Men's Health

The Numbers Game - How are you?

     The simple answer to this question (“fine”, “well”, “not so good”) has now been
replaced with a litany of numbers. What’s your blood pressures? Your weight?
Your PSA? Your cholesterol? BMI? But wait-there are many more measurements.
    To men who grew up in a simpler era, it must seem like a tyranny of numbers. Knowing
your numbers may stand you in good stead on the 19th hole, but do they really matter
for your future health? Researchers have wondered, too and here's the good news: you
don't need the latest sophisticated numbers to know where you stand. Instead, a few
simple measurements and health habits will do — and good results in midlife predict
successful aging and longevity.

Major studies, major impact
    Back in 1999, an extraordinarily large study evaluated the impact of just three risk
factors: total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL, a blood pressure of 120/80 mm Hg or
lower, and no current cigarette smoking. Men who had all three favorable risk factors
enjoyed 50% to 58% lower mortality rates than their peers with less favorable profiles.
A companion study of the same group of volunteers found that body mass index (BMI)
had a similar predictive value: people who were lean in midlife were healthier and
enjoyed a better quality of life in older age.

Mind and body
    Although mental factors can be hard to put into numbers, they certainly contribute
to healthy longevity. For example, a 13-year study of 2,761 Connecticut senior citizens
reported that social and productive activities lowered the death rate as much as physical
activity, even after pre-existing disease, marital status, obesity, and income were taken
into account. And just as mental activity appears to improve physical health, good
physical risk factors protect the mind.

Never too late
    You can't choose your parents, but if you want nicer numbers and better health,
you can change your ways. Let’s talk together about how our Brotherhood can work
together to help our community stay healthy!
    L’Chaim!

Strength Training: It’s Never Too Late!
   In recent years doctors have realized that strength training is an important
tool for improving health. So although you may have long since abandoned
the urge to display bulging biceps, you should understand why strength
training is important for your health and how to do it properly.

As the clock ticks
   Time takes its toll on all parts of the body; in the case of muscles and
bones, the toll is particularly severe. Muscles get smaller and weaker as
men age. You don’t need a medical degree to see that 60-year-olds are weaker
and less muscular than 20-year-olds. But you may be surprised to learn that
muscle mass and strength begin to decline long before the changes are visible.
The loss of muscle typically begins between the ages of 30 and 40 and
progresses slowly throughout life; by age 60, the changes are obvious — and
it's all downhill from there. In all, the average 30-year-old can expect to lose
about 25% of his muscle mass and strength by age 70 and another 25% by
age 90.

   Bones show a similar pattern. They undergo a constant process of
remodeling throughout life as new tissue is formed and old bone is
resorbed. Beyond age 40, resorption outpaces bone formation; that's why
older folks shrink. When the loss of bone density is mild, it's called
osteopenia, when more severe, osteoporosis. Osteopenia is extremely
common in older men. One potential factor is diet; many older men don't
get the vitamin D and calcium they need to keep their bones strong.

   If the aging process, changing hormones, and dietary deficiencies don't
account for most of the older man's loss of muscle, another factor does.
The culprit is disuse; in fact, only 22% of American men participate in
exercises that build strength twice a week. The guys in the locker room
were right after all: if you don't use it, you'll lose it.

The stronger live longer
   Weak muscles increase the risk of falls, and osteoporosis increases the
risk of fractures. But if your 206 bones and more than 600 muscles don't give
you enough reason to begin strength training, consider your overall health
and longevity. A study of 6,089 healthy, middle-aged men found that poor
muscle strength in midlife predicted functional limitations and disability 25
years later.

Different types of exercise
   For most folks, exercise is exercise. But to understand the special
benefits — and potential risks — of strength training, you should
understand the physiologic differences between the two main types of
exercise. In dynamic, or isotonic exercise, muscle contractions move
the body through space. Walking, jogging, hiking, and swimming are
examples of activities that rely principally on isotonic muscular work.

   In static, or isometric, exercise, muscular contractions do not produce
motion. Pushing against a wall or straining to lift an SUV off the ground
are activities that rely on isometric muscle work.

    These two forms of exercise have very different effects on your muscles,
your circulation, and your metabolism. Repetitive dynamic exercise builds
muscular endurance. It widens blood vessels and causes the heart to pump
more blood. It burns calories and improves cholesterol and blood sugar
levels. All this explains why so-called aerobic, or endurance, exercise
training protects against heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure,
and many other chronic illnesses. It's not a question of either/or, but both.
Endurance (aerobic) exercise and strength training are both important for
health, and they complement each other nicely.

   Static exercise is different. Repetitive isometrics build muscle bulk,
strength, and power. Research shows that strength training can be both
safe and beneficial, even for cardiac patients. The trick is low-resistance,
high-repetition training. For some men, lifting a 100-pound weight even
once can be hazardous. But for most men,lifting a 10-pound weight 10
times is safe and beneficial.

Overcoming resistance
   Scientists have learned that resistance exercise has many benefits.
Muscles get bigger and stronger. That's hardly surprising. But a 2007 study
raises the startling possibility that resistance training may actually make
muscles younger. A team of scientists in California and Canada evaluated
muscle function in 26 people between the ages of 20 and 35 and in 25
senior citizens who were all in good health. Each volunteer underwent
strength testing and muscle biopsies; 14 of the older people had both
tests repeated after six months of strength training. Before the training,
the older adults were 59% weaker than the younger people, but after
training, they were only 38% weaker. That's no surprise, but sophisticated
tests on muscle tissue showed that strength training produced a dramatic
shift in gene expression, the process that translates the instructions coded
in DNA into the production of proteins. After training, the "old" muscle cells
had much more youthful gene expression profiles. As a result, the cells' tiny
power plants, or mitochondria, behaved like the youthful mitochondria
instead of the sluggish mitochondria of the untrained seniors.

   Resistance training makes muscles stronger and "younger." It also
increases muscle protein synthesis. And strength training boosts the
body's production of testosterone and growth hormone, which helps
explain how the muscles get bigger and stronger.

    Larger muscles mean a faster metabolism. It's obvious that working
muscles burn up lots of calories, but even when they're at rest, muscle
cells are more metabolically active than fat cells. Various studies show
that each extra pound of muscle tissue will consume about 13 to 99 extra
calories a day. That's why men who maintain their muscles as they age are
less likely to pack on extra fat.

   In a future column we’ll talk about specific exercises. In the meantime talk
with your doctor and if you are healthy enough for exercise now is the time
to start!

Just 20 minutes a week of physical activity can make a
difference in your mood.
No one seems able to agree on how much exercise, or what type, is best
for mental health. But a Scottish study, reported in the British Journal of
Sports Medicine, has found that just 20 minutes of any physical activity,
including housework, in a week is enough to boost mental health.

Almost 20,000 men and women participated in the study, which involved
taking a quiz for the Scottish Health Survey about their state of mind and
how much weekly physical activity they engaged in. Using a standard scale
to measure distress levels, over 3,000 participants were classified as
suffering from distress and anxiety. After controlling for factors such as age,
gender, and long-term health conditions, the findings revealed that any form
of daily physical activity was associated with a lower risk of distress and
anxiety. The range of activities that proved helpful included housework,
gardening, walking, and sports. The most powerful impact was derived from
sports, which lowered the risk of distress and anxiety by 33%. Not surprisingly,
the results showed that the more activity a person engaged in, the lower their
chances of psychological distress.

Physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and
many other serious diseases. It also improves several biological risk
factors for disease, such as glucose intolerance and inflammation. These
factors themselves have been linked to depression and dementia. That
explains the benefits of exercise in the long term, but why does moving the
body help the brain in the short term, sometimes even immediately? There
are several proposed mechanisms:

Exercise tends to stimulate brain chemicals that foster the growth of nerve cells.

Exercise affects neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which are known to
influence mood.

Recent studies suggest that a stress-reducing hormone produced in heart
muscle, known as ANP, plays a role; as the heart works harder during
exercise, the body produces more ANP, which helps control the brain's
response to stress and anxiety.

7 STEPS FOR A HEALTHIER 2010

Many of us use the beginning of a new calendar year to make resolutions.
Here are seven to include on your list:

Develop a Strategy. Review your resolutions from last year and find out what
worked and what didn’t. Choose one or two attainable goals instead of ten. Track
your progress at the end of each week. Remember, if you do just one thing, but do
it every day it will amount to a big change at the end of the year.

Establish a Weight Loss Program. Plan to lose five pounds instead of fifty. To cut
back on calories reduce your portion size by using smaller plates and bowls.
Remember, as you lose weight and your clothes no longer fit, give them away to
charity. This will serve as an incentive to stay thinner-who wants to buy another
set of new LARGER clothing!

Get Moving and Stay Moving. Work with your doctor to develop an exercise program
that is right for you. Often the problem is finding the motivation to stay on course.
Find a workout buddy and establish a regular time for exercise-you’re less likely
to cancel an exercise appointment with someone else.

Make Wise Food Choices. Don’t think of healthful eating as a “diet” but rather as
a lifelong eating plan. Be sure to eat breakfast. Incorporate more fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, lean protein and low fat dairy products into your daily diet. If you
don’t like certain foods, try preparing them differently. Eat out less often-pack
your lunch. If time is an issue, pack your lunch the night before.

Take Care of Your Heart. Work with your doctor to meet your target goals for
cholesterol, triglyercides, blood sugar and blood pressure. If you smoke explore
ways of kicking the habit. Limit sodium intake by ditching the salt shaker at the
table and avoiding high sodium convenience and fast foods

Reduce Stress. Worries can prompt some people to turn to destructive behaviors
such as overeating and alcohol excess. Instead, look for constructive stress
reducers such as talking a walk, stretching, meditating or getting involved in
activities that you enjoy.

Understand Your Health Risks. Talk with your doctor about screenings for
cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and prostate and colon cancer particularly
when you have a family history of these conditions.

Have a safe and healthy 2010!

Preventing Sports Injuries

A study of 6,313 adults who exercised regularly found that 21 percent
developed an exercise-related injury during the course of a year. Two-thirds
involved the legs; the knee was the most frequently injured joint. It sounds grim,
but it’s not. For one thing, injuries are much more common with intense
exercise and competitive sports than with moderate exercise done for health.
For another, people who exercise actually have a lower long-term risk of
disability than sedentary people. Injuries do occur, but many are preventable,
most are mild, and the majority will respond nicely to simple treatment at home.

General principles

Prevention. It’s always the best treatment. Here are a few key tips:

Work yourself into shape slowly. It’s the most important element of
prevention, particularly for “weekend warriors” who may be tempted to
go all out without preparing themselves properly. Use a graded
exercise program to get into shape gradually, and then stay in
shape the year round.

Warm up before each exercise session and cool down afterwards.

Stretch regularly; exercise makes muscles strong, but they also get tight
and short — stretching preserves flexibility and reduces the risk of injury.

Use good equipment; it’s particularly important to have supportive, well-fitting
shoes for weight-bearing activities.

Use good technique; a few lessons or a little coaching can improve your mechanics
as well as your performance.

Don’t overdo it. Fatigue and dehydration impair concentration, often leading to a
misstep or fall. Overuse is the major cause of injuries; give your body a chance to
rest and recover after workouts, particularly when you’re first getting into shape.
Alternate hard sessions with easier ones. Vary your routine so that you use different
parts of your body; some people, for example, might walk one day, play tennis the
next, and garden the third. A day off now and then doesn’t hurt, either.

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