A courtesy of Healing Touch Chiropractic and Dr. Gary Easter
December, 2005
Time to break out the old exercise wheel..... The Thanksgiving holiday is behind us now and with Christmas on the way, most people (i.e. myself) are starting to feel the effects of that pumpkin pie or extra helpings of ham and turkey with dressing. With my wife, Sheri, gaining pregnancy weight normally now in her 3rd Trimester, my body seems to be trying to keep up with her. Most people wait until after New Years to get back on the exercise bandwagon. However, I'm going to give you some good reasons to consider starting your post-holiday exercise routine early this year. That reason is called 'Free Radicals'....... First off, these 'free radicals' have nothing to do with releasing "enemy combatants" from Guatanamo Bay, Cuba. This has to do with Oxygen molecules in the body acquiring extra electrons, and passing off those extra electrons to their neighbors. These wandering free electrons are called "free radicals" because of the amount of damage they can do to other cells. Kind of like if you were to take one of those "enemy combatants" from Cuba, strap a bomb to them, and send them to your neighbor's house. Thereby, assuring that their Christmas lights will never again keep you awake at night. These free radicals effect all cells in the body to some extent, but the brain is particularly susceptible to free radical damage because it is exposed to a large amount of oxygen. It's the body's most metabolically active organ, consuming about 20% of the body's oxygen (although it totals only 2% of our body weight). Free radicals enter our bodies through pollution, fried food and even just normal metabolic processes of the body. Now I know you're asking, "what has all this got to do with exercise?" Well my friends, I will tell you. A recent study on mice showed that in the brains of mice who exercised regularly, there were less signs of oxidative stress than in their couch potato friends. The best part of this study is that it wasn't a large amount of exercise that showed the benefits. Instead, it was the equivalent of a 30 minute walk or a light 1 mile run, daily. This means that a simple 30 minute walk each day can not only keep your body active and mobile, but can keep your brain sharp and active as well. There are other ways to prevent free radical damage. Antioxidants are a good one. These include Co-Q-10, which is also good for the heart, along with vitamins A, C, E and even Omega 3 & 6 fatty acid (which I covered in the October Health Food for Thought). If you want more information on diet and nutrition, please see the nutrition page on my website. In the mean time, push back from the dinner table after the 2nd helping of grandma's pumpkin pie and go out for a short walk around the block. It will keep your mobility and your mind sharp for many years to come. Laughter Therapy Dr. Seuss as Technical Writer |