 |
|
A little exercise goes a long way for severely obese
October 06, 2008DURHAM. N.C. -- A little exercise goes a long way toward helping severely obese individuals improve their quality of life and complete important daily tasks, according to researchers at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center.
In a pre-program assessment where patients reported, on average, just under one hour of exercise per week, individuals who were more active reported better overall-quality of life. They also reported improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks as measured on a physical functioning scale.
"Things that many people take for granted like tying one's shoes, getting dressed, or simply moving around were easier for those who reported routine exercise," says Martin Binks, Ph.D., research director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, a residential weight loss program at Duke University Medical Center. He presented the research, which included more than 1,200 participants, at the Obesity Society's annual scientific meeting in Phoenix AZ.
Other quality of life improvements associated with higher activity levels included the ability to complete basic daily tasks, such as getting up from chairs, using the stairs, dressing and undressing, and improved physical symptoms like feeling short of breath.
"These folks weren't reporting high levels of activity yet they still felt better," he said. "This supports what we've been teaching for years - no amount of exercise is too little to have an impact. And it's beneficial no matter what you weigh."
That's important news for the severely obese population, in which the benefits of exercise have not been studied as extensively as in mild or moderately overweight populations. At the same time, Binks hopes news that even a little activity offers benefits may spur some severely obese people to be more active.
"When you are 100 pounds overweight, as the average participant in our program is, people often feel defeated. They have trouble moving, and they think 'why bother.' This study shows why they should bother. It shows the value of starting to move no matter how overweight you are."
Becoming even more active can lead to greater weight loss success, overall health, and better quality of life, says Binks, but he stresses, "every little bit counts when it comes to quality of life improvements."
Duke University Medical Center
Other quality of life improvements associated with higher activity levels included the ability to complete basic daily tasks, such as getting up from chairs, using the stairs, dressing and undressing, and improved physical symptoms like feeling short of breath.
"These folks weren't reporting high levels of activity yet they still felt better," he said. "This supports what we've been teaching for years - no amount of exercise is too little to have an impact. And it's beneficial no matter what you weigh."
That's important news for the severely obese population, in which the benefits of exercise have not been studied as extensively as in mild or moderately overweight populations. At the same time, Binks hopes news that even a little activity offers benefits may spur some severely obese people to be more active.
"When you are 100 pounds overweight, as the average participant in our program is, people often feel defeated. They have trouble moving, and they think 'why bother.' This study shows why they should bother. It shows the value of starting to move no matter how overweight you are."
Becoming even more active can lead to greater weight loss success, overall health, and better quality of life, says Binks, but he stresses, "every little bit counts when it comes to quality of life improvements."
Duke University Medical Center
Exercise Current Events and Exercise News RSSWii Fit a promising tool for all ages
While some emerging technologies can create environments that require very little physical effort, one Kansas State University researcher thinks games like Nintendo's Wii Fit can help promote physical rather than sedentary activities for people of all ages.
Low-carb diets prove better at controlling type 2 diabetes
In a six-month comparison of low-carb diets, one that encourages eating carbohydrates with the lowest-possible rating on the glycemic index leads to greater improvement in blood sugar control, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers.
New appropriate use criteria guide treatment of patients with heart blockage
If you're committed to fitness, the decision to climb a couple of flights of stairs rather than take the elevator is clear. But if you develop chest pain on the way up, deciding how to treat the symptoms of clogged arteries in your heart is much more complicated.
University of Maryland researchers identify common gene variant linked to high blood pressure
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have identified a common gene variant that appears to influence people's risk of developing high blood pressure, according to the results of a study being published online Dec. 29, 2008 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Moderate drinking can reduce risks of Alzheimer's dementia and cognitive decline
Moderate drinkers often have lower risks of Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive loss, according to researchers who reviewed 44 studies. In more than half of the studies, published since the 1990s, moderate drinkers of wine, beer and liquor had lower dementia risks than nondrinkers.
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center link blood sugar to normal cognitive aging
Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). The study appeared in the December issue of Annals of Neurology.
Brain starvation as we age appears to trigger Alzheimer's
A slow, chronic starvation of the brain as we age appears to be one of the major triggers of a biochemical process that causes some forms of Alzheimer's disease.
Eating at buffets plus not exercising equals obesity in rural America
In small towns in the Midwestern United States, people who eat out often at buffets and cafeterias and who perceive their community to be unpleasant for physical activity are more likely to be obese.
Biomarkers improve ischemic stroke prediction
Testing patient's blood for two proteins or biomarkers that occur when inflammation is present could help doctors identify which patients are more likely to have a stroke, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online in the journal Stroke.
Use weights, not aerobics, to ease back pain
People who use weight training to ease their lower back pain are better off than those who choose other forms of exercise such as jogging, according to a University of Alberta study.
More Exercise Current Events and Exercise News Articles
 | Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques (Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations & Techniques) by Carol Kisner, Lynn Allen Colby Thoroughly updated to highlight current evidence to support best practice, Kisner & Colby's new 5th edition offers the most up-to-date guidelines for managing musculoskeletal conditions. Now even more extensively illustrated, it provides principles of therapeutic exercise and manual therapy. It describes pathologic conditions and surgical procedures commonly encountered by therapists in the... |
 | ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription This valuable complement to ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription elaborates on all major aspects of preventative rehabilitation and fitness programs and the major position stands of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and other scientific organizations. Providing readers with the information necessary to address the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) set... |
 | Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Fourth Edition by Jack H. Wilmore, David Costill, W. Larry Kenney The leading textbook for undergraduate exercise physiology courses, Physiology of Sport and Exercise, is back in an updated fourth edition that is better than ever after extensive external reviews of the previous edition by nine content experts. Renowned authors Jack Wilmore and David Costill add the expertise of W. Larry Kenney to bring a fresh perspective to the organization and content of the... |
 | Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition, and Human Performance (Exercise Physiology ( MC Ardle)) by William D McArdle, Frank I Katch, Victor L Katch This textbook integrates basic concepts and relevant scientific information to provide a foundation for understanding nutrition, energy transfer, and exercise training. The new Sixth Edition continues to provide excellent coverage of exercise physiology, uniting the topics of human performance, nutrition, energy expenditure and capacity, molecular biology, and more. Every chapter has been fully... |
 | Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey A groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain, from the bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey, MD.Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic... |
 | Foundations of Sport And Exercise Psychology by Robert S. Weinberg, Daniel Gould Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition, the new edition of the best-selling sport and exercise psychology book on the market, continues to provide a thorough introduction to the key concepts in the field. Written by internationally respected authors, it provides students and new practitioners with a comprehensive view of sport and exercise psychology, bridges the... |
 | Diary of an Exercise Addict by Peach Friedman Friedman suffered from exercise bulimia—a compulsion to purge calories through excessive exercise, and a rapidly growing eating disorder that affects some 400,000 American women. In Diary of an Exercise Addict Friedman recounts her descent into a life-threatening illness, her remarkable recovery, and the setbacks along the way. With refreshing candor she lays bare her relationships with... |
 | Therapeutic Exercise: Moving Toward Function by Carrie M Hall, Lori Thein Brody Therapeutic Exercise: Moving Toward Function, Second Edition provides a conceptual framework for learning how to make clinical decisions regarding the prescription of the therapeutic exercise--from deciding which exercise(s) to teach, to how to teach them, to the dosage required for the best possible outcome. Throughout this text, readers will learn how to treat, with the use of therapeutic... |
 | BodyMinder Workout and Exercise Journal (A Fitness Diary) by F. E. Wilkins The BODYMINDER is the ultimate physical fitness diary. With a focus on workouts, it can also be used to keep track of any and all other exercise. Each "day" consists of two pages with an organized, easy-to-use layout for recording workout details...from equipment & settings, to reps & sets, to difficulty level, to heart rate, to muscle groups, and more. There is also space for listing the... |
 | Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance by Scott Powers, Edward Howley Written especially for exercise science and physical education students, this text provides a solid foundation in theory illuminated by application and performance models to increase understanding and to help students apply what they've learned in the classroom and beyond.... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |