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Health & Wellness

Weekly Health & Wellness Article

Better With Age
August 26, 2009
by: Barbara Russo

Use it or lose it. Never has that been more apparent than today, as our longer-than-ever life spans have given us better-than-ever evidence of just how hazardous a sedentary approach to our twilight years can be.

“There’s a tendency to think of exercise as being optional or perhaps even dangerous as we age, but for most people just the opposite is true,” says Richard B. Kreider, PhD, FACSM. With the help of his research team at Baylor University’s Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Kreider has been studying the effects of the Curves diet and exercise program on a variety of women of all ages, sizes, states of health, and fitness levels for the past five years. “Exercise becomes even more important as we age, in fact, because it can help us avoid many of the infirmities commonly thought to be natural to the aging process.”

Age coupled with inactivity, he says, increases a woman’s risk for conditions such as osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones), sarcopenia (a weakening of the muscles), osteoarthritis (a deterioration of the joints), Alzheimer’s disease (a loss of mental acuity), and of course, obesity.

But the good news is that the risk for many of those ailments can also be decreased. After analyzing the effects of the standard Curves exercise program on 55 overweight and previously sedentary seniors (between the ages of 60 and 75) for a period of 14 weeks, Kreider found the women were able to “level the playing field of the aging process.” Across the board, the participants lost fat, gained strength, improved their endurance levels, lowered their blood pressure, and more. That was especially true for the group assigned to follow a calorie-restricted diet that was high in protein. These women lost nearly twice as much fat as those assigned to a calorie-restricted diet high in carbohydrates and those in a group instructed not to diet at all. The high-protein group also achieved its fat loss without losing precious muscle tissue.

Kreider calls this muscular preservation the study’s “most significant finding of all.” Muscle tissue is our best calorie-burner; it guards against weight gain over the long haul. In addition, our muscles give us the mobility and strength we need to live actively and help us reduce our risk of potentially life-threatening falls. The benefits didn’t stop with muscle sparing fat loss, nor were they limited to the women following the high-protein diet. It was truly a “full body” of benefits that the Curves program had helped these women enjoy.

Among the more notable results, the women, on average, saw a 2%-3% drop in their resting heart rates. By the end of the study, they had experienced a 21% gain in the amount of weight they could lift on the bench press and a 32% strength gain on the leg press. The number of repetitions they were able to complete on both the bench and leg press increased by 29% and 23% respectively. The distance they could cover in a 6-minute walk increased by 6%. They also lowered their blood pressure and increased their aerobic capacity.

Bottom line? “The goal of an exercise program for seniors should be to lose fat while retaining as much muscle mass as possible, and the safe and easy Curves exercise program combined with a diet rich in protein appears to accomplish this best,” Kreider remarked on his study’s findings.

Just because we may be approaching the other side of the hill doesn’t mean we can’t still feel on top of the world.

CURVES is a Healthways SILVER SNEAKERS Fitness Program participant. To identify Medicare health plans that offer the FREE program, visit www.silversneakers.com or call 1-888-423-4632 or call the number on your health plan ID card.

IMMEDIATE POST-STROKE EXERCISE IMPROVES OUTLOOK
August 19, 2009
by: Dan Zelch

Recent research suggests that encouraging stroke patients to get out of bed and walk within 24 hours of suffering their strokes can improve their psychological outlook. This finding runs counter to the immediate prescription that keeps stroke patients in bed, which may lead to depression. According to the study, the impact of early and frequent mobilization of stroke patients was compared with standard care regarding patients’ levels of depression. On average, patients in the early intervention group were up and about 18 hours after their strokes; the standard care group took an average of 30 hours to get moving. Seven days later, the early mobilization patients were less depressed and marginally less anxious than the standard care group.

Whether you’re recovering from a stroke, a bad fall, an auto accident, or a sports injury, the right exercise with a certified physical therapist can make a world of difference. Our friendly and professional therapists can help. We will work with you, one-on-one, to create a program tailored for your unique needs. Call 724-758-3338 or visit www.airphysicaltherapy.com today to learn more about our wide range of services. Or you can visit our office at 628 Lawrence Ave. Direct Access Certified. Board-certified orthopedic clinic specialist

P.S. Post-stroke depression is a major concern because it is associated with less participation in rehabilitation, poorer rate and extent of recovery, and increased mortality.

The New Fountain of Youth - Proactive Wellness!
August 12, 2009
by: Nathalie Kuffer

Do you believe in the proverbial fountain of youth? Some say that the legendary secret fountain can be found in Florida and that anyone who drinks of its water has restored youth.

Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy? We all want to believe that with age comes wisdom and good health. However, for most of us, being healthy involves some sort of regimen and/or sacrifice.

In truth, the fountain of youth is no more than what health and wellness professionals have been prescribing for years; an active lifestyle, a balanced diet and a positive outlook.

Nonetheless, according to Cheryl Nemanic, President of Today’s Senior Resources (www.TodaysSeniorResources.com); “Studies show that being physically active can have a huge impact on quality of life for older adults, both physically and mentally. Guidelines issued by the federal government recommend that older adults get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate activity every week. Data from Health & Human Services shows that only 31% percent of individuals aged 65 - 74 engage in 30 minutes of moderate activity on 3 or more days per week. For ages 75 and up the number drops to only 23%”.

So if it’s that easy, why are we denying ourselves the basic need of wellness? Simple. It is because our lifestyles have made it difficult for us to get to a health club or spa. Lack of time makes it easy for us to rely on fast food for convenience and skip the trip to the gym to get back home sooner.

Although today’s amenities can help us with time management, some of those services can be detrimental to our wellbeing. For example, a home cooked meal can be easily replaced with a frozen dinner, and walking the shops is conveniently replaced with online shopping.

Regardless of where we are as a race and how evolved we’ve become, the basic need for health is universal. For some, going to the gym or spa is the answer. For others, this is unrealistic. Luckily, wellness services now offer resources and alternatives.

One option is having wellness services delivered to your doorstep. Off site health services are on the rise. More than ever, people are foregoing gym memberships and opting for a more personalized in home approach as a proactive solution to being well, feeling well and getting well.

Whether or not you believe in the fountain of youth, the solutions and resources are available to provide what we all want: health and happiness. And that’s no big secret.

Baby Boomers represent only 28 percent of our population--yet that group represents 50 percent of our economy.

Happy Days
By: Barbara Russo
August 5, 2009

Happy people now have even more reasons to smile: A growing body of research suggests that people who are happy are more likely to build stronger immune systems, live longer, be more creative, and earn higher salaries – all due to their rosy dispositions. And the best part: You can be happy (and healthy and creative and well paid) even if you don’t consider yourself a natural optimist. You may just have to work at it, says Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and author of the book, The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. According to Lyubomirsky’s research, approximately 50% of how happy we are can be explained by genetics and another 10% by life experiences such as health, wealth, and relationship status. The rest is within our power to change through behavior.

“Happy people share certain traits,” explains Lyubomirsky, who has studied happiness and the field of positive psychology for more than two decades. These people nurture relationships with friends and family. They favor optimism over pessimism. They express gratitude. They help others in need. They exercise and stay physically fit and they remain strong when confronted with the pressure of daily life. These skills are not inborn but are strategies you can practice.

Here is how Lyubomirsky suggests you do exactly that:

1. Express your Gratitude. Keep a journal, logging entries at least once a week. Write down three to five things for which you are grateful, from the trivial (like getting to work on time) to the more profound (such as your parent’s clean bill of health following surgery). Another idea: Write a letter of appreciation. Tell someone why you are grateful for him or her. Mail the letter.

2. Learn to Forgive. Write a letter of forgiveness to someone you feel has wronged you, even if you don’t plan to mail it. Pour out your heart, purge any remaining bitterness, and leave the anger and hurt behind. Forgiveness is something you do for yourself, not for the person who has offended you.

3. Fake It. That’s right, pretend you are happy. It may help make good spirits a reality. Smile more, act enthusiastic – even if you’re not. Though you may begin by faking it, the benefits you receive can make it more likely that you’ll feel actual happiness.

4. Sweat Regularly. Physical activity helps distract you from the worries of the day. It also helps you feel more in control of your body and your health. Work out with others and you expand your social circle, which is another key to happiness….

Expert Bio's

Nathalie Kuffer

Bio:

Can Fit Pro Certified
Personal Trainer Specialist (PTS)
Fitness Instructor Specialist (FIS)
Nutritional & Wellness Specialist (NWS)
Mobile Wellness Directory Developer

Nathalie is an internationally experienced Fitness Expert who has a passion for helping people find their personal fitness solutions in a busy world. She has a versatile combination of experience, qualifications and innovation that excludes her from the rest.

This Canadian born former gymnast graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences, majoring in both Sociology and Leisure Studies from the University of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. Shortly after graduating college, she pursued her dream of traveling and embarked on a journey to study various forms of message therapy. Her voyage began in Japan, where she taught English to fund her education in the ancient form of massage therapy called Shiatsu. She continued her travels to Thailand to further expand her knowledge of health and wellness. There, she studied another form of message therapy called Thai massage. She went on to Australia where she began exploring a variety of forms of other holistic health practices.

Her travels continued another two years when she was employed with Club Med in Mexico, then sailing the Caribbean aboard a Cruise Ship and lastly, in the Bahamas. It was in the resort city of Cancun that she began attending and then teaching aerobic classes to visiting tourists. Upon her return to Canada, she went back to school for yet another year and became a Certified Personal Trainer Specialist (PTS), Fitness Instructor Specialist (FIS) and Pilates Matwork Instructor. A few years later, she added the certification of Nutritional & Wellness Specialist (NWS).

In 1999, she founded the company Fun ‘n Fit, a mobile fitness service with a mission statement of “…creat[ing] an environment which encourages and facilitates individuals to incorporate holistic health into their daily routine by providing a variety of mobile and online fitness and wellness services to people of all ages and fitness levels in order to foster a healthier lifestyle.

In 2007, she founded a subsidiary company, called WellnessToYou which has become the #1 resource for locating and advertising mobile wellness services. WellnessToYou has a mission of: …provid[ing] a variety of mobile wellness services to clients through a network of certified wellness professional who will conveniently deliver their services at the location of choice in order to assist Americans complete holistic health.

Her many skills, work ethic, dedication and commitment to the fitness industry led the Canadian Government to sponsor her endeavors, sending her to school (for business management and marketing) and financing a 2 month trip to Cameroon (Western Africa) with a non-profit organization to instruct local Fitness Instructors and Personal Trainers new fitness techniques, teach physical education classes to school children as well as conduct Health Consultations and Wellness Seminars in rural villages. Soon thereafter, she relocated to beautiful Bermuda when she accepted a position at a leading fitness club. It was there that she met and married her husband of 9 years.

Nathalie currently resides in Ellwood City with her husband Luke, a high school Physics teacher at North Allegheny High School and their two beautiful children, Chloe (8) and Max (6).

Barbara Russo

Bio:

Barbara Russo is the manager and fitness technician at the Ellwood City Curves, a position she has held since the club’s opening on January 19, 2004. Barbara is certified as a personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise and received Cooper Institute Circuit Training and Weight Management Certification with special emphasis on nutrition and kinesiology. She regularly attends ACE council continuing education courses. Her mission at Curves is to provide her guests with the safest, most effective, most inspired workout every visit. Barbara is the mother of two daughters and resides in Shenango Twp. with her husband, Michael. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her awesome grandsons, knitting, and “changing stations now”.

Kristen R. Warzynski

Bio:

Kristen R. Warzynski is a licensed Physical Therapist with Keystone Rehabilitation Systems in Ellwood City. Kristen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Gannon University. She specializes in gait and balance training, back injuries and dysfunction, sports injuries, and home care. She particularly enjoys treating patients who are having difficulty with gait and balance, which affect every aspect of a patient’s life. She believes helping to improve a person’s balance and ambulation can really make a positive impact in their overall function and safety.

Kristen believes in a treatment program that involves hands on therapeutic techniques with strong patient communication and education. She feels each patient is an individual with unique issues and should be treated as such. Kristen has been active in the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life and enjoys reading, sports, and swimming.

Dan Zelch

Bio:

Dan Zelch, a licensed physical therapist, is the owner of AIR Physical Therapy & Fitness on Lawrence Avenue in Ellwood City. He has been a resident of the Ellwood City Area for 11 years, originally from the south hills of Pittsburgh. Dan received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Penn State University in 1990 with emphasis on physiology, he then received his masters degree in physical therapy from Duquesne University in 1993. Since then Dan has been practicing physical therapy as an inpatient and outpatient physical therapist treating primarily neurological and orthopedic diseases and injuries for rehabilitation. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, Pennsylvania Physical Therapy Association, the U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ “Campaign of steps to a Healthier US”, and APTA’s Orthopedic section. He has been appointed Adjunct Clinical Instructor in the Duquesne University Department of Physical Therapy’s Rangos School of Health Sciences. He is Ellwood City's only Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS). Dan is Direct Access Certified (DAC) - allowing Dan to see patients without referral from a physician. He has clinical special interest, and has developed programs in fall prevention for the elderly as well as treatment of peripheral neuropathy. He has certificates of completion in “Integrating Pilates into Physical Therapy”, “Improving Balance and Decreasing Fall Risk Using T’ai Chi”, “Job Analysis and Ergonomic Assessment”, “Examination and Intervention: Balance Disorders in the Elderly”, “Anatomical Perspective of Management of Common Shoulder Pathologies” and “Manipulation/Manual Therapy of the Spine”.