Exercise:
The secret weapon for healthy living
Harold Sealls is a natural athlete.
He played football back in high school and has kept in shape for years — so much so that now, at the age of 50, he says he is in the best shape of his life.
He should be. He’s been working out since he was 12. Back then he used the money he earned delivering newspapers to purchase his first set of weights. He still owns another set he bought almost 30 years ago.
“They’re sitting in my living room,” he said, quickly pointing out that they are not simply collecting dust.
“I use my weights as I use pots and pans,” he explained. “I cook regularly and I work out regularly.”
He does it all — aerobics, stretching, strength training. And plays basketball at least four times a week.
“It’s a part of me,” said Sealls. “It’s a way of living. I wouldn’t know what it would be like to not exercise.”
If only that were true for the majority of African Americans.
Though roughly half of all Americans say they exercise regularly, that number is only about 40 percent for African Americans. For black women, it’s even lower — just over one-third.
Those numbers found in a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report are particularly surprising given the well documented health benefits associated with regular exercise.
It decreases the risk of many illnesses prevalent among blacks — heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, overweight, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome and colon and breast cancer. It improves respiration and cardiac function, strengthens muscles and bones and prevents falls. It’s even good for the mind — it reduces depression and improves cognitive skills in older adults.
Most importantly, it lowers the risk of premature death. In Massachusetts in 2006, the rate of blacks who died prematurely — defined as before the age of 75 — was 43 percent higher than that of whites, 53 percent higher than that of Hispanics, and more than three times the rate of Asians.
Dr. Jonathan Bean is the medical director of Spaulding Cambridge Outpatient Center and a clinical researcher in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School. As a medical expert on exercise, he has a simple way to explain the joys of exercise.
“Think about exercise as a medicine,” he said before posing a question. “How many of you would be willing to take a medicine every day that benefits every organ in your body and has minimal side effects?
“There is such a medicine,” he answers, “and that medicine is exercise.”
It doesn’t take much — less than three hours per week.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends a minimum of two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week, or an hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercises a week, or a combination of both.
By “intensity,” HHS means how hard a person works to perform the activity. For instance, moderate-intensity exercises include walking briskly at 4 miles per hour or bicycling about 10 miles per hour. Generally speaking, a person can talk during a moderately intense workout, but not sing.
Vigorous-intensity exercises are more physically demanding, and include jogging or running, swimming laps or jumping rope. A person engaging in vigorous-intensity exercises cannot say more than a few words without taking a breath.
Aliya Finley, 32, admits that she hated working out, due in part to her aversion to sports as a teenager.
“In high school, no one wanted me on their team,” she said.
All that changed about 12 years ago when she joined Body By Brandy Fitness Center at the prodding of her mother.
“My mother was always interested in exercise,” said Finley, a senior account manager at a health insurance plan. “She and I would go to the gym together.”
Her first class was step aerobics, and then she was hooked.
Hooked, but not disciplined.
That changed when she turned 30 years old. Working out became a regular part of her day-to-day routine.
“When I hit 30 it was a wake-up call,” she explained. “Now I go to classes because I like them.”
Most of her exercise is confined to the fitness center — everything from the treadmill and elliptical machine to lifting free weights and attending kickboxing classes.
“I really need group motivation,” she said. “On my own I slack off. If I’m in a group, I’m more consistent.”
Although Finley admits that she struggles with her weight, she says that she exercises for her health. Family members have diabetes and high blood pressure and she is trying to keep them at bay.
“I want to control my weight and be healthy,” she stressed.
And she thinks her exercise has paid off. “The more I worked out, I saw my strength and endurance increase,” she noted. “And it didn’t take long. I was not winded when walking on the treadmill.”
She attributes her increase in alertness to exercise as well. “I’m not a morning person, but if I work out in the morning, I’m wide awake before I get to work,” Finley reported. “I’m more on point and ready to get the day started.”
Initiating an exercise regime takes a bit of planning. Inactive adults should start out gradually at light or moderate intensity for short periods spread throughout the week. For example, a safe approach could be five minutes of slow walking several times a day for five to six days a week. Gradually, the time can be increased to 10-minute walks three times a day. Walking speed can also be increased slowly.
It doesn’t take long for the health benefits to kick in. Health benefits accrue with as little as 60 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Exercisers who meet the minimum recommendation of 150 minutes a week can increase the intensity, duration and frequency of their activities to achieve even greater health benefits.
While aerobics are good for cardiovascular health, muscle-strengthening activities increase both bone and muscle strength, and should be combined with aerobic activity.
In simpler terms, according to Bean, aerobic exercise is most beneficial at lengthening a person’s life, while strengthening exercises are the best way to increase and maintain a person’s daily functioning.
Examples of muscle strengthening exercises include weight lifting, working with resistance bands or calisthenics such as push-ups, pull-ups or sit-ups. It is important to work on the entire body and include exercises that target the arms, legs and trunk.
The HHS recommends strengthening exercises at least two days a week. Muscle strengthening is defined in terms of repetitions. To enhance the strength of a muscle or group of muscles, one set of between eight to 15 repetitions is recommended.
Bean offers advice on weight training. “To improve strength,” he said, “do eight to 12 repetitions of the exercise. On the last repetition you should not be able to do another one, while maintaining good form. If you can, then it is time to add a higher weight. Otherwise, you will stay at that level of strength.”
Additionally, a general rule of thumb is increasing weight by one to two pounds for arm exercises and five pounds for leg exercises. Bean recommends two sets of at least eight to 10 repetitions.
The bottom line is that any physical activity is better than none.
Just ask Shirley Robinson.
She just turned 60 years old and has been walking for years.
She does other exercises as well — she stretches to keep limber, uses free weights for strength, and every now and again, goes bowling. But her passion is walking
She joined gyms in the past, “but I was inconsistent in going,” she said. “I’d go for a few months, and then stop. The commitment was not there.”
About 15 years ago, she just started walking. She especially enjoys her walks in the spring and summer.
“It’s peaceful; you can hear the birds sing,” Robinson said.
She usually walks two to three miles several times a week.
If she can’t walk in the morning she goes during lunch. Fortunately for her, she works near Franklin Park and Jamaica Pond — two of her favorite places.
Robinson has an additional motivation to keep on walking: A few years ago, she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. It was not totally unexpected; it runs in her family.
For now, her blood pressure is well controlled with diuretics alone, and Robinson is quick to point out that she wants to keep it that way.
And that’s where she gives credit to regular exercise and walking, which she says has improved her endurance and stamina.
“I have a lot more energy and don’t feel so stressed,” Robinson admitted. “If I don’t go I feel sluggish. When I walk … I can do more.”
Bean offers encouragement.
“Exercise can be a challenging habit to adopt and maintain. There’s more to it than just taking a pill,” he said.
Many people start, then stop.
“Keep plugging,” he said. “Try again, and if you don’t succeed, then try again — every attempt can have a positive effect on your health.” |
(Top) Shirley Robinson (center) takes a brisk walk in Franklin Park with two friends, Christine Holley (left) and Roma McKenzie-Campbell.
(Bottom) Jonathan F. Bean, M.D., M.S., M.P.H.
Medical Director
Spaulding Cambridge Outpatient Center |
|
(Top) Aliya Finley (left) works out with trainer, Bobby Stevenson, at Body By Brandy Fitness Studio in Roxbury.
(Bottom) Harold Sealls started exercising at the age of 12. He still plays basketball several times a week and does aerobics and weight training as well.
|
|
