Feature Entry:In Today’s Parade Magazine, a physician observed that has patients seem to follow his prescriptions more faithfully than when he just offered his advice. An actual scientific study asked this very question. In Spain, half of a group of 4000 patients were given general advice to exercise, while the other half got prescriptions to do so. Six months later, those with prescriptions were more active. The results were published in Archives of Internal Medicine. It seems that walking is receiving serious consideration as a “medicine” for many of today’s illnesses.
Journal Entry: Weight = 175.4 lbs (yikes, too much Halloween candy); Coinage = $.44, 29 pennies, 1 nickel, and one dime; Glass bottles retrieved = 8; Ground scores = 9 including a perfectly good umbrella; Best coinage find = three different multiple penny scatters. The weather is beautiful in New Orleans, but the picture of walkers was taken this summer in Vienna, Austria.
MoneyWalker
Three years ago I convinced my mother, now 78 years old to go swimming with me in the mornings. She had never participated in ANY sports or exercise program in her entire life and was in the morbidly obese category. Her pool routine is not what I would call aerobic by any stretch of the imagination, but at least she is there three mornings a week at 7:30 AM and not sitting at her table watching TV. Her major complaint last spring was that she had to go to the doctor for refills on RXs when she wasn't ill. She then admitted that she hadn't been ill since beginning the swimming program.
ReplyDeleteI made it back onto the streets this morning after a week off due to what I believe is H1N1 (mild case) that has lingered for over three weeks now. That nasty bug has hit our family hard but so far is easily controlled by Tylenol. Mostly walking, little running due to a virus-kicked butt.
On the plus side, it was fabulous to have sunlight so early! Hooray for Daylight Savings Time!
One more thought about the benefits of exercise: My hubby Zeus (age 70) has walked with the assistance of crutches since surviving polio at the age of 9. He is paralyzed from the waist down. For over 35 years he has gone swimming five days a week at 5 AM for 45 minutes. This, along with his amazing attitude has kept him out of a wheelchair. His shoulders and arms are totally worn out but he continues to modify his swimming routine in order to keep walking. He is an inspiration to all who know him, including many physicians who look at him in awe, both for his perseverance as well as his unique history. Most polio victims with similar disabilities were in chairs by age 50. He is rarely ill and maintains a very active schedule. Only in the last few years have I been able to keep up with him.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, I'm wordy today. Sorry..
Numismatist, both Sandy and I, and certainly the dozens of folks that read this blog were encouraged by your two responses concerning "exercise as medicine." As people google over the years to come, I suspect that the topic exercise and medicine in the same line will draw interest. And then when they see your two excellent testamonials, many people will gain encouragement by the examples of your mother and of your husband. Give them both our regards and congratulations.
ReplyDeleteMoneyWalkers