in the journey, but the first version of the platform is now live.

You can learn more at
www.StateraQ.com

More updates to come.

01/09/2026

08/13/2025

Building Resilience: How to Stay Consistent When Life Gets Messy

Everyone faces tough weeks: travel, family emergencies, busy schedules, or equipment failures—none of these mean you’ve failed! The real key to lasting health isn’t being perfect, but being resilient.

What Does “Resilience” Look Like?
- Adapt, don’t quit: If your plan A falls through, try plan B (like a walk instead of the gym).
- Celebrate small wins: Even one workout, a healthy meal, or a walk outside counts—don’t discount the effort!
- Keep perspective: Missing a workout doesn’t erase your progress.

Getting back on track is what matters most.

Why Consistency Beats Perfection
- Progress comes from what you do most of the time, not from being perfect every single day.
- Small, steady actions—over weeks and months—lead to the biggest results.
- When you get “off track,” just start again. One bad day, or even a rough week, never means you should give up.

Tips for Staying on Track (Even When Life Happens)
- Plan for flexibility: Have a backup workout (like a walk or bodyweight routine) for busy or travel days.
- Don’t let one setback become a spiral: A missed session is just that—a single session.
- Keep a “win journal”: Write down every positive step you take, no matter how small.
- Ask for support: Check in with your coach, a workout buddy, or a friend.
- Remember your “why”: Revisit your main goal when motivation dips.

Self-Talk for Tough Moments
- “I’m proud of myself for what I did do this week.”
- “Progress is about showing up again, not being perfect.”
- “Each step forward—no matter how small—counts.”

Real Success Is…
- Bouncing back after disruptions
- Celebrating every step, big or small
- Sticking with it even when life isn’t ideal

You’ve got this! Every week you keep going, you’re building the habits and mindset that will last a lifetime. Be proud of every win, learn from each challenge, and remember: your journey is about progress, not perfection.

— Dennis Scofield, MAEd
Research Exercise Physiologist

06/12/2025

Train for Longevity: Mindset Shifts for Lifelong Runners & Walkers
As we move into our 40s, 50s, and beyond, our bodies change—and so should our training approach. The mindset that got us through our 20s and 30s (“push harder, go faster, ignore the pain”) can actually limit our progress and enjoyment as we age. True athletic longevity means learning to listen to our bodies, respect pain as valuable feedback, and embrace patience in the process.

1. Learn to Listen: Your Body is Talking
Pain ≠ Weakness:
Pain isn’t just something to “power through”—it’s a signal that your body needs care or adaptation.
- Sharp, stabbing, or persistent pain = stop and reassess.
- Aches that worsen after activity are early warning signs, not badges of honor.

Tune In:
Do a “body scan” before and after each session:
- How do your joints, muscles, and energy feel?
- Is there a difference in one side versus the other?

2. Respect the Process: Patience = Progress
Recovery is Training:
Muscles and joints get stronger not during workouts, but while resting and repairing.
- Schedule rest/recovery days just like training days.
- Progress comes from a series of good decisions, not one heroic effort.

The Power of Small Wins:
Celebrate consistency, not intensity.
- A week of moderate, pain-free activity is better than one big workout followed by injury.

3. Redefine Success
Long-Term Goals:
“How do I want to feel and move a year from now?”
- Focus on participation, enjoyment, and functional fitness.
Adaptability:
Adjust your plans based on how your body feels, not just the original goal.
- Be willing to swap a run for a walk, or a workout for a stretch session.

4. Strategies to Build a Longevity Mindset
The “2-Out-of-10 Rule”:
Don’t push through pain greater than a 2/10. Mild discomfort that improves with movement is okay; pain that escalates is not.

Use a Training Journal:
Record how you feel each day—not just miles or minutes, but energy, sleep, soreness, and mood.

Practice Self-Compassion:
Replace “I have to go hard” with “I choose what’s right for my body today.”

5. Listen, Adjust, Thrive
Remember:
Quitting pain is not quitting the sport. It’s a smart, courageous choice for lifelong movement.

Patience is Power:
Progress isn’t lost by slowing down—it’s preserved.

Mantras for Longevity
• “Pain is information, not a challenge.”
• “I honor my body’s messages.”
• “My finish line is feeling strong for years to come.”

Work to build a training approach that respects both your motivation and your body’s wisdom!

05/07/2025

1. Origins of the 80/20 Rule (Diet/Exercise)

There’s no clear scientific origin for the 80/20 rule. It likely evolved from anecdotal observations and oversimplified messaging for the general public. It may be loosely inspired by the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule of inputs and outputs), but in this context, it falsely implies:
• Weight loss = calories in vs. calories out (CICO), and
• Diet is “more important” than exercise for that equation.

This oversimplification makes it popular in social media and fitness circles, but it doesn’t reflect what we know about human metabolism and pathophysiology.

2. Why the 80/20 Rule is Misleading

It ignores critical factors:
• Endocrine dysfunction: Conditions like hypothyroidism, PCOS, or hypercortisolemia can impair fat loss.
• Chronic inflammation: Cytokine activity (e.g., TNF-α, IL-6) interferes with leptin and insulin signaling.
• Mitochondrial dysfunction: Impairs energy production and fat oxidation.
• Neurohormonal dysregulation: Ghrelin, leptin, and dopamine dysregulation influence hunger, satiety, and motivation.
• Medication effects: Antidepressants, beta-blockers, and steroids can all hinder weight loss.

3. The Real Equation is Multifactorial

A more accurate breakdown might look like this for resistant weight loss cases:
• Nutrition – 30–40%
• Exercise – 20–30%
• Sleep, stress, circadian rhythm – 10–20%
• Hormonal/metabolic function – 10–20%
• Behavioral and emotional regulation – 10–15%
• Medications/genetics/epigenetics – 5–10%

These categories interact, so percentages vary person-to-person.

4. Why Diet Often Appears More Important
• Caloric restriction can produce rapid early weight loss.
• Exercise-induced weight loss is often modest unless combined with diet.
• In metabolic dysfunction, exercise may improve health without changing weight.

5. Evidence-Based Messaging Alternative

Instead of “80/20,” a more realistic and honest statement might be:

“Sustainable fat loss depends on the right combination of nutrition, movement, recovery, and metabolic health. For some, nutrition plays a larger role; for others, underlying physiology must be addressed before any weight loss occurs.”

01/24/2025

I invite you to share your impressions of this song I crafted to pay tribute to the notion of letting go.

This is for anyone that struggles. Let it go.

09/09/2024

This is where you can find me

08/22/2024

Building resilience

08/22/2024

Creatine reduced fatigue after 3 months and improved post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome related symptoms.

Dietary creatine has been recently put forward as a possible intervention strategy to reduce post‐COVID‐19 fatigue syndrome yet no clinical study so far evaluated its efficacy and safety for this perplexing condition. In this parallel‐group, ...