Physical Solutions newsletter: January 2007

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SPECIAL OFFER: Bring a Buddy 2-for-1 Sale

make beginning your exercise program even easier

To inspire you to get as fit as you have ever been and keep you interested in working out, we are offering you and your friends the opportunity to work out with one of our personal trainers for the lowest rates ever. Through February 15th, take advantage of our 2-for-1 "sale” – you and a buddy work out together for the price of one. So find a buddy to help make exercise fun, and call to schedule your appointment today!

The time has never been better for you to step up your exercise. Work off the holiday pounds, work out the winter blues, and make 2007 the year to shine physically.

Call today to schedule your sessions – 389-7935

FITNESS FACTS

Exercisers are increasing in numbers. An increasing number of people in all age groups are getting fit. A new report from American Sports Data Inc., a fitness trends tracker in Westchester, New York, shows the following.

• Approximately 19 million Americans have a health club membership, the highest in many years and a 32% increase from 1987.
• The couch-potato population is decreasing with an overall 4% increase in exercise participation yearly.
• Almost all outdoor fitness activities are growing in popularity, especially mountain biking.
• About 14.1 million Americans walk for fitness at least 100 times a year.
• In-line skating is more popular than ever before.
• More Americans are getting a kick out of step aerobics, up 25% in popularity.

NEWS AT PHYSICAL SOLUTIONS

Physical Solutions is excited to announce an additional approach we are using to strengthen and treat pain in the spine, hips, and shoulders. This approach is an extension of and very complementary to the manual therapy which has always been the foundation of our care. This has been developed by The Back Project, and is known as “Active Therapeutic Movement” or ATM. We are already getting some great results with our patients. More will come later. STAY TUNED.

PROGRAMS AT PHYSICAL SOLUTIONS

At Physical Solutions, we have many years of experience working with athletic and active females. We have helped many who have not been successful with other approaches. We keep up with the latest research, but don’t abandon sound principles for the latest fad.

We offer a spectrum of treatments and services to assist individuals in being and becoming as active and successful as they can be.

Peak Performance Training – Improving overall fitness, functional strength, and power; reducing injury risk factors; and improving speed, quickness, and agility

• Peak Performance I – Increasing functional strength and power while reducing the risk of injury
• Peak Performance II – Increasing speed, agility, and quickness

Personal Strength Training – Improving personal strength, power, and flexibility

Physical Therapy – Providing evidence based, individualized treatment with an emphasis on biomechanical evaluation

Advanced Rehab – Restoring physical abilities in specific activities after injury or surgery

HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR FROM PHYSICAL SOLUTIONS

Once again it's that time of year when many Americans will resolve to begin an exercise program, eat healthy and lose weight. Health clubs will run membership specials, hoping to attract people freshly committed to making 2007 the year they finally succeed in meeting their goals.

But if history repeats itself, most people will have fallen down on their commitment before spring – many by Valentine’s Day.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, more than half of people who begin exercising stop within three to six months. People tend to get frustrated because they don't see immediate results.

To help keep our patients and clients exercising, we remind them that that exercise does a lot of other good things for us. Beyond weight loss, exercise is even more important for our overall health and well-being.

The last year brought some new and interesting findings that are worth taking note of as we ring in 2007 and recommit to our health. In the best tradition of David Letterman, here is the countdown of 10 great reasons to make exercise a regular and permanent part of your life in 2007!

10. Build Strong Bones in Girls; Prevent and Slow Bone Loss

A study conducted at the Louisiana State University in Shreveport, La, found that weight-bearing exercise, which includes high-impact sports like soccer, may be best when it comes to helping girls build strong bones. According to researchers, soccer places repetitive impact on the skeleton, which further promotes bone development. An additional study found that girls who participated in sports had a higher bone density in adulthood.

9. Defeat Diabetes

66 percent of Americans with type 2 diabetes do not have their disease under control, which puts them at risk for early death, blindness, and limb loss. Cases of diabetes have increased markedly in recent years, as people have become more sedentary and overweight. Researchers say most cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented with a healthy diet and regular exercise. In people who already have type 2 diabetes, exercise can help lower blood sugar and prevent the disease from worsening.

8. Build a Better Back

Sitting for much of the day, as many of us do, takes a toll on our backs. Our hips get stiff and weak from lack of frequent use, core muscles get weak, and poor sitting postures can overstretch ligaments and put excessive stress on disks.

In the Annals of Internal Medicine, a study reported that exercise can help prevent these things from occurring. Of course, using good sitting posture and changing positions frequently can assist as well.

7. Get Rid of the Hidden Fat

There is a mostly unknown, deep, and even more dangerous kind of fat that accumulates around internal organs and contributes to diabetes, heart disease, and other problems. This visceral fat can also can be prevented and eradicated with regular exercise.

Duke University published an article in the Journal of Applied Physiology which found that overweight, sedentary adults who began exercising lost visceral fat or at least didn't pack on more. Those who didn't exercise, however, gained more in just six months during the study.

6. Help with the Adverse Effects of Arthritis

"Unfortunately, many arthritis sufferers mistakenly believe that exercise will worsen their condition," said Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for ACE. "The reality, however, is that a well-rounded physical activity program of stretching, strength training, and aerobic exercise can help minimize many of the adverse affects of arthritis and improve overall functional capacity."

5. Reduce the Risk of Some Cancers

The American Cancer Society found that 30% of all cancers can be linked to lack of exercise. Specifically in the study below, there is a correlation between exercise and the risk of breast cancer.

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute reports women who exercise regularly throughout their childbearing years may significantly reduce premenopausal breast cancer risk. Researchers studied 545 women 40 and under with breast cancer and 545 healthy women. They found those who exercised 3.8 hours per week or more reduced their premenopausal breast cancer risk by an astonishing 58%, compared with women who never exercised. Researchers also noted moderate exercise (one to three hours per week) reduced the risk by as much as 30%.

"During a woman's childbearing years, physical activity can modify the amount of ovarian hormones she produces," says lead researcher Leslie Bernstein, Ph.D. "These hormones are tied to breast cancer, and we think exercise can lower their production."

4. Make Work More Tolerable

A British study found that people who took exercise breaks during the day said they felt more productive and more tolerant of job stress than when they didn't exercise.

Even half an hour was enough to make a difference, and the exercise didn't have to be strenuous. Participants typically spent 30 to 60 minutes at lunch engaging in yoga, aerobics, strength training or playing sports like basketball. About 60 percent of workers said their time-management skills, mental performance and ability to meet deadlines was better on the days when they exercised. The overall improvement was about 15 percent.

3. Boost Brain Power

Recent research is showing that exercise can keep the brain sharp into old age and might help prevent Alzheimer's disease along with other mental disorders that accompany aging. Carl Cotman, Ph.D., of the University of California at Irvine found a link between physical activity and mental ability. In a study published in Nature, Cotman found that substances responsible for the brain's health can be controlled by exercise. Cotman conducted his research on rodents because of similarities in response to exercise. It was found in this study that the rats that exercised had much higher levels of certain factors which are believed to decline with the onset of Alzheimer's. Although Cotman's study is based on animal research, his results are in keeping with previous research showing exercisers live longer and score higher on mental function tests.

2. Live Longer

A recent study on exercise and longevity found that people who were active on a regular basis lived longer than their couch-potato counterparts, and the more they exercised the longer they lived.

The analysis, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that participants who reported exercising the most had a life expectancy at age 50 that was more than three years longer than those in the lowest activity group.

And ... the Number 1 Reason to Exercise is: Take Advantage of the Best “Medicine” of All

Family physician Edward A. Taub, M.D., medical director of the Wellness Medicine Institute found that in more than 30 years as a family doctor, he noticed 20% of his patients accounted for 80% of office visits. Looking closely at those 20%, he was surprised to find they were not people with serious illness. "These people were sick frequently with ear, throat, and chest infections; headaches; backaches; and fatigue," he explains. In an effort to help them, he developed a program in which exercise was a vital part.

"Exercise helps provide the energy necessary for personal wellness," says Taub. "Even moderate levels of exertion bolster the immune system. In fact, new studies show a small increase in physical activity, such as climbing five flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator, lowers your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, breast cancer, and colon cancer." Taub also notes exercise fights "destructive thought patterns" associated with depression, anxiety, stress, worry, panic, and anger.

We are interested in providing quality in all we do. Please let us know about questions you have and issues you wish to see addressed in future issues of the newsletter. Email questions or feedback to Cathy Busby: cathy@physicalsolutionsnc.com

Contact Physical Solutions
email Cathy Busby: cathy@physicalsolutionsnc.com
phones: 919-389-7935 and 919-786-0008
address: 5623 Duraleigh Road, Suite 141, Raleigh, NC 27612

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