Will Exercise Prevent Dementia?

Great article about exercise and the ability to stave off Alzheimer's .

""Study shows that age-related differences in brain health - specifically the strength of connections between different regions of the brain - vary with fitness level in older adults. The findings suggest that greater cardiorespiratory fitness - a measure of aerobic endurance - relates to stronger brain connections and likely improves long-term brain function in aging populations."READ THE ARTICLE HERE.

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How Fast Do You Lose It!!!

I have felt incredibly out of shape when doing the workouts lately so I thought I would do some research to see how long it may take to lose your endurance and your strength.  I had taken approximately 8 weeks off to recuperate so, after reading the following articles, it makes sense that the WOD's would be a bit more challenging now.

The main bullet points are:

• "within one to two weeks of stopping exercise, changes can already be seen in cardiovascular fitness."
•  "decreases in strength don't happen as quickly as decreases in cardiovascular endurance"
• " Deconditioning in fit athletes doesn't appear to happen as quickly or drastically as in beginning exercisers. One study looked at well-conditioned athletes who had been training regularly for a year. They then stopped exercise entirely. After three months, researchers found that the athletes lost about half of their aerobic conditioning"
• "After a three-month break it's unlikely that any athlete will return to peak condition in a week. In some athletes it may even take as long as three months to regain all their conditioning"

FROM:http://www.fitsugar.com/How-Fast-Do-You-Lose-Cardio-Fitness-Level-8373742
According to Dr. Karp "within one to two weeks of stopping exercise, changes can already be seen in cardiovascular fitness." There are decreases in mitochondrial density (the mitochondria is considered the body's aerobic engine on a cellular level) and VO2max, aka maximum oxygen level consumption. Karp also added that "decreases in strength don't happen as quickly as decreases in cardiovascular endurance." I guess muscles do have more memory than the heart and lungs.

"Unfortunately," continued Karp, "It takes longer to gain fitness than it does to lose fitness. How much longer depends on a number of characteristics (age, level of fitness before taking a break, genetic responsiveness to training, etc.)."

AND

FROM: http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/anatomyandphysiology/a/Deconditioning.htm
Losing fitness when you stop working out is one of the key principles of conditioning. The principle of use/disuse simply means that when we stop exercising, we generally begin to decondition, and lose both strength and aerobic fitness. Most of us need to stop exercising on occasion for any number of reasons. Illness, injury, holidays, work, travel and social commitments often interfere with training routines. When this happens, we will often see a decline in our level of conditioning.

Detraining in Fit Athletes
Deconditioning in fit athletes doesn't appear to happen as quickly or drastically as in beginning exercisers. One study looked at well-conditioned athletes who had been training regularly for a year. They then stopped exercise entirely. After three months, researchers found that the athletes lost about half of their aerobic conditioning..........................
......................................Detraining and Exercise Frequency and Intensity
Other research is looking at the effects of decreasing training level, rather than completely stopping all exercise. The results are more encouraging for athletes who need to reduce training due to time constraints, illness or injury. One study followed sedentary men through three months of strength training, three times a week. They then cut back to one session per week. They found that these men maintained nearly all the strength gains they developed in the first three months.

There are many individual differences in detraining rates so it's impossible to apply all of these study results to all athletes. But it appears that if you maintain some higher intensity exercise on a weekly basis, you can maintain your fitness levels fairly well.

Studies have shown that you can maintain your fitness level even if you need to change or cut back on you exercise for several months. In order to do so, you need to exercise at about 70 percent of your VO2 max at least once per week.

If you stop exercise completely for several months it's difficult to predict exactly how long it will take you to return to your former fitness level. After a three-month break it's unlikely that any athlete will return to peak condition in a week. In some athletes it may even take as long as three months to regain all their conditioning. The time it takes to regain fitness appears to depend on your original level of fitness and how long you've stopped exercise.

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More Evidence that Exercise Keeps "Old Age" at Bay!

"Is physical frailty inevitable as we grow older? That question preoccupies scientists and the middle-aged, particularly when they become the same people. Until recently, the evidence was disheartening...............But a growing body of newer science suggests that such decline may not be inexorable. Exercise, the thinking goes, and you might be able to rewrite the future for your muscles."  Click Here to see the entire New York Times Article.

"Through exercise, you can preserve muscle mass and strength and avoid the decline from vitality to frailty.”

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You're As Old As You Feel..

That's what they say or, as the great Satchel Paige said "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" I've thought about that a lot today. I would assume that most of us feel younger than we are, some more so than others. I "feel" mentally and emotionally about 35 (or thereabouts), I think. Old enough not to make dumb mistakes but still young enough to want to blast the music on the car radio! Old enough to know that I should dress like an adult at my son's school but young enough (in my head) to have, as some have pointed out, a somewhat unconventional hair style. I could go on with more examples but I think I've made my point. I do not feel like a traditional "soccer Mom" standing on the sidelines, gaining a few pounds each year, waiting to head to Florida in my golden years.
I am a Crossfitter. I go to the gym 5 times a week to pummel myself physically and I pay a lot of money,happily,to do it. I push myself mentally and physically more than I ever have in my whole life, even more than I did when I played competitive sports when I was younger. And, I like it, strike that I love it! I love the camaraderie, the sense of accomplishment for not only finishing but for getting stronger! I like feeling good about what I am eating or, not eating. I love that we are being healthy role models for our kids. There is only one thing that I am disappointed in and it is really not something I have a lot of control over. I AM getting older.
I am 53 years old and there a parts of my body that are wearing out and getting arthritic and sore. My back acts up, both my elbows have tendinitis,I don't have a full range of motion with one shoulder, and last but definitely not least, my knees are falling apart. Discomfort is one thing but pain really is a limiter. And, it is a major bummer! When you are told to "get lower" and you can't, it really is frustrating. Today, I didn't do the workout:

"Filthy Fifty"
For time:
50 Box jump, 24 inch box
50 Jumping pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood
Walking Lunge, 50 steps
50 Knees to elbows
50 Push press, 45 pounds
50 Back extensions
50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
50 Burpees
50 Double unders

I really wanted to go but today for the FIRST time in a year, I decided that I shouldn't go to the Box because my knee is really acting up. Box jumps,lunges,wall balls, all involve a lot of squatting. As much as I wanted to throw caution to the wind I used my 53 years of experience and decided to be smart about this. My knee is acting old and unfortunately, you really do need to be able to walk around in our daily lives. I DO NOT like it though, it really pisses me off. I think if I was injured from a sports related injury such as a: stress fracture from too much running or, a pulled muscle from lifting too much, I could accept it more. Hurting because I am old and my body is getting older is a bitter pill to swallow!
I will get past it though and I will go to the workout tomorrow and I will do my very best. I will continue to go to the chiropractor, stretch, ice and use the common sense my 35 years of living has given me (whoops, 53). I am a crossfitter!

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