Marion Regional Healthcare System

Health Shorts

Exercise

A Little Intensity Goes a Long Way

Only three six-minute bursts of high-intensity exercise a week allowed subjects to nearly double their exercise endurance in a short time, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. At the beginning of the study, moderately active males and females who were asked to ride exercise bikes at 80 percent of their maximum aerobic capacity had to quit because of exhaustion after 26 minutes. By adding three six-minute sprint sessions a week for two weeks, the subjects were able to bike at 80 percent of maximum heart rate for 51 minutes. That kind of improvement would require many hours of training at regular intensity. [SOURCE: Alexa Joy Sherman, “Fitter, Faster,” Natural Health, November, 2005]

Ab-solutely Not a Smart Idea  

It’s always fun to watch those attractive, fit young models working out so effortlessly on abdomen- and thigh-reducing machines. But resist the temptation to place a quick order.  There is no such thing as spot-reducing. If you want to get rid of fat on your belly or thighs, you have to make changes in your diet and exercise habits that result in overall weight loss. Even though you can tone abdominal muscles, the six-pack ab look appears after you lose the fat covering the muscles. To accomplish that, a treadmill or exercise bike is a better investment. [SOURCE: “Fitness on a Budget: Low Cost Ideas for Shaping Up,” MayoClinic.com, August 18, 2006]

Are You Ready To Start Exercising?

If you’re ready to start an exercise and weight loss program, the American Heart Association (AHA) is ready to help you log your progress. The “Start! Program” at the AHA website (www.americanheart.org/start) allows you to track what you eat and how much you exercise each day, then calculates your progress for you. [SOURCE: “Heart Association Wants You to ‘Start’,” Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, March, 2007]

Attractive Model Not Included 

Machines designed to build abdomen muscles may look tempting when you see them used by attractive young TV models who already have washboard abs. Remember, though, that the machine is for YOU to use, and the motion can become boring and repetitive. There is no such thing as spot reduction of body fat. Strong abdomen muscles can be obtained at low cost through situps, kneeups, crunches and pushups. These muscles do not always show, however, if they are covered by a layer of fat. And for many individuals, abdominal fat may be the last to go. [SOURCE: “Choosing the Right Equipment To Get You from Fit to Fat,” fitFAQ.com, 2004-2005; “‘A Flat, Sexy Stopmach in 5 Minutes Flat!’ (Yeah, Right!),” Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter, August, 1996]

Best Winter Antidepressant: Exercise  

Winter is the cruelest season, with a higher than average rate of weight gain and depression. One of the best ways of dealing with both is through regular exercise-all too often neglected when the weather outside is foul. Studies over the last several decades have consistently found that persons who work out are less likely than others to feel fatigued, serious or sad. A recent study of depressed men and women, with an average age of 70, found that virtually all of those taking part in a strength training program experienced a significant decrease in symptoms of depression. The response rate to weight training was nearly 100 percent, compared to about 65 percent for most prescription antidepressants.  [SOURCE: "Winter Exercise-For Body and Soul," Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, December, 2003]

Bond with Your Dog and Lose Weight 

When your dog wants to go out, do you give him a proper walk or hurry him along so you can get back to your TV show? Both dogs and owners can benefit from regular exercise. In a study conducted by the Bassett Research Institute, dog owners were asked to take their pets for a 30-minute walk twice a day. After six months, nearly all of the dogs and about half of the owners lost weight.  [SOURCE: Jack Robertiello, "Fitness with Fido: You and Your Best Friend Should run for the Hills! Here's Why," Current Health 2, February, 2005]

Brisk but Comfortable Close Enough  

When you're walking for exercise, most experts recommend a pace that is "brisk but comfortable"-slow enough that you can carry on a conversation but too fast to sing. A recent treadmill study confirmed that when subjects were told to walk at a "brisk but comfortable" pace, their heart rate and level of exertion was in a range considered safe but challenging enough to improve their cardiovascular fitness. [SOURCE: "Walking Rx: Brisk but Comfortable," Saturday Evening Post, September-October, 2004]

Brisk Walking Better for Bone Density  

It's well known that weight bearing exercise helps build bone density, countering the effect of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. A recent University of Michigan study found that brisk walking was more helpful than walking at a slower, less challenging pace. Subjects walking at 110 percent of ventilatory threshold (the stage at which breathing becomes more rapid) increased bone mineral density while those walking at intensities below 110 percent showed little or no change.  [SOURCE: Nicholas Mulcahy, "Brisk Walking Sparks Rise in Bone Mineral Density: 15-Week Study," Family Practice News, February 15, 2004]

Building Bone as Well as Muscle 

For building strong bones, weight bearing activity is recommended, and bicycling does not ordinarily qualify despite its benefits for developing cardiovascular fitness and muscle. Trail riding, however, because of the bouncing and jostling, can strengthen bones.  One small study of high-mileage male bicyclists found that trail riders had above average bone density while road riders had below average. As an adjunct to any aerobic exercise, strength training can help maintain and improve bone density. [SOURCE: “Build Bones on a Bike,” Prevention, October, 2002]Choosing a Yoga, Tai Chi Class  Yoga and tai chi have strong philosophical components and are best learned from an experienced teacher rather than a book or video. To find a teacher who is right for you:  •Visit a class, at least two or three times, even if that means paying a minimal charge. • Educate yourself by reading. • Talk to the teacher about his or her experience with the discipline. What attracted you to yoga (or tai chi)? How long have you been practicing? How long have you taught? Who was your teacher? • Talk to other students about their experience with the class. • Try a class to make sure you’re comfortable with the teacher and his or her style. If you don’t enjoy the class, you’re less likely to stick with it. [SOURCE: Heather Hatfield, “Beyond Om: The Many Styles of Yoga,” WebMD Feature, medically updated May 18, 2006; Barbara Russi Sarnatoro, “Tai Chi Exercises Both Mind and Body,” June 23, 2006]

Diet Season Is Now Underway

Since the main idea is to sell books and get readers excited about weight loss, nearly all diet books end up sounding a bit faddish. Some, however, are based on sound principles. The Sonoma Diet promises a “trimmer waist, better health in just 10 days.” Quite a claim, but author Connie Gutterson, R.D., Ph.D., is a nutritionist and an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America who offers advice on eating good, healthy foods that satisfy. The Flavor Point Diet: The Delicious, Breakthrough Plan To Turn Off Your Hunger and Lose the Weight for Good claims to trick the brain “into being satisfied all day long, so you don’t eat when you don’t need to.” The author Dr. David Katz of the Harvard School of Public Health presents ways of combining foods and flavors for maximum enjoyment so you are less tempted to overeat. [SOURCE: Charles Stuart Platkin, “Read Up on the Latest Diet Books,” Poughkeepsie Journal, January 1, 2006]

Doctor’s Advice Brings Results 

If you’re a stroke survivor or at risk of suffering a stroke, the single best thing you can do to protect yourself may be to start exercising. Physical activity has a beneficial effect on nearly all of the risk factors for stroke–high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess weight, diabetes and abnormal heart rhythms (atrial fibrillation). How likely are you to start exercising? One study found that a physician’s recommendation doubled the chance that a stroke survivor would start exercising. [SOURCE: Neil F. Gordon, et al, “Physical activity and exercise reommendations for stroke survivors: an American Heart Association scientific statement,” Circulation, 2004;109:2031-2041; K.J. Greenlund, et al, “”Physician advice, patient actions, and health-related quality of life in secondary prevention of stroke through diet and exercise,” Stroke, 2002;33:565-571]

Does Your Exercise Machine Cheat? 

You probably don’t want to know that your exercise machine is cheating in your favor when it gives you a calorie readout. But it’s probably true.  How many calories a person consumes during exercise varies according to weight, muscle mass, fitness level, activity and workout intensity, and the information given by machines is based on averages. Given the same activity and fitness level, for example, a 154-pound male will burn more calories than a 120-pound female.   A person who is accustomed to a certain exercise such as running will use fewer calories than a novice working out at the same intensity. If you hold on to the rails while using a treadmill or stair stepper, you are cutting back significantly on the calories you burn. [SOURCE: “How Many Calories Did You Burn?” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, May, 1999]

Don’t Buy without a Try 

If you’re thinking about buying exercise equipment for your home, here are some things to consider before making a decision. 

· What type of machine? Don’t buy a rowing or other type of machine unless you’ve used one and know that you like that kind of activity. Treadmills and exercise bikes are sensible choices.

· Will you use it? Spring garage sales are filled with exercise machines purchased with mid-winter intentions.

· Where will you put it? Models that fold and store easily are preferred.

· How much should you spend? High-tech features you may not need can jack up the price. You don’t need to pay what a health club spends, but generally speaking you get what you pay for in a treadmill.

[SOURCE: Paige Waehner, “Before You Buy Home Fitness Equipment,” about.com, 2006]

Don’t Let It Keep You from Exercising 

The positive effect of a statin medication in lowering LDL cholesterol and reducing the risk of a heart attack is undisputed. And for most patients, the most troubling side effect associated with statin use is minor muscle pain or weakness. For a person who uses muscle soreness as an excuse for not exercising, however, this seemingly minor side effect can assume greater importance. [SOURCE: Daniel Cressy, “Analysis–have the benefits of statins been oversold?” Pulse, April 19, 2007]

Ease Your Pain with Exercise

A 14-year study of men and women in their 50s and 60s found that those who exercised vigorously for at least six hours a week had 25 percent less joint and muscle pain than those who were sedentary. “Vigorous exercise” was defined as any activity that produced sweat and raised the heart rate above 120. [SOURCE: Joy Keller, “Vigorous Exercise Lessens Pain in Older Exercisers,” IDEA Fitness Journal, January, 2006]

Early Exercise OK for Stroke Patients 

Getting stroke patients up and exercising early is safe even for those suffering severe ischemic strokes requiring use of clot-dissolving medication, according to early results from AVERT (A Very Early Rehabilitation Trial). Rates of death and adverse effects were low among the first 170 patients started on intensive exercise rehabilitation within the first 24 hours after the onset of symptoms. A large stroke rehabilitation trial, AVERT is testing the hypothesis that early rehabilitation will lead to fewer deaths and less disability than usual stroke care. [SOURCE: Caroline Cassels, “AVERT: very early exercise safe following acute stroke,” Medscape Medical News, May 23, 2008; Julie Bernhardt, Ph.D., 17th European Stroke Conference, May 15, 2008]

Excess Weight Curbs Seat Belt Use 

Have you noticed that it’s harder to get your seat belt fastened when you’re wearing a bulky winter coat? Overweight people have that problem all year round.  A study of 250,000 responses to a national survey found that persons with a higher body mass index were less likely to use their seat belts. While 83 percent of normal weight subjects reported always wearing their seat belts, that percentage fell to 70 percent for obese persons.  Federal standards for seat belts require only that they be able to accommodate a 215-pound male. [SOURCE: Kristin M. Hall, “Obese less likely to use seat belts,” AP Health, February 8, 2008; Obesity, February, 2008]

Exercise Blunts Effects of Aging

Most seniors age 70 and over eventually begin to develop problems walking, climbing stairs and handling daily activities, but those who exercise regularly are much less likely to suffer loss of mobility. A study of 3,075 subjects aged 70 to 79 published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that “physical activity in old age is as important as taking your medications” in maintaining mobility and independence. At the beginning of the study, most subjects had no trouble walking a quarter mile or climbing 10 steps. After four and a half years, 34 percent of the men and 47 percent of the women were experiencing difficulty, but the most active exercisers were only half as likely as the most sedentary to have mobility problems. [SOURCE: “To Stay Mobile, Keep on the Move,” Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter,” September, 2005]

Exercise Doesn’t Cause Arthritis 

If you’re a long-term runner or walker in your 50s or 60s, don’t let anyone scare you away from your routine. A study published in Arthritis Care and Research [February, 2007] confirmed that regular exercise does not cause osteoarthritis of the knees, even in persons who are overweight.  The study involved 1,279 offspring of the original Framingham Heart study who were questioned about their physical activity and followed with a series of knee x-rays. Results showed no relationship between walking, running or other regular exercise and the development of osteoarthritis of the knee. [SOURCE: “Exercise Has No Effect on Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis,” Arthritis Care, February, 2007]

Exercise, Fish Oil–Good Combination 

Regular exercise plus a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids is a combination that’s likely to improve your cardiovascular health and your body composition, according to one recent study.   Overweight subjects with high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol were asked to 1) exercise, 2) take six grams of tuna fish oil daily or 3) do both. The researchers concluded that while both exercise and fish oil supplements were effective, the combined effect was even greater in reducing body fat, increasing levels of HDL (the good cholesterol) and improving the function of blood vessels. [SOURCE: Alison M. Hill, Jonathan D. Buckley, Karen J. Murphy and Peter R.C. Howe, “Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May, 2007]

Exercise Good for Neck Pain

Physical therapists know that exercise is one of the best remedies for pain in the neck or back. A survey of 684 patients found that physical therapists were more likely than either physicians or chiropractors to write detailed exercise prescriptions for minor neck or back pain. [SOURCE: Johns Hopkins Medical Letter, May, 2009]

Exercise Good for What Ails You

About 48 percent of Americans age 60 and over suffer from knee or back pain, according to one study. Although pain may put a damper on their physical activities, it’s important for them to stay active. Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that seniors who did either weight-bearing exercise or walking had less pain and more mobility than those given verbal instruction in arthritis care. [SOURCE: Marc Darrow, “The Functioning Knee,” WebMD Medical Reference from The Knee Sourcebook,” 2002; Dr. Walter Ettinger, et al, JAMA, 1997]

Exercise: How It Helps  

Studying more than 235 published reports dating to 1986, an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association [October 2, 2002] confirmed that exercise is not only helpful in prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes but plays an important role in heading off the long-term complications that contribute to heart attack and stroke. Dr. Kerry J. Stewart, an exercise physiologist at Johns Hopkins University, found evidence that exercise can improve or reverse damage to the heart's pumping chamber (left ventricular diastolic dysfunction) that is often a result of diabetes or hypertension. Exercise also improves the dilation of blood vessels, thus allowing better blood flow during stress. The study confirms the benefit of existing recommendations for exercise-aerobic exercise such as walking, running, swimming or biking at least three days a week coupled with at least two days a week of resistance training. All patients should consult their doctors first, however, about their individual needs and limitations.  [SOURCE: Kerry J. Stewart, JAMA, October 2, 2002; "Exercise May Cut Heart Risks of Diabetes, High BP," Reuters Health, October 2, 2002]

Exercise Is Best for Keeping Muscles

Levels of hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA, decline with aging at about the same time that abdominal fat tends to become more obvious in both men and women. A two-year study published in the New England Journal of Medicine [October 19, 2006] found that DHEA had no effect on body composition in men and women age 60 and over. Previous studies established that it’s possible to maintain and increase muscle mass at any age through regular exercise that includes strength training. [SOURCE: “Abdominal fat and what to do about it,” Harvard Women’s Health Watch,. December, 2006]

Exercise Key to Kids’ Abdominal Fat

Abdominal obesity is considered an important health problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent among American children. Visceral abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. A study of 42 eight-year-old children at risk of obesity found a strong link between increased physical activity and reductions in visceral fat. The authors recommended “structured physical training...to prevent further visceral fat accumulation.” [SOURCE: Brian E. Saelens, Randy J. Seeley, Kelly van Schaick, Lane F. Donnelly and Kendall J. O’Brien, “Visceral abdominal fat is correlated with whole-body fat and physical activity among 8-y-old children at risk of obesity,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January, 2007]

Exercise + Music = Smart Workout  

Studies show that exercise improves not only mood but ability to handle mental tasks involving memory and learning. Music has been found to have similar positive effects on the brain, and a combination of music and exercise offers more than double the benefit. In a study of 33 men and women undergoing cardiac rehabilitation, researchers found that subjects scored higher on a verbal fluency test after 30-minute sessions of exercise on a treadmill. After similar exercise sessions with classical music in the background (Vivaldi's The Four Seasons), their verbal fluency scores more than doubled. According to the authors: "Listening to music may influence cognitive function through different pathways in the brain. The combination of music and exercise may stimulate and increase cognitive arousal while helping to organize cognitive output."  [SOURCE: "A Little Music with Exercise Boosts Brain Power, Study Suggests," Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week, April 17, 2004]

Exercise Not Always a Cure for Blues 

Observational studies have consistently found lack of physical activity to be a strong risk factor for both depression and anxiety. As a result, patients are advised to exercise in order to improve their mood. A recent study, however, found that this positive response to exercise is not the same for everyone and may be partly determined by genetics. “Exercise may help [mental health],” the author said, “but exercise may not help everyone, and certain types of exercise may be better than others.” [SOURCE: Miranda Hitti, “Exercise may not lower anxiety, depression in everyone,” Medscape Medical News, August 8, 2008; Archives of General Psychiatry, August, 2008] 

Exercising Outside: Use Your Head 

Whatever the season, make a cap or hat part of your outdoor exercise outfit. With many blood vessels and not much flesh, the head is a prominent place to lose body heat. Wearing a head covering will lock in some of this heat during exercise outside in cold weather. A cap or floppy hat will also protect your head and face from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, which can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer during extended outdoor sessions. [SOURCE: Kenneth Cooper, M.D., “Exercising in the Heat,” WebMD Live Events Transcript, July 13, 2003]

Fit Better than Fat at Any Weight 

Even with regular exercise, some persons still carry a little excess weight. And their efforts may not be going to waste. A Canadian study of 169 healthy males found that those with the highest level of fitness had the lowest levels of abdominal fat regardless of weight or body mass index.  Abdominal fat, as evidenced by waist circumference or waist-hip ratio, is considered a risk factor for both heart disease and diabetes. [SOURCE: Jean-Pierre Despres, Archives of Internal Medicine, July 23, 2007]

Give Strength, Aerobic Exercise

Their Proper Place in Your Routine A good exercise program should include both aerobic exercises such as biking, walking or running and strength training. Combining the two is an excellent way to maintain a desirable body composition and build strength, endurance and fitness. Yet trainers point out that each type of exercise has its own requirements for balancing work and rest. Studies suggest that persons who do more than 45 minutes of aerobic exercise on the same day that they do weight training may be giving a mixed signal to their muscles and have a lessened training response to both kinds of exercise. [SOURCE: Robert A. Robergs and Len Kravitz, “The Role of Cortisol in Concurrent Training: During Exercise, Regardless of Whether It Is Strength or Cardiorespiratory Training, Cortisol Is Released in Proportion to the Intensity of the Effort,” IDEA Fitness Journal, October, 2005]

Fitness-Oriented Gifts Looking for holiday gift ideas?

For your fitness-minded friends, consider the following:

· a membership to a health club, Y or fitness center,

· outdoor exercise clothing such as a cap, glove liners or fleece jacket,

· hand weights for strength training,

· a subscription to a running or other fitness publication.

Such gifts are, of course, for individuals already interested in exercise and should not be used as a not-so-subtle reminder.

Head Home with Wind at Your Back 

When running, walking or cross country skiing during the winter months, plan your workouts so the wind is at your back during the last part of your journey-when you are sweatiest. When the weather is particularly cold, be sure to move at a pace you can maintain comfortably and don't push your usual endurance level.  [SOURCE: "Winter Exercise: What To Do When the Weather Turns Cold," Mayo Clinic Health Letter, December, 1998]

Healthy Resolutions Times 2 

Have you made a New Year’s resolution to start exercising? lose weight? lower your cholesterol? quit smoking? If so, you may be making a healthy resolution that benefits two, rather than just one.  A Yale study involving three thousand married couples found that when one person makes a healthy change, the spouse is about five times more likely than other persons to make the same change. [SOURCE: “Wellness Facts: two for the price of one,” University of California Wellness Letter, January, 2008]

Hemophiliacs Benefit from Exercise

Although a person with hemophilia must generally avoid contact sports, doctors usually encourage exercise as a way of enhancing fitness, body composition and overall well-being. The National Hemophilia Foundation has publications to guide patients and their parents, coaches and physical therapists in ways to participate safely in physical activities and organized sports. [SOURCE: K. Wittmeier and K. Mulder. “Enhancing lifestyle for individuals with haemophilia through physical activity and exercise: the role of physiotherapy,” Haemophilia, September, 2007]

How Much Exercise Is Enough? 

The typical person with metabolic syndrome has excess fat around the waist and a tendency toward high blood pressure, high triglycerides and high blood sugar. This is hardly the type of person who is likely to rush enthusiastically to the health club in response to a doctor’s recommendation to get more exercise. But how much exercise is enough to treat metabolic syndrome?  A Duke University study of 334 adults, aged 40 to 65, with metabolic syndrome found that those who exercised the most and at the greatest intensity (the equivalent of jogging 20 miles a week) got the greatest benefits. But those who did a modest amount of exercise at moderate intensity (brisk walking for 12 or more miles a week) also showed significant improvement, even without changes in diet or eating habits. [SOURCE: Joanna Johnson, et al, American Journal of Cardiology; Miranda Hitti, “Metabolic syndrome: how much exercise?” WebMD Medical News, December 17, 2007]It's Never Too Late To Start  It's never too late to start exercising. An Australian study of seniors aged 70 to 84 found that those who exercised were less likely to fall than those who received "home hazard management" or those who had their eyesight corrected. The exercise program included kicking a ball and doing leg lifts using ankle weights.  [SOURCE: "Six Tips To Keep You on Your Feet," Harvard Health Letter, October, 2003]Lasting Effects of Laughter  Researchers studying the health benefits of laughter have found that the effects of a one-half hour humorous video can last from 12 to 24 hours. Another study found that subjects who were told they would be participating in a laughter experiment started showing decreases in stress-related mood states three days ahead of time. [SOURCE: Joe Hoare, Nursing Standard, December 15, 2004]Laughter Yoga: Good Moves, Good Fun  Laughter yoga, a fitness routine now practiced in more than 50 countries, combines laughter with yoga breathing exercises and movements. It’s 30 minutes of hearty laughter in a 60-minute workout.  Advocates of laughter, whether in a yoga routine or on its own, say that 20 minutes of hearty laughter is equivalent to 10 minutes of pedaling on a stationary bicycle. Laughter also boosts immune function, eases pain and speeds healing. [SOURCE: “Reducing stress through laughter,” KaiTiaki Nursing New Zealand, March, 2007]

Lift Weights, Melt Belly Fat  &nbs