June 30th, 2008 Milan
Not everyone develops osteoporosis. The following factors influence how likely it is that you will develop osteoporosis:
- Bone mass falls on average approximately 5 % every five years after age 65
- Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men, because their bone loss begins earlier and menopause brings on a period of rapid bone loss
- Small-bone, thin women tend to have lover bone density
- Personal and family history of fractures after the age of 50; especially mothers of women
- Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis
- Women who are past menopause
- Lack of calcium in your diet – as well as conditions that may interfere with calcium absorption from the intestines
- Inactivity; when bones are at rest, formation stops
- Smokers tend to loose bone faster than nonsmokers
Posted in Arthritis and exercise | No Comments »
June 24th, 2008 Milan
Healthy muscles are those that have been worked, stressed and pushed to their limit so that they have enough power and strength to get you through life, especially as you grow older.
Why does muscle matter? Muscle is the absolute centerpiece for being healthy, vital, and independent as we grow older. It keeps us strong and mobile. It tugs on bone to help bone stay strong. It burns more calories. Muscle and lean body mass are the metabolic engine in you body. More muscle means that your metabolic rate goes up, which makes it easier to stay lean.
Your muscles don’t have to be big, they just need to be fit. Some people have genetic inability to build muscles. Women can’t build muscles, due to low levels of hormones that men have. Healthy muscles are those that are worked, stressed and pushed to their limits so that they are strong and fit.
Here are some facts about muscles, strength training and their importance for overall health:
- Starting in their late 30s or early 40s, most people lose about a quarter pound of muscle every year. Beside aging process, much of these is caused by physical inactivity.
- Building muscle means lower blood sugar, which means less chance to develop type 2 diabetes. When muscles aren’t used, their cells become resistant to the insulin. If your muscle cells are resistant to insulin, you have a higher risk of heart disease.
- Doctors say, that even if you already have diabetes, strength training which brings muscle gain and body fat loss will improve your blood sugar control and will lover your blood pressure.
- Strength training lowers the risk of osteoporosis. Each year after menopause, a woman typically loses one percent of her bone mass. Over time, the bone loss can lead to osteoporosis, when bones are so porous that they can easily break.
- More muscle/strong muscle also mean better prevention against bone fractures because of better bone density. The odds are high that 70-year old woman will break her hip if she lives to 90. Depending on the age of the person, many will need care and many will die within year.
- More muscle/strong muscle means independence, less falls. The frail elderly aren’t strong enough to do instrumental activities of daily living like grocery shopping, walking up and down the stairs. That’s why strength training is so important for them.
- Strength training helps people regain their confidence which also helps fight depression. they become more active because they’re stronger and feel more energetic. Depression is common in older people, and disproportionately affects older people and especially older women.
- With strength training, people sleep better, they sleep deeper, they sleep longer, and they have fewer awakenings.
- Muscle strength reduces arthritis pain. It works with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Many people with moderate to severe arthritis have weak muscles. It’s very important to keep muscles around the joint strong and in balance. When the muscles are stronger and in balance, they absorb more shock coming from walking, and other daily life activities.
- Strength training reduces risk of heart disease.
- People who do strength training look better. Weight control becomes easier because their metabolism is better. With strength training people get firmness that they love.
- Strength training curbs back pain. Many people sit at their desks all day, than they have weak abdominal and lower back muscles, short hamstrings, which are risk factors for lower-back pain. Strengthening those muscles will reduce the pain.
- Having fit muscles turns back the clock. At any age, if you’re exercising you’re going to be like a younger person who has not been exercising that much.
If you don’t work your muscles, they will atrophy. Older people often fall, because they are too weak, their muscles are week and therefore their balance is bad, and they have trouble with climbing stairs and opening jars because their muscles have lost so much strength.
There are 3 aspects to healthy muscles:
- Endurance
- Strength
- Flexibility
The most effective way to stimulate muscles is with a system known as progressive resistance. You’re strength training all body 2 or 3 times per week.
- Once a week you lift weights so heavy that you can do only 5 – 7 repetitions before your muscles are too tired to lift again.
- Other day is devoted to moderate resistance, with weights you can lift 8 – 13 times.
- Than you should have some light days, with weight you can lift 15 – 20 times before your muscles tire.
You should stretch your muscle parts in breaks between sets when you weight train.
Women often don’t want to lift heavy enough weights because they’re afraid they will bulk up. But they won’t. Acquiring muscle mass requires testosterone levels that women don’t have. Especially women should not be afraid to lift heavy enough weight to fully stimulate their muscles.
Here are some tips, how to start weight training program:
- You should strength train all major muscle parts of your body 2 to 3 nonconsecutive days per week . If you’re consistent with it, you will see results soon.
- You should do 2 to 5 sets of each major muscle part with 7 to 15 repetition.
- It should be done in moderate to high intensity. No 1 or 2 pound dumbbells. In the case of gaining strength, the weight should be such that you can lift it 9 – 13 times in good form, but after that it feels heavy and you can’t lift it correctly.Than you need to rest before you do another set.
- Lift weights at this pace: 2 sec. lift – 4 sec. slowly lover the load.
- You can weight train at home.
- You need to do 7 to 10 exercises to do all body workout.
Posted in Strength training | No Comments »
June 20th, 2008 Milan
Regular exercise boosts the immune system………unless you overdo it.
In moderate amounts, physical activity reduces the risk of upper respiratory tract infection.
It works in opposite if you go to extremes. Marathon runners have higher risk of colds after a race, because immune function goes down after a prolonged intense exercise.
It is similar with inflammation, which can be a sign of weakened immune system. Regular exercise decreases inflammation. On the other hand, playing a hard game of soccer or basketball only once in a month or once in 2 weeks can boost inflammation if that’s all you do.
The weekend athlete who does something strenuous once in a while can do more harm than good to a lot of systems. You should perform vigorous activity at least two or three times a week to avoid making things worst.
Build up to it with regular exercise – weight training, cardio workout, flexibility training for at least 6 weeks before you start doing vigorous activity like playing soccer. And than, when you start, don’t stop and do it at least 2 times per week. Your body will get use to a work load and you can push it even further without any harm.
Posted in Health and fitness | No Comments »
