Exercises for Older Veterans with PTSD

By James Lewis

Exercise is medicine. It's arguably the most potent "drug" in the world. Yet, studies show most of us don't get enough of it. That includes older veterans with mental health conditions and other chronic diseases. Exercises for Older Veterans with PTSD is a straight-forward fitness guide that details the physiological impact of PTSD and how physical activity can not only minimize PTSD symptoms, but improve overall health. It's a practical, easy-to-follow resource for older veterans interested in starting a physical activity program, whether they have PTSD or not. 

Exercises for Older Veterans with PTSD is organized into four sections:

Section I explains how chronic PTSD impacts regions of the brain, heart, and important biological functions; and discusses the benefits of physical activity in PTSD management, disease prevention, and overall quality of life.

Section II delves deeper into the key elements of a well-rounded physical activity program; explains the differences between aerobic, muscular, and flexibility exercises; and showcases clear illustrations of various exercises, from beginner to advanced level. 

Section III lists a variety of resources to connect veterans with social organizations and information that promote health and wellness. 

Section IV explores the latest research from Dr. Sabrina K. Segal on trauma-related stress and its impact on cognition. Dr Segal is a neuroscientist who specializes in exercise and its effect on the brain.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Lewis
• Release date: Apr 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524282035

Book preview

EXERCISES FOR OLDER VETERANS WITH PTSD

JAMES W. LEWIS

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Exercises for Older Veterans With PTSD

Copyright © 2015 by James W. Lewis

All rights reserved.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

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ISBN: 978-0-9973610-0-1 (Paperback)

Printed in United States of America

Cover: Designed by Damonza

Interior: Designed by Bob Houston eBook Formatting

J-Dub Pubs

P.O. Box 799

Santa Cruz, CA 95061

DEDICATION

To the men and women of our Armed Forces

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

Section I: Physiological Impact of PTSD and Exercise       1

Section II: Physical Activity and Exercise Programs     17

Section III: Veteran-related Health Resources    88

Section IV: Contribution by Dr. Sabrina K. Segal       92

Appendix A  100

Appendix B  102

Appendix C  104

Appendix D  106

Appendix E  107

Appendix F  109

About the Author  111

References  112

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the following people for helping me organize this book: Neuroscience Assistant Professor Dr. Sabrina Segal, Arizona State University; my graduate advisor and Exercise Physiology professor Dr. Peggy Plato, San Jose State University; fitness professionals and colleagues Beau and Jamie Jansen, Santa Cruz Core; Capitola Veterans Center; and my models Don Baird, Hugh Calvin, and Ken Sapone.  Special thanks to my wife Stephanie Casher for her extraordinary content editing skills, transforming a rough draft of red-marked content to a full-fledged book. You definitely have a gift for seeing the little things that I can't see!

Last, but not least: To the active duty men and women of our Armed Forces, reservists, and fellow veterans, a HUGE thank you to all who have fought or fighting the good fight. Some are still reliving traumatic events associated with their time in military uniform, even decades later. In Exercises for Older Veterans with PTSD, I truly hope the information in this book will, in some small way, help you better understand PTSD and find the inner peace you may be looking for.

PREFACE

As a veteran who spent twenty years in the military and has done volunteer work with veterans who have PTSD, I understand the need for constant treatment while trying to adjust to civilian life. I’ve also seen many older veterans with preventable physical ailments that debilitate their functional abilities, mental and physical, but who have no extensive knowledge on the benefits of physical activity, let alone how to start a physical activity program on their own. Some veterans and therapists feel standardized PTSD treatment isn’t enough and believe alternative methods should be explored. For example, acupuncture and yoga have grown in popularity as part of the alternative PTSD treatment package.

This book features a brief overview of PTSD and its physiological effects on the brain and cardiovascular system. It also serves as a how-to exercise guide, explains the health benefits of physical activity in managing PTSD, and highlights the protective characteristics of physical activity to prevent, treat, and/or reverse chronic diseases common in older veterans (i.e., diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, and hypertension). The age-slowing qualities and medicinal powers of physical activity (especially in the form of exercise) are well documented, backed by decades of scientific research. This book is a reminder that physical activity is medicine for mental and physical health, and should be mentioned in the same breath as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), group therapy, oral medications, and other standardized PTSD treatments prescribed by Veterans Administration (VA) clinics and hospitals. 

This book does not seek to replace treatment already prescribed to an individual by a licensed therapist, but hopes to reinforce the importance of physical activity in maintaining independence, considering the health risks we often encounter as we advance in age. PTSD may speed up the aging process; a regular physical activity program can slow it down substantially.

Section I: PHYSIOLOGICAL IMPACT OF PTSD AND EXERCISE

Guide_Veteran Although World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam ended over forty years ago, some baby boomer combat veterans (ages 55 and up) still carry the battle within them to this day. Even if it has been decades since wearing a military uniform, a veteran may find it extremely difficult to shake off the residue of conflict, which can impact overall health, sleep, social engagement with other people (especially family and friends), and navigating through public places. Civilian life sometimes becomes its own battlefield, disrupting the veteran’s ability to maintain a day-to-day routine, sometimes in unexpected ways. If a veteran continuously avoids crowds (such as at a fair or concert), specific locations, or even a particular type of food; rehashes painful memories as flashbacks or nightmares of a traumatic incident that happened while in the military; or stays on high alert, as if an unknown threat is imminent in an environment generally considered safe (a park, for example), the veteran may suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

PTSD is a stress-induced mental health condition triggered by an event that involved actual or threatened death, sexual assault, or serious injury and invokes a response of intense fear, panic, and helplessness. During combat, many veterans witnessed death of enemy and fellow soldiers, were fired upon, and suffered amputated limbs and traumatic brain injuries. Others fell victim to military sexual trauma, which includes assault and rape. Because of continued exposure to life-or-death situations, combat veterans are two to four times more likely to acquire PTSD than civilians. Veterans with PTSD may exhibit bouts of anger, nervousness, and high anxiety. Often, depression coincides with PTSD, along with unhealthy coping behaviors such as alcohol or drug abuse, leading to poor mental and physical health.

PTSD can either be acute (lasting less than three months) or chronic (lasting more than three months). With chronic PTSD, the body has a damaged fight-or-flight response. When our ancestors competed with lions and other deadly animals for food, fight-or-flight kicked in to do one thing: survive. Our ancestors had to stay at the highest state of alertness to fend off the lion’s claws and teeth (fight), or run (flight). But in today’s fast-paced world, elevated stress levels keep the body revved up to protect itself, even in moments of peace. When struggling with chronic PTSD, it doesn’t take much to kick-start an immediate self-defense reaction. A threat can come at any time, whether real or imagined.

In some rare cases, PTSD may not develop until years after the traumatic event, a condition called Delayed-Onset PTSD. Delayed-Onset PTSD may occur because:

1) Functional impairment and life changes such as increasing health problems, retirement, loss of loved ones, reduced social support, and other stressors may weaken the ability to cope with memories of military-related trauma from the past. 

2) Veterans may have participated in avoidance-based coping mechanisms such as drinking alcohol, drugs, or over-committing to work during the younger years, but the same coping mechanisms aren’t as effective as they grow older, forcing them to manage trauma in other ways.

The major