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Tag: Exercise

  • Do wall squats, improve your heart health and build strength

    Do wall squats, improve your heart health and build strength

    If you’d like to improve your health health as well as your strength, do wall squats, reports Knvul Sheikh for the New York Times. This isometric exercise can reduce your blood pressure better than aerobic exercise or other types of workouts. And, no, it does not involve using a barbell or any other weight!

    A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that if you could squat with your back against a wall–as if you were seated on a chair, sort of–four times for two minutes each time, with two-minute breaks between each squat, you could improve your health. All it takes is 14 minutes and endurance!

    In short, eight minutes of isometric exercise three times a week should reduce your blood pressure in a meaningful way. If you can take a brisk walk for 30 minutes five times a week, that’s great too. But, if you do the wall squats, you can address high blood pressure without the aerobic exercise.

    All exercise is good. And, many exercises could reduce blood pressure. If walking 15o minutes a week isn’t getting your blood pressure down, it could be worth adding on the wall squats to your repertoire. You might avoid having to take a prescription.

    The researchers did not review studies on the value of doing planks. But, they did look at 270 trials of nearly 16,000 people to see the effects of different isometric exercises on blood pressure..

    Isometric exercises work to lower blood pressure because the positions reduce blood flow to muscles that are contracted. When the exercise ends, your muscle tissue receives greater blood flow. Then your blood vessels relax and allow for easier blood flow.

    Here’s how to do a wall squat. Stand with your feet hip width apart a couple of feet in front of a wall. With your back facing the wall, lean against it. Then lower your upper body down. If not the first time, over time your goal should be to get your back down as if you were seated.

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  • Best exercise for older adults? The squat

    Best exercise for older adults? The squat

    Michelle Crouch writes for AARP Magazine that the best exercise for older adults is the squat. Why? Because more than anything else, as you get older, you want to be able to get up from a chair and sit back down in a chair or a car or a toilet, with facility.

    It’s not to say that you shouldn’t be working all your muscles up and down your body. You should be walking every day for at least 20 minutes, if you can. Planks and pushups are great for strengthening your core. Crunches are good for tightening your abs.

    But, if you can only do one exercise, the squat is most critical. If you can’t squat, you will face a series of challenges throughout the day. Squats make your calves, your quads, your hamstrings and glutes stronger. They also strengthen your lower back and core. These muscles all help with activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, and toiletting.

    Squats have other benefits. They can help protect your knees and hips. They can help with balance. They can keep you from falling.

    The strong leg muscles squats help you develop also help you live longer. One study found that people with strong quadriceps had a smaller risk of dying over six years than people with weak quadriceps.

    If you’ve never practiced a squat routine, here’s what to do: Hold on to the kitchen counter or another comparable surface. That will help ensure you are stable. Your feet should be about as wide apart as your shoulders or a little wider, if that’s more comfortable. Point your toes outward a bit.

    From the standing position, while keeping your back straight and feet solidly on the ground, move your hips back in the same fashion as you would move your hips back to sit on a chair. Your weight should be on both feet, with more weight on your heels. Your knees should not be over your toes.

    Repeat this exercise eight or ten times twice, at a relatively fast clip. Two seconds to go down and two seconds to go up. Do this routine three times a week. And, be sure not to hunch over.

    As you get stronger, you can remove your hands from the counter and cross them on your chest or keep them by your side. You should be able to do 15 squats twice without tiring. You can then try holding some weights as you squat.

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  • Being mildly overweight in older age has its benefits

    Being mildly overweight in older age has its benefits

    Judith Graham writes for CNN on the advantages and disadvantages of being mildly overweight in older age. Surprisingly, experts report that some additional weight has its benefits. Of course, there are drawbacks to carrying extra fat as well.

    Millions of older Americans are mildly overweight–they are carrying 10 to 15 more pounds than they weighed before having kids, slowing down on physical activities, or developing chronic conditions. But, those extra pounds might not mean they should be taking Ozempic or otherwise focused on losing weight.

    Too much excess fat can jeopardize your health and promote heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions. And, it’s never healthy to gain weight quickly. But, there’s plenty of evidence showing that 10 to 15 pounds of added weight can protect people when they fall and provide energy to people getting debilitating medical treatment, such as chemotherapy.

    As we grow older, we naturally tend to lose muscle and gain fat. And, when we gain fat, it tends to come in our stomachs rather than under our skin. Experts say that this fat in our abdomens is unhealthy and can lead to all sorts of chronic conditions. Adding fat in your hips and rear end is much less concerning.

    Keep active: It’s important to walk quickly enough to get your heart-rate up for least half an hour five days a week.  It’s also important to lift weights at least two times a week. In fact, physical activity can be more important than losing weight if you don’t have a lot of fat around your middle.

    If you continue to eat as you always have and reduce your physical activity, you will gain weight. Yet, the vast majority of people over 65 stop physical activity when they are not working.

    If you are even somewhat overweight, it’s particularly important to exercise. Otherwise, you lose your muscle mass and strength. And, then you are likely to become disabled or otherwise physically harmed and you jeopardize your independence.

    What happens to muscle when you lose weight? You lose both muscle (25 percent) and fat (75 percent) when you lose weight. So, it’s best to exercise more, rather than eat less, if you want to lose weight.

    Carrying a few extra pounds can put you at the lowest risk of early death. Of note, some studies have found that older people who are considered to be of healthy weight are at the highest risk of early death. According to the WHO, “being overweight may be beneficial for older adults, while being notably thin can be problematic, contributing to the potential for frailty.

    It matters what you eat: Eat a plant-based diet to the extent possible, with lots of legumes, nuts, vegetables and fruits. Limit your fat intake and stick to fatty foods that have unsaturated fats, if you can.

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  • How to keep healthy this flu and Covid season

    How to keep healthy this flu and Covid season

    It’s getting colder outside and that means that you are more likely to get sick with a virus. The cold weather won’t make you sick. But, viruses spread more easily when it’s cold out. Hannah Seo reports for the New York Times on four ways to strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick this flu and Covid season.

    1. Believe it or not, exercise and other activities that get you moving, such as walking and dancing, help ward off sickness. One study found that people who exercise at least five times a week got sick less often from an upper respiratory tract infection than people who exercised rarely. That said, overall, people who did a little exercise were less likely to get sick than people who did not exercise at all.
    2. Enough sleep and good quality sleep also give your body what it needs to ward off viruses. You should sleep more than seven hours a night.
    3. Eating healthy, particularly different colored fruits and vegetables, gives your body flavonoids, which fight inflammation and illness.
    4. Make sure you get this year’s flu shot and the Covid-19 bivalent booster. If you have Medicare, you should pay nothing for them.

    Why is exercise helpful in warding off sickness? It stimulates immune cells to wipe out cells infected with a virus.

    Why is proper sleep helpful? It regulates stress, lowering inflammation, strengthening your immune system and allowing your body to fight off infection.

    Why is a proper diet helpful? Processed foods, cigarette smoke, excessive alcohol intake can keep your immune system from working well. Supplements also are of no help, based on the evidence, and often contain ingredients that can be harmful to your health. It’s better to eat a good diet.

    Why are vaccines helpful? They give your body the antibodies needed to fight off flus and Covid-19 infections. And, even if you catch the flu or get Covid-19, if you’ve been vaccinated, you will increase your chances of having only a mild case.

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  • Five exercises to improve balance for safety and health

    Five exercises to improve balance for safety and health

    As we age, it becomes more likely that we will fall and break a hip or a shoulder. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that falls are the top cause of injury and death from injury for older adults. Exercise can improve your balance, reducing your risk of falls and promoting your safety and your health.
    According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one in three people over 65 fall each year, and more than two million end up in the emergency room. In 2014, older adults experienced 29 million falls, resulting in seven million injuries and costing Medicare about $31 billion.
    The consequences of a fall can be horrific, restricting your activities if not robbing you of your independence. So, it’s important to do balance and strength exercises to help prevent falls. Here are five exercises to improve balance that the NIH recommends: (more…)
  • Five ways to ensure the people you love are safe and healthy 

    Five ways to ensure the people you love are safe and healthy 

    At least once a year, every caregiver should engage the older people they love in what can be difficult conversations. No child looks forward to being a parent to her mom or dad; no one wants to have to speak with a spouse about exercising more, rethinking a medication regimen or considering stopping driving.  But, that’s often what needs to happen. Here are five ways you can help ensure the people you love are safe and healthy.

    1. Make sure they get an annual flu shot.  This should be easy since often the local pharmacy will administer the shot.  The shot minimizes the risk that older adults will develop flu-related health problems, including pneumonia and worsening chronic conditions. [Editor’s note: Also make sure they get their Covid-19 vaccine and booster shots.]
    1. Check out what drugs they are taking.  And, make a list of them, along with the names and phone numbers of their doctors, both for yourself and for their wallets.  If they keep the list on them, and you have a backup copy, it will help ensure their doctors are best prepared to treat them.
    1. Ask them about painkiller prescriptions they take as well as over the counter drugs, like Tylenol.  Too much acetaminophen can be dangerous. Prescription painkillers, such as Percocet or Vicodin, can be even more dangerous, particularly if mixed with alcohol, tranquilizers or other drugs.
    1. Try to nudge them to exercise. A brisk walk can reduce the likelihood of stroke and help prolong their lives. If they are not inclined to move, ask them what might get them out of the house.  Sometimes, a companion can make all the difference.  Anything they can do to move their bodies is great, including in hospital. Sometimes, showing them some easy exercises can work.  You can find simple balance exercises that the National Institutes on Health recommends here. For information about free and low-cost exercise programs in your community, visit the eldercare locator.
    1. Talk to them about driving if they are still driving. Many people can drive all their lives.  But, both mental and physical reflexes can weaken as you age.  The National Institute on Aging offers great advice on when and how you can help someone you love decide to stop driving.

    And, if you need help motivating them to change an unhealthy behavior, here are six tips that could help.

    Of course, there’s more you can do, including making their homes easier and safer to live in: for example, make sure floor surfaces are smooth to reduce the likelihood of tripping, install ramps and  raise toilet seats. More on that in a separate post.

    (This post was originally published on April 10, 2015.)

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  • Vigorous exercise found to ward off dementia

    Vigorous exercise found to ward off dementia

    Vigorous exercise can help keep your brain healthy and ward off dementia. Rachel Fairbank reports for the New York Times on three recent studies confirming the value of vigorous exercise for your mental health. The good news: Exercise comes in a large variety of forms, including household chores.

    The studies involved hundreds of thousands of people over many years. They each concluded that ongoing exercise of myriad types can “substantially” reduce your risk of developing dementia. They further found that the benefit of exercise for brain health extends to people with a family history of dementia.

    The British study of more than 500,000 people published in Neurology took a deep dive into the kinds of physical activity people engaged in routinely. After 11 years, about one percent of the participants had developed dementia. Participants who worked out or played a sport had a 35 percent lower risk of developing dementia. Participants who undertook household chores for an extended period had a 21 percent lower risk.

    An appropriate goal is still 30 minutes of exercise five days a week or a total of 150 minutes of exercise that has you breaking a sweat.

    A meta-analysis of 38 studies of the effects of leisure activities on brain health was published earlier this month in Neurology. These studies, over at least three years, involved more than two million people who did not have dementia. During that time, 74,700 developed dementia. Researchers found that participants who walked, ran, swum, danced, engaged in sports or worked out reduced their risk of developing dementia by 17 percent.

    The third study followed young children over a 30-year period. The researchers found that kids who are active end up with greater brain health in midlife.

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  • To live longer, you must both eat well and exercise

    To live longer, you must both eat well and exercise

    New research suggests that if you want to prevent chronic disease and live longer, you need to eat well and exercise. Doing one or the other apparently is not enough to extend your life, both are important, reports Dani Blum for The New York Times.

    You might think that you can counter the health consequences of eating a bag of oreos by going on a long run, and you wouldn’t be alone. But, exercise won’t undo the ugly toll those oreos take on your body. Similarly, eating lots of kale, spinach, nuts and fish, while good for your health, can’t make up for the fact that you’re a couch potato and not moving your muscles every day. Without exercise, you increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

    A study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine says to forget about thinking you can eat whatever you want if you work out. The bad fats will not go away no matter how many crunches and pushups you do. The researchers analyzed data on 350,000 healthy people with a median age of 57.

    The researchers put people who had high-quality diets in one box. These people ate an average of 4.5 cups of fruits and vegetables every day, at least two fish meals a week, less than two servings of processed meat each week and five or fewer servings of meat each week.

    The researchers put people who spent a lot of time walking and doing other physical activity, including vigorous exercise that makes you sweat, in another box. Apparently, however much exercise you do can be helpful, as little as 10 minutes a week.

    The researchers found that the people who fell into both boxes had the lowest likelihood of chronic disease and premature death.

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  • Ingredients for living a good long life

    Ingredients for living a good long life

    Morey Stettner reports for MarketWatch on the ingredients for increasing your chances of living a good long life. Follow the science around nutrition and exercise. And, while genes help, don’t assume a good long life is genetically predetermined.

    Worldwide, only four in one thousand people live to 100. It’s normal for them to have a vice or two, like eating ice cream regularly or having an occasional drink. It’s all about moderation. What they tend to have in common is an upbeat perspective.

    People typically live longer when they take pleasure in daily activities, such as smelling the roses and walking their dogs. They don’t sweat the small stuff, especially things that are outside their control.

    “People who live longer tend to be optimistic and manage their stress well,” according to Tom Perls, M.D., Boston University School of Medicine. It’s helpful not to internalize stress.

    Interestingly, a lot of people who live long lives may suffer from serious health conditions but still enjoy their lives. Many of them can live on their own, though they might have had a stroke or heart disease. Their ability to live good lives stems from their resilience and good genes.

    No question that genes contribute significantly to people’s ability to have a good long life. So do healthy diets, routine exercise and a good weight. Social engagement is also extremely valuable.

    Another factor contributing to whether you’ll lead a good long life is cellular senescence. In brief, some of our cells are injured, stressed or otherwise hurt as we grow older. The number of these “senescent” cells in our bodies increases with time. They can spread toxins to other cells, preventing them from functioning properly and keeping people from leading long lives. Senescent cells lead to a variety of diseases.

    As we age, we also develop biomarkers which can permit comparisons between people’s chronological age and biological age. Not everyone ages at the same pace though no one yet understands why. Eventually the hope is to be able to intervene to slow down people’s biological age and extend people’s lives. For now, diet and exercise are two interventions that have been identified, but the types of exercise and foods that are best for different people are still a puzzle.

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  • What counts as enough exercise?

    What counts as enough exercise?

    Not too long ago, experts agreed that people needed about 20 minutes of moderate exercise a day or 150 minutes a week to live longer and stay healthy. And, if you exercise intensely, 10 minutes a day could be enough. Gretchen Reynolds reports for the New York Times on the latest thinking on when to exercise, what counts as moderate or intense exercise, how much exercise is needed in one session and more.

    No question that exercise improves your health and well-being. Exercise is good for the body, the mind and the soul. And, a little can go a long way.

    Experts appear to assume that daily exercise is asking too much. Instead, they look for 3o minutes of exercise five times each week. They say that this simple task reduces the risk of premature death and disease, including stroke, diabetes, cancer and heart attack.

    The goal of moderate exercise is to increase your heart rate and feel a little bit out of breath. You can do that six times a day for five minutes a time, three times a day for ten minutes, twice a day for 15 minutes, or once a day for 30 minutes. It doesn’t matter. Even 15 two-minute walks each day is good.

    Packing the 15o minutes into the weekend is also helpful in terms of extending your life expectancy relative to people who never exercise. But, it’s not ideal to sit still all week and exercise only on Saturdays and Sundays.

    The benefits of doing some exercise each day include better control of your blood-sugar and better mental health. Moreover, exercising daily lowers your risk of hurting yourself as a result of exercise. Ideally, you want to be taking around 8,000 steps a day.

    To maintain your weight as you age, you need to exercise even more. One study found that an hour a day of moderate exercise is needed.

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