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| Author and Brian Hicks at National Duathlon Championship 2014 St. Paul |
Ads for prescription drugs seem to be everywhere. I can’t
watch television without seeing several an hour. These ads create a demand from the American
public for quick cures. Doctors have
been quick to comply, often prescribing drugs for symptoms without ever getting
to a root cause or even a cure. The
foundation of American medicine seems to be prescription drugs.
But study results published in a December 11, 2013 New York Times article that exercise may be even more effective then medicine for some conditions.
But study results published in a December 11, 2013 New York Times article that exercise may be even more effective then medicine for some conditions.
The study looked at how well certain drugs and exercise succeeded in reducing deaths in patients with heart disease, chronic heart failure, stroke and diabetes. Huseyin Naci a graduate student at the London School of Economics and Dr. John Ioannidis, director of the Stanford Prevention Research center conducted the study.
They examined records for 340,000 patients from 305 past
experiments.
There were 57 studies that
with 14,176 volunteers that used exercise alone. They compared mortality risks for different
treatment options.
Their results showed exercise and drugs had equal
effectiveness except for patients with chronic heart failure.
To quote Dr. Ioannidis “Results suggest that exercise can be
quite potent in treating heart disease and other conditions, equaling the life
saving benefits available from most of the commonly prescribed drugs including
statins.
Dr. Ioannidis also stated that only about 5 percent of
studies analyzed exercise as an intervention to prevent disease. He hopes for more research; “We need far
more information about how exercise compares head to head with drugs in the
treatment of many conditions, as well as what types and amounts confer the most
benefit.”
There are many benefits to exercise including:
Aging
Regular exercise can slow the aging process and help to prevent some of the chronic illness associated with aging. It keeps muscles, bones, lungs and heart stronger as we age.
Regular exercise can slow the aging process and help to prevent some of the chronic illness associated with aging. It keeps muscles, bones, lungs and heart stronger as we age.
Appearance
Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy body weight. It can control body fat composition at a lower level. Regular workouts especially if strength training can contribute to well-toned muscles. Muscles have better tone and definition. Skin will be healthier due to increased circulation from exercise.
Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy body weight. It can control body fat composition at a lower level. Regular workouts especially if strength training can contribute to well-toned muscles. Muscles have better tone and definition. Skin will be healthier due to increased circulation from exercise.
Better Blood
Exercise improves the blood lipid profile or in other words can improve your cholesterol numbers. Exercise can raise you HDLC (Good) and lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Exercise increases the number of red blood cells which carry oxygen. Your bloods ability to clot also improves with exercise.
Exercise improves the blood lipid profile or in other words can improve your cholesterol numbers. Exercise can raise you HDLC (Good) and lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Exercise increases the number of red blood cells which carry oxygen. Your bloods ability to clot also improves with exercise.
Blood Pressure
You can lower your blood pressure because exercise increases vessel size, number and elasticity reducing blood pressure.
You can lower your blood pressure because exercise increases vessel size, number and elasticity reducing blood pressure.
Bones
Exercise that is weight bearing like running can help to keep bones strong. Exercise improves bone density and helps prevent bone mineral loss essential to preventing osteoporosis.
Exercise that is weight bearing like running can help to keep bones strong. Exercise improves bone density and helps prevent bone mineral loss essential to preventing osteoporosis.
Cancer
Regular exercise is a cancer preventer. Regular exercise can lower the risk of colon, breast and reproductive cancers.
Regular exercise is a cancer preventer. Regular exercise can lower the risk of colon, breast and reproductive cancers.
Cardiovascular
Running can help to control asthma. Exercise makes the lungs open up and flush out. Your heart is a muscle and like any muscle gets stronger and larger when it is worked. Regular exercise helps the heart to work more efficiently and effectively.
Running can help to control asthma. Exercise makes the lungs open up and flush out. Your heart is a muscle and like any muscle gets stronger and larger when it is worked. Regular exercise helps the heart to work more efficiently and effectively.
Diabetes
Blood sugar can be controlled by regular exercise. A regular program of exercise can prevent diabetes Type II which is the result of aging.
Blood sugar can be controlled by regular exercise. A regular program of exercise can prevent diabetes Type II which is the result of aging.
DNA
Telomeres protect DNA and protein complexes. They prevent damage or fraying of the DNA. The more the DNA frays the sicker you get and the faster you age. Lifestyle changes and exercise help preserve telomeres. A research study inCalifornia
did a control group and a group with lifestyle changes to see the effect of the
telomeres. The changes included 30
minutes of moderate exercise (walking), stress management and a diet high in whole
foods, high in plant based protein and low in fat.
Telomeres protect DNA and protein complexes. They prevent damage or fraying of the DNA. The more the DNA frays the sicker you get and the faster you age. Lifestyle changes and exercise help preserve telomeres. A research study in
Telomere length was measured in the control group and the group doing the lifestyle changes. Short telomere length is associated with cellular aging and is seen as a precursor to many types of cancer, stroke, dementia, heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis and diabetes.
The lifestyle group showed significant increase in telomere
length.
Immune System
Exercise boosts the immune system. When you exercise on a regular basis your body is better able to fight off infections and diseases like cancer.
Exercise boosts the immune system. When you exercise on a regular basis your body is better able to fight off infections and diseases like cancer.
Pregnancy
Being fit can improve pregnancy and delivery outcomes.
Being fit can improve pregnancy and delivery outcomes.
Sleep
Running improves sleep quality and those that exercise report they fall asleep
more easily. Being tired from exercise makes it easier to fall asleep and stay
asleep.
So why doesn’t everyone exercise? Because taking a pill is so much easier than
going for a walk. One of my older brothers has recently been diagnosed with
diabetes. He was prescribed a pill for the diabetes. He is also taking a statin for high blood
pressure. Both of his medications are
expensive and strain his budget. I suggested that going for a walk and some
exercise at the gym might get him off of both prescriptions. He refuses to even
consider it.
I think it is just easier for him to take a pill. Drugs can
be expensive and are not without side effects. I suspect like me he has CMT.
Statins can accelerate CMT and I’ve noticed he has hand tremors which I think
are due to the Statins.
I notice in the CMT community many are waiting for a cure.
They want a pill to make their CMT go away.
Honestly I would like that too, but we don’t know what the
side effects of a cure could be or how much the treatment might cost.
Right now exercise is our only alternative. Even if a cure
is discovered, exercise may still be needed to enhance the drug. Any CMT drugs developed may also arrest
progression and not reverse damage. So staying strong to preserve function is
really important.
I believe so much in exercise for CMT that I started Team
CMT. Money that we raise goes to fund
the research of Dr. Robert Chetlin on the effect of exercise on CMT.
*************************
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| Author at PATCO Dallas 2014 |
Chris
Wodke
Founder
& Manager Team CMT
www.run4cmt.com
Chris is
a triathlete and long distance runner. She is a three time participant of the
Boston Marathon. She was the 2012
National Champion Paratriathlon Open Division and 2014 PC Open Division Duathlon National Champion. In 2013 she qualified as a member
of the Team USA Duathlon Team and was eligible to compete in 2014 at the Age
Group World Duathlon Sprint Championship in Pontevedre Spain . She chose instead to represent the U.S. as a paratriathlete at the Pan-American
Triathlon Championship in Dallas ,
Texas
She is
the author of the book, “Running for My Life” that details her experience as a
CMT affected athlete.
Team CMT
is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure
for CMT. We have 152 members in 30 states. We also have members in Australia , Canada ,
Vietnam , Turkey , Finland
and Iran .
If you wish to join us visit our web site; www.run4cmt.com
or www.hnf-cure.org
CMT or
Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It
affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS). It is a disease of the
nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of
normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.
Symptoms
include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor
balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual
dexterity.
Structural
foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.
Poor
tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold
hands and feet.
Additional
symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing
loss.
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