Health Benefits of Exercise Newsletter
Volume 5, Issue 6
Exercise reduces cognitive impairment
Experts estimate that Alzheimer’s disease affects 26.6 million people worldwide and expect that number to increase to 106.2 million people by 2050. Dementia, which occurs as a side effect of Alzheimer’s disease, is characterized by memory loss, trouble speaking and overall cognitive decline. Although research has indicated that exercise delays the onset of Alzheimer’s, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that exercise actually improved cognitive function in people with mild dementia.
Researchers studied a group of 138 adults age 50 years and older who experienced moderate cognitive impairment and were deemed at high risk of developing dementia. There were two groups of participants; one group received standard care and the second was assigned to a 24-week home-based program of 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week. After the intervention, cognitive function was monitored for 18 months. The exercise group not only performed better on cognitive tests, but had a lower risk of dementia after the intervention. Additionally, cognitive improvements persisted for 18 months. 1
Active people display positive personality traits
According to the National Association on Mental Health, people who exercise are less likely to become stressed, anxious, or depressed. There is also a host of research that indicates that the endorphins released during exercise boost mood. However, until now, very little was known about personality traits associated with high physical activity and longevity. Researchers from the National Institute on Aging recently conducted a study to determine what factors influence longevity, and found significant results.
Beginning in 1958 until 2006, researchers followed 2359 participants and assessed their level of physical activity and their personality traits. Over nearly 50 years, 943 people, or 40% of the sample, died. Analysis enabled researchers to examine the link between longevity and certain personality traits. Researchers concluded that those who lived longer had a few things in common. They were all highly physically active and were more likely to score highly on measures of conscientiousness and emotional stability than their counterparts who died earlier.2
Fitness may be a better indicator of health than body weight
The risk factors of an elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) are well known and include elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer, to name a few. However, a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that physical fitness may be as good an indicator of overall health as BMI. A team of researchers decided to evaluate whether body weight consistently correlates to metabolic abnormalities associated with chronic disease.
To determine the “cardiometabolic” health of participants, researchers measured several variables in a sample of 5440 people: blood pressure, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, triglyceride levels, fasting plasma glucose, insulin resistance and BMI. The results were shocking: approximately one in four people who have a healthy BMI were deemed “cardiometabolically unhealthy” using the criteria listed above. Even more surprisingly, approximately one in three adults classified as overweight were characterized as “metabolically healthy.” The authors concluded that although it is undeniable that a higher BMI is associated with poor health outcomes, in some cases, fitness can be a better predictor of overall health than BMI.3
Exercise aids in stroke recovery
According to the American Stoke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Although it is known that stroke often impairs gait and reduces mobility, the mechanism for gait recovery after stroke is not well understood. A new study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland sheds some light on how exercise can improve recovery after a stroke.
A total of 71 subjects were divided into two groups; one group performed progressive walking on a treadmill and the other group performed stretching exercises. After 6 months of performing their respective routines, subjects’ walking ability, aerobic fitness and brain activation were evaluated. Amongst the group that exercised, treadmill walking velocity improved by 51% and cardiovascular fitness increased by 18%, which was a significant increase over the stretching group. Additionally, brain activation increased significantly in the exercise group and was correlated to increased walking ability. 4
Study fuels debate over the benefits of stretching before exercise
Although the American Council on Exercise does recommend light stretching before exercise to increase range of joint motion, reduce stiffness and reduce the risk of injury, there has been some debate in the literature concerning the benefits of stretching before exercise. Some sources argue that stretching before exercise can lead to decreased muscle strength and lowered performance. However, a new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise offers new insight into the debate.
For the study, moderately active participants performed either 2, 4 or 8 minutes of stretching prior to exercising. The researchers measured subjects’ muscle force and range of motion using several different variable throughout the workout. In the end, results showed that short-duration stretching of 8 minutes or less before exercise temporarily improved range of joint motion and did not significantly weaken muscles. Therefore, authors concluded that stretching prior to exercise does not have any impact on muscle strength and overall performance.5
Sources
1Lautenschlager NT, et al. (2008). Effect of physical activity on cognitive function in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 300 (9), 1027-1037.
2Terracciano A, et al. (2008). Personality predictors of longevity: Activity, emotional stability, and conscientiousness. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 621-627.
3Wildman RP, et al. (2008). The obese without cardiometabolic risk factor clustering and the normal weight with cardiometabolic risk factor clustering.Archives of Internal Medicine, 168(15), 1617-1624.
4Luft AR, et al. (2008). Treadmill exercise activates subcortical neural networks and improves walking after stroke. A randomized controlled trial. Stoke, epub.
5Ryan ED, et al. (2008). Do practical durations of stretching alter muscle strength? A dose-response study. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40(8), 1529-1537.
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