New York Times article: Exercise Makes Cells Stronger

Gretchen Reynolds, in here weekly PHYS ED column, wrote Internally Fit: How Exercising Keeps Your Cells Young http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/phys-ed-how-exercising-keeps-your-cells-young/#comments.

She wrote about a study where four groups of people were studied: sedentary people in their 20s, sedentary people middle aged and over, and runners of the same two age groups. Telomere length was measured in each. Telomeres are ends of DNA that are believed to grow shorter as a cell nears its death. The length of two groups in their 20s was about the same length. But the telomere length of the older runner, fit groups was 40% shorter than that of the sedentary YOUNGER group, and only about 10% shorter than those of the fit younger group.

More studies need to be done to determine how exercise affects teleomere length and exactly what this means. Dr. Werner, who performed the study, said that exercise "at the molecular level has an anti-aging effect".

Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.

Mayo Study: Thin and Obese

As I have blogged before, being thin does not equal fit. Many are thin but don't do appropriate weight-bearing exercises to build muscle, or cardiovascular and aerobics for heart and lung health to be healthy. As I write, I am looking at a lady in the computer room who must be 80 pounds, unless she has an illness, she is trying to be healthy but is really unhealthy...

The new Mayo study talks about how people who are thin and have low muscle tone,
and a big amount of belly fat are not healthy. Fitness consists of endurance,
strength, energy, blood health and flexibility. A wonderful smart dentist I
trained in the summer was probably a size 6 but 39% body fat. That is
technically obese. Here is the link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6146313n&tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea

A study weeks ago showed that women actually can be healthier with fat in some
place. http://us.imdb.com/media/rm2311819008/nm0376716 But of course you must
work out for tone. Balance is key. Gosh, seems like maybe intention works and
you don't have to do anything sometimes...:)

Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.

Another Oblique Exercise

Weeks ago I blogged about "lying" on your forearms and the balls of your feet and toes, keeping your body as straight as possible, and holding your position for 20 seconds. This is an abdominal exercise often used in Pilates.

Now, from this position, work your obliques: "Twist" so that the outer part of your right foot and inner part of your left foot support you. Keep for 20 seconds. Now "twist" so that the outer part of your left foot and inner part of your right foot support you. All the while, keep your head, neck back, hips and butt aligned.

Do as many repetitions as you can, at least five in a row on both sides. Divide into sets as you can.

This may sound easy, but it "ain't"!!!

Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.

Row Upright for Your Obliques

Grab a bar of at least 10 pounds. Use one that gives you a workout but no real pain. Stand with legs shoulder-width apart. Hold the bar with your hands about a foot apart, palm facing down. Pretend you are rowing a boat. You are just standing, not sitting in a boat. Do slowly and steadily for five sets of ten repetitions.

Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.

Workout Mistakes

From a LinkedIn email by Jeff Behar:
http://www.linkedin.com/newsArticle?viewDiscussion=&articleID=102521423&gid=99695&trk=EML_anet_nws_c_ttle-dDhOon0JumNFomgJt7dBpSBA

Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.

Push Ups on Bench

Here is another way to vary pectoral muscle fibers used: Do push ups against a bench. this is a "diagonal way" of doing push ups. Be careful your shoulder blades do not come too close together in the back. Keep your back straight. Do five sets of ten repetitions.

Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.

New Study on Low-Body Fat

Researchers Manolopoulos , Karpe , and Frayn show how people, especially women, can be healthy with low-body fat, as opposed of course to tummy fat. The study, Gluteofemoral Body Fat as a Determinant of Metabolic Health, can be found in the International Journal of Obesity. They reviewed past adipose tissue studies ad adipose tissue in vivo and in vitro and concluded that an increased gluteofemoral fat mass is associated with a protective lipid and glucose profile, and even a decrease in cardiovascular and metabolic risk. They saw that glucofemoral adipsose tissue is less active than abdominal adipose tissue. For instance, levels of beneficial molecules such as leptin and adiponectin are associated with gluteofemoral fat ad levels of adverse molecules such as inflammatory cytokines are negatively associated with it. They even found that loss of gluteofemoral fat is associated with an increased metabolic and cardiovascular risk.

See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20065965 and http://abcnews.go.com/Health/WellnessNews/butt-thigh-fat-make-healthier/story?id=9534982. Accessed on February 21, 2010.


My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.

Take Your Lower Abdominals to the Limit

This is an advanced move. Have someone spot you on a mat before you attempt it on your own. You run the risk to hurt your neck or knees. Hinge back slowly with your abdominal muscles actually pulling you upward so you don't bang down on your knees. Land with your shoulders, not head, first. Then lie on the floor starting with shoulders, chest-ribs-back, lower back, butt-hips and legs.

For an even more advanced move, pretend you are making a back bend with no arms. Again, land with your shoulders first. Proceed as above. You will have to bend slightly to one side (whichever is easiest) and land more on one shoulder for about two seconds in both of these moves (before both shoulders are on the ground).

Do one to three moves and advance to sets if and when you can.

Disclaimer: None of the above information can be taken as a substitute for advice from a medical professional such as a physician.

My third book, Pocket Guide to Fitness, is available on www.louizapatsis.com, http://www.authorhouse.com, www.bn.com and http://www.amazon.com. If you look up my name on those Web sites, you will find my other books The Boy in a Wheelchair and Life, Work and Play: Poems and Short Stories.