Exercise to Reduce the Risk of Falls

After analyzing the results of the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, it was found that younger people fall as much as older folks. It was also determined that two hours a week of exercises can reduce the risk of falls. These results will appear in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

However, it was also found that the relationship between physical activity and walking-related falls are stronger with men than women. Men who are more fit fall less. However, women of all fitness levels tend to fall with equal frequency, and more often than men.

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Exercise Reduces Angry Mood

The results of a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's 57 th Annual Meeting in Baltimore reported that exercise may reduce anger in men.

According to lead investigator Nathaniel Thorn, Ph.D., a stress physiologist, "the major novel finding from this study is that exercise protected against angry mood induction, almost like taking aspirin to prevent a heart attack." Exercise may actually be like taking medicine for anger.

The research was conducted on 16 collegiate men who rated high in "trait anger."

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Breathing Exercises Boost Performance

The results of a new study that was presented at the June 3, 2010 annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine shows that daily breathing exercises helps boost performance during endurance activities. Breathing exercises, also known as Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) reduces the amount of oxygen needed by muslces used for breathing. This makes oxygen available to other muscles during physical activities.

Below are two common Breathing Exercises to help you boost your physical activity performance.

Bellow Breathing or Stimulating Breath Exercise

1. Sit up with your spine straight.
2. With your mouth closed but relaxed, breathe in and out of your nose about 2 to 3 breathes each second.
3. This action moves the diaphragm quickly like a bellows.
4. In your first attempt at this exercise, do it for no longer than 15 seconds. With practice, you can slowly increase your exercise time by 5 seconds up to and not exceeding 1 minute.
5. Be careful to not hyperventilate.

Abdominal Breathing or Relaxing Breath Exercise

1. Exhale completely through your mouth.
2. Take a slow and deep breath through your nose. This should take about 4 counts to inhale.
3. Hold your breath for a count of 7.
4. Slowly exhale through your mouth. This should take up to a count of 8.
5. Repeat this cycle again 4 more times for a total of 5 deep breaths.

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Link Between Oral Hygiene and Cardiovasculas Disease

Results of a study published in the May 27,2010 issue of BMJ indicate a strong association between oral hygiene and cardiovascular disease. Based on a survey of 11,869 Scottish men and women, those with poor oral hygiene had a 70% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Those who brushed their teeth infrequently also had an increased concentration of C Reactive Protein in their blood. C Reactive Protein is a measure of inflamation in the body. It has been speculated that long-term exposure to body wide, low level inflamation promotes cardiovascular disease.

In addition to daily exercise, it is a good idea to brush our teeth twice a day.

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Walking Helps Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

In a study led by Peter T. Katzmarzuk and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, the number of steps taken each day can help improve your cardiovascular health.

The cardiovascular risk factors measured in the study are

• Abdominal obesity (waist size)
• High levels of triglycerides
• Low level of HDL or good cholesterol
• Elevated blood pressure
• And Elevated fasting glucose

According to the study, more steps per day taken was associated with significantly lower odds of having at-risk cardiovascular disease profiles. On average, for each additional 1000 steps per day taken, was associated with a 8 to 13% reduction in the odds of having a large waist circumference, low level of HDL and high levels of triglycerides.

Those that took 10,000 or more steps each day had 72% lower odds of having the cardiovascular risk factors compared to those that took less than 5000 steps each day. This agrees with the recommendation to walk 10,000 steps each day for chances of optimum health.

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Elderly Daily Exercise and High Blood Pressure Treatment May Help to Prevent Falls

A study published in the May 18, 2010 issue of Neurology states that daily exercise and treatments for high blood pressure may help to prevent the risk of falls among the elderly.

The study conducted by Farzaneh Sorond, M.D. at the Institute for Aging Research concluded that seniors with the smallest blood flow change in the brain had the greatest risk of falls. The findings show that low changes in blood flow to the brain is associated with slow gait and the development of falls in the elderly. Only 18 percent of 85 year old seniors have a normal gait. These gait abnormalities are strongly associated with falls.

Daily exercise and high blood pressure treatment can improve blood flow to the brain, and decrease the risk of falls.

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Benefits of Long-Term Exercise

HealthDay has just released an excellent article titled " With Long-Term Exercise, Being 80 Is Just a Number " and written by Jenifer Goodwin.

Lawrence Golding of the University of Nevada, started a lunchtime exercise program for men, which lasted for about 20 years. " Some of those men, aged 30 to 51 when the class began, stuck with the program for more than 20 years. And today they're reaping the benefits of that commitment. Now graying and many of them grandfathers, they have cholesterol and triglyceride levels that are better than when they were younger, and their aerobic capacity, flexibility and strength have not shown expected age-related declines. "

This agrees with similar results of the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, which the results were discussed by Steven Blair in an interview with The New York Times. It is those results that the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association has based their recommendations for Physical Activity guidelines for those over 18 years of age.

In conclusion, " Along with a healthy diet, staying mentally active and socially engaged, exercise is emerging as one of the key ways of staving off chronic diseases and, in general, staying healthier in old age, experts say. "

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