Jane Brody, the nutrition and fitness writer for the New York Times is always a good read, but in this column, “To Avoid ‘Boomeritis,’ Exercise, Exercise, Exercise” she out does herself.

She clearly articulates that aging boomers must step up their exercise programs as they age if they are to enjoy injury free and active lives.  She clarifies that the concept of a half hour walk several times per week does not constitute sufficient exercise, (and it never did.)

She mentions says that, “in addition to activities like walking, jogging, cycling and swimming that promote endurance, cardiovascular health and weight control, there is a dire need for exercises that improve posture and increase strength, flexibility and balance. These exercises can greatly reduce the risk of injuries from sports and endurance activities, the demands of daily life, falls and other accidents.”

Musculoskeletal injuries are the number 1 reason for seeking medical care in the US at present.  How does one help mitigate their risk to musculoskeletal injuries?  The answer in strengthening your entire body by rigorous exercise.  This exercise is normally known by the term functional, core, or movement exercise, although Ms. Brody doesn’t use these terms explicitly. 

If you don’t exercise, what’s the result?  Boomeritis, a term apparently coined by Dr. Nicholas A. DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

 Here is a quiz cited in the column which was developed by two prominent physical therapists, Marilyn Moffat and Carole B. Lewis to assess the status of your posture, strength, balance, flexibility and endurance. 

¶Are you not standing as straight and tall as you once did?

Is walking up a flight of stairs a strain at times?

Are you getting up from a chair more slowly than you used to?

Is it getting harder to look to the left and right while backing up?

Do you get stiff sitting through a long movie?

Is standing on one leg to put on your shoe difficult or impossible?

Do you trip or lose your balance more easily?

Does walking or jogging a distance take longer than it used to?

The bottom line according to the quiz authors:   “The antidote to aging is activity.”

Read the whole article here.  But the advice from getfitsource.com is simple.   Do yourself a favor.  See a personal trainer today and develop a customized functional training program today and then stick with it on your own as you continue to age.  There is no quick fix; a long term commitment to a 3-4 times a week rigorous and intelligently designed exercise program is the most important component of your health as you age. 

This HealthDay News story via Forbes reports that the amount of fat in the diet may be linked to cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women who have been treated for breast cancer.

 

The study of 2,400 women, aged 48 to 79, found “the rate of cancer recurrence after five years was 9.8 percent among women who ate a low-fat diet (about 33 grams of fat per day) and 12.4 percent among those who ate a standard diet (about 52 grams of fat per day).”   The findings are reported in the December issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

 

Read the whole article here.

The Star Ledger reported that Botox treatments have aided stroke victims and improved their ability to move.

An article in the New Zealand Herald reported on a recent study published in the journal Neuropsychology by Australian researchers that found that left-handers were more efficient when dealing with multiple stimuli as a result of faster transformation of information in the brain.

An article in the December 2006 issue of the Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology discussed the comparison of two scoring systems used to test for brain function in people with suspected brain injuries. The results were quite interesting.