No Excuse Not to Exercise, Run In the Water

If you can stand up or walk, or move your arm, or breath, you are a candidate for an exercise program.  I believe that anyone can exercise.  In my 12 years of patient care I have never heard an acceptable excuse.  Don't tell me you are too tired.  I don't want to hear about how it hurts.  Whatever your problem save it.  (Cue little violins…)

You can exercise.  If you can contract any muscle, you can exercise.  If you are bed ridden and can only move your eyes, you can exercise.  You see, exercise is simply taking the function that you do have and using it.  Then pushing the limits to improve that function.

If it is painful for you to walk because you have been carrying a lot of extra weight.  There’s good news…fat floats.  You can walk in a pool. 

A nice little study came out this week about exercise.  Researchers studied fifty-seven physically inactive, overweight, and obese men with an average age of 44.  These guys were randomly assigned to exercise three times per week for 12 weeks on either a treadmill or in a pool.  Body composition was measured and there was absolutely no difference between the two groups.

So throw off the excuses and move your body.

You may also like to read:

• Even modest fitness may extend lifespan
• Runners World: How to Run in a Pool

Source: Comparative Efficacy of Water and Land Treadmill

Exercise Helps Make Insulin

Our bodies were made to move. Here is another story about the benefits of exercise, this time with sugar regulation, the great thing is the effects were seen after one week. Diabetics (or those who are on their way) have take note. - Dr. A
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Sedentary older people at risk of developing diabetes showed significant improvement in the function of their insulin-making beta cells after just one week of exercise, University of Michigan researchers found.

Beta cell function is known to decline with age, although it is not clear why, Drs. Cathie J. Bloem and Annette M. Chang explain in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

As people age, they may also become less sensitive to the blood sugar-regulating effects of insulin and develop impaired insulin secretion, the researchers add. And while short-term exercise boosts insulin sensitivity, it has not been clear how it might affect beta cell function.

To investigate, Bloem and Chang had 12 sedentary individuals aged 60 and older perform an hour-long workout every day for a week. The exercise sessions, consisting of stints on a treadmill, exercise bike and cross-training machine, required study participants to work out at 60 percent to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate capacity.

After the exercise period, study participants' sensitivity to insulin had increased by 53 percent, on average, while a measure of beta cell function called the disposition index had risen by 28 percent. However there were no changes in their fat mass, levels of fat in the blood, or other factors that might explain the effect of exercise on beta cells.

"Longer-term exercise training studies are required and are currently in progress to evaluate further exercise training effects on beta cell function in age-related glucose intolerance," the researchers note.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, February 2008.

The 100 Year Lifestlye

Arterial Disease Linked to Back Pain

Atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in your arteries, can lead to high blood pressure, chest pain, heart attack or stroke. Evidence suggests that insufficient blood circulation associated with atherosclerosis may contribute to another serious condition: erosion/degeneration of the discs in your spine.

Speaking of spines, a study published in a journal by the same name investigated whether atherosclerotic lesions in the abdominal aorta were more advanced in patients with low back pain (LBP) vs. those without pain. From 1991-1993, 29 patients (21-58 years of age) were evaluated with a diagnostic procedure called CT discography.

Results showed that 55% of LBP patients had atherosclerotic damage visible on CT scan, compared with only 21% of patients without LBP. This difference was further emphasized when examining a specific group of patients (50 years of age or younger): 48% of LBP patients had aortic damage vs. only 8% of patients without low back pain.

Atherosclerosis is so common that many people assume it's a normal consequence of aging, but don't be fooled: overwhelming research suggests that diet and lifestyle can play a major role in preventing this disease. Your chiropractor can provide you with more information on low back pain, atherosclerosis, and how you can avoid both.

Kurunlahti M, Tervonen O, Vanharanta H, et al. Association of atherosclerosis with
low back pain and the degree of disc degeneration. Spine, Vol. 24, No. 20, pp2080-84.

High Blood Pressure Linked to Bone Loss?

The authors in a study that appeared in the September 18th issue of the Lancet note that bone loss, often related to calcium deficiencies, is a primary cause of fractures in postmenopausal women and the elderly, and that problems with our ability to metabolize calcium has been linked to high blood pressure. They use this background data to explore the potential relationship between bone loss and high blood pressure in 3,676 elderly Caucasian women. By comparing initial measurements of blood pressure and bone mineral density (BMD) with BMD measurements taken 3-5 years later, the authors discovered that rates of bone loss increased with increasing blood pressure. These findings were maintained even after taking other variables into consideration, including age, weight, smoking and regular use of hormone replacement therapy (all of which can influence bone loss). Ask your chiropractor for more information on keeping your blood pressure low, your bone density high, and maintaining your health and wellness for a lifetime! Cappuccio FP, Meilahn E, Zmuda JM, et al. High blood pressure and bone mineral loss in elderly white women: a prospective study. The Lancet, Vol. 354, pp971-75.

"Bridge Night" May Prevent Disease

[This study shows how important the nervous system is to immune system function - Dr. Anderson]

The card game bridge is a favorite pastime of adults throughout the world. Now, research presented Tuesday at the Society for Neurosciences annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana indicates that playing the game may bolster player's immune systems.

Twelve elderly women played contract bridge for one and a half hours. Compared with blood samples taken before play, samples taken after play contained significantly more CD4-positive T-lymphocytes, which are associated with disease prevention. Researchers speculate that bridge
activates the dosolateral cortex of the brain, which has been shown to stimulate immune cell production.

Society for Neuroscience.

Chiropractic Gains Popularity with Seniors

The use of chiropractic is rocketing among older adults. According to a just-published survey of 2,055 Americans age 65 or older, 20% have visited an alternative care practitioner during the previous year. Most of these visits were to doctors of chiropractic. A total of 57% of subjects who used alternative therapies did not tell their medical provider that they had used such therapies.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2000;48:1560-1565.
http://www.amgeriatrics.com/