Search

If weight loss is your only goal for exercise - it’s time to rethink your priorities

As an aesthetic society, we often <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1116-5">demonise body fat</a> and stigmatise people with lots of it. There’s often an assumption that people carrying excess weight don’t exercise and must be unhealthy. But that’s not true: you can be fat and fit. In fact, as we age, <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.111.038422">low levels of fitness can be more harmful to our health</a> than high amounts of fat. For those considering starting exercise, try looking beyond weight loss for motivation. No matter how much you weigh, there are always benefits to exercise. Exercise actually does a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24438736">pretty poor job</a> of getting us to expend enough excess energy to lose weight. This is partly due to a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/110/3/583/5512180?redirectedFrom=fulltext">compensatory effect</a> of our appetite, which increases after we exercise. Exercise changes our body composition – how much fat we have as a ratio to how much lean (muscle) tissue we have – but this doesn’t always cause big changes on the scales. Here are just five ways exercise improves our health, no matter how much we weigh. 1. Better cardiorespiratory fitness Cardiorespiratory fitness is a measure of how far and hard you can run without needing to stop, or how many stairs you can climb without being out of breath. Running for longer, or climbing more stairs, means you have a higher absolute cardiorespiratory fitness which cannot be improved with weight loss alone. Having a high body mass index (BMI) may reduce the absolute intensity you can exercise but it doesn’t mean it is less effective. You may be able to jog between every third lamppost, for example, but not run consistently for 1 km. While it may seem the periodic jogging is not as impressive, it’s all relative to your baseline and any exercise is better than none. If you’re carrying a lot of excess weight, you might prefer non-weight bearing exercise such as swimming or cycling indoors to minimise stress on your joints – but this will depend on you and what you like doing. After all, you’re <a href="http://file.scirp.org/Html/5-6901353_53271.htm">more likely to continue</a> exercising if you enjoy it. If you’re thinking “but I hate running/swimming/cycling/dancing and I’d rather lift weights”, then lift weights! Although lifting weights doesn’t have the same effects as cardio training, the benefits are still as important for mobility, joint function and maintaining muscle mass as we age 2. Lowered risk of heart disease a.nd stroke Exercise <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/family-health-guide/exercise-and-the-risk-of-stroke-heart-disease-the-family-healthguide">reduces the risk</a> of heart disease and stroke, even in those with a chronic disease such as diabetes, irrespective of body fatness. Regular exercise <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23494259">helps lower</a> blood pressure, improves delivery of blood throughout the body, and reduces inflammation, even in those with a high body mass index. Exercise improves our body’s ability to use energy. We store large amounts 3. Reducing the ‘bad’ fat of energy as fat, which is quite hard to break down, as it costs a lot of oxygen compared to “cheaper” fuels for the body to use like glucose. But when we exercise regularly, we <a href="https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00355.2012">increase our body’s ability</a> to use fat as a fuel source as well as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18272935">requiring more energy</a> at rest. This doesn’t necessarily mean more exercise equals more fat loss, but it does mean more fat turnover, and typically less fat stored in and around the organs (the “bad” visceral fat). 4. Mental health benefits Research has <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(18)30227-X/fulltext">consistently shown</a> that people who exercise (regardless of body size and shape) have <a href="https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/223730">better mental health</a> and lower levels of stress, depression and emotional problems. It does this via blood flow to the brain, increased release of endorphins that make us feel happy, and by helping to moderate the brain’s response to stress. Often, the hardest part is getting started with exercise or going to perform the exercise, but once you are moving the mental health benefits begin.’ 5. Preventing weight gain While exercise may not help us lose a lot of weight on the scales, it’s a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.21986">good way</a> to keep weight off and prevent weight regain. Regular exercise continues to encourage the body to use stored fuels and remodel tissues (such as muscle) to grow healthier and stronger. But preventing weight regain is tough. People who have lost weight <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17909412?dopt=Abstract">may need greater amounts of exercise</a> to counteract the physiological drive to return to the heavier body weight. If you need some extra help getting started or finding a routine that suits you, talk to your GP or consider seeing an <a href="https://www.essa.org.au/Public/Consumer_Information/What_is_an_Accredited_Exercise_Physiologist_.aspx">accredited exercise physiologist</a>. Written by Evelyn Parr. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-weight-loss-is-your-only-goal-for-exercise-its-time-to-rethink-your-priorities-120083">The Conversation.</a>

Beauty & Style

The exercise that will loosen tight muscles

Sitting down for a big chunk of your day can lead to problems such as lower back pain, hip pain and knee and ankle pain. The reason is because the glutes have worn out and are failing to move when we exercise or go about our day-to-day tasks. Glute activation is a popular form of exercise, especially for those who tend to be hunched over a desk for long periods at a time, or whose health or lifestyle causes them to be sitting down for most of the day. It’s the perfect way to loosen up tight muscles and is a stepping stone for more high intensity and weight bearing moves like squats and lunges. In this video, Taylor Harrison – author, senior’s health expert and Director of <a href="http://www.activeseniors.net.au/">Active Seniors Health Centre</a> – shows you how to activate your glutes, resulting in relaxed muscles and a pain-free body. <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/297639711" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> To see more videos and articles on improving your health and fitness from Taylor Harrison, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/search.aspx?Keyword=taylor+harrison">click here</a>. Will you be trying out this exercise? Let us know in the comments below.

Body

Lifting weights may help ward off dementia

A study from the University of Sydney has discovered a “positive casual link” between strong muscles and improved brain power in people over the age of 55. The study examined 100 adults, aged between 55 and 80, with some form of mild cognitive impairment (a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease) and found that increasing muscle strength actually improved the brain function of those tested. Lead author of the study Dr Yorgi Mavros said, “What we found is that the improvement in cognition function was related to their muscle strength gains. “The stronger people became, the greater the benefit for their brain.” The study divide people into four groups, conducting two sessions every week for six months. The first group combined resistance exercises with cognitive training, the second exercised without cognitive training, the third group did brain training without the physical exercise, and the fourth group did a placebo brain and physical training. Researchers found the groups conducting resistance exercises drew the best results. Dr Mavros said: "The more we can get people doing resistance training like weight lifting, the more likely we are to have a healthier ageing population. "The key however is to make sure you are doing it frequently, at least twice a week, and at a high intensity so that you are maximising your strength gains. "This will give you the maximum benefit for your brain." Do you do any resistance training? Do you think you’ll feel compelled to do so after reading this research? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/10/7-foods-to-lower-blood-pressure/">7 things to eat or avoid to lower your blood pressure</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/2016/10/dorrie-jacobson-on-body-issues-and-intimacy/">How body image issues hold you back from intimacy</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/10/the-healthiest-leanest-ways-to-cook/">5 of the healthiest, leanest ways to cook</a>

News

Can exercise damage your hearing?

There is no denying that exercise is beneficial to the body and mind. But be careful, because some fitness routines might come with an unpleasant side effect: <a href="http://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-loss">hearing loss</a>. You may be asking, “What does exercise have to do with my ears?” There are a few common practices involved with strenuous exercise that threaten your ear health. Weightlifting is central to this as it causes strain. Straining causes intracranial pressure (pressure within the brain), which, in turn leads to pressure within the ears. The next is breath holding, which many people tend to unconsciously do when lifting weights or even just body weight. The pressure in the inner ear that this causes can lead to changes in the hearing during or after intense exercise as a result of a perilymphatic fistula, or PLF, which occurs unexpectedly and which most people aren’t aware of right away. Simply put, a PLF is a small tear or defect in the thin membrane between the inner ear and the middle ear. The tear itself can be caused by the pressure in the inner ear due to straining; hearing changes occur when the strain of subsequent workouts causes fluid from the inner ear to leak through the tear and into the middle ear. The risk isn’t limited to weight raining Even running or intense yoga poses can cause changes in hearing and any exercise in a gym setting can bring the risk of hearing loss. The crashing weights and loud music, which have become the norm in gyms everywhere can lead to irreversible <a href="http://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-loss/noise">noise-induced hearing loss</a> or <a href="http://www.healthyhearing.com/help/tinnitus">tinnitus</a>. <a href="http://www.scarysymptoms.com/2013/04/can-slamming-weights-at-gym-cause.html" target="_blank">Rachel Raphael</a>, M.A., CCC-A, an audiologist with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore and a certified group fitness instructor explains. “If in fact, the smashing weights are in this range for volume, it wouldn't take much for the person at close range to suffer permanent damage, in the way of high frequency sensorineural hearing loss and/or tinnitus as a symptom secondary to the damage in the cochlea.” Tips for healthy exercise for your hearing <ul> <li>Get a hearing check immediately if you experience any change in hearing during or after exercise.</li> <li>If you experience pain, immediately drop your weight down to reduce strain. Reducing the strain will reduce the intracranial pressure, and possibly prevent a PLF from occurring.</li> <li>If you are noticing hearing problems during or after exercise, experiment to find the level of exercise at which you are no longer experiencing changes to your hearing.</li> <li><a href="http://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-loss/prevention">Protect your hearing</a> in the group fitness sessions. Wear earplugs to safeguard against loud music, or keep headphones at a reasonable volume to avoid long-term damage in the form of noise-induced hearing loss.</li> <li>As you age, do less straining during exercise, especially in the form of heavy lifting.</li> <li>Take care not to hold your breath to get that extra boost of strength, as holding your breath increases the pressure within the ears.</li> <li>Don’t push yourself</li> <li>Don’t participate in heavy contact sports</li> <li>Don’t bang weights when weight lifting. That sudden noise can reach a level as high as 140 decibels, which is like being exposed to a gunshot or explosion.</li> </ul> Don’t ignore symptoms, thinking they will just go away. Symptoms such as fullness in the ears, muffled hearing or dizziness after intense exercise are definitely not normal, and should be checked out by a medical professional. So go ahead and make this the year for a healthy body; just make sure to keep your hearing healthy at the same time. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/hearing/2016/02/apps-for-people-with-hearing-loss/">Revolutionary apps for people with hearing loss</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/hearing/2016/01/lawn-mowers-can-damage-hearing/">Lawn mowers can damage hearing</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/body/2016/01/how-to-run-safe-tips/">How to stay safe when you go for a run</a>

Hearing

Over 60

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

If weight loss is your only goal for exercise - it’s time to rethink your priorities

The exercise that will loosen tight muscles

Lifting weights may help ward off dementia

Can exercise damage your hearing?