Exercise for Better Health
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10,000 Steps to Better Health Top
Baltimore Sun
A growing number of health experts are endorsing fitness regimes centered on the idea that all adults need to walk about 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. Children and those looking to lose weight need more steps, and seniors or those with other health conditions need fewer steps. Despite these fluctuations, experts say 10,000 steps remains a good general goal. The 10,000 step program is helpful because it gives individuals an consistently measurable goal. Government researchers show 40 percent of adults get no leisure-time physical activity, contributing to a number of health problems. In an effort to reverse this trend, programs like Get Fit Maryland supply adults with pedometers for a small fee and give prizes for reaching 10,000 steps a day. Children's pedometers are also available for free. Although the Surgeon General's office still endorses 30 minutes of daily exercise, many other groups have already taken on the 10,000-step goal. And research shows the change is working. For example, a recent Stanford University study shows the 10,000-step goal increases the number of steps people take each day by 27 percent. It is estimated 10,000 steps takes about an hour and 40 minutes on average to walk. That may seem like a significant chunk of time for most busy Americans. Luckily, with pedometers this time can be broken up into manageable chunks while still creating many of the same benefits.
Abstract News (c) 2008 INFORMATION, INC.
Exercise Could Slow Aging of Body, Study Suggests Top
Washington Post
According to British researchers, individuals who exercise exhibit cells that are "younger" than those who refrain from physical activity. The lead author of the study, Tim D. Spector of King's College, said the findings could be motivation for more individuals to begin exercising. Spector and his fellow researchers examined telomeres, the genetic ends of chromosomes that recede in length each time a cell divides. Aging has been linked to the shortening of telomeres as the inability of the telomeres to divide result in age-related problems such as wrinkles and hearing loss. Over the span of a decade, researchers examined the telomeres of white blood cells from twins, attempting to produce a link between aging and telomere length. Their study, reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that individuals with moderate to high levels of physical activity exhibited telomeres that were "younger" than those who did the least physical activity on a weekly basis. Telomere length was directly proportional to exercise, even in light of factors such as obesity or smoking that could have contributed to individuals engaging in less physical activity
Abstract News (c) 2008 INFORMATION, INC.
A Little Exercise Can Lessen Metabolic Syndrome Top
Philadelphia Inquirer
A new study in the American Journal of Cardiology shows that a moderate exercise routine can reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. A person with metabolic syndrome has at least three of the following conditions: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, or a large waist. Duke University researchers observed 171 middle-aged, overweight people for an eight month period. Participants walked briskly for approximately 11 miles weekly. At the end of the study, 27 percent of participants had metabolic syndrome, compared to 41 percent before they began exercising regularly.
Abstract News (c) 2008 INFORMATION, INC.
Walk, Count, Lose Weight Top
Boston Globe
A new Journal of American Medical Association study reports that individuals who utilized a pedometer for 18 weeks walked around seven extra miles per week and removed 0.4 points from their body mass index. That drop is equal to 2.5 pounds for a five-foot, six-inch individual with an original weight of 195 pounds. A pedometer, which can be as cheap as $10, is a device people attach to their waists when walking to count their number of steps. Researchers claim if 10 percent of American adults started a regular walking plan, $5.6 billion in yearly heart-ailment expenses could be saved. The study looked at results of 26 cases of pedometer use, involving 2,767 participants. The majority were women, overweight, and not active before they began their walking plans. Researchers determined that participants who walked with a pedometer expanded their activity by 27 percent, or by over 2,000 steps per day, which equals a mile. In addition, systolic blood pressure dropped by around 3.8 millimeters of mercury, a substantial improvement.
Abstract News (c) 2008 INFORMATION, INC.
Exercise Aids Blood Sugar Levels Top
USA Today
A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that both aerobic exercise and strength training help to control blood sugar levels for individuals with diabetes, particularly when individuals engage in a lot of both types of activity. During the study, researchers divided the participants into four groups: no exercise, aerobic exercise, strength training, and aerobics and strength training; all those working out were to do so for 45 minutes, three times a week. After three months and six months, participants were tested for hemoglobin A1c, an approximation of the average blood sugar level over a three-month interval. A decrease in the A1c score by 1 percentage point is linked to significant reductions in cardiovascular disease and kidney disease. Researchers found that while the no-exercise group displayed no change in A1c, the aerobic group exhibited an average A1c decrease of 0.51 percent when compared to the control group, and the strength-training group a 0.38 percent average drop. Moreover, those who performed both types of exercise achieved an average decrease of 0.97 percent. "For people with diabetes, this is spectacular news," said Larry Deeb, past president of the American Diabetes Association. "It shows how important both kinds of exercise are."
Abstract News (c) 2008 INFORMATION, INC.
12 Ways to Sneak More Activity into Your Day Top
If you think a gym workout offers your only regular chance to exercise, you need to explore the everyday opportunities to sneak more physical activity into your life. Try to incorporate even a few ideas into your daily or weekly schedule to boost your activity level.
- Go for a family walk after dinner.
- Whenever you drive, park your car as far away from the entrance as possible.
- Play with your kids in the backyard — shoot some hoops, play catch with a football, toss a Frisbee or even play tag.
- Record an exercise program on TV (such as yoga), then participate in the comfort of your own home.
- Put on some after-dinner music and dance.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Get a pedometer to track the number of steps you take each day. Set a goal to slowly increase your number of daily steps.
- Make an “activity date” with your family once a week to do something fun and active together, such as ice skating, swimming, or cycling. Regularly rotate the activities, and ask the kids for their input.
- Pick up the pace around the house and in the yard as you vacuum, dust, rake and do other household chores.
- Plant a garden and regularly weed, fertilize and prune it.
- If you’ve got a dog, take him for a nightly walk. If you don’t own a dog, offer to walk your neighbor’s dog a few times a week.
- Ask your spouse or a neighborhood buddy to walk with you a few mornings each week before work.