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Articles
Performance Advantage Newsletter October 2006
by Dennis Buckley
THE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE Volume 1, October 2006
EXERCISE FOR ADVANCEMENT
If in your career you want to advance up the corporate ladder, it is better that you take the stairs and avoid the martini lunches and use exercise instead. A study from England showed that regular exercise can boost your job performance by 15%. Regular exercise can be described as 45 to 60 minutes of exercise, usually aerobics although yoga, weights or recreational sports such as basketball also qualify. In those studied the exercise improved their mood; they handled stress better, they got along with people better and were in general more productive. Daily exercise might not only promote your health but get you promoted!
WATCH YOUR HABITS
Children are influenced by their parents. A study of 120 2 to 6-year olds, were told to ''shop'' for groceries for a hungry doll. Children who's parents smoked were four times more likely to choose cigarettes and more likely to pick wine or beer if their parents drank at least once a month. Also kids who viewed PG-13 or R-rated movies were five times as likely to choose beer or wine when ''shopping.'' If you wish your children to develop healthy habits, set the right example.
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER
As the days shorten and the weather changes, people have a tendency to feel down or depressed during the winter months. 4 to 6 percent of Americans, three-quarters of them women, suffer more than a case of the blues but a form of clinical depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Symptoms are feeling unhappy, sleeping more than usual, trouble concentrating, with drawl from others, slower movements, craving carbohydrates and weight gain. One way to determine if you have SAD or depression is to consult with a health professional. You can help yourself by getting 60 minutes a day of aerobic exercise outside or just spend more time outside, gardening, working around the house, hiking or even sitting in front of a window reading or meditating. If this does not help consult with your health care professional.
HELP FOR AN ACHING BACK
The spine is an incredible biomechanical structure. It must provide stability for an upright posture and flexibility to allow for bending and moving in four directions or combination of those four directions. It must also house and protect the spinal cord and allow the spinal nerves to exit safely while protecting them. If due to trauma to the spine from physical, chemical or mental sources, the nerves that carry information to and from the brain can be interfered with. This shows up as symptoms in the body such as pain, cramping, tingling or numbness. If the condition is present long enough the spine can degenerate and the condition can be more frequent or permanent. The solution is a combination of strategies. These include regular exercise, stretching, postural correction, strength training, proper nutrition, avoidance of smoking, limited alcohol, and to correct altered joint function the use of spinal manipulation. Prevention is the key but age-related changes will take place and your daily habits can prevent or delay the outcomes of those changes. You hold the key to health by your choices.
EXERCISE THE KEY FOR LONGEVITY (Especially for women)
From the New England Journal of Medicine comes a report that showed if a woman can exercise at near the maximum level for her age, she can cut her risk of premature death in half. Basically the fitter you are, the more you will be able to exercise and the longer you will live with a higher quality of life. The study showed that most women have a cardiovascular fitness level that is lower than men. Now that we are living longer women need to focus on exercise more to improve the quality of that life.
RISK OF USE OF POPULAR PAINKILLERS
Widely used pain killers such as Tylenol, Panadol and Liquiprin (Acetaminophen), Advil and Motrin (Ibuprofen), can increase the risk of hypertension by more than 90% in women. Older women who in the study reported taking the highest doses had a much higher risk of hypertension compared to women who refrained from taking these over the counter medications. In younger women the risk was double that of non-users. How it raises blood pressure is not well know but it is theorized that the pain killers damage the kidney and it is well know that the kidney plays a critical role in the maintenance of blood pressure.
TOUCH CAN CALM THE NERVES
The soothing effects of touch can not only be felt by those who are touched but scientist can view the changes during scans of the brain in those areas involved with emotions. Married women under extreme stress who reached out and held their husbands hand felt immediate relief. They received more relief from their husband than a stranger and those that had a very close marriage had the most comfort. It is know that married people are healthier on average than their peers. In a stressful life-threatening situation the brains defense mechanism releases stress hormones that increases heart rate and moves blood to muscles so you can ''fight or flee.' This system can overreact to situations that are not life-threatening such as deadlines and worry. Easy access to an affectionate touch in these times such as a hug or touch can be deeply soothing.
The Performance Advantage will soon have a new home, a website where you can access even more information to give you that edge. Check it out as it is being built at www.performance-advantage.net
Share this information with friends and relatives and help them help themselves to better health and wellness.
Dennis R. Buckley, DC
Dr. Buckley is a health care provider on the cutting edge of strategies and information to help you preserve and protect your health. To be successful in health you need to "Get Real & Get Going." This requires self responsibility and the courage to face up to where you are really at and where you may be headed. His information is straightforward and to the point with actions you can take immediately. His patients love him and now he is making his information available to everyone. Go to www.performance-advantage.net to sign up for his free e-zine.
Contact the author, Dennis Buckley
, at dennisbuckley@scuhs.edu
.