Exercise can reduce the risk of heart damage in middle-aged adults and seniors — even in those who are obese, according to a new study.
“The protective association of physical activity against [heart] damage may have implications for heart failure risk reduction, particularly among the high-risk group of individuals with excess weight,” study lead author Dr. Roberta Florido said in an American College of Cardiology news release.
Florido is a cardiology fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
“Promoting physical activity,” she added, “may be a particularly important strategy for heart failure risk reductions among high risk groups such as those with obesity.”
To gauge the influence of physical activity on heart health, the researchers looked at the experience of more than 9,400 people between 45 and 64 years of age. The participants were grouped according to how much exercise they got. Current guidelines recommend at least 75 minutes a week of vigorous activity, or 150 or more minutes of moderate to vigorous activity.
A lower level of activity, called “intermediate,” was defined as up to 74 minutes a week of vigorous activity or up to 149 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. According to the researchers, those who did no exercise were 39 percent more likely to have heart damage than those who followed the guidelines. Those who followed intermediate level routines had 34 percent more heart damage than their fully active peers.
The researchers found indications that obese individuals who engaged in “recommended” levels of activity had lower blood levels of troponin — a key indicator of heart damage — compared with those who did no exercise at all.
Florido and her colleagues described their findings in the April 24 issue of JACC: Heart Failure.
An accompanying editorial urged heart specialists to promote healthy habits rather than simply treat heart problems once they develop.
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
Can a new exercise regimen boost your brain health if you’re over 50?
Possibly, suggests a new research review that found middle-age folks can improve their thinking and memory skills by adopting regular moderate-to-vigorous routines involving aerobic and resistance exercise.
“When we combined the available data from [39 previous] studies, we were able to show that undertaking physical exercise was able to improve the brain function of people aged 50 and over,” said study lead author Joseph Northey. He’s a doctoral candidate and teaching fellow at the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise in Australia.
The review included 18 studies that looked at the impact of aerobic exercise — such as walking, running and swimming — on thinking, alertness, information processing, executing goals and memory skills.
Exercise for Middle-Aged People
Resistance training, such as weight lifting, was the focus of 13 studies. Another 10 studies looked at various types of exercise done in combination. And, a handful of studies specifically explored the impact of tai chi and yoga on brain health.
Study participants did their exercise under some degree of supervision, the researchers noted. Activity routines were categorized in terms of exercise type, intensity and length. They were then stacked up against the results of tests that measured brain performance.
In the end, the researchers determined that exercise did help brain health. However, different forms of exercise were linked to different types of benefits.
For example, aerobic exercise and tai chi appeared to enhance overall brain function. Resistance training was linked to improved memory.
Northey added that, besides highlighting the benefits of aerobic exercise, “being able to show that resistance training — such as lifting weights or using body weight — was similarly beneficial is a very novel and important finding.”
“Combining both aerobic and resistance training is ideal,” he said. “In addition to improving your brain function as our review shows, you should expect to see improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness and muscle strength, which are important for maintaining general health and being able to undertake day-to-day tasks,” Northey said.
The research team also concluded that the biggest brain boost comes from routines that are of moderate to vigorous intensity and conducted as often as possible for between 45 minutes to an hour.
Exercise and Memory
But will middle-aged people new to exercise gain as much of a brain boost as those who’ve been exercising for decades?
“We know in many animal models and population type studies that the longer people are physically active the greater the benefits to brain function,” Northey said.
He added that more research is underway to assess just how much exercising while young might ultimately confer on brain health among those over 50. Northey also offered some advice for those motivated by the findings to get moving. If you’re currently inactive, he suggested speaking to your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you to start exercising.
“It is also worthwhile gaining some instruction on exercise methods to ensure that you are setting achievable goals and getting the most out of the time invested in exercise,” he said.
Dr. Anton Porsteinsson is director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Care, Research and Education Program with the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y.
He said that earlier investigations looking into the protective effect of exercise on brain health “have not agreed on this matter.”
But looked at collectively, he said, the current review “suggests that exercise, including aerobic exercise, resistance training and tai chi, is beneficial to brain health in addition to the well-established positive effects that exercise has to improve general health and reduce risk of disease.
“Of particular interest to me,” Porsteinsson added, “is that a combination of aerobic and resistance training appears to have the largest effect.” “(And) along with studies suggesting that certain diets contribute to brain health,” he noted, “it appears that adopting a healthy lifestyle is never too late.”
The study was published online April 24 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
SOURCES: Joseph Michael Northey, Ph.D. candidate and teaching fellow, University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Canberra, Australia; Anton Porsteinsson, M.D., professor, psychiatry, neurology, and director, Alzheimer’s Disease Care, Research and Education Program, University of Rochester School of Medicine, Rochester, N.Y.; April 24, 2017 British Journal of Sports Medicine online
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Chiropractic and Athletic Performance
Although warm-up stretches, exercise and plenty of training activities are practiced on a regular basis to prevent injuries, many athletes frequently experience sports injuries during their specific physical activity and/or sport. Fortunately, chiropractic care can help treat and rehabilitate athletes, in order for them to return to the field as soon as possible. Chiropractic has also been demonstrated to help increase athletic performance.
Healthy foodies may agree on many nutrition topics, but here’s one that’s still up for debate: What’s better, smoothies or juices? In my opinion there are pros and cons to each drink, so it really comes down to your personal needs and goals. To figure out which one is right for you (regardless of what your friends, coworkers, or favorite celebs are sipping), here�s the lowdown on each beverage.
Smoothie Pros
Smoothies are generally a blend of whole foods, which means you�re keeping all the nutrients from your fruits and veggies intact. Another big benefit to smoothies is the ability to add in extra-nutritious ingredients. For example, you can pump up the protein by adding Greek yogurt, a pulse, or a powder. You can also toss in a healthy fat, in the form of avocado, chia seeds, or almond butter. And you can blend in plenty of other superfood ingredients for an even broader spectrum of nutrients, like fresh grated ginger, matcha or cacao powder, fresh mint, and cinnamon (for more ideas check out my story on nutrition boosters). The nutritional balance of a smoothie is what can make it a legit meal replacement or post-workout recovery drink.
Smoothie Cons
If you make a smoothie with only produce, or a lot of it, you�ll likely wind up consuming far more servings of fruits and veggies than you would normally eat in one sitting. While this might seem like a good thing, it can actually mean gulping down more calories than you can burn, which might prevent weight loss or even lead to weight gain. I�ve also seen this happen to clients who drink a smoothie with a meal, rather than as a meal. Unknowingly, they’re consuming two meals at once; one is just disguised as a beverage. Case in point: I recently had a client who wasn�t seeing weight loss results despite eating healthfully and working out. One of the culprits I discovered was the 400-calorie smoothie he whipped up every morning, along with a bowl of oatmeal or veggie omelet.
Juice Pros
Many of my clients love veggies, and have no problem fitting plenty of them in their diets. But I also work with people who can go days without eating anything green, or who take very little time to stop and eat meals. For them, juicing is a great way to fill a serious nutrition gap. For example, one of my clients strongly dislikes veggies, but he will drink a daily green juice, mixed with apple and ginger to make the taste more appealing. And for many of my professional athlete clients with hectic schedules, consuming their produce in liquid form allows them to get the amount they need per day. Finally, because juices are so concentrated, a small portion can provide the nutrient equivalent of several serving of fruits and veggies, which can make it much easier to take in all the key vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Juice Cons
Proper juicing generally extracts nutrients, but leaves the fiber behind. This makes juices less filling than smoothies or whole fruit. By nixing fiber, you also miss out on some important nutrients and gut health benefits. What’s more, when juices are made with fruit or high sugar veggies (like beets and carrots), you may experience a blood sugar spike, particularly if you don’t consume any food at the same time. And when juices contain more fruits than veggies, they can pack far more carbs than you might expect�up to 40 grams in a 16-ounce serving. Bottom line: If you�re drinking juice to fit in servings of produce you might otherwise skip, that�s great�just be mindful of exactly what’s in your juice and how much you’re drinking. But if your meals and snacks are already filled with veggies and fruits, you’re probably eating enough produce to get your fill.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
What Is It: BoxUnion — Charlotte McKinney’s favorite boxing studio — combines shadow boxing and heavy bag drills with cardio, core work and plyometric intervals to “sculpt, lean and champion a fit physique in a thoughtful, motivational environment.”
Who Tried It: Gabrielle Olya, PEOPLE writer and reporter
Level of Difficulty: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10). I took the “Box U” class which is catered to beginners, so it’s easy to follow along and they offer plenty of modifications for every move so you can do a workout that’s appropriate for your fitness level. While I was able to do all the moves the class required, that doesn’t mean it was easy! I guarantee you will break a serious sweat during the 45-minute class.
The class started off with shadow boxing drills to make us more comfortable with the different punches (while also working our core and arms to do the moves). Then the boxing gloves went on, and we spent the remainder of class doing a mix of boxing intervals with the bag and floor intervals that included squatting, jumping, running in place and ab work.
While the class was physically exhausting (I was drenched in sweat about 10 minutes in!) the upbeat playlist and encouraging trainer helped me get through the whole class without stopping. I definitely felt challenged, but I was able to get so mentally lost doing the moves that I was honestly surprised when the class was over!
“It’s a really cool moving mind-body meditation,” Marxel Leobez, who trains the Baywatchstar, tells PEOPLE. “You’re in constant movement so you can kind of let go.”
And it’s also a really effective calorie-burning workout.
“The sequencing we use in BoxUnion is like HIIT training,” says Leobez. “You’re getting your heart rate elevated and bringing it down, so you’re boosting your metabolism to burn fat and sculpt muscle at the same time. It’s a high caloric burn.”
In addition to scorching calories, the boxing moves work muscles throughout the entire body.
“By using the rotations, you’re using every spacial plane,” explains Leobez. “You’re working your glutes, you’re working your core, especially, to keep the balance, and especially the transverse abdominus which pulls the abs in tight. It’s a lot of core work, and on top of that it works out your arms. It’s a full-body exercise.”
The Verdict: I left BoxUnion feeling sweaty and sore, but also really energized for the rest of the day. Not only did I feel like I got a great workout, but punching a bag was also an amazing stress reliever. I would definitely go back to sweat out a bad day (or start off a good one)!
IRVING, Texas – UTEP softball junior Courtney Clayton was named to the 2017 InTouch Credit Union Conference USA Softball All-Academic Team league officials announced on Wednesday.
It’s the second consecutive year that the Health Promotion major earned a spot on the academic team and is one of 14 student-athletes named to the exclusive list. Clayton fashions a 3.87 GPA, while being named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and recognized as a C-USA Academic Medalist for the third year in a row.
The Cornelius, Ore., native hit .314 (50-159) with four home runs and 21 RBI in 2017. Clayton led the squad in runs (29), while tallying seven doubles. She only struck out five times to rank in the top half of the nation in toughest to strikeout. Defensively, she recorded 109 putouts and 83 assists.
Clayton recently reached the 100-run club on the program’s all-time list. She’s the sixth player to accomplish the feat as she has crossed the dish 101 times. Clayton also ranks no. 5 on the program’s all-time hit’s list with 180 and is ranked tied no. 4 with Stacie Townsend in career doubles (38).
Last year, Clayton was the first Miner to be named to the academic team since Colleen Hohman received the honor in 2014.
Ask kids what their favorite part of the school day is and most will say lunch and recess. But the timing of these events matters when it comes to what children eat and how much physical activity they get, researchers report.
The new findings could help schools develop policies to promote healthy eating and exercise habits for kids, the study authors said.
“Overall, our findings suggest that recess and lunch behaviors are interrelated. However, the specific food choices and activity levels children engage in may be subject to the timing and duration of lunch and recess,” researcher Gabriella McLoughlin said in an American Society for Nutrition news release.
Nutritional Intake and Physical Activity for Kids
McLoughlin, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is scheduled to present the research Sunday at the society’s annual meeting in Chicago.
For the study, researchers analyzed what 151 fourth- and fifth-graders at two schools ate for lunch and their physical activity. All ate lunch right before or right after recess. Most research has focused on nutritional intake or physical activity during recess. Study leader Naiman Khan called this the first “to objectively measure food intake at lunch in conjunction with physical activity, and consider the influence of duration and timing.”
Khan is an assistant professor of kinesiology and community health at the university. The researchers discovered that students who had recess before eating lunch wasted less food. But kids who had lunch before recess ate more vegetables.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends recess before lunch to help curb food waste, researchers say this schedule and how much time kids have to eat and play could have unwanted effects on what they eat and how much exercise they get. The study found that kids who had more time for lunch and recess and who ate before they played were more active. The opposite was true for boys and girls who had less time for lunch and recess. These students were more active if they had recess before they ate.
“We plan to communicate our findings to school teachers, administrators and policymakers to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based policies that support children’s ability to meet their daily physical activity and nutritional recommendations,” Khan said.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Whole Body Wellness
Maintaining overall health and wellness through a balanced nutrition, regular physical activity and proper sleep is essential for your whole body�s well-being. While these are some of the most important contributing factors for staying healthy, seeking care and preventing injuries or the development of conditions through natural alternatives can also guarantee overall health and wellness. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective treatment option utilized by many individuals to ensure whole body wellness.
Your best bet for healthy eating is having plenty of home-cooked meals, a new study states.
Researchers asked more than 400 Seattle-area adults about what they cooked and ate for a week. They were graded using the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Eating Index (HEI). HEI scores range from 0 to 100. The higher the score, the better the diet. A score over 81 indicates a good diet; 51 to 80 means improvement is needed; and 50 or less is poor.
Households that had home-cooked meals three times a week had an average score of about 67, while cooking at home six times a week bumped up the average to about 74.
The results suggest that regular home-cooked meals — which tend to be lower in calories, sugar and fat — give you a better diet at a lower cost.
How Eating At Home Affects Our Health
The Oregon State University study was published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“Higher HEI scores are generally associated with higher socioeconomic status, education and income. By contrast, cooking dinner at home depends more on the number of children at home. The study showed no association between income or education and eating at home or eating out,” study author Arpita Tiwari, a health systems researcher, said in a university news release.
“Traditionally better socioeconomic status — more money — means healthier people. That’s the trend. This research goes against that; it shows a resilience to that trend. It’s not spending more but how you spend that’s important,” Tiwari concluded.
Eight out of 10 Americans fail to meet at least some federal dietary guidelines, and about half the money spent to eat is for food not cooked at home, the study pointed out.
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
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