boomerhealthandfitness.com

Something as simple as brisk walking can improve health and reduce body fat, according to a study by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.  USA Today has the summary of the findings.  Among them are:

• Women who increased their activity level by an additional 3,500 steps a day lost 5 pounds during the year.
• Men who added that many steps lost 8½ pounds in a year.
• The exercisers who did the most - 60 minutes, six days a week - decreased their belly fat by 10% to 20%.
• Those same exercisers trimmed 10% to 15% of their overall body fat without losing muscle mass.

The participants were between the ages of 40 to 75 and were not required to follow a diet plan nor given any other exercise advice.  I imagine the addition of weight training and/or interval training would have increased the weight loss.  The reduction of belly fat is encouraging given its nasty effects on the liver and contribution to blood sugar and cholesterol problems.

Here’s a good video that speaks to the limitations of the Body Mass Index (BMI) for determining obesity.  Brad Pilon is the author of Eat Stop Eat which is a great eBook on intermittent fasting (IF).  I have a copy and recommend his book for anyone looking for information on IF or who might be considering it as part of a weight loss or health improvement plan.

Beta-alanine supplementation in elderly men and women may provide physical fitness improvements comparable to changes resulting from moderate endurance training according to a report in MedPage Today.  Beta-alanine is an amino acid which can increase carnosine levels in muscle tissue.  This has implications for increasing exercise endurance, strength and capacity.

The participants received 800mg of beta-alanine three times per day for three months.  At the end of the study they were re-tested for physical working capacity improvement on an exercise bike.  Over two thirds of those supplemented demonstrated significant improvement.

Do I think supplementing with beta-alanine is a substitute for exercise?  No, I don’t.  We know that exercise has additional benefits such as enhancing insulin sensitivity, improving body composition and reducing stress.  But here’s the important point.  Seniors and elderly people who exercise are less prone to falls and more able to live independently.  If supplementing with beta-alanine is able to mimic some of the benefits of exercise for this age group, it could very well be useful for that reason alone.

Pick the Brain has a great article on the power of limiting beliefs (How to Beat the Plague of Limiting Beliefs).  Too often we use self-limiting beliefs that have no basis in fact or are remnants of childhood to prevent us from trying new things or improving our lives.  And, yes, these self-limiting beliefs can even have an impact on our health and fitness.

Have you ever heard someone say they’re too old, too overweight, too out of shape, too tired, too busy to exercise?  How about too addicted to nicotine or sugar to make lifestyle changes that would positively affect them?

Physical limitations are not usually the culprit in making positive changes in our lives.  The limiting factor is that tape that’s playing in your head.  The one that says “I can’t” or “maybe” or “someday”.  There is no someday.  There is only today.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS