mobility Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Kick Frailty to the Curb

The AHA! Team — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 08:03:17 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – Most doctors will tell you that frailty is an inevitable and irreversible part of aging. They couldn’t be more wrong. Worse than that, this is an extremely dangerous position to take. Multiple studies now reveal that frailty – an all-too-common condition among seniors characterized by severe loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia), weight loss, and debilitating fatigue – makes older adults extremely susceptible to…1,2,3 Severe infections, like pneumonia Increased risk of losing your independence Congestive heart failure Alzheimer’s Conventional doctors don’t talk about it with their patients because there isn’t any drug to treat it. Do you know why I’m the only one telling you about this? Because there is nothing natural about frailty, and there’s plenty you can do to stop – and even reverse – it. At the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, I prove it almost every day. Frailty is caused by a combination of muscle loss and cellular slowdown. And that means any solution to frailty has to be a two-pronged attack. A string of recent studies reveals one of the most effective solutions to frailty – plus the added anti-aging power – is to boost your body’s levels of a metabolite called Urolithin A. Urolithin A, or UA, is produced by gut microflora from foods rich in ellagitannins, a natural plant-based antioxidant that I’ll tell you about in a minute. Multiple studies now show that UA helps cells to replace worn-out mitochondria, the little power generators inside each of your cells that provide your body with energy. You see, when your muscles weaken as you age, it’s often because your mitochondria aren’t working correctly. These key studies show UA can slow and even reverse this deterioration.4 The bad news is that most people don’t have any UA in their systems.5 But the good news is that while scientists haven’t yet identified which specific gut bacteria convert ellagitannins into UA, direct supplementation of UA combined with ellagitannins-rich foods can reboot your failing muscle mitochondria. This will ward off the risk of frailty and keep you mobile, healthy, and independent far into old age. Here’s what I recommend to my patients… Eat more ellagitannins: Some of the wealthiest sources of ellagitannins are raspberries, arctic brambles, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranates, walnuts, as well as oak-aged wines. These ellagitannins are polyphenols, powerful natural antioxidants that have long been linked to heart and anti-cancer benefits. Once your gut microflora digests them, they can be converted into Urolithin A. The problem is that only some have the right mix of microflora in their gut. That’s why I always recommend my patients take UA supplements along with an ellagitannins-rich diet. Take a UA supplement: Studies show that Urolithin A is safe and works wonders on aging muscle mitochondria.6 UA supplements have been shown to improve mitochondrial health by activating mitophagy, recycling defective mitochondria, and improving mitochondrial health in pre-clinical models of aging. Their study found that seniors taking Urolithin A supplements performed better in physical endurance tests. UA has also been shown to boost muscle strength and function. You can buy UA supplements in pill and powder form, which can be mixed into breakfast yogurt, smoothies, or water. I recommend taking 1,000 mg per day. Build muscle to slow aging. Along with boosting your body’s levels of Urolithin A, building muscle is key. And exercise is the most powerful tool for building muscle. I recommend starting with the largest muscles in the body for the most significant impact. Those are the quadriceps on the front of your thighs. In one study, researchers had older men do exercises similar to what I recommend in my PACE program. They worked three times per week on their lower body. And their quad strength increased by as much as 226%.7 Here’s a PACE move to increase the strength in your quads. It’s called alternating lunges. They are among the best leg exercises older adults can do. This exercise improves quads and strengthens hips, glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs. • Place your hands on your hips. Keep your back straight and hold your head high. • Take a step forward with your right leg until your front knee is bent 90 degrees and your back knee almost touches the ground. • Use your quad muscle to push back off your leading leg and return to starting position. • Repeat with your left leg. Alternate until you are slightly out of breath. To make it truly PACE, increase the challenge slightly with each set. I call that “progressivity.” Also, to get stronger quads and muscle strength even faster, use “acceleration.” That means shortening your recovery time between sets or getting up to your desired intensity faster. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: 1. Iwai-Saito K, et al. “Frailty is associated with susceptibility and severity of pneumonia in older adults (A JAGES multilevel cross-sectional study).” Sci Rep. 2021 Apr 12;11(1):7966. 2. Wallace LMK, et al. “Investigation of frailty as a moderator of the relationship between neuropathology and dementia in Alzheimer’s disease: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project.” Lancet Neurol. 2019 Feb;18(2):177-184. 3. Knowlton AA, et al, Heart failure and mitochondrial dysfunction: the role of mitochondrial fission/fusion abnormalities and new therapeutic strategies. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2014 Mar; 63(3):196-206. 4. Andreux et al. “The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans.” Nat Metab. Nat Metab. 2019 Jun;1(6):595-603. 5. Singh A, et al. “Direct supplementation with Urolithin A overcomes limitations of dietary exposure and gut microbiome variability in healthy adults to achieve consistent levels across the population.” Eur J Clin Nutr. 2021. doi: 10.1038/s41430-021-00950-1. Online ahead of print. 6. Singh, A. et al. “Orally administered urolithin a is safe and modulates muscle and mitochondrial biomarkers in elderly.” Innov Aging. 2017 Jul; 1(Suppl 1):1223-1224. 7. Frontera WR et al. “Strength conditioning in older men: skeletal muscle hypertrophy and improved function.” J Appl Physiol. 1992. 64: 1038-44. To read the original article click here.

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Brain Stimulation Helps Elderly Walk and Talk at Same Time

AHA Publisher — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 07:00:01 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Walking and talking while chewing gum – it sounds like the start to a bad joke, but for older adults with mobility challenges, it’s no laughing matter. “We know that among older people, difficulties performing another task while walking or standing reflect an existing and/or a potential problem concerning both functions, as well as an increased risk of falling,” notes Prof. Jeffrey Hausdorff of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine. Hausdorff and a team from TAU, the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and Harvard Medical School have discovered that gentle stimulation of the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (the brain area responsible for dividing attention and executive functions) can reduce the negative impact of standing or walking while at the same time completing an additional cognitive task such as talking on the telephone. The study included 57 subjects over the age of 70. Each treatment included noninvasive transcranial direct stimulation, using a very low-intensity electric current, for 20 minutes. There were four groups: sham (no stimulation), stimulation of the cognitive area of the brain, stimulation of a sensory-motor area of the brain, and simultaneous stimulation of motor and cognitive areas. Immediately upon the conclusion of the treatment, the walking and standing sway of each subject were evaluated, with and without requests to perform a cognitive task at the same time. Stimulation of the cognitive area of the brainreduced the negative effects of the cognitive task on walking and standing stability by about 50%. Stimulation of the sensory-motor areaalone did not improve performance. “Dual tasking that involves walking while simultaneously carrying out a cognitive task, like talking on a cellphone or with a companion, occurs frequently throughout the day,” Hausdorff said. “The concurrent performance of two tasks requires the ability to split attention.” The researchers hope that theirmethodology – which is gentle enough to be done at home – will improve seniors’ ability “to perform both tasks simultaneously in a safer manner.” “We foresee the possibility of combining this type of therapy with exercise and other modes of intervention that can help to improve walking, to enhance thinking, and to reduce the risk of falls. There is evidence that combined therapy could prove to be the most effective solution,” Hausdorff explained. The research was funded by a grant from the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation. The results were published in The Annals of Neurology, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Neurological Association. To read the original article click here.

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NEW Study Reveals Why Stretching Is More Important Than Ever, Due to COVID “Stay-at-Home” Restrictions

AHA Publisher — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 07:00:57 +0000

Joy Jensen via NaturalHealth365 – We already know that Americans tend to spend a lot of time sitting, something that’s often referred to as “sitting disease.” In fact, too much inactivity has a serious impact on heart health and overall wellbeing – linked to issues such as, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. To make matters even worse, new COVID-19 “stay-at-home” orders have left many people more inactive than ever. But, one new study that’s particularly relevant right now with the COVID-19 restrictions many people are facing reveals the vascular benefits of stretching. This recent study, published in the Journal of Physiology, found that regular leg stretching exercises were linked to an improvement in vascular function. Naturally, this kind of information comes at a critical time when many people – even those who were formerly active – aren’t moving around nearly enough. Stretching Exercises Associated with Improvement in Vascular Function The small study done at the University of Milan in Italy looked specifically at leg stretching exercises. Individuals involved in the study underwent 12 weeks of passive stretching training, and after that 12 weeks, researchers observed significant systemic and local vascular improvement. Participants had a 30 percent increase in their femoral change in blood flow, peripheral arterial stiffness decreased by 17 percent, and central arterial stiffness decreased by 25 percent. They also found that after 12 weeks of the stretching training, participants had a four percent decrease in their systolic blood pressure and an eight percent decrease in their diastolic blood pressure. Controls who did no stretching had no major changes in these measurements during the study. According to researchers, the study clearly shows that the passive stretching training was effective at decreasing stiffness in both arteries directly involved and those not directly involved, as well as improving overall vascular function. The changes observed suggest that stretching results in both systemic and local cardiovascular adjustments. Since stretching has been shown effective at improving vascular function, researchers believe that it has practical implications for further use as a treatment for improving vascular health while reducing cardiovascular risks. It especially has potential in individuals dealing with limited mobility. Improving Heart Health During Pandemic-Induced Down Time Researchers specifically noted that the new application of using stretching to improve vascular health is especially relevant right now, when pandemic-induced downtime due to stay-at-home orders and other COVID-19 restrictions leaves many individuals confined to their homes. Access to training that prevents heart disease and other health conditions is currently limited, but something as simple as routine passive stretching can help. If you’re currently confined to your home right now, you can combat sitting disease and lower your risk of serious health complications related to excessive sitting by adding stretching to your own daily routine. It’s easier than you think. According to John Hopkins, you can take small steps to combat sitting without having to go to the gym. They recommend standing for eight minutes for every 20 minutes that you’re sitting and moving for at least two minutes. Aiming to get 10,000 steps a day, even if you’re walking around your house or right outside your home can also help. Before you stretch, it’s a good idea to warm up your muscles – so, walk around for a few minutes before you begin your stretching routine. And, remember, you do not have to move vigorously – you just have to move to see the benefits. Sources for this article include: Wiley.com, MedPageToday.com, HopkinsMedicine.org To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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