Fitness

Exercise may lower high blood pressure just as well as prescription medications. A meta-analysis of data from almost 400 different clinical trials suggests that for patients with high blood pressure, engaging in a structured exercise program may lower blood pressure just as much as pharmaceutical treatment. Programs that focus on endurance and dynamic exercises seem to be particularly effective. Lead author Dr. Huseyin Naci wrote, “We don’t think, on the basis of our study, that patients should stop taking their antihypertensive medications… but we hope that our findings will inform evidence-based discussions between clinicians and their patients.”

Just to reiterate, you should not just stop taking your prescription medications. If these findings interest you, start a conversation to your prescribing doctor about a potential program to help your blood pressure through exercise.

Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018.

Is exercising outdoors really any better? According to the reports from the American Council on Exercise, the answer is a resounding YES! It basically comes down to such factors as wind resistance and uneven terrain helping you to burn a significant amount of additional calories. Not to mention the plethora of psychological boosts working outside provides such as better mood, increased energy, and less stress. It’s almost as if humans weren’t designed to remain cooped up inside all the time… interesting…

Source: American Council on Exercise 2018.

Can middle-age exercise save your life? A study published in Stroke concluded that the exercise decisions you make in the middle age time of your life will contribute to your risk level of stroke later in life. Researchers measured the fitness levels of over 2,000 middle-aged adults in the early 1970s and then again 7 years later for follow up. They discovered that compared with participants who became unfit over the 7 year span, those who stayed fit with exercise (or those who started exercising in the 7 year gap) were about 60% less likely to suffer a stroke over the next 35 years!

Source: Stroke, 2018.

Obesity epidemic continues to be a growing problem. From the National Health and Statistics Report of 2018: data has been showing a rather scary trend, there has been little to no increase in the average American’s height in several decades but a significant increase in weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI). The chief of obesity surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, Dr. Mitchell Roslin has this to say on the issue: “This data is scary, and from a societal standpoint… This is a true public health crisis and aggressive policies are needed to begin to counteract.”

Source: National Health and Statistics Report, 2018