Looking for the most powerful cancer-fighting vegetables on the planet? Then feast your eyes (and of course, your body) on the plant foods that have demonstrated the most dramatic protection against cancer: the cruciferous family of vegetables.
The mortality rate of seniors after an unintentional fall increases significantly. 38-47% of the elderly who fall will eventually have a fatal outcome [3]. Furthermore, one-half of those who fall are likely to fall again [4]. To minimize falls, exercise and staying physically active is extremely important to ensure that the mind and body is constantly optimized. Unfortunately, not all exercises are created equally for fall prevention. Here are some simple but effective balance exercises that you, or an elder under your care, can do at home.
Before you begin, here are some important considerations:
1. Ensure that you do not have illness or on any medication that interferes with your balance.
2. You have a secure and steady support aid (table, bar, etc.) to hold on to, and there is no dangerous object surrounding you if you fall.
3. There is someone nearby who is able to help you.
4. Start easy and progress as you get better.
5. Try focusing on a non-moving object in front of you to help with your balance.
SHARPENED ROMBERG TEST
Hold on to a support aid (barre, table, etc.). Begin by placing one foot in front of the other in tandem, or semi-tandem. When you feel confident, let go of the support and try to balance for at least 30 seconds. Switch sides. To progress, cross your arms across your chest and hold the position. Aim to achieve at least 60 seconds on both feet.
FALLING STAR POSE
Stand on one foot and make a star pose by shifting your weight to the side. Progress by extending both arms and legs. Hold the position for at least 30 seconds and switch sides.
SINGLE LEG DEAD LIFT (2)
Hold on to a support aid and stand on one foot. Once confident, slowly lower your chest towards the floor (like you’re bowing down) with a firm and braced back (don’t hunch), and push the other leg backwards. Stand tall and repeat this movement 6-10 times on each leg, and switch after.
There are many modifications you can include to make it more challenging, such as shifting your point of focus, shutting your eyes, introducing distractions and using different surfaces. When it comes to maintaining balance, frequency is key. It is recommended that you perform these exercises often enough until you see improvement. Take note of the duration you can stay balanced to measure your progress.
Ke Wynn Lee is an author and an international award-winning corrective exercise specialist currently owns and operates a private Medical Fitness Center in Penang. Apart from coaching, he also conducts workshops and actively contributes articles related to corrective exercise, fitness & health to online media and local magazines.
Reprinted with permission from kewynnpt.com
Tired of the glassy-eyed look and the shoulder shrug from your providers when you tell them about your peri and menopausal symptoms? Here’s why they should be listening!
Ketosis is a metabolic state similar to starvation in which energy is provided primarily by high fat intake, adequate protein intake (1 gram/Kg lean body mass) and low carbohydrate intake. The idea is to switch your body to using fat as fuel, instead of the usual carbohydrates. The keto diet has traditionally been used for weight loss, but now some athletes have taken up the diet as well.
Carbohydrates are initially restricted to 10 grams per day (15 to 20 grams per day in adolescents and adults), with patients counseled to increase their use of high fat foods (at the expense of protein). Traditionally, the diet consists of four parts fat to one part protein and carbohydrate (i.e., a 4:1 lipid to non-lipid ratio). Total calories are restricted to 80 to 90 percent of recommended values for age (Kossoff et al., 2009). By eating a diet like this, the body becomes very efficient at utilizing fat for energy and produces higher levels of ketones (acetoacetate, acetone, and beta-hydroxybutyrate).
Traditionally athletes have used carbohydrate sources such as maltose, dextrose, and others. The entire industry of sports performance supplements has been geared to maximize carbohydrate absorption (max is about 240 kcals/hour due to GI function/absorption) and items are packaged in 80-100kcal/use servings. So what happens to performance when you athletes switch to a keto diet?
Several studies have been completed looking at the short and longer (up to 3 months) use of keto-diets on performance. The results show ketosis seems to be better suited for endurance athletes than anaerobic athletes. In one study, short-term low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diets reduced exercise performance in activities that are heavily dependent on anaerobic energy systems (wroble, et al,m 2018). In another, a low carb/keto-adaptated group of athletes had improved exercise training, lower body fat, improved fat oxidation during exercise, and better 100km time trial (McSwiney et al., 2018).
The bottom line is more research is needed, however, depending on the athletic activity, the keto diet may either help or harm athletic performance.
Contraindications: Individuals with inborn metabolic errors should NOT use the ketogenic diet. Individuals with a history of documented myopathy or rhabdomyolysis should complete a more in depth workup for inborn errors prior to starting a ketogenic diet due to an increased risk of catabolic crisis.
Naomi L. Albertson M.D. is Board Certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians and specializes in the non-surgical management of musculoskeletal problems, sports injuries, concussions, and the treatment of osteopenia and osteoporosis. A graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Albertson’s interest in bone health, exercise physiology and maximizing performance led her to develop Dr. Ni’s OC2, a bone health and muscle strength supplement for the unique frame support needs of adults over age 35. Visit her website, boneandmuscle.com.
References
Agility, Bodybuilding, CrossFit, Dropsets, Energy substrates… etc. There is a program — or ten — for every letter for every letter of the alphabet! Everyday something new comes out that will make all the difference in the world without any work. That is the dilemma for Personal Training. Weeding out the bad and applying the good becomes the more difficult each year. In addition, more is expected of each trainer!
With constant growth and industry change, a Personal Trainer’s education doesn’t stop with certification. In fact, that is only the catalyst for future growth. A degree also doesn’t guarantee adequate knowledge. By the time you finish your program, the information you started with in antiquated. So, what do you need to know, or at least pay attention to?
The basics… Certification, there are more than 500, CPR/AED, knowledge of physiology, anatomy, kinesiology, biomechanics, program design, exercise selection, equipment usage, safety techniques, assessment, current trends, and nutrition to start! Then there is the requirements for keeping current! Thought your read a lot during college…get ready for a whole new level of information. Kind of like getting a drink out of a fire hose!
You are under the watchful eye of everyone you encounter. Whether you are working, working out, eating at a restaurant, or getting a donut at the bakery, you are on display. Being real and approachable is paramount to a successful career. No one cares about your credentials; they care that you treat them well.
Really you are an ambassador to health care. That means public speaking, communications skills coaching, counseling (not professional), ability to lead a group, excellent customer service, goal oriented, sales, all while maintaining a positive attitude!
Getting someone to do something they don’t want to do and eventually enjoy it is the mark of a good trainer. Everyone wants six pack abs, but if you are a good trainer a year later, they will want to share a six-pack with you! Passion and motivation are why they hire you! Why are you a trainer? If you can’t answer that question without hesitation, you need to dig deeper into why you want to train! It must sustain you! Maybe you overcame a health issue, were an ex-athlete, lost weight, or reached some personal goal, that is what people want to buy!
More than a PhD, passion drives great trainers. Richard Simmons changed generations with his Sweating to the Oldies exercise programs. A household name for sure, he probably had the most direct influence on the fitness industry! Dealing with issues that affect most people, he forged a niche market of the average guy that just want to fit in, get healthy, and look better naked.
Guess what, just because you love helping others and working out, doesn’t mean you’ll be a good trainer. There is that little thing about running a business.Even if you are working for a gym, there are many qualities that differentiate outstanding from average trainers. Why do people hire you? Guess what it’s not because of your body, it’s for what you can do for them!
The list of desired traits is long but distinguished. Whether you like it or not, you are running a business. Therefore, qualities like accountability, time-management, delegation, networking, multi-tasking, planning, leadership, teamwork, flexibility, creativeness, logical thinking, patience, organization, motivation, and most of all tack.
Ready for the challenge? It will be the hardest thing you will every love.
Stay healthy.
Reprinted with permission from author.
Mike Rickett MS, CSCS*D, CSPS*D, RCPT*E is a nationally recognized health and fitness trainer of the trainers, fitness motivator, author, certifier, educator, and the 2017 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year. He has been a fitness trainer for more than 35 years. With Cheri Lamperes, he co-directs BetterHealthBreathing.com, a conscious breathing educational program focusing on the diaphragmatic technique to enhance overall wellness. In addition, he also directs the personal training site ApplicationInMotion.com.
When you think of a typical older person, one thing likely comes to mind: frailty. Even if you can’t really identify any obvious illness, there is something about most elderly people that communicates frailty and weakness. They probably walk slowly, move carefully and let others do many things for them, rather than doing those things themselves.
It’s muscle loss, otherwise known as sarcopenia. And if you are 25 years old or older, it is happening to you already. But you don’t have to take it sitting down. (Pun intended.)
Sarcopenia refers to the process of losing skeletal muscle mass and strength. “Sarco” is the Greek word referring to flesh, and “penia” means a reduction in amount. Thus, the word describes a progressive weakening of the body caused by a “change in body compensation in favor of fat and at the expense of muscle.” (1)
Everyone, beginning around age 25, starts to lose muscle mass, though the actual symptoms of this loss do not usually begin showing up until around the age of 40 or so. The process begins really picking up speed after the age of 65. In fact, around the age of 40, most women will lose almost a half-pound of muscle every year and replace it with fat. (2)
The result of this gradual loss of muscle is an insidious weakening of the body, loss of balance, loss of confidence upon walking, and a reduced ability to recover from near falls. As we lose strength, we become more inactive. This makes sense, because if we have less muscle, it takes much more effort to move, and we fatigue more easily. But also, with loss of strength comes loss of balance and stability. The fear of falling keeps many people sedentary. And a sedentary lifestyle opens the door for chronic illness.
And now for great news: you can delay sarcopenia and even reverse it. How? By lifting weights. Even though you cannot grow new muscles cells to replace the ones you have already lost, you can develop the ones that you have left. In fact, you can become stronger than you ever have in your life by simply beginning a strength training program.
No matter how old you are, it is not too late to start. Even patients in nursing homes have seen transformation. After strength training, bedridden patients were able to begin walking with walkers, walker-dependent patients graduated to canes, and so on. (3)
And no matter how young you are, it is not too early to start! By starting early, you can significantly delay the effects of sarcopenia.
As you begin lifting weights, you will notice a transformation in your body. You will have more energy, you will perform everyday tasks with noticeably more ease and your clothes will begin sagging on you, because you will be building muscle and burning up the fat deposits. You will have greater balance and more confidence.
And perhaps best of all is the insurance policy you pay premiums on every time you choose to lift, because you are laying a strong, solid foundation for your later years. You are laying up health, independence and the ability to live well, not just long.
Don’t let another day go by that you are losing muscle. Fight muscle loss now. Take it back, and get ready to feel better than you ever have!
Maurice D. Williams is a personal trainer and owner of Move Well Fitness and Assistant Professor of Health & Human Performance at Freed-Hardeman University. With almost two decades in the industry, he’s worked with a wide range of clients, including those with health challenges like diabetes, osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, coronary artery disease, lower back pain, pulmonary issues, and pregnancy.
References
America is in bad shape. According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), 60% of adults are living with one chronic disease and 40% have two or more.(1) Astoundingly, 12% of adults are living with 5 or more chronic conditions(2) including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, coronary obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension. A concept people need to understand is that these diseases can be prevented, managed and even reversed with lifestyle choices.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a bright light on how our level of health can literally be a matter of life or death. A study of thousands of patients hospitalized with the novel coronavirus in the New York City area found that 94% had one chronic disease and 88% had two or more. The most common conditions included hypertension, obesity and diabetes.(3) In May of this year, the CDC reported that people with an underlying chronic illness had six times the risk of being hospitalized and twelve times the risk for dying.(4)
Now is the right time to take small steps to improve health and build immune resilience with daily lifestyle choices. While there isn’t one diet, exercise regimen, or stress-relieving technique that is good for everyone, there are principles to follow that can boost health and vitality at any age.
There is a huge misconception that our genes determine our health destiny. This simply isn’t true. The study of epigenetics shows that we have the ability to change the expression of our genes by the way we think, feel, move and eat.(5) Each of our daily decisions and choices can increase or decrease inflammation in the body, moving us towards disease or back to health.
Our immune system uses the ancient, biological pathway of inflammation to protect us against injury and infections.(6) When you cut your finger, immune cells are sent to kill invading bacteria and begin the process of wound healing. This is acute inflammation that goes away in days or weeks when the body is healed.
One the other hand, chronic inflammation lasts a long time, from months to years.(2) It’s basically an abnormal immune response that causes damage to cells, tissues and organs. Oxidative stress plays a big role; it occurs when more free radicals are produced within cells than the body can neutralize.(2) As you can imagine, when more damage occurs than can be repaired, health problems crop up.
It is now widely accepted that chronic inflammation is at the root of most, if not all, chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cancer, arthritis and joint disease.(2)
The good news is that deliberate and healthier lifestyle choices can prevent, manage and even reverse chronic inflammatory disease, the most important cause of morbidity and mortality facing people today.(7) It’s empowering to know that if you have, or want to prevent a chronic disease, you can regain your health and vitality by choosing real whole foods, optimizing sleep, reducing stress, being social, and moving more.
You may be thinking, “How the heck can simple lifestyle decisions address the complexities of chronic conditions?” The body has an innate ability and intelligence to heal itself. You experience it each time you cut your hand; you wash the wound, put a bandage on and don’t have to think about it.
The research also supports it and I have lived it; by utilizing the power of lifestyle medicine I was able to restore my health from the ravages of chronic Lyme disease. You just need to provide the right environment for healing. This is not an easy task, but it can be done with time, effort and a plan.
Changing your lifestyle habits can feel overwhelming. To help you embrace this challenge, think about this analogy, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!” Any healing journey begins with awareness, learning and exploration; then gradually taking action, one small step at a time.
Start today by exploring lifestyle behaviors that decrease inflammation and can put your health back on track so you can live with less pain, more energy, and greater vitality. A lifestyle prescription to restore health includes:
Be proactive, make one hour a week to learn more by reading books, researching on PubMed.gov, listening to podcasts, attending lectures and webinars so you can find the strategies and practices that work best for you. As you begin to feel better, you will naturally be motivated to continue learning and making better lifestyle choices because healthy feels so good!
Search the free MedFit Network directory to locate a professional near you! MedFit Network maintains a free directory of fitness and allied healthcare professionals who can work with individuals with chronic disease, medical conditions or the senior population.
Cate Reade, MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian, Exercise Physiologist and Functional Medicine Practitioner candidate on a mission to improve functional mobility and health span utilizing the power of lifestyle medicine. She has been teaching, writing and prescribing healthy eating and exercise programs for over 25 years. Today, as CEO of Resistance Dynamics and inventor of the MoveMor™ Mobility Trainer, she develops exercise products and programs that target joint flexibility, strength and balance deficits to help older adults fall less and live more.
References
Click to read part 1 of this article, covering background on facial masking, swallowing, vocal issues for people with PD.
As a fitness professional, you can help. The key is is knowing how to appropriately apply facial, swallowing and vocal projections drills to private and group sessions. Below are some tips to utilize with your “fighters”.
Decreased facial expression
Drooling
When eating:
Lip closure exercises:
Transferring food from a utensil to the mouth, chewing the food then swallowing and most likely socializing all at the same time without any problems is a task most people take for granted. According to Dr. Jose Vega MD, PhD, three phases must occur in order to swallow properly.
Difficulty swallowing as it pertains to PD, reflects a deficiency of dopamine in the brain and often improves with medication and therapy/exercises. Drooling is also a symptom and is caused by reduced reflexive swallowing not from an overproduction of saliva but tends to improve with dopamine replacement therapy. I have come to learn over the years that tremors and swallowing problems are usually the reason someone living with PD isolates themself. It is embarrassing to finally get food on your utensil only to get it to your mouth and realize it has scattered all over the place or fear of aspiration which by the way may not always be heard. Aspiration can be quiet and lead to aspiration pneumonia, the leading cause of death in PD.
Care-partners and Fitness Professionals need to recognize the signs of aspiration as noted below.
Coughing Before/After Swallowing
For this reason, Coaches at Bridges For Parkinson’s offers popsicles to our “fighters” at the end of class. And they love it! They can have a fun treat without the fear of dropping food and visit with others so it is a win-win! Plus, it allows us to make sure they are hydrated. Sneaky, sneaky!
If a person living with Parkinson’s Disease or their care-partner is not sure whether their loved one has a swallowing issue, the Parkinson’s Foundation provides some great questions to help determine the answer:
ORAL EXERCISES to help with strengthening and coordinating the LIPS
TONGUE- ROM, Coordination and strength to help with eating and drinking
In addition to swallowing exercises, meal prep aids in reducing issues brought on by dysphagia and may lower the risk of aspiration. The APDA Organization recommends the following nutritional information:
The article begins with a story of a grandmother experiencing dysphagia, hypomimia and hypophonia (softness of voice). But people living with PD are not limited to hypophonia when it comes to speech problems. Dysarthria and tachyphemia are additional speech issues people living with PD may experience.
Hypophonia or softness of voice is a condition that the Davis Phinney Foundation states 90% of people living with PD will experience. Characteristics of hypophonia include raspy voice, low speech volume, breathy and/or monotone speech.
Dysarthria is another speech issue related to PD. It is characterized by poor articulation, respiration and/or phonation according to the National Aphasia Association. Speech will come across as slurred, effortful and can often be mistaken for inebriated. Doctors encourage people living with PD who are still driving to wear a bracelet to help law enforcement know they are not drunk.
Tachyphemia or acceleration of speech is also related to speech issues. A person struggling with tachyphemia will sound like all their words are jumbled together and often feel like their tongue is twisted.
While these issues are troublesome and frustrating, there are some easy and even fun ways to combat low volume, slurred and accelerated speech.
Exercises
Fitness Professionals have the unique opportunity to incorporate exercises for the face, voice and swallowing while also performing strength and/or cardio exercises. You do not have to separate the two. It is a great way to challenge the cognitive aspects and the physical, all while having fun! The best part is it creates a community moment which deepens their love and trust for you, the fitness professionals. You are making a difference!’
Co-authored by Colleen Bridges, M. Ed, NSCA-CPT; Renee Rouleau-B.S., PhD student, Jacobs School of Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo; Kristi Ramsey, OTD, OTR/L.
References
As a fitness professional, you can help. The key is is knowing how to appropriately apply facial, swallowing and vocal projections drills to private and group sessions. Below are some tips to utilize with your “fighters”.