Sports « Weekly Gravy

Daily exercise may be the ideal, but even weekend workouts might prolong your life, a new study suggests. In a study of more than 3,400 men and women over age 40, researchers found those who exercised one or two days a week had the same low death rates as those who exercised more frequently. “One of the main concerns to increasing physical activity is limited time, particularly multiple days a week,” said lead researcher Eric Shiroma. He’s a staff scientist and epidemiologist at the U.S. National Institute on Aging. At the study’s start, participants wore activity monitors for a week. The researchers classified them as “weekend warriors” if they exercised only one or two days a week, or as regularly active folks who spread their exercise out over the week. All were tracked for about six years. Although the regular exercisers had about 50% more moderate and vigorous workouts than the weekend exercisers, the health benefits were similar. “We found that weekend warriors had a similar mortality benefit compared to more frequent exercisers,” Shiroma said. The weekend warriors had health benefits similar to those who met goals set out in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans — at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week, he said. However, this study can’t prove that it was exercise that reduced death rates, said Dr.… read on >

Flexibility in your upper body is important for many everyday activities you take for granted, like twisting and turning while backing out of a parking space. Try these three stretches to help keep your upper body agile. They don’t require any special equipment and can even be done in your office. Neck stretch: Do this easy stretch either standing or sitting in a chair. Slowly turn your head to the left until you feel a slight pull. Make sure the position feels comfortable, but don’t tilt your head forward or backward. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, return to center and repeat to the right, again holding for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat the full movement three times. Shoulder and arm stretch: Next, grab a small towel. Raise your right arm over your head, holding the towel so that it falls along the center of your back. Grab the other end of the towel with your left hand and slowly tug until you feel a slight stretch. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat three to five times, then switch hands and repeat. Wall walk: “Walking” up a wall with your hands stretches your chest. Stand facing a wall, with your legs and arms shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, walk your hands up the wall until they’re above the level of your head. Hold… read on >

No matter your fitness level, adding just a little more exercise may prolong your life, new research suggests. “People think they have to start going to the gym and exercising hard to get fitter,” said researcher Elin Ekblom-Bak, from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences in Stockholm. “But it doesn’t have to be that complicated. For most people, just being more active in daily life — taking the stairs, exiting the metro station early, cycling to work — is enough to benefit health since levels are so low to start with,” she said. “The more you do, the better.” Ekblom-Bak and her colleagues looked at more than 316,000 adults in Sweden, aged 18 to 74, whose heart-lung (cardiorespiratory) fitness was assessed between 1995 and 2015. Participants rode a stationary cycle to determine the maximum amount of oxygen the heart and lungs can provide the muscles during exercise, a measure called VO2 max. Overall, the risk of all-cause death and death from cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke fell 2.8% to 3.2% for each milliliter increase in VO2 max. The benefits of increased activity were seen in men and women, in all age groups, and at all fitness levels. The study was to be presented Friday at a European Society of Cardiology meeting, in Lisbon, Portugal. Such research is considered preliminary until… read on >

Faith-based fitness is on the rise, according to trend-watchers at the American Council on Exercise, with many churches, mosques, synagogues and temples developing programs that promote health and wellness. From exercise classes to nutrition advice and health coaching, congregants can enhance their physical as well as their spiritual well-being. More than just another fitness fad, research has found an explanation for the spirituality-wellness connection: The strong sense of community in faith-based programs can lead to fitness success. That’s especially true when they include partnerships with health organizations, local hospitals, medical schools and other access to medical experts, and when they promote positive behavioral changes and supportive social relationships. These programs can instill a commitment among participants that exceeds that of a commercial diet group, for instance. Studies show that traditional houses of worship tend to offer more disease screening and health education activities, while more modern ones tend to offer disease prevention and lifestyle activities to the community at large. At their core, all such programs address fitness and health issues in a spiritual environment that may make it easier to change habits because of congregants’ belief in their church’s role in promoting health along with the ability to deepen bonds with fellow congregants. If your religious institution offers exercise classes, consider the role they can play in achieving your fitness goals and take the… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A tragedy can happen in any swimming pool without proper supervision, says Intermountain Healthcare. Following water safety guidelines can prevent children from drowning. Intermountain Healthcare urges parents to: Always watch children who are in the water. Be alert. Learn infant and child CPR. Have a phone nearby in case of emergency. Never leave children alone or with siblings. Enclose a pool inside a fence. Teach children to swim.

Young sports buffs recovering from mononucleosis may be itching to return to the game they love. But one expert says the risk of suffering a burst spleen during play means staying on the sideline longer than some would like. Along with extreme fatigue, sore throat, fever and swollen glands, “mono” causes spleen enlargement. That can be dangerous for athletes because the impacts and pressure on the abdomen that occur during many sports can cause the spleen to burst. “It’s rare — occurring in less than 0.5% of patients — but an infected athlete can rupture their spleen without warning within 21 days after symptoms begin,” said Dr. Lindsay Lafferty, a primary care sports medicine physician at Penn State Health. “The rate declines after four weeks, but ruptures have occurred up to eight weeks after an athlete first notices symptoms,” she noted in a Penn State news release. Determining the risk of a spleen rupture is challenging. Because the normal size of a spleen fluctuates, ultrasounds and CT scans won’t help determine if the organ is enlarged or at risk of rupture, Lafferty said. “Physical examination of spleen size identifies as few as 17% of cases, so deciding when the time is right for a student athlete to return to play can be complex,” she explained. For athletes, protective equipment such as flank jackets or protective… read on >

(HealthDay News) –Horseback trail riding is a fun, leisure activity for many Americans. However, it is important to follow rules for trail safety, says the Minnesota State Department of Natural Resources. It encourages people to: Wear a helmet and appropriate footwear. If your horse kicks, tie a red ribbon in its tail. Do not bring unruly horses on public trails. Ride in groups. Carry a trail map and cellphone.

Are you neglecting or even unaware of the muscles in your back? If so, you’re putting yourself at risk. The trapezius is the diamond-shaped muscle that runs from neck to middle back and from shoulder to shoulder across the back. The latissimus dorsi — or “lats” — are the large back muscles that run from either side of the spine to your waist. Here are two strength-training exercises that will help you develop these muscles for better upper body fitness. Important: Start with a weight that allows you to complete at least eight reps with proper form, perhaps as low as 2-pound dumbbells. Build up to 10 to 15 reps for one complete set, and progress from one to three complete sets before increasing the weight. Never jerk the weights — controlled, steady movement is what brings results. Standing dumbbell rows target the trapezius muscles as well as the upper arms and shoulders. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, with a weight in each hand. Your elbows should be slightly bent, the dumbbells touching the fronts of your thighs, palms facing your body. As you exhale, use a slow, controlled movement to lift the weights straight up by bending the elbows up and out to bring the weights to shoulder level. Hold for a second, then inhale as you lower your arms to the starting position.… read on >

Are you in a time crunch for even a short workout? Experts at the American College of Sports Medicine created a 7-minute plan that can fit into almost anyone’s schedule. The program uses high-intensity training in an exercise circuit, meaning that you quickly progress from one exercise in the circuit to another, exercising full out for each one (that’s the “high-intensity” part of the training plan). This workout combines cardio and resistance work into a single session. Some moves target specific muscle groups; others work the entire body. Do each of the 12 exercises for 30 seconds, which should be enough time to complete between 15 and 20 repetitions, the optimal amount. Take a 10-second break as you transition from one exercise to the next, but no longer so that you don’t lose the benefits of the high-intensity technique. 7-Minute Circuit Exercises 1. Jumping jacks to benefit your entire body 2. Wall sits to target your lower body 3. Push-ups to target your upper body 4. Abdominal crunches to target your core 5. Step-ups to benefit your entire body 6. Squats to target your lower body 7. Triceps dips to target your upper body 8. Planks to target your core 9. Running in place to benefit your entire body 10. Lunges to target your lower body 11. Push-ups to target your upper body 12. Side… read on >