Health experts agree exercise remains an important component in the pursuit of total wellness. But they stress it has to be a lifestyle, rather than a seasonal activity to garner the full health benefits.
“Exercise is important for total well-being of your body,” said Chris Bryant, a certified athletic trainer with Baptist Health System and member of Huffman Baptist Church, Birmingham.
Not only does exercise tone the body and work the heart, it also “can be a stress reliever and a way to get away from work and school,” Bryant said.
The minimum level of exercise should be 20 minutes three times a week, Bryant noted. “You should also exercise within your optimal heart rate,” he added. “To find your optimal heart rate, subtract your age from 220 and take 80 percent of that number. Try to keep your heart rate around that number while exercising.”
Even older adults can benefit from exercise. According to the 1996 Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, “older adults can obtain significant health benefits with a moderate amount of physical activity, preferably daily.”
Among the benefits are increased cardiorespiratory endurance and stronger muscles, which help reduce the risk of falling and improve the ability to perform the routine tasks of daily life.
Moderate physical activity can also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, colon cancer and feelings of depression and anxiety. The reports said regular physical activity is required almost daily to gain these benefits.
Bryant urges all first-time exercisers, or anyone who has not exercised in a long time, to get a regular physical exam before beginning any exercise program. “Make sure your blood pressure is OK and your heart and lungs are working properly.”
Once checked out by a doctor, it is best to seek the advice of a personal trainer, recreational minister or fitness expert for developing a workout program, Bryant said. “They can teach the proper ways to stretch, the proper types of cardio activity to do and the proper techniques in weight training,” he noted. “There is a right and wrong way to exercise.”
Dr. Theodis Buggs, orthopedic surgeon at Princeton Baptist Medical Center, teaches his patients about exercise with the word “FEW”:
Flexibility.
Endurance.
Warmth.
“By increasing your flexibility you will decrease your probability of tearing a muscle or ligament,” Buggs said. “It stretches the muscle.
“No matter how hurried you are, take time to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes before exercising,” he said.
Endurance means to start off slowly and gradually increase the intensity of the workout, he noted. “Start with walking, then walking and running. Then build up to running.
“Don’t overextend yourself,” he warned. “That will allow the muscle to adapt and therefore decrease the probability of injuries.”
Warmth is a combination of flexibility and endurance. It deals with increasing the circulation to the muscle slowly and with low intensity.
“Warm up the muscle. Walk before you run,” Buggs said. “It will increase the performance of the muscle and decrease the chance for injury.”
Buggs suggests walking, biking and swimming for people wanting to start an exercise program. “Nonpounding exercises are better for the joints,” he said.
Bryant said exercising should not be painful. “The ‘no pain, no gain’ theory is only to a certain extent,” he said. “That really only applies to sore muscles to due exercising, not painful methods of exercising.”
People can also exercise too much, he noted. “If you experience an excessive amount of aches and pains, stress fractures or other major physical problems, you may need to slow down.”
When it comes to establishing an exercise routine, Bryant said a personal trainer can help motivate, educate and teach. He also noted exercise does not have to be done in a fitness club or with a trainer.
“There are several things you can do in your home or apartment,” he said. From working out with aerobic videotapes to walking around the neighborhood, Bryant said everyone can find some form of exercise. Lifting weights can even be done with cans of soup if hand weights and ankle weights are not available.
“Do something,” he said. “If you don’t use your muscles, then you will lose them.”
He also suggested finding a workout partner for accountability. “Some days you won’t want to exercise and some days (he or she) won’t want to, but you help each out.
“Exercise as a priority comes from your heart,” Bryant said. “There is a desire to do it. The hardest part is getting started. Many people have proven it can be addictive.” (Senior Living contributed)
Sprains need special care
Exercise brings with it the risk of injury, so an exerciser must be prepared to treat the various types of sprains and strains that sometimes occur.
Because sprains and strains result from damage to the support tissue around a joint, it is important to properly stretch these areas before exercising, said Chris Bryant, a certified athletic trainer with Baptist Health System in Birmingham. A sprain happens when the tissue is damaged, and a strain occurs with the tissue is overstretched.
“Not stretching makes you susceptible to muscle strain,” Bryant said. “You need to properly stretch the entire body, no matter how little time you think you have.”
Still, sprains and strains will happen and when they do, health experts agree the best treatment to remember is RICE:
- Rest.
- Ice.
- Compression.
- Elevation.
Dr. Theodis Buggs, orthopedic surgeon with Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Birmingham, defined RICE as resting the hurt part of the body, icing the area three to five minutes every couple of hours, wrapping a loosely fitting bandage around the area and elevating the sprain or strain.
“The big thing now is to ice,” Bryant said. “Ice off and on during the first 48 hours and then every time you exercise until it is completely healed,” he said.
Dr. Trey Lott, M.D., D.C. in Birmingham, agreed that ice is the best treatment.
“Avoid heating pads that plug into the wall,” he warned. “Heat prolongs the problem. Dry heat increases the swelling,” he said. “If it feels good it makes you worse,” Lott said, noting ice reduces the swelling and heals the area quicker.
“You must also make a difference between muscle injury and muscle soreness,” Buggs said. “With muscle soreness, you must continue to work through it. But with muscle injury you must rest the muscle and take care of it.”
While it is best to allow the area that is hurt to heal before forcing it to perform again, exercise is still possible during the healing process, experts said.
“We treat a lot of athletes from local colleges and will have them running as soon as possible to allow them to get stronger without creating further injury,” Lott said. “You have to know the difference in what works (with various types of injuries).”
Buggs noted that if a person suffers a shoulder injury he or she can still jog and even do aerobics, as long as the shoulder is resting.
While the most common injuries are knee sprains, shoulder sprains and ankle sprains, Buggs suggested that anyone with a recurring injury look into specific strengthening exercises for that area.
“Look at why you are having the recurring injury,” he said.
If the pain is persistent or is something other than a sprain or strain, health experts suggest seeing a doctor.
“And if you fall, get an X-ray to make sure there is no fracture,” added Bryant.
Proper clothing, shoes make difference
If the decision to exercise is the first step toward physical fitness, the second step should be acquiring proper clothing and equipment.
“Proper clothing and equipment are a must,” said Dr. Theodis Buggs, orthopedic surgeon for Princeton Baptist Medical Center, Birmingham. “Most importantly, you need a good supportive athletic shoe.
“The shoe supports the foot because the foot undergoes so much stress during any type of weightbearing activity, so you need to support the foot adequately,” he said, noting that six times a person’s weight is concentrated around the foot every time the person pushes off the foot.
Dr. Trey Lott, M.D., D.C., who practices as a medical doctor and also as a chiropractor in Birmingham, agreed that proper shoes are important because the impact on the feet affects the lower back. With improper shoes, the lower back can be harmed, he said.
The type of shoes chosen depends on the type of exercise, said Chris Bryant, a certified athletic trainer with Baptist Health System. “They need to match what you are doing,” he said.
“A runner needs a shoe that supports the foot and arch, while a basketball player needs a hightop shoe,” Bryant said. “Be smart about what activity you are taking part in and what type of shoe to wear.”
Bryant suggested checking with a sports-related shoe store for the proper shoes.
He also noted exercisers should have use correct equipment such as protective eyewear that fits properly when necessary and wear clothing that is comfortable and doesn’t rub the body.
“In the summer time in Alabama, exercisers have to worry about heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat strokes,” Bryant said. “Be aware of the humidity and the temperature outside. Wear light colored clothing and material that breathes,” he said, noting exercise should be done indoors when there is an ozone alert outside.
“In the winter it is better to wear material that fits tight to the body and gets sweat away from the body, such as the material Capilene that skiers use to keep their skin dry,” Bryant said. “You may want to wear gloves and a toboggan also,” he said. “The key is to not sweat so much that you get cold from your own sweat.”
According to the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, a new high-tech athletic sock is also being marketed by sports podiatrists. These socks — usually made of a variety of polyester such as polypropylene, acrylic, Capilene or Thermax — pull moisture away from the feet so it can evaporate. The drier the feet, the less risk for blisters and athlete’s foot, they say. The feet also stay warmer. These socks are more expensive, however, and require line drying because heat can destroy the fiber.
Optimal eating doable in ‘rat race’
Eating right in a world of fast food and racing to beat the clock may seem impossible, but one Alabama doctor says it is not as hard as people may think.
“God created a great diversity of food groups,” said Dr. Kenneth Olson, Baptist Health System internist, who specializes in nutrition sciences. “If we select from all the food groups on a daily basis to the extent we can (some medical conditions prevent some foods) and be modest in our meat, fat and sugar intake, the strategy is in the selection,” he said.
“It is virtually impossible to overconsume vegetables and fruits because they are naturally high in fiber and full of wonderful vitamins, minerals and trace elements,” he said. “They are naturally very low in fat, and there is no significant sugar content. The natural sugars in fruit are important.”
Unlimited fruits and vegetables make for a good strategy toward healthy eating, said Olson. He also noted that whole grains are also low in fat, low in calories and high in fiber.
“God’s perfect food has to be dried beans,” Olson said. “They are wonderful sources of protein, high in fiber and high in vitamins, minerals and trace elements. They are the staple of the world … and the staple of a vegetarian diet.”
Healthy eating is a lifestyle, not a diet, Olson pointed out. “People can do very nicely with a natural way of eating,” he said. “(The idea) is to eat in an optimal fashion. The principles are similar to those recommended from the Surgeon General, the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and the diabetes and dietetic associations.”
Olson noted that several years ago the U.S. Senate found these same recommendations as the best pattern of eating to promote a high energy level, a sense of well-being and a preventative for diseases.
“The most common diseases generally have a nutrition background in a causal sense,” Olson said. “They are not the only cause, but they contribute and can accelerate the disease.”
Overweight and obese people have increased risk for all medical problems, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke and hypertension, he said.
“Overindulging in over-appropriate amounts of calories and limiting nutrients can cause problems,” he noted. “Taking inappropriate amounts of anything will cause problems … and supplements are not a substitute for a solid pattern of optimal eating,” he said.
Again proper eating is the key, not fad diets, Olson said. “There are a lot of fad concepts floating around, even among physicians not properly trained in nutritional concepts,” he noted.
For instance, the high protein, low carbohydrate diet is very dangerous, he said. “When you deprive your body of carbs, you deprive it of nutrients found in carb foods, so you have a nutrient deficiency immediately.
“The body needs carbs,” he said. “If you try to substitute, the body does not do good.”
The body will lose weight, but it is water weight and will be gained back as soon as the diet is changed, he said. “You can shift the body by many pounds in a short time by shifting water,” Olson pointed out. “But tissue changes come slowly.”
The same result happens from the “lose 30 pounds in 30 days” diets, he added. “The weight will shift with water loss, but will come back when the diet is stopped,” he said. “If you don’t change what you are doing, then you won’t change what you are seeing.”
More than the constant yo-yo weight gain and loss, fads diets also disrupt the body’s metabolic environment. “It is not uncommon to feel a loss of energy and experience changes in hair, nails and skin. The body’s elimination pattern can also be altered because you are not getting enough fiber for the health of the colon,” Olson said.
“In an extreme form (of poor dieting), you can lose negative calcium and protein balance,” he noted. “You are losing more than you are getting in and … losing calcium can lead to muscle cramps. It would also limit the potassium intake.”
Olson said people will feel better within one week of eating properly. “The weight loss will be at the tissue level, so it may not be as fast, but it is progress. Just losing one-half pound a week is wonderful,” he said. “They are benefiting and they are improving their risks for diseases.”
But how does one begin this lifestyle change?
Olson suggests starting slowly and being patient as the first steps. “Be consistent with the principles, but don’t try to force it,” he said. “Don’t feel guilty if you don’t do it perfectly. The major danger is giving up.”
Staying away from the scales is one way to not get discouraged, he noted. “Weight loss may not happen quickly and we may feel we are failing, when in reality we are moving in the right direction. It is important not to use the scale as a standard of success,” he said.
“Learn the principles gradually and comfortably,” he said. “Practice new ways of doing things. It is no different than learning a new skill.
“Any skill that requires focus and practice applies to optimal eating,” he said. “Once the principles are learned, it becomes potentially easy for the individual to stay on the pattern.”
Optimal eating means no starvation and no deprivation, he noted. “You can have the most ‘sinful’ dessert on occasion and your body won’t be affected.”
In fact, Dr. Olson said as people learn to take in less sugar, fat, salt (continued from page 13)
and “rich” foods, their taste buds become very sensitive to those items.
When they do have those kinds of foods, it takes a much smaller amount to satisfy the appetite than it did previously.
“One can use that strategy to have a special occasion food and truly not feel the need to eat the whole thing,” he said. “They will be content with a small portion.
“The more we take in (of a certain food), the more insensitive our taste buds become and the more it takes to get satisfaction,” he said, noting the importance to limit certain foods.
Olson suggests limiting soft drinks for only special occasions because of the sugar content. He also said artificial sweeteners such as sucrose should be monitored.
“They can promote appetite and … are not helpful in a program promoting health and well being,” he said. “Headaches and energy could also be attributed to artificial sweetener use,” he added.
Optimal eating does not mean one should feel hungry, Olson noted.
“If you are hungry, then you are not eating enough.”
Eating an unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables, preferably steamed vegetables, should supply enough fiber to subside hunger. “Eat no less than two cups of steamed vegetables and no less than two pieces of fruit a day,” he said. “Use fruit as a snack and having an abundance of fruit as a breakfast is a strategy that can also be helpful.”
People can also learn to eat in restaurants and pick out low fat foods, Olson said. “It is only as difficult as the individual makes it,” he said.
“Fundamentals are fundamentals,” Olson said. “This is a Christian way of eating. God has provided it for us and it is all there.
“God didn’t design the soft drinks nor artificial sweeteners,” he said. “We take in to much sugar, too much fat and are inactive. That is why we are an obese society.”
Still, optimal eating alone will not fulfill a program of weight reduction, Olson noted. An aggressive amount of activity needs to happen also, he said. “Unless activity is equivalent to nutritional intake, you won’t make the same amount of progress,” he noted.
While the people who do the best in changing their body composition exercise 45 minutes to an hour most every day, some activity is better than nothing. “Start where you are and build gradually. Do overdo it,” he said.
But what if someone is doing all the “right things” and is still not making any progress with a healthy lifestyle and/or weight reduction?
That person needs to see a physician, Olson said.
“He or she may have a medical disorder that needs to be investigated and treated,” he said, noting sleep apnea as a fairly common disorder that causes problems with metabolism.
“If you are not making progress, seek medical attention to see if there are any problems that need to be investigated.”
Share with others: