0 Comments
This article originally appeared on Time.com. Running is a great workout, and it comes with all of the heart-strengthening benefits of aerobic exercise. But doing it for long distances—like in a marathon—may come with unintended health consequences. A small new study finds that marathon runners can experience short-term kidney injury after the race. [brightcove:4874670933001 default] In the study, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, researchers took blood and urine samples from 22 people who ran the 2015 Hartford Marathon, and looked for evidence of kidney injury. The researchers reported that based on the markers they observed in the samples, 82% of the runners had evidence of stage 1 acute kidney injury after the race. The problem appeared to be short-term, and most people’s kidneys returned to normal within 24 to 48 hours. Still, the researchers say that their findings underline the fact that running a marathon is a stressful event for the body, and that some people may want to be extra vigilant. “We knew we would find something, but I was surprised by the level [of injury],” says study author Dr. Chirag Parikh, a professor of medicine at Yale University. “It’s comparable to what I see in hospitals.” RELATED: 3 Essential Strength Exercises For Runners More research is needed, but Parikh says that people who have no risk factors for kidney disease probably don’t need to worry. People with diabetes or high blood pressure, or people who are older, may want to work closely with trainers and doctors to keep an eye on their kidney health if they’re running marathons. Though the researchers did not determine how exactly running a marathon can temporarily hurt kidneys, Parikh says the damage may be due to less blood flow to the kidneys, high core body temperature and dehydration. It’s still unknown whether this short-lived kidney injury can cause cumulative damage, or if some people may not recover in the short-term. The study is not the first to find that marathons can come with health risks. While it’s clear that getting exercise is important, research suggests that more isn’t always better. A 2015 review published in the journal Current Sports Medicine Reports found that while runners in the study lived longer than non-runners, men and women gained the lifesaving benefits of running if they ran at slow or moderate speeds for about one to two hours a week. Among the runners, the people who ran the most had worse survival rates than people who ran less. [brightcove:5358909721001 default] Parikh says that his study did not identify who might be at a higher risk, but notes that people over age 40 are increasingly signing up for marathons, and may want to take more precautions. Today, people 40 and older make up nearly 50% of marathon finishers in the U.S., compared to 1980 when this age group made up just 26%. “Is there a right amount of distance for each person?” says Parikh. “Like everything else, there might be a balance of the benefits and risks. People can find the right distance for them and train their body.” via Diana Rembert Blog http://www.health.com/syndication/running-marathon-kidney-injury This article originally appeared on Time.com. To get better balance, power and agility, kickboxing is king among workouts. Experts who have studied the sport say nearly everyone—even older people who might shy away from such things—can benefit from throwing a punch. Unlike most other types of exercise, kickboxing emphasizes powerful movements. Power is different from strength, and for older adults, it’s an even better predictor of mobility and their risk for falls, says Kurt Jackson, an associate professor of neurology and rehab science at the University of Dayton in Ohio. “Pure strength is what a weightlifter uses, but producing power is about both force and speed,” he says. [brightcove:5211279051001 default] Kickboxing training tends to involve shorts bouts, two to three minutes long, of intense, repetitive movement—like hitting a punching bag over and over again and kicking and kneeing a pad someone else is holding. “If you look at the research on high-intensity interval training [HIIT], you see these short, intense periods of activity can have big benefits,” he says. Some research shows that even very brief stretches—just 60 seconds—of HIIT can offer the same gains in heart and lung health as 45 minutes of less-intense exercise. Kickboxing has been shown to improve fitness, power, flexibility and agility, according to a study of healthy men in their twenties who trained three days a week for five weeks. The men in the study improved their upper and lower body power by about 7%, while shaving off more than a second from their time in a 50-meter dash. It also torches a lot of calories. One study from the American Council on Exercise (ACE) found that the kind of punching-and-kicking combinations used in Tae Bo or “cardio kickboxing” classes burn more than eight calories per minute—about the same amount you’d burn while swimming. RELATED: Torch Calories With This Total-Body Circuit Workout The sport can also improve coordination, even in the most extreme cases. Jackson studies the neuromuscular benefits of kickboxing training for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition in which poor communication between the brain and muscles can lead to falls or problems with activities that rely on multitasking, like walking and talking. Kickboxing helps strengthen neuromuscular control in people with the disease in ways that improve balance, mobility and dual-tasking activities, he found. The benefits likely apply to older adults as well. Kickboxing improves both types of balance that the body requires—anticipatory and reactive—and better balance reduces risk of falls or muscle weakness. “Anticipatory balance is something you use when you can see a need coming, like when you’re stabilizing yourself to reach up into a cupboard,” Jackson says. Reactive balance is the type of mind-muscle coordination you need to catch your balance when you trip, or when life throws some unexpected object your way. [brightcove:5358909721001 default] Those skills are useful before you hit old age. If your workout routine relies on lifting weights, running or yoga, your neuromuscular system may not be tuned to handle the kind of dynamic motion required for sports—even the ones you do just a few times a year, like skiing or pickup basketball. “You see these people step or twist wrong and suffer major tears,” Jackson says. “Kickboxing training is a great way to avoid those types of injuries.” However, the swift whole-body movements required in kickboxing could also cause injuries. Back, knee, hip and shoulder strains are all common among kickboxers, found a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. As with most other forms of vigorous exercise, if you’re a newbie, it’s important to ease into kickboxing gradually. “If you have a bad knee or some other limitation, it’s important to have a coach or physical therapist who knows how to adapt a kickboxing program to your needs, and who will introduce it in a controlled, systematic manner,” Jackson says. Start slow, and you’ll get the most benefits in the end. via Diana Rembert Blog http://www.health.com/syndication/kickboxing-fitness-workout |
ABOUT MEHi I am Diana Rembert,I am 33 year old living in United State. I love to having a fun on weekends with my friends and like reading books. Archives
March 2017
Categories |