Despite popular awareness that regular and relatively
strenuous exercise improves physical health, few people exercise. Only
about thirty percent of Western populations engage in significant amounts
of exercise weekly and, once started, drop out rate is high (50% drop out
within 3-6 months) (1). Some of the explanations that have been given for
this reluctance to exercise have emphasized psychological
"deficits" such as poor self-motivation, self-worth, and
inappropriate health beliefs.
There are well-established benefits of physical exercise
for the cardiovascular system. Other benefits of exercise are being
documented for various disorders such as diabetes, kidney disease and
osteoporosis and as a result, increased physical activity can reduce
premature mortality. Clinical, epidemiological and basic research evidence
clearly supports the inclusion of regular physical activity as a tool for
the enhancement of overall health and for the prevention of chronic
disease. The numerous health benefits of regular exercise are dependent on
the type, intensity and volume of activity pursued by the individual.
A recent article in the journal Psychosomatic
Medicine (2) has found that among individuals with major depressive
disorder (MDD), exercise therapy is feasible and is associated with
significant therapeutic benefit, especially if exercise is continued over
time. The authors assessed the status of 156 adult (50 years and older)
volunteers with MDD, 6 months after completion of a study in which they
were randomly assigned to a 4-month course of aerobic exercise, sertraline
(Zoloft) therapy, or a combination of exercise and sertraline.
Results indicated that after 4 months, patients in all
three groups exhibited significant improvement; the proportion of remitted
participants (ie, those who no longer met diagnostic criteria for MDD) was
comparable across the three treatment conditions. After 10 months,
however, remitted subjects in the exercise group had significantly lower
relapse rates than subjects in the medication group. In fact,
"participants in the exercise group were more likely than those in
the medication group to be partially or fully recovered at the 6-month
follow-up visit". "In addition, only 8% of remitted patients in
the exercise group had relapsed, compared with 38% in the medication group
and 31% in the combination group".
These findings add to our knowledge of the beneficial
and important effects of physical exercise on human health and disease.
This article suggests that a modest exercise program (eg, three times per
week for 30 minutes at 70% of maximum heart rate reserve each time) is an
effective "treatment" for patients with major depression who are
positively inclined to participate and that the benefits are likely to
persist amongst those who adopt exercise as a regular, ongoing life
activity.
It is recommended that before you begin or modify an
exercise program, you consult a health professional.
References:
1. Salmon P. Effects of physical exercise on anxiety,
depression, and sensitivity to stress: a unifying theory. Clinical
Psychology Review 2001;21:33-61.
2. Babyak M, Blumenthal JA, Herman S, et al. Exercise
treatment for major depression: maintenance of therapeutic benefit at 10
months. Psychosomatic Medicine 2000;62:633-38.
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HEALTH RESEARCH
In our cohort, compared with persons without ADHD, those
with ADHD exhibited substantially greater use of medical care in
multiple care delivery settings. From: Journal of the American
Medical Association
While 90% of subjects consulting general practice with
low back pain ceased to consult about the symptoms within three months,
most still had substantial low back pain and related disability.
From: British Medical Journal
Chiropractors have long recognized the spinal health
hazards of heavy backpack use. Now, research presented at the American
Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation’s annual meeting
exposes yet another potential danger of heavy backpacks: They promote
falls in students who wear them.
From: International Chiropractic Pediatric Association
The results reported confirm previous findings, but the
mechanism by which cola drinks are associated with bone fractures in
physically active girls has neither been fully explored nor determined.
Nevertheless, national concern and alarm about the health impact of
carbonated beverage consumption on teenaged girls is supported by the
findings of this study. The results have policy implications for
improving the dietary practices and health of children. From: Archives
of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
COMMENTS
Essence of Wellness Chiropractic Center
Dean Smith, D.C., M.Sc.
Jane Palmer Smith, D.C.
890 South Barron St.
Eaton, Ohio 45320
(937) 456-4555
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