For Young and Old

Hippocampus

The Brain

     Researchers have long known about the relationship between being physically fit and the health of the brain. Particularly, in children aged 9 to 10 years of age. Children in this range are not known for their solid emotional regulation and powerful long-term memories. Studies from the University of Illinois have confirmed that children in this range who are physically fit, more physically active, have larger hippocampi than their cohorts. What, exactly, does this mean? The hippocampus is the primary seat of emotional regulation. It also plays a large role in forming long-term memories. Among its other duties, spatial navigation is handled by the hippocampus. Clearly, this is an important little organ in the brain.

     This particular study from the University of Illinois as among the first to use MRIs to measure and evaluate the differences between the brains of fit and unfit children, as pointed out by Art Kraemer, the director of the University psychology professor and Beckman Institute Director, Laura Chaddock, a Doctoral student, Professor Charles Hillman, Kinesiology and Community Health.

     The primary focus of this study was the hippocampus due to its significance in learning and memory. Older studies only focused on older adults and how exercise changed the hippocampus. Those results show that a larger and healthier hippocampus in adults is also key to strong performance in spatial performance, memory tests, and other cognitive tasks.

     The results from this study found that the fit children performed far better than their unfit piers. They scored higher in spatial relationship tests, relational memory, and emotional regulation.

Clearly, being physically active in youth benefits the brain. Maintaining our physical fitness into our middle-age and beyond is also important. Growing up, I saw far too many people hit a certain point in life and sit down. They hardly got up again after that. Their lifespan was not very long after that.

On the other end of that spectrum, there were many older adults I knew when I was younger who are still about today. How is this? They were playing tennis and volleyball back then. Some of them still play tennis in their 90s. Most of them are happy to walk several miles a day and swim as often as possible. A few of them are taking Tai Chi classes. What are they getting from this?

•      Keeping Strength
•      Maintaining joint mobility
•      Improved balance
•      Tai Chi increases growth and density in at least eight areas of gray matter in the brain
•      Improved mood
•      Lower depression

      These activities have also kept their minds active, which is also a highly important part of mental acuity. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals known as growth factors, which help make new brain cells and establish new connections between brain cells to help us learn. Interestingly, complicated activities, like playing tennis or taking a dance class, provide the biggest brain boost. Similar to our muscles, our brain cells need to be stressed and stimulated for optimal health. Playing checkers, chess, doing word puzzles, and other complex activities that force your brain to operate in multiple directions at one time are going to be the most beneficial. Such activities build and reinforce our ability to focus and pay attention to detail. These tasks will also keep up our mental stamina.

     Even mild activity like a leisurely walk can help keep your brain fit and active, fending off memory loss and keeping skills like vocabulary retrieval strong. In a 2011 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Canadian researchers analyzed the energy expenditure and cognitive functioning of elderly adults over the course of two to five years. Most of the participants did not work out; their activities revolved around short walks, cooking, gardening, and cleaning. Still, compared with their sedentary peers, the most active participants scored significantly better on tests of cognitive function, and they showed the least amount of cognitive decline. By the study's end, roughly 90 percent of them could think and remember just as well as they could when the study began.

It May Slow Alzheimer's  

     The Alzheimer's Research Center touts exercise as one of the best weapons against the disease. Exercise appears to protect the hippocampus, which governs memory and spatial navigation, and is one of the first brain regions to succumb to Alzheimer's-related damage. A recent study published in the Archives of Neurology suggests that a daily walk or jog could lower the risk of Alzheimer's—or blunt its impact once it has begun. In 2000, Dutch researchers found that inactive men who were genetically prone to Alzheimer's were four times more likely to develop the disease than those who carried the trait but worked out regularly.

Exercise & Fitness

     Exercising regularly, every day if possible, is the single most important thing you can do for your health. In the short term, exercise helps to control appetite, boost mood, and improve sleep. In the long term, it reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression, and many cancers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following:

For adults of all ages at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise like brisk walking or 75 minutes of rigorous exercise like running (or an equivalent mix of both) every week. It’s fine to break up exercise into smaller sessions as long as each one lasts at least 10 minutes.

     Strength-training that works all major muscle groups—legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms—at least two days a week. Strength training may involve lifting weights, using resistance bands, or exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, in which your body weight furnishes the resistance.

     For pregnant women the guidelines for aerobic exercise are considered safe for most pregnant women. The CDC makes no recommendation for strength training. It’s a good idea to review your exercise plan with your doctor.

For Children

     At least 60 minutes of physical activity a day, most of which should be devoted to aerobic exercise. Children should do vigorous exercise and strength training, such as push-ups or gymnastics, on at least three days every week.

     Stephen C. Putnam, MEd, took up canoeing. This was to combat adult ADHD. He later wrote Nature's Ritalin for the Marathon Mind. This book is about the benefits of exercise and the unfocused troubled brain.
     Putnam cites studies in which children who ran around for 15 to 20-minutes prior to class had a decrease in their “ants-in-the-pants behavior.” These results were found to last for up to two hours, a good period of time.

     In a previous article, we discussed how exercise releases several feel-good hormones. Through exercise, we see positive feelings, calming sensations, increases in cortical matter in the brain, clearer thinking, easier learning, more focused students. 

     Albert Einstein was known for using exercise to find answers to his questions and problems. He would say that he would spend hours with calculations, looking for the answer making no progress. But, after several laps in the local pool, the answers he sought would find him.

     I know that I am not alone when I recall similar events from college or early days in the military. Problems had mounted up and time had gotten away so I’d go for some PT (Physical Training) it a good long run. Somewhere on the obstacle course, in the gym, or out on the jogging trail was that epiphany. Just waiting for me to step in it. I’m sure several of you have similar recollections. 

      Stay Strong.

      Stay healthy.

Knees, We Need 'Em

Knees. We all have them. Some are in better condition than others. There are a multitude of reasons why knees hurt. ACL injury, meniscus tear or strain, ITBS, bursitis, or something else. The point is you are either in pain or you want to not be in pain. Therefore, you are researching what you can do to protect your knees or help them feel better.

This is an incredible joint with an unbelievable range and amount of motion. Such a burden to be

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taken by a relatively small joint. It’s not that any joint has an abundance of muscles covering it for support or protection.

This complex joint is a hinge joint. It only moves along one plane. Looking at the anatomy of the leg, one can easily see and understand how the muscles of the upper and lower leg attach around the knee. Taking a quick look at the image to the left, you can get a clear picture of how the muscles and tendons are connected around this joint.

Both in front and behind the knee, there are several muscle sections that do overlap the joint. This is a structural feature that imbues the knee with its great lateral strength and flexibility. Conversely, the this joint is also left unprotected to the sides and, after a specific range, to the front. The knee is vulnerable to hyperextension. Many runners, martial artists, and football kickers have experienced the embarrassing and painful event of over-extending one’s knee. Like a minor sprain, hyperextensions are easily recovered from with a little time, ice packs, and ibuprofen.

There are several more injuries that are far more damaging and have far more extensive recovery protocols. The therapies for each of the types of injuries and recovery times are better suited for chapters in medical books than articles. What we will do instead is go over how to keep your knees healthy and strong thereby preventing injuries. Prevention being preferable to recovery.

So long as you and your doctor are both clear on what you are doing, there should be no issue with these exercises. This is not a good time, for us middle-age athlete/weekend warriors, to follow our old coaches’ mantras. We are no longer in position to “play through the pain.” This can be catastrophic, my man. Catastrophic. This is easily more debilitating injuries, early onset of degenerative diseases, or both. According to specialists, knee injuries and surgeries are increasing. That includes repair for over-use and under-use of our knees. So, talk with your doctor and work with said medical professional in putting together your knee care plan. Using this piece will give you a starting point.

Warmup

The beginning is always the best place to start. For exercising the beginning is a warmup. Using a stationary bicycle is a solid choice. If you are coming back from an injury or from a physician’s care, follow your doctor’s recommendation. As a general guide, using the bicycle is a safe choice as it will engage all the musculature that supports your knees. The pumping action is also going to cycle synovial fluid, the lubricant that keeps joints slick and moist, through joints at am increased rate. Incidentally, the practice of tai chi chuan is also known to increase the pumping action through the legs, hips, and spine. In this way, the ancient art of tai chi has been proven to reverse joint and related tissue damage.

Form

One of the major contributors to knee injuries in training that I have seen is alignment. Whether you are doing one of the numerous variations of lunges, doing squats, deadlifts, any keg exercise or movement the alignment of your leg joints is paramount. Even without weight doing lunges on one leg when the joints are misaligned can end in severe knee pain.

I mention lunges as several physical therapists use lunges as part of the rehabilitation process after surgery or severe injury. Common mistakes on the side lunge include:

·         Knee past toes

·         Knee direction not aligning with your foot direction

·         Going too fast through the lunge before establishing solid form

These mistakes on the side lunge are a sure way to injure your knees. Pay close attention to:

·         Starting with your feet at shoulder width

·         Stepping with one leg to the side

·         Lowering your body to the desired depth

·         Keeping your hip joint aligned over your ankle

These guidelines and pointers apply to all variations of the lunge. Proper technique in the squat will also fully strengthen and support all the muscles and tendons surrounding the knees. You can read about the squat here.

Machines have come a long way in the decades since they were first introduced into the world of weight training. For combating imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings the leg extension and leg curl machines are fantastic. These two machines come with instructions and are easily used. The one caveat that must be mentioned here is joint and cam alignment.

There is a pivot point on the machine, that is the cam. That cam must be as closely aligned to your knee joint as possible. If this alignment is not kept, over time, there will be an increase in the amount of damage from imbalance in your knees.

Finishing out the balance equation involves the calves. These muscles are among the most frequently used in our body. We use them to balance, stand, and walk. This makes training the calves harder to train. There is an upshot to training the calves. Stretching and training calves can be done on any stair step.

Stretches

The stretches here are common and, I will wager, that you already know what they are. You just need to put foot to butt and do the stretches.

As above, where we discussed muscular balance regarding strength, balance in flexibility is no less important.

Quad Stretch – Stand on one foot, reach back, take hold of the other foot, pull up and back, press against the pull with your thigh gently and you should feel the stretch

Hamstring – feet together with your legs straight (NOTE: Do Not lock your knees, rather keep your knees slightly flexed), bend at the hips, reach for your toes, allow gravity to do most of the work

Hamstring – put your heel up on an elevated support, keep your knee slightly flexed, bend at the hip

Calves – stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step or a tall block of wood, lower your heels far enough to feel stretching in your calves

For each of the stretches lean into the stretch and hold it for 10 to 15 seconds. Stretch each muscle or muscle group for three sets of 10 to 15 seconds.

Pain

Anyone who has a history with physical movement and exercise knows that exercise will hurt. Whether it hurts that moment or the next day, exercise is going cause discomfort. What I mean by pain is that sense of something being very not-right. That sensation screaming, “Motrin of any military size is NOT going to cut it this time, pal.” That kind of pain tells us we need to go back to square one … back to the doctor.

You know what your body feels like when it is broken or injured. Listen to that sensation. Our knees support our weight. We need them for all we do. One day, carrying a grandchild up the stairs is going to be of paramount importance. Do not trash that.

Stay strong.

Train smart.