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Keep Active - Get Movin' at 50 Plus

Session 5 - Confronting Challenges

Until recently, it was widely believed that people with chronic medical conditions should avoid exercise. But today, a growing body of research demonstrates that just the opposite is true. Researchers have found that exercise actually can improve some chronic conditions, helping people feel better and live longer and more independently. Note: If you have a chronic condition, consult with your doctor before becoming more physically active.

Arthritis: Feeling Better Through Flexibility

If you suffer from arthritis, you may have heard that exercising can damage your joints. This is, in fact, not true. It turns out that moderate physical activity not only improves your overall health but also helps increase joint flexibility and range of motion, which means better functioning and less pain for arthritis sufferers. "Strong, fit muscles support joints more effectively, protect joints from undue strain and injury, and help you perform everyday tasks more efficiently and with less pain," explains John Klippel, medical director of the Arthritis Foundation.

Consider a recent Tufts University study of 46 people aged 55 or older suffering from osteoarthritis. Half of the group did strength training and flexibility exercises at home three times a week for four months, while the other half received tips on healthy eating but sat out the fitness regimen. The results, reported in the book Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis, found that

• Exercise reduces pain. Exercisers in the group reported a 43 percent decrease in pain, compared with a 12 percent decrease for the control group.
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• Exercise improves physical functioning. The exercise group reported a 44 percent improvement in physical functioning, including the ability to walk, climb stairs, and sit and stand more easily. The control group showed no significant changes.

Experts acknowledge that stepping up fitness may not sound appealing to a population in pain. "When you're experiencing arthritis pain, exercise may be the last thing you want to do," says Klippel of the Arthritis Foundation. "But inactivity can actually increase your pain and stiffness." The solution: water exercises that relieve pain and stiffness in a safe, comforting environment.

Osteoporosis: Rebuilding Strength

Millions of Americans suffer from osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones lose density and thus become fragile. Left untreated, osteoporosis can lead to broken wrists, hips and even spines. The good news is that exercise helps to prevent the disease. In fact, experts are convinced that a lack of exercise, particularly as people age, contributes to lower bone mass or density.

According to Dr. Felicia Cosman, clinical director for the National Osteoporosis Foundation and an osteoporosis specialist at Helen Hayes Hospital in Haverstraw, New York, there is not yet a single, optimal exercise program to prevent osteoporosis.

"We don't have all the data yet, but what we usually recommend is a program that's good for bone and other body systems," says Cosman. The first part of the program is weight-bearing exercises. "These are any kind of exercises that have you on your feet and get your pulse up," explains Cosman. (See session 2 for examples.)

The second part of the program involves resistance exercises that strengthen major muscle groups: back, shoulder, hip and pelvic muscles. These activities include weight lifting using free weights and weight machines like those found at gyms and health clubs.

"We think that strengthening these muscle groups may help the underlying bone mass, and will certainly help build muscle mass and strength," explains Cosman. "By building up this strength, you reduce your chance of falling, and of sustaining a fracture if you do fall.

One cautionary note: people who have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis should avoid high-impact, weight-bearing exercises. How to tell if it's high impact? "Any activity where both feet leave the ground," says Cosman. "Jumping, jump rope, high-impact aerobics—if you're coming down with the full weight of the body on the feet, you end up putting a lot of force on the vertebrae."

Profiles in Fitness

A routine bone scan seven years ago revealed that 56-year-old Elly Leary had developed a serious case of osteoporosis. In this profile, Leary describes the fitness routine she adopted to save her bones.

Diabetes: Better Health Through Fitness

Diabetes is another chronic condition that can be improved through regular exercise. In fact, the most common type of diabetes, Type II diabetes, is linked to physical inactivity. This means that having fitness as a regular part of your life makes you less likely to become diabetic in the first place.

According to the American Diabetes Association, physical activity is beneficial to diabetics in two ways. First, it helps your body "use up" some of the extra sugar in the blood that is a hallmark of diabetes. Second, physical activity helps delay or even stop large blood vessel and cardiovascular disease—the leading killer of diabetics.

The ADA recommends that all people with diabetes exercise to reach and maintain a healthy weight and to counteract their increased risk of cardiovascular disease. An added benefit: exercise, when combined with other healthy lifestyle habits, can help people with diabetes control blood glucose levels.

Stiff and Sore? Head for Water

Heat and hot water are often soothing for sore muscles and stiff joints. But water exercise? Experts say that combining the comfort of warm water with gentle exercise not only eases pain but also helps keep joints moving. Here's how it works:

• The soothing warmth and buoyancy of warm water make it a safe, ideal environment for relieving arthritis pain and stiffness.
  
  
• Immersing yourself in warm water raises your body temperature, dilating your blood vessels and increasing circulation.
  
  
• Water exercise is a gentle way to exercise joints and muscles.
  
  
• Water supports joints to encourage free movement and provides resistance to help build muscle strength.
  
  
• Using a spa adds a massage component to your therapy. Jet nozzles release warm water and air, relaxing tight muscles.

Source: The Arthritis Foundation

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