Beginner's Fitness Programs

Archive for August, 2011

Many older people have some health problems and find physical activity difficult, even when they know it is good for them and will improve their lives. Most fitness centers focus their attention on younger people, and even “gentle” forms of yoga and other classes are often not suitable for many older people. Although there are some personal trainers who may work with them, they are not available in large enough numbers to guide all the elderly people who need help in starting a workout regimen.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan, an ancient Chinese martial art, may be a solution for many of these older people. You may have seen T’ai Chi in action with its slow dancelike movements flowing from one posture to another. These postures and movements were originally created for self-defense and were based on actual fighting techniques, but the majority of modern-day people practice the forms for health reasons. The scientific community is also interested in good health and has been studying T’ai Chi practitioners. Although the research is ongoing, they have found these benefits of regular T’ai Chi practice:

• It offers a good muscle workout, especially for the lower body.
• It improves balance, which is very important for the elderly, since the main cause of bone fractures is falling.
• It reduces arthritis and joint pain, especially in the knees.
• It improves levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
• It improves lung capacity, through controlled breathing.
• It improves blood flow to the brain, cognitive capacity, and memory.

Unlike other exercises, there are not usually negative side effects, such as potential damage to joints. The only problem that I can think of is that there are not enough qualified instructors in the US. If you are lucky enough to live in a large city or near a college/university, you can probably find one or two T’ai Chi studios or programs, but if you live in a less populated area, you may need to rely on DVDs or TV programs. They are often good, but it is always advisable for beginners to work directly with teachers so that they can adjust and correct postures. Even with a seemingly gentle exercise like T’ai Chi, if you perform it incorrectly, there is always the risk of injury. You may also want to ask your Chinese friends if they may know someone living nearby who practices T’ai Chi, even if that person is not an actual instructor.

My other concern is that, although T’ai Chi practice may offer some cardiovascular benefit, it may not be enough. It is best to combine it with an hour of walking 2-3 times a week for more complete fitness and health.

Sources:
Tai Chi Exercise in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2011; 171
Tai Chi on psychological well-being: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2010
The effectiveness of Tai Chi for chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 2009; 61 (6): 717

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By now, most people have heard that coffee, tea, and chocolate, in moderation, are good for our bodies because they contain high-quality antioxidants and other healthful chemicals. (See previous article: coffee). However, scientists do not fully agree on whether caffeine itself in coffee and tea is helpful or damaging to the body. For example, a recent study published in the Journal of Caffeine Research pointed out that caffeine potentially increases insulin resistance and leads a susceptible person to diabetes. However, another study published in another journal found that coffee may reduce the risk of diabetes! (This study however, focused on coffee, not caffeine.)

The controversy may finally end. Two scientists have created a very detailed theoretical model about the interactions between caffeine and free-radicals, and found that caffeine is, indeed, a very powerful antioxidant and may help to prevent conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease on the most fundamental levels. Yes, you have a green light to drink caffeinated coffee!

Of course, don’t forget about the word “moderation.” Too much caffeine disturbs your sleeping cycle and prevents deeper sleep. This will affect your health in the long run. It is known that if you don’t sleep enough, your brain ages quicker than if you daily sleep 8 hours soundly. Caffeine also causes heart palpitations, and if you have high blood pressure, it may have adverse effects. (There are even a few cases of young healthy people dying from too much caffeine.)

Further, you should avoid soft drinks with caffeine. Most soft drinks contain very high quantities of sugar, and with caffeine the blood sugar level shoots up immediately. This is why you get that “high” but will crash in 20 minutes. This is definitely not good for the body. Sure, the same thing can happen if you put too much sugar in your coffee or tea – so don’t!

The worst is caffeine plus alcohol. Recently, several alcohol + caffeine products were pulled from the market. This is because there were several cases of really bad reactions to these drinks. They are no longer being sold pre-mixed, but there are still bartenders who may make them, and you can probably mix them yourself. If you are trying to be healthy, avoid it. You can drink a nice glass of wine at dinner and a cup of coffee afterward, but hard alcohol with caffeine is a bad match.

Sources:
Caffeine, Glucose Metabolism, and Type 2 Diabetes. Journal of Caffeine Research, March 2011, 1(1): 23-28
Coffee and Caffeine Ameliorate Hyperglycemia, Fatty Liver, and Inflammatory Adipocytokine Expression in Spontaneously Diabetic KK-A^y Mice. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2010; 58
Is Caffeine a Good Scavenger of Oxygenated Free Radicals? The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2011; 115
Tea and Coffee Consumption and Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association, 2010

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We don’t think much about it, but walking and even just standing straight require lots of physical training. Robotic scientists are working hard to simulate stability in the human body, but so far cannot recreate it perfectly. Most of us needed a couple of years to learn how to run without tumbling every five seconds! We are lucky that we went through this training period when we were really young. If we waited until we were 30 years old, we probably wouldn’t have the patience to keep practicing for 2 years, and only 10% of the people on the Earth would be able to walk! Most people’s ability to keep their balance, however, has stayed at the kindergarten level, since a rather sedentary daily life does not require much.

Thanks to the popularity of yoga and functional workouts, more and more people are realizing how important balance is in their daily life. As with any other physical activities, if you start practicing when you are younger, you can delay age-related problems. The main cause of physical confinement of older people is bone fractures from falling. If you develop your balancing ability, your chance of maintaining an active lifestyle as you get older is quite high. Even if you are older, adding a balancing workout will reduce the chance of falling and will lower the risk of bone fractures.

How do we balance? There are three main sensory inputs. The first is through the inner ear (vestibular system); the second is visual reference; and the third involves feeling throughout the body, especially the feet. These three sensory systems send signals to the brain which can perceive exactly where the body is, and send back signals to readjust its position. You can train all of these systems. For example, most people who turn around in a small circle several times will likely get very dizzy. This does not happen for professional dancers – because they are trained. Ballet dancers can turn on the spot quickly 10-15 times without falling down.

Many people think that balancing comes from the legs and that they need to develop strong muscles, especially in the lower legs. In truth, you need to train the entire body, especially your core. Further, it is not just muscle strength, but a combination of strength and quick response from the nervous system. This is why a body builder cannot stand on one foot as long as a tiny ballerina on her toes!

Although yoga is really great to develop your balance, or more precisely, awareness of your body, there are many things you can do without a yoga class. The easiest training you can do is to stand on one foot. Surprisingly, many people cannot stay on one foot for even 30 seconds. You can do this exercise anywhere, (like waiting in line at the supermarket). Here are several exercises you can do without equipment or classes:

• Stand on one foot for 30-60 seconds. Change feet. Repeat for several sets.
• Stand on both feet, but on the toes. Raise and lower the heels slowly for 20 counts. Rest, then repeat.
• Stand with one foot in front of other (inline). Stay in this position for 30-60 seconds. Reverse feet and repeat.
• Stand in this same position with feet inline, but turn your body slowly to your right, then to your left. Reverse feet and repeat.
• Stand on one foot, then raise and lower the heel. Stay at the highest point for 10 second before lowering the heel to the ground. Repeat with other foot.

Here are a few more advanced workouts:

• Stand on one foot, then slowly lower the upper body forward and extend the free leg backward until your body is parallel to the floor. Stay there for 10 seconds and return to a straight standing position. Repeat a few times and then switch feet/legs.
• Stand on both feet, then rise onto your toes. Extend your arms forward, and slowly lower your body by bending your knees. (Don’t go lower than a 90-degree angle with your knees.) Stay there for 10-30 seconds.
• Stand with one foot in front of the other (inline). Rise onto your toes. Tilt your body slowly to your right, then to your left. Switch feet and repeat.

If you would like to use equipment, here are a few suggestions:

BOSU balance trainer: This is really great training equipment. For beginners, put the hard platform side on the floor and stand on the soft half. Many people do leg workouts on this balance trainer (such as squats).

Balance board: There are several different brands. Get the cheapest one, since they work just as well. The expensive ones are surely stronger, but they are made for gyms and serious athletes. For the rest of us, a cheap one will last a long time.

Foam roller: Foam rollers are available from many makers and you can buy them at sporting goods and fitness stores. As for a beginner, choose a one with a half circle (one side flat) since you need to stand on it. This is also quite difficult, and you may want to wait a while, even though it is much cheaper.

I recommend starting balancing exercises without specialty equipment, since you don’t need to spend any money and you can do them anywhere, anytime, and still get a good workout. If they become too easy, then you can try the equipment.

Source:
A computational human model for exploring the role of the feet in balance. Journal of Biomechanics, 2010; 43

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