StrongWomen Newsletter

Issue 103, April 2007

I hope you find this newsletter helpful, and that you share it with your friends. Feel free to forward, post or reprint it – but please credit strongwomen.com for the information and don’t change the content.

By Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
The Strong Women’s Journal
Strong Women, Strong Hearts
Strong Women, Strong Backs
Founder of www.StrongWomen.com

IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE 

• Startling new findings on exercise and the brain
• StrongWomen in the French Alps!
• StrongWomen Workshops
• Reader Questions and Answers
  • What weight should I lift when re-starting my strength training program?
  • Are tummy tucks safe for a person with osteoporosis?
• From the Mailbox - Success Stories
• Recipe – Nancy’s crispy tofu

STARTLING NEW FINDINGS ON EXERCISE AND THE BRAIN

Two weeks ago I received a call from a producer at the Today Show inquiring if I could go down to New York to do an interview about a new study that had just been released about exercise and the brain. I told her that I needed to see the study before I would commit to the interview. She sent me the article and I was stunned by the results of the study. You have to understand that I have been in the field of exercise for over two decades – it takes a lot to stun me!

The Columbia University scientists took eleven sedentary adults (aged 21 –45; 2 men and 9 women) and had them participate in a three-month aerobic exercise program. The subjects exercised for one hour, four times per week. As expected the participants had remarkable improvements in fitness over the course of the study. The results also showed that blood volume in the hippocampus region of the brain increased (blood volume is a marker of neurogenesis – or production of new brain cells). This is the region of the brain that is primarily responsible for executive functioning activities such as problem solving, decision-making, memory, and multitasking. It is also the part of the brain that is particularly vulnerable to the aging process. Cognitive function as assessed by questionnaire also improved in the subjects. The neurogenesis and the improvements in cognitive function were correlated with the improvements in aerobic fitness.

We have known for several years that physically active individuals have a reduced risk of cognitive impairment as they age. This study shows us that neurogenesis – the production of new brain cells with exercise – may be responsible for some of these improvements.

Perhaps I am so interested in this study because memory, decision-making, and problem solving are all brain functions that I want to maintain as I grow older. My brain seemed to be functioning quite well when I went down and did the interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show!

Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.

Click Here to read what Dr. Nelson had to say in the EWH Newsletter "Maintaining a Healthy Weight Benefits Your Body and Your Brain"

STRONGWOMEN MOUNTAIN GETAWAY IN FRANCE

Yes you read that correctly! Each year my Tufts colleague, Dr. Christina Economos, and I lead a very small group of women for a week in the French alps. This is a once in a lifetime trip that we organize with the able support of the Tufts European Center. We go rock climbing, glacier walking, and swimming around the stunning Lake Annecy and Chamonix areas of France. Our hikes feature fabulous picnics of market fresh fruits and vegetables, oven baked bread and local cheeses, as well as plenty of French chocolate! In the evenings we dine at delicious local restaurants. Women last year called this week “life altering!”

Date: July 21 through 28
Location: Tufts European Center, Talloires, France
For more information visit our website: www.go.tufts.edu/alps
Or email us at: strongwomen@tufts.edu
Space is very limited, you must have excellent fitness to attend

Upcoming StrongWomen Workshops

Several upcoming StrongWomen Program workshops are scheduled for the next few months. In order to be eligible for StrongWomen training, you must be actively strength training right now, and you must have a firm commitment to starting a program in your community. This training is to teach you how to "lead" a StrongWomen Program, and should not be attended simply for informational/personal purposes.

Date: Friday, April 27, 2007
Location: Soldotna, Alaska
Contact: Linda Tannehill
Phone: 907-262-5824
Email: fflkt@uaf.edu
Registration deadline: April 6, 2007

Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Contact person: Julie Cascio
Phone: (907) 745-3360
Email: ffjmc2@uaf.edu
Registration Deadline April 10, 2007

Date: Tuesday May 15, 2007
Location: University of Idaho; Moscow, ID
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Contact: Ms Lockard or Ms Raidl
Email: mlockard@uidaho.edu or mraidl@uidaho.edu
Phone: (208) 364-4056
Registration deadline: April 25, 2007

Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Contact person: Sarah Janicek
Phone: (573) 882-2428
Email: janiceks@missouri.edu
Registration Deadline April 25, 2007

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: I am struggling to get back into a regular routine with strength training. I jumped back in (sporadically) using 8-pound weights. Is that correct or should I have started with less?

A: Be careful not to jump back in to your routine with the same amount of weight you were using when you stopped. Your body needs a chance to ease back into your routine. You should start with a weight that you can easily lift for 8 to 12 repetitions (about half the amount you were lifting when you stopped). As you become stronger, slowly begin to increase the weight as needed.

Q: Are tummy tucks a safe exercise for a person with osteoporosis? I wasn’t sure because I have heard that a person with osteoporosis should always keep her spine in a neutral position.

A: It is true that people with osteoporosis need to observe certain precautions when exercising. Exercises that require you to bend your back forward in flexion (i.e. abdominal crunches) should be avoided; however, tummy tucks do not require this movement and are safe for people with osteoporosis.

FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN

Thanks for all you and your staff do. I refer back to six of your books frequently, especially every 3 or 4 months when I change my exercise regime a bit to keep me interested.
-Karin

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

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