According to the results of a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial reported in the January 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, an exercise program vs a general wellness intervention in older women may improve bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce fall risk, but not cardiovascular disease risk.

From May 1, 2005, through July 31, 2008, a total of 246 women 65 years or older who were living independently in the area of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, were recruited and randomly assigned 1:1 to an 18-month exercise program (exercise group) or to a wellness program (control group). The exercise intervention consisted of a multipurpose exercise program emphasizing exercise intensity, whereas the control intervention emphasized well-being with a low-intensity, low-frequency program. Study endpoints included BMD, the number of falls, Framingham-based 10-year CHD risk, and direct healthcare costs.

The many benefits of exercise may be why some call it the fountain of youth. There are many studies that have proven that seniors who exercise benefit from increased strength, endurance, balance, cognitive abilities,and cardiovascular health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seniors should get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking) per week, or 1.25 hours of vigorous aerobic activity (like swimming or running) each week, in addition to strength training two times per week. There are a variety of fitness programs available to seniors today. Many community centers and fitness clubs offer senior fitness classes, including dance, tai chi, and yoga classes. For seniors who are less mobile, there are many types of exercises that can be done from a sitting or reclining position utilizing light weights or weighted balls,
ankle or wrist weights, elastic bands, and stretching.

Join us for some much needed stretching and relaxation …..

YOGA Fit

Every Wednesday starting June 24, 2009
Time: 6:30-7:30PM
Location:
First Congregational Church
2555 Santiago Park

Please Note: Be sure to consult with your physician before beginning an exercise program
Santa Ana, CA 92706

A recent study found that forty percent of U.S. adults physically inactive. That’s 82.5 million people!

That’s why a nationwide effort is underway to get Americans moving. Launched by the American College of Sports Medicine in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, the program is called Exercise is Medicine (EIM) and the focus is to urge doctors to write prescriptions for exercise for their patients.

ACSM and Coca-Cola recently announced the availability of EIM’s Public Toolkit to help consumers stick with doctor’s orders for physical activity. The toolkit includes step-by-step instructions for consumers to work with a doctor to determine the right dose of exercise.

A recent study done by the CDC shows that 70% of Americans need to decrease their salt intake. The data showed that the average U.S. adult consumes one-and-a-half teaspoons of salt every day. That’s a half teaspoon more than the basic daily recommendation of one teaspoon. This recommendation is much lower for people with high blood pressure, people over 40, and all African-American adults. These groups should be eating no more than two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt per day.

The largest study of its kind finds that older Americans who eat large amounts of red meat and processed meats face a greater risk of death from heart disease and cancer. The federal study of more than half a million men and women bolsters prior evidence of the health risks of diets laden with red meat like hamburger and processed meats like hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts.

A recent US study released Monday found that people who eat more red or processed meat have a higher risk of death from all causes including cancer, while a higher consumption of white meat reduces such risks. The findings appear in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine.

According to a recent study,seniors who perform simple ankle and foot exercises a few times per week can noticeably improve their strength and balance.

Researchers at the University of Porto, Portugal, divided 48 facility-dwelling seniors into a control group and an exercise group. The exercise group performed a series of simple ankle and foot flexing exercises in 15-minute sessions three times a week for six weeks. At the end of the trial, researchers tested the two groups and found a marked improvement in the exercise group’s mobility and balance. The control group, on the other hand, showed no significant increases in strength, flexibility or mobility.

Elderly women who suffer a broken upper arm are five times more likely than normal to break a hip within a year after the arm fracture, a finding from a new study that might help in efforts to prevent both types of fractures. The study was published in the March issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Healthy older people shouldn’t bother spending money on computer games and websites promising to ward off mental decline, the author of a review of scientific evidence for the benefits of these “brain exercise” programs says. “These marketed products don’t confer any additional benefit over and above being socially and intellectually active in one’s normal daily life,” Dr. Peter J. Snyder of Lifespan Affiliated Hospitals in Providence, Rhode Island, told Reuters Health. “There are some things that we could be doing that have much more rigorous data to support their application.”

Researchers find no evidence that multivitamin use helps older women ward off heart disease and cancer, the top two killers of women, respectively. This yet another huge blow to the supplement industry.

Other recent studies have suggested that supplement forms of vitamins B, C, D and E, along with folic acid and beta carotene, don’t seem to have cancer-fighting abilities, especially in women.

And just last week, other researchers reported that many healthy U.S. children and teenagers may be popping vitamins and mineral supplements they don’t need, even while children who may actually need the supplements aren’t getting them.