Can Over exercising be detrimental

 Of course too much of just about anything can be detrimental, but the threshold for exercise on heart disease seems to be very high. A recently published 5 year study on 90,000 healthy individuals that used accelerometers to measure physical activity found that there was no maximal amount of exercise that increased risk for heart attack or heart disease.

Can You Exercise Too Much?

Stable Plaques: Why Exercisers Have Fewer Heart Attacks?

 New research is showing one of the reasons people who exercise, especially more vigorously, are less prone to heart attacks. They tend to form more stable plaques in their arteries which are less likely to break off and block an artery. If you have been told you have plaques in your arteries from a coronary calcium test, it is important to have them differentiate what type of plaques are present.

Stable Plaques: Why Exercisers Have Fewer Heart Attacks?

Exercising During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sports medicine physician Dr. Gabe Mirkin writes on the immune enhancing benefits of exercise. He cites research showing benefits while cautioning against exercising with symptoms of COVID.
Remember the newer research shows that small amounts of exercise can have large benefits.
Should You Exercise During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

How Your Mental Health Reaps the Benefits of Exercise

My last post concerned that beneficial effects of exercise on physical functioning. Research also shows large benefits for mental health. Studies are now showing that exercise appears to be as good as existing drug treatments across a range of conditions, such as mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and dementia.
We do not have to do marathons. Just about any amount is beneficial. Below is a great article from Psychology Today on this issue.

How Your Mental Health Reaps the Benefits of Exercise

New research shows why physical exercise is essential to mental health.

Even light activity is healthier than previously thought, new studies show

Two new studies with one from Harvard University show several surprising findings, including that light exercise has even more benefits in decreased mortality than previously thought. As a doctor board certified in rehabilitation I will be sharing these findings with my patients. I am always encouraging them to be more active even when they have very painful conditions because we now know that a little activity can go a long way!
Does this surprise anyone?Even light activity is healthier than previously thought, new studies show

High rate of disabililty after senior patients leave the hospital

We now have overwhelming evidence of the benefits of activity and I spend much time encouraging more activiity for my patients. This Kaiser Health News article references a study showing that one-third of patients age 70 and older leave the hospital more disabled than when they arrived because many times they are restricted from getting out of bed.
Can you imagine how much disability this creates?
‘Fear Of Falling’: How Hospitals Do Even More Harm By Keeping Patients In Bed

Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms

Good article from Mayo Clinic on how exercise can help with depression and anxiety. I am board certified in rehabilitation and continually discuss the benefits of activity and exercise with my patients. Did you know that exercise has been shown to be as effective as drug therapy for mild and moderate depression, and it can help with anxiety syndromes? Only 30 minutes 5 times per week can have significant benefits and even 10-15 minutes per day can be beneficial. It does not have to be structured....taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator is exercise.Depression and anxiety: Exercise eases symptoms

A fitness instructor from Aurora has set 2 world records for planking

60 year old ex-marine George Hood has recently broke the world plank record again doing 10 hours and 10 minutes and created a new world record category by planking 18 hours 10 minutes over 24 hours! 
He also holds the world record for stationary biking at 111 hours! 
Do you find this as amazing and inspiring as I do?
A fitness instructor from Aurora has set 2 world records for planking

New Physical Activity Guidelines Urge Americans: Move More, Sit Less

New federal exercise guidelines have changed the needed exercise duration from 10 minutes to a couple minutes. New research has shown that it is the total exercise volume and not the length of exercise bouts that is important. Also we have learned of many more benefits of exercise since the first guidelines were released 10 years ago.
Are you getting your recommended amount of exercise?
New Physical Activity Guidelines Urge Americans: Move More, Sit Less

Maintaining Mobility as we Age A Key to Aging Successfully

I have been talking to patients about the importance of mobility for the last 28 years. Glad to see it getting to the mainstream. Here is an animated presentation by a chiropractic professor on the importance of mobility as we age.
Are you staying mobile?
Maintaining Mobility as we Age A Key to Aging Successfully

Preventing Muscle Loss Among the Elderly

Sarcopenia is the fancy medical name for loss of muscle fibers. Sarcopenia is one of the most important causes of functional decline and loss of independence in older adults.The good news from current research is that the loss of strength can be greatly slowed down or reversed by increasing the size of the individual muscle fibers by exersice! I am board certified in rehabilitation and show exercises to many of my patients. 
Has anyone gained back lost muscle strength?
Preventing Muscle Loss Among the Elderly

Older Adults with Arthritis Need Just 45 Minutes of Activity Per Week

More good news concerning exercise. Current federal exercise guidelines show that only 150 minutes of exercise per week can confer large health benefits. Unfortunately only 1 out of 10 older Americans with knee arthritis meet these guidelines.
Now a recent study from Northwestern Medical shows that only 45 minutes of exercise per week will keep an older person with knee arthritis functional, and it does not even have to be done in at least 10 minutes blocks of time.
So if you are in this category, just do a little more exercise like walking or activities that you enjoy and it significantly help with the knee arthritis.
Anyone have improvements with knee arthritis from exercise?
Older Adults with Arthritis Need Just 45 Minutes of Activity Per Week

I spend much time and effort motivating my patients to become or stay more active.
Two new studies with one from the British Journal of Sports Medicine had several surprising findings including that every hour of television watched after the age of 25 reduces the viewer’s life expectancy by 21.8 minutes. Also “highest sedentary behavior,” meaning those who sat the most, had a 112 percent increase in their relative risk of developing diabetes; a 147 percent increase in their risk for cardiovascular disease; and a 49 percent greater risk of dying prematurely — even if they regularly exercised.
So the take home message is get regular activity and cut down on the amount of sitting.

Get Up. Get Out. Don’t Sit.