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Strong and Healthy Past 50

March 2, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

After the age of 20 we slowly start to lose muscle tissue mainly due to a reduced activity level.

The older we get the faster the increase in muscle loss. This loss of muscle tissue is known as Sarcopina. This progressive loss of muscle tissue results in two of life’s major problems and is associated with a variety of health related consequences.

The first problem is your ability to function physically is reduced, which leads to less activity and further muscle tissue loss.

The second problem is when you have less muscle tissue and are less active your metabolism is reduced. A reduced metabolic rate leads to weight gain and all its associated diseases.

12 reasons every adult should do some form of strength training.

1. Maintain your muscle. Unless we exercise properly we lose between 2-3 kilograms of muscle tissue per decade for life.

It’s like being a V8 when your 20 and being reduced to lawn mower motor in your 60’s. You can easily see the difficulty in your performance.

2. Maintain your Metabolism. The muscle tissue that we lose through aging decreases our metabolism by as much as 5% per decade. Those calories that were previously used to maintain metabolically active muscle tissue now go into fat storage.

3. Add muscle tissue. The good news is you are never to old to rebuild muscle tissue. Research has shown that participants in there 90’s increase their strength similarly to younger adults. Studies have shown that we lose 6% of our muscle tissue every decade after the age of 50. Strength training can increase muscle tissue by 12% in as little as 2 months reversing what nature has taken 20 years do. Women lose 12-14 % of their strength every decade after the age of 50 and the same strength training routine can increase their strength by greater than 30%. Again we have reversed 20 years of the aging process.

4. Increase metabolic rate. As you rebuild muscle tissue you automatically increase your metabolism. Research has shown that by adding 3 pounds of muscle tissue, your metabolic rate increases by 7%. A higher metabolic rate means you can eat more food and still lose weight.

5. Reduce body fat. Strength training increases both muscle tissue and muscle tissue activity resulting in an accelerated metabolism and higher daily energy expenditure. A recent study has shown that people whom strength train for 30 minutes

2-3 times per week increased their energy expenditure by 15%. The subjects also consumed 350 more calories per day and still lost more weight than another group that were doing aerobic activities.

6. Increase bone mineral density. Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease caused by a gradual loss of bone protein and minerals. The same strength training stimulus that increases muscle tissue increase bone mineral density. Factors such as genetics, hormones and nutrition play an important role in your bone health; strength training is the activity that will develop a stronger musculoskeletal system. When you increase strength you also increase joint stability and balance reducing the likelihood of falls.

7. Improved glucose metabolism. Our ability to use glucose is closely related to our risk of developing Adult Onset Diabetes. Exercise especially strength training enhances glucose metabolism. Studies have shown that after 4 months of training, glucose metabolism can increase by as much as 23%. It appears that regular strength training can decrease your risk of developing and improve your condition if you already have Adult Onset Diabetes.

8. Speed up food transit. It takes a certain amount of time for food to pass through your system. The slower it moves the greater the increased risk of developing colon cancer. Research has shown that strength training can increase gastrointestinal transit by 56% in only 3 months. That’s got to feel better.

9. Lowers blood pressure. Conventional wisdom tells us that strength training increases our resting blood pressure.

This is not true. Strength training exercises either alone or combined with aerobic activities can lower our resting blood pressure. The stronger and fitter you are the less stress is placed on the cardiovascular system. If you have a history of high blood pressure or you haven’t exercised for some time please check with your doctor before commencing any new exercise program.

10. Improve blood lipids. Blood lipids include the bad cholesterol LDL, the good cholesterol HDL and triglycerides. [The storage form of fat] Our genetic make up plays a major role in this area as with diet and exercise. Some studies have shown that combining regular strength training with aerobic activities, reducing dietary fat, increasing fibre may be one of the best ways to create a desirable blood lipid profile.

11. Maintain or improve lower back health. 4 out of 5 people will experience some form of lower back pain. There is a direct relationship between weak lower back muscles and lower back problems. Stronger muscles provide better support and shock absorption, which allows the lower back to absorb greater forces that would otherwise stress this sensitive area.

12. Reduce Arthritic pain. Strength training may be helpful for improving joint function and easing arthritic discomfort.

Stronger muscles translate to less everyday wear and tear stress on our joints and improve natural joint function.

What normally happens with people suffering from arthritis is that they tend to reduce movement around that joint. This reduce movement promotes further muscle tissue loss and further unstabilizes the joint. The more unstable a joint is the more wear and tear and subsequent discomfort.

Can you afford not to strength train?

It is always the best advice to seek professional help when beginning any new exercise program. Any exercise will have potential dangers if done incorrectly or too often.

Contact a local Physiotherapist or Qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach / Personal Trainer to assist you.

 

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Avoiding Weight Loss Plateaus

March 2, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

How many of us have started and exercise program to find out that after 4-6 weeks the results we expected have come to a blunt halt.

When we first started our walking program or joined the local gym we noticed how quickly the belt buckle was moving in and then all of a sudden without warning it stopped. We persisted for a few weeks, some of us had the determination to push through for several months, but still nothing moved.
This is an all too familiar occurrence that leads to most people giving up on their exercise regime.

What you are experiencing is a plateau.

Let’s examine what a plateau really is.

A plateau put simply is a period of stabilisation. Where the body has adjusted itself physically so that the energy that we consume [food] equals the energy that the body uses [metabolism]

Many people view a plateau as a bad thing and is one of the main reason people give up and go back to their sedentary lifestyles. It is a very frustrating time especially since you have been working really hard and doing all the right things.

A plateau is a natural process of the body and if it did not occur, death would result. An example of this is if a 60 kilogram women wanting to lose 4 kilograms in 4 weeks, [1 kilogram per week] her body would go into survival mode so that she doesn’t continue to lose 1 kilogram every week until she dies. Your body is just not going to allow you to lose any amount of weight without putting up a fight. It has no idea that this women has planned to stop after 4 weeks, it senses that it is losing precious energy for survival of the species and almost instantly slows the process down. A plateau is not a bad thing, giving up on the other hand and putting the weight back on is. At least you’re not gaining weight, which most other people in the western world are. It is actually a positive response to change and it should be expected.

One of the ways the body causes a plateau is to increase your fitness. Once again this is not a bad thing but for weight loss it can be very frustrating. Increasing fitness basically means that you can do the same job whilst expending less effort and energy. You have become efficient at the activity that you are preforming. Remember when you first went back to your walking program after some time off. You struggled a bit, you where huffing and puffing, you were tired after a few minutes, and for some it wasn’t very pleasant. Now after doing it for a few weeks it’s quite easy, you hardly even break a sweat any more.

This is fitness; your body has adjusted itself physically to make the task easier. Now that you have become efficient at preforming the task [easier] your body doesn’t use as much energy to do it. You’re saving energy again and slowing down the weight loss process.

The best way to avoid a plateau or to get off of one is to return to that uncomfortable feeling of unfamiliarity.

You must do what your body is not used to doing and become inefficient again.

The definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing and expecting a different result.

You must make a change to expect to see a change. You must do something different, something that will once again challenge you. This can be done in many ways. You can change the activity- walking to slow jogging, [please check first that your physical wellbeing is capable of this.] The distance you travel, you could walk further. The number of sessions you do in a week or even a day. The speed you walk, covering more distance in the same time. The surface you walk on, bitumen to sand-sand to knee deep water. The terrain you cover, flat surfaces to hills. The combinations are only limited by your imagination. The important thing to remember is that when you make that change, ensure that the change is slightly more challengeable than the previous activity. The more variety you experience with your exercise the better. Don’t allow your body to become accustom to doing exactly the same thing. You can make simple changes on a daily or weekly basis, remembering that, variety really is the spice of life.

Impatience is the greatest killer of success.

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Beating the Blues with Exercise

March 1, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

Depression can be a debilitating disorder with 1 in 5 people suffering with the illness at one time or another in their life. There are many different treatments for depression from antidepressant medication to experienced counseling and cognitive therapies. All treatment plans claim to help a high percentage of individuals. Some treatments are slightly more beneficial than others, due to the fact that different people respond more favorably to some treatment plans than others. The surprise package appears to be exercise, in some cases equaling many of the more conventional methods.

More and more studies are emerging showing the positive effects that regular exercise has on people suffering from depression. Here are a few theories on how exercise positively effects one’s mind.

Exercise can increase a persons self-confidence, giving them a feeling of accomplishment and mastery of new skills.

In a group or team environment, exercise can build confidence interacting with others, give a sense of belonging and importance.

As fitness and skill levels improve, exercise can assist in progressive goal setting.

Feeling too tired to do any thing is a common complaint amongst sufferers of depression, exercise increases energy levels and the desire to participate.

If body weight is of concern and a contributor to poor mental health, exercise should be encourage as it is a main component of any successful weight loss plan..

For an improvement in general wellbeing you can‘t go past exercise, when people feel well [healthy] they tend to participate more in life.

Exercise can be a reason for getting out of bed in the morning, as fitness and the sense of wellbeing improves then so does the desire to do something.

Low self-esteem and low energy levels in people suffering from depression can translate to low levels of physical activities designed at improving health. Exercise should therefore be a prime focus to maintain and or improve both physical and psychological health.

Currently researches are studying the various ways exercise alters people’s moods through the effects on the brains neurotransmitters. The main two neurotransmitters are beta-endorphins and serotonin. Put very simply these neurotransmitters are responsible for mood control and the euphoric state known as “runners high”

It is common for doctors to rely on drugs to balance these neurotransmitters, however some studies indicate exercise has demonstrated similar effects.

Another theory that may hold part of the answer to how exercise helps people suffering from depression is the idea of diversion. Exercise can distract people away from painful thoughts and stimuli causing a beneficial decline in anxiety and depression.

So which exercises are the best?

There doesn’t appear to be one type of exercise that is more effective than another. Studies have shown aerobic activity, strength training and flexibility exercises all prove effective in treating depression.

A recent study showed that people who walked 3-5 days a week for only 30-35 minutes had an improvement of nearly 50% in depressive symptoms, which is similar to outcomes for people treated with antidepressant or cognitive therapy. It is important to note that whatever exercise is prescribed, it must be one that is enjoyable and not difficult to do, otherwise adherence to exercise will be difficult.

We are constantly learning more about how exercise benefits all areas of our lives including depression. The above information is not to retract from seeking professional help from a qualified counselor or medical practitioner, but to assist in a positive outcome.

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