|
|
Volume 2, Issue 10
Exercise reduces falls and improves quality of life for elderly
Exercise and diet help new moms shed the baby weight
The American Heart Association issues new weight training recommendations for heart disease patients
Exercise may help patients with severe depression
High intensity walking has major health benefits for the elderly
Exercise reduces falls and improves quality of life for elderly
Falls are a common problem among the elderly and can lead to a variety of medical issues that directly impact their quality of life. However, a new study recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society indicates that exercise could be the key to preventing falls improving the overall quality of life for seniors.
Researchers followed a group of men and women over the age of 65 who had recently required medical attention for a fall. Study participants were then assigned to one of three groups, one that focused on exercise, another on their social relationships and environment and a third that focused on their mental health. In the end the exercise group saw significantly greater improvements in quality of life, functional reach, balance and fear of falling.
1
Exercise and diet help new moms shed the baby weight
New moms often find it difficult to lose weight after giving birth, and many struggle with trying to determine the best method to help them lose the weight. There are many competing weight loss theories out there, but one thing is certain: women who are able to get back to their pre-baby weight within six months have a lower risk of being overweight ten years later.
In an effort to help new moms, researchers in Brazil set out to determine whether diet, or diet plus exercise was a more effective weight loss method. After running six different trials, researchers found that women who lost weight gradually using diet plus exercise were not only lost more weight than diet alone, but they also improved their cardiovascular fitness and preserved their fat-free mass.
2
The American Heart Association issues new weight training recommendations for heart disease patients
The American Heart Associations has released new recommendations for heart disease patients, outlining the many benefits of a guided, moderate weight training program. While aerobic training is still the key to staying fit and keeping the heart healthy, weight training helps patients get the most out of their overall exercise routine.
The new recommendations outline the benefits of weight training, which include increased muscle strength, increased bone density, increased lean muscle mass, increased insulin sensitivity, and increased endurance. It is important that people with heart disease consult a doctor before adding weight training to their exercise routine.
3
Exercise may help patients with severe depression
While exercise is often times recommended to patients undergoing treatment for mild to moderate depression, researchers have now found that exercise can also help patients with more severe, hard to treat depression who have failed to improve with medication alone.
Researchers followed two groups of women, aged 40 to 60, for an eight-month period. One of the groups were asked to only take their prescribed medication, while the exercise group took their medication and also participated in group cardiovascular exercise twice a week. At the end of the study the exercise group showed significant improvements with their depressive symptoms as compared with the medication only group, which made only modest gains.
4
High intensity walking has major health benefits for the elderly
For many years experts have recommended that seniors participate in regular to moderate intensity exercises, such as walking, to guard against a variety of disabilities. However this level of intensity may not be enough to increase aerobic capacity. Researchers are now recommending that seniors participate in high intensity walking to regulate their blood pressure, maintain muscle strength, and increase exercise capacity.
In a recent study, researchers in Japan assigned a group of elderly men and women to one of three groups, either no walking, moderate intensity walking, or high intensity walking. After a five-month period, patients in the high intensity group showed significantly greater improvements in thigh muscle strength and exercise capacity than patients in the other two groups.
5
Sources
1 Mead GE, Greig CA, Cunningham I, Lewis SJ, Dinan S, Saunders DH, Fitzsimons C, Young A. (2007). Evaluation of fatigue scales in stroke patients. Stroke, 38, 2090-
5.
2 Conn VS, Hafdahl AR, Mehr DR, LeMaster JW, Brown SA, Nielsen PJ. (2007). Metabolic effects of interventions to increase exercise in adults with type 2 diabetes.
Diabetologia, 50, 913-21.
3 Adams KF, Leitzmann MF, Albanes D, Kipnis V, Mouw T, Hollenbeck A, Schatzkin A. (2007). Body Mass and Colorectal Cancer Risk in the NIH-AARP Cohort. American
Journal of Epidemiology, 166, 36-45.
4 Ashburn A, Fazakarley L, Ballinger C, Pickering R, McLellan LD, Fitton C. (2007). A randomised controlled trial of a home based exercise programme to reduce the risk
of falling among people with Parkinson's disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 78, 678-84.
5 Vallance JK, Courneya KS, Plotnikoff RC, Yasui Y, Mackey JR. (2007). Randomized controlled trial of the effects of print materials and step pedometers on physical activ-
ity and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 25, 2352-9.
|
