Strength

The Benefits of Life-Long Sports

April 7, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Not only can playing sports at any age help you maintain your strength, stamina, balance, flexibility and coordination, the benefits are actually cumulative over time. That means the more adults participate in sports throughout their lifetime, the more they will benefit as they reach the age where joint problems and declining energy become a problem. For people to enjoy the most benefit, they should begin to consciously “ramp-up” their physical activity in early adulthood to support the continuation of active leisure time activities throughout later phases of life.

Playing sports into mid-life allows adults to maintain physical capabilities that will help reduce their risk of developing age-related problems that are often tied to inactivity, including heart disease, colon cancer, stroke and diabetes. In addition, sports burn calories and help prevent weight gain as metabolism slows as part of the aging process. Sustaining their physical health through middle age and into their senior years will allow them to continue participating in more of the activities they enjoy and to maintain their independence longer. Not only will staying active help them enjoy better health, it will also improve their longevity.

Sports Participation Increases Energy, Improves the 3Ms

Most of us recognize that exercising actually increases our general energy levels. This is true at any age, including 50 and beyond. But did you know that it also improves the 3Ms—memory, mood and mind? Participating in sports helps adults stay motivated and provides a release from stress. Many also enjoy the chance to compete against other athletes in their age bracket. Benefits are important to both men and women in the over 50 category.

Popular Sports for Older Adults

Obviously, most older adults are not going to jump into sports like tackle football, rugby, lacrosse or ice hockey, but there are a large number of sports that will help them strengthen muscles, build stamina and maintain their balance, flexibility and coordination. Many of these also offer great opportunities for social interaction and will help seniors feel better all the way around.

Increases stamina and strengthens legs. Can also encourage core strength and flexibility.
Enhances breathing, improves bone density, reduces body fat and maintains reaction time.
Not a physically demanding sport, and well-suited for those who are not in the best physical shape. Sharpens hand-eye coordination and offers mental and social benefits.
Increases energy and stamina with minimal risk of muscle and joint injury. Increases flexibility and tones muscles, offers aerobic exercise for improved heart health and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Improves coordination, balance and can improve mobility.

Although the greatest benefits from playing sports occur in those who have continued to engage in sports activity throughout their lives, it is never too late to learn a new sport and enjoy the physical and mental benefits they can provide.

Early Tests for Predicting Dementia and Stroke

September 26, 2013 oblanderchiropractic

Do you often find that people can’t keep up with your normal walking pace? Do you frequently notice that others have a much weaker handshake than you do? If you answered “yes” to these questions, you may be less likely to suffer from a stroke or dementia in your older age.

A recent study presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 64^th annual meeting found that those who were speedier walkers had a 42 percent reduced risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) after age 65. Those with greater hand grip strength demonstrated a reduced risk of dementia.

The researchers knew that frailty and reduced physical agility was associated with an increased risk of dementia in elderly people, but wondered if these factors measured in middle age might be a predictor of this outcome.

Investigators studied over 2,400 men and women with a mean age of 62 years over a period of up to 11 years. Subjects were tested at the beginning of the study to assess their walking speed, hand grip strength and cognitive ability, and a brain MRI was performed on each subject. Over the 11 years of the study, 70 people had a stroke and 34 people developed dementia.

Those with a slower walking speed were 1.5 times more likely to develop dementia than their speedier counterparts, showed lower total brain volume, and scored worse on tests of memory, learning, decision making, language ability and visual perception.

Those with a stronger hand grip not only had a reduced risk of stroke, they also demonstrated higher brain volume and better scores on all the above-mentioned tests when compared with those with a weaker hand grip.

Erica C. Camargo, MD, MSc, PhD, from Boston Medical Center and co-author of the study said of the walking and hand grip tests, “These are basic office tests which can provide insight into risk of dementia and stroke and can be easily performed by a neurologist or general practitioner.” If these simple tests are performed on people during middle age, their results may be able to determine if a more detailed assessment of brain function is warranted in order to help prevent further degeneration. Camargo added, “Further research is needed to understand why this is happening and whether preclinical disease could cause slow walking and decreased strength.”

Dr. Marshall Keilson, director of neurology at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, said of the study, “At the very least, this research suggests novel approaches to early identification of dementia and stroke risk. It would be interesting to test an even younger patient population with the same protocol.”

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Tag: Strength

The Benefits of Life-Long Sports

April 7, 2016 oblanderchiropractic

Early Tests for Predicting Dementia and Stroke

September 26, 2013 oblanderchiropractic