Weight Training Aids Memory in Older Women

This single-blinded, randomized study found that older women with mild cognitive impairment displayed improved executive function after twice-weekly resistance training compared to a control group that worked on balance and toning.

Doing aerobic training only showed improved balance and cardiovascular capacity, but no change in memory function.

This was published in the April 23, 2012 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Exercise continues to be the most promising anti-aging strategy.

Exercises to Improve Your Golf Game

To Your Health December, 2011 (Vol. 05, Issue 12) Share | By Jeffrey Tucker, DC, DACRB

The most common injury sites for golfers are the low back, shoulder, knee, elbow and wrist. Golfers who have low back pain demonstrate a decrease in range of motion for hip internal rotation on the lead leg (left leg for a right-handed golfer) and lumbar extension, and decreased activation and/or timing of the abdominal obliques, erector spinae and knee extensors. A good golf swing uses the left side of the body as much as the right. The hips initiate movement into the ball. The feet pushing against the ground cause a ground reaction force that sequentially travels up through the hips, the trunk and finally out the arms. The most noticeable difference between pros and amateurs is trunk rotation. Trunk rotation and flexibility are enormously important in golf. Older and less skilled players tend to use less than half the trunk rotation of younger or more skilled players.

Golfers who are looking to maximize their performance and avoid and/or rehabilitate following common golf-related injuries should try these exercises in consultation with their doctor of chiropractic:

Active Warm-Up Exercises Bend forward at the hips to touch the fingers to the floor.

Step into a stride position, extending the right leg (lunge).

Lift the right arm, rotate the spine and the head – hold this pose for 10 seconds.

Return to the stride position.

With hands on the left thigh, drop the back knee toward the floor and reach both arms overhead.

Twist the torso toward flexed front knee and hold.

Return to the hip flexor stretch position then put both hands on the floor.

Go to push-up position.

Sweep the left foot across in front – sit into the stretch and hold for 10 seconds.

Return to the push-up position.

Step forward into a forward bend and hold.

Sit into a deep squat with open knees.

Lift hands overhead, stand up and bring arms back to your side.

 Now repeat this on the opposite side: Bend forward at the hips to touch the fingers to the floor. Step into a stride position, extending the left leg (lunge). Lift the right arm – rotate the spine and the head – hold this pose for 10 seconds. Return to the stride position. Hands on right thigh, drop the back knee toward the floor and reach both arms overhead. Twist the torso toward flexed front knee and hold. Return to the hip flexor stretch position then put both hands on the floor. Go to push-up position. Sweep the right foot across in front – sit into the stretch and hold for 10 seconds. Return to the push-up position. Step forward into a forward bend and hold. Sit into a deep squat with open knees. Lift hands overhead, stand up and bring arms back to your side.

Shoulder Exercises

 The shoulder is the key anatomical structure involved in every phase of the golf swing. If you’ve suffered a shoulder injury related to golf or are just looking to improve shoulder rotation and performance, ask your doctor of chiropractic about these exercises:

 Wing stretch: Place the back of your right hand on the outside upper gluteal (buttock) region so the elbow sticks out to the side. The back of the hand touches above your “pants pocket” area. Grab the right elbow with the left hand and pull it the elbow forward, simultaneously resisting the pull by stabilizing your shoulder girdle backward on the stretching shoulder. Hold this stretch for one minute.

Open book: Lie on your left side with your knees bent and your arms straight out in front of you, palms together. Keeping your knees on the ground, take your top arm and rotate your upper body all the way in the opposite direction. Perform 15 reps. Repeat on the other side.

 Thoracic rotation: Get down on all fours, place your right hand behind your head, and point your right elbow out to the side. Brace your core and rotate your right shoulder (think about moving through the shoulder blade) toward your left arm. Follow your elbow with your eyes as you reverse the movement until your right elbow points toward the ceiling. That’s one repetition. Do 20 reps right and left.

 Band diagonal raise: Attach a band or handle to the low pulley of a cable station. Standing with your left side toward the pulley, grab the handle with your right hand in front of your left hip and bend your elbow slightly. Pull the handle up and across your body until your hand is over your head and your thumb is pointing up (a Statue of Liberty pose). Return to the starting position. Complete 10-15 reps and repeat with your left arm.

Scaption: Perform this exercise standing in front of a mirror to monitor their form. Hang the arms down by the thighs and rotate both hands to a thumbs-up position. Retract and depress the scapulae as you lift the arms up to shoulder-height at a 45-degree angle from the trunk. The arms should make a Y in front of them. Make sure that the upper trapezius isn’t pulling the shoulders into the ears. If it is, work on pulling the shoulders down in order to push the arms up. Perform two sets of 15 reps per set.

Y-T-W-L exercises:

 Lie face down on a bench with your upper shoulders off the bench to perform these exercises, which involve raising the arms / shoulders to mimic the shape of a Y, T, W and L (e.g., arms up over the head forms a Y; arms straight out to the sides forms a T; etc.). Standing Y-T-W-L exercises can also be performed using a stretch strap, which allows you to maintain a consistent arm position.

One More Great Exercise:

 If you’re suffering from increased thoracic kyphosis (rounded upper back / shoulders), protracted shoulder blades and/or forward chin position, ask your doctor of chiropractic about this corrective exercise: Stand, feet together, looking straight ahead. The feet should remain in this position for the duration of the exercise. Put one hand beneath your collarbone and one hand on your belly button. Keeping your hands in that position, lift the chest with the hand under the collarbone while simultaneously pulling down with the belly button hand. This will help to lengthen the spine and reduce the slouched position. Holding the achieved position, level the pelvis by raising the middle of the pelvis with the lower abdominals. Lengthen the neck by slightly tucking the chin and imagining the crown of the head is being pulled toward the sky. Bend your knees very slightly, just enough to remove any tension from the posterior knee. Holding the achieved position, lean forward slightly to shift the center of gravity to the midfoot instead of the heel. Practice this frequently to improve posture. This opens the chest and allows for more natural breathing as well. While non-golfers may not realize it, the physical challenge of golf can be more daunting than the mental part of the game, particularly if you don’t use proper mechanics during every part of the swing. Injuries are common, which will either affect your game dramatically or stop you from playing altogether.

 Talk to your chiropractor about these and other exercise strategies to improve your golf game and avoid injury. ——————————————————————————– Jeffrey Tucker, DC, is a rehabilitation specialist who integrates chiropractic, exercise and nutrition into his practice in West Los Angeles. He is also a speaker for Performance Health/Thera-Band, NASM and FMS.com .

Take Co-enzyme Q10 before exercise

Co-enzyme Q10 – also known as ubiquinone – is a powerful antioxidant found in every cell of the body, where it has important functions within the mitochondria – the “powerhouses” of cells.  Javier Diaz-Castro, from the University of Granada (Spain), and colleagues studied elite runners participating in a 50-kilometer run across Europe’s highest road in the Sierra Nevada. Twenty athletes participated in the study, who were divided into two groups: one group received one 30 mg capsule of Q10 two days before the run, three 30 mg capsules the day before the run, and one capsule one hour prior to the run. The other group received placebo at the same time. Whereas the placebo group displayed a 100% increase in oxidative stress markers, only 37.5% of the Q10-supplemented runners experienced the same stresses. Suggesting that Q 10 countered the overexpression of certain pro-inflammatory compounds after exercise, the researchers conclude that: “Co Q10 supplementation before strenuous exercise decreases the oxidative stress and modulates the inflammatory signaling, reducing the subsequent muscle damage.”

How to do the Turkish Get Up

http://www.allthingshealing.com/Chiropractic/The-Turkish-Get-Up/9399

Two Minutes A Day Solution to Help Chronic Neck-Shoulder Pain

Watch this one minute video to learn which exercise to perform

http://www.allthingshealing.com/Chiropractic/Two-Minutes-A-Day-Solution-to-Help-Chronic-Neck-Shoulder-Pain/9265

Improve your running style – try this

 One-leg hops on the spot: Two sets of 40 secs on each leg.

• Stand in a relaxed position, with your full body weight supported on your left foot only.
• Lift your left heel slightly, so that the force of body weight is passing through the ball of the left foot (your right knee is flexed so that your right knee is off the ground).
• Then, hop rapidly on your left foot at a cadence of 2.5 to 3 hops per second (25 to 30 foot contacts per 10secs) for the prescribed time period, while maintaining relaxed, upright posture.
• Your left foot should strike the ground in the area of the mid-foot and spring upwards rapidly, as though it were contacting a very hot burner on a stove. Your hips should remain fairly level as you do this; try to minimise vertical displacement of the upper body.

Isometrics article in To Your Health magazine

http://www.toyourhealth.com/mpacms/tyh/article.php?id=1465

Exercise Your Pain Away

If we all agree that exercise is vital to health, then let’s figure out the best routine. The right mix of exercise can: Reduce the risk of premature death, reduce the risk of heart disease,  reduce high blood pressure, reduce high cholesterol, reduce the risks of many cancers, including colon and breast cancer, reduce the risk of developing diabetes, reduce fat and optimize body weight,  build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints,  reduce depression and anxiety,  enhance performance in work and sport. 

Believe it or not, running every day, won’t cut it. Going to the gym every day and working out with weights every day won’t cut it. The ideal exercise program includes cardio/aerobic exercise, strength training, weight-bearing exercise, stretching, breathing, and balance.

Cardio/aerobic exercise. This has to be some movement that is brisk enough that requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body’s increased oxygen demand. Basically you are forcing the heart and lungs to work harder, and yet of low enough intensity to facilitate adequate oxygen transfer to the muscle cells so that no buildup of lactic acid is observed. Think repetitive movement of the arms, legs, and hips.     Take your pick from running, jogging, and fast walking. Biking (either road or mountain), and swimming are also good. If you belong to a gym or have home equipment, there are treadmills, elliptical trainers, spin cycles, and rebounders. 

Strength Training involves the use of free weights, kettlebells, weight machines, resistance bands or some other form of resistance to build muscle and increase strength. Its benefits include: Increased muscle strength, increased tendon and ligament strength, reduced body fat and increased muscle mass,  better balance,  lower blood cholesterol, improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.  The key to strength training is to choose one you can do easily and are willing to do regularly.

Every patient of mine that wants to lose weight, I make sure that they are  doing  circuit weight training.  Strength training builds muscle which increases your resting metabolic rate. 

Weight bearing  exercise is actually a subset of certain aerobic and strength training exercises. It helps slow down the rate of bone loss and osteoporosis. It is exercise in which you force your body to support weight (your own included) while exercising.  The best weight bearing exercises are: weight-lifting, jogging, hiking with a back pack, stair-climbing, step aerobics, racquet sports, and other activities that require your muscles to work against gravity. Swimming and simple walking don’t do the trick. One exceptionally useful form of weight bearing exercise is rebounding. The act of rebounding makes use of g-forces, just like astronauts training in a centrifuge. 

Stretching is the most over-looked area of fitness I have seen lately. Stretching reduces muscle tension and increases range of movement in the joints. I see tremendous tightness and restrictions in most clients bodies from a lack of variety of movement.  Tightness and constriction cause a reduced blood flow to the muscles and soft tissues, this leads to a lack of oxygen to the tissues and this is a very painful situation. Yoga  has become one of my pewrsonal favorites for stretching. Pilates works well too. If nothing else, just do 5-10 minutes of simple stretching after your daily exercise routine as part of your cool down time. 

Proper breathing is often over-looked as much as stretching. The concept is simple: putting a device in your mouth that restricts (in a controlled manner) your inhalations and exhalations, which forces your lungs to work harder. This, in turn, strengthens the muscles that makes your lungs work and increases their capacity.  

The last area  is Balance. Balance diminishes with age unless we consciously exercise it. If you fall down and break your hip or wrist, the odds are you will have  a long-slow recovery, if you fully recover. 

The most simple balance exercise is to practice standing on one leg. If you need to hold on to a chair for support, with one hand, that’s fine. Slightly bend one leg so that  the foot of the bent leg is projected out behind you. Get used to balancing on the one leg holding a chair or wall. Then take the hands off the chair and balance with one eye closed. Build up to balancing with your eyes closed for 30 seconds. 

Please remember that you can not exercise your your way out of a bad diet. Increase your quality protein to build the muscles you are exercising.  Avoid sugar but enjoy high quality fats such as Omega-3s.

Low Intensity Sample Workout

This is a perfect workout to get your energy flowing but not your sweat! 

March in place for two minutes.

Vertical Push-Up: Stand at arm’s length from a wall. Keeping your elbows at shoulder level, place both hands against the wall, shoulder-width apart. Lean into the wall, bending your elbows as you come forward… and straightening them out as you push back. Try to do 10-12 reps.

Squats: Stand one foot away from a chair, facing away from it. Bend at your knees, lean forward and bend – keeping your back straight – until you are seated in the chair. Rest for a second, place your hands on your thighs, and push off using your legs… and stand. Try to do 8-12 reps.

Crunches: Sit on a desk, bench, or other straight surface. Cup your ears with your hands. Bring your left knee up and across to your right elbow. Pause, tighten your ab muscles, and return to your starting position. Bring your right knee up and across to your left elbow. Pause, tighten your ab muscles, and return to your starting position. Try to repeat 6–10 times.

Do 10-12 more wall push-ups. Do 8-12 more squats. And finally march in place for two minutes.

Enjoy!

How to perform the plank

The plank requires good abdominal strength and co-contraction of the abdominal wall musculature to hold the lumbar spine and pelvis in correct alignment.

Technique:

• Assume a press-up position, but with your hands and forearms on the floor.
• Hold a straight body position, with your weight supported on your elbows and toes.
• Brace your abs and set the lower back in neutral (neither overly rounded nor arched) once you are up. Sometimes this requires a pelvic tilt to find the right position.
• The aim is to hold this position, keeping the upper spine extended, for an increasing length of time – up to a maximum of 90 sec.
• Do 2-3 sets.

Progression: Lift one leg just off the floor – hold the position without tilting at the pelvis.