Centenarian Shares Her Healthy Aging "Secrets"

 

JoCleta Wilson gets out of bed at 4:30am two mornings every week and drives to her job as a cashier at a Home Depot store in Louisville, Kentucky. There is nothing especially remarkable about that except that she was 100 years old in October of last year.

Her life has not been free of health challenges. She’s a breast cancer survivor, has emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and has a pacemaker. But at 100 years old she says that she feels "like 39 having to go into 40 years old."

Shockingly, her successful aging secrets include such unexpected things as staying active and moving (she used to be a dancer and still dances), eating a healthy diet (she prepares most of her meals herself), having a purpose and being socially engaged. Who would have thought it?

She shares her take on staying healthy while getting older here.

Can You Touch Your Toes?

 

We talk here a lot of the important benefits of exercise. Strength training to slow or prevent muscle loss. Cardio for heart health and to keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Balance to prevent falls and preserve mobility. There is another very important type of exercise that too often gets ignored, especially as we age: flexibility and stretching.

Flexibility is the ability of the muscles and tendons to lengthen and stretch in response to movement and allow a joint to move through its range of motion. A good stretching program is important to incorporate into your daily routine to help maintain flexibility. Losing range of motion in our joints compromises our mobility.

Stretching allows for greater movement in joints and improves posture. It also helps to release muscle tension and soreness, and reduces the risk of injury. Lastly, it may also help increase circulation, muscle control, and improve balance and coordination. 

Everyone should incorporate stretches into their exercise routine but especially seniors. With age, we gradually lose the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion. By age 70, 25%-30% of overall flexibility is usually lost. Some joints are affected more than others. For example, a shoulder flexion loss of 15% was observed in one study between 20-30 year olds and 70 year olds whereas a study on hamstring flexibility observed a 30% loss between similar age groups. 

The good news is that stretching exercises are simple (not to be confused with easy, especially at first), can be done by most anyone (including many people with physical limitations) and require no special clothes or equipment. Here are some guidelines for stretching effectively from the National Institutes for Health.

• Take a deep breath and slowly exhale as you stretch.
  
• Hold each stretch for 30 seconds to give the muscles ample time to relax.
• Don’t bounce while you stretch, this increases your risk of injury.
• Only stretch until you feel tension in the muscle, not to the point of pain.
• Always warm up before stretching by moving around for 5 to 10 minutes, such as going for a walk. 

By incorporating a stretching program into your week, you may benefit from increased flexibility, relaxation, and an improved quality of life. Here are some stretching exercises to get you started.

Two for One! How often does THAT happen?

 

We've been talking about sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) and ways to slow your biological (vs chronological) aging for the last couple of posts. A friend of mine mentioned how he cycles almost everywhere he goes and it turns out that he is really onto something.

A little research shows that one of the best ways for us older folks to stay active is by riding a bike. So why is cycling so good for you, especially if you’re creeping into old(er) age? Well, there are a number of reasons why cycling is a healthy activity.

It boosts your immune system, lowers stress levels, helps keep the weight off, leaves you feeling more energized (not tired) and supports your heart health. It also helps build muscle and improve cognitive health. And if you need any more motivation, studies show it also boosts your, let us say, libido.

So cycling combats both sarcopenia and biological aging. Read more here. How often do you get two for one?

The Amazing Miracle Anti-aging Regimen

 

People across the country (USA) are taking a host of prescription pills, seeking out treatments like peptide injections, and implementing a range of behavioral practices in the hopes of reversing - or at least slowing down - the aging process. Its not just for Silicon Valley billionaires any more. By 2028, the global longevity market is expected to reach close to $183 billion annually.

It is important first to distinguish between chronological age and biological age. Chronological age is simply how many years you have been around and there is nothing you can do about it. In contrast, Biological age is a measurement that, instead of tracking years, looks at chemical markers on DNA that show how our biological systems are actually aging. For an individual in their 30s, a biological age of 50 means their biology more closely resembles someone 20 years their senior. Similarly, that spry old 75 year old down the block that you see jogging every morning may be biologically many years younger.

There are a lot of things that you can do to impact your biological age and you can start doing them at any time. For the most part they are all the usual suspects: diet, exercise, sleep quality, not smoking, minimizing alcohol and reducing your exposure to environmental toxins. These will all have a positive impact. But one thing has been shown to have an outsized effect on your biological age. It isn't a miracle and, actually, it isn't really all that amazing. In fact it is something you are most likely already doing, just not doing enough. But it does really work. It's not a supplement or special diet or regular hyperbaric chamber visits.

Just 10 minutes of brisk walking every day can lop off more than 15 years from your biological age. How fast is "brisk"? If you can talk comfortably with some breathlessness, you’re probably walking at a moderate but brisk pace. Read more about the positive effects of regular brisk walking here.

Curious about your own biological age? Use this calculator to get an estimate.

For me? My chronological age is 72, my biological age is 63 and my life expectancy is 94. Not bad but I think I can do better.

Sarcopenia and Why You Should Care

 

Sarcopenia is the age-related, progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. The main symptom of sarcopenia is muscle weakness. Sarcopenia is a type of muscle atrophy primarily caused by the natural aging process. Scientists believe being physically inactive and eating an unbalanced diet can contribute to the disease.

How bad is it? 

It is a common condition in people over 50 years old, although less active people begin to lose up to 3% muscle mass per year after the age of 30. This doesn't sound like a lot but it continues year after year. And it happens even faster after age 50, increasing to as much as 8%. This not only limits the ability to perform many routine activities but also shortens life expectancy in those it affects, compared to individuals with normal muscle strength. It also greatly increases the chance of losing your balance and taking a fall, a major health risk for the elderly.

Although aging is the most common cause of sarcopenia, other factors can also trigger increasing muscle atrophy. The most common of these are:

 

1. Inactivity

Disuse of muscle is one of the strongest triggers of sarcopenia, leading to faster muscle loss and increasing weakness, and it can happen rapidly. Bed rest or immobilization after an injury or illness leads to rapid loss of muscle and as little as two to three weeks of decreased walking and other regular activity is also enough to decrease muscle mass and strength.

Periods of decreased activity can become a vicious cycle. Muscle strength decreases, resulting in greater fatigue and making it more difficult to return to normal activity.

2. Low Protein Intake

A diet providing insufficient calories from protein results in weight loss and diminished muscle mass. Unfortunately, low-calorie and low-protein diets become more common with aging, due to changes in sense of taste, problems with the teeth, gums and swallowing, or increased difficulty shopping and cooking.

To help prevent sarcopenia, scientists recommend consuming 25–30 grams of protein at each meal.

3. Inflammation

After an injury or illness, or in the case of certain chronic conditions such as arthritis, inflammation sends signals to the body to tear down and then rebuild the damaged groups of cells. Chronic or long-term diseases can also result in inflammation that disrupts the normal balance of teardown and healing, resulting in muscle loss.

Examples of diseases that cause long-term inflammation include rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn's Diosease or ulcerative colitis, lupus, vasculitis, severe burns and chronic infections like tuberculosis.

4. Stress

Sarcopenia is also more common in a number of other health conditions that increase stress on the body. For example, people with chronic liver disease, and up to 20% of people with chronic heart failure, experience sarcopenia. In chronic kidney disease, stress on the body and decreased activity lead to muscle loss and cancer and cancer treatments also place great stress on the body, resulting in sarcopenia.

 

There is some good news though, and that is that aging, per se, does not make sarcopenia inevitable. In fact there is a great deal that we can do to prevent or even reverse it. Men and women can regain some of that lost muscle mass and, importantly, stay strong enough to enjoy youthful activities well into their winter years, experts say. You are never too old to take action. Read more about how  here.

The bad news? You actually do have to take action.

Why Walking Should Be in Your Daily Routine

 

We talk a lot here about foods and diet but regular exercise is also a leg of the healthy aging (and living) stool. If you’re dealing with obesity, depression, stress, heart problems, or joint pain, you should try walking more as it may be a big part of the solution to your health issues. Now I realize that some of us, for one reason or another, are unable to walk regularly. But for the rest of us, making a 30 minute walk a regular part of your day will pay big benefits.

Walking costs you nothing but time, requires nothing more than a decent pair of shoes, can be done alone or with friends, indoors or out in all sorts of weather and you can do (or start to do) it at any age. Most physicians favor walking for exercise over-running due to the fact that it is a low-impact exercise thus making it far less punishing on the joints and heart. Walking yields various health benefits regardless of how old or fit someone might be. It can also reduce the odds of developing various diseases and extend your lifespan.

If that is not enough to get you started (or motivate you to keep going), consider these specific health benefits of a regular walking habit.

Walking Improves Heart Health

A study that was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society stated that both women and men that were aged 65 years or more would be at lower risk for cardiovascular disease if they walk for no less than four hours each week. If you want to ward off any heart diseases and even the possibility of a stroke, be sure to get four hours or more of walking time in any given week. 

Heart attacks are a top cause of death all around the world, so if you can add a decade or two to your life just by walking more, you’d have to be at least careless to not do it.

Walking Helps Keep Your Weight Down

Walking can help you lose weight by burning off calories and is overall a great exercise for your whole body. If you live in a place where it is practical it could be a good idea to give your car a rest and walk to any nearby destinations. Not only will you lose weight, but you’ll also save money on the gas that you would have otherwise consumed by driving to your destinations. The bottom line is that walking will lighten your results on the scale and keep your wallet heavier.

Walking Can Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes

In the US alone, 37.3 million people have diabetes (2022 data) - that’s 11.3% of the US population. And 8.5 million people who have diabetes have not been diagnosed and do not know they have it. Another 96 million US adults have prediabetes. Considering that diabetes raises your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, nerve damage and hypertension, it seems like a free method for reducing your risk would be of interest to a whole lot of people.

There are many other reasons why making a walking routine a part of your day will make you a healthier, happier person.

For a list of 11 big benefits of walking, check out this article. Then grab your sneakers, call the dog, and get walking.

The Key to Success (and Failure)

 

Whether it is keeping your New Year's resolutions, getting to the gym 4 days a week, staying with that new meal plan, getting to bed earlier so that you can get up earlier or making those Sunday night family phone calls, consistency can make all the difference. Whether you want to accomplish something important to you, form a new habit or get rid of an old one, consistency (along with determination) will either put you over the goal line or sink you long before you get there.

Most of us struggle with consistency, primarily because staying the same is so very much easier than changing (especially for us older folks). The power of our habits, even those we don't particularly like, is hard to overestimate. Consistent effort, much more-so than massive effort, is often the key to progress.

But what to do if we struggle to be consistent? Here are five research backed principles that can help you.

https://bit.ly/42LDsrw

This Is Your Brain On Air Pollution

Numerous studies have connected air pollution to higher rates of lung and heart disease. Now a new study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) shows for the first time that it may also have a negative impact on how the brain’s white matter ages. That is to say, it accelerates cognitive decline and brain aging. 

The researchers measured the cognitive and episodic memory of over 2,200 older women over a 10 year period and correlated that to the concentration of air pollution at their home addresses. The women who lived in geographic locations with higher levels of fine particulate matter in ambient air had significantly smaller white matter volumes across a wide range of brain areas. The study corrected for  the geographic region where they lived, their race or ethnic background, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, or medical conditions that may also influence brain volumes. White matter connects brain regions and determines how information is processed in the brain. Fine particulate matter is smaller than 2.5 micrometers and is known as PM2.5, a form of pollution that easily enters the lungs and possibly the bloodstream.

For reasons not yet fully understood, women in their 70s and 80s who live in areas with high levels of air pollution are at particular risk for Alzheimer’s-like brain shrinkage compared with women who routinely breathe cleaner air. But nobody is immune. Other studies have shown that even at relatively low levels, toxic air may alter the size of a child’s developing brain and boost the risk of cognitive and emotional problems in adolescence.

What can we do to protect our brain health? Moving away from highly polluted areas may be the ultimate protective strategy, but that option isn’t open to everyone. So USC scientists are on the hunt for other defenses. In the meantime, they recommend that you be aware of pollution levels where you live (here is one of many resources that will keep you informed: https://airly.org/en/). Minimize ourdoor exercises such as running on high pollution days, avoid traveling at high traffic congestion times if possible, use low traffic roads when walking, running or cycling and, yes, wear a mask on particularly bad days. I know it doesn't look cool but it sure beats forgetting who you are.

Reducing Your Colon Cancer Risk

 

We talked yesterday about the importance of regular screening for correctional cancer. Early detection is the best way to a good outcome. If you are over 50 years old (40 years if you have personal risk factors) you need to talk with your primary healthcare provider about it.

That being said, there lifestyle adjustments that you can make that are well proven to lower your risk. Here are five.

Diet. Diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains are strongly linked with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Eating less red meat and avoiding processed meats also helps. Make sure you have adequate vitamin D levels, as low levels are linked to a higher risk. Bonus: This is the same diet advice given for lowering the risk of other cancers, coronary disease and diabetes.

Exercise. Cancer doesn't care if you feel like exercising. In fact it would prefer that you didn't. "Exercise may decrease gut inflammation and improve immune surveillance to prevent cancer," says Dr Vi Chiu, director of Gastrointestinal Oncology at Cedars Sinai Clinic and Research Institute in Los Angeles. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise like brisk walking every week. In fact, don't aim for it. Do it.

Manage your weight.  Being overweight increases your risk of developing colorectal cancers because it interferes with the function of various hormones like insulin and leptin. For example, obese people have much higher levels of insulin which can cause abnormal cell growth in the colon. Stop making excuses and get down to your healthy weight.

Drink less alcohol. "Alcohol is a toxin whose byproducts can damage DNA and cause intestinal damage," Dr Chiu tells us. Limit your consumption to no more than one serving of alcohol per day. Less is better. How much is a serving? Google knows.

Stop smoking. Seriously? You need to be told this in 2022? A study of almost 5,000 people published in the British Journal of Cancer found that smokers had an almost 60% higher risk of developing colorectal cancers than non-smokers. Quitting reduces the increased risk to 20%. Staying clean for 20+ years eliminated the added risk entirely. Like you needed yet another reason to stop.

Colorectal cancer is a nasty, painful, terrible way to die. It not only affects you but your family and loved ones. There is a lot you can do to greatly reduce your risk. Just freaking do it for christ's sake.

Walking It Off

 

It is not breaking news that regular exercise has serious health benefits for anyone, anywhere, at any age. Over the past few years, walking and staying active have started to become trendy. Hitting a certain number of steps for the day and corporate walking challenges have helped to improve daily physical activity for lots of people who were previously sedentary. 

A large body of research continues to confirm that regular exercise is beneficial for your overall health, but also that walking regularly itself has several benefits which include improving and maintaining hearth health, helping control weight and combat obesity, supporting joint health, managing blood sugar levels and promoting better mental health. You don't need any special skills or expensive equipment (except perhaps a dog), you can do it alone or with friends and and you can do it when and where it is convenient for you.

To get started walking, all you need is a pair of sturdy walking shoes. Choose a walking route near your home. Or look for a scenic place to walk in your area, such as a trail or on the beach. You can also recruit a friend or family member to walk with you and hold you accountable. And it is easy to add walking into your daily routine. Here are some ideas:

• If you commute, get off your bus or train one stop early and walk the rest of the way to work.
• Park farther away from your office than usual and walk to and from your car.
• Consider walking instead of driving when you run errands. You can complete your tasks and fit in exercise at the same time

Here are some tips for staying safe and comfortable while walking from healthline.com:

• Walk in areas designated for pedestrians. Look for well-lit areas if possible.
• If you walk in the evening or early morning hours, wear a reflective vest or light so cars can see you.
• Wear sturdy shoes with good heel and arch support.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
• Drink plenty of water before and after your walk to stay hydrated.
• Wear sunscreen to prevent sunburn, even on cloudy days.

And if you are here in Colorado like I am, stay aware of the weather. It can change drastically over the course of a 30 minute walk.

Lifestyle Tweeks for Osteoarthritis

 

One of the delights of getting older is the emergence of various aches and pains in our joints. One of the most common causes of chronic joint pain is osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a progressive condition in which the cushioning material that keeps the ends of our joints from rubbing together gradually wears away. Presently there is no way to reverse the condition.

Medical treatment for OA runs the gamut from prescription drugs to relieve the pain, to steroid injections into the joints to reduce inflammation to, in extreme cases, the replacement of the joint with an artificial one. Knee and hip joint replacements are the most common orthopedic surgical procedures, with over a million performed annually in the US, and this is expected to grow over 600% to 3.5 million a year by 2030.

Artificial hip and knee recipients generally express satisfaction with the results and regain mobility despite advanced OA. In very advanced cases, they may be the only practical alternative for treatment.

If there is any good news to be had for OA sufferers, it is that there are lifestyle changes and non-drug treatments that can help ease the symptoms and slow the progression of the condition. Here is what orthopedic experts advise.

1. Improve the quality of your sleep.
That may sound surprising but clinical evidence suggests that reducing stress and getting a better night's sleep may help. "Sleep is crucial to pain perception," explains Heidi Prather, DO, at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. Insufficient sleep time or poor quality sleep can reduce the level of neurotransmitters in your brain - chemicals like serotonin that can help lessen your perception of pain. Stressful days can lead to sleepless nights.

2. Lose weight.
If you are overweight, losing as little as 5 to 10 pounds can make a positive difference to join pain and mobility. A 2021 study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that losing 7.5% of body weight significantly reduced the frequency of knee and hip replacement surgeries compared with those who did not lose weight.

3. Move toward a more plant-based diet.
A 2018 study found that people who followed a plant-based eating style for eight weeks reported significantly less joint pain even if they did not lose weight. A whole food, nutrient dense diet helps reduce the inflammation that contributes to pain.

4. Keep exercising - in the right ways.
What is most helpful in dealing with OA is a combination of aerobics, strength training and flexibility exercises. "Exercise not only strengthens the surrounding muscles, taking pressure off the joints, but improves overall joint function and mental well being, which can make coping with pain easier," according to Timothy Gibson, MD, medical director of the MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center in Fountain Valley, CA. It is important, however, to tailor your exercise routine to your OA status and fitness level, so working with your doctor or a physical therapist can be best.

I just got my own "advanced OA" diagnosis two months ago, so I will be trying these suggestions to see if they make a positive difference for me.

How Many Daily Steps = Better Health?

 

The popular recommendation of taking 10,000 steps per day to maintain optimal health is is so widespread that it is widely accepted as true. The problem is, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. In fact, the claim that 10,000 steps every day was what you needed to stay in good health is nothing more than an unsubstantiated number invented to market a pedometer. That's right. There is no scientific basis for the claim whatsoever.

Still, there is little doubt that walking does indeed help improve and maintain your good health. Many published studies credit walking with benefits ranging from lowering blood pressure to improving your heart health to maintaining a healthy weight. So how much walking is needed to reap these health benefits? If not 10,000 steps then how many?

In a study published in JAMA Open Network in September of 2021, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst tracked the daily walking of over 2,000 middle aged people for 15 years. The verdict?

Those who walked an average of 7,000 steps per day had a 50% lower risk if death from any cause compared with those who walked less than 7,000 steps.

Another study published in Lancet Public Health analyzed data on 47,000 people and also found a markedly reduced rate of mortality from any cause among those who regularly averaged 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day.

So it seems like 7,000 makes for a better and more realistic steps-per-day target for most people. Just to give you some calibration, 2,000 steps roughly equates to a walk of about 1 mile.

But wait, there's more!

Research from McGill University in Canada concluded that adding just 1,200 additional steps to your day will decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and overall mortality. The benefits are not as great as for the 7,000 steppers, but they are significant. Those starting from the fewest steps per day will see the greatest benefit.

Walking is free, requires no specialized equipment or training and taking a surprisingly low number of additional daily steps will make you a healthier person.

Type-2 Diabetes Can Be Preventable

 

According to 2019 statistics, about 12% of Americans have diabetes. Less than 1% of them have Type-1 diabetes, where their body loses or never had the ability to produce insulin. The rest have developed Type-2 diabetes (no one is born with it), where their cells have become insulin resistant and cannot process it properly. But the CDC estimates that a staggering 38% of all US adults have pre-diabetes. That is, they are in the process of developing into Type-2 diabetics. That is about 96 million adults in a country with a total population of 331 million. One person in three.

Like heart disease and cancer, diabetes is a leading cause of death for Americans. And it is often the underlying reason for cardiovascular problems like heart disease and stroke. Sadly, Type-2 diabetes is largely a preventable disease and recent studies suggest that it can even be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes. For this reason it is often referred to as a "lifestyle disease". And yet it continues to afflict more and more of us.

Since more than 80% of pre-diabetics are unaware that they have the condition, your first step should be to have yourself tested for it at your next physical. Its likely that your doctor will measure your A1C as part of  your routine blood test. If your A1C level is 5.7% or less, congratulations. That is normal. Higher than that and you are already pre-diabetic. If it is above 6.5% then you are a Type-2 diabetic and need to address the situation with your doctor immediately.

If you are in the pre-diabetic range, you should undertake some serious diet and lifestyle changes to prevent things from getting worse. This would include dietary improvements, regular exercise, weight loss, effective stress management and perhaps strategic supplementation. There are hundreds of support groups online and they are most likely a better place for most people to begin than a Google search. Unfortunately, with so many people affected, diabetes "cures" and "treatments" are a rich opportunity for scams. Here is one good place to start but there are many others. As always, be very suspicious of anything claiming to be a simple way to resolve the problem.

Does It Matter When You Exercise?

 

Does it really matter what time of the day you exercise, or if you always exercise at the same time? Is morning exercise better than evening exercise? Or is this just another thing that people love to argue about?

To find out, researchers in Australia randomly allocated 40 sedentary, overweight individuals to complete a supervised, 12-week exercise program where participants walked and did resistance training three times per week for an hour. The study divided the participants into morning or evening groups.

At the end of 12 weeks, average cardiovascular fitness increased equally in both groups. Body fat and waist size also decreased equally. Both groups reported feeling less likely to overeat in response to stress than when they entered the program.

"Exercise training improved body composition and some appetite outcomes, although changes were inconsistent and largely independent of exercise-timing. In the absence of dietary manipulation, the effect of diurnal exercise timing on appetite and body composition appear trivial compared to the overall benefits of exercise participation," concluded the researchers. In other words, it makes no difference when you exercise. Just exercise at whatever time works best for you.

Does Protein "Build" Muscle

 

There is no question that protein is the key building block for muscle tissue. Or that many people are not getting enough protein in their diet. (The RDA for protein is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight, while many experts recommend 0.50 grams). But does consuming more protein promote muscle growth?

A recent study in Canada randomly assigned 22 older women to drink two cups of whole milk, skim milk or almond milk daily for three days during which they did their normal walking routine. Then three more days when they walked 50% more steps than usual. The dairy drinkers (either whole or skim) were getting about 25% more protein every day than the almond milk drinkers.

Muscle growth (as measured by muscle biopsies for protein synthesis) increased when the women did 50% more walking than usual. The amount and type of protein consumed made no difference.

This is only one study but it suggests that while it is very important to be getting at least the minimum RDA for protein every day, consuming more protein is not likely to promote muscle growth. It is the exercise that is the key.

Why Not Walk There?

 

When people think of exercise they often think of going to a gym or having some sort of expensive exercise equipment at home that ends up being a clothes hanger. Even walking can conjure up images of special footwear and exercise clothes and forcing yourself out the door on a cold, blustery day. Certainly that is one possibility. But it need not be that way to do you a whole lotta good.

Even just walking for 15 minutes a day can provide you with a surprising list of health benefits. And according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, as little as 5 hours of walking a week can significantly reduce your risk for breast, kidney and stomach cancers. Any amount of walking (or other exercise for that matter) helps prevent weight gain and reduce cellular inflammation (the culprit behind many chronic health conditions).

But wait! There's more!

Walking is cumulative. You don't have to do it all at once to gain some benefit. Park the car at the edge of the lot and walk to the store. Take the dog out. Take a 5 minute stroll on your lunch break. There are all sorts of ways to build more walking into your day and they all count. What's your excuse for not walking there?

You Do Have Time to Exercise

 

The most common reason that people give for not having a regular exercise routine is that they just don't have the time. I’m not going to try to sell you on the benefits of exercise because everyone has heard it before and it doesn’t really matter anyway. People don’t skip out on exercise because they don’t think it’s good for them. People don’t exercise because they’d rather be doing something else.

People spend about an hour commuting to and from work, 8 hours a day working, and about 4 hours a day on leisure activity (half of which is either watching TV or sitting on social media). The root cause of our sedentary lifestyles is not a lack of time.

And it really doesn't take much time to begin with. 

In a study of almost 5,000 adults ages 40 - 85 by the National Cancer Institute and published in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers concluded that over 110,000 deaths could be prevented annually if people included just ten minutes of moderate exercise in their daily routine. Ten minutes. Increasing the exercise to 20 or 30 minutes per day multiplied the benefit.

You seriously don't have 10 minutes a day to devote to your own health and wellness?

Exercise and Prostate Cancer

 

Exercise oncology is an evolving science that considers the addition of physical activity regimens to the treatment plans of cancer patients and survivors. Studies in this field demonstrate the significance of exercise for cancer patients during and after treatment. A recent study done at Edith Cowan University in Australia and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that prostate cancer patients undergoing standard androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) who participated in a three-month exercise program including resistance training, aerobic exercise, and protein supplementation had increased levels of OSM, a myokine protein. After applying the OSM serum directly to prostate cancer cells, researchers observed significant suppression of tumor growth. 

While this trial only included 10 patients, the results suggest that exercise-driven myokines can suppress tumor growth and, moreover, the same myokines help fight prostate cancer cells.  These findings also indicate that exercise may promote a cancer suppressive environment within the prostate. 

While the researchers believe that additional studies are needed to clarify the impact of specific exercises on myokine expression, high-intensity resistance training should be included in treatment for any type of cancer. Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in the United States and it is estimated that close to 250,000 prostate cancer diagnoses occured in 2021.  Validation of the potential benefits of easy to implement measures like exercise intervention could give many of these patients a boost in fighting the disease.

 

How Much Does Exercise Lower Stroke Risk?

 

I doubt it will come as much of a surprise to anyone reading this that regular exercise helps lower blood pressure and avoid or control hypertension. Old news, right? But you may not be aware of just how great the benefit to your health might really be.

Regular physical activity makes your heart stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. As a result, the force on your arteries decreases, lowering your blood pressure. Becoming more active can lower both your top and bottom blood pressure numbers. How much lower isn't entirely clear, but studies show reductions from 4 to 12 mm Hg diastolic (bottom #) and 3 to 6 mm Hg systolic (top #). That is as much as some commonly used hypertension medications.

High blood pressure can lead to a vast number of serious health consequences over time including: heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision loss and dementia.

A 2021 study by researchers in Portugal and published in JAMA Cardiology sheds some light on just how significant the benefit of exercise can be. Sixty participants aged 40 to 75 years with a diagnosis of drug resistant hypertension were enrolled and observed at hospitals' hypertension outpatient clinics. Half of the participants exercised on a stationary bicycle and/or walked daily for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks blood pressure had fallen enough to lower the risk of heart attack or stroke an average of 25% for those who exercised compared with those who did not.

If you are getting some exercise every day, keep it up. If you aren't, what are you waiting for? A stroke?

Is 10,000 Daily Steps Fact or Fiction?

 

Does walking 10,000 steps per day elude you no matter how much you try to do it? Well, relax. 

There is no scientific evidence supporting 10,000 daily steps as a standard. In fact, this often-cited guideline originated as an ad campaign for a Japanese-made podometer. In 1965, Japanese company Yamasa Toki introduced their new step-counter, which they called Manpo-Kei. This translated into “10,000 steps meter” and they marketed their device with the slogan, “Let’s walk 10,000 steps a day.” Japanese walking clubs were fairly popular at that time and the idea of a 10,000-step target seems to have caught on because the slogan was catchy and people tend to like nice round numbers. The rest, as they say, is history.

Of course this is not to suggest that being sedentary is ok. It's just not. But what does the science suggest as a target for how much walking you should do to enjoy significant health benefits from it?

A recent study by University of Massachuestts Amherst physical activity epidemiologist Amanda Paluch and published in JAMA Network Open has the answer. She recently determined that walking at least 7,000 steps a day reduced middle-aged people’s risk of premature death from all causes by 50% to 70% — compared to that of other middle-aged people who took fewer daily steps. “You see this gradual risk reduction in mortality as you get more steps,” Paluch said. “There were substantial health benefits between 7,000 and 10,000 steps, but we didn’t see an additional benefit from going beyond 10,000 steps.”

If even 7,000 steps seems more than you can achieve, do what you can. Any walking will benefit your health. No kidding.