Skip to main content

Exercise and Movement is MEDICINE

 If you believe that medicine will save your life,

why do you

not believe exercise or movement will?


This topic is a common discussion we have with many folks, especially those over 70years of age. The idea that being sedentary, meaning moving less than 10% of your day which is a lot, can kill you is a stretch.  However, not being able to move is a difficult thing for many elderly people. We cannot understate the value for those who may, with a little assistance and professional guidance, move better and increase mobility.

Here are some very important reasons why exercise and movement is so important for seniors in particular. AND why intervention is helpful when mobility is difficult.


1.  Falls Prevention and reflex maintenance
     It may come as no surprise that falls are the number one cause of fractures, trauma, loss of independence, injury and even death. Due to the falls, secondary infections during hospital admission and/or surgical intervention rank high as well.  Regardless of whether or not an injury occurs with the fall, a downward spiral of fear and regressions occur.  Much of this is both preventable and recoverable. Physical factors such as medications, posture/spine control, reflexes, bone and muscle strength, energy(diet) and cardiorespiratory fitness play a role in falls risk.  Environmental factors such as lighting, rugs, footwear, stairs etc play an important part in the risk as well.  The main point here is; there is much we can do to improve one's mobility and ability and provide assessment to move forward positively.  Expectations for improvement need to be set regardless of the situation!

2. Detoxification
     Exercise detoxifies the body of depressive chemicals, especially under stress. Fear is stress, and many elders live in fear of most things physical. ie the stairs, the garden, the ice, lifting, walking, riding etc.  Alleviation of stress can be attained from simply moving often. Allthough it is best done prescriptively in order to consider abilities and proper goal setting.  Researchers have shown that during exercise muscles begin to act like the liver or kidneys and produce an enzyme which clears out a molecule linked to depression.  This 'clear out' would also apply for skin breathing as in sweating, and helping to purge out harmful toxins that build up in the body. Not moving enough can therefore create depression and poor energy due to the unreleased toxins.

3. Joint strength and maintenance
    Avoiding movement or exercise due to joint pain is a common and growing problem especially for the senior population.  Joint pain often stems from osteoarthritis. BUT the very prevention for this is prescriptive exercise! Increasing your range of motion, joint strength and endurance of the muscles can significantly reduce the amount of swelling and pain from osteoarthritis.  Once your joint 'turns the corner' on the inflammation, it can start to improve!

These are but a few solid reasons why exercise is medicine for the body. I hope that you will prescribe it for you or a family member.  


www.healthisfreedom.net




this blog brought to you by the BODiWORKS Institute

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Smoothie Recipe for a Healthy Brain

A Delicious Smoothie for a Healthy Brain! By now, many of us understand that the key to good health comes from a healthy diet.   The nutrients in our food literally feeds our body and gives it information that moves it toward health or toward disease.   While I understand that it isn’t always easy to make healthy food choices, I do believe that some simple life-hacks can help us be more successful. Here is a smoothie that I designed to be a meal replacement .   It is perfect for those who have very busy schedules and often skip meals, those with low appetite and is an excellent substitute for a Boost or Ensure.   I specially selected the ingredients in this particular smoothie to be great for lowering inflammation and boosting cognitive function. Super-Powered Brain Smoothie ½ cup cold brewed green tea – anti-inflammatory, packed with antioxidants and cancer-preventative properties. ½ cup plain kefir – a fermented food that contains goo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Benefits of Weight Training in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) Population

The chemical called Dopamine takes part in a huge role in our body as it carries signals between cells to create movement. Dopamine is produced in nerve cells or neurons from this particular part of brain called substantia nigra which is in basal ganglia, however, these dopaminergic neurons becomes dysfunctional due mostly to environmental factors (exposure to chemicals, head trauma, etc.) thereby leading to Parkinson’s Disease (PD) (Roeder et al., 2015) . Generally, the exact causes of PD are unknown but most experts agree that genetics participate insignificantly in inducing PD compared to environmental factors. People with PD, due to the insufficient amount of dopamine in the brain, end up with several motor symptoms which include:   slowness of movement (bradykinesia),  tremor at rest,  stiffness of the body,  and impaired balance (Roeder et al., 2015) .  These symptoms regarding muscular control can be improved in several ways and we...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mild Cognitive Impairement (MCI) - Not inevitable !

Benefits of Exercise on MCI Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is easily noticeable by people, but it is not serious enough to restrict people’s daily life. However, having MCI raises the chances of developing dementia, Alzheimer, or other memory related conditions (Rosenberg et al., 2013).                                     In general; assuming “overall loss of cognitive abilities with aging” is a very common misconception with most people. Actually, cognitive decline with aging may mostly be prevented or improved with healthy lifestyle such as regular vigorous exercise routines and a well-constructed diet. Sound difficult?  It is not really! MCI can be developed from several factors which include long term use of specific medications, sensory changes (hearing, visual loss with aging or pain from physical condition such as arthritis), and changes in mood due to altered hormonal ...
Post a Comment
Read more