PETER'S PRINCIPLES - March 10-14, 2008
Jill from East Pointe suffers from fybromalgia and wants tips for leading a fuller life.
Jill, almost four million americans suffer from fybromalgia or f-m. F-m patients have unexplained whole body muscle and joint pain. The symptoms can include chronic fatigue, muscle pain, impaired sleep patterns and morning stiffness. Treatments for f-m include pain relief and helping the patients sleep. But exercise can also help people with the condition. They should begin with low impact aerobics and stretching activities like yoga or tai-chi. After four weeks of aerobics it should be o-k to begin a weight program. Doctors think it's likely f-m is a metabolic problem and exercise is ideal for boosting the metabolism.
Walt from Rochester Hills emails for tips on reducing arthritis pain that don't require medication.
Walt, it's a simple fact of life. Chances are you'll develop some form of arthritis if you live long enough! Osteoarthritis is caused by wear and tear on the joints.. And runs in many families. It's particularlycommon if you've hada previous injury or have a weight problem. Faced with the painful condition, most people avoid exercise and unnecessary activity and that's a mistake because exercise strengthens muscles that takes the pressure off joints! People with arthritis should do exercises that help with flexibility and posture. Start off gradually with non weight bearing exercises like water aerobics and work your way up to walking. Also be sure to check with your doctor or personal fitness trainer for the program that's right for you!
Bob from Novi emails that he's just entered middle age. He writes for tips on how to avoid a heart attack.
Bob, after middle age sets in, fred sanford talking about having the big one loses a lot of it's comic appeal! Sudden death is the first symptom in 1/3 of people with heart disease. You could be jogging, relaxing, even driving when a fatal attack hits! New information shows vigorous exercise once a week dramatically reduces your chances of having an attack. A studyof more than 21 thousand men shows those who didn't exercise were 74 times more likely to die from sudden cardiac arrest. To get th e maximum effect you should work out regularly. Those who exercise irregularly have more adrenaline and that can trigger fatal heart rythyms! Training intensely once a week can prepare your heart for sudden stress and that can help prevent sudden death!
Jim from Royal Oak emails that he's been hearing about circuit training around the gym and wants more information.
Jim, circuit training involves a series of exercises performed with little or no rest in between. You can set up a circuit routine using a combination of free weights, machines and calisthenic exercises. Then you perform each exercise with a pre-set amount of reps move on. Circuit workouts can be complex and get harder as you progress. Another popular type of workout is priority training. Priority training is similar to circuit training except you do several sets of exercise before moving on to the next station. Fitness experts are split as to which system works best. A good way is to proceed is to check with a personal trainer so you can get your priorities straight in choosing the workout that's right for you!
Vince from Allen Park emails to find out if there's a certain age when weight lifting is no longer recommended.
Vince, the answer to that is a little complex. Weight lifting is one of the best types of training for older adults. It decreases muscle loss and increases strength. Unfortunately it also raises blood pressure. But does the increase in pressure place too much stress on older hearts? A recent study out of france tries to answer that question. Researchers found that heart rate and blood pressure both increase during a workout, but most important they found no increase in a chemical called troponin. The chemical would increase if the exercise were doing any kind of damage to the heart. The final conclusion, weight training protects the heart by helping it adjust to greater pressure!
