Obesity vs. Terrorism

Make of this what you will, but according to a "prominent US professor of health law" (I didn't know there was such a thing), global terrorism is far less risk than obesity, diabetes and smoke related illnesses.

That's a clever angle, I guess, to call attention to the problem of unhealthy lifestyles. Yes, obesity is an awful thing.

But let's not forget something important:

Gluttony, like smoking, is a personal choice each of us makes. As reckless as it may be, it is a personal decision. On the other hand, if some fanatic decides to strap on a bomb and blow up a restaurant where you might be dining -- you have very little personal choice in the matter.

Read the full story here.

Meeting the Challenge

I like stories about people with gumption. People who despite adversity get up and do something about it. Dennis Ewert of Florida is that kind of guy.

He is 67, was overweight, and with several physical obstacles to overcome. Among them were worn out knees and two herniated discs in his back. Knee repair surgeries were successful but left his leg muscles atrophied. Back surgery helped, but one disc (L5) was calcified and not repairable.

So standing is tough at times because he tends to lean forward to take pressure off pinched nerves to his legs. Walking any significant distance causes his lower back to cramp up, so he could not "walk off" his excess weight. As an alternative, he decided he would ride a bike.

He tried two wheel bikes but they felt unstable and unsafe. Instead of giving up, he looked into buying a three wheel trike. It turned out good trikes -- ones that would hold his more than 250 pounds -- were two to three thousand dollars. So he gathered some thrown away bikes and got some one inch steel square tubing and welded together a bike of his design. He sawed off the legs to a lawn chair and built a frame to accept it. His cost: a few hundred dollars.

"The recumbent position is very comfortable," he says. "And all the effort is applied to the calves, thighs, and butt muscles. When the weather is bad, I use my wife's indoor recumbent exercise machine, but I much prefer to be outside in the fresh air. People of all ages and genders give me a thumbs-up or yell out 'cool bike' as I ride by."

In addition to bike riding, Dennis works out on a Weider Crossbow exerciser. He has lost 43 pounds, now weighs 243, and is on his way to his goal of 186. "The bike rides have been a great help, "he says.

P.S. Dennis Ewert is retired from the United States Air Force. He flew 164 combat missions as a radar navigator in B-52s during the Vietnam War. And as a navigator in the free world’s fastest four engine bomber – the B58 Hustler – he flew twice the speed of sound on a couple of occasions. Today, he is a software test engineer (civilian contractor) for the U.S. Air Force.

A Royal Pain in the Neck

Spending long hours in front of computer screens has resulted in more chronic shoulder and neck pain, according to the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Ah, but there seems to be a solution -- short of tossing out the computer -- and it turns out to be weight training. And an old-time bodybuilding movement called the “Shoulder Shrug” is often a major ingredient in the magic potion.

It’s an easy one to learn, too. Simply stand holding two dumbbells at your sides and lift your shoulders toward your ears. In other words, you shrug. The old standard of 3 sets of 10 or 12 reps sounds about right. If you’re a beginner, start off with a very moderate weight and gradually make increases.

Two other Gray Iron suggestions: Anytime you have chronic pain, check in with your doctor before anything else. Second, read the full story on neck and shoulder pain here: Weight training aids chronic neck pain

A Satisfying Life

Many of the great pleasures in my life have had to do with coaching others. I began more than twenty-five years ago by coaching middle-school soccer teams. At the start, I knew almost nothing about the game, but I learned. Later on, I coached successfully at a high school.

The things that I am good at are mostly fitness or art related. For a while, as a volunteer, I coached a troubled but artistically talented teen develop his drawing and painting ability. Years later, I led fitness kickboxing classes at a health club. Some of the students changed their lives through regular participation and now live fitness lifestyles.

The thing is, all of these things happened in my post-“retirement” years (admittedly, I left the business world still a relatively young man). Today, through my newsletter, blog, and website, I try to influence, urge and cajole mature adults to make the most of life through a fitness lifestyle. In a way, I see it as still coaching, at least indirectly.

My readers range widely in age. Some are not seniors at all, but most have reached the 50 year mark and on up from there. The e-mails come here from all around the U.S. and overseas. (A Google report for the past 30 days shows visits to my web site from 44 different nations and territories.) Some of the stories are wonderful. Some are from seniors who have stayed super-fit their entire lives. Others are embarking on an exercise program for the first time. Many are overcoming health problems or other obsticles to their progress, and I am often surprised by their creativity, ingenuity, and determination (some examples will follow in future posts). Sometimes they thank me for information or for my prodding them to take care of themselves. Does it make me happy? Yes, it makes my day.

Thank you.

Would You Want to Live to 100?

It's been reported (Associated Press story) that new research concludes “Living to 100 is easier than you might think.” Well, okay. That's good news, I guess. Still, the question Gray Iron asks is this: Would you really want to?

My own answer is, yes, sure . . . if (1) I still had interests in life, and (2) I were physically capable of caring for myself. If not, what is the purpose of hanging on? That is how I see it.

The crux of the matter, I think, is in the following excerpt (from the AP report):

“Overall, the men [at 100] were functioning better than the women. Nearly three-fourths of the male survivors could bathe and dress themselves, while only about one-third of the women could.

"The researchers think that may be because the men had to be in exceptional condition to reach 100. 'Women, on the other hand, may be better physically and socially adept at living with chronic and often disabling conditions,' wrote lead author Dr. Dellara Terry and her colleagues.”

“Functioning better” and being capable of bathing and dressing themselves? If you cannot dress and bathe yourself, and if nothing is of interest in life, what is the point?

I say, live a fitness lifestyle today and for the rest of your days. This will add quality of life to your years. No one can predict how long those quality years will last, but the odds greatly favor those who exercise and eat well. If living to 100 is in the cards, so be it. If not, the years you have will be good years, not merely existence and dependency.

What do you think?

Full report here: Reaching 100 Easier Than Suspected.

Can You Be Too Lean?

Obesity gets all the attention. But believe or not, there are people at the opposite end of the fatness problem, those who are too lean. That is, their body fat percentage is too low to be healthy. It may come as a surprise that many in that category are athletes – people we generally consider physically superior. In fact, a study involving Olympic athletes indicates some may be putting their health at risk.

So, when it comes to body fat, just how lean should we be?

Many fitness professionals recognize the following table. Some may factor in age, but, generally, the categories are about right for everyone, regardless of age.

Category (Body Fat Percentage):

• Excessively Lean (Men) Under 5% -- (Women) Under 12%
• High Performance (Men) 5 – 9% -- (Women) 12 – 17%
• Good Fitness (Men) 10 – 20% -- (Women) 18 – 25%
• Marginal (Men) 21 – 25% -- (Women) 6 – 30%
• Obese (Men) Over 25% -- (Women) Over 30%

[The table is from Gray Iron: A Fitness Guide for Senior Men an Women.]

Read the full report about the study: Olympic Athletes May Risk Health for Trim Physique.

Couch Potatoes Never Get A Break

Sometimes life just isn’t fair – at least not for the physically inactive.

In yet another study, this one from Great Britain, the evidence suggests that people who are physically active may be biologically younger than couch potatoes.

"A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related diseases and premature death. Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases, but also because it may influence the aging process itself," said study author Lynn F. Cherkas, of King's College London.

Gray Iron says the message is unmistakably clear, and so is the solution: Turn off the TV, the computer, and the video games. Rise from the couch or chair and move. Walk, run, swim, skate, pump iron, whatever. You will retain or possibly regain the attributes of youth. They say you only go around once. Don’t waste it.

Read the full story, "Sedentary Lifestyle Accelerates Aging."

Senior Workout Wisdom

Gray Iron Newsletter subscriber Denis Ledoux writes the following:

“One young man at my gym wanted to know why I wanted to add lean body mass. It was not going to be good for my heart to be too bulky at my age.

“To which I answered, ‘I come three times a week. I am a 60 (at the time) year old ectomorph. I will of course add lean body mass but my goal is to be the most fit man of my age. I'm not going for mass. The potential for lean body mass is limited by my testosterone level and my ambition — and both levels are fine with me at this time in my life.’

“It was interesting to me to have the opportunity to articulate my goals, which he had assumed would be the same as for a 22 year old! (His age!)

"I enjoy being fit and have the most comfortable relationship with my body that I have ever had. And yes, I am usually the most fit man my age in the room. I love it when people say, ‘You look fit. What have you been doing?’

“Friday marks the beginning of my fifth year of faithful 3 times a week attendance at the gym. I have loved the experience and find going to be a pleasure and not a duty or chore. (I had never pursued exercise like this before and was frankly surprised that I enjoyed it so much.)”

Denis Ledoux

Yummy, Yummy, See My Big Tummy

Was skimming Men’s Health magazine and I landed on a page called “Gut Bombs to Go.” (Great title, I thought.) Listed were the worst of food items that are typically bought on the run. Here are two examples that say a lot about obesity and the rising rates of diabetes in the U.S. and other developed nations.

• Worst Donut: Krispy Kreme Caramel Kreme Crunch. This baby — just one donut by itself — checks in at 380 calories, which include 21 grams of fat (6 grams trans fat) and 46 grams of carbs. And if you’re inclined to have coffee with your Caramel Kreme Crunch, don’t forget to add a few bonus calories if you take cream and sugar.
  

• Worst Drive-Through Combo Meal: The Burger King Triple Whopper with Cheese, Fries, and a King Size Coke. Bingo! You’ve just wolfed down 2,300 calories — in one sitting. Yep, that truly is a whopper of a meal. And all the essential nutrients are covered, too: 115 grams of fat (11 grams trans fat), 225 grams of carbs, 117 grams of sugar, and topped off with 2590 mg. of sodium.

Don’t laugh. Millions of our fellow citizens eat this kind of junk daily. Of course it should be added that no one holds a gun to their head and forces them to do it. At least I'm not aware of it, are you?

Bodybuilding Great-Grandmother is Gone

A visitor sent information that Morjorie Newlin passed away. Maybe you remember the August post about this amazing great-grandmother (86 years old!) still competing in bodybuilding.

"I was deeply saddened to hear about the death of Philadelphia's first lady of fitness, Morjorie A. Newlin. I first read about the remarkable, then-70-year-old in the early '90s and was inspired by her pursuit of fitness and bodybuilding. She has been a shining example to me that in life there are no limits.

"When, in 2004, I was given the opportunity to write for the Daily News, I vowed that she would be my first column. From the moment we met, we hit it off. She was a pure delight, and it was an honor to know her. She will remain an inspiration to me and to many others."

The visitor who sent the information did not include a name.

Read Morjorie's obituary in the Philadephia Daily News here.

Thoughts About Getting “Pissed Off”

One of the things in the news business you learn quickly is no matter what you write or say, somebody is going to get annoyed. Twenty years at a newspaper taught me that.

Coverage of a labor dispute long ago comes to mind. The local teachers went on strike, which of course was news, front page news. The teachers had squared off against the school board. The parents picked sides and each side was convinced the news coverage favored the other side. No one on either side could be convinced otherwise.

That is just a bit of ancient history.

This is today. Gray Iron Fitness is an information and opinion web site. The opinions are mine. I try to make them down-to-earth and realistic. The goal is simple: convince people to take good care of themselves, and offer information about good ways to do it. Pretty innocuous, you would think. But remember the first paragraph: No matter what you write or say, someone will take umbrage.

Example: Several months ago, I demonstrated in a video an exercise called the “Arnold Press.” Could anything be more noncontroversial? Yet a man wrote to cancel his subscription. The thrust of his complaint had to do with my mention of Arnold (Schwarzenegger). Arnold used steroids, he said. Steroids are bad. (I agree.) The man had been a long-time subscriber, had written to me before, and seemed like a nice fellow. Who knows why just mentioning Arnold’s name set him off? There is a certain irony to it, though; because I am about the most anti-steroids guy anyone will come across.

Why am I bringing this up? It is the election season and emotions can run high. Some people convince themselves their candidate isn’t getting a fair shake. The other guy or gal is a boob, a jerk, or a scoundrel. Sometimes they are right on all counts. Sometimes not. And sometimes they just have irrational hot buttons that get pushed. Then all reason goes out the window and the blood boils. An election season is one more good reason to get plenty of fresh air and exercise.

One Arm Rows

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One arm rowing is one of the finest mid- to upper-back exercises. Secondarily, it works your biceps and forearms and, to some degree, your abs and lower back because you must stay tight to row properly.

Watch the video a couple of times (daughter Jennifer demonstrates). Then take a solid stance, resting one hand on a sturdy bench. With your opposite arm extended, pull the dumbbell toward your hip. Lift and descend smoothly. Exhale as you pull. Inhale as you extend.

No hunching over. Keep a nice normally flat back.

If you are super-setting opposing muscle groups, the one arm row works perfectly by alternating sets with chest press exercises.

The Foolishness of Hero Worship

The recent release of names of steroid using major league baseball players was but one more look into the dark side of sports. Yet if we are honest with ourselves, it only confirmed what we already believed was going on. Was too much made of it? Perhaps. I agree that lying and cheating are pale in comparison to sports star incidents of violence or committing unimaginable cruelty to man’s best friend. Still, it all adds up. The parade of anti-social or illegal behavior by sports celebrities takes its toll. Only the most rabid fans are blind to it, the ones who excuse away nearly any misdeed as long as the team is winning.

My own kids have been grown for a long time, and my grandchildren are still very young. If they were teens or preteens today, I would be talking with them often about the qualities that make a person truly worthy of admiration. Enjoy sports for what they are, I would try to convey. But the ability to run faster or throw a ball more accurately than average has absolutely nothing to do with character and decency as a human being.

This is not to say there are not many fine men and women athletes. It would be terribly unfair to say that. Yet we also know that in too many instances some of the most physically gifted are found to be dispossessed of morals and ethics. Making matters worse, today’s popular culture makes instilling the values of decency and good citizenship to the young very difficult. Nevertheless, it is the prime responsibility of every parent. If understanding the difference between celebrity and character is not instilled in the home, more than likely it will not be taught at all. And that is the truth.

Pectoral Madness

I have never understood our current obsession with pectorals. I think it all got started when we began measuring a man's self-worth by how much he can "bench" (i.e. the bench or chest press exercise). I just don't get it. Of course, I don't get covering yourself in tattoos, either. I'm from a different era.

So an article in the Sunday paper this week told about men actually having chest implants to give themselves magnificent pecs. Don't get me wrong. A strong, well developed chest looks fine on a balanced weight trained body. But paste a set of big pectorals on a guy who is otherwise either skinny or fat and flabby and you've created a pretty weird looking dude.

Guess I'm way out of step. I think bench pressing is over-rated anyway. For too many people it raises hell with their shoulders and they end up with a lot of aches and pains. Moderation, of course, is the answer. But try preaching that message to a guy with pectoral fixation. Weird.

Read the whole article here: More Men Turning to Breast ... er ... Chest Implants for Pecs of Steel.

Protein Keeps Hunger at Bay

Remember Bill Phillips' hugely popular Body for Life book and program of just a few years ago? Thousands of people made dramatic physical improvements following Phillips' advice.

Maybe you also remember that one of the reasons he said people fall off the wagon and overeat is because they do not eat the right balance of protein in their meals. And this sets them up for food cravings shortly afterward. Here's a study that seems to confirm that he was on the right track.

Now, some people will read this and then overdo protein. But the idea is come as close as it is practical to do in balancing meals with the right ratio of protein to fats and carbs. Problem is, there is always controversy among many trainees about what is the right ratio. Should the ratio of protein/carbs/fat be 30/40/30 or 30/50/20, or some other combination?

I know what I think, and it follows:

1) Different ratios can be successful with different people, as long as they don't get too far out of whack;

2) Any method of measuring food ratios must be simple or people will not follow it, long-term (I spell out my way of doing it in detail in my books);

3) Any diet that practically eliminates any one of the three macro nutrients (protein, carbs, or fat), is guaranteed to fail in the long term. That is because cravings for the eliminated member are bound to follow.

To read more about the study, go here.

Beware: "Natural" Doesn't Necessarily Mean Safe

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has little authority to regulate many supplements -- and the fact is that not all supplements are safe. Here is a report about two men developing advanced prostate cancer after taking "herbal" supplements.

Gray Iron advice is this: Do not take supplements of any kind without first knowing that they are safe. And a product labeled "natural" does not necessarily mean that it is safe. Above all, do not believe advertising on web sites that promise the fountain of youth. So-called "hormone therapy" can be a dangerous thing and should be considered only under the guidance and care of a good medical doctor.

Read full story here: "Natural" supplements caused cancer in 2 men.

Does Testosterone Therapy Improve Quality of Life?

Gray Iron has no medical degree. I'm just a fitness guy whose been at it a long time and reads a lot. That said, I am skeptical about hormone therapies I hear about. Is there some miracle pill to stop aging just around the corner? Is it already here? Like I said, I'm skeptical. My advice: Until legitimate studies are concluded and scientists say this stuff is safe and that it works, forget it.

Bottom line: Eat right, regularly hit the weights, and unless under a good doctor's care -- don't even think about messing with hormones.

Here is a report on a study (source: Journal of the American Medical Association) that seems to point out deficiencies in testosterone therapy even in men tested with "low normal testosterone levels" and would supposedly benefit.

Sunshine and Health Benefits

Neither basking on the beach for that deep tan, nor hiding in the shade, slathered in sunblock lotion, seems to make sense when it comes to sunlight.

According to a researcher at the Institute for Cancer Research in Oslo, Norway, modest sun exposure gives enormous vitamin D benefits. The skin cancer risk is there but the health benefits from some sun exposure are far greater than the risk.

"The current data provide a further indication of the beneficial role of sun-induced vitamin D for cancer prognosis," said Richard Setlow of the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, who also worked on the study.

As with most things in life, moderation seems to be the key.

Read about the risk-to-benefit ratio in this report from Reuters.

Fast Walkers Live Longer than Slow Ones

It turns out that seniors who walk faster on a treadmill test live longer, on average, than slower walkers.

Geriatricians at the University of Pittsburgh tracked a group of seniors for 10 years and found those who covered the equivalent of 2-1/2 miles per hour on a treadmill outlived walkers able to walk less than 1-1/2 miles per hour.

The researchers adjusted for sex, race, age, chronic illness and hospitalization and found that walking speed appeared to be an independent predictor of longevity.

Should this surprise us? I don't think so. It confirms what those living a fitness lifestyle know intuitively.

Read more about their findings here.

Can Smokers Get it Up?

During an annual physical exam, a doctor once asked if I smoked. When I said no, he said, "Good. Smoking is the single worst health habit anyone can have."

Maybe it was an exaggeration, but not much of one.

Today, I read a report on smoking and erectile dysfunction, or ED, as they call in the TV ads about Viagra and similar pills.

Whenever I see those ads I notice that the actors are usually middle-age and fit looking people. Then I wonder why so many people these days need pills to do what should come naturally.

Does smoking play a role? even though fewer people are smoking now. I don't know the answer.

What I do know is that smoking is bad for your circulation, and poor circulation to certain appendages can contribute to ED.

So here's my anti-tobacco thought for the day:

If you smoke and heart disease, stroke and certain cancers haven't been reason enough for you to quit, consider this: The habit also increases the risk of erectile dysfunction.

Read all about smoking and erectile dysfunction here.