Heaven Can Wait

In a new study, British researchers examined the effects of exercise therapy and cognitive behavior therapy on patients who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). What they found might not be all that surprising.

The results of the study show that patients with CFS benefit by coupling their standard medications and treatments with exercise or behavior therapy.

Other benefits of exercise:

• Reduced stress
• Weight loss
• Improved heart and lung function
• Elevated mood
• Better sleep

This is great news for a lot of people who suffer from CFS, a condition that is characterized by excessive tiredness, poor concentration, memory impairments, sleep problems, and pain in the muscles and joints. The research also offers support for more controversial issues, namely that incremental modifications in physical activity and attitude can have a positive effect on the condition.

In an online publication of The Lancet, Dr. Peter D White from the London School of Medicine noted that CFS patients that received either cognitive or exercise therapy reported reduced feelings of fatigue and improved function overall compared to patients who only received standard medical care or adaptive pacing therapy from their doctor or specialist.

While scientists continue to explore CFS, no one quite knows what causes CFS in patients. The good news is that behavioral therapy may nudge patients away from their fears of physical activity. These fears often lead to an avoidance of physical activity which actually complicates and worsens the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Researchers and patients are encouraged to find alternative options and combination therapies in order to find a treatment regimen that provides the maximum benefit and reduction of symptoms. It's encouraging to think there is more hope on the horizon for sufferers of chronic pain conditions, and reinforces what we already knew--exercise is good for us!

Aerobic exercise can increase the size of the aging brain's hippocampus, the part that houses memory and spatial navigation, researchers report in new study findings.

Researchers studied 120 older adults (ages 55 to 80) who didn't normally exercise regularly, over the course of a year. Half of the group was assigned to an aerobic exercise program while the other half completed a stretching-and-weights program. Both groups received MRIs and performed spatial memory exercise. The group that did aerobic exercise for a year saw increases in hippocampus volume, while the stretching-and-weights group saw a decrease in hippocampus volume.

“We demonstrate that loss of hippocampal volume in late adulthood is not inevitable and can be reversed with moderate-intensity exercise,” researchers wrote. "Starting an exercise regimen later in life is not futile for either enhancing cognition or augmenting brain volume." The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Exercise is tough concept for a lot of us after we reached adulthood. Sometimes it is because of our busy lives with work and children. It may be that we have had bad experiences before, or that we find exercise boring or difficult. Whatever the reason, it doesn't change the fact that exercise is still important.

What can we do to accomplish some activity without hating it? Sometimes, it is as simple as thinking about it differently. If you hate exercise, call it something different. Just that, can make us feel differently about it. In addition, some activities are easily added to your daily routines. Try these:

Walk

Almost anyone can fit a little walk into the day. Just a short walk after the evening meal can be not only helpful, but enjoyable. Fitting a walk into your day is whenever you can will go a long way to increasing your activity, whether it is an evening stroll, or a deliberate walk at sun up.

How about a bike ride?

Bicycling can give you a little exercise and also help you run errands in your neighborhood. If you need milk and bread, take the bike instead of the van. Ride with the kids and/or grandkids for a quality time activity instead of a movie. Neighborhoods and parks are nice, low-traffic areas to ride.

Swimming

There are not many things more enjoyable than a dip in the pool. It is a stress reliever, for sure, but also a good source of exercise. A lot of people find swimming laps enjoyable, while others like group activities. The YMCA and other local swimming facilities may offer classes involving water exercise.

Household Chores

Not too many people love to clean house, but it is still something that needs to be done. Instead of getting help from a service, saving the cleaning for yourself can not only give you satisfaction, but a decent workout.

Develop your green thumb

Working in the yard or garden can be a great source of physical activity. It allows you to use muscles that perhaps you do not use very often. With the fresh air of the outdoors, and a profound sense of accomplishment, gardening is a great way to hide your exercise.

Let the kids keep you hopping

With kids, you don't have to think of activities, they are built in. Just keeping up with them with no planned activities is sometimes exercise enough. In addition, flying kites, playing catch, or the bike ride discussed earlier are good sources for activity and time together.

You can even do yoga in a chair.

As you get older, you might start to think that exercise is impossible—especially exercise that emphasizes strength and flexibility. Ironically, you probably have more time to spend on your health now than you did when you were worried about fixing dinner for the family, driving kids to music lessons, and making sure the house was sparkly clean. The secret to staying healthy and fit while you age is participating in low-impact exercises that are safe even if you suffer from other health conditions.

It's true that seniors are more likely to be diagnosed with illnesses like arthritis, high blood pressure, rheumatism, and incontinence. All of these things can make it more difficult to participate in physical activities, but they are also important reasons to try hard to stay fit. You might feel like your age limits you, but the simple truth is that you can exercise at any age. Yoga is one way to stay active without injuring or overexerting yourself.

Yoga is great for seniors because it can easily be customized to a person's unique abilities. You can do chair yoga, or start out with beginner poses. The whole point of yoga is to gradually improve your ability to maintain a pose through regular practice.

Yoga poses are called asanas, and when you do them regularly, they help increase your flexibility, control blood pressure, and achieve greater balance. Yoga is good for everything from your heart to your brain. You can get started to day with these three poses:

The Cat Pose: For this pose, you begin on your hands and knees. Your shoulders should be directly above your hands and your hips directly above your knees. If you feel any pain or discomfort on your knees, use a cushion or mat. Make sure your back is parallel to the floor. Then, as you breathe out, push down into your palms and arch your back upward. Round your abdomen and tilt your head inward. Return to the parallel position and repeat several times.

The Corpse Pose: This pose is great for helping you relax. Start out by lying flat on your back with your palms turned upward. Feel your shoulder blades and hips resting equally on the floor and concentrate on relaxing each of the muscles in your body from head to toe. Breathe deeply through your nose. Practice holding this pose for at least five minutes a day.

Leg Raises: To start this pose, lie flat just like in the corpse pose. Use a yoga mat if you are on a hard surface. Inhale through your nose and raise both legs toward the ceiling simultaneously. Make sure you don't lift your hips up of the floor. Beginners may need to bend their knees at first. As you breathe out, lower your legs slowly back to the starting position. Try to do 5 or 10 leg raises each session.

Yoga can be practiced safely as long as you listen to your body and are respectful of its limitations. Don't strain to get into a difficult pose before you are ready. Trying too hard can cause you to do the pose incorrectly or even cause injuries. Yoga, when practiced correctly, will help relax your body and mind.