Benefits of Muscle Strengthening

LIVING HEALTHY Newsletter May 2017 Volume 3, Issue 5

Strength training is one of the best things you can do for your

body. Along with aerobic exercise and flexibility work, it’s the third key part of a well-

rounded fitness routine. Don’t belong to a gym with weight machines? No problem!

You can use hand-held weights, resistance bands, or even your own body weight to

build muscle.

It’s never too late to start. As you age, strength training can help you keep doing

everyday activities such as walking, lifting and climbing stairs. Not to mention it’s

good for your bones.

For people with diabetes, strength training helps the body:

Respond better to insulin

Improve the way it uses blood sugar

Lose weight

Lower your risk for heart disease

The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with Type 2 diabetes

start a strength training program to help with blood sugar control.

Click the image below to watch our interview with Randy Simpson, fitness expert at

the Rocky Mount YMCA, and learn more about the benefits of muscle strengthening

exercises for diabetes and overall health and wellbeing.

There are so many wonderful things to celebrate this month. Moms… warmer weather… nourishing rain… new beginnings marked by commencement ceremonies! While April showers seem to have brought… May showers… as always, we trust Mother Nature knows what she’s doing. As you’re outside planting flowers and tending to your gardens, remember to plant seeds of health in all areas of your life. Tend to your needs for activity, socialization, nourishment and rest so that your garden of wellbeing will produce the fruits of vibrant and abundant health.

Lynise Anderson, N.D., C.N.C. Brittany Coles, M.P.H

What’s on Your Mind? Have an idea for an article or a question about a health topic? Are you enjoying the newsletter?

Click here to send me an email I want to hear from you!

Campus Spotlight

BIG CELEBRATIONS ARE HAPPENING AT VIRGINIA

PRIVATE COLLEGES

On Saturday, May 13th, our very own Brittany Coles was

awarded her Masters Degree in Public Health from Liberty

University. Surrounded by family and friends, Brittany took

her rightful place in the commencement exercises that

featured President Donald Trump as the commencement

speaker. Congratulations Brittany on your hard work. Job

well done!

But wait… there’s more!

On Wednesday, May 17th, Lynise Anderson was named

2017’s Top Health Professional by the Wellness Council of

America. Lynise rose to the top from a field of over 70 can-

didates from around the country. Congratulations Lynise for

your contin- ued dedica-

tion to the field of

health promo- tion!

Live Strong. Live Long.

Staying active and maintaining strong muscles becomes increasingly important as you get older to prevent chronic health problems and injuries from falls. The good news is that, no matter how old you are, you can improve strength, agility, and balance through a personalized strength training program. Examples of muscle-strengthening exer-cises include yoga, body-weight exercis-es, and resistance training using elastic bands and/or free weights or weight machines. Gaining more muscle through resistance training has many benefits, and is an essential element if you want to prevent weakening of your bones (osteoporosis), age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia), limited range of motion, aches, and pains. Strength training can in fact be more important for older adults and seniors than aerobic exercise. Besides, strength train-ing is an excellent form of aerobic exer-cise, because in order to access your cardiovascular system, you have to per-form mechanical work with your muscle. Strength Training Becomes MORE Important with Age It’s important to realize that by the time you’re in your 70s, your muscle strength and tone will have declined by roughly 25 percent from what you had in your mid-30s. You’ll lose up to 50 percent once you approach your 90s.

Light walking workouts will not suffice if you want to preserve muscle tone, bone health, balance, and posture as you age. If you’re not engaging in strength or re-sistance training, chances are you’ll be-come increasingly less functional with age, which can take a toll on your quality of life. Interestingly, strength training even has a beneficial impact on your gene expres-

sion. Not only has it been shown to slow cellular aging but it can actually return gene expression to youthful levels. In seniors who take up strength training, the genes’ clocks can

be turned back by as much as a decade! Few American Adults Engage in Mus-cle Strengthening Activities Unfortunately, less than 25 percent of Americans over the age of 45 engage in strength training exercises, according to a recent survey. This is actually a decrease from the previous year’s survey, in which 29 percent of adults reported meeting the government’s strength training recom-mendations. As noted by the authors of the study: “Muscle strengthening activi-ties are essential in the maintenance of health and physical function. This fact is of particular importance in the aging population, given the high association of aging with decreases in skeletal muscle size and function...

Continuing to develop interventions to target adults throughout their lifespan, including well beyond the age of 65, may offer a strategy to attenuate the effects of sarcopenia and increase physical function in advancing age while also helping to control other cardiometabolic risk factors. Given what is known about the health-related benefits of physical activity and about muscle strengthening activities, it is important to increase understanding of the correlates and determinates of strength training participation in older adults.” Common Causes of Muscle Atrophy A number of different factors can lead to muscle atrophy, including the following:

Age

Diet

Insulin resistance and,

Lack of Sleep

Strength Training Has Practical, Life-Enhancing Value Loss of bone mass is a common sign of aging, because as you age your existing bone is absorbed by your body while new

bone is created to replace it. In the case of osteoporosis, the formation of new bone falls behind the rate of bone absorption, leading to weakened, thinner, and more

brittle bones.

Weight-bearing exercise, like resistance or strength training, can go a long way to prevent brittle bone formation, and can help reverse the damage already done. For example, a walking lunge exercise is a great way to build bone density in your hips, even without any additional weights. In addition to improving or maintain bone health, resistance training has many other practical benefits including:

Improved sleep

Reducing your risk for medical

conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, dementia, cancer, and premature death from any cause

Preventing falls and fractures

Improving your overall mood and

outlook

Strength training also increases your body’s production of growth factors, which are responsible for cellular growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Some of these growth factors also promote the growth, differentiation, and survival of neurons, which helps explain why work-ing your muscles also benefits your brain and helps prevent dementia. Rounding Out Your Exercise Program While strength training is of particular importance, you’d be wise to round out your exercise regimen with a wide variety of exercises. Each form of exercise has its range of benefits. Another critical factor is non-exercise movement, as the evidence clearly shows that sitting for more than a

Continued on page 3

Pan Roasted Chicken with Pears This beautiful meal marries bright Bosc pears, hearty veggies and

juicy chicken breasts in just 30 minutes — and all in a single pan.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

12 ounces brussels sprouts, washed, ends trimmed and halved

12 ounces butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2.5 cups)

2 Bosc Pears, peeled, sliced in half and cored

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon chopped, fresh rosemary

4 (5-ounce) skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F and lightly grease the bottom of a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Place brussel sprouts, squash

and pears on the rimmed baking sheet, brush with honey mixture and stir well to coat evenly.

Next, combine 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper and rosemary in a small bowl. Using a paper towel, pat chicken thighs until very dry and rub the seasoning over both sides. Place chicken in the center of the baking pan and sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper over pears and vege-

tables.

Roast, stirring pears and vegetables occasionally, until they are tender and chicken is cooked through-

out, about 30-35 minutes. Portion and enjoy.

few hours each day will decrease your lifespan. Ideally, you want to stay active and on your feet throughout the day. In addition to strength training and avoiding prolonged sitting, it may be wise to incorporate the following types of exercise into your program:

High intensity interval (anaerobic) training

Exercises for your core

Stretching

Research shows that, no matter your age, you stand to gain significant improvements in strength, range of motion, balance, bone density, and mental clarity through exercise. Truly, it’s never too late. But undoubtedly, the sooner you start, the better. When it comes to bone and muscle strength, it’s clearly a lot harder to regain what you’ve lost than main-tain what you’ve already got. http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/10/03/muscle-strength-training-exercises.aspx

https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/14_0007.htm

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2013/10/25/exercise-for-brain-health.aspx

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/02/physical-activity-guidelines/2128971/

Live Strong. Live Long. (continued)

It's never too late to come from behind.

Things can literally change for the better

in the twinkling of an eye.

The first 3 people to send an email with the hidden message

revealed will win a gift card!!

Congratulations to last month’s winners:

Gina G (Lynchburg College) Susan C (Ferrum College) Kathi R (Ferrum College)

Let’s Talk About Health! Find the list of words in the puzzle. The remaining letters

will reveal the hidden message.

Hidden Message

ATTENTION

CONNECTED

DISCOVERY

EMOTIONS

ENERGY

EXPLORE

FEELINGS

GRATITUDE

HARMONY

HEALTH

INSIDE

INTELLIGENCE

INTUITION

LANGUAGE

LOVE

MEDITATE

MINDFULNESS

PEACE

QUIET

RECOGNITION

SELF

THOUGHTS

WELLBEING

The Relationship Between Gender and Diabetes

There are many differences between men and wom-en, is diabetes one of them? There are several factors that increase your chances of getting Type 2 diabe-tes. These factors include: lifestyle, age, ethnicity, body weight, obesity, and socioeconomic status. Gender is also one of the factors. While there are the classic early symptoms associat-ed with diabetes such as:

Excessive thirst

Frequent urination

Major hunger pangs

Fatigue

Blurry vision

Cuts that won’t heal

There are diabetes related symptoms that are specific only to men and women. While some of the symp-toms below may occur with age in those without dia-betes, people with diabetes have an increased chance of onset and early severity of these symptoms due to their diabetes. The major symptoms in men who have diabetes are erectile dysfunction and urological issues. The Nation-al Diabetes Information Clearinghouse states that 20 to 75 percent of men with diabetes are at risk of or have erectile dysfunction. This could be due to the damage caused to the Automatic Nervous System, which is responsible for the widening and constricting of one’s blood vessels. Urological problems in men occur due to damage to the nerves that control their bladder functions. Ac-cording to the National Institute of Diabetes and Di-

gestive and Kidney Diseases, more than half of men and women with diabetes have some sort of bladder dysfunc-tion due to diabetes. If you find yourself needing to use the washroom frequently, if there is pain and or a burning in the bladder during urination, if your urine is of cloudy or reddish color, and if you have a fullness in the rectum, you may consider seeing your doctor for tests that might determine if you have Type 2 diabetes. Women may experience more or less of the same symp-toms as men, however, there are several that are unique to the female body. Unfortunately, because of a women’s physical make up, diabetes affects them differently due to hormones, menopause and other various reasons. For women, the added burden of hormonal fluctuation relat-ed to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause makes it more difficult to maintain proper blood glucose levels. Symptoms may include vaginal/oral yeast infec-tions, urinary infections, female sexual dysfunction, and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The risks of getting diabetes also varies between men and women. Risk factors in men:

Smoking habits

Being overweight or obese

Sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity

High blood pressure

High cholesterol

Unhealthy diet

Risk factors in Women:

Being overweight or obese

History of diabetes in family

Given birth to a baby weighing more than 9

pounds

Had gestational diabetes during pregnancy

High blood pressure and cholesterol

Sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity

Treating diabetes Despite all the complications that come with the diagnosis of diabetes, they can be further minimized and the severity can be managed through diabetes management. A well-managed diabetes, healthy and active lifestyle, and proper medications can help. Lifestyle changes include:

Physical activity, which means getting off the couch

into the gym or the field

Nutrition is the cut down on any food groups that

affect your blood sugar

Getting regular checkups to avoid unwanted compli-

cations that could have been prevented by a visit to the doctor

Stress management is key to keeping your blood

sugar at desired level. Anxiety is not a friend of diabe-tes

Keeping away from alcohol if you can. If not, keep it at

a minimum of no more than one drink a day

Avoiding smoking

Monitoring your blood sugar several times a day

Anthem specializes in the management of diabetes. To learn more about how Anthem’s program can benefit you or a loved one call 800-445-7922 to speak to a specialist. https://www.thediabetescouncil.com/gender-play-the-relationship-

The kids are screaming, the bills are due and the pile of papers on your desk is growing

at an alarming pace. It's undeniable — life is full of stress. Understanding the types and

sources of stress — short term and long term, internal and external — is an important

part of stress management. So what stresses you out?

Click the images below to watch the four-part interview with Dr. Lynise Anderson.

Lynise explores what stress is, the causes and types of stress, how life events can

cause stress, and practical tips on how to relieve stress.

What’s Stressing You?

Pt 1—What is Stress? Pt 2—Sources of Stress Pt 3—How Stress Affects Us Pt 4—Dealing with Stress

The presumption, at all times and under all circumstances, should always be that you are good enough, worthy enough

and loveable enough.