Dr. Curtis McElroy

Tag: exercise

  • Healthy Weight Management Tips For Seniors

    Healthy Weight Management Tips For Seniors

    Obesity is a major epidemic in the Unites States and in other countries around the world.
    In fact, 1/3 of US adults and 18% of kids and adolescents are obese and at risk for serious health complications, such as, Type 2 diabetes, joint problems, heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.  All of these health problems can lead to premature death.

    In addition to the serious health consequences, obesity has a substantial economic impact that affects the country as a whole. The estimated annual health care costs of obesity-related conditions was $190.2 billion in 2010, this equates to almost 21% of all annual medical spending in the United States, and the numbers only continue to rise year after year.

    Like anyone else, the senior and aging population needs to address healthy weight management and to be aware how weight gain can cause problems for their health. But, seniors can be even more vulnerable because as we age our metabolism slows and weight gain becomes that much more of an issue.

    Loss Of Lean Muscle Mass

    Have you ever watched a teenager inhale food like breaths of air and not gain an ounce? A lot of this is due to a higher metabolic rate in our younger years.

    Did you know that as we age, our metabolism begins to slow down?

    While genetics help determine our overall metabolic performance, having sufficient amounts of lean muscle mass greatly determines metabolism as well because muscle burns more calories per hour than fat, and this means that those who have lean and muscular bodies are able to burn more, even when they are at rest.

    Our overall muscle mass decreases as we age, and this slows metabolism by about 2% to 8% per decade. This can be counteracted by performing simple strength training exercises with the use of free weights or weight machines.

    Ideally strength training should take place early in life, but especially as we head into our 40s and 50s, because when you maintain lean muscle mass, metabolism is not likely to decrease as much as you age.

    Seniors, especially, are more likely to gain weight as their metabolism slows down, which, can lead to obesity and the serious health concerns related to it.

    Weight Gain

    Lack of activity is the number one cause of weight gain even when we continue to eat as we have our whole lives because of the decrease in metabolism. As our metabolism decreases so does our bodies ability to burn calories. If we keep eating the same amount of food our bodies will start to turn the excess calories into fat. The more over weight we get the less active we become. This in turn leads to more weight gain.

    Weight Management For Seniors

    The Solution

    The solution to reversing and preventing obesity is a combination of diet and exercise. A good diet will cut the number calories that you are taking in, while exercise will burn off calories that you eat. Each one will get rid of some of the excess calories. Together they will get rid of a significant amount of calories.

    A useful way to estimate potential weight loss is understanding what it takes to lose about one pound a week. 

    If you perform some form of activity or exercise enough to burn 250 calories per day and decrease your caloric intake 250 calories. This creates a caloric deficit of 500 calories per day or 3500 calories per week.

    Finding a balance between diet and exercise is the best way to get rid of unwanted weight.

    The basic formula is “calories in and calories out” or burn more than you take in.

    Diet

    To lose weight we also need to change how we eat. As we get older, our bodies start to secrete less digestive enzymes. This changes how our bodies breakdown and absorb nutrients.

    • Avoid foods that are high in sugar and fat. Fat contains more calories and can lead to high LDL (bad) cholesterol.
    • Eat small portions of food more often. The body really only needs about 300-400 calories in one sitting. Any more than that is turned into fat stores. Eating smaller portions will help with weight loss.
    • Eat more plant based foods, like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals that the body needs, which, makes them quality calorie foods.
    • Eat more fiber. Fiber is filling and low in calories. Fiber also aids in digestion. Kale is a super plant food filled with fiber and other essential nutrients. It is very filling and can be eaten raw or slightly sautéed. There are many great plant foods that are filled with fiber, including, broccoli that can be a great weapon in the weight loss arsenal.
    • Drink more water. Many times thirst feels like hunger, and instead of drinking we eat.

    Also, drinking icy cold water helps to burn a little more calories as the body needs to warm it as it passes through.

    Exercise

    Exercise can help you to lose weight by increasing your muscle mass and speeding up your metabolism.

    There are many other practical benefits to being active aside from weight loss and building lean muscle mass. Some of these include, increased stamina, endurance, balance, vitality and agility, all of which are helpful in the senior years.

    The best exercises for weight loss are aerobic workouts and resistance training.

    Aerobic Exercise

    An aerobic workout exercises the heart and the cardiovascular system. When our heart beats faster the body burns more calories. The longer you keep your heart rate up the more calories you will burn.

    An aerobic workout strengthens the heart and it increase blood flow to the entire body. This provides the body with a rush of nutrients and energy that causes the body to burn while working out and also while at rest.

    It is recommended that you do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise each day, at least 3 days per week, preferably 5 times.

    Aerobic activity includes: Biking, jogging, walking, elliptical trainers, various fitness classes, just to name a few.

    Resistance Training

    Resistance training targets the muscles directly. It is used to increase muscle mass and has a longer effect on burning calories than aerobics. By increasing muscle mass we are also increasing our metabolism. This means that our bodies are burning more calories all the time, and not just during a particular workout.

    It is recommended that resistance training should consist of 8 to 10 different exercises. Each exercise should consist of 8 to 12 repetitions. Work until the muscles are fatigued, but don’t strain yourself.

    These are simple tips that anyone can follow for healthy weight management and an incredible overall health boost at any age, but especially in senior years when the effects of time on our bodies can cause serious health issues.

     

  • 50 Reasons Why You Should Exercise

    reasonstoexercise

  • Weight loss Exercise For Sedentary People

    Exercise for Sedentary People

    The benefits of a lifestyle that involves getting a good amount of exercise pays off. It impacts your health. Getting exercise adds benefits to your health while being sedentary subtracts benefits as well as years from your life.

    It used to be that not getting the exercise a person needs simply meant he or she wasn’t as active. But numerous studies have proven that being sedentary can actually have a more dangerous impact on your body than a habit such as smoking would have.

    It even has it’s own label – the Sitting Disease. And it’s said to be the new health epidemic that many people aren’t taking seriously. The more hours that you sit, the more you increase your chances of developing a serious disease such as diabetes or cancer.

    You’re also at greater risk for heart attacks, higher blood pressure and depression. Knowing this information can be frustrating. Because some people have to sit for multiple hours in order to get their job done.

    Working at an office for eight hours a day is problematic to your health and even though you may know that the amount of inactivity is bad, you might think that there’s nothing you can do about it.

    It’s the same for people with disabilities who want to be active but are limited by their physical ability. They know it’s bad for their health and want to do something about it.

    There are solid scientific reasons why you should get some form of exercise. There are numerous benefits. For example, exercising can help you keep a healthy weight because it burns more calories.

    Exercising also fights several different diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis. Being mobile can help you maintain better muscle and bone strength.

    When you keep active, it also fights depression and stress that often go hand in hand with a sedentary lifestyle. By exercising, you’ll feel better and have more energy.

    Plus, you’ll be able to get more sleep because exercising fights insomnia and helps you sleep better. You might feel like you’re caught between a rock and a hard place.

    Not only do you realize that you need to exercise, and you truly want to. But you don’t see a way around trying to keep your job, which might entail a lot of sitting, and getting the benefits of exercise at the same time.

    There are items that you can get to make changes in your life to pull you out of that sedentary routine you may have fallen into. These are items that you can easily add to your office and exercise while you’re working. They’re non-intrusive so they won’t be in the way.

    Use an Exercise Bike Peddler

    These are mini-exercise machines and can slip right into your daily office routine discreetly. They look like the lower half of an exercise bike and can offer you some great exercise benefits when you’re in a position where you have to remain sitting for hours at a time.

    You can use these machines throughout the day to help you burn calories and lose weight while you’re working. Plus, you’ll gain a lot of benefits simply by not just sitting still.

    One of the problems with a sedentary lifestyle is that sitting for long periods of time can compromise your body’s ability to circulate blood – especially to your lower extremities.

    By using a machine like an exercise bike peddler, you can improve your circulation. Since these machines fit right below your desk, no one will even know that you’re exercising.

    Not only are these machines sturdy and lightweight enough to be portable, but they offer you some of the same benefits that you’d get from a full size exercise bike.

    You’ll gain muscle tone and flexibility as well as burn calories. As an added plus, this machine can also be used at home to strengthen arm muscles. Many of these machines have a display function that can monitor your workout by keeping track of how many minutes you’ve exercised as well as the amount of calories burned.

    Most of the models do allow the pedals to be moved in either direction. An item that’s similar to the exercise bike peddler is an elliptical trainer. You can find mini versions of the full size ones such as the Stamina In-Motion Elliptical Trainer.

    This one can fit right up under your desk. It has a monitor that can gauge how much time you have spent exercising and how many calories that you have burned.

    Wellness Balls Can Break Sedentary Habits

    When you get caught up in a lifestyle that has you overworked and short on time, it can be difficult to find the time or the energy to fit in any exercise. Fortunately, with portable tools that are designed specifically to help reduce sitting still, you can still get the exercise you need to fight for good health.

    One of the ways that you can do this is by using a Wellness Ball. These are balls that you can sit on instead of using a desk chair. When you use a desk chair, there’s not a whole lot of movement that you can do – even if you’re sitting in a swivel chair.

    So you don’t get a lot of opportunities to work any muscle group. But because this is a ball, you have to use your core muscles in order to keep your balance. Trying to remain upright takes effort that works your muscles and burns calories.

    On the plus side, too, these balls are portable and you can take them home for an additional workout. Even if you’re too tired to do anything else after work but sit in front of the television, these wellness balls can help.

    You can workout all of your major muscles groups just by using a Wellness Ball. These are durable vinyl balls that are comfortable to sit on, but what some users do is to get the washable cloth covers that you can buy with these.

    The cloth covers feel like velvet and slide on and off of the ball easily if you want to remove it. If you don’t like the idea of a freestanding Wellness Ball, you can buy the additional wheeled base that the ball is designed to fit into.

    This makes the ball look more like a chair but offers more benefits. It causes users to keep a proper balance, which uses the core muscles. This tightens up the abdomen and also strengthens back muscles.

    It does have a back support but this piece is removable. You can also get just a base for the ball in the event that you need it to be stationary to use the ball as extra seating.

    Get a Swopper and Get Fit

    There’s a new kind of office chair that’s created a lot of buzz. It’s created that buzz because of the way that it’s revolutionized sitting. It’s technically not even referred to as a chair, but rather as a seating platform.

    If you work in an office – or even from home – then you know what those long hours of being stuck in that immobile chair can do to your legs and your thighs and lower back as well.

    Even if you’re in fairly good shape, after sitting in a relentless chair for hours on end, when you go to stand, you feel the ache in your muscles. This is because that chair has virtually kept you from being able to move.

    Office chairs prevent movement of the core muscles in your body by forcing the pelvis to remain stationary. With is forced stillness, your health begins to feel the effects.

    It can lead to less concentration and poor circulation to name just a couple of side effects. Not only that, but long periods of sitting in a regular office chair can also weaken your muscles.

    Because of the position that you’re forced to adhere to, these chairs also cause posture deterioration as well. Your body was not meant to sit that still for long periods.

    This is why you need a chair that was created with movement in mind. The Swopper can spin in any direction that you want it to go. It can lean to the left or to the right as well as sway gently back and forth.

    It has a powerful spring beneath the cushion that supports weight. This spring is what allows users to bounce up and down while sitting. This means that you get to exercise your leg muscles, your abdomen and even your biceps and forearm muscles.

    The way that you exercise your arms even while you’re at work is by twisting around in the chair and bouncing up and down with your arms raised. You can perform these exercises in a matter of minutes right in your office or cubicle and you can do it several times a day.

    By using a Swopper, you’re not forced to adjust your body to a chair that drains away your health. Instead, you end up with a chair that will adjust to your body. The chair changes and moves as you move.

    What this does is it causes you to use more muscles as you sit. But it also helps you breath easier because you’ll have the right posture that will allow your lungs to fully expand.

    Plus, you’ll have better overall circulation and that will help you be more alert because your brain will be getting the right amount of oxygen that it needs. The seat is also helpful to people who struggle with back pain.

    Unlike bulky office chairs, the Swopper is lightweight enough to be portable. You can take it home on the weekends and enjoy the benefits there as well as at the office. The Swopper can be used by anyone of any height or weight since it’s adjustable.

    Rolling Footrests Help You Get Fit

    Not many people would associate the word footrest with fitness. And if you were thinking about the older kind of footrests, you would be correct in assuming that it didn’t offer you much other than a place to put your feet up.

    But there’s a new kind of footrest available and this one has your good health in the design. The footrest that you want to look for is called a Webble. These are footrests that are specifically designed for people who have a sedentary lifestyle – and they’re perfect for use in an office.

    Even though the proper term for these is a footrest, they’re far more than that and offer you a lot of benefits you’ll appreciate. This footrest doesn’t just sit there. Instead, once you put your feet on it, the Webble moves all around.

    It can move 360 degrees and it’s powered by your own energy. You just roll it back and forth using pressure from your feet. The design of the footrest resembles a skateboard and can even be lifted up on end like a skateboard just by the pressure and control of your feet.

    It’s spring loaded and covered in durable mesh for long lasting use. The four casters make it easy to move the footrest around and it can be used on both carpeting as well as hardwood or tile flooring.

    However, it will move about more freely on a smoother floor surface. You can roll the footrest from side to side or back and forth. This movement improves the muscle strength in your legs.

    But it also gives you greater flexibility and keeps the blood flowing to your lower extremities. It helps you keep good posture and takes the pressure off of your spine and your feet because of the ergonomic design.

    This helps prevent back strain while you’re exercising at the same time. You also get the ability to work out the core muscles because you can move your pelvic area.

    This helps keep you flexible, and it also gives your thigh muscles a workout. This footrest is also designed to give your feet some comfort. While you’re working, you can kick off your shoes and treat yourself to a foot massage.

    All you have to do is rub your feet against the angled edges. This is especially beneficial to the arches of your feet. It helps relax them as well as works out your posterior, anterior, the peroneal tibial and the extensors.

    Change Your Desk

    If you have to sit at a desk all day, you may be able to use a desk that helps to aid in your fitness rather than detract from your health. The best way to do this is to get something like the FitDesk

    This is an exercise bike that’s combined with a desk. And it’s great for long or short term use, especially when you just can’t walk away from a project. This gives you the ability to move around while you’re working so that you’re not having to sit still.

    The built in desk has a drawer space for any items that you need. The top of the platform can comfortably support a laptop so that you can work. But it can also hold a book or any paperwork that you might need.

    It has a wide, comfortable seat and backrest along with padded armrests. It also has resistance bands and a performance meter that can help you gauge how active you’re being while you’re working.

    Exercise Tools that Can Make a Difference

    There are several smaller products that can aid in helping you change your sedentary lifestyle. You can use these items at work and they’re all lightweight and portable.

    You can use dumbbells with edged corners so that they don’t roll away. You can find these in smaller weights to keep in your desk to work your biceps and other arm muscles.

    Ankle weights can also help add resistance and tone your leg muscles for improved circulation. Resistance bands are also helpful to keep at the office. You can use this tool while you’re sitting at your desk handling work related issues that don’t require you to use both hands.

    One handy exercise piece that’s good to use if you’re sedentary is a power ball like the WeiHeng Force Ball. These balls are good for building hand, wrist and forearm strength.

Copyright @ 2017 DrCurtisMcElroy