San Diego Chiropractor » exercise

What is Kinesiology and Exercise Science

author — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:30:28 +0000

from Alternative Medicine and Natural Health Information by Meli

What is kinesiology and exercise science? The study of movement is kinesiology and the science of exercise is the exploration of specific movements in relation to fitness and health. The kinesthetic aspect of the program relates to motion as it realates to health and mental functioning.

Movement, Mental Processing and Mood

Many studies suggest that activity has a direct effect on mental functioning and mood. A sedentary person is more likely to develop depression, inattention, and the inability to focus. Kinesiology is related to language development and communication skills as well.

The motor theory of language suggests that all language is rooted in neurological motor systems based in movement. Fundamentally, all communication arises out of motion. Mental processes, though appearing to be sedentary are based in activity and motion.

Kinesiology

Kinesiology explores movement in regards to intellect with the combination of motion. The field looks at various populations including the elderly, children, athletes, and people with physical challenges due to disabilities or health disease. The approach explore motion in the following realms:

* Life skills
* Exercise
* Physical fitness
* Dancing
* Playing
* Working
* Engaging in sports

The study of human movement is a field that brings together a number of different elements. When you explore motion, you naturally touch upon the following topics, especially in regards to alternative and complementary medicine.

* Psychology
* Physical fitness
* Biochemistry
* Biology
* Neurology

This topic is applicable to health as well as various treatment modalities, including forms of alternative and complementary medicine. The better that an individual understands the science of human motion, the better able he or she is to adopt health practices that are most effective.

What is Exercise Science?

What is exercise science? Not everyone makes the connection between science and exercise, but the two are deeply connected. Every movement, even the most seemingly simplistic motion involves complicated neurological and physical components that work together to make the motion possible. In addition, each movement has ramifications on the mind, body and spirit.

Exercise science explores everything about movement from nutrition to injury and illness. This field of study helps us understand how the body functions from the fundamental origins of movement, including biological, chemical and nutritional realms.

Kinesiology and Exercise Medicine

Kinesiology and exercise medicine relate to more than fitness and workouts. The fields of study look at the inner workings of motion and exercise as well as their impact on the body in various realms. The comprehensive perspective on motion offers new insight into the importance of activity and health

Each approach looks at the body as a machine that drives the mind and emotions through motion. Thought, emotional processing and motion are each interconnected and those who explore the fundamentals of the connection between the body and the mind may want to consider the motor theory of language, kinesiology and exercise medicine.

Posted via email from chirohealthnews’s posterous

Almost Last and Still a Winner?

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:10:22 +0000

“Almost last” aren’t exactly words we affiliate with accomplishment. Indeed, not many things in life, it seems, count much at all if you don’t “hit a bull’s eye.” Well, it would seem that this may not be entirely the case when it comes to an extended lifespan. As a chiropractor in San Diego who has many older patients and who is also fully dedicated to encouraging my patients to exercise at every age level, I was very interested in the following study.

Researchers found that of the “least-fit” versus the “slightly more fit” in a recent study of nearly 4,400 healthy Americans, roughly 20 percent with the lowest physical fitness levels were twice as likely to die over the nine years of the study as the 20 percent with the next-lowest fitness levels. (That is to say, those 20 percent who were almost at the lowest fitness levels.) This is the familiar “bad news/good news” outcome. It is obviously bad news if you are a confirmed sofa spud. But, it is genuinely good news for those who haven’t quite hit rock bottom in the sedentary lifestyle department but are not, by definition, energetic. Apparently, those people who remain just moderately fit as they age may have a longer lifespan than those who are completely out-of-shape, the study suggests.

Between 1986 and 2006, researchers assessed the fitness levels of 4,384 middle-aged and senior men and women during exercise treatmill tests. The researchers then followed their progress for approximately nine years. The study took into consideration factors like obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. This, in and of itself, underscores the significants of being physically fit. In an email to Reuters Health, lead researcher, Dr. Sandra Mandic of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, noted: “Our findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle, rather than differences in cardiovascular risk factors or age, may explain the two-fold higher mortality rates in the least-fit versus slightly more fit individuals.”

Nearly two-thirds of the least-fit study participants failed to get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, five or more days a week, which was the minimum recommended amount of exercise. “These results emphasize the importance of improving and maintaining high fitness levels by engaging in regular physical activity,” Mandic said, “particularly in poorly-fit individuals.”

Separating the participants into five groups based on fitness levels, the researchers discovered that 25 percent of the least-fit individuals had died during the study period, versus 13 percent of those who were in slightly better shape. Only 6 percent of the most-fit group (i.e., the ones who “hit the bull’s eye,” so to speak) had died during the follow-up period.

The five fitness-level groups presented little variance, overall, in their reported exercise practices during most of their adult lives, but notably, they contrasted in activity levels only in recent years. “Since it is recent physical activity that offers protection,” Mandic said, “it is important to maintain regular physical activity throughout life.”

In this particular study, irrespective of weight and other health issues such as those mentioned above, fitness is clearly linked to longevity. Therefore, exercise is vital to the extension of our lifespan. And, perhaps it goes without saying, imagine the health benefits we could all experience if we worked our way up into the higher levels of fitness.

SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, August 2009.

Technorati Tags: exercise, longevity, middle age, physical fitness

San Diego Chiropractor Offers Exercise Safety Tips to Baby Boomers

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:05:13 +0000

You know the old saying, “You’re only as old as you feel,” right? And though in general this adage may be true, specifically the young/old feeling seems to vary from day-to-day as we age, especially among baby boomers where sports and athletic activities are involved. In fact, orthopedic surgeons are seeing a “tidal wave” of 45- to 64-year-olds suffering from exercise-related injuries they’ve dubbed “boomeritis,” reports Dr. Ray Monto, an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). “You can’t beat yourself up the way you did when you were 20 because it takes longer to recover,” he said.

According to the US Consumer Products Safety Commission exercise-related injuries and injuries sustained through the use of exercise equipment sent more than 166,000 people in the 45-64 age group to the emergency room, clinic or doctor’s office in 2008. Though middle-aged people today are a lot more active than their parents were, and are basically more fit and athletic longer into their lives, older athletes need to take a few precautions to protect themselves from injuries like rotator cuff tears, tendonitis and stress fractures.

Though most of the injuries in the Consumer report appear to be due to people not giving themselves enough time to rest up after tough workouts, Monto and AAOS offer a number of helpful tips to avoid exercise injuries: Check with your physician before starting any type of exercise program (your doctor can make sure you’re healthy and offer advice on sports and activities that fit your fitness level). Don’t do the same workout day after day (this will help to avoid repetitive stress injuries and eliminate chronic injury patterns). Work on your flexibility (it’s crucial to stretch and warm up before a workout, and cool down and stretch again, the AAOS advises). And, be sure to schedule days off into your exercise regimen, especially after a particularly intense workout.

So, Baby Boomers, even though you may feel young, it’s still wise to take extra precautions to protect your body when you’re active. After all, wisdom comes with aging.

Full article by Anne Harding (Reuters Health)

ORIGINAL SOURCE: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, June 22, 2009.

Technorati Tags: exercise, rotator cuff tears, sports injuries, stress fractures, tendonitis

San Diego Chiropractor Offers Ways to Slow Down Age-Related Health Risks

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:18:10 +0000

Chiropractors, like me, agree that “motion is life.” We, humans, were designed to walk, to run, to dance, and to move all the muscles of our body for our entire lifespan. So, naturally, it follows that we either “move it or lose it!” Our aging “Baby Boomer” population is discovering just how true this cautionary advice is when it comes to energy, vitality, mobility, and good health in later years. With every year of our life, we have much to gain from being physically active…and plenty to lose by living an immobile or sedentary lifestyle.

As our age-related risks of chronic disease increase, regular physical activity can actually slow down the trend. In addition, research has shown that people who have already developed coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Type 2 diabetes, and other age-related chronic diseases can benefit substantially by increasing their physical activity and, therefore, often can manage their chronic illness with fewer medicines.

Furthermore, some studies suggest that the cardiovascular benefits an individual gets from physical activity may also help the brain stay healthy. “Physical activity influences the frontal region of the brain,” says Dr. Bradley Hatfield, professor of Sports Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. So, if you’ve been wondering what the best thing is that you can do to keep your brain young, the answer may be for you to take a long walk. A key factor is that exercise thickens the brain tissue and builds more synapses in the brain. The brain has 10 billion nerve cells, called neurons, and on average, neurons are connected to each other through 10,000 synapses. Every time we exercise, more synapses form and the active brain gets stronger.

On a regular basis, being physically active increases the quality of life (period). Some of the benefits include improved energy levels, mental sharpness, balance, strength, flexibility, and weight control. Moreover, regular aerobic exericise has been shown to help in the management of depression, anxiety, and stress.

So, even though the facts point conclusively to the validity of the “move it or lose it!” warning, they also confirm that it is never to late for you to “move it” and regain your health!

Technorati Tags: Chiropractor, chronic disease, exercise, health

Get Active Again One Step at a Time

admin — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:00:42 +0000

You may have read on this website, or elsewhere, about recent studies that have shown that physical activity is requisite to getting and staying healthy, especially as we age. But, if you’ve been inactive for awhile, even the idea of exercise might seem “exhausting.” The best way, then, to approach this much-needed addition to your lifestyle is, literally and figuratively, to do it one step at a time. A smart “first step” is to see a health care professional, like your chiropractor, for a full physical examination. Once it is confirmed that you won’t make matters worse through movement, then the next step is simply to start moving a bit each day.

Any movement is a step towards better health and physical fitness. Walk a lap (or two) around your house or apartment. Put that TV remote away and get up to change the channels. As your body becomes accustomed to moving again, you will probably discover that you actually want to move more. Then you can slowly add additional movement to your daily routine. Increase the walk around your house to a walk around the block, a walk in the park, or even a walk through the shopping mall. Walking with a friend can often help to keep you on track(especially on those days when you’d rather sit and veg, then get your body moving). If you are physically able, take the stairs instead of using the elevator as often as you can. Park farther away from the entrance to the supermarket and make it a goal to put more and more parking spots between you and the entrance.

After a few weeks of regular physical activity, you will begin to feel the healthful benefits of movement. Then you’ll be ready for new ways to build flexibility, fitness, and muscle strength. Your chiropractor can advise you on how to become more physically active and help you to development an individualized program.

Technorati Tags: Chiropractor, exercise, health, physical fitness

San Diego Chiropractor: The Benefit of Yoga Exercise

admin — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:22:59 +0000

Yoga practitioners have discovered that consistent yoga exercises awaken both mind and body! As you unburden your mind to give your undivided attention to each pose, you stimulate your “inner body” awareness of the present moment. Regular yoga practice fosters a healthy body through proper breathing for more oxygenation, greater flexibility for ease of motion, added muscle strength for confident movement, and perfect alignment for enhanced energy flow. The goal of yoga practice is to create a union between the body, mind and spirit.

Patience is not only a virtue, it is the “key” to mastering a yoga pose, specially when combined with ample time and commitment. A beginner should not give up if they don’t do a pose flawlessly on the first try. But, slowly over time, as you practice and try to perform each pose perfectly, without pushing yourself too far physically or beating yourself up mentally, you will find that you are developing flexibility, strength, and energy physically and feeling more peaceful and clear mentally.

Choose a clean, graceful space for your practice area, and if you can, one with a bare floor and an accessible wall. Remove any distractions from your yoga environment. Preferably, you should not eat for at least 2 hours before practicing. If you find you need to eat, then try to eat something light, such as a piece of fruit, but no more than 1 hour before you start your yoga practice.

Be consistently mindful of how your body feels, and stop or pause if you feel any pain or discomfort while undertaking a pose. Then try again.

Yoga props and yoga accessories, such as yoga mats, yoga bolsters, yoga straps, yoga blocks, yoga mat bags, and even yoga towels are perfect for aiding you in moving deeper into a pose, in performing a flawless pose, and in practicing in a wholesome way.

High on the list of the many benefits of using yoga props is that most are designed to to aid in the relief of any pain or discomfort you may feel while a yoga pose is being perfected.

On occasion we all “push” instead of “ease” into a yoga pose, and injury sometimes occurs. Yoga props can offer the support and extensions needed to do a pose correctly.

Doing yoga releases tension, and using props assists with stress relief by giving the support necessary for you to relax (but not be lazy) in your practice.

As we mentioned earlier, yoga practice is about unifying the mind, body and spirit through the development of a deeper awareness and the augmentation of mindfulness. How will yoga props assist in this great goal? When you are able to simply focus your mind on doing your yoga poses correctly, rather than worrying about transitory limitations, you will go deeper into that balance of mind, body, and spirit.

Technorati Tags: exercise, mind/body yoga, yoga exercise, yoga practice, yoga props