Tag Archives: moderate exercise

January 17, 2019 · 12:18 am

Physical Activity, Any Type or Amount, Cuts Health Risk from Sitting

Eat less; move more; live longer just got further support from a recent study. I remain convinced that a sedentary lifestyle is one of the great unnoticed killers in our midst – particularly of senior citizens.

A new study of around 8,000 middle-aged and older adults found that swapping a half-hour of sitting around with physical activity of any intensity or duration cut the risk of early death by as much as 35 percent. The findings highlight the importance of movement—regardless of its intensity or amount of time spent moving—for better health.

grayscale photography of five people walking on road

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

The study was published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

“Our findings underscore an important public health message that physical activity of any intensity provides health benefits,” says Keith Diaz, PhD, assistant professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and lead author of the paper. Continue reading →

Older men at risk of osteoporosis – Harvard

Because three out of four cases of osteoporosis are women, most people consider it a women’s disease, especially men. However, as I reported here, after the age of 50 men are as likely to get osteoporosis as prostate cancer. More to the point, older people of both sexes have great vulnerability to it.

Here’s what Harvard Health Publications has to say:

Don’t think men need to worry about osteoporosis? Think again. In fact, about one in four men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis during their lifetime, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

How can men protect themselves and lower their risk of osteoporosis? Here are some strategies: Continue reading →

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Filed under bones, osteoporosis, weight-bearing exercise

Tagged as aging, calcium, cardio, moderate exercise, osteoporosis, Vitamin D, weight bearing

March 28, 2014 · 3:32 pm

Even Moderate Regular Exercise Can Add Years to Your Life

“It doesn’t take a lot of exercise to dramatically improve the way you age. Even moderate exercise helps neutralize free radicals, boost your immune system and even grow new brain cells,” according to The Washington Post.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

Adults 18 to 64 should get: 2.5 hours per week of moderate intensity exercise.  OR 1.25 hours a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity  OR Some combination of the above – equivalent episodes of at least 10 minutes spread throughout the week.

Take a good look at those numbers from the Department. Those aren’t big numbers.

The Washington Post referenced a study “Analyzing data for more than 650,000 people, pooled from six existing studies, and tracking them for an average of 10 years (during which time more than 82,000 deaths were recorded), they found that even a little bit of activity seemed to help people live longer. Compared to no physical activity, just 75 minutes of brisk walking per week was associated with an extra 1.8 years of life expectancy after age 40. Bumping that up to 150 minutes a week – the amount currently recommended by the World Health Organization – was associated with 3.4 years of added longevity; walking briskly for 450 minutes a week or more added up to an extra 4.5 years of life. The relationship between weekly physical activity time and longevity began leveling off at about 300 minutes, the study notes.”

So, with a little bit of regular exercise, you can extend your life, reduce your waistline and bolster your brain power, too. What are you waiting for?

Tony

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Filed under aging, brain, Exercise, living longer, walking, Weight, weight control, weight loss

Tagged as aging, brain, Exercise, health, living longer, longevity, moderate exercise, physical activity, The Washington Post, U.S. Departmentt of Health and Human Services, walking, weight, world health organization

July 30, 2013 · 2:40 pm

Harvard on Simple Weight Loss Principles

Seconds on the lips; a lifetime on the hips.

We have all heard that old cliche and nodded knowingly. But the fact that two-thirds of us are overweight and half of the heavies are actually obese demonstrates that not enough of us are acting as if we believed it.

I have written an entire page entitled How to lose weight – and keep it off breaking down the principles and techniques I have used for the past several years to reach my ideal weight and maintain it. I am a regular guy not a saint or superhuman. You can do it, too.

Now comes Harvard Medical School with an item echoing and elucidating my sentiments on weight loss and weight maintenance.

“The pleasure of eating a candy bar lasts but a few minutes. Burning off the calories it delivers can take nearly three-quarters of an hour. Continue reading →