The View from Sports Center

All Exercise is Not Equal

For some people, walking around the block wears them out. For others, running a 10k is energizing. Some can swim a mile; others can dog-paddle 25 meters.

Why?

The amount of oxygen you carry in your blood and the amount Dara Torres, for example,  carries in her blood is about the same. It's how we stay alive (and don't have to be very fit either). Yet, Dara, at the age of 41, made the US Olympic swim team - for the fifth time.

Why?

Physical exertion depends on oxygen delivery and the more you train, smartly, the better you get. Dara Torres' delivery of oxygen to her working muscles is like Federal Express: quick, efficient, dependable. If you dog-paddle 25 meters and have to quit, your delivery system is more like the Pony Express. If you want to get more out of your life, change the Pony Express to Federal Express, train (read more about Dara' training here ).

Training is exercise but exercise is not necessarily training. Training is goal driven, specific, measurable, consistent. Exercise is physical activity.

See the difference? What's keeping you from training?

Make today count.
Doug Kelsey

Wock On You Webble Wouser

If you're a consistent reader of The View, then you probably know that motion is the key to healthy joints and a happy mind and body. Here's a great idea , The Webble, for those of you who need to keep some motion going in your ankles, knees and hips while sitting at a desk.

Wock On.

Does Exercise Just Make You Healthier or Does it Save You?

If you're a frequent reader of The View, you know how strongly I feel about exercise as a foundation of your lifestyle. Well, here's a study just out that not only supports the idea that exercise can make you healthier but also is the key to preventing certain diseases.

Onward....

Blinded by Your Focus?

I remember when I would return from a physical therapy seminar, didn't matter really what it covered, all of sudden, it seemed as if all of my patients had the condition that was the subject of the seminar. If we had discussed fat pad impingement, sure enough, that week, I suddenly had this run on patients with fat pad impingement. Or, a labral tear of the shoulder - you bet. Tons of labral tears. It took me a while to figure out that I found whatever I was looking for.

This is both a blessing and a curse. Pattern recognition is what helps clinicians identify certain conditions but if you walk into the room with a pre-conceived notion or frame of mind, you no longer are searching for a pattern. You're blinded by your bias.

To prove my point, watch this video.

The Best Exercise for a Younger You

A lot of people would like to be younger than they are and some of the drive for the return of youth is appearance. But, it's also the energy level, the mobility, the sense of freedom you have when you can fully engage with the world. When you run out of steam too soon, like needing to take a rest while walking around at Disney World, for example, you'll find your self muttering, "I feel old."

So, what can you do about your declining energy level? Sure, you can always chug a few cans of Red Bull or a double espresso but those will be short lived. The answer is strength training.

Strength training is the only no-surgery, no-drug option for people who want to reduce the speed of the aging train. It's benefits are touted by a number of gyms, trainers, therapists, and physicians and it has a substantial amount of research behind it. But, there are a few caveats:

1. You have to train at least two days per week for six months.
2. The training must be at least 50% of your maximum and steadily progress to 80%.
3. You have to re-test your strength each two weeks and adjust your training loads.

So, what’s so special about strength training? What is it that makes strength training such a great rejuvenator?

Strength training causes certain genes to change in your muscles. The gene profile actually switches back to a younger age. And, it appears that strength training targets only the genes associated with aging. Strength training makes your muscles younger.

But, before you rush out to the gym and start pumping iron, consider this: the subjects in the study that supports this notion of strength training as the Fountain of Youth, were healthy. They were free free from medical disease and had no symptoms (i.e. pain). The reason this is important is that pain inhibits muscular contraction and thereby limits the maximum amount of gain from strength training. So, if your joints ache or hurt, you will not be able to exert enough force to fatigue the muscles. Your strength test will be limited by pain and this renders the test invalid and since your training is derived from the the test, your training will be ineffective as well.

Strength training is a great choice to slow the aging train as long as your joints can hold up to the force. If not, you'll need to get some help to restore your joint health and then pursue the strength training.

Make today count.

Doug Kelsey

ref: Melov, S., M. A. Tarnopolsky, et al. (2007). "Resistance exercise reverses aging in human skeletal muscle." PLoS ONE 2(5): e465.

Golf - Should You Stretch to Reduce Injury?

by Doug Kelsey

Should you stretch before you take that first big swing of tee #1? Will you reduce your risk of injury?

The research on stretching has consistently shown that it is ineffective in reducing injury yet just about every one believes it and stretches before they run or workout.

Except golfers.

A research group from Australia studied the pre-game routines of over 1000 golfers. Over 45% had no warm-up or stretching routine at all. They just pulled their club from the bag, stepped up to the tee and took the first big swing. The remaining 54% didn’t do much more. Most took a few swings of the club. None performed any aerobic warm-up and few did any stretching.

There are two reasons for this. First, golf is not perceived as a demanding sport like, for example, soccer, even though about 35% of golfers will have an injury each year with 68% complaining of back pain. Second, the only reason anyone gets injured doing anything is when the physical demand of the activity is greater than the physical ability to perform it.

As part of an overall training strategy, stretching may be very important but, by itself, stretching is insufficient to increase your physical capability.

ref: Fradkin, A J;  Finch, C F;  Sherman, C A: Warm Up Practices of Golfers: Are They Adequate?. British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 35, pp. 125-127, 2001.

And The Survey Says!

by Doug Kelsey

Thank you to all who participated in the Reasons for Exercise survey conducted about three weeks ago. The results are in and there were a couple of surprises.

The survey, Exercise Motivations Inventory, was designed with main categories and questions for each category by David Markland, PhD of Bangor University (it is free to download and use for research purposes). One hundred seventy three (173) people took the survey. The average age was 43 (spanning from 20 to 81) and 52% were female, 48% male. Below are the top five categories with the number one sub-question listed next to each category.

The top five reasons people in this survey exercise were for:

1. Positive health (to have a healthy body)
2. Strength and Endurance (to have a good body)
3. Revitalization (because it makes me feel good)
4. Nimbleness (to become more agile)
5. Weight management (to stay slim)

There were a couple of surprises. One was "nimbleness" or agility and the other was "revitalization".  The International Health, Racquet, and Sports Club Association's survey of its members revealed that the number one reason women exercised was weight control and for men it was to increase muscle tone. But, they fail to share the average age of the survey respondents. The majority of health club members are under the age of 34 and positive health is not a major concern for the younger age brackets. It's an improved or maintained body image that this group is seeking.

A major concern of people over the age of forty though is improving or keeping their health. And, based on research from the Centers for Disease Control, I understand why. The average lifespan of a US citizen is 76 years and the last 12 of those years are spent in ill health. That's nearly 71,000 of your wakeful hours filled with disease and / or disability and most of these problems are derived from your lifestyle.

So, how do the survey results fit with your expectations of why people exercise? Any surprises for you?

To positive health,
DK

Slip Slidin' Away

by Doug Kelsey

I lost it.

It took me a long time to get it and now it's gone. Not forever. I know how to get it back. I just, well, you know the drill. You want something you once had, know how long it took it to get it, know what it's going to take and off goes the monkey mind swinging from branch to branch in the frustration and worry jungle.

Here's how it happened.

It was Monday, February 11, 2008 . I started at just shy of 12,000 feet and it was foggy, snowy, and really cold up there. I could see about 20 or 30 yards. As I started down the mountain, I felt like I had never been on skis before even though I had already skied earlier that day and all day before. I fell a few times; no big deal. I knew I was going to fall and was ready for it. I got up and kept going.

The run, Longshot at Snowmass, is aptly named. At 5.3 miles from top to bottom, it's the longest run on the mountain. Not the toughest run by a long shot (just had to use that - it was there :), but that day it was both long and tough for me. About half way down, I ran into a stretch of moguls. I swear there were Volkswagen beetles buried in the snow. And, to make matters worse since I had little recent experience with moguls (my last time skiing was, ohhh, let's just say I don't own any wine that old), the run narrowed making it tough to control my speed.

You probably know where this is going.

I fell.

Spectacularly.

Launched off a mogul into the air, a 180 degree turn to land face down with my skis spearing the slopes like two sharp swords, I heard a crunch, thud, and a "ugh." I laid still making sure everything was intact. Somehow, I was ok. Right? I was ok. Yep. Ok. Sore, yeah, but ok.

I got up (that would have made a most excellent video) by thrusting my hips back and forth, up and down, side to side,  while pushing with each arm alternating right and left. I finally wiggled one ski free of the snow. Then, the other.

I just sat there for a while. I was the only person anywhere around. No sound. Just me and the winter.

I was ok.

I made it down to the bottom and waited for my buddies.

I was ok.

Two days later, I was not ok.

In my gymnastic fall, I injured my spine. Since last Wednesday, I haven't been able to sit for more than a few minutes and when I get up from sitting, I have a sharp, searing, cramping pain in my right hip that goes away after a few steps. I can stand and walk around without any problems. All the signs and symptoms of a classic disc injury and one I would rather not have and it's not because of the pain. That's a concern but it's not number one.

What I lost was my ability to stand on one leg which took me nearly a year to master. If I stand on one leg holding the other off the floor and close my eyes, I can stand for maybe 1-2 seconds. Maybe. I should be able to stand for 10 seconds completely still. If I open my eyes, I can stand for about 10 seconds when I should be able to stand for at least 30 seconds.

I know it won't take me a year to get back to standing on one leg again but, I have to say, it sucks right now. Just being honest (my new years resolution was to be as honest as I can in all situations and I figure this is one situation where honesty is a good thing).

So, I'll bet you're wondering. Was it worth it?

Absolutely.

I had three fantastic days doing something I haven't done in 15 years; something I thought I would never be able to do again. And, I was in really good condition tolerating the loads, forces, work, quite well.

I fell. Stuff happens. Time to re-group, push reset (especially in my head), and go again.

And, will I go again? Absolutely. I will.

Maybe I should try dunking a basketball again?

P.S.

I'm working hard for a full recovery in time for Sports Center's annual Hall of Fame Party scheduled for Thursday, February 28, 2008 from 6:30PM to 8:30PM. All of you Hall of Famers, hope to see you there. I'll show-off my single leg stance ability :-) and we have a surprise or two for you as well!

Survey Response - WHOOPS

The response to my survey request was so great it hit the maximum responses allowed by the server in just a few hours ! As a result, if you recently tried to participate in the survey, you may have received a message that it was closed.

Sorry about that...it's open again and will remain open though the weekend. So, click here - it's working now.

Doug Kelsey

Why Do You Exercise? I Would Love to Know.

I need your help.

I want to better understand the reasons people exercise. I'm working on a new concept for the fitness market and while I know some people exercise for health reasons or to look better or to get stronger, I suspect that there's a blend of reasons. In other words, people exercise not JUST to feel better or look better but also perhaps for the social aspect or maybe it's the time to just think. Could you take about five minutes to complete this online survey? I ask for no personal identifying information. Your answers are completely anonymous. All I ask is that you be honest with your answers.

To participate, just click here. It will take you to the online survey.

Thank you very much for your help.

Make today count.
Doug Kelsey