Exercise Education – Page 3

January 17, 2019April 14, 2021

Exercise for Bone Health

The Importance of Exercise For your Bone Health

In our younger years, bone health isn’t on a top list of priorities except for maybe the odd break. However, as we age, issues such as arthritis, osteoporosis and fractures become ever more present. With a rise in sedentary behaviours, it’s not only our weight and the risk of disease we should be concerned about, it’s also the effect on our bone health.

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which bones become brittle and fragile due to a loss of tissue. In Ireland 25% of men and 50% of women aged 50+ are living with the condition. According to the Irish Osteoporosis Society, 20% of people aged 60+ who fracture a hip will die within 6 – 12 months due to secondary complications of the condition. Only a shocking 30% of people aged 60 who suffer a hip fracture will regain their independence.

Osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of fractures in Ireland and the cost of fracture occurring falls is set to cost the State €1billion by 2020 and €2billion by 2030.

It’s important that we make shifts to protect our bone health as we age, but how?

Exercise is a well known preventative tool to help keep our waistlines trim and stave off disease, but it’s vital bone health too. It is more difficult for an older adult to form new bone in comparison to a twenty year old, however this doesn’t mean that exercise can’t have a positive effect on our bone health as we age.

The most beneficial exercises for bone health are “load bearing”, or those where you are forced to work against gravity, for example walking, jogging, climbing stairs and hiking as opposed to exercise where you weight it supported such swimming or cycling. The benefits of load bearing exercise are two fold; firstly they help to build leg muscle which acts as a type of “scaffolding” for your bones and secondly the impact of your feet on the ground sends a vibration through your bones and helps to stimulate productivity of healthy bone. In fact the most beneficial exercise for your bones are those where you are forced to move in multi-directions such as racquet games or aerobics including tennis, badminton, ping pong etc.

These multi-directional exercises are fantastic for the lower body, but what about our upper torso? The answer lies in resistance work which requires muscle contraction.

But how often? It’s recommended that we practice 30 minutes of load bearing exercise, five times per week and also include at least two sessions of resistance work per week.

Don’t forget, this type exercise regime is not only going to help your bone health, but lead to other health benefits such as weight management, disease prevention, confidence and independence to name but a few.

Why not try a Siel Bleu exercise class or a walking group to help improve your bone health?

***Disclaimer: The information in this post is for reference only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical expertise or advice. If you have any concerns about your own or another’s health then please contact your doctor.

October 18, 2018April 14, 2021

Exercise and Non Communicable Diseases

September 20, 2018April 14, 2021

Keeping Active During Winter

August 9, 2018April 14, 2021

Exercise For Independence

Today we have a guest blog post from Dr Ciara Kelly of
The Irish Balance

As a junior doctor, my passion lies in the area of preventive medicine – by this, I mean looking at how our lifestyles (in particular our diet, physical activity, stress management and sleep) affect our health. Most importantly, it means learning about and researching how we can optimise these lifestyle factors to optimise our health and well-being – and ideally prevent many of the chronic diseases so common in our Western society today (e.g. chronic obstructive lung disease, ischaemic heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus for example). When I was asked by Siel Bleu to write about the benefits of exercise for chronic disease prevention and treatment, I, of course, jumped at the chance! I love seeing and reading about the valuable work that Siel Bleu do, providing life-enhancing exercise programmes to older adults and patient groups, and I am very proud to be asked to write for their lovely website.

Physical activity is perhaps the most important lifestyle factor I try to address with patients, family, friends and the public following I have from my blog and social media. Why? Well, I’ve got two key reasons:

Physical inactivity has reached pandemic levels in recent decades worldwide (1), and Ireland is no different – the 2016 Healthy Ireland Survey revealed only 32% of the Irish population were felt to be sufficiently active (2)
I believe that we are not doing enough to promote exercise for chronic disease prevention as well as it is a key part of the treatment of many of this conditions (by we I mean us doctors, other healthcare professionals, the general public and the wider health service), and I think a huge part of that is lack of education and awareness of the importance of regular exercise

That’s my ‘why’ in terms of the reasons for this being important to me as a doctor. But what should be YOUR ‘why’ that motivates YOU to engage in regular physical activity? It is really essential that we believe in the treatments prescribed to us by our doctors, whether that’s a tablet to lower your blood pressure or advice to try to meet our national exercise guidelines (which many of us, both doctor and patient, are unaware of). In Ireland, broadly speaking, these guidelines (3) for adults aged 18-64, (and those aged 65+) include:

At least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity on 5 days a week (or 150 minutes per week), or vigorous activity 75 minutes per week (e.g. brisk walking, cycling, swimming)
Engage in activity which increases muscular strength and balances on at least two days per week (e.g. weight training using handheld weights or bodyweight, or yoga and tai chi)

There are many, many evidence-based physical and mental benefits of regular physical activity highlighted in this guideline, which includes, and are not limited to (3):

Reduced risk of stroke
Reduced risk of heart disease
Reduced risk of high blood pressure
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Reduced risk of colon and breast cancer
Reduced risk of depression
Improved cardio-respiratory fitness
Improved muscular strength
Improved cognitive functioning in older adults

Finally, as if that wasn’t evidenced enough, I want to briefly mention a keyword I’ve used in the title of this article – independence. If you had to define it, what would that mean to you? To me, in terms of health, it means the ability to live your life and care for your own physical needs without requiring the help of others. It ties in closely with our individual functional capacity. As we age, we become frailer, and a key contributor to that is the fact that our muscle mass declines each decade after the age of 30 by 3-8%, and the rate is even higher when you go past 60 (4). Loss of muscle tissue (also known as ‘sarcopenia’) negatively affects our strength, balance and ability to function independently, and as such, is a big contributor to disability in older adults. By engaging in a regular physical activity, both aerobic and resistance based, whether adapted for your level of fitness or not, you are doing your very best to maintain that strength, fitness and most importantly, functional capacity, to allow you to age in as healthy and happy a way as you can.

So why not start today? Look at your day to day physical activity level, and see where and what you can improve. Sustainable changes are those that are small, achievable, realistic, and importantly, enjoyable to you – and even the smallest of changes to improve your health is better than none at all. Why not try Siel Bleu’s amazing community classes or sign up for their newsletter and receive 3 Free At Home Exercise Guides straight into your inbox (http://bit.ly/SBIAthomeworkout)!

***Huge thank you to Dr Ciara Kelly for writing this guest blog post, check out her blog about all things healthy living, and some delicious recipes https://theirishbalance.com

References

Kohl, HW, Craig, CL, Lambert, EV, Inoue, S, Ramadan, J, Leetongin, G, Kahlmeier, S. The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. Lancet 2012 380 (9838): 294-305.
Healthy Ireland Survey: Summary of Findings (2016). Department of Health, Ireland.

The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland (2009). Department of Health and Children, Health Service Executive, Ireland.
Volpi, E, Nazemi, R, Fujita, S. Muscle tissue changes with ageing. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2004. 7 (4): 405-410.

August 2, 2018April 14, 2021

7 Common Excuses You Say To Avoid Exercising

How you should respond the next time someone comes up with an excuse.

As part of our series to encourage people to start exercising, today we are tackling the common excuses we hear from people to not exercise and we give you some guidance to help overcome those excuses.

Everyone including myself has this misconception that exercise means hitting the gym and lifting 20KG weights to be labelled as fit and healthy. That’s actually not true (Unless you’re an athlete). But we’re just normal people leading a normal lifestyle. Therefore, exercise can seem intimidating, especially as an older adult if you’ve never done it before.

The Oxford English dictionary defines exercise as “activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness.” Did you notice that it didn’t state you have to run strenuously or sweat a bucket? Exercise can be used to improve your wellbeing or even to improve a part of your body that might need some TLC. For instance, if a person keeps falling, balancing exercises such as heel raises are considered a form of exercise.
Exercise also improves your sleeping pattern. I personally feel that I sleep much better and feel less tired the following morning when I exercise regularly. It makes me feel good about myself and makes my day better. In a previous post, we discussed taking the first steps to start exercising. Now that we know exercise isn’t as scary, let’s get into the common excuses we hear to avoid exercising.

1. I am too old
Well, there are many studies saying that it is never too late to exercise. It may be hard to start exercising especially if you haven’t done it since you were young. So be it then. You do not have to start like a professional athlete. You can start by doing a chair exercise at home like our “At Home Guide” or go for a walk. Try a Siel Bleu community exercise class or see if there is an aqua fit class in your local swimming pool.

2. I am afraid I will fall and I’m too unhealthy
You might be afraid that you will fall when you exercise. Believe it or not, exercise actually does the opposite. It helps strengthen your muscle preventing you from falling. However, it is important to realise that this is all specific kinds of exercise that focus on certain part of the muscle that prevents falling and thus it is important to seek help from a professional, like a Siel Bleu Physical Trainer before carrying out any activity. If you’re worried about falling during a class, seek a programme designed by professionals who will ensure to reduce falling hazards as much as possible. And you are never unhealthy to exercise. Everyone needs to start somewhere to be healthy. Everyone has to start somewhere.

3. I am too lazy
We all have that day when we just don’t feel like doing anything and not feel guilty about it, or is it just me? During those days, I would usually just watch the telly the entire day and let’s not forget snacks. So to make my days slightly productive, during commercial breaks I would move around and exercise for 4 minutes. Let say a show lasts for an hour and I watch the telly for 10 hours. And there is 4 commercial in every show. That will amount to 160 minutes of exercise. Now that’s not exactly realistic, but even moving during the break will help to reduce the time you are sedentary and improve your help. Simple exercises that can be done at home such include leg extensions and heel raises when you’re on the couch.

4. I have arthritis
“I should avoid moving too much” is the most common misconception about arthritis. Instead, you should move regularly because it keeps your muscle and the tissue surrounding the joints, therefore, protecting the bones, which prevents joint pain from getting worse. Exercise also lubricates your joints for ease of movement. It helps to maintain a healthy body weight which will reduce the stress on your joints. Your doctor, physiotherapist or Siel Bleu Trainer will be more than happy to show you the different kind of exercises to alleviate your pain.

5. I have back pain
Back pain is typically caused by a weak core. Exercise is the best way to strengthen your core. Stretches and the correct resistance work can help elevate the back pain. Having a back pain shouldn’t stop you from exercising, provided you’re doing the right exercises. If the pain is really bad, it is best that you seek medical attention.

6. I have diabetes
I think the biggest concern for people living with diabetes is the drop in their blood sugar level. I do not have diabetes but there are times when I over exercise, I would feel a little light headed. I realise that it is important to pace my exercise and listen to your body. Bring a small snack like an apple or some juice. Sit down when if you feel light headed. Do not panic. Breathe through it and have a sip of your juice or sweet snack. It is better to have someone with you when you exercise or let someone know where you will be. You might want to link your location to your family’s phone so that they can track your location. Consult your doctor before carrying out an exercise and they will advise the right programme for you.

7. I have COPD
Why would anyone with COPD who already has shortness of breath exercise? That’s going to make your breathing more laboured than usual. Well, that’s where the misconception comes in. It is actually recommended to exercise if you have COPD because exercising will increase the heart rate, which will make the blood circulate carrying more oxygen around the body.

To conclude, don’t be afraid to exercise again. Observe yourself and take note. If you realise that you exercise better in the morning than in the evening, take note. Or you have better balance when you wear your pink shoe instead of the green one, mark that down. Little difference can change your attitude towards exercise. I

**DISCLAIMER – Please always consult with your GP before making any changes to your lifestyle.

July 19, 2018April 14, 2021

Taking the First Step to Start Exercising

How to motivate yourself to start exercising.

How do I motivate myself to start exercising? We can be full of excuses when it comes to not exercising and at Siel Bleu Ireland, we have heard them all. From “I have a bad back” to “I can’t, I’m too old and afraid of breaking a hip”, but we know, the most dangerous exercise you can do is no exercise at all! You are even more likely to fall if you are not practicing regular, appropriate exercise. The common phrase, “Use it or lose it” is particularly applicable to exercise. Take an engine for example, if you don’t start it for a long period of time it looses it’s ability to function well. Our bodies are exactly the same. This is why exercise, at all stages of our lives is very important.

There are so many reasons to start exercising, from improvements in your physical function, better mood and sleep patterns, increases in confidence and of course, overall better health. But taking the first step to actually start exercising can be quite daunting for a lot of people, especially older adults who perhaps have never exercised before. Gyms can seem like intimidating and scary places or you might not feel like you’re “bendy” enough for a yoga class. So where to start?

Consult your GP – As an older adult, one of the best things to do is consult with your doctor first to see if there is any reason you shouldn’t practice physical activity. Your GP knows you and your medical history best, so consulting with them about an appropriate activity makes the most sense.
Take the first step – With the go ahead from your GP, the next step is to find an activity that you like. Perhaps trying a low intensity exercise could be the gateway to a new fitter, healthier you. Try walking or swimming to start with, both are easier on your joints and can help to improve your overall cardiovascular fitness.
Try out different activities – why not try an exercise class designed for your age group or your specific condition. There are so many classes available for people of all ages and most Patient Organisations have an exercise programme designed specifically for people living with that condition. Siel Bleu Ireland has a list of classes which you can join at any time. Classes like Siel Bleu or an aqua aerobics class can help introduce you to resistance training, which along with cardiovascular exercise are the key combination to a healthier you.
Create a habit – it takes 28 days to adopt a new habit and exercise should be one of your main priorities. Schedule physical activity into your diary when you know you don’t typically have another appointment i.e. Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings. This way you know each week you know when your exercise is scheduled.
Exercise with other people – find out what type of activities your friends and family like to do and ask them can you join in. You could try a walking group where you might meet some new friends. Get Ireland Walking is a wealth of information. If a friend asks you to do something during your scheduled exercise time, you can suggest doing something physical, such as going for a walk or trying a new class together. Exercising with other people also creates accountability and you are more likely to keep up with your new habit.
Little at a time – it’s important to introduce exercise in small doses, there is no need to overhaul your entire life in one week. Small changes are easier to keep up with and you are more likely to keep up with small changes than big ones. Try doing some activities from our At Home Guide while watching TV and you will be surprised how big an impact a little change can make. If you feel comfortable after a few weeks with one activity then try introducing another walking day or another class.
Most important – have fun! There is no point in exercising if you are not enjoying it and let’s face it, you probably won’t keep it up. Exercise can be seen as a chore, but once you find something you enjoy, you’ve found the key!

Why not comment down below and tell us how you intend to take your first step!

July 12, 2018April 14, 2021

Siel Bleu Ireland – Part 2 Frequently Asked Questions

April 26, 2018April 14, 2021

Motivating Yourself to Exercise

Do something today that your future self will thank you for!

Beginning to exercise can seem like a demanding lifestyle change. It’s hard to break old habits and create new ones, especially when the new habits are challenging. Exercise doesn’t have to be hard, but you do need to make space for it in your life. Motivating yourself is the first step.

Exercise needs to be a long term and continuous goal; the World Health Organisation recommends 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. This sounds more intimidating than it actually is; it can be accomplished by exercising thirty minutes for five days a week. However, even this much can be hard to add into your life if it’s a new idea. You can start slow and think about the following ways to motivate yourself. As always, consult a doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.

Think about the Benefits

There are so many physical and psychological benefits to exercising. Everyday tasks can become easier, you can decrease your fall risk, and improve your heart health. Exercise is preventative medicine. Psychologically, exercise is known to improve depression and anxiety symptoms as well as improving your mood. You are doing your current and future self a favour!

Bring a Friend

If you are nervous about starting a new exercise regimen, bringing a friend along with you can make it more fun and keep you accountable. It’s easy to forgive yourself for missing a workout but less easy to explain to your workout buddy why you are skipping. Your friend’s progress might even be motivating for you.

Make it Fun

Exercise is often portrayed as only counting if it is intense and grueling. However, exercise can really just be about being active. You will not continue with exercise if you do not enjoy it. Whatever activity you do should be something you like, whether it be swimming, water aerobics, walking, dancing, exercise classes, you name it! Take some time to think about what you have enjoyed in the past and consider doing some research and trying something new.

Keep your Goals Reasonable

Not achieving your goals can be very frustrating. An easy way to prevent this is to use reachable, motivating goals. Goals should be specific, measurable, and attainable. Specific means that the goal is not too complicated. Goals should be just one thing, such as “I will exercise three times this week” not “I want to exercise more”. You should also be able to measure your progress and completion of the goal. For example, “I want to be able to walk for six minutes straight” is a better goal than “I want to walk more easily”. Lastly, if you are just starting to exercise again, maybe running that marathon next month is not attainable. You know yourself, focus on what you think you can actually achieve.

Schedule It

Making time to exercise is hard to do. It helps to plan it in to your schedule ahead of time. Taking time out of your day to be your exercise time can help to make it a positive space instead of a rushed chore.

Let us know in the comments what you do to motivate yourself to start or keep up with an exercise regimen.

April 12, 2018April 14, 2021

Benefits of Boxing in Older Adults

April 5, 2018April 14, 2021

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Category: Exercise Education