Healthy Aging - FIT Works!
Wednesday December 1, 2010
First, Hanukkah starts tonight at sundown so Happy Hanukkah to those that celebrate! I really hate when Hanukkah starts this early but it is what it is & I will be lighting the menorah. This is my holiday, not hubby's. We celebrate both.
On to healthy habits & how they benefit aging. YOU YOUNGER ONES, don't sign off. You age too!
We have all read about the benefits that being active & eating healthier has on aging. It is not only good for our mental well being but for our bones, lungs, heart & internal health.
Many long term studies focus on studying the unfit vs. the fit people that already are doing things "right".
Well, Dr. J is here to present to us a smaller study of the fit! Yes, it is smaller BUT we all know that even the larger studies have been debunked at times so why not take a read of this & see what being fit has done to a group of highly active people. I think the take away is something that we SHOULD NOT IGNORE!
Please take a read below from a post by my friend DR. J & I for one am going to keep fighting the aging process like the lady above!
Dr. J on the benefits of being active with aging
One of the problems with doing long-term human research is often by the
time we have the answers, it’s too late for the people who asked the
questions to get the benefits. One of the ways around this problem is
to study a large population of various ages retrospectively for as long
as we reasonably can.
Another unfortunate problem is that so often the focus of the research
on diet and exercise effects is on the unfit, unhealthy population,
rather than looking at what healthy, fit people already do and how this
has played out in their lives.
Swimmers study shows how healthy behaviors help
It seems researchers at Indiana University have addressed these
problems for us! There happens to be a population of healthy. fit
people out there who are excellent models for excellent behavior, of
course they all live in Indiana. Well maybe not all of them, but at
least 730 of them do, so they were studied!
Indiana University researchers studied 730 highly active people, ages
20 to 93, to see how their physical and mental quality of life and
rates of obesity-related diseases compare to the general population.
The study participants were all United States Master Swimmers. These
people reported swimming regularly for an average of 18.6 years. The
percentages of obesity and obesity-related diseases in these
individuals were:
■Obese 5.4 percent
■Hypertension 6.5 percent
■Diabetes 1 percent
■Coronary artery disease 1.3 percent
The general population is much more unhealthy
These values were significantly less than the general population, where
we find these depressing and increasing percentages:
Weight
■Adults age 20 years and over who are overweight or obese: 66.3 percent
■Adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 32 percent
Hypertension
■Adults ages 20 and over: 31 percent
Diabetes
■Adults 20 years and older with diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed): 10
percent
■Adults 20 years and older with diagnosed diabetes: 7.2 percent
Coronary artery disease
■Adults with diagnosed heart disease: 11 percent
Physical and mental health benefit from activity
I like studies like this!
These swimmers also reported a physical and mental quality of life that
was significantly better than the general population. They found that
the typical decline in physical quality of life occurred later for them
— beginning around the age of 55.
Jeanne Johnston, assistant professor in IU’s Department of Kinesiology,
said, “Research involving physical activity and obesity-related
diseases typically begins by looking at sedentary people and uses this
population to establish baseline data, rather than examining people who
could represent model behavior. Examining highly active people might
lead to a better understanding of the relationship between lifelong
physical activity, successful aging, morbidity and quality of life.”
She goes on to conclude:
"The low incidence of overweight and obesity as well as the
self-reported diseases demonstrates that active engagement in physical
activity improves both physical and mental health as well as the
diseases people might have."
So there it is! Just do it! OK?
YES, I am with Dr. J. Just do it.... anything can be "IT". Just move. Find a form of exercise or play that you like & do it. Maybe it is dance. Maybe it is team sports. Maybe it is running or rollerblading or snow shoeing or cross country skiing. Maybe it is swimming or bike riding.
Holy cow, there are so many things & classes to choose from! Just because I got to where I am doing my cardio machines, running & lifting weights does not mean you can't find a different way.... Well, OK, to get muscles you have to lift or do some form of resistance using your body.... that is a given. There are plenty of body weight routines out there along with the crazy P90X & the Insanity workouts & CrossFit (which I so want to try).
You get it... just find your thing & DO IT. It may & most likely will change over time but who cares. Just keep finding things that keep you motivated & moving!!!
What are you doing to today to "Just do it"?
First, Hanukkah starts tonight at sundown so Happy Hanukkah to those that celebrate! I really hate when Hanukkah starts this early but it is what it is & I will be lighting the menorah. This is my holiday, not hubby's. We celebrate both.
On to healthy habits & how they benefit aging. YOU YOUNGER ONES, don't sign off. You age too!
Many long term studies focus on studying the unfit vs. the fit people that already are doing things "right".
Well, Dr. J is here to present to us a smaller study of the fit! Yes, it is smaller BUT we all know that even the larger studies have been debunked at times so why not take a read of this & see what being fit has done to a group of highly active people. I think the take away is something that we SHOULD NOT IGNORE!
Please take a read below from a post by my friend DR. J & I for one am going to keep fighting the aging process like the lady above!
Dr. J on the benefits of being active with aging
One of the problems with doing long-term human research is often by the
time we have the answers, it’s too late for the people who asked the
questions to get the benefits. One of the ways around this problem is
to study a large population of various ages retrospectively for as long
as we reasonably can.
Another unfortunate problem is that so often the focus of the research
on diet and exercise effects is on the unfit, unhealthy population,
rather than looking at what healthy, fit people already do and how this
has played out in their lives.
Swimmers study shows how healthy behaviors help
It seems researchers at Indiana University have addressed these
problems for us! There happens to be a population of healthy. fit
people out there who are excellent models for excellent behavior, of
course they all live in Indiana. Well maybe not all of them, but at
least 730 of them do, so they were studied!
Indiana University researchers studied 730 highly active people, ages
20 to 93, to see how their physical and mental quality of life and
rates of obesity-related diseases compare to the general population.
The study participants were all United States Master Swimmers. These
people reported swimming regularly for an average of 18.6 years. The
percentages of obesity and obesity-related diseases in these
individuals were:
■Obese 5.4 percent
■Hypertension 6.5 percent
■Diabetes 1 percent
■Coronary artery disease 1.3 percent
The general population is much more unhealthy
These values were significantly less than the general population, where
we find these depressing and increasing percentages:
Weight
■Adults age 20 years and over who are overweight or obese: 66.3 percent
■Adults age 20 years and over who are obese: 32 percent
Hypertension
■Adults ages 20 and over: 31 percent
Diabetes
■Adults 20 years and older with diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed): 10
percent
■Adults 20 years and older with diagnosed diabetes: 7.2 percent
Coronary artery disease
■Adults with diagnosed heart disease: 11 percent
Physical and mental health benefit from activity
I like studies like this!
These swimmers also reported a physical and mental quality of life that
was significantly better than the general population. They found that
the typical decline in physical quality of life occurred later for them
— beginning around the age of 55.
Jeanne Johnston, assistant professor in IU’s Department of Kinesiology,
said, “Research involving physical activity and obesity-related
diseases typically begins by looking at sedentary people and uses this
population to establish baseline data, rather than examining people who
could represent model behavior. Examining highly active people might
lead to a better understanding of the relationship between lifelong
physical activity, successful aging, morbidity and quality of life.”
She goes on to conclude:
"The low incidence of overweight and obesity as well as the
self-reported diseases demonstrates that active engagement in physical
activity improves both physical and mental health as well as the
diseases people might have."
So there it is! Just do it! OK?
YES, I am with Dr. J. Just do it.... anything can be "IT". Just move. Find a form of exercise or play that you like & do it. Maybe it is dance. Maybe it is team sports. Maybe it is running or rollerblading or snow shoeing or cross country skiing. Maybe it is swimming or bike riding.
Holy cow, there are so many things & classes to choose from! Just because I got to where I am doing my cardio machines, running & lifting weights does not mean you can't find a different way.... Well, OK, to get muscles you have to lift or do some form of resistance using your body.... that is a given. There are plenty of body weight routines out there along with the crazy P90X & the Insanity workouts & CrossFit (which I so want to try).
You get it... just find your thing & DO IT. It may & most likely will change over time but who cares. Just keep finding things that keep you motivated & moving!!!
What are you doing to today to "Just do it"?
Posted by truth2beingfit at 11/30/2010 10:04 PM 
Categories: Fitness, Wellness, workout, Workouts, Exercise, Dieting, Health Issues
Tags: aging brain power Exercise eating fitness health healthy eating Health Issues Tips Wellness workout towels Hanukkah
Categories: Fitness, Wellness, workout, Workouts, Exercise, Dieting, Health Issues
Tags: aging brain power Exercise eating fitness health healthy eating Health Issues Tips Wellness workout towels Hanukkah
Happy HANUKKAH
this morning my "just do it!" was getting out of bed
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That is a start Carla!
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Happy Hanukkah!
Today is a strength training day for me, either at the gym or at home.
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True we should really watch out with our health while we are young.When we age it is hard to undo what we have done with our selves.
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Happy HANUKKAH
So uncoll we age, but if we must, best to do so strong!
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Well, I would have checked in sooner,m but I've been too busy just doing it
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Happy Hanukkah! We do both too. Just a menorah lighting this week since my son is back at school. We'll have a family celebration when he gets home, butting up to Christmas here. So, my healthy eating friend... do you splurge on latkes?
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Karen, no latkes for me.... I don't cook them myself & honestly, as much as I like them, I rather have my cookies!
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My just do it today is to eat according to my plan. Just do it and no whining!
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Lori, I have no doubt that you did just that!
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Well today's my rest day so it doesn't count
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April, does your mom have access to water therapy? They have a warm pool at our fitness center with special classes for people with arthritis. Perhaps something like that would be helpful.
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We've actually been looking into finding one of those near us.. it does seem very helpful!
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Whay an inspiration your mom is!
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Yes! Yes! Yes! It really doesn't matter what we do as long as we are moving and doing something!
Happy Hanukkah!
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Tami.. so easy to do but so hard for some people to carry out... just taking a walk is better than sitting!
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Happy Hanukkah!
Just do it! That's what I had to keep repeating to myself to get started. Now it's to keep pushing myself farther and farther. Fitness has become such a part of my life that with an unavoidable week away from working out, I almost went completely nuts. My kids were telling me to get my rear to the gym cause I was extra cranky! LOL
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