TOUR DE FRANCE OVER, RAGBRAI OVER, FALL SEASON BEGINS: There is a shift in the bicycling world in August where we begin to look forward to fall. RAGBRAI is over. The Tour de France is over. Although we are now in a hot-spell, it won’t be long until we begin to feel fall-like days. Kid’s are returning to school. And, indoor cycling classes start to get bigger.
I look forward to seeing more of some of my friends who, understandably, trade their Keiser for their road bike during the summer. Come on back!
EXERCISE IS MEDICINE: You may know that I teach a special neuro-wellness cycling class for people with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions every Thursday evening at the YMCA Healthy Living Center. The class is based on neurological research that shows that increased rate cycling can reduce Parkinson’s symptoms by as much as 35%.
We had a big night when the Iowa-born researcher who has done much of this ground-breaking work came back to ride on RAGBRAI. Dr. Jay Alberts spoke to a group of about 80 during his Tuesday night overnight in Des Moines.
His message was, “exercise is medicine”. Not just, “It’s good for you.”. Not just, “It can prevent illness”. Not just, “It makes you feel better”. Rather, “exercise is medicine.” Even moderate exercise can act like a medicine for your body in many different ways including cardiovascular/heart health, bone health and mental health.
Shortly after hearing Dr. Alberts, I saw another headline, “Exercise May Be the Best Medicine for Alzheimer's Disease.” This article reports that new research by University of Maryland shows that exercise may improve the efficiency of brain activity associated with memory. This is important new information because the memory loss leading to Alzheimer's disease is one of the greatest fears among older Americans.
The study is the first to show that exercise by older adults with mild cognitive impairment improved not only memory recall, but also brain function,
"We found that after 12 weeks of being on a moderate exercise program, study participants improved their neural efficiency -- basically they were using fewer neural resources to perform the same memory task," says Dr. Smith. "No study has shown that a drug can do what we showed is possible with exercise."
AND ANOTHER : And here’s another example, as sent to me by one of my students. Researchers at Arizona State have shown that exercise may be the easiest, most effective way to stay calm without pills. The researchers analyzed many different strategies for fighting anxiety, including meditation, yoga, stretching, and talk therapy. They moderate to vigorous exercise was one of the best ways to reduce anxiety - only prescription meds worked better. Burning about 850 calories a week was show to be optimal - the equilivent of a daily 30-minute brisk walk or a 15-minute jog. Thanks for sending me this, Char!
AND THIS: “Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states.” ~ Carol Welch
BREATHING MAKES YOU FEEL BETTER: Along with exercise, breathing is another miracle tool. Yes, breathing. Frankly, most of us don’t know how to breathe.
Yeah, I can hear it. “What do you mean I don’t know how to breathe?” But just because breathing can be subconscious, doesn’t mean we are good at it.
Breathing is like a switch for our nervous system. Fast, shallow breathing triggers that part of our nervous system associated with stress. This system, called the sympathetic nervous system, stimulates activities associated with the fight-or-flight response: faster pulse, elevated heart rate, increased respiration. By contrast, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for stimulation of "rest-and-digest" activities that occur when the body and its systems are at rest.
What is not largely appreciated is that you can sometimes control the operation of your nervous system. You can sometimes control which part of your nervous system is at work by consciously controlling your breathing. When you do, you are happier, more rested, better to exercise more efficiently and better able to fight disease.
Here is how I use it. I consciously slow my breathing. I reach down deep into my lungs and pull the air out from my diaphragm through my mouth and nose. This helps me relax, fall asleep, and fight a headache.
Better breathing also makes the quality of your exercise better. Simply, your body gets more oxygen. I teach this to my cycling students and personal training clients.
So when was the last time you consciously controlled your breathe? Here are two easy exercises:
- Start by placing one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Slowly breathe and observe which hand moves more. Try to make the breathing come from your belly and not your chest.
- Next, relax and see how long you can sustain an exhale. Most people take 12-16 breaths per minute. Try instead for 8-10 breaths.
You might be surprised to see how quickly you begin to feel better. Better breathing helps you feel better.
Proper breathing is a big deal in exercise, and also in life. It is crucial to good health.
The old saying "In with the good, out with the bad" is so true.
REACTION TO WOMEN AND EXERCISE ARTICLE: I dedicated my early July newsletter to a single subject: women and exercise. The article discussed the particular obstacles to exercise for women, the importance of exercise for women and how to feel more comfortable at the gym. The article also discussed the profound effect of Title IX in changing how society sees women and exercise. I asked for your feedback and you gave it to me.
If you missed the original article it is posted at http://billroachblog.blogspot.com/ Scroll down to edition #83.
Here are some of the replies I received:
- "It is an interesting subject. (Now) I don't consider my appearance at all while working out. I roll out of bed, barely comb my hair, and head straight to the gym without a hint of makeup. I feel like most often during the workout I am so focused on pushing through that I don't even notice the people around me! When I (began) ... however, I was very nervous about my appearance. I think that was mostly because I had no idea what I was doing and was worried I would stick out like a sore thumb. I didn't want to draw any attention to myself. "
- "It blows my mind…probably because I don’t think I look all that great even when I’m not working out so at least while I am exercising, I have an excuse to look “that way”…bad hair, bad no makeup, etc."
- "I really liked your article today. I would like to add a few points as well. I have found that oftentimes women from the south are more inclined to feel this way. The cultural norms are just a bit different from women raised there. Maybe not so much for younger gals (all my friends from the South are in their 40’s – so I just have no frame of reference), but I have definitely noticed that “looking made-up” whatever they are doing is very important to them. "
- "Also, a lot has to do with the age of woman. My seniors definitely have mental barriers regarding image when they exercise. I actually had one woman ask me if it was okay to exercise in her girdle. Many of them do not even own true exercise shoes or clothing because they think it inappropriate or ugly – especially the shoes."
- "You know, I think what you wrote is great. I think, though, you should do a follow up and it should be posted at the Y.... (the article) provide(d) more elucidation of the issue than resolution of it.... To simply say that it doesn't matter and just do your thing or that people are not judging you won't convince someone who feels like a sore thumb. My approach is that once you enter the Y, you are on sacred ground and nobody is better than anyone else. And I believe it."
- "The article was a very thought-provoking question and set of answers from women. I really like how you point out that no one is actually looking at you when you work out: it's so true, how often do you look at others and judge what they look like when they are working out? "
- "My immediate reaction to the original question was to think about a new trend in race events that cater directly to women. In some regards, it's exciting, and in other ways it's disheartening to have races such as the Zooma race series where women are given jewelry versus race medals and there's champagne and beauty treatments (facials, makeup, pedicures) at the finish. Does this help the women's movement or hurt it? I don't know. If it gets women out who wouldn't normally exercise, then great. But it also helps further that notion that women still have to look good while working out."
- "So what is the answer? Ensuring that the gym/wherever people workout is a safe space and that people understand that. (I think articles like this help solve these problems!). "
QUOTE:
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are TINY matters compared to what lies WITHIN us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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