Cardiovascular Risk Assessment
If you spend the other 1/2 hour walking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo&feature=share
EPFL’s Embedded Systems and Telecommunications Circuits Laboratories have developed a small, non-invasive wireless device linked to a smartphone to alert patients and their doctors immediately to cardiac anomalies so they can take necessary medical measures.
http://www.kurzweilai.net/tiny-new-tool-to-track-heart-rate-in-real-time-on-a-smartphone?utm_source=KurzweilAI+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=c82ecb7c28-UA-946742-1&utm_medium=email
Twin Cities deemed healthiest in USA
By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY
The Twin Cities Minneapolis-St. Paul are the healthiest, fittest cities in the USA, followed by Washington, D.C., and Boston, according to a new analysis of the 50 most populous metro areas.
http://tinyurl.com/42qxg8u
Oklahoma City ranks last, and Louisville is second to last.
The annual American Fitness Index, out today from the American College of Sports Medicine, is based on a number of health factors, including percentage of residents who smoke, obesity rates, percentage of people who exercise and availability of parks, walking trails and farmers' markets.
Where does your city fall in the fitness rankings?
1. Minneapolis-St. Paul
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Boston
4. Portland, Ore.
5. Denver
6. San Francisco
7. Hartford, Conn.
8. Seattle
9. Virginia Beach
10. Sacramento
11. San Jose, Calif.
12. Richmond, Va.
13. San Diego, Calif.
14. Cincinnati, Ohio.
15. Salt Lake City, Utah
16. Austin, Texas
17. Pittsburgh, Pa.
18. Atlanta
19. Providence
20. Baltimore
21. Milwaukee, Wisc.
22. Kansas City, Mo.
23. Buffalo
24. Raleigh,N.C.
25. Cleveland
26. St. Louis, Mo.
27. Philadelphia
28. Chicago
29. Orlando
30. New York City
31. Jacksonville, Fla.
32. Phoenix
33. San Antonio
34. New Orleans, La.
35. Miami
36. Charlotte
37. Nashville
38. Columbus
39. Dallas
40. Tampa
41. Los Angeles
42. Houston
43. Las Vegas
44. Riverside, Calif.
45. Indianapolis
46. Detroit
47. Birmingham, Ala.
48. Memphis
49. Louisville
50. Oklahoma City, Okla.
Source: American Fitness Index from the American College of Sports Medicine
Following article recently posted by America On The Move:
http://aom3.americaonthemove.org/~/link.aspx?_id=62A0AC637D9D401BB1F9934509F2A00C&_z=z
Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle
March 2010
Benefits of Daily Exercise
A healthy lifestyle includes eating a balanced diet and incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Being physically active can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. For many of these chronic diseases, diet and exercise are each listed as modifiable independent risk factors. What this means is that both diet and exercise are required elements of a healthful lifestyle. Developing a healthful eating plan without considering your activity level or initiating an exercise program without taking your diet into consideration isn't as preventative as including both as part of your healthful lifestyle plan. Exercise is also great for reducing stress and contributing to your emotional well-being.
Health benefits associated with physical activity:
Lowering LDL "bad" cholesterol and raising HDL "good" cholesterol—Regular exercise has been shown to elevate HDL-c levels and, in combination with a low-saturated fat and low-cholesterol diet, improve the overall blood cholesterol profile.
Lowering blood pressure—Exercise can help lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. Elevated blood pressure is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. Aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 8 to 10 mm Hg.
Reducing excess weight—Obesity, which is a major contributor to the development and maintenance of the diabetic state, is directly affected by exercise. Exercise lowers body adiposity and, in combination with a weight-loss program, will accelerate fat loss and maintain lean body mass. If you're overweight, losing just 5-10% of your total body weight can minimize the associated health risks.
Achieving and maintaining good blood glucose control—Moderate exercise is recommended in the prevention and management of Type 2 diabetes. Increased physical activity can improve glucose uptake in the cells by increasing insulin sensitivity. Exercise is also beneficial in normalizing the altered blood cholesterol profiles associated with Type 2 diabetes.
Increased energy levels and reduced stress—Active individuals, as compared to sedentary individuals, are more likely to be better adjusted, have improved cognitive function, and experience fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercise also improves one's energy levels, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
Strengthening bones and toning muscles—Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, or aerobics, is an essential ingredient for achieving and maintaining an adequate bone density. Studies indicate that women who walk at least seven miles per week have higher bone density than women who walk less than one mile per week. Since the effects of exercise on bone integrity are site-specific, it is recommended to do a variety of weight-bearing exercises.
Adapted from an article by Michele M. Doucette, PhD
Biggest Fitness Mistake
02/02/2010
If you have haven’t worked out for a month or even a year, don’t expect to return to your same level of physical activity overnight. Building endurance and strength takes time, find out how you can avoid making the biggest fitness mistake.
The biggest mistake people make when starting a fitness program is starting too fast. It may have taken you 20 years to lose your conditioning, and yet you want to take 20 days to get it back. That approach can be dangerous, particularly for those 40 and older, and may result in major medical problems, both musculoskeletal and cardiovascular. Remember, the older you are, the faster you will lose your fitness and the longer it will take you to get back into shape. In younger people, under 40, it is just the reverse.
If you have been off for six weeks or longer, it should take at least six weeks to get back to your original state of fitness. Shorter periods of being off require less time. A good guideline is one week of retraining for the number of weeks you were off. Of course, these times are primarily for those 40 and older. People under 40 should require approximately half the time.
If you were jogging/running, start back with walking, as laid out in the chart below.
Week Activity Distance (Miles) Time (Mins) Frequency/Week
1 Walk 2.0 30 3-5 times
2 Walk/Jog 2.0 28 3-5 times
3 Jog 2.0 26 3-5 times
4 Jog 2.0 24 3-5 times
5 Jog/Run 2.0 22 3-5 times
6 Jog/Run 2.0 20 3-5 times
With other activities, slowly increase the level and intensity as you slowly improve your fitness.
By Kenneth Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., founder and chairman, Cooper Aerobics Center.
Source: US News and World Report
TRANSCEND Steps – "A"
Assessment
The two pillars that will help you to live—and remain in optimal health—long enough to take full advantage of upcoming health technologies are Prevention and Early Detection of disease. There is a lot you can do yourself to uphold these two pillars.
Prevention
Lifestyle choices are the key to successful prevention. Making better choices will help you live in good condition for longer. The TRANSCEND program can help guide you through lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, sleep, brain health, and stress management.
Soon, we will have the means to reprogram our biological software and reach the point where the clock begins to tick longer with each passing year.
Early Detection
There are a number of tests that you can perform yourself to help identify disease very early on, thereby increasing your chances of recovery.
Breast self-exams (women)
Regular examination will make it easy for you to notice changes that should be addresses with your doctor. Essentially, you are looking for lumps, dimpling, changes or redness.
Testicular self-exams (men)
Testicular cancer is the leading cancer in younger men, but it is nearly 100% treatable when caught early. Look for lumps and consistency.
Heart Rate
The easiest place to check your pulse is at your wrist. Without pressing too hard, locate your pulse with the index and middle fingers of the other hand. Count the pulsations for 20 seconds and multiply by 3 for your heart rate. An optimal heart rate is less than 70 beats per minute.
Blood Pressure
You can check your blood pressure easily with an inexpensive device at home. Less than 120/80 mm Hg is an optimal level. Any elevation beyond this level constitutes a health risk. Readings over 140/90 mm Hg are too high and most doctors advise medication for individuals who consistently have readings in this range.
Body Composition
Your health can be affected by how much fat you have and how it is distributed on the body. Some fat is needed for reproductive function, while other fat is simply caloric storage. Body Fat can be estimated using a scale or a handheld device is fine. For a more accurate reading, an underwater tank is preferred (see your doctor or gym for more information). Men should maintain 10-17 percent body fat. Women should maintain 18 to 26 percent body fat. Higher levels of fat, particularly in the abdominal region, increase health risks significantly.
Fitness Testing
Exercise is absolutely necessary for optimal health. We recommend that you evaluate your core strength, upper body strength, aerobic fitness level, and flexibility.
A more complete description of these tests is included in Chapter 10 of Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever.
In the next issue, we will discuss "N"utrition.
Information taken from following site:
http://www.rayandterry.com/vert/newsletter012010_web.html?utm_campaign=Every%20Product%20is%20On%20Sale%20plus%20Bridge%20Three%20News&utm_content=prescottg@gmail.com&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=View%20it%20in%20a%20web%20browser
While Ray Kurzweil is significantly more aggressive regarding maintaining health than most folks, the above 'Assessment' is basic.
The link (to the left) by the same name as this post is to an article by Dr. Troy L. Schraeder published in the Boston Globe on July 6, 2009. Encountering it for the first time on January 1, 2010, it is a well written article that everyone who is reading this should read :-)
Following is a link to the 2010 version of Live Healthy Greenville:
http://www.livehealthygreenville.org/aspx/friends_overview.aspx
We all tend to rationalize that we are exceptions to rules. That is, we recognize a rules' value, but somehow we don't recognize the impact, personally. Maybe some of this is because certain words become barriers to whether we seriously consider facts or not. Maybe the word 'obesity' has become such a word. That word is used often in the Healthy Links provided in the sidebar at:
http://betterhealthtmbc.blogspot.com/
For instance, consider:
The Cost of Obesity
Obesity and Cancer
Obesity by State
Obesity can take 10 Years off your Life
All of the above are good articles that have received limited readership, perhaps because they contain the word 'Obesity.' The reality is the substance of the first article above is that no matter how health care might be packaged, the cost appears to be going up considerably with time. However, for that to happen an assumption of the article, that American adults will continue the track they are on for 10 more years, will have to hold true. That doesn't have to happen. There is some indication that stating the issue in dollar cost is not effective.
More important than the cost, and how it is going to be absorbed, is that living longer can be enjoyed by most and thus cost becomes a lesser factor.
The chart shown at the link below is more important:
http://betterhealthtmbc.blogspot.com/2007/11/cooper-clinic-radio-show-archives.html
It shows that most people can remain active to near the point of death of an extended life through diet and exercise. That is more important than cost …. doing whatever they want for a longer period of time.
As a balance to practicing aerobics (walking, running, cycling, swimming, lince dancing, etc.), there are benefits in maintaining strength at a reasonable level. There are many facilities with equipment and much equipment within private homes that are geared to help .... with some cost involved. Most of the equipment facilitated activity is beneficial, though some advertise more than can be achieved. Strength can be maintained with little or no equipment. The old fashioned push-up still works. Several months ago I decided to reach a level that I could perform 25 push-ups routinely. I started with 10 and did them everyday before dressing. That is at least once a day :-) , but is twice or more on most days as I shower after other activities. I increased the number by 1 every Monday morning. Last week I reached 25. This week 25 feels 'routine.'
