On Track April 2016

voestalpine Nortrak
Volume 1 Issue
4
April 2016
Editor: Jan Peters
Slow Bone Loss With Exercise
A Path to
Wellness
one step at a time
Y
ou’ve heard the refrain “Use it or lose it.” Your
body was built to move, and like your muscles,
your bones need this movement to stay strong. But
what if you’ve already lost some bone density — will
exercise help you? You bet.
Hit the Pavement — Gently
Low-impact aerobic exercises have not been shown to
slow down bone loss, but they are important for overall fitness and for your confidence in your ability to
keep moving. You have lots of choices for activities
that get your heart pumping without putting pressure
“Exercise is probably as important as anything else
on fragile bones: the treadmill, the elliptical trainer,
you do in terms of fracture prevention,” said Robert
low-impact aerobics and plain ol’ strolling around the
R. Recker, MD, president of the National Osteoporoneighborhood.
sis Foundation and director of the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University. “Physical fit- Chad Deal, MD, head of the Center for Osteoporosis
ness improves your muscle strength, quickens your and Metabolic Bone Disease at the Cleveland Clinic,
reflexes and quickens and strengthens your fall- encourages his patients to walk for 30 to 40 minutes
protection reflexes.”
three to four times a week. “You don’t have to power
walk,’’ he says. “Just get out there and walk.”
After receiving a diagnosis of osteoporosis or osteoIf you have very low bone
penia, many people shy
density, avoid jumping and
away from exercise because
jerky movements, which
they worry about falling and
increase pressure on your
breaking a bone. Yet becombones, and waist-bending
ing sedentary is the worst
exercises, which raise the
thing you can do. Research
risk of compression fracture
suggests that even short
of the vertebrae.
periods of inactivity can
cause or hasten long-term
No-Fall Zone
bone decline. For example,
Stretching programs and
people on bed rest because
exercise regimens that emof pregnancy or an illness
phasize flexibility and balcan sustain noticeable bone
ance can lower your risk of
loss in just a few months.
falls. The National OsteopoImmobility activates cells called osteoclasts, which rosis Foundation recommends yoga and Pilates, which
break down and remove old bone. Physical activity, teaches breath awareness and spinal alignment to
on the other hand, spurs the body to make osteoblasts, strengthen the torso. If you have very low bone densithe cells that make bone.
ty, be sure to avoid forward-bending exercises and
“If you have osteoporosis, then it’s absolutely manda- spine-twisting movements, which may put too much
tory to do something,” Dr. Recker says. “Any exercise pressure on your back. Another good option is tai chi,
you can do is helpful. There is no exercise too little a Chinese martial art that uses slow, gentle, repetitive
not to be of benefit.”Here’s how you can stay active movements of the arms and legs to improve coordina— and safe.
tion and muscle function. Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine found that people who did
Why Weight?
tai chi for 30 minutes a day fell about half as much as
Weight training not only strengthens muscles, which their peers did.
can prevent falls — it also has been found to protect
bones in postmenopausal women. In one study, re- No matter what exercise you choose, take precautions
searchers directed postmenopausal women to do a against a tumble that can torpedo your wellness plan.
simple back-strengthening exercise using a weighted Work out in well-lighted areas, wear properly fitting
backpack five days a week for two years. The women shoes and keep your laces tied. Watch where you’re
were nearly three times less likely to get a fracture going, and get your vision checked regularly.
over the next decade than women who didn’t do the
exercise. The National Osteoporosis Foundation rec- Sit Up Straight
ommends doing eight to 12 strengthening exercises If your mother nagged you about slouching, she was
two to three times a week — one exercise for every right. Good posture strengthens the muscles of your
major muscle group (thighs, hips, forearms, upper upper back, which can keep your shoulders from
arms, shoulders, back, etc.). If you hate the gym, work rounding — a common problem in advanced osteopoout at home with light free weights or resistance rosis. Keeping your shoulders straight reduces the
bands. If you’re pressed for time, work only one or strain on your spine and lowers your risk of a backtwo muscle groups a day. If you’ve never lifted bone fracture.
weights, talk with your doctor before starting a
strengthening regimen.
Healthy Lifestyles
Zoodle (Zucchini Pasta)
"If you are a pasta lover and need a low‐carb version closer to the real thing than spaghe squash, you have found your match! This is a great recipe for one; super‐quick and super‐
versa le. Serve with your favorite sauce." This has become a fan favourite in our house. We usually make our regular spaghe sauce and instead of using ground beef we use ground turkey for extra health benefits. We use these noodles for soups to. Try chicken noodle soup using zoodles. No ma er what you use them in you get the same sa sfac on as if you were ea ng actual pasta. Buy any spiral slicer to cut zucchini such as the Vegge (as seen on TV) for thick & thin zoo‐
dles. A study out of Turkey, presented at in 2012 at a
European conference on cardiac care, found that
people who experience heart attack symptoms
and call for an ambulance save time and increase their chances of recovery. For one, emergency services can bypass local hospitals and
take you directly to a medical center prepared to
treat you immediately.
But how would you know if you were having a
heart attack at all?
Recognizing Heart Attack Symptoms.
"The first thing you need to know is if you are
at risk," says Dr. Edmundowicz. "Risk factors
include older age, having a family history of
heart attack, having high cholesterol, being a
smoker, having high blood pressure, having
diabetes, and not being physically active."
Here are some symptoms to watch for:

Chest discomfort that is unexpected and
unrelenting

Pressure that feels like someone is sitting
on your chest
Ingredients 2 zucchinis, peeled 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup water Salt & ground black pepper to taste Direc ons Cut lengthwise slices from zucchini using a veg‐
etable peeler, stopping when the seeds are reached. Turn zucchini over and con nue 'peeling' un l all the zucchini is in long strips; discard seeds. Slice the zucchini into thinner strips resembling spaghe . Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and s r zucchini in the hot oil for 1 mi‐
nute. Add water and cook un l zucchini is so ened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. instead of chest pain," Edmundowicz adds.
What to Do While You Wait for the Ambulance
The usual cause of a heart attack is a buildup of
fat, cholesterol, and other substances inside one
or more of the arteries that carry oxygen-rich
blood to your heart. This buildup, called plaque,
can break away, causing a blood clot to start
forming at the site. It's the blood clot that
blocks blood flow. During a heart attack, your
heart muscle is deprived of blood, and that’s
why time is so important.
While you wait for the ambulance, aspirin can
help. "It makes sense to take a 325-milligram
aspirin or four baby aspirins," says Edmundowicz. "Don't try to move around, and make
sure you have plenty of air."
Three steps, then, are critical if you or someone
near you starts having heart attack symptoms:
Call 911 to get an ambulance, take aspirin, and
wait for the emergency room to arrive at your
front door
********************
Shortness of breath with minimal exertion
Chest pain with minimal exertion
Mindful eating
benefits blood sugar and helps your
heart!
"Women may have all the same symptoms as
men, but they are more likely to have atypical
symptoms heart attack symptoms, like breathlessness, without chest pain or abdominal pain
“When walking, walk;
when eating, eat,” goes a
Zen proverb. Sounds
obvious, right? But in
the typical busy swirl of


Nausea and sweating
Heart Attack 911: Your
Emergency Response Plan
By Chris Iliades, MD | Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH
Knowing how and when to react to heart
attack symptoms can save your life.
What would you do if you or someone near
you started experiencing heart attack symptoms? What you should do is call 911 for an
ambulance.
"If you think you may be having a heart
attack, the last thing you want to do is get in
a car," says Daniel Edmundowicz, MD, a
professor of medicine and chief of cardiology at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. "Calling 911 is like bringing a mobile emergency room to you. Emergency
caregivers can start to diagnose you right
away."
a day, you might find yourself eating while
walking (or while watching TV, working,
checking emails, texting or driving). Or perhaps you find yourself powering through an
entire bag of chips because, like the proverbialmountain, it’s there. This is kind of like the
flip side of getting so busy that you “forget”
to eat. (Fortunately, you can’t forget to
breathe!) Enter “mindful eating.” It may
sound a little out-there, but it boils down to
paying attention — and it has the power to
benefit your health in important ways. In a
recent study, two groups of overweight people followed identical diet and exercise regimens, but one group also practiced mindfulness meditation, learning to develop awareness of their sensations, thoughts, and emotions during meals. The mindful group saw
improvements in their weight and also in
their blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The
other group? Not so much. Throughout the
day, and especially while you’re eating, take
a minute, slow down, and tune in to your
body and mind. Before you eat, ask yourself,
“Am I hungry?” During a meal or snack, ask
yourself, “Have I had enough?” Try to tune in
to how it feels to be half full or nearly full.
Asking yourself simple questions like these,
and responding accordingly, can help to untangle unhelpful patterns and build better
ones. With each bite, pay attention to the
texture, scent and flavor of your food. Enjoy
a newfound appreciation for both your meal
and the satisfaction that comes with mindful
eating.