Tag: exercise

Step It Up!

On By SupremeCmdrIn Lifestyle Underwriting, Survival strategies3 Comments

Previous studies have been done on step counts and mortality. However, they were conducted primarily with older adults or among people with debilitating chronic conditions. This study tracked a representative sample of U.S. adults aged 40 and over; approximately 4,800 participants wore accelerometers for up to seven days between 2003 and 2006. The participants were then followed for mortality through 2015 via the National Death Index. The researchers calculated associations between mortality and step number and intensity after adjustment for demographic and behavioral risk factors, body mass index, and health status at the start of the study.

They found that, compared with taking 4,000 steps per day, a number considered to be low for adults, taking 8,000 steps per day was associated with a 51% lower risk for all-cause mortality (or death from all causes). Taking 12,000 steps per day was associated with a 65% lower risk compared with taking 4,000 steps. In contrast, the authors saw no association between step intensity and risk of death after accounting for the total number of steps taken per day.

Higher daily step count linked with lower all-cause mortality

I am so screwed.

OA is a Pain in the Hands (try exercises)

On By SupremeCmdrIn Lifelong Learning, Memoir, older age, OrthopedicsLeave a comment

The source article is here.

For many people, hand strength declines with age, especially if arthritis sets in, making it hard to go about daily tasks. A study published in 2017 in Arthritis & Rheumatology estimated that the overall lifetime risk of hand osteoarthritis is close to 40 percent, with twice as many women as men developing it. People who are obese are also more susceptible—possibly because obesity increases chronic low-level inflammation, which contributes to joint damage.

All of a sudden I’m paying more attention to those infomercials that are selling electric jar openers.  An older friend recommended naproxen sodium.  I’m thinking exercise, thus the link to this short informative article.

 

Light Exercise Helps Older Men Live Longer

On By SupremeCmdrIn Lifestyle Underwriting, Neurology, older age, Survival strategiesLeave a comment

Read the source article at this link.

The researchers report that any amount of physical activity, including light exercise, was linked to a lower risk of dying.

Also, each extra 30 minutes a day of light intensity activity, such as gentle gardening or taking the dog for a walk, was associated with a 17% reduction in the risk of dying.

Aerobic exercise may also slow cognitive decline  in Alzheimer’s according to a recent  literature review.

“Exercise can change the brain chemistry. It can change neurotransmitters associated with depression, anxiety and stress as well as brain chemicals associated with learning,” said Carol Ewing Garber, Director of the Applied Physiology Lab at Columbia University, Teachers College, in New York City, who wasn’t involved in the study. “These changes can result in improved mood, resilience to stress and improve functions of the brain such as processing speed, attention, short term memory and cognitive flexibility among other things.”

 

Resistance Training Tied to Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome — Physician’s First Watch

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After adjustment for potential confounders like aerobic exercise levels, doing any resistance exercise was associated with lower risk for metabolic syndrome, compared with no resistance training (hazard ratio, 0.83). People who met guidelines for recommended amounts of both resistance exercise (≥2 days/wk) and aerobic exercise (≥500 metabolic equivalent min/wk) had a 25% lower risk for metabolic syndrome than those who didn’t hit the recommended amounts.

Source: Resistance Training Tied to Lower Risk for Metabolic Syndrome — Physician’s First Watch

Link to the original article below.

Source: Association of Resistance Exercise, Independent of and Combined With Aerobic Exercise, With the Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome – Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Is running bad for your knees? Surprisingly, science says “no”

On By SupremeCmdrIn ICYMI, Medical News, Orthopedics, Survival strategies, underwritingLeave a comment

Source: Is running bad for your knees? Surprisingly, science says “no”

I stopped running over ten years ago to preserve my surgically repaired knees.

Two years ago I had difficulty on the way down from a 7200 ft climb up to Hanging Lake.  Last year I was limited to flat hikes.

Time to start running again?

Stronger Muscles, Longer Life – OU Medicine

On By SupremeCmdrIn Lifestyle Underwriting, Survival strategiesLeave a comment

Over a 15-year period, older adults who regularly strength trained were 45% less likely to die than those who didn’t. In fact, their risk of death from heart disease was 41% lower. From cancer, it was 19% less. This link remained ever after the researchers considered the influence of other factors, such as age, overall health, and smoking status.

Source: Stronger Muscles, Longer Life

I’ve known about the benefits of strength training for some time.  I try to build in resistance training 2x a week.  Some weeks are better than others but for the most part I’ve been fairly compliant for over ten years.  After reading this article I’m more motivated.

See you at the gym later.