Getting recommended amount of physical exercise linked to lower risk of 7 cancers

A new American analysis has found that hitting the recommended weekly levels of physical activity could lower the risk of developing seven different cancers.

Led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the new analysis looked at nine existing studies including a total of 755,459 participants to investigate whether meeting the recommended amounts of physical activity is linked to a lower risk of 15 different cancers.


Updated guidelines recommend that people should aim for 2.5 to 5 hours per week of moderate-intensity activity, or 7.5 to 15 METs (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) per week. MET measures an individual’s energy expenditure, with one MET defined as the energy it takes to sit quietly. Moderate-intensity activities burn three to six times as much energy per minute as sitting quietly (3 to 6 METs), and vigorous-intensity activities burn more than 6 METs.

After asking the participants to self-report their physical activity levels, the researchers then followed them for 10.1 years.

The findings, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed that engaging in recommended amounts of activity (7.5 to 15 MET hours per week) was associated with a statistically significant lower risk of seven of the 15 cancer types included in the study, compared to doing no physical activity. The team also found that the more exercise participants did, the more the risk was reduced.

Of these 15 cancers, physical activity was linked to a lower risk of colon cancer in men (8% lower risk for 7.5 MET hours per week and a 14% lower risk for 15 MET hours per week), a lower risk of breast cancer in women (6% to 10%), endometrial cancer (10% to 18%), kidney cancer (11% to 17%), myeloma (14% to 19%), liver cancer (18% to 27%), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in women (11% to 18% lower risk).

The researchers admitted that their analysis had some limitations. For example, though the total number of participants was large, the number of participants studied for certain cancers was limited. In addition, participants were mainly white, and participants self-reported their level of physical activity, a method that is prone to errors.

However, the authors still concluded that, “These findings provide direct quantitative support for the levels of activity recommended for cancer prevention and provide actionable evidence for ongoing and future cancer prevention efforts.”

“Physical activity guidelines have largely been based on their impact on chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” said study author Dr. Alpa Patel. “These data provide strong support that these recommended levels are important to cancer prevention, as well.” IB/JB

source: technology.inquirer.net

It’s all in the genes: Why some people stay thin no matter what they eat

JAKARTA — It’s the question we are all dying to have answered: How can some people eat whatever they want and never seem to gain any weight?

We all know that one person. They gorge on cookies, cake, burgers and candy, but somehow manage to maintain their trim figure without lifting a finger in the gym. For those struggling to keep a healthy figure, it can be maddening to watch.

Finally, scientists might have uncovered one of the secrets about that fortunate person who seems utterly blessed in ways you wish you were.

A report by Science Alert has put it down to some people having different genetic coding that helps them stay the same weight for life. For most of us, this is not the case, and we must rely on a balanced diet alongside regular exercise to maintain a healthy figure.

Previous research has linked genetics to obesity, however, this is the first study to look at genes related to genetic thinness.

The results suggest there is indeed a “thin” mix of genes that can be inherited – or more specifically, an absence of obesity-associated genes.

“This research shows for the first time that healthy thin people are generally thin because they have a lower burden of genes that increase a person’s chances of being overweight and not because they are morally superior, as some people like to suggest,” said Sadaf Farooqui, a member of the research team from the University of Cambridge.

“It’s easy to rush to judgement and criticize people for their weight, but the science shows that things are far more complex. We have far less control over our weight than we might wish to think.”

To carry out the study, researchers compared DNA from 1,622 people with a low body mass index, 1,985 severely obese people and 10,433 people of normal weight. The patterns were clear in the coding across the three groups. Lifestyle factors were also considered, ruling out things that could be significantly contributing to participants’ weight, such as eating disorders.

Researchers found that thin people had fewer genetic variants that increase the chances of developing obesity.

Of the naturally thin people in the study, 74 percent had a family history of staying thin and healthy, confirming that the “thin” genes are not unhealthy ones to have.

Of course, the study does not show that thinness and obesity are all based on a person’s genetics. It does, however, show that people gain weight differently, and sometimes genetics can be to blame.

It does seem unfair to some that in terms of weight, we are not all on a level playing field. It is still important to bear in mind the food and lifestyle choices we make, as researchers confirmed that diet and exercise are hugely important to our overall health.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

New to running? 5 answers to 5 questions to get you going

With the number of marathon participants around the world growing every year, running is clearly an increasingly popular physical fitness activity. But if you’ve never run before, you need to ease yourself into it. Dr. Philippe Sosner, a cardiologist, sports doctor, and scientific and medical director, has given us his running tips for beginners.

Can you start at any age?

Yes, it’s an endurance sport in which you will make progress, whatever your starting point.

Are there any medical reasons not to run?

Even if you have health problems, running is often possible, but you may need to adapt it to your condition. If you plan to be a regular runner, and to take it beyond a leisurely jog, it’s better to consult your doctor, especially if you’ve been inactive for a while. It’s also a good idea to assess your ability and work out a running plan with a trainer, who will, for example, give you advice on running speed (some will be at ease at 6 kilometers per hour, whereas others will start with a brisk walking pace).

How often is best and how can I avoid injury or giving up?

First of all, you need to set yourself a reasonable target. Your running plan must also take account of what you can do and what you would like to do.

You can start by walking, then picking up the pace and gradually introducing short bursts of running of low-to-moderate intensity. The ideal rate is three times a week, although this can be difficult to maintain because of other commitments. The benefits will increase gradually, especially if you become a regular runner. It’s important to have one rest day after each run.

As a beginner, you could start with a 30-minute session once a week, then increase the number of sessions to twice then three times a week. If you cannot increase the number of runs per week, then you could increase the length of each session, gradually getting up to one hour, and make the run more difficult by introducing interval training or running uphill.

You should always listen to your body. If you experience unusual discomfort, chest pain, palpitations, or breathlessness which does not calm down at rest, then stop and see a doctor.

Do I need to have practiced another sport and should running be supplemented with another sport?

No, if you’re already used to walking, you should be fine. But don’t set overly high goals at the start, especially if you run with someone who is fitter than you. You can also practice another complementary sport if you wish. The ideal would be to combine running with muscle-strengthening exercises for the legs and core. If you strengthen your muscles, you protect your joints.

Any advice about good running shoes?

Good running shoes should not be too heavy, and the sole should not be too thick, so that the foot can move naturally and feel the ground underneath. Opt for a classic-shaped non-fashion pair that is slightly bigger than your usual size, but not so much that your feet are slipping inside the shoes. So-called technical footwear is not always the most suitable for running. If you become an accustomed runner, but your feet feel uncomfortable or their shape changes, talk to a chiropodist. JB

source: sports.inquirer.net

New study suggests 2.5 hours exercise a week can slow decline in Parkinson’s disease

A new study has found Parkinson’s patients who do 2.5 hours, or 150 minutes, of exercise a week can slow down the effects of the condition.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive condition that often results in impaired mobility, a decrease in health-related quality of life (HRQL), and death.

Previous research has also provided evidence that physical activity can delay this progressive decline.

The new study, carried out by Northwestern University and Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, looked at 3,408 participants who had provided data over a two-year period, with information collected during at least three clinic visits.

At each visit the team measured physical activity by patients’ self-reports on how many hours of exercise they did each week.

The results showed that those with Parkinson’s disease who partook in 150 minutes of exercise each week had a smaller decline in quality of life and mobility over the two years compared to those who didn’t exercise or exercised less.

In addition, declines in HRQL and mobility were significantly slower not only for those who exercised regularly at the start of the study, but also for those who started to exercise later, after their first study-related visit.

“The most important part of the study is that it suggests that people who are not currently achieving recommended levels of exercise could start to exercise today to lessen the declines in quality of life and mobility that can occur with this progressive disease,” added lead investigator Miriam R. Rafferty.

The team also found that increasing exercise by 30 minutes per week was associated with even slower declines in HRQL in those with advanced PD. The team now believe that these findings could have significant implications for making exercise and physical activity more accessible to people with more severe disability, as the mobility impairments of those with advanced PD may limit their access to regular exercise in community and group exercise programs.

Although the study did not look at which type of physical activity is best, it does suggest that any form of exercise is better than no exercise as long as it is done in a “dose” of at least 150 minutes per week.

“People with PD should feel empowered to find the type of exercise they enjoy, even those with more advanced symptoms,” added Dr. Rafferty.

The results of the study can be found published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Four great reasons to add high intensity intervals to your workout

From HIIT and CrossFit to spinning and functional training, here are four good reasons to jump onboard the latest trend for high-intensity interval-based workouts that combine short, intense bursts of activity with low-intensity active recovery.

Get great results, fast!

Military-inspired interval training sessions, combining short 30-second bursts of intense activity with short recovery periods, can change the shape of your body in record time by burning fat.

CrossFit combines elements of weight lifting (lifting, throwing, moving objects), classic gym exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, rings) and cardio training (running, rowing, cycling).

Some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) programs use body weight rather than equipment, boosting metabolism with a workout based on a series of standard exercises (squats, wall sits, lunges, planks, jumps, etc.) that work all muscle groups. This type of exercise can burn up to 800 calories in 30 minutes.

Circuit-based functional training programs are also popular at the moment. Some use equipment (resistance bands, gym balls, BOSU balls, kettlebells, TRX straps, etc.) while others don’t. Some are held outdoors, making use of benches, tree trunks, railings, etc.

Slow down aging

A study, published last March 7 about Cell Metabolism, found that using HIIT training techniques in aerobic, endurance-based activities like cycling and walking could slow down aging at cellular level. This involves adding short bursts of higher-intensity activity to a regular workout, like a 30-second sprint in the middle of a slower-paced jog, for example. This was found to boost the action of cell powerhouses called mitochondria, whose ability to generate energy declines with age.

Save time

These short but intense exercise sessions can fit easily into busy daily schedules. High Intensity Interval Training or functional training sessions usually last around 30 minutes. CrossFit sessions usually last up to an hour and high-intensity spin classes are 45 to 60 minutes in length. Classes can now be booked online at a growing number of gyms, making last-minute sessions more feasible.

Get tips and motivation from a coach

In this type of class, there’s usually at least one coach for around 12 participants. The trainer sets the program of exercises for each session with a “workout of the day.” They are also on hand to offer personalized tips and advice tailored to individual levels or goals. Exercising in a group can also prove more motivating than slogging it out alone with a screen or an MP3 for company. JB

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net

Indian girl invents pedal-powered washing machine

Doing the laundry and exercise are two of the least loved activities on the planet. But a girl from India managed to combine the two activities with her pedal-powered washing machine.

Remya Jose, who hails from Kizhattoor Panchayat in India, gathered together various bicycle parts to create her first invention at age 14. This idea came about to address the need of families that did not have access to electricity. Instead of washing clothes in the river by hand, the pedal-powered washing machine saved them a lot of time and effort.

The machine, according to a report from Inhabitat, is made of an aluminium cabin with a cylinder inside to hold the laundry. The cylinder is then connected to a bike chain and pedal system. Hot water and detergent is placed inside the machine and then left to soak for 10 minutes. The user can then hop on the pedal to get the cylinder spinning. Afterwards, the water can be drained via a small faucet on the cabin and then refilled for the rinse cycle. It’s a very simple solution for families who live in the rural areas and are far from the power grid.

Because of her brilliance, she was presented the National Award by former Indian president Abdul Kalam. When she reached the age of 18, Remya applied for a patent for her device. Remya is now in her mid-20s and works as a serial innovator at the National Foundation in India. She continues to create new inventions for the rural communities of her country.  Alfred Bayle

source: technology.inquirer.net

‘Exercise prescriptions’ important for type 2 diabetes

Patients with type 2 diabetes should be given exercise “prescriptions” that specify the type, duration, intensity and frequency of workouts, adapted to the individual, according to a new review.

Although exercise improves blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, most people with diabetes do not engage in regular exercise, the authors write.

“Exercise and physical activity can help to control type 2 diabetes,” said lead author Dr. Romeu Mendes of the Public Health Unit, ACES Douro I—Marao e Douro Norte in Vila Real, Portugal.

“There are many successful case-studies of patients who reversed metabolic dysfunction only with lifestyle strategies (exercise plus diet),” but the benefits disappear when healthy diet and regular exercise stop, he said.

“Diabetes is a chronic disease and must be managed for life,” Mendes said. “Regular exercise and a healthy nutritional pattern are the basis of the treatment.”

The researchers reviewed published recommendations or guidelines for exercise prescriptions for people with type 2 diabetes issued by international scientific organizations in the field of diabetology, endocrinology, cardiology, public health and sports medicine.

They included 11 publications from institutions like the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, American Diabetes Association, Francophone Diabetes Society and Swedish National Institute of Health.

“We were not aware that there were so many scientific organizations issuing specific recommendations for exercise prescription in this population,” Mendes told Reuters Health by email.

The guidelines agreed that people with type 2 diabetes should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise per week, spread over at least three days of the week, and also recommend resistance exercise at least twice weekly.

Aerobic exercise can include brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming or other activities, and resistance exercise should target large muscle groups with machines or free weights. Some institutions also recommend some flexibility training, Mendes and colleagues reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

“The ultimate and most important variable for people is quality of life,” Mendes said, noting that exercise particularly improves health-related quality of life.

Exercise has indisputable life-saving benefits, but there is limited research on the benefits of exercise among people with diabetes, said Huseyin Naci, a health policy researcher at the London School of Economics who was not part of the new review.

“According to our previous research, there is a bias against testing exercise,” Naci told Reuters Health by email. “Medical research increasingly favors drug interventions over strategies to modify lifestyle.”

“The vast majority of patients with type 2 diabetes do not engage in regular exercise,” Mendes said. “This may be explained by insufficient awareness about the potential benefits of exercise and the lack of specific knowledge about current recommendations.”

Advising patients to increase their exercise levels is not enough, he said. Prescriptions should include specific information on the type, mode, duration, intensity and weekly frequency, and the exercise strategies must be adapted for each individual, based on other health conditions, contraindications and realistic personal goals.

“According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one third of doctors prescribe exercise in primary care,” Naci said. “This is promising, but more doctors should discuss and give brief advice to their patients about the benefits of exercise and refer patients with diabetes to structured exercise programs.” — Reuters

Exercise helps manage hip arthritis pain

Water- or land-based exercise should provide some short-term benefit in pain management for hip osteoarthritis, though there are few well-designed trials testing it, according to a new review.

Americans develop three million new cases of osteoarthritis each year. Most vulnerable are those who are older, obese, have previous joint injuries, overuse, weak muscles or genetic risk factors.

“It is nice to finally have some hip-specific data, as hip and knee osteoarthritis are often grouped together and it is almost certain that there are differences between these groups of patients, as well as differences in those with multiple joint osteoarthritis,” said Dr. Amanda E. Nelson of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina Medical Center in Chapel Hill, who was not part of the new study.

“However, the studies are still small and heterogeneous, and larger, longer-term studies of more specific interventions are certainly needed to provide more specific recommendations,” she said.

The review only considered pain, not joint function, which may also improve with physical activity, Nelson told Reuters Health by email.

The researchers, lead by Kay M. Crossley of La Trobe University in Bundoora, Australia, reviewed 19 studies of water-based or land-based exercise therapy or manual therapy for hip pain, 10 of which were designed specifically for hip osteoarthritis.

Four studies found short-term benefits, up to three months later, with water-based exercise compared to minimal pain management. Six found similar benefit for land-based exercise therapy in the short term, but there was no evidence for benefit in the medium or long term, up to one year after therapy.

Manual therapy, which includes joint manipulation, active stretching and massage, did not appear to provide additional benefit on its own or in combination with exercise, the researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

That’s not encouraging, said Dr. Kim Bennell of The University of Melbourne in Australia, who was also not part of the review. “However, the number of studies is relatively small and there was a lot of variation in the methods of the studies, so further research is needed in this area to confirm the results.”

Most doctors do not recommend exercise therapy, relying instead on pain-relieving drugs for osteoarthritis, despite agreement across guidelines and organizations that non-drug approaches are worthwhile, Nelson said.

“There are numerous potential barriers to recommendation and treatment including access to care, financial concerns, and the burden of managing multiple medical conditions in a short visit with a provider, among others,” she said. “Therefore, although the guidelines are in agreement, it is likely that the majority of patients are not receiving this recommendation from their providers, and that even fewer actually follow through on the recommendation if given.”

The 19 studies in the review all tested different type, frequency and duration of exercise, so the best sort of exercise, how much and how often to do it, remains to be determined, she said.

It would appear that a 12-week program with exercises generally including strengthening and range of motion three times per week is beneficial, Bennell told Reuters Health by email.

“Based on the overall body of work in physical activity, though, any regular physical activity is likely to be beneficial to most patients,” Nelson said. “It is safe to say that most adults do not get enough physical activity, and that this is even more of an issue among those with osteoarthritis.” — Reuters

Weight loss, exercise may boost fertility odds for women with PCOS

Women who suffer from a leading cause of infertility may increase their odds of conception if they exercise and lose weight, a US study suggests.

Researchers compared pregnancy outcomes for 150 women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that occurs when the female body makes higher than normal amounts of testosterone and androgens, sex hormones associated with male traits.

Among three groups of women, those who exercised lost the most weight and had more live births than those who didn’t.

Women with PCOS often experience irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain, excess hair on the face and body and infertility. They may take birth control pills to boost female hormones and regulate ovulation for several months before trying to get pregnant. This is thought to improve their odds of success once they stop taking contraceptives and start trying to conceive.

For the first four months of the study, one third of the women took birth control pills for that purpose, while a second group was directed to exercise and follow a low-calorie diet. A third group got both of these interventions.

After that initial phase, women taking contraceptives stopped. At this point all of the women went through four cycles of medically induced ovulation, designed to help them get pregnant.

Among 49 women in the initial birth control group, five had babies. That compared with 13 babies for the 50 women assigned to diet and exercise at the start of the study and 12 infants for women who got a combination of both interventions.

The study was too small to show a statistically meaningful difference in pregnancy outcomes between the two groups who dieted and exercised, the authors acknowledge in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

But the results suggest that exercise and weight loss might play a bigger role in conception than just regulating ovulation with birth control pills before trying to conceive, said lead study author Dr. Richard Legro of Pennsylvania State College of Medicine in Hershey.

“Based on our study, women with PCOS who are obese would derive the greatest improvement in their quality of life and reproductive parameters (body hair, androgen levels, polycystic ovaries and control of menstrual bleeding) with maintenance of their metabolic health through the combination of oral contraceptives with lifestyle modification and weight loss,” Legro said by email.

All of the women in the study were overweight or obese, which is linked to fertility problems regardless of whether women have PCOS.

Women who exercised during the study lost significantly more weight than the group assigned only to birth control pills.

At the same time, the women only taking contraceptives were more likely to develop a condition known as metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions including high blood sugar that have been linked to fertility challenges as well as heightened risk for problems such heart disease and diabetes.

As many as one in 10 women of childbearing age may have PCOS, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. The cause is unknown, but the condition is thought to be influenced by many factors, including genetics, with PCOS more likely in women who have an afflicted mother or sister.

While the findings confirm some earlier research linking metabolic changes achieved though lifestyle improvements to better reproductive function, weight loss can still be a tricky prescription, noted Dr. Gordon Wright Bates Jr., a specialist in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Women with PCOS who come to a weight-loss clinic at his university can struggle to achieve significant changes even when they are making the effort to conceive, Bates, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email.

“Although the study adds considerable evidence to support lifestyle modifications and weight loss to optimize reproductive potential and the response to treatment, both of these remain elusive for many patients,” Bates said. —Reuters

Vigorous exercise helps people live longer – study

MIAMI, United States - Vigorous exercise, the kind that makes you sweat, get red in the face and breathe hard, may be better than moderate exercise when it comes to living longer, researchers said Monday.

The study by Australian researchers is based on more than 200,000 adults over age 45, and is published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine.

The study participants were followed for more than six years.

Those who did jogging, aerobics or competitive tennis -- vigorous exercise for 30 percent of their weekly workouts -- had a mortality rate that was nine to 13 percent lower than those who did moderate exercise, like swimming, social tennis, or household chores.

"The benefits of vigorous activity applied to men and women of all ages, and were independent of the total amount of time spent being active," said lead author Klaus Gebel from James Cook University's Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention.

"The results indicate that whether or not you are obese, and whether or not you have heart disease or diabetes, if you can manage some vigorous activity it could offer significant benefits for longevity."

Currently, the World Health Organization urges adults to do at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.

But the current research suggests that given the choice, people should opt for some higher intensity exercise if they can, and if their doctor agrees, the study authors said.

"Our research indicates that even small amounts of vigorous activity could help reduce your risk of early death," Gebel said.

"For those with medical conditions, for older people in general, and for those who have never done any vigorous activity or exercise before, it's always important to talk to a doctor first." — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Review finds best exercises to prevent women’s knee injuries

Some training methods are better than others at preventing knee ligament injuries in young women, researchers advise.

Based on 14 previous studies, the researchers say training programs that focus on strengthening the legs and hips and stabilizing the abdomen are the most effective for preventing injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and doing more than one type of exercise is also important.

“We know neuromuscular training can reduce ACL injury in female athletes, but we were not sure what exercises are the best to attain the maximal prophylactic effects,” said Dai Sugimoto of The Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention and the Boston Children’s Hospital Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine department, in Massachusetts.

The ACL is the key stabilizing ligament in the knee, and is most often injured during sports that involve quick turns or pivoting movements.

ACL injuries are very serious and can take a long time to heal, the researchers write in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. College athletes with ACL injuries lose more time on the field than athletes with ankle or traumatic head injuries, according to the researchers.

Young women facing the greatest risk are those who play sports involving a lot of pivoting, such as soccer, basketball, lacrosse and handball, according to Sugimoto. He added that the most common age for women to be injured is around 14 to 17 years.

Grethe Mykelburst, who outlined the risks involved with ACL injury in an email, said, “it takes you out of your sport for 6-12 months, and some don’t succeed to return to their previous level.” She added that the risk of getting osteoarthritis, a degenerative condition, in the knee is high after injury.

Mykelburst, a sports physical therapist and associate professor at the Oslo Sport Trauma Research Center in Oslo, Norway, was not involved in the review.

Sugimoto’s team analyzed 14 studies of exercise intervention programs, looking specifically at four different exercise approaches including balance, jump training, abdomen stabilizing exercises and strengthening of the legs and hips.

Training programs that aimed to build strength in the back of the legs and in the hips significantly reduced the number of ACL injuries when compared with programs that did not. That was also true of programs that focused on strengthening and developing more control of the abdomen.

Programs that included more than one type of exercise were significantly more effective than those using only one type. “Neuromuscular training has to incorporate many exercise modes,” Sugimoto told Reuters Health. “Performing only one exercise mode seems ineffective.”

The researchers note that while balance and jumping exercises were somewhat helpful in reducing injury, they were not effective unless combined with other exercises.

The study lists a number of specific helpful exercises, including Russian hamstring curls, sit-ups, pushups and bench press. Sugimoto emphasized the hamstring curls in particular, as they work both to strengthen the legs and hips and require abdomen control.

“With inclusion of these exercises as well as a variety of exercise modes, athletes can attain the fullest benefit from neuromuscular training and prevent ACL injury,” Sugimoto said.

Every year 350,000 people seek ACL reconstruction surgery in the United States, the authors point out.

Sugimoto said that although surgery is the best available treatment, 24 to 30 percent of high school athletes who undergo the surgery tear their ACL again within the next several years.

“That’s why we need to prevent ACL injury in first place to avoid subsequent ACL injury and preserve a healthy knee joint,” Sugimoto said.

“The evidence is strong that neuromuscular training works,” Mykelburst agreed. “As an athlete or a coach, you can’t afford not using the prevention program and exercises that exist,” she added. — Reuters

Exercise should be part of treatment, disease prevention – experts

Appropriate exercise and suitable physical activities performed under the guidance of medical, health, and exercise professionals should be recognized and prescribed as a “medicine” and should be included by healthcare providers in the standard menu of options for the prevention, treatment, and management of certain diseases, health experts said at a forum last month.

Dr. Rodolfo Florentino, chair of the Exercise is Medicine (EIM) Philippines Task Force and vice president of the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PASOO), said their goal is to make exercise and physical activities a “standard part of the global prevention and treatment medical paradigm.”

“This is our gospel: physical activity is integral to the prevention and treatment of disease. Exercise should be a standard inclusion in all activities related to disease prevention and treatment,” Florentino said in an interview on the sidelines of the PASOO 2014 annual convention, with the theme “obesity: problems, prospects, and progress.”

Florentino said there are many exercise specialists in the Philippines, but they are “not linked properly” with the medical and health professionals. “These exercise specialists work independently.”

“What we want to do is to establish more ties and strengthen links between exercise specialists and medical and health professionals. We want operational links forged so medical doctors and other health professionals can easily refer patients to exercise specialists,” he added.

Florentino said they are working on training more exercise specialists and medical and health professionals jointly and together to facilitate referrals of patients and to establish working relationships and to build trust and confidence.

Behavior change 


Meanwhile, Dr. Mark Stoutenberg, an EIM program officer in the American College of Sports Medicine and an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences - University of Miami, said EIM advocates want the exercise specialists to learn more about changing the health behaviors of patients.

“What we want to teach the exercise specialists is not about fitness stuff. They know these things. What we want to teach them is health behavior change. Like what patients must do or should do when the exercise specialists are not around them,” Stoutenberg told reporters.

“We want the exercise specialists to be able to teach their patients skills such as goal-setting, overcoming barriers, doing things on their own,” he added.

Stoutenberg said exercise specialists must also recognize the importance of updating with regular progress reports the medical and health professional who referred patients to them.

“The medical and health professionals must be informed regularly of the activities being done by their referred patients and their status. Are they correct and proper activities? Are they safe activities? These are the skills needed to be learned by exercise specialists who are working with high-risk populations,” he added.

Working together

On the part of the medical and health professionals, Stoutenberg said EIM wants to teach them on how to work with exercise specialists.

Stoutenberg said tension arises when professionals who do not know each other must refer patients to each other. “There is the element of how a medical doctor can entrust a patient to an exercise specialist.”

A medical doctor may have reservations referring a patient to an exercise specialist, he added. “We need to get everybody on board on EIM programs.”

EIM is a global initiative to establish physical activity as a standard in health care and aims to push doctors to prescribe exercise as “medicine” based on evidence-based strategies. It was launched in November 2007 by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association. It is now present in 40 countries.

Among the goals of the EIM is "transformational change": to institutionalize physical activity assessment and prescription into global health care systems.

EIM Philippines, launched on Sept. 7, 2013 and led by PASOO, is a coalition of health organizations, government agencies and institutions, non-government organizations, and private companies.

In the Philippines, statistics from the 2013 Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) survey show that an alarming 31.1 percent of adults are either overweight or obese, compared to the 16.6 percent in 1993.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Non-Communicable Disease Action Plan 2013- 2020, released in July 2014, said the Philippines has an estimated 571,000 deaths caused by non-communicable diseases. The figure is about 67 percent of the total deaths in 2013, or a 6 percent increase from the data in the 2010 NCD Country Profile.

150 minutes a week

Florentino cited studies showing that 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity can have “a huge impact on one’s quality of life.”

“At the correct intensity and duration, exercise not only improves the quality of life but also decreases the incidence of diseases, chronic health conditions, and obesity,” he added.

The WHO recommends that adults aged 18–64 should engage in physical activities—“leisure time physical activities”  such as walking, dancing, gardening, hiking, and swimming; “transportation” such as walking or cycling; and “occupational” or work-related such as household chores, play, games, sports, or planned exercise in the context of daily, family, and community activities.

In order to improve cardio-respiratory and muscular fitness, bone health, and reduce the risk of NCDs and depression, the WHO said adults aged 18–64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.

Aerobic activity should be performed in bouts of at least 10 minutes duration, the organization added.

For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or engage in 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity, the WHO recommended. — BM, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Fitness experts cut to the core to target the center of power

NEW YORK - Whether it is running, swimming, weight lifting or aerobics, fitness experts say the center of all exercise routines is the core—the abdominal, back and muscles around the pelvis—which is the seat of stability, strength and power.

Adding in exercise routines to strengthen the core can help the runner go faster, the basketball player jump higher and the everyday exerciser more easily do routine tasks from loading the car to cleaning the tub.

"The core is everything except for arms, legs and head," said Daniel Taylor, co-author with Greg Brittenham of the new book "Conditioning to the Core."

It is the mainstay of the body, according to Taylor, who is the head strength and conditioning coach at Siena College in upstate New York.

"People need to get away from saying 'I'm going to do abs today' and take a larger view," said Taylor, whose book contains more than 300 exercises, ranging from planks, squats and lunges to medicine ball and kettlebell throws presented in progressive routines.

"A lot of times people get stuck in one or two routines and get good at them," he said. "You've got to make things more challenging to keep progressing."

Taylor said everything is linked to the core.

"If you jump it's transferred to the core. If you want to be a better recreational running, strengthening the core will help because your anchor is better," he explained.

The body's girdle is how New York City-based personal trainer JR Allen describes the core.

Celebrity trainee Allen, whose clients include singer Mary J. Blige, said even the breath is involved in core work.

"It's not about sucking in the stomach but about tightening," said Allen, owner of 2 Day Be Fit. "If you watch a boxer before a punch, he'll make a whistling sound. That's to engage the transverse abdominals [the front and side muscles of the abdominal wall]."

Allen, a former body builder takes a personal approach to training.

"One of my favorite things to do is agility drills," he said. "Squat jumps, alternating lunges with jumps and power skips: those types of dynamic movements target your core."

Taylor said a mere 20-minute core workout, involving as few as four rotating exercises in a circuit, serves as a good warm up for most activities, from lifting weights to playing basketball.

"You don't have to destroy yourself. You don't have to do it for hours, you don't need to exercise for a thousand repetitions. But if you keep doing it you'll be stronger, better toned, with better posture," he said. "And maybe your running times have improved." — Reuters

Exercise video games may add to kids’ activity: study

NEW YORK - Giving children active video games to play while they follow a weight management program boosts their moderate and vigorous activity levels, according to a new study.

Kids who played the active video games also lost more weight than children who only followed the weight management program.

Traditionally, studies have examined what harms may come from children spending long hours sitting and playing video games.

"We thought - if you received active games - maybe we can turn this lemon into lemonade," Dr. Deneen Vojta told Reuters Health.

She is the study's senior author from the UnitedHealth Center for Health Reform and Modernization at the UnitedHealth Group in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

"Wouldn't it be great if instead of beating on kids about screen time we turned screen time into a positive?" she said.

For the new study, the researchers built upon an existing weight loss program for children and their parents that had been found to work.

They recruited 75 overweight and obese Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Texas children who were randomized to one of two groups for a 16-week study period.

Both groups took part in the weight management program at local YMCAs and schools, but one group also received an Xbox game console and two active games.

The Xbox Kinect device captures the child's body movements to operate the game. The games given to the kids in the active gaming group were Kinect Adventures! and Kinect Sports. (Children in the weight-loss program-only group received the same equipment and games at the end of the study).

All the children's activity were recorded using an accelerometer, which measures movement, during the day.

At the start of the study, the children were between the ages of 8 and 12 years old and weighed between 123 and 132 pounds (lbs). About 67 percent of the kids had a body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height, that put them in the overweight category for their age groups. The rest of the children were in the obese category.

The researchers found that children in the group that received the active games added about seven minutes of moderate to vigorous activity and about three minutes of vigorous activity to their daily routines over the 16 weeks.

Meanwhile children in the group that only took part in the weight loss program didn't experience a significant change in their activity levels or duration.

Although the difference between groups appears to be small, the researchers write in JAMA Pediatrics, the added activity among the game-users group is equivalent to about 4 lbs of fat lost over a year.

They also found a greater percentage of children in the active-gaming group were no longer in the overweight category by the end of the study. The percentage overweight had dropped a little over 9 percent in the active gaming group versus just under 4 percent in the comparison group.

"Sure enough, the outcomes were very, very good," Vojta said.

The authors note in the paper, however, that they cannot be sure the children sustained their weight loss and increased activity beyond the 16 weeks.

The findings are in keeping with results from a 2012 study that found about one-quarter of 1,200 Canadian high school students played active games. That translated to about an hour of exercise two days a week.

Still, other studies have suggested that active games don't help kids meet the daily recommended dose of physical activity. (see Reuters Health story of February 27, 2012 here: reut.rs/1fAOAMj)

Vojta said they are currently working on incorporating the weight management program into a home-based program, for instance, one that would be administered through the game console.

"In many ways, these home-based active gaming solutions solve two problems," she said.

The games give children and adults the ability to build up a tolerance to exercise in their own homes, she said, and they give people who live in rough or high-crime areas an opportunity to exercise safely. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Evening workouts don’t disturb sleep

NEW YORK - Couch potatoes looking for a reason to forgo working out in the evening may no longer be able to use difficulty sleeping afterward as an excuse, according to a recent study.

Researchers found that people who exercised in the evening reported sleeping just as well as those who weren't active in the hours before bed. People who worked out in the morning reported getting the best sleep, on average.

"Sleep recommendations suggest avoiding exercise prior to bed," said Matthew Buman, lead author of the study from Arizona State University in Phoenix. "We found evidence to the contrary suggesting that individuals need not avoid exercise at night."

He and his colleagues analyzed responses collected from 1,000 adults participating in the 2013 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America Poll. The telephone- and web-based questionnaire asked participants how well they felt they slept, how long they slept each night, how much time it took them to fall asleep, and whether they felt refreshed after waking up in the morning.

The poll also asked participants about their exercise habits, such as whether they worked out regularly and, if so, whether they were active in the morning, afternoon or evening. Evening was considered to be within four hours of going to sleep.

Based on the types of physical activity participants performed regularly, like tai chi, running or yard work, workouts were categorized by intensity as light, moderate or vigorous.

People who exercised vigorously in the morning were 88 percent more likely to report good sleep quality than non-exercisers and 44 percent less likely to say they woke up feeling unrefreshed.

Moderate-intensity morning exercisers were 53 percent more likely to say they slept well overall, compared to people who didn't exercise.

There was no difference in any of the sleep measures between moderate or vigorous evening exercisers and non-exercisers, according to findings published in the journal Sleep Medicine.

Experts said the study's poll-based methods may not necessarily be the most accurate gauge of sleep quality, however.

"As strange as it may seem, self-reported sleep—whether good or bad—is not a very reliable indicator of what's actually happening by objective measures with a person's sleep," Dr. Matt Bianchi said. He directs the sleep laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and was not involved in the new study.

"For example, only half of people with sleep apnea will feel sleepy or non-refreshed about their sleep—and sleep apnea is a fairly dramatic kind of sleep problem. I take with a grain of salt any ‘survey'-based studies such as this one," Bianchi said.

Although the National Sleep Foundation's sleep hygiene recommendations don't preclude pre-bedtime workouts, they do advise sticking to relaxing exercises, such as yoga, in the evening hours.

Researchers said the online or printed resources to which some doctors direct patients advise against evening workouts.

"Generally, physicians do have patients get a sleep hygiene resource, and often not exercising close to bedtime will be on there," said Dr. James Mojica, director of the Spaulding Sleep Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mojica, who is also a sleep specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, was not involved in the study.

Representatives from the National Sleep Foundation were not available for comment.

It's important to remember that sleep is different for each person; what helps one person's slumber may lead to insomnia in someone else, researchers said.

"Sleep hygiene recommendations are just that—things that might work in general. They are not written in stone," Bianchi told Reuters Health. He recommends people who are having trouble sleeping be "thoughtful and introspective about finding patterns in their own lives."

"Each patient may find by trial and error the best combination of things to do or to avoid," he said. —Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Exercise helps women tolerate breast cancer drugs

SAN ANTONIO — Exercise might help women beat breast cancer. Researchers found it can ease the achy joints and muscle pain that lead many patients to quit taking medicines that treat the disease and lower the risk of a recurrence.

The study is the first major test of an exercise program for women on aromatase inhibitors. These estrogen-blocking pills, sold as Femara, Aromasin and other brands, are recommended for five years after initial breast cancer treatment for hormone-driven tumors, the most common type.

The pills also increasingly are being used to help prevent breast cancer in women at high risk of it because of family history, bad genes or other reasons. A separate study found that one of these medicines — anastrozole, sold as Arimidex and in generic form — cut this risk by 53 percent. It's the second aromatase inhibitor shown to lower risk that much.

Despite how effective the drugs are, many women shun them because they can cause aches and pains, hot flashes and other side effects. About 15 percent of US women have enough risk to merit considering the pills to prevent breast cancer, yet less than 5 percent take them, said Dr. Powel Brown, a prevention expert at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The exercise study involved 121 postmenopausal women taking various aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer who complained of achy joints on a pain survey.

About half were assigned to two supervised strength training sessions a week plus at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week. The rest got advice on the benefits of exercise and did their usual activities.

After a year, joint pain scores fell 20 percent among exercisers and 3 percent among the others. The severity of pain and how much it interfered with daily live also declined more in exercisers.

The exercise group improved cardiorespiratory fitness and lost weight — nearly 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) versus a slight gain in the others. Eighty percent stuck with the program, helped by free access to a gym and a personal trainer.

The National Cancer Institute paid for the study, which was led by Melinda Irwin of the Yale Cancer Center and Dr. Jennifer Ligibel of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Dr. Eric Winer, breast cancer chief at Dana-Farber, said the results may help more women stick with the drugs.

"A lot of people will say, 'if it's going to have a lot of side effects, I'm not going to do it.' The truth is, not everyone gets symptoms. Exercise might be a solution," he said.

The other study was led by Dr. Jack Cuzick of Queen Mary University of London and tested anastrozole for preventing first breast cancers. Nearly 4,000 women were given the drug or daily dummy pills, and 70 percent stuck with them for five years, just a little less than the placebo group.

After that time, 40 women on anastrozole had developed breast cancer versus 85 of the others, a 53 percent reduction in risk. That's comparable to how another aromatase inhibitor — exemestane, or Aromasin — did in an earlier study and better than tamoxifen, the longest-used breast cancer prevention medicine.

Women on anastrozole had more joint pain and hot flashes, but these also were very common in the placebo group — more than half of both groups reported these problems, which often are due to menopause and aging, Cuzick said.

Anastrozole users had more cases of a painful wrist condition called carpal tunnel syndrome, and dry eye, but these were relatively rare. Aromatase inhibitors are known to raise the risk of fractures, so many women take bone-strengthening drugs to help prevent that problem.

Besides the British cancer research agency, London-based AstraZeneca PLC, which makes the anastrozole used in the study, Arimidex, helped pay for the work, and some researchers are paid speakers for the company.

Results were discussed Thursday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium and published by the British journal Lancet. In a commentary in the journal, Dr. David A. Cameron of Edinburgh Cancer Center in Scotland wrote that healthy women still may resist prevention drugs unless taking them turns out to save lives, not just avoid disease.

The cancer conference is sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research, Baylor College of Medicine and the UT Health Science Center. —Associated Press

source: gmanetwork.com

Exercises helpful for people with dementia —study

NEW YORK - Regular exercise can help people with dementia think a little more clearly, and care for themselves a bit more, a new study finds.

"If the person with dementia is living at home, there are usually exercise programs offered at community day programs for persons with dementia. I would encourage family caregivers to connect with these programs and/or home care to learn about the available resources in their community," said Dorothy Forbes, an associate professor at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta in Edmonton, who led the study.

For patients with dementia who can no longer live at home, "Most residential settings should be offering exercise programs for their residents," Dr. Zaldy Tan, a dementia expert who was not involved in the new study, told Reuters Health. "If not, family caregivers may wish to advocate for these."

People are considered to have dementia if their mental function is bad enough to interfere with daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause, accounting for about 60 to 80 percent of cases. The next most common cause of dementia is stroke.

Dementia leads to poorer quality of life for patients, and it also puts a burden on families and caregivers—as Forbes, who led the study, knows all too well.

"For over 20 years I worked as a community health nurse where health promotion was my focus and in home care where I attempted to support and provide the needed resources with many family caregivers and persons with dementia in rural and inner city homes," Forbes told Reuters Health in an email. "My mother also had dementia and died in an acute care setting where the health care providers did not understand how to care for her dementia symptoms."

"These experiences made me realize how difficult it was to care for someone with dementia at home and in other care settings, especially with little knowledge about what was helpful in managing the symptoms and available resources," Forbes said.

"There is strong evidence regarding the benefits of exercise on older adults, but we did not know if there were benefits for persons diagnosed with dementia," she explained.

In 2006, therefore, when "there was little research conducted in this area," Forbes and her colleagues pooled the data from four studies of the role of exercise for patients with dementia. Their new study, published online by the Cochrane Library, is an update of that earlier effort.

"This updated review includes 16 trials," Forbes said. "We plan to do another update in six months as additional trials have already come to our attention. There is now a great deal of interest in this area of research."

The 16 trials altogether involved nearly a thousand elderly adults with dementia. Each trial tested the effects of exercise programs on such outcomes as thinking skills, activities of daily living, challenging behavior, and depression.

All 16 trials were so-called "randomized, controlled studies," which means the research teams used the most dependable methods. Even so, the studies utilized different types and duration of exercise programs, and the participants were in different stages of dementia, so the results were not uniform.

Still, despite the differing nature of the studies, Forbes and her team found that on average, exercise improved cognitive functioning and the ability to perform activities of daily living.

"Exercise is not only beneficial for older adults (in general) but also for persons with dementia in delaying memory problems and prolonging their ability to care for themselves (i.e., activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing)," Forbes said.

Exercise didn't have an effect on depression or mood, however, and there wasn't enough evidence to draw firm conclusions about its effects on other outcomes.

"I think it's really important topic," Tan, who is the medical director of the Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Reuters Health.

"The challenge here is, as the authors pointed out, that these studies they reviewed were quite heterogeneous," he said.

"But with that said," he added, "it's promising that even with quite different interventions and studies, they found that it appears to be beneficial for cognition and also activities of daily living."

Tan sees a practical side to exercise that goes beyond its impact on measurable cognitive skills.

"I think exercise is one intervention that's going to turn out to be good for other things like, for example, reducing one's risk for falls," he said. "Falling is one thing that is a big problem for people with dementia."

Tan expects to see more research in the future, including studies of how exercise programs might affect the children and caregivers of people with dementia. — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Elderly exercisers have fewer broken bones after falls

NEW YORK - Older adults who exercise are less likely to fall, but if they do, they're also less likely to get hurt, a new analysis suggests.

Researchers found that older adults taking part in fall prevention exercise programs were about 37 percent less likely to be injured during a tumble, compared to non-exercising participants.

"Falls are recognized as a serious and common medical problem experienced by older adults, but it's also widely known that falls are preventable, and that exercise is an efficient way to prevent them," Fabienne El-Khoury, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health in an email.

"However there was no clear evidence that exercise (programs) can also reduce severe or more moderate injuries caused by falls, even though injuries due to falls have serious medical, psychological and economic consequences," El-Khoury added.

She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Paris-Sud and at INSERM, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

Between 30 to 40 percent of people age 65 or older fall at least once each year, according to the government-backed US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). About five to 10 percent of those people will have a serious injury such as a hip fracture.

For older adults who live independently and are at a high risk for falls, the USPSTF recommends exercise or physical therapy and/or vitamin D supplements.

Older people who are at a high risk for falls include those with a history of falls, mobility problems and those who have trouble getting up from a chair and walking.

While several studies have found that exercise programs reduce tumbles, the researchers wondered whether those programs also prevented injuries if older adults did fall.

For the analysis, published in BMJ, El-Khoury and her colleagues used data from 17 previous studies comparing 2,195 people assigned to take part in exercise programs and 2,110 people who were not.

The average age of the people included in the analysis was about 77 years old and more than three quarters of the participants were women.

Overall, the researchers found that people in the exercise group were about 37 percent less likely to be injured during a fall, compared to the non-exercisers. Those injuries could be anything from bruises to broken bones.

The exercisers were 61 percent less likely to have broken bones after falls, and 43 percent less likely to experience a fall leading to any injury serious enough to warrant admission to a hospital.

El-Khoury said it's hard to know how many injuries those reduced risks represent, because all of the studies reported injuries differently. Also, results varied between studies.

For example, there were 81 injuries per 100 people over a year in the exercise group of one study included in the analysis. There were 134 injuries per 100 people over a year for the non-exercise group.

In other studies, researchers have found no such difference between groups based on exercise.

When there is a difference, Yvonne Michael, who has studied falls among older people but wasn't involved in the new analysis, said the reason could be that the bodies of people who exercise are better at absorbing a fall.

The authors suggest the minds of people who exercise may also be sharper than those of non-exercisers and they can respond better to falling, for instance by grabbing onto something.

Michael said the findings are consistent with previous studies, but there is still uncertainty about which exercise programs work best.

In the new analysis the programs emphasized exercises to improve balance, but most had several components. Three of the included studies used Tai Chi.

It's also uncertain whether routine activities, such as gardening, walking and mowing the lawn, are just as good as more structured exercise programs.

"It's harder to test the routine activity because it doesn't fit well into a randomized controlled trial setting," said Michael, an associate professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia.

She added, however, that people living in urban or suburban areas should be able to find structured exercise programs through their local senior center. Also, some medical plans include exercise programs for older adults.

Those are typically low cost and may even be included in some insurance plans, she said.
"I think the evidence continues to grow in terms of the benefit of physical activity," Michael said. "It seems like there's really no downside to staying active." —Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Fitness experts extol machine-less workout

NEW YORK - Man versus machines? In the realm of fitness at least man seems to be winning.

Despite a gym floor bulging with weight-lifting equipment, fitness experts said the only thing people need to push, pull and lift is the weight of their own body.

"If more people knew you could get a good physique using your body as a bar bell, they could take matters into their own hands," said Bret Contreras, author of "Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy," a guide to bodyweight-only workouts aimed at everyone from the exercise-challenged to the personal trainer.

Known as "the Glute Guy," Arizona-based Contreras has been resistance training for 21 years. But in high school, he couldn't do a push-up.

"At 15 I was so skinny people used to make jokes," the 37-year old said. "I just got so tired of being made fun of I decided to take charge."

Often thought of as a stepping stone to weight training, bodyweight training can be a complete, whole body workout in itself, Contreras said.

Once the person masters the simpler version of a push-up, squat, or chin-up, a more advanced version can be tackled, often with a little help from the living room furniture.

"Find things in the environment: a table to get underneath, hold on to the sides of and then pull the body upward; a rafter for a pull-up," he said. "To work your glutes (buttocks muscles), all you need is a couch."

Contreras recommends the beginner start with 15 minutes a day and increase over time.

"It doesn't have to be intimidating," he said. "You could do a 20-minute workout three times a week and have an incredible physique, so long as you push hard and keep challenging yourself."

Anytime, anywhere

Bodyweight exercises return people to the way they move naturally, according to Lisa Wheeler, national creative manager of group fitness at Equinox, the upscale chain of fitness centers.

"We squat, lunge, crawl, reach," she said, adding that a bodyweight class at Equinox is called "Animal Flow" because its crab crawls, lunges and swings were inspired by the primal movement patterns of man and beast.

"Bodyweight training is great for mobility, stability and creating movement patterns," she said. "You want to build a strong foundation, be stable around the shoulders, hips and spine."

Because the load doesn't change, progression is achieved by changing the center of gravity of the exerciser or the complexity of the movement.

Another challenge, she said, is getting enough pull to match the push of most bodyweight exercises.

"Bodyweight training can make everything else better," she said. "Dancers, moms, we all live push-pull now."

Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise, said bodyweight training blends with the trend toward functional training, or training that mimics the way we move in everyday life, as opposed to the older bodybuilder model of targeting one muscle group at a time.

"Our body is one kinetic chain, everything moves together, so most everyday exercises will move multiple muscle groups," she said.

Matthews said not only can bodyweight training be done anytime, anywhere, it also works easily into popular interval training, circuit and boot camp workouts.

"Using bodyweight exercises allow more of a cardiovascular component because you can move rapidly from one exercise to the next," Matthews said.

So are machines a thing of the past?

"I think there's a place for everything," she said, "For some people a fixed path might be the way to go. It boils down to having proper joint stability and quality range of movement, then adding load. Form is imperative." — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Training with 5 degrees of freedom for strong core

At Superstar Gym – New York City. Our trainer Pawel on sensoboard, allows movements with 5 degrees of freedom that are quite similar to riding a surfboard or snowboard for example. Beside this training on the SENSOBOARD increases the strength of the muscles used while exercising and helps to prevent injuries. The reflexes of your muscles have to work really strong and your sensorimotor control improves with a regular training on the SENSOBOARD.

source: workoutloft.com