Articles-New to Old
The New York Times
By Katie Hafner
(edited by JG. For full article go to https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)
June 4, 2019
“The take-home message is that falls kill,” said Dr. Lewis Lipsitz, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife
“The biggest risk factor for falls that can’t be changed is your age,” said Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, a geriatrician at Oregon Health & Science University. “Most of the other risks can be mitigated.”
Here are some measures you can take to help prevent a fall.
Exercise!
Dr. Lipsitz emphasized the importance of incorporating exercise into a daily routine. He suggested at least 20 minutes a day, combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Weight lifting, particularly for strengthening the legs, is a good idea, he said.
Tai chi, the Chinese martial art, appears to be an effective way to improve balance. It involves very slow, purposeful movements in coordination with breathing and muscle activity.
A study published last year found that among adults over 70 who practiced tai chi twice a week for an hour, the incidence of falls was reduced by 58 percent. Dr. Eckstrom, one of the study’s authors, said the participants in the study did tai chi twice a week for an hour over a six-month period.
By Katie Hafner
(edited by JG. For full article go to https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/health/falls-elderly-prevention-deaths.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share)
June 4, 2019
“The take-home message is that falls kill,” said Dr. Lewis Lipsitz, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife
“The biggest risk factor for falls that can’t be changed is your age,” said Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom, a geriatrician at Oregon Health & Science University. “Most of the other risks can be mitigated.”
Here are some measures you can take to help prevent a fall.
Exercise!
Dr. Lipsitz emphasized the importance of incorporating exercise into a daily routine. He suggested at least 20 minutes a day, combining aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Weight lifting, particularly for strengthening the legs, is a good idea, he said.
Tai chi, the Chinese martial art, appears to be an effective way to improve balance. It involves very slow, purposeful movements in coordination with breathing and muscle activity.
A study published last year found that among adults over 70 who practiced tai chi twice a week for an hour, the incidence of falls was reduced by 58 percent. Dr. Eckstrom, one of the study’s authors, said the participants in the study did tai chi twice a week for an hour over a six-month period.
Using Tai Chi to Build Strength by Jane Brody, The New York Times, September 10, 2018
"Watching a group of people doing tai chi, an exercise often called “meditation in motion,” it may be hard to imagine that its slow, gentle, choreographed movements could actually make people stronger. Not only stronger mentally but stronger physically and healthier as well..."
Click below for the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/well/move/using-tai-chi-to-build-strength.html
"Watching a group of people doing tai chi, an exercise often called “meditation in motion,” it may be hard to imagine that its slow, gentle, choreographed movements could actually make people stronger. Not only stronger mentally but stronger physically and healthier as well..."
Click below for the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/10/well/move/using-tai-chi-to-build-strength.html
From Dr. Weil.com: April, 2007
T’ai Chi for a Healthy Immune System
T’ai chi, long recognized for its positive effects on coordination, balance, relaxation and concentration, appears to have an exciting additional benefit: the ability to strengthen the immune system. That’s the conclusion of a new study from UCLA, which showed that practicing t’ai chi boosted immunity against shingles to a level comparable to that offered by the vaccine against the virus that causes the nasty, painful rash. The study involved 112 adults aged 59 to 86. Half took T’ai chi classes three times a week for 16 weeks while the other half attended classes on diet, sleep habits and stress management but did no t’ai chi. After 16 weeks, all the participants received a dose of the shingles vaccine, Varivax. By the end of the 25 week study, the t’ai chi group had immunity levels measured at twice that of the other group. The researchers said that their findings have implications for boosting resistance to flu, pneumonia and other infectious diseases. The UCLA study was published in the April 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
T’ai Chi for a Healthy Immune System
T’ai chi, long recognized for its positive effects on coordination, balance, relaxation and concentration, appears to have an exciting additional benefit: the ability to strengthen the immune system. That’s the conclusion of a new study from UCLA, which showed that practicing t’ai chi boosted immunity against shingles to a level comparable to that offered by the vaccine against the virus that causes the nasty, painful rash. The study involved 112 adults aged 59 to 86. Half took T’ai chi classes three times a week for 16 weeks while the other half attended classes on diet, sleep habits and stress management but did no t’ai chi. After 16 weeks, all the participants received a dose of the shingles vaccine, Varivax. By the end of the 25 week study, the t’ai chi group had immunity levels measured at twice that of the other group. The researchers said that their findings have implications for boosting resistance to flu, pneumonia and other infectious diseases. The UCLA study was published in the April 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
