February 2010

By Richard Gafter, Registered Kinesiologist

Each day in my fitness centre I speak with over one-hundred people about exercise, diet, weight loss, physical rehabilitation and "the joys of aging".  Many of these people are struggling to maintain a healthy waistline and a regular and effective exercise program.  If this describes you or someone you know, here are a few important things to consider:

1. If drug companies developed an anti-aging pill with even some of the benefits of regular physical activity, all of us would be taking it.

2. Regular exercise can help prevent adult onset diabetes, improve bone health, and even lower the risk of some cancers. Studies have shown that physical activity may reduce colon cancer risk by as much as 30 to 40%.

3. If you have arthritis, moderate intensity, low impact exercise for 30 to 60 minutes 3-5 times per week can reduce pain and disability.

4. Older adults who are physically active have about a 30% lower risk of falls. Do 30 minutes of balance and moderate strength training plus 30 minutes of walking 3 times per week.

5. The best way for men to keep LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' kind) levels down is to eat a diet low in saturated fat (found in meat and high-fat dairy products).

6. The best way for men to boost HDL cholesterol (the 'good' kind) is exercise. A 2007 Danish study of 835 men found that regular physical activity was consistently associated with higher levels of HDL cholesterol. Also, higher levels of HDL showed that the most active men also had the lowest triglyceride (killer bloodstream fat) levels.

7. Active people are 15 to 25% less likely to be diagnosed with depression than inactive people. In people with depression, moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise (30 minutes 3 times per week) improves symptoms.

8. As blood pressure climbs, the risk of heart disease and stroke accelerates. Unfortunately, blood pressure levels typically climb as men get older. But they don't have to. In a study published in 2007, University of Minnesota researchers followed men and women 18 to 30 years old for up to 15 years. The more physically active the volunteers were, the lower their risk of developing hypertension. 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise 3 times per week is optimal.

9. Research shows that even for people who are overweight or obese, exercise reduces the risk of diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program found that an exercise and weight loss program lowered the risk of type 2 diabetes by 58% over a three-year period.

10. In findings from the National Weight Control Registry, experts looked at the habits of 3,000 people who lost more than 10% of their body weight and managed to keep it off for at least a year. Eight out of 10 of them reported increasing their physical exercise regimen. The men in the group increase their activities enough to burn an additional 3300 calories per week.

Richard Gafter is the founder and medical exercise program director for MedEx Fitness Centre Ltd. in James Bay (250) 382-5050