Tag Archive for: exercise

Holiday Stretch: My Way

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The past three days, the temperatures in Grand Rapids have been in the 70s with glorious sunshine. It’s going to be that way today but cloudy. Rain is coming and sooner or later, cold weather and snow. The sidewalks that are clear will become snow covered and icy at some point. I know that now. Just like I know that Paula and I will be baking Christmas cookies next month. So as the holidays stretch out ahead of us, how do I plan to avoid holiday weight gain?

My holiday stretch plan is to get 45 to 60 minutes . . .

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Exercise and Chemotherapy

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The last study on exercise I’m going to look at this week examines the possibility of using exercise as training before chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy drugs are toxic to the body. The closer they can be designed for cancer cells without harming normal cells, the better, but we haven’t advanced to the point where that’s possible in every case. One chemotherapy, doxorubicin, is highly effective for some cancers, but it’s toxic to the heart. Researchers split a group of rats into three groups. One remained sedentary, one was allowed to run on a running wheel in their cage . . .

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Exercise and Breast Cancer Treatment

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Cancer treatment isn’t for wimps. Surgery can be difficult as can radiation treatment. But of all the common treatments that really seem to knock people for a loop, chemotherapy is tops. Nausea. Fatigue. Hair loss. Fortunately, there are some medications that can help with those side effects, but one of the things that may help the most is exercise. Let’s take a look at a study published just this month.

Researchers in Germany put women undergoing chemotherapy on a weight-training program, an endurance program, or continued with standard care that included neither. They were interested in how . . .

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Further Research: Exercise and ADHD

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One of the characteristics of children with ADHD is that they seem to have plenty of energy. Too much energy. They want to talk, they want to move, they need to be doing something. Today’s study examined the research on children with ADHD and exercise.

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis on studies that examined the effects of exercise on the symptoms associated with ADHD. Those symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, learning and memory difficulties. The analysis showed that even short-term aerobic activity improved almost every symptom of ADHD.

What constitutes short-term aerobic activity? Running, skipping, jumping . . .

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How to Exercise in the Heat

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When the temperature rises, with or without humidity, and you have to get that workout done outdoors, the solution is high-intensity interval training, but only if you’ve been cleared by your physician and cardiologist for intense exercise. Walking, running, swimming, or biking, intervals can help you get an intense workout in a short time. That’s the approach I used in Austin, and you can, too.

The location where I stayed in Austin was on a very hilly road—more mountain than hill. I have nothing like that kind of hill anywhere near my neighborhood. The approach was . . .

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Exercise and the Heat

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How do you know if you should exercise outdoors during the day in the heat and humidity we’re having this summer? I’ll make it simple for you: don’t.

Unless you can exercise in the morning before the sun rises, stay indoors. When I ran in Austin this past weekend, it was before the sun came up and the day was overcast to begin. It was in the 70s but not hot.

Our cooling mechanism is the problem when exercising in the high heat and humidity. If the outside temperature, combined with the humidity, is too high, your . . .

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Heat, Water, and Sports Drinks

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While I was in Austin doing a seminar this past weekend, I posted a thought on Facebook about drinking fluids when it’s hot. And it was hot in Austin; the temperature topped out at 100 degrees. It’s also been hot in Grand Rapids with temperatures hitting the 90s with some humidity to make it even worse. If you’re going to work outside in that type of heat and humidity, you have to drink fluids.

Water is important but when you sweat, you lose sodium and potassium as well. You should alternate four ounces of water with four . . .

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Observations from the Road: Fitness vs. a Healthy Heart

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As I finish my observations from my last trip, I’m on another trip to Austin to do another seminar. I’m sure I’ll have other things to talk about because I’m always looking and listening.

During my run a week ago in Denver, I repeatedly passed two women who were out for an early morning walk. They carried on a conversation the entire time. I think that’s great; having a walking or running buddy or group can get you moving on those days when you don’t want to, and sometimes the gossip is what gets . . .

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Observations from the Road: Ankle and Wrist Weights

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As I was running Sunday morning before the flight home from Denver, a woman about 60 was walking around the lake path. She had on the requisite earphones listening to something, bandana to keep her hair in place, and ankle weights. I don’t see them much anymore and that’s good. Research shows that they provide no benefit and in some cases, can cause harm.

The perceived benefit is that a person wearing ankle weights or carrying weights in their hands when they walk will get some additional benefit, perhaps increasing muscle strength or burning more calories. One would . . .

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The Real Agenda: Refined Carbohydrates

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Let’s finish up our look at the editorial in a sports medicine journal that says exercise will not help you lose weight.

While the headline certainly gets our attention, the authors really want to talk about the increase in refined carbohydrates as the cause of the obesity epidemic. I don’t disagree, but I disagree with how they’re doing it. They began by talking about an exercise myth and weight loss which was completely unnecessary. Then they ramble on about how the refined-food industry is using advertising tactics similar to the tobacco industry. The public is intentionally . . .

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