My bursitis has flared

So I whined on Facebook. Dianne Orr McDermott (from Mt. Morris, now in NOLA area) replied:

“I'll call your bursitis and raise you a torn rotator cuff. . ..can we exchange pity parties? That said:

Medications

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

Relieves pain, decreases inflammation, and reduces fever.

Self-care

RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)

Cold compress

Reduces inflammation and dulls sensation of pain.
Physical exercise

Aerobic activity for 20-30 minutes 5 days a week improves cardiovascular health. If injured, pursuing an activity that avoids the injured muscle group or joint can help maintain physical function while recovering.”

That’s good advice, so I’ll leave it here.

  When I first developed bursitis in winter 2013-14, I didn’t know what it was—thought maybe arthritis, so I used heat.  Bad idea—it’s an inflammation of the bursa, and can happen on any joint.  So yesterday I looked up the exercises and sat on an ice pack (my gel filled ice packs are at home). I couldn’t imagine how it started, but then remembered that on Wednesday while walking to a program, I misjudged a dip in the sidewalk and stumbled.  It doesn’t take much.

https://gethealthyu.com/best-exercises-hip-bursitis/

96 cherries in every bottle!

Not everyone reads full page magazine ads for products new to her. I do, especially if my friend Sonja just told me how many tart cherries must be in a cherry pie by law. This product, a juice drink called Cherrish, has 96 cherries (pulp, skin, and juice) in one 12 oz. bottle! The nearest store to me is in Las Vegas, so if I want to try it, I suppose it will be via Amazon. http://www.cherrish.net/why-cherries/ I don't have symptoms of exercise induced muscle damage, but who knows, some day I may work hard enough at the gym to get that. . .

Speaking of cherries, I just bought a pound of sweet cherries--just gorgeous and delicious--for $2.99/lb at Marc's. Not sure they will last until lunch time.

Protein supplementation + resistance and the elderly

I’m not ready to write my conclusions yet, but the medical research shows protein supplementation with resistance exercises is important for the elderly (yes, I am). Protein in combination with resistance exercises can reverse some of the wasting of muscle we experience.

“Effects of protein supplementation combined with resistance exercise on body composition and physical function in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 106, Issue 4, 1 October 2017, pp 1078–1091  https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/106/4/1078/4651887( Because this is a review article, the protein supplement varied by article.  The types of PS included whey protein, leucine, casein, milk protein, and the leucine metabolite β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate. The protein sources for the PS differed among the included trials, comprising milk-based beverages, a whey protein and essential amino acid combination, fortified milk, milk protein concentrate, and dairy delivered through diet.)

“Effect of exercise and nutritional supplementation on health-related quality of life and mood in older adults: the VIVE2 randomized controlled trial”  BMC Geriatrics. 2018; 18: 286.  [BioMed Central] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6249766/  (The nutritional supplement provided 150 kcal, 20 g of whey protein, 800 IU vitamin D and a combination of vitamins and minerals, as previously described.)

“Nutritional Supplementation With Physical Activity Improves Muscle Composition in Mobility-Limited Older Adults, The VIVE2 Study: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 73, Issue 1, 1 January 2018”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28977347, https://academic.oup.com/biomedgerontology/article/73/1/95/4034773 [Oxford] (“daily nutritional supplement (150 kcal, 20 g whey protein, 800 IU vitamin D, 119 mL beverage)”

In the discussions and conclusions all suggested that protein supplement combined with resistance exercises were beneficial for the elderly. Then the question becomes what kind of supplement?  Whey?  Soy? Animal based? Plant?  These studies seemed to all use whey.

“Protein quality as determined by the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score: evaluation of factors underlying the calculation” Nutrition Review. 2016 Sep; 74(9): 584–599. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6322793/ Extensive analysis of IAA. Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid (DIAA),

“Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial” British Journal of  Nutrition. 2015 Oct 28; 114(8): 1237–1245  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594048/ (Used collagen peptide, The product was provided by GELITA AG (BODYBALANCE^™). The amino acid composition of the collagen peptides is shown in Table 1.)

Will update as I find them.

Keto Pancakes for breakfast?

I receive interesting daily e-mails from Warrior Made https://www.warriormade.com/   and Coach Tyler-- must have filled out a questionnaire some where, but most of the time I do make note of the exercises since he seems to do them in his living room and not the gym.  Today there was a recipe for Keto pancakes.  I know nothing about the Keto diet except it is low carb. (definition: “The “keto” in a ketogenic diet comes from the fact that it allows the body to produce small fuel molecules called “ketones”. This is an alternative fuel source for the body, used when blood sugar (glucose) is in short supply. Ketones are produced if you eat very few carbs (that are quickly broken down into blood sugar) and only moderate amounts of protein (excess protein can also be converted to blood sugar) . https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto#what-is-keto )

So I looked at the recipe https://www.warriormade.com/content/diet/keto-pancakes/and see it has less protein than regular pancakes, so I don’t think I’ll use this one—made with cream cheese and almond flour).  I’ve been researching a higher protein diet for the elderly combined with resistance to improve joint and muscle health.  Not ready to write my conclusions yet, but the medical research show it is important.

https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/106/4/1078/4651887

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322897813

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6249766/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2612691/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6322793/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28977347

Not that I frequently make pancakes, but they do sound good on these cold mornings—or evenings with creamed chicken, right?

At the fitness center

 

I haven’t noticed any increase in traffic—must be fewer resolutions to exercise and lose weight this year.

About a month ago I mentioned a man I was watching who was having a huge struggle using his walker, but who wouldn’t accept help from anyone. It would take him about 5 minutes to get from the door to the rowing machine.  I would watch him each time I’d decide I really didn’t want to walk a mile on the Treadmill, then I’d keep going when I saw how hard he was working to build up his legs

Then one day I saw him taking a few steps without the walker, and then he stopped using the walker all together.  Another member told me his injury was from a failed surgery to fix something else.  Then this week he was hit and knocked down by a car in the parking lot walking into the building!  He came in and exercised anyway, but we both think the police should have been called.  The woman who hit him used the excuse she wasn’t wearing her hearing aids!

I met a woman at the fitness center around Thanksgiving who is really pleasant and attractive and in excellent shape.  She’s usually finishing about the time I arrive (which is rather early) and works somewhere nearby. She has 11 dogs, 5 cats, a pot bellied pig, and 4 horses and lives around the Johnstown area.  She says the pig is about 9-10 years old and is rather elderly for a pig.  She showed me his photo on her smart phone.  I haven’t seen photos of her grandchildren, but I know she has at least two.

Exercise ideas (not goals, not resolutions) for the New Year (just January)

I’m not a goal setter (I’ve written on this numerous times), but I am a problem solver. So a year ago I used my Silver Sneakers on my insurance plan to join an exercise facility. (I had originally joined one next to Panera’s in 2015 but bursitis ended that.)  Didn’t like the first one I tried on Bethel Rd.  (it has since closed) and have now been at Lifetime Fitness on Henderson about a year.  I ride a stationary bike for three miles, walk on the treadmill for one mile, and three times a week I do resistance exercises using the machines, mainly working my arms.

“Vigorous stationary bicycling is the best weight-loss exercise among gym activities, according to the “Harvard Heart Letter.” It burns 782 calories per hour in 155-pound people and 932 calories per hour in 185-pound people. Moderate stationary bicycling burns 520 and 622 calories per hour in the same people. Vigorous exercise raises your heart rate to 70 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate; moderate exercise raises your heart rate to 55 to 70 percent of its maximum. The maximum heart rate is 220 heartbeats per minute minus age. In contrast, walking 4.5 mph, the fastest speed most people can walk without changing their technique and becoming power walkers, burns 372 and 444 calories per hour in 155- and 185-pound people.”

https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/stationary-bicycle-vs-walking-exercise-9889.html

I do 3.5 mph three times during the one miler on the treadmill and get to 104 heartrate then drop back to 2.5 mph. When on the stationary bike I also increase the heart rate 3 times in the 3 miles to 104.  On either, it’s about 25 minutes. So I’d have to recalculate the above figures, but it looks like an hour on the bike burns more calories than an hour walking, even at a moderate pace.  Also the bike doesn’t bother my hips or knees.

My plan for January is to increase the resistance machines to 2 sets of 15.  I’m currently doing 2 sets of 10.  When the instructor showed me last January, she started me on 2 sets of 20—which I knew immediately wasn’t going to work for me.  If you pull or injure something you have 2 sets of nothing as you sit at home eating another slice of toast with cheddar cheese.

On December 24

Off to the gym before starting the real workout in the kitchen preparing for our Christmas Eve dinner. Coach Tyler sent an e-mail workout with squats, bridges and step jacks, which I won't do because I'll be busy.

"T’was the workout before Christmas and it’s made to be done in your house…

While your kids and family are perhaps stirring, like a not so little mouse…

Your exercise shoes are tied with great care…

And you know, that St. Nicholas soon would be there…"

To squat or not

I receive e-mails from someone called Taylor, but they are usually just teasers to buy more stuff.  Today he was recommending sumo squats, so I looked that up.  Everyone (at exercise web sites) seem to rave about them, and that every athlete (that’s not me) or regular gym goer (that’s me) should incorporate them.

First, proper form. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUT0f9P7GpQ&feature=youtu.be

“The squat has been crowned as ‘the king of all exercises’ by many because of its undeniable ability to make your muscles grow faster and stronger in less time than other popular compound movements, and this is why it’s a part of the training routines of pro athletes and average gym-goers alike. In fact, athletes from every sport and discipline use some version of this exercise to tone their legs and abs, strengthen their core and improve their overall performance. “

http://www.fitnessandpower.com/training/workout-routines/sumo-squat-vs-regular-squat
Video showing the difference between a regular squat and a sumo squat.

https://www.livestrong.com/article/437557-sumo-squat-vs-regular-squat/  It’s all in the feet.
“Once you've mastered proper form for a standard squat, you can move on to other variations like the sumo squat. To perform a sumo squat, stand with your feet significantly wider than hip-distance apart (about three to four feet), turn your toes out 45 degrees and hold your hands by your sides. Lower yourself down by bending your knees and hips, raising your hands to meet under your chin. Keep your abs tight, back straight and do not let your knees move past your toes when lowering. Once your thighs parallel the floor, root through your heels and rise back up steadily for one rep. Again, depending on your fitness level and goals, start out with three sets of eight reps and building from there once you get more comfortable with them.”
 https://www.strengthauthority.com/sumo-squat-benefits/
And what elderly person doesn’t need more mobility, flexibility, balance and stability?

4.  Mobility and Flexibility
Sumo squats are also a fantastic exercise for improving both mobility and flexibility.
And because squatting is a motion that people use every day–whether it’s sitting or rising from a chair or squatting down to pick up a heavy object–the gains you will make from doing regular sumo squats should be easy to both see and feel.
Additionally, because the muscles in your legs and core have to act in unison during sumo squats, they learn to work together, and that can lead to significantly better mobility. . .
Sumo squats are also useful as a dynamic stretch. While you lower yourself and then rise back up, your muscles alternate between contracting and lengthening, which ultimately warms them, reduces any tension that has built up, and stretches them out.

5. Balance and stability
Your core muscles have a lot to do with maintaining balance in all kinds of activities, but sumo squats demand a lot from them, especially when your body is first learning to adapt to the new motion.

They not only help to keep you from toppling over backwards when you are lowering yourself, but they are also crucial for keeping your back straight and ensuring that you don’t lean too far forward.
https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/butt/exercises/30-day-squat-challenge/ Video on proper form beginning with regular squats.

Two exercises for back pain.  One involves squats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq0zyjVo6Jc

Strength Training humor

Sometimes I use a strength training book for humor. Like the IT band stretch. After you cross one leg behind the other ankle. . .

"Lean forward until you are as close to the floor with your fingertips as you can go Or if you are able, grasp your toes, or, as a more difficult modification, place your hands flat on the floor."

In what world?.

“Hollis Lance Liebman has been a fitness magazine editor and national bodybuilding champion. Currently a Los Angeles resident, Hollis has worked with some of Hollywood’s elite, earning rave reviews. He is the author of several fitness books, including The Core Training Kit, Anatomy of Core Stability, and the forthcoming Anatomy of Exercise Encyclopedia. (Amazon)”

• Series: Exercise in Action
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Thunder Bay Press (May 27, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 162686053X
• ISBN-13: 978-1626860537

Treadmill for seniors

https://www.verywellfit.com/treadmill-walking-for-seniors-3436652

This routine pretty much describes mine.  I go to Lifetime Fitness 6 times a week and walk 40-50 minutes on the treadmill--walking not running.  The only thing that doesn't match up is holding on the hand grips.  I do walk swinging my arms and was hoping that is good for balance (and the article confirms that), but only for maybe 10 minutes.  So I'll increase that--the article says that holding on can throw off your posture, or even cause some new aches and pains.  Then 3 days a week I do resistance, all on pulley machines.  I love it when I find a site that agrees with me!

The recommended amount of cardiovascular exercise for seniors over age 65 is 30 minutes per day, five days per week. If you can't do all 30 minutes in one session, it is permissible to break up that 30 minutes, but your exercise session should be at least 10 minutes long.

You should also do strength training exercise two to three days each week, with eight to 10 exercises. You can do this exercise on the same days you enjoy treadmill walking, or on alternate days. Try a 20-minute strength training workout for seniors or a dumbbell strength training workout for seniors.

Strength training for seniors

The results of my bone scan (DEXA) of last week show some more loss and the doctor is recommending strength training/weight bearing exercises.  Of course, the best I know is walking, but with occasional bursitis and the questionable weather in Ohio's spring, I haven't been doing much, but instead getting about 5 miles a day on my exercycle. Stairs and treadmill are not good for my bursitis. Sometimes I add a 2 lb weight while on the cycle. So I looked it up. Here's what NIH recommends.

Strength Exercises to Try

These 10 muscle strengthening exercises shown below target the upper and lower body.
Upper Body Exercises

1. wrist curls
2. arm curls
3. side arm raises
4. elbow extensions
5. chair dips
6. seated rows with resistance band

Lower Body Exercises

1. back leg raises
2. knee curls
3. leg straightening exercises
4. toe stands

See the discussion at the website on exactly how to proceed.

Hip fractures are the #1 reason for nursing home admissions.

Taking calcium supplements always upset my stomach, so although I've used them from time to time, I did discontinue them in the last few years.  Time to get some again.

Weight bearing exercise for seniors

Exercise and osteoporosis