Fitness After 50 - Exercise As A Prescription For Disease Control

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Fitness After 50 - Exercise As A Prescription For Disease Control
July 02, 2007

If Not Now, When?

Fitness-After-50 - Thomas D. Manfredi, Publisher
tom@fitness-after-50.com
www.fitness-after-50.com
July 2, 2007; Vol. 3, Issue 7
Published the first Monday of every month

THIS ISSUE: Exercise As A Prescription For Disease Control

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Editor's Note

Hi,

Summer has hit with a big splash here in the desert southwest. We have been experiencing triple digits every day for the last three weeks or so. This is a time to be very careful about the type of exercises you do outside, and when you do them (Of course, if your "down under", these heat related exercise suggestions can be put off until you get to your summer).

As I mentioned last month, it is best to get out very early if you want to do any walking or running. Even swimming is best done before the extreme heat of the day sets in. And don't forget to use a good sunscreen to protect your skin from too much exposure to the damaging effects of the sun.

My wife and I have spent a good portion of this past month getting our new house ready to move in to. We are painting, changing lighting and plumbing fixtures, and getting new carpet and tile. It's a a lot of work, but it's fun too. We are also doing some work on our existing home to get it ready for sale. That's not as much fun, but we want the house to look nice for prospective buyers.

July will continue to be a very busy month as we continue to work on our new house. I also have a business trip, and my wife and I are going home to Chicago for our youngest grandson's third birthday. If that isn't enough, I will also be preparing some of my students for our international Aikido tournament from August 1 to the 5th. We will have competitors coming to Dayton, Ohio from all over the world. I won't be competing, but I do some judging and refereeing, as well as assisting with the teaching clinics. It will be fun to see some of my long time martial arts friends that I normally only get to see at these events.

This month I am writing about the positive effects that exercise can have on a variety of diseases. It is amazing how some regular exercise can help reduce, and in some cases, even eliminate certain ailments and diseases.

Good luck, keep exercising, and remember – "If not now, when?".

Best Wishes,

Tom Manfredi

Send any comments you may have to tom@fitness-after-50.com

My site fitness-after-50.com

Food for Thought

A turn in the road isn't the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.

Feature Article - Exercise As A Prescription For Disease Control

by Thomas D. Manfredi, MS

Health related fitness and exercise are becoming more widely used to prevent and treat the diseases that are most prevalent in the United States, including:

coronary artery disease

stroke

hypertension

diabetes

arthritis

osteoporosis

high cholesterol

obesity

depression

cancer

The ability of exercise to restore function to organs, muscles, joints, and bones is not shared by drugs or surgery.

Specific Benefits

Here are some of the benefits of health related fitness and exercise therapy for the common serious diseases:

Coronary artery disease - Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the number one killer, responsible for 2,000 deaths in the United States each day. Exercise combined with a sensible diet can reverse established heart disease. Furthermore, exercise improves heart function, reduces several coronary risk factors and improves survival.

Strokes - Exercise is essential for restoring function following a stroke-- a benefit not shared by drugs or surgery.

Hypertension - Substantial evidence shows that exercise is an effective treatment for mild and moderate high blood pressure and is a useful addition for the treatment of severe hypertension. Many patients who follow a regular, specifically prescribed aerobic exercise program can reduce their blood pressure without taking drugs.

Diabetes - Exercise can prevent or delay the serious complications of diabetes. It increases insulin effectiveness and the metabolism of sugar, thereby reducing the insulin requirement, which in turn reduces the risk of vascular disease.

Arthritis - In patients who have rheumatoid or degenerative arthritis, exercise improves endurance, strengthens muscles, and increases joint flexibility and range of motion. These, of course, are benefits that drugs or surgery cannot achieve.

Osteoporosis - Osteoporosis affects 20 to 24 million postmenopausal American women and an unknown number of men over the age of 80. Research indicates that regular exercise can prevent and control the disease.

High Cholesterol - Regular exercise reduces total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and raises HDL cholesterol.

Obesity - The amount of your body fat is a useful indicator of health and fitness, as well as an early warning signal of many serious diseases. Daily, lifelong exercise is an essential strategy for achieving and maintaining optimal weight. Diet, though essential, cannot be relied on alone for successful weight loss and maintenance.

Depression - Psychologists have observed that walking or running has both physiologic and psychological benefits for people who are depressed. These forms of exercise reduce depression and anxiety, increase feelings of well-being, improve tolerance to everyday stress, and improve the self-image of depressed patients. Furthermore, exercise stimulates the release of the "feel good" hormones (endorphins).

Cancer - There is evidence that physical activity reduces the risk for certain kinds of cancer including colon and breast cancer.

What Kind of Exercise?

The major form of the exercise must be aerobic (walking, running, cycling, swimming, or cross-country skiing). The choice of exercise should be guided by individual preference and previous experience. Walking and running are most often recommended because they do not require special training or skills. They are inexpensive, readily available, safe, and suitable for doing alone or with others.

For range of motion and strengthening of certain parts of the body, stretching and use of weight training can also be helpful. Talk to a trained exercise specialist to find out what kinds of exercise can help you the most.

(c)2005 - 2007 Thomas D. Manfredi, MS

Teleclasses

I will be announcing upcoming teleclasses in this section in the future.

If you have a topic that you would be interested in hearing about in a teleclass, send an e-mail to teleclasses@fitness-after-50.com

Questions and Answers

Question – Which is more important for my overall health – diet or exercise?

Answer - Both. They really go hand in hand for any successful fitness related regime. As I said in my article this month, exercise can help to reduce and even eliminate the effects of many serious diseases. But, exercise alone isn't enough. Even if you don't need to lose weight, a sensible diet is important to make sure you are getting the right kind and quantity of nutrients (vitamins, minerals, water, carbohydrates, fats and proteins). Here's an extreme example: you could follow a 1,000 calorie a day diet of nothing but Twinkies. You might lose weight, but you would also become very sick because you wouldn't be eating a healthy, balanced diet.

So, make sure you include both a sensible diet and regular exercise routine in your daily life if you really want to have optimum health.

To get more information on various fitness and health issues, please go to my site – www.fitness-after-50.com

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If you have a fitness or nutrition question you would like me to consider answering here in the newsletter, just send your question, along with your first name and city, in an e-mail to quesandansw@fitness-after-50.com

Obviously, I can't answer every question submitted. I will choose one question each month to answer here.

About Our Services

Online fitness coach Tom Manfredi is the creator of the site "fitness-after-50". This site is designed with the mature adult in mind. There is a lot of information available on the site for anyone looking to start or restart a sensible exercise program. Learn more by going to www.fitness-after-50.com

Tom Manfredi, 1218 Easy St., Ste 101, Wickenburg, AZ 85390

Other Services and Information

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Well, a woman I know here in Arizona recently sent me some info about a company that offers $1,ooo,ooo coverage to help take care of the problem if someone steals your identity. The company is called LifeLock. You can get to their site by clicking on the banner below if it's visble, or by copying the following code into your browser –

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Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated! Write me at tom@fitness-after-50.com.

"Fitness-After-50" respects your privacy and does not give out or sell our subscribers' names and/or e-mail addresses.

Copyright (c) 2005 - 2007 Thomas D. Manfredi, MS. All rights reserved.