"Missing the Mark" But Still Winning in the Long Run?
Posted on 13. Oct, 2009 by admin in exercise
“Nearly” isn’t generally a word we associate with achievement. In fact, very little in life, it seems, counts much at all if you don’t “hit a grand slam.” Luckily for some, this may not be entirely the case when it comes to longevity. As a chiropractor in Santa Barbara, who has many senior patients and who is also a firm believer in the advantages of exercise at every age, I was very happy to read about the results of the following study.
Researchers found that of the “least-fit” versus the “slightly more fit” in a recent study of nearly 4,400 healthy U.S. adults, roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels were twice as likely to die over the nine years of the study as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels. (In other words, those 20 percent who were nearly at the lowest fitness levels.) This is the proverbial “bad news/good news” type of result. It is obviously bad news if you are a resolute couch potato. But, it is definitely good news for those who haven’t entirely embraced a sedentary lifestyle but are not, by any stretch of the imagination, “exertive.” Apparently, those individuals who stay even moderately fit as they grow older may have a longer lifespan than those who are entirely out-of-shape, the study suggests.
Between 1986 and 2006, researchers evaluated the fitness levels of 4,384 middle-aged and senior adults during exercise treatmill tests. The researchers then observed their progress for approximately nine years. Such factors as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure were considered in the study. This, in and of itself, highlights the value of physical fitness itself. In an email to Reuters Health, lead researcher, Dr. Sandra Mandic of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, stated: “Our findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit individuals.”
Nearly two-thirds of the participants at the least-fit level failed to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five or more days a week, which was the minimum recommended amount of exercise. “These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity,” Mandic said, “particularly in poorly-fit individuals.”
Dividing the study group participants by fitness levels, the researchers found that 25 percent of the least-fit men and women had died during the study period, as opposed to 13 percent of those who were slightly more in shape. Among adults in the most-fit group (the ones who “hit a grand slam”, so to speak) only 6 percent died during the follow-up period.
The five fitness-level groups showed little variance, overall, in their reported exercise habits during most of their adult lives, but conspicuously, they varied in activity levels only in recent years. “Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic said, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”
And, naturally, just think of the health advantages we could all derive if we sought to achieve the higher levels of fitness.
SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.
Chiropractic Santa Barbara Offers Helpful Tips to Baby Boomers to Avoid Exercise Injuries
Posted on 02. Jul, 2009 by admin in Chiropractic Santa Barbara, exercise
Chiropractic Santa Barbara wants you to get plenty of exercise, but also wants you to take a few precautions: You know the old saying, “You’re only as old as you feel,” right? And though in general this adage may be true, specifically the young/old feeling seems to vary from day-to-day as we age, especially among baby boomers where sports and athletic activities are involved. In fact, orthopedic surgeons are seeing a “tidal wave” of 45- to 64-year-olds suffering from exercise-related injuries they’ve dubbed “boomeritis,” reports Dr. Ray Monto, an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). “You can’t beat yourself up the way you did when you were 20 because it takes longer to recover,” he said.
According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission exercise-related injuries and injuries sustained through the use of exercise equipment sent more than 166,000 people in the 45-64 age group to the emergency room, clinic or doctor’s office in 2008. Though middle-aged people today are a lot more active than their parents were, and are basically more fit and athletic longer into their lives, older athletes need to take a few precautions to protect themselves from injuries like rotator cuff tears, tendonitis and stress fractures.
Though most of the injuries in the Consumer report appear to be due to people not giving themselves enough time to rest up after tough workouts, Monto and AAOS offer a number of helpful tips to avoid exercise injuries: Check with your physician before starting any type of exercise program (your doctor can make sure you’re healthy and offer advice on sports and activities that fit your fitness level). Don’t do the same workout day after day (this will help to avoid repetitive stress injuries and eliminate chronic injury patterns). Work on your flexibility (it’s crucial to stretch and warm up before a workout, and cool down and stretch again, the AAOS advises). And, be sure to schedule days off into your exercise regimen, especially after a particularly intense workout.
So, Baby Boomers, even though you may feel young, it’s still wise to take extra precautions to protect your body when you’re active. After all, wisdom comes with aging.
Full article by Anne Harding (Reuters Health)
ORIGINAL SOURCE: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, June 22, 2009.
Chiropractic Santa Barbara: "Motion is Life"
Posted on 22. Jun, 2009 by admin in Chiropractic Santa Barbara, exercise
Chiropractic Santa Barbara agrees that “motion is life,” and that exercise and other healthy activities are good for body and soul. We, humans, were designed to walk, to run, to dance, and to move all the muscles of our body for our entire lifespan. So, naturally, it follows that we either “move it or lose it!” Our aging “Baby Boomer” population is discovering just how true this cautionary advice is when it comes to energy, vitality, mobility, and good health in later years. With every year of our life, we have much to gain from being physically active…and plenty to lose by living an immobile or sedentary lifestyle.
As our age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular physical activity can actually slow down the trend. In addition, research has shown that people who have already developed coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Type 2 diabetes, and other age-related chronic diseases can benefit substantially by increasing their physical activity and, therefore, often can manage their chronic illness with fewer medicines.
Furthermore, some studies suggest that the cardiovascular benefits an individual gets from physical activity may also help the brain stay healthy. “Physical activity influences the frontal region of the brain,” says Dr. Bradley Hatfield, professor of Sports Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. So, if you’ve been wondering what the best thing is that you can do to keep your brain young, the answer may be for you to take a long walk. A key factor is that exercise thickens the brain tissue and builds more synapses in the brain. The brain has 10 billion nerve cells, called neurons, and on average, neurons are connected to each other through 10,000 synapses. Every time we exercise, more synapses form and the active brain gets stronger.
On a regular basis, being physically active increases the quality of life (period). Some of the benefits include improved energy levels, mental sharpness, balance, strength, flexibility, and weight control. Moreover, regular aerobic exericise has been shown to help in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress.
So, even though the facts point conclusively to the validity of the “move it or lose it!” warning, they also confirm that it is never to late for you to “move it” and regain your health!
Chiropractic Santa Barbara Offers Easy Steps for Getting Active Again
Posted on 18. Jun, 2009 by admin in Chiropractic Santa Barbara, exercise
Chiropractic Santa Barbara is a firm believer in exercise and activity at every age. You may have read on this website, or elsewhere, about recent studies that have shown that physical activity is requisite to getting and staying healthy, especially as we age. But, if you’ve been inactive for awhile, even the idea of exercise might seem “exhausting.” The best way, then, to approach this much-needed addition to your lifestyle is, literally and figuratively, to do it one step at a time. A smart “first step” is to see a health care professional, like your chiropractor, for a full physical examination. Once it is confirmed that you won’t make matters worse through movement, then the next step is simply to start moving a bit each day.
Any movement is a step towards better health and physical fitness. Walk a lap (or two) around your house or apartment. Put that TV remote away and get up to change the channels. As your body becomes accustomed to moving again, you will probably discover that you actually want to move more. Then you can slowly add additional movement to your daily routine. Increase the walk around your house to a walk around the block, a walk in the park, or even a walk through the shopping mall. Walking with a friend can often help to keep you on track(especially on those days when you’d rather sit and veg, then get your body moving). If you are physically able, take the stairs instead of using the elevator as often as you can. Park farther away from the entrance to the supermarket and make it a goal to put more and more parking spots between you and the entrance.
After a few weeks of regular physical activity, you will begin to feel the healthful benefits of movement. Then you’ll be ready for new ways to build flexibility, fitness, and muscle strength. Your Santa Barbara chiropractor can advise you on how to become more physically active and help you to development an individualized program.
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