JUNE 2013
Richmond Register 15
HEALTH BEAT
WORKOUTS
HOW MANY
beneficial, it’s believed, are large forces released in a relatively big burst, as in hopping or skipping rope. If you already have weak bones, of course, jumping is not recommended as it could result in a fracture. And, if you are over age 60, a safer and more practical workout may be brisk walking–the faster the pace, the better.
Likewise, a number of sports may be categorized as vigorous activities that are not easily translated into MVPA by pedometers. These activities should of course be acknowledged and count towards one’s daily MVPA total. However, the largest segment of the population does not regularly engage in any sport or exercise apart from walking. These step count ranges then are in line with public health’s guidelines for time spent in MVPA. Older adults and special populations (living with disability and/or chronic illness that may limit mobility) may also benefit from a more active lifestyle that involves higher levels of MVPA. Step-counting devices such as pedometers offer a chance to monitor daily ambulatory activity. However, a translation of public health guidelines in terms of steps/day is currently unknown. Some research data suggest that healthy older adults average between 2,000 and 9,000 steps/day and special populations average 1,200 to 8,800 steps/day. Using the adult cadence of 100 steps/minute to demark the
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MENTAL HEALTH To relieve or prevent stress, anxiety and depression, research indicates that exercise is often as effective as medications. And it’s faster–all you have to do is step on the treadmill or hit the pavement and your therapy starts to work. Physical activity releases tension, of course, and it also increases the production of neurochemicals that lead to a feeling of well-being. The best exercises are continuous and rhythmic such as walking, swimming, dancing and cycling. Yoga and tai chi have a mind/body element that is specifically intended for healing. Whatever your health needs, the best workout for you is one that you most enjoy doing; otherwise, you won’t keep at it, day after day, year after year.
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SALT
Continued from page 3 sodium a day. Studies make clear that eating less sodium helps lower blood pressure, and lower blood pressure in turn leads to less heart disease, said heart association spokesman Dr. Elliott Antman, a cardiologist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We’re sticking where we have the most solid evidence,” Antman said. What to study is key to the debate:
lower value of the range of moderate intensity, multiplying it by 30 minutes gives a guiding value of 3,000 steps. This cadence may be unattainable in frail or diseased populations. However, if public health guidelines are to be strictly translated, these steps should be taken above and beyond activities of normal daily living. They can be accumulated in smaller bouts (e.g. 10 minutes) of moderate intensity and should add up to at least 30 minutes a day. In studies involving direct measurement of MVPA and background activities, the evidence suggests that 30 minutes of brisk walking, in addition to habitual daily activities in healthy older adults, is equivalent to 7,000 to 10,000 steps/day. By now it is clear to you that current public health guidelines for physical activity call for 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity activity be performed on most, preferably all, days of the week. More recent guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes/week of moderate intensity, 75 minutes/week in vigorous intensity physical activity, or a combination of both. If you have taken to wearing a pedometer or accelerometer during the day, now you can see how your daily step counts compare to age-related guidelines.
The IOM committee was asked to examine whether eating less salt directly affects longer-term outcomes such as heart attacks and death.That’s harder to prove, especially since the panel stressed many of the studies it reviewed had quality problems. Among those problems, Antman said, was including some patients too sick for diet to matter. Debating how little salt is too little is a moot point, added nutritionist Bonnie Liebman of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. “The average American is still in the
red zone, the danger zone,” she said. The salt industry, in contrast, has long opposed the push for sharp sodium reductions and welcomed the report. “There is no scientific justification for population-wide sodium reduction to such low levels, and the recognition by the IOM experts that such low levels may cause harm may help steer overzealous organizations away from reckless recommendations,” said Morton Satin of the Salt Institute. Some salt is necessary for good health, although it’s not clear exactly how much.
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