Message: Add this exercise to your daily routine

Breathing awareness exercise can be done during the body-centered meditation. However, as an independent exercise, it is usually recommended to perform in the upright position, sitting straight in a comfortable chair, the legs uncrossed.

After mastering the breathing awareness, it can be included into many rhythmic and cyclic exercises, like walking, jogging, swimming (this one is especially suitable because of the forced breathing rhythm, for example, during the breast stroke). Breathing meditation can be the important part of psychological and spiritual impacts of repetitive movements. Because of that, it is probably not a good idea to read, watch a TV or to talk while, say, working out on a stationary bicycle or walking.

This exercise can be performed while sitting on the exercise mat, possible moved to a wall for the better support of the back. It is also possible to use exercise steps. However, the classic posture is while using the chair.

Breathing awareness exercise

1. Sit upright with the legs crossed, if on the floor, and uncrossed if on the chair

2. Uncross the hands in any case

3. Straighten your back. Look straight forward

4. Catch the balance and relax the stomach

5. Close your eyes

6. Do not force or control your breathing

7. Do not try to breathe deeply

8. Do not try to hold the breathing

9. Breathe comfortably and simply watch the breathing

10. Brush away any thoughts and sensation but those of breathing in and out

Homework: repeat this exercise every day at least three times, 5 times every time. Use this technique every time you are under stressor experiencing health problems, like elevated blood pressure, pain, headache, etc.

]]> http://agelessbrain.com/2012/04/breathing-awareness-exercise/feed/ 0 http://agelessbrain.com/2012/04/endurance-training-to-improve-metabolic-profile/ http://agelessbrain.com/2012/04/endurance-training-to-improve-metabolic-profile/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:08:35 +0000 Editors http://agelessbrain.com/?p=103 Endurance training to improve metabolic profile, which is also good for the brain

Message: This exercise routine is good to fight abdominal fat and metabolic syndrome

In the post Metabolic syndrome and mental health, the problem of mental health dependency on metabolic profile is outlined. Here is one of possible solutions.

It is well known that sedentary life style is one of major risk factors of developing heart disease and diabetes. To the contrary, physical activity has been shown in clinical studies to protect against them by improving, among other factors, insulin sensitivity, which in turn lowers blood glucose and lipid levels.

Out of known training types, endurance training is now considered the most efficient training for abdominal fat control. For instance, in a study conducted by the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland, patients were engaged in a regular exercise program over a period of 3 months involving endurance exercises such as biking, long-distance running, or hiking. Subjects were instructed to exercise at least 135 min per week.

During the 3-month training period, physical fitness as assessed by VO2max (maximal oxygen consumption) and resting heart rate, increased significantly. Insulin sensitivity increased and blood glucose decreased, subsequently improving “good” cholesterol numbers and total cholesterol readings. Weight loss was not really impressive, but importantly that it was accompanied by waist-to-hip circumference ratio increase indication that body fat distribution became less harmful.

Sources:

1. Diabetes Care. 22(4): 555-61, 1999
2. Metabolism: Clinical & Experimental. 48(5):641-4, 1999
3. Diabetes Care. 20(10):1603-11, 1997
4. Exercise & Sport Sciences Reviews. 27:1-35, 1999

Related:

• Walking away from dementia
• The best exercise type to fight metabolic syndrome
• Endurance training to improve metabolic profile

Message: Working harder might be needed to improve metabolism

Related: Metabolic syndrome and mental health

Until recently, in order to improve cholesterol profiles of people with metabolic syndrome, doctors usually advised a moderate-intensity exercise such as walking. Now, we have new information indicating that though it’s good enough for weight loss and blood pressure, it may be not enough to improve your cholesterol profile.

Researchers at Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim studied how exercise type influenced people with metabolic syndrome and showed that those who was on a high-intensity interval training program had significantly improved HDL -cholesterol levels. Their exercise consisted of four sets of 4-minute high intensity bouts at 90 percent of maximal heart rate (220 minus age) each followed by a 3-min active rest. These people exercised three times a week for 16 weeks.

The control group exercised continuously for 40 minutes at 70 percent of their maximal heart rate three times per week for 16 weeks. In both groups, participants improved their blood pressure and lost weight but only the interval training group showed improved HDL levels. “When we retested the patients at the end of the 16-week study, of those who underwent the interval-training program, nearly half had trained themselves out of the metabolic syndrome, whereas just 37 percent of patients in the moderately trained group did so,” the principal researcher Dr Tjonna said. “While metabolic-syndrome patients could perform more intense exercise, clinicians are reluctant to prescribe it.”

“There is a understandable reluctance to encourage sedentary, overweight middle and older aged patients to exercise at that high a level of exercise because of a perceived greater risk of cardiac events and the likelihood of greater musculo-skeletal injuries.We almost always tell patients to begin with a walking program and go from there,” agreed Dr James Gaulte in his “Retired Doc’s Thoughts” blog.

So where does it leave you if you are not sure whether or not you can start an interval training program? Try this safe and simple fitness test. It can be done at home. On the other hand, strength training may be as important: there are preliminary results of a long term clinical study conducted on 3,233 men, aged 20 to 80 years, which show that people with highest muscle strength had lowest risks of Metabolic Syndrome.

“Muscular strength was inversely associated with metabolic syndrome incidence, independent of age and body size,” the authors write in the article published by the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. “Potential benefits of greater muscular strength presumably through resistance exercise training should be considered in primary prevention of metabolic syndrome.”

Sources:

International Symposium on Atherosclerosis; June 21, 2006.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Nov. 30, 2005.

Related:

• Walking away from dementia
• Endurance training to improve metabolic profile
• Metabolic syndrome and mental health

Message: Walk!

If we could delay the onset of dementia by 2 years, we could reduce its risks by as much as 25% — all other things being equal — and one of the most effective and simple ways is physical activity (1). Drs Rockwood and Middleton from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, analyzed 7 studies of exercise effects on risks of dementia and concluded that, without exception, 65 to 93 years old men and women who exercise the most have a lower risk of dementia relative to those who exercise the least (2).

Another, large-scale study found a significant dose-response relationship between physical activity and cognitive function was conducted as part of the Nurses’ Health Study in 18,766 women (3). After about 10 or more years, when the women were 70 to 81 years old, those reporting the most physical activity scored higher on several baseline tests of cognitive function. During the 2 years of additional follow up, there were again significant trends for a dose-response relationship in which those reporting the most physical activity exhibited the least decline in cognitive function (3).

Even walking was associated with a “dose-dependent” risk reduction: those walked at an easy pace for at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly higher cognitive scores than those walking less than 40 minutes per week.Higher activity levels might not be necessary for the benefit (4) – an increase of 30-minutes aerobic exercise frequency from 3 to 5 times per week did not result in a proportional decrease of cognitive decline in a group of 1146 women 65 years old or older.However, for those in the higher-intensity exercise group, that worked out at least moderate intensity (more vigorously than walking), or for longer durations each day (5) chances of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s, or all-cause dementia were lower (6).

Sources

1. Am J Public Health 1998;88:1337– 42
2. Alzheimer’s & Dementia 3 2007; S38–S44
3. JAMA 2004;292:1454–61
4. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2004; 18:57– 64
5. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:772–7
6. Arch Neurol 2001;58:498 –504

Related:

• The best exercise type to fight metabolic syndrome
• Endurance training to improve metabolic profile
• Metabolic syndrome and mental health

Most of the studies into the protective effects of exercise against cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease, followed the elderly people starting their 65s and watched the results, which were relevant to the beneficial effects in late life. However, there are some results where a large cohort of 65-79-year olds has been followed-up for around 21 years so information about physical activity during midlife was available. Those who who participated in at least “leisure-time physical activity” during midlife had significantly lower risks of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease comparing with those who did not exercise at all [1].

Another study has suggested that physical activity at even earlier ages (physical activity between ages 15 and 25 years was asked retrospectively) can improve or preserve cognitive ability in late life [2]. This cognitive decline risk reduction is at least comparable to the eisks reduction reported in studies of physical activity in older persons. Thus, midlife physical activity might be as important for preventing later cognitive decline as is physical activity at older ages.

Sources

1. Rovio S, et al. Leisure-time physical activity at midlife and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Lancet Neurol 2005;4:705–11
2. Dik M, Deeg DJ, Visser M, Jonker C. Early life physical activity and cognition at old age. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2003;25:643–53

Message:  Next time you crave anything, ask yourself “What is it I really need? A glass of water? A walk? A hug?” Buying fresh flowers can be a better answer than a bowl of Rocky Road. Exercise, go to sauna, take a cold shower, invest in a massage device, buy a vail of perfume, enjoy a book… Try periodic fasts. After resuming eating, your taste buds will be satisfied with lesser taste intensity thus reducing the taste influence on the body weight set point.

Reward: it can be not about food

“Something is wanted — either a constitution or a piece of sturgeon under horseradish sauce.” M.E. Saltykov-Schedrin (19th Century)

In the late 50s, the classic experiments by Dr. Olds shook the world. He implanted electrodes into certain regions of rat brains and taught the rats how to press lever to stimulate these regions with weak electric currents. Rats stopped doing anything but pressing the lever till their death from complete starvation. The Positive Reward theory was born. It turned out that anything pleasurable in life did related to these “Centers of Pleasure” — sex, alcohol, drugs of abuse — all that mankind has invented in its hedonic journey, were but attempts to stimulate these brain regions.

We know that eating will produce a pleasant sensation so often we eat even though all we need is comfort. The truth is, exercise, sauna, cold shower, massage, pleasant odors, and mental efforts (workoholism is real!) — all increase Endorphin level while only eating, especially when your body does not need it, will cause extra pounds of fat to collect in your body’s store.

“A mechanism for opiate [e.g. endorphin] mediation of food intake was postulated. It starts with a feeding initiating signal, which produces activation of the receptors, thereby inducing eating. Eating produces a circular reaction starting with hedonic input from the eating [process]. This, in turn, produces reward, which causes further eating, completing the circle” [1].
Fasting can be as rewarding

The tricky thing with endorphins is that there are pairs of releasers resembling a thesaurus’ antonyms: exercise does the same os its antonym sleep, pleasure goes together with pain, local blood flow increase does the same to endorphin release as the local lack of oxygen. The eating-fasting pair also exists. Many people reported elation when they skipped breakfasts. Religeous fasters experience euforia.

“Severe food restriction produces opiate activity, which is reinforcing. Feeding interrupts the opiate activity and, thus, produces withdrawal. Not eating, therefore, is rewarding.” [2].

Sources

1. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 18:369; 1992
2. Appetite 19:1-13; 1992

Read also: A theory of acupuncture, spinal cord, and endorphins