n the past, healthy eating and physical activity were considered distinct parts of good health. Today, it is known the two aspects are inseparable. This understanding is reflected in the recent edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which encourages us to aim for fitness by being "physically active each day."
So how active is active?
One is considered sedentary if he or she gets less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, equivalent to brisk walking, each day. Multiple physical illness conditions are caused or worsened by being sedentary (see accompanying box). Remaining sedentary will likely result in the onset of debilitation sooner than would be necessary. One in 10 deaths is premature due to Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS), which accounts for the untimely deaths of 250,000 Americans each year.1 The healthcare costs of diseases related to being sedentary are approaching $200 billion in the United States.2
Improving health through exercise or unstructured physical activity, along with appropriate nutritional habits, will greatly diminish the emotional, economic, and medical burdens that Kansas and the U.S. currently face. A person is never too old or young to benefit from physical activity. Move your body on a daily basis, and do so with vigor. Exercising daily at the appropriate intensity and eating healthfully can help maximize health. Exercise and physical activity can make the time we have more enjoyable and allow us to continue doing the things we love.
Sources: 1. Researchers Against Inactivity-related Disorders, www.ridinactivity.org/35_conditions.htm 2. Health and Aging Chartbook. 1999. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
angina; arthritis pain; arrhythmias; cancer of the breast, colon, pancreas, and prostate; chronic back pain; congestive heart failure; coronary artery disease; depression; digestive problems; disease cachexia; fractures; gallstone disease; heart attack; high blood cholesterol; high blood triglycerides; hypertension; low HDL cholesterol; lower cognitive function; lower quality of life; menopausal symptoms; obesity; osteoporosis; peripheral vascular disease; physical frailty; premature death; respiratory problems; sleep apnea; spinal cord injury; stroke; type 2 diabetes.
Jeff Ferguson is K-State's Head Athletic Trainer and Director of Sports Medicine. He enjoys seeing athletes recover from an injury and go on to perform well in their next game. Ferguson's primary responsibility is for the football team, whose players have an 80% rate of injuries, ranging from minor to severe.
He supervises and oversees the operation of all of the training rooms, as well as the university's 16 athletic teams. He has four staff assistants and four graduate student assistants. Together, they are accountable for 300 athletes.
Ferguson likes being in a role that requires him to be versatile and that is highly challenging. "Each day is different," he states. "The hours are incredible, but it gives me a great deal of personal fulfillment."
Ferguson is also a faculty member of the Athletic Training Program, which is part of the Department of Human Nutrition (HN). He teaches HN 557, Administrative Issues in Athletic Training, during the fall semester, and HN 585, Internship in Athletic Training, during both the fall and spring semesters. His students do "hands-on" clinical rotations with varsity sports teams, intramural athletics, at high schools, Lafene student health center, and other sites.
"Student athletic trainers deal with health and safety issues, and must have integrity, and be responsible, honest, and loyal to their profession," he said.
Ferguson and Rebecca, his wife of six years, have a 16-month old daughter, Madelyn. "I'm lucky to have such an understanding wife," he declared. The former wrestler enjoys playing golf when time permits.
Ferguson received a B.S. from Clemson University in South Carolina. In graduate school, he combined studies in exercise science, education and business. He received an M.S. from the University of Texas at Arlington, then interned with the New England Patriots.
Dr. Katharine Grunewald developed a Nutrition and Exercise Sciences major, in cooperation with the Department of Kinesiology, 16 years ago. It is now the largest program of its kind in the U.S., and is her "proudest accomplishment."
Students who complete the curriculum earn two B.S. degrees, and work in health programs in hospitals, industries, fitness centers, gyms, public and private clinics, athletic clubs, and university training tables. Some graduates have furthered their education in related fields such as dietetics or public health, physical therapy or medical schools, or the graduate school of their choice.
Grunewald devotes 40% of her time to academic advising, serving 100 students. She has developed an extensive advising website about the Nutrition and Exercise Sciences program for both current and prospective students.
For 23 semesters, Grunewald team-taught HN 635, Nutrition and Exercise, before changing the focus of her teaching responsibilities. Currently, she teaches HN 352, Personal Wellness, a fall semester course featuring the U.S. health goals published in Healthy People 2010. Grunewald is also responsible for the spring semester laboratory course HN 450, Nutritional Assessment. Throughout the year, she supervises students taking HN 650, Practicum in HN, a "hands-on" internship experience.
Grunewald has a strong tradition of developing computer websites, and mentoring students to do the same. She has created detailed websites for her courses, as well as several for related topics. A portion of her time is assigned to Extension Human Nutrition to create relevant web sites. For example, "Nutritional Supplements for Athletes" provides references and over 700 online links for information about 24 supplements commonly used by athletes. She is constructing a site related to Healthy People 2010, in addition to one about fad diets. Her students' websites feature topics such as pregnancy, calcium supplements, and antioxidants and exercise.
Earlier in her career, Grunewald focused on laboratory research regarding nutritional effects on physical performance. She has authored about 30 scientific publications.
"Then I toured the Intel plant in Phoenix, and became more excited about information technology and being involved in a more global way," she explains. Three of her siblings have careers in information technology.
Known among her students as the "professor with muscles," Grunewald enjoys weight lifting, and has completed two 26.2-mile marathon races. Other hobbies include watching bodybuilding and fitness competitions, shopping, and making homemade soap. She earned a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences (with minors in biochemistry and toxicology) from the University of Kentucky after also completing her M.S. degree from that institution. She is a Registered Dietitian. A native of Wisconsin, she earned her B.S. there. She and her agricultural economist husband, Orlen, grew up on neighboring farms.
For more information about Grunewald or the sites mentioned
above, go to
www.oznet.ksu.edu/pr_nuex/grunew.htm
Although the weight room has been traditionally thought of as "male territory," more women are realizing the benefits of weight training. Most women have less muscle mass and strength than men--particularly in their chest, back, shoulders, and arms. But these muscles WILL grow if you start lifting light weights, and progressively lift heavier weights over time.
If you are considering weight training, here are practical questions and answers to help you decide.
First, we commend you for fitting exercise into your life. Adding weight training will improve your posture and strength, give you stronger bones, and add a cosmetic benefit that is sometimes dramatic. Weight training can add size in specific places, and contribute to an overall reduction in body fat.
You have to "overload" the muscle, so you must make it work harder, or lift more weight than it usually does. In a weight-training program, this can be accomplished by using dumbbells, barbells, or machines to target specific muscles. You have to do each exercise correctly, so that the targeted muscles are actually doing the work.
Do one set each of eight to ten exercises two to three days per week. For example, choose an exercise for your chest and do one "set"--lifting the weight between 8-12 times for that exercise. Choose other exercises to strengthen your back, shoulders, thighs, and other major muscle groups.
Choose from several exercises for each major body part. Find a college textbook that is used for a weight-training course, with photos to demonstrate each exercise. Or go online to see animations for over 300 exercises at www.exrx.net/Exercise.html (This excellent web site was developed by James Griffing, a K-State graduate.)
This will depend on your strength for each muscle group. It should be heavy enough for you to lift 8 times, but not more than 12 times. When you become stronger so that lifting it 12 times is easy, go to the next heavier weight.
Do warm-up exercises before your workout. Follow good lifting form. Control the weights smoothly throughout the full range of motion, avoiding jerky motions. Eat a good diet. Practice good health habits, such as getting adequate rest, to maximize your muscle growth.
Always on the go? Find it hard to make time for nutritious meals and snacks? Whether you are racing between appointments or catching a quick meal at a fast-food restaurant, be sure and pack some portable carbohydrate snacks to refuel you throughout the day.
Some easy-to-pack foods include bagels, pretzels, crackers with peanut butter, breakfast cereal in a zip-lock bag, Fig Newtons, dried apricots, a box of raisins, juice boxes, or trail-mix. A little planning ahead makes it easy to pack some snacks to eat at your desk or to put in a briefcase. Packaged snacks are a welcome find in a students back pack, too.
If your day is so busy you only have time for a quick burger and fries, you can balance the rest of the day's meals with wholesome, lower fat choices. Since fresh fruit is hard to find on the menu, you may choose to carry an apple or banana with you.
Even on those hectic days when you are rushing around, don't forget to drink plenty of fluids. Drink juice, water or milk throughout the day. You might want to pack some bottled water for an extra supply-- it will save you time and the cost of buying from a vending machine.
If you run out of energy before the end of your day, try adding one or two
nutritious snacks to give you that extra boost.
Physical activity is important for every person of every age. Children are naturally active, but it is important for adults to reinforce the positive message of active play with children. Through active play, children move, learn and have fun! They learn how to control their bodies and coordinate their actions. Active play helps a child learn to express feelings and emotions while cooperating and sharing with others.
Young children are born ready to learn. By combining movement with experiences that involve seeing, hearing and talking, families and care providers offer children opportunities to learn more effectively. Building these skills helps ensure that children enter school ready to succeed.
Here are some activities, organized by the approximate age of the child:
Information about the benefits of physical activity note running, walking, tennis, horseback riding, and other active examples as ways to increase exercise. What about exercise for persons with limited mobility resulting from aging, arthritis, back injury, or other disability? Research shows that the need to exercise extends to persons with limited mobility, but unfortunately many see their disability as a barrier to increased activity. We know that immobility leads to the Disuse Syndrome. Symptoms may include bone loss, muscle wasting, pressure ulcers, urinary problems, pools of secretions in the lungs, increased stress on the heart, weakness and overall helplessness with loss of independence. Physical activity improves stamina, muscle strength, mood, and feelings of well being in persons with limited mobility. In addition, exercise releases interferon, which helps immune function, and endorphins to decrease pain and enhance a sense of well being.
Immobility need not be a consequence of aging. The elderly are at high risk for immobility due to arthritis, stroke, Parkinsons, vision problems, and depression. Without exercise, muscle mass, cartilage, strength and joint flexibility decrease dramatically - by 60% between the ages of 30 and 80. Studies with frail elderly show dramatic improvements in strength and balance by adding weight training and limited walking exercises, starting with only 5 minutes a day. Never too late to implement an exercise program, exercise can be the key to maintain independence in the daily living activities of feeding, dressing, and bathing.
Activity lessens joint swelling and pain associated with arthritis. Movement is vital for joint health, to keep the joint surface nourished. Stretching (to improve mobility) and resistance training (to strengthen and stabilize muscles around the joint) actually delay cartilage degeneration, reducing pain and medication needs. Following your physician's approval, check out the exercises recommended by orthopedic surgeon Nicholas DiNubile at www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1997/07jul/dinub_pa.htm.
Limited mobility exercises include riding a stationary bike, wading in knee or waist-high water, using plastic-coated dumbbells, ankle weights, or elastic bands. Other examples of low impact exercises include yoga, Pilates, resistance stretching, and therapeutic massage. Pilates, which strengthens and stretches muscles, is especially suited for back problems. Learn more at www.centerofbalance.com.
Limited mobility during long trips requires attention. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is when clots form in deep calf or thigh veins due to pooling and clotting of blood. In addition to blocking blood flow, clot pieces may go to the heart or lungs, presenting serious or fatal complications. DVT risk has prompted airlines to increase awareness and provide preventive tips. In addition to encouraging increased water intake, reduction in alcohol use, and movement during the flight, passengers are instructed on preventive exercises. For example, press your hands against the seat cushion and lift your leg with knee bent while contracting your thigh muscles. Relax, continue with other leg, repeating 10 times. Several other exercises are described at http://news.airwise.com/stories/2001/02/981459238.html.
Contact Park Nicollet at 1-800-372-7776 for related materials.