Do sports played over a lifetime help us live longer?

Liam reminds me smiles lead to
longer lives

Tennis anyone?

 Gretchen Reynolds writing for the NYT health reports on recent studies looking at common sport actives people may do throughout their lives. These sports include "cycling, swimming, running, tennis, soccer and, perhaps unexpectedly, badminton." How do these activities compare with the lifestyle of sedimentary living? The study was done in Denmark, England and Mayo Clinic. It involved 8600 people, in Britain 80,000 men and Mayo Clinic looked at both studies with their own on jogging and racket sports. Information collected over 25 years. 

Before I show you what they reported I think it is fair to think the lifestyle of a person who involves sports that involve social connections that differ from a person who does solitary sports like jogging, swimming, cycling. People who continue a consistent program of fitness will be different from those who are more sedimentary. When somebody becomes sedimentary may be a factor as well. 

For example in my own case walking and sports that I did when I was young gave me benefits I have experienced all my life. Playing tennis and racketball into my 40's and developing the habit of hiking and walking with Barb has helped me in my 50's and 60's. The challenges I now face will determine my 70's and beyond. (Thinking positive here)

The numbers below are compared to those who are sedimentary. 

Sport	Years gained
Cycling	3.7 years
Running	3.2 years
Tennis	9.7 years
Badminton	6.2 years
Soccer	5 years

Do people participating in sports through out life also have more money and resources for health? Is a

Playing for GRSBM 1979

question raised in the article. There may be many reasons connected with these activities that make a difference. The researchers consistently thought social connection may favor team sports. The article ends with the following quote, “Raising your heart rate is important” for health, he says. “But it looks like connecting with other people is, too.”

There are many studies that refer to the benefits of social contacts and health. I played, coached tennis for a long time. Right now I don't see myself returning to the courts. Competitive sports will change as we age. Injuries, joints, and fitness all weigh in for me. I had to change my activities. 

Longevity matters when wee talk about a lifetime. When we get older I think the shift changes to daily living. If you are under 50 I think you can change your life span. Changes we make when we are older matter too. If not why should I take the time to share these things. The shift to day by day has it's value too. "Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts." ps. 90:12 

Does cycling help me today? Will it make tomorrow a little bit better. Can I find and do activities that create interest and movement? The biggest underlying idea for me is can I build new friendships and stimulate old ones? Keep walking

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/well/move/the-best-sport-for-a-longer-life-try-tennis.html?action=click&module=Associated&pgtype=Article&region=Footer&contentCollection=Phys%20Ed

https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(18)30538-X/fulltext

We may not control health but we can make a new habit of exercise

Since the article brought up the subject of death; there is the possibility that our bodies are not healthy, we may find yourselves in decline earlier in our 60’s or 70’s. Medicine is invaluable in helping us when we are fighting diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. I take a little issue with the idea early decline is an issue of lifestyle. Some of these things are lifestyle problems but there are people with good lifestyles who are fighting these things. It's still remains that we can do the right things and bad things happen. 

It seems as if we develop the habit of exercise where we include 30 minutes of aerobics, a couple days of strength training, we increase our chances of living longer. And if we lived longer into our late 80s or 90s we tend to wear out and die with a brief decline to let us know to make a piece. According to Chicago Tribune article, An Active Lifestyle Makes Life and Death Better, by James Fell reports to us what Dr. Mike Joiner Mayo clinic and Dr. Jim Fries of Stanford University. Also weighing in is Dr. Spencer Nadolsky.

I have written similar data from Dr. Cooper from Dallas from his research. Regaining The Power Of Youth and Start Strong, Finish Strong.There is no doubt in my mind that exercise can be a habit that is good for us. Lifestyle dynamics in health give us something positive that we can participate in, in what is a very unpredictable aging process that we have little control of. 

I think their advise is sound “the quicker or earlier we start exercising the better as far as longevity is concerned. If we start exercising at 50 or later we definitely can help our quality-of-life.”

Both Dr. Cooper and Dr. Joyner believes aerobic exercise benefits younger people more and seniors who have more limitations “by musculoskeletal frailty”, need strength training to improve bone and strength health. Dr. Nadolsky adds, “My older patients who lift weights do a lot better at being independent.”

Exercise is good for our brain. Exercise increases oxygen to the brain and our brain is one of the biggest users of oxygen in our body. As we get older I believe that exercises are the best investments we can do for our selves and we know exercise improves the immune system which fights things that can hurt us. 

When we strength train as we get older we have to pay attention to proper form and safety. We may be starting at a point our life when we are weaker or we are battling some injury or disease. We also have to weigh in on what our Doctor advises. Recently I wrote about research that informs us it takes twice as long for us to see the benefits of exercise and we are younger. The positive side of that is we can see the positive effects.

Walking with the fat man excepts the inevitable problems with aging. Exercise can still be an option regardless of our limitations but we have to be realistic in our expectations and need patience if we are dealing with slow progress.

I think of two ideas we need to hold on to. One is our independence and the ability to carry-on our life. The other is exercise helps us to have the ability to help in our eventual care that we will need when we get older. Some walking and resistant training can go a long way in improving how we deal with getting older.

One more thought I like to share about strength training, If you're going to do it have a goal in mind to get stronger. Make a goal that eventually you will be lifting a little more weight or you are using a heavier band then when you started. Select fitness goals that you can get off the floor without holding on to something. That you can carry a bag of groceries or open jar. If you're more fit set a goal that she will do push-ups at a lower step. Push-ups can be done off-the-wall, leaning away from the wall, moving to counter doing the push-ups, moving to the stairs doing push-ups off to forced air, Then the third stair, then the second stair, etc. all away to the ground. Along the way you are getting stronger at each level resistance. 

No matter where you're at, your health as long as you have breath that there something that you can do. Keep walking

Our brain keeps developing - helps to fight dementia

In the March issue of today's geriatric medicine Katherine O’Brien PhD and Rosco Nicholson MA discuss the topic Lifestyle Influences Brain Health.

http://www.todaysgeriatricmedicine.com/archive/0315p18.shtml

They cite 5 million Americans over the ages 65 suffer from Alzheimer's disease. What stuck up for me that means 1 in 8.5 have this disorder. In every five years after the age of 65 the number doubles. With these kind numbers it is easy to see why baby boomers are trying to figure out how to avoid Alzheimer's or slow it down.

I think it is important to note that we are aging and to not live in some kind of denial. One of the things that occurs with Alzheimer's is that it affects judgment and critical thinking of self-awareness. This is why it's so important to have support from family or close friends who have your interest and care about you.

For years we were taught that our brains are given at birth and the cells last for a lifetime. New research indicates for example “that exercise can increase the level of the brain-Derived neurotrophic factor, a hormone that promotes growth of new brain cells.” “Our brains develop new neurons at any age. Researchers now believe that the brain changes throughout life, growing new cells and altering neutral structures in response to certain environmental input.”

I have known for a while that our brain makes new connections all the time. I have read research that shows the ability to learn and make new memories the brain is constantly we organizing and connecting in new ways. Years ago and I read where walking and exercising improves our brain function better than games and crossword puzzles. When you walk your breathing changes and you're the blood flows a little faster giving oxygen throughout your body from head to toe. Notice your feet after a walk, your circulation has improved. That works at the in the body your head, The blood flow to your brain has improved. 

When I had teninitis exercise increase the blood flow to the small arteries around my ear and in a few months the crickets I was hearing when away. Exercise is a good way to improve our vascular health. If we pick up the habbit of walking every day we can help clean up arteries.

Back to the article they bring up the topic of cognitive reserve and it has been discovered in autopsies there are people who show advance stages of Alzheimer disease yet they did not show any of the symptoms of the disease. Researchers have speculated is the delay of the appearances symptoms based on the ability of people who have a higher education or the ability to use your leisure time more efficiently to develop cognitive networks.

The focus turn to four lifestyle pursuits that may help the brain deal with the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Increase activity, eat healthy foods, maintain social and cognitive engagement, and reduce stress.

The take away for me in the article is in my older experience in my including physical exercise, a healthy diet. Am I still engaged in life to continue learning and being involved with others. The article brushes by my spiritual life, but that is part of it too. One more thing the researchers pointed out for us be aware of online games to help memory for money. Their claims may be overstated. We are scared of losing our marbles and that fear is used buy some to make money. The games may have some benefit but at least be aware of the con possibility. When it comes to healthcare it is good to weigh the claims and the cost of things. You are in charge of your health decisions. A lot of things medically that can help us but if it's too good to be true it may be misleading.

Exercise, healthy diet, keep working on your friends and family, an work on your mental health and spiritual life are all low cost investments. It is scary do help our parents or loved ones as they age. I think it is cool that we can do things to give us an edge. Keep walking