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Exercise: It's 'Powerful Medicine' Baby Boomers Finding It Central to Their Health
Ann Arbor News
January 25, 2008
Fred Woodhams exercises at Gold's Gym in Howell four or five mornings each week.
He spends half an hour on the treadmill, bike and elliptical machines then another half hour or more working on his arms, legs and back at the weight machines. He's been at this routine for four years and hates to miss a day.
"I get there at 8 a.m. and away by 9:30 and it starts the day now; I can't get away from it,'' Woodhams says. "I really look forward to it; it's a big part of my morning.''
Woodhams is not training for an Ironman competition. He is a former English teacher who has been retired from an executive position at Citizen's Insurance for 11 years. He loves golf and leading his weekly great books group at Howell Carnegie Library.
An avid reader, Woodhams subscribes to several health newsletters including Harvard Men's Health and Cleveland Clinic Men's Health Advisor.
"They preach the same thing - a careful diet, regular exercise and mental stimulation,'' Woodhams says. "My dad had heart problems and that's what I'm working on. If you know those things you can try to avoid them. I'm more conscious of it now than ever before.''
He and his wife Mary Lee, 60, are part of a growing number of baby boomers who have grabbed responsibility for their own health with gusto.
A retired social worker, Mary Lee is in excellent health. She has always been active with dance and fitness classes, but her intense, daily two-hour routine began about six years ago.
"The reason I really stepped it up is when I was taking care of my mom and she had advanced osteoporosis. I knew I was a prime candidate,'' Mary Lee says. She was not surprised when she was diagnosed with osteopenia, a thinning of the bone mass that can be a precursor to osteoporosis.
"I was determined to reverse it not with meds, but with my exercise. That's really what keeps me on track,'' she says.
She does Pilates, aerobics and weight-training at home and at Genesys Athletic Club in Grand Blanc, but her greatest passion is yoga. "It's so incredibly well-rounded and it effects the whole body and mind and spirit,'' she says.
Dr. Debi Siljander of MedQuan Sports Medicine and Wellness in Brighton supports the concept of lifestyle as medicine.
"I have many patients that I've treated with diet and exercise and no medication,'' Siljander says. "It has to be done in a medically appropriate way.''
Siljander has developed a 27-minute strength and aerobic workout for members of the Active Zone Fitness club, affiliated with MedQuan. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association's Exercise is Medicine initiative launched in November to encourage physicians to prescribe exercise to their patients.
"If you were given a prescription that would lower your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight; improve your sleep, bone and heart health; psychologically make you feel better and decrease the risk of cancer, would you be interested?'' Siljander asks. "Research has shown that there is this powerful medicine, which is exercise.''
In Livingston County heart disease, cancer and stroke are the top three causes of death. County health education supervisor Jennifer Lavelle says Livingston is a microcosm of the state and country in this respect. Heart disease and cancer account for more than half of all deaths, yet behavioral and lifestyle factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, diet and inactivity are estimated to contribute as much to mortality as genetic and environmental influences, according to the county book of statistics.
Siljander says the first thing people need to do to take control of their health is empower themselves - to take self-responsibility and realize they have choices and can make a difference to their health.
Life coach and registered dietitian Janet Simpson of Nourish Your Life in Hamburg says to do this people must discover what they truly value.
"They can and will make changes once the reason really comes from their heart,'' Simpson says. "It's got to be so important to them that its more important than the habits they have now that are defeating gaining better health.''
She says people can start by writing down the reasons they want to be healthier and talking to friends and professionals about paths to their goal.
Physical education teacher and community health activist Ryan Miller was thrilled to hear about the Exercise is Medicine initiative. "That's awesome,'' Miller said. "It's about time.''
Miller says the most important thing to consider is that positive, healthy results take time to develop.
"If you're expecting it all to happen in the first month, then you're setting yourself up to fail. Take it slow and steady and make a commitment for the long run. Customize a personal plan for success rather than failure - that means start with small achievable steps and focus on one week at a time, keep track of your progress and reward yourself appropriately.''
Janet Simpson calls that process the WOW goal - a goal you vow to achieve within one week, one week at a time. Some of Simpson's WOW goals: Drink more water; replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats; eat a fruit every day; eat breakfast; get away from eating food in boxes; don't drink carbonated sodas.
Both Simpson and Miller stress the importance of finding a partner, a confidante or a professional to make your healthy lifestyle commitment to.
The Woodhams learned that lesson long ago. Although they don't exercise together, they support each other in their individual efforts. "Because my wife is involved in exercise it's always encouraging to me,'' Woodhams said.
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