Chronic Diseases
Pro-Aging: How the Fitness Industry is Setting a New Standard
April12, 2014
I’m just going to come out and say it: I am not a fan of the term “anti-aging.” Why? Well, if you are anti-aging, you are anti-living. We’re all aging every second of every day–some of us on a faster track, yes, but the point is aging is natural and healthy. Why fight it? I prefer the term “pro-aging” because it connotes a positive approach to birthdays. From what I can see here at the 2014 IDEA Personal Trainer Institute in Seattle, everyone is on the pro-aging path and setting a new standard for the rest of the world.
Exercise Benefits People With Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), the nation’s most common form of arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that causes cartilage and its underlying bone to break down, eventually producing joint pain and stiffess (Lubar et al. 2010).
Peripheral Arterial Disease and Exercise for Older Adults
Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) occurs when plaque accumulates in the arteries of the legs. Reduced blood flow and loss of oxygen in the tissues beyond the obstruction cause localized muscular pain, or claudication, especially during exercise (Bulmer & Coombes 2004; Womack & Gardner 2003).
Sitting and Quality of Life
Sitting for extended periods of time throughout the day has been linked with increased risk of health problems and even with death. A new study from BMC Public Health (2013: 13 [1071]) says that quality of life may also suffer in people who sit for long periods.
The large study included 194,545 Australian men and women aged 45 and older who were randomly selected from the Medicare Australia database. Participants answered questions about physical activity levels and intensity, daily sitting time, and feelings of health and quality of life.
Women, Strength Training and Diabetes
Here’s more motivation to get your female clients interested in lifting weights: Strength training can help to ward off diabetes.
The researchers, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and the University of Southern Denmark, analyzed data from 99,316 female participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and the Nurses’ Health Study II. The women, aged 36–81, did not present with diabetes, cancer or cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the 8-year study.
Is Fat or Muscle Better for Bone Density?
According to research from the The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2014; doi.org/10.1210/jc.2013-3190), body weight is associated with bone strength. But in this regard, which component of body weight is more important—lean mass or fat mass?
Mind-Body Therapies and Cardiovascular Disease
Mind-body therapies and biology-based therapies are the treatment modalities most commonly used among patients with heart disease who turn to complementary and alternative medicine, according to a report in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2013; doi: 10.1155/2013/672097). Researchers based this conclusion on an analysis of a variety of studies and surveys, including the American 2007 National Health Interview Survey and international surveys conducted through 2010.
Exercise Helps People With Dementia
In people with dementia, exercise may significantly improve cognitive functioning and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), according to an updated research review from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Researchers are motivated to find ways to treat or to slow dementia’s progress, since rates of the disease are expected to rise exponentially along with the aging population.
Home Based HIIT for Heart Disease Patients?
According to researchers from Norway, supervised high-intensity interval train- ing has become more widely used as an exercise intervention for heart disease patients. Recently, they determined that home-based HIIT can also be effective at improving health scores in this group.
Exercise Protects Black Women Against Aggressive Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, white women are more likely to develop breast cancer; however, African American women are more likely to die from the disease. A recent study shows that a lifetime of vigorous exercise can help protect black women against aggressive breast cancer.
7 Common Questions On Sarcopenia
Does sarcopenia affect men or women to a greater extent?
There is no evidence to support gender specificity in sarcopenia. It is highly related to inactivity; older adults with lower levels of physical activity are more likely to develop sarcopenia.
Is sarcopenia hereditary?
What Is Sarcopenia, and Can We Turn Back the Clock?
What makes us weaken with age? The prime culprit is sarcopenia—age-related loss of muscle mass, strength, power and function (Sayer et al. 2013; Morley 2012). Morley (2012) says 5%–13% of 60- to 70-year-olds and 11%–50% of people in their 80s have sarcopenia, which means “poverty of flesh.”
Weighty Issues for Older Women
Overweight and obesity have a known cor- relation to disability, disease and death. A recent investigation looked at obesity and its impact on women’s survival to 85 years old.
Diabetes Data and Projections
According to the International Diabetes Federation, current diabetes data and future projections look grim.
The umbrella organization, which comprises more than 200 national diabetes associations in more than 160 countries,
estimates that the number of people living with the disease worldwide will reach 592 million by 2035—or 1 in 10 of the world’s population. The IDF states that there are currently 382 million diabetics worldwide. This information was published in the sixth edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas.
Exercise and Survival Among Coronary Artery Disease Patients
Stable coronary artery disease—defined as an established pat- tern of angina pectoris, a history of myocardial infarction, or the presence of plaque documented by catheterization—affects 17 million Americans (American Family Physician, 2011; 83 [7], 819–26). According to new research, exercise can significantly improve survival rates among CAD patients.
New Diabetes Standards Emphasize Personal Approach Over Diets
A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition (2013; 109 [11], 2015–23) has found that eating either peanuts or peanut butter as part of your break- fast can control blood sugar through- out most of the day, even following a high-carb lunch.
This Simple Exercise Reduces Breast-Cancer Risk
Several studies have shown a positive association between regular exercise and reduced risk of certain types of can- cer. now, a study from the American Cancer Society has determined a link between walking and reduced breast- cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
Exercise Reduces Risk Of Another Type Of Cancer
the American Cancer Society estimates that approxi- mately 17,990 new esophageal cancer cases (14,440 in men and 3,550 in women) were diagnosed in the United States in 2013. the organization also estimates that about 15,210 people (12,220 men and 2,990 women) died from esophageal cancer in the same year. Here’s the good news: new research shows that exercisers have less risk of developing the disease.
6 Important Questions About Diabetes
1. Since high blood glucose is dangerous, is low blood glucose healthy?
When blood glucose levels fall below 70 mg/dl, the condition is called hypoglycemia or low blood glucose. Since the primary fuel of the central nervous system (CNS) is glucose, low blood glucose can dramatically impair CNS function. Hypoglycemia can lead to dizziness, confusion, slurred speech, blurred vision and sleepiness (Gulve 2008).
2. What is glycosylated hemoglobin and the HbA1c test?
