Exercise helps Arthritis
A study published in Arthritis Care & Research and reviewed at Psychorg.com evaluated the effects of the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program to promote managing arthritis through exercise.The study involved 346 patients with an average age of 70 who had self-reported arthritis. The results showed that those in the program had significant improvements in pain, fatigue, and managing arthritis at 8 weeks and maintained improvements in pain and fatigue at 6 months.
Although the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program focuses mainly on range-of-motion and low-resistance exercises, a separate analysis found that those completing the program showed increased strength in their upper and lower extremities. This indicates that strength training, one of the more minor components of the program, was effective.
Since so many of our parents (and those of us who are aging) have arthritis, this is good to know. In fact, I probably should do more exercise myself since arthritis is creeping in – even though I’m not quite 70.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Vigorous Exercise Slows Aging
Well, we knew it. Now the studies confirm it. Vigorous walking for an hour a day five times a week can chop a dozen years off the biological age of people 64 and older, according to Roy Shephard, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Toronto, reported online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.A review of recent studies in patients age 64 and older showed that such a regimen can boost maximal oxygen intake by about 25% within three months, effectively decreasing biological age by about 12 years. That sounds good to me!
I know I need to exercise more, and I know that lack of exercise is at least partially to blame for my health problems now. I really do need to develop some better habits, but darn I hate exercise! Now I’ve got an arthritic hip that has kept me from walking much for a couple of years. I think the time for replacement is drawing near, but the thought of allowing anyone to cut off the bone in my leg makes me more than a little squeamish. Oh the joys of aging.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Sedentary Lifestyle Increases Aging
It’s no secret. We all know this. But a recent study in theArchives of Internal Medicine showed that a sedentary lifestyle (in addition to smoking, high body mass index, and low socioeconomic status) has an effect on leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and may accelerate the aging process. This provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potentially anti-aging effect of regular exercise.
I confess. I hate exercise. I much prefer sitting in front of the computer day and night. But I was talking with a friend today, discussing the disconnect we feel between our chronological ages and the ages we feel, both physically and emotionally. We were admitting that we don’t get enough exercise, with the result that we have more aches and pains that we ought to. So while we feel young at heart, we feel old of body. And since we’re both committed to aging well, we agreed that we need to make a commitment to exercise more.
So, I asked hubby to unearth the treadmill, which was buried in the garage under piles of “stuff.” What a good sport. He did it right away, and I was able to take a break from studying this afternoon and go for a walk, despite the rain. Now, one day down—a lifetime to go. Let’s start growing those leukocyte telomeres.