Exercise, Health and Vitality

By Matthew Bonander

Are you ready to optimize your body's health, wellness, and vitality? The pages of Exercise, Health and Vitality A Concise, Science-Based Guide for Adults and Older Adults unveils facts related to the (anatomical) function, disorders, and interventions of common orthopedic, heart, lung, and balance conditions. This book will serve as a guide to promote health through scientific principles, evidenced-based research, and practical recommendations for care of the human body.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HIS Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781736679012

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Matt Bonander Publishing LLC

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval systems without permission in writing from both the copyright owner and the publisher.

All definitions/terms listed in the Glossary are cited with permission from F.A. Davis Taber’s Cyclopedia Medical Dictionary (ed. 20)

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Acknowledgements

This work is dedicated to my bride, Sara. Your love, honesty, and dedication have been unwavering. Without you, I could not have accomplished this pursuit.

To my three children: Emma, Hunter, and Elijah. You are my heart.

And to the King of Kings, the source of our life, health, and vitality.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Disclaimer

Chapter One: Physiological Changes with Aging

and Benefits of Exercise

Part One: The Upper Body (Musculoskeletal)

Chapter Two: Neck

Chapter Three : Shoulders

Chapter Four: Elbows

Chapter Five: Wrists and Hands

Neck, Shoulder, Chest, and Upper Extremity Exercises

Part Two: The Core and Back (Musculoskeletal)

Chapter Six: Core and Back

Back and Core Exercises

Part Three: The Lower Body (Musculoskeletal)

Chapter Seven: Hips and Glutes

Chapter Eight: Knees

Chapter Nine: Ankles and Feet

Hip/glutes, Knee, Ankle and Foot Exercises

Part Four: Special Consideration (Balance; Endurance; Rest)

Chapter Ten: Balance (Neuromuscular)

Chapter Eleven: Endurance (Cardiopulmonary)

Chapter Twelve: Rest

Balance Exercises.

Summary

References

Table A

Table B

Table C

Table D

Table E

Glossary

Introduction

As a physical therapist with nearly two decades of experience in the fields of physical rehabilitation, preventative medicine, athletic training, personal training, and wellness, I have observed a great need in our communities and globally for effective health education and intervention. Most people, independent of where they fall on the health spectrum (from healthy to sick), understand the value of exercise and its impact on health. My goal in writing this book is to present a simple and approachable way to understand and address specific areas of the body. This approach includes topics of strength, balance, and endurance as well as appropriate yet generalized rehabilitative care and preventative measures to help optimize function and quality of life.

1 Corinthians 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (ESV)

Disclaimer

The exercise outlined in this book is intended not to be exhaustive but accessible for the reader and primarily for educational purposes to enhance understanding of principles related to health and wellness. Therefore, it is not intended to be presented as a specific plan of care/treatment course for the reader. Exercise comes with its own risks. Examples include, but are not limited to, potential injury, worsening of medical conditions in some instances, or other adverse effects, including sprains, strains, dizziness or fainting, blood pressure fluctuations as well as other cardiopulmonary, neurologic, and/or musculoskeletal signs or symptoms. Before initiating an exercise program, individuals are advised to consult their licensed healthcare provider for appropriate exercise advice. If at any point in your workout/activity you have symptoms (i.e., dizziness, discomfort, and so forth), you should cease and immediately consult a licensed doctor or emergency personnel (The Body DOJO, n.d.). The author and publisher of this book are not responsible for any injuries, damages, conditions, or claims of the reader related to the reader’s exercise choices, habits, methods or decisions. Exercise is enjoyed at the discretion of the reader and pursuant to the care, oversight, and direction of licensed medical /exercise professionals.

Chapter One

Physiological Changes with Aging and Benefits of Exercise

No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.

-Socrates

As the human body ages, strength diminishes. But why? After the second decade of life, a gradual process occurs in which motor units remodel. The motor unit, explained Saladin (2017), is comprised of a single motor neuron and all the muscle fibers it innervates. Specifically, a reduction in the number of the motor units (Saladin, 2017) and muscle atrophy (Deschenes, 2011) occurs. This continual, degenerative process leads to a forty to fifty percent reduction in muscle mass from muscle fiber atrophy and actual loss of motor units between the ages of 25 and 80 is the primary cause of reduced strength, even among healthy, physically active men and women, stated McArdle (2001).

The human body experiences sarcopenia. This condition involves a reduction in muscle cross section and mass as well as strength loss that occurs with aging. Further, sarcopenia reflects the effects of deterioration of the neuromuscular system as well as chronic reduction in regular muscle loading. Resistance training (exercises with load applied) provides an effective way to enhance protein retention and synthesis and helps to slow loss of muscle mass and strength in the aged. As age increases, individuals should remain optimistic because muscle responds to vigorous training with marked and rapid gains into the ninth decade of life (McArdle, 2001).

Many people realize that exercise is profitable. Physiologically, many benefits, such as improved bone density, muscular strength, and standing balance, are evident. Functional status with regular exercise may minimize or even reverse physical frailty. Regular exercise also provides an effective means to diminish orthopedic injury, including those related to falls, in the aging population (McArdle, 2001).

Even for persons with osteoarthritis (whether in specific joints or generalized), regular aerobic or resistance exercise induces notable effects on measures, including disability, pain, and physical performance (McArdle, 2001). Light to moderate resistance produces these results.

Studies have also demonstrated positive effects of exercise on the nervous system, including improved movement and reactionary times in active adults (McArdle, 2001). These effects promote the balance and response mechanisms the body needs for injury-and fall prevention.

Exercise also helps the lungs, or pulmonary system. When individuals maintain physical activity, their lungs work to supply oxygen to the muscular system. Both aerobic (endurance) and anaerobic (strengthening) exercise make the lungs stronger. As peoples’ physical fitness improves so does the ability of their body to transport oxygen more efficiently in the bloodstream and to the body’s muscles. Enhanced oxygenation helps individuals to become less short of breath over time. According to the American Lung Association, targeted exercises that strengthen the neck, chest, and back muscles can help to promote effective inhalation and exhalation.

Exercise has unquestionable benefits for the cardiovascular system as well. For instance, an article published by the American Heart Association and written by Johnathan Myers (2003) reported that patients who were recently diagnosed with heart disease and participate in an exercise program were said to have an earlier return to work as well as increased measures of quality of life, such as self-confidence, lower anxiety, and stress. Myers also noted that research has discovered that heart attack patients who participate in formal exercise programs have a reduction in death rate by 20-25%. Other benefits include increased exercise tolerance, lower body weight, reduced blood pressure, decreased bad (LDL and total) cholesterol, improved good (HDL) cholesterol, and increased insulin sensitivity (Myers, 2003).

Part One

The Upper Body (Musculoskeletal)

Chapter Two

Neck

No Need To Be Stiff-Necked

Function: The neck is an essential part of the body, not only to hold the head upright, but also as an important passage for major nerves and blood vessels that support life and body functions. Located at the uppermost region of the spine, the neck allows for increased range of motion, but is also vulnerable to injury and ailment in relation to its smaller vertebral structure, increased movement capability, and complex musculature and ligamentous structures (Moffat, 1999).

The neck, or cervical spine, is composed of seven vertebrae. Its normal curvature is forward, projecting in the shape of a C. The first (or top) cervical vertebra is known as the atlas. It sits under the base of the head (conforming to the occipital bone) and when the supporting muscles that cross these bones contract, nodding of the head occurs. The axis is the second vertebra of the neck. The vertebra has a projection upward that is called the dens. The atlas and axis work together to produce a pivot or rotation motion (Moffat, 1999) that allows individuals to look over their shoulder, such as when driving a vehicle.

The spine has bony projections called facets that are located at the back of each vertebra and connect to each subsequent vertebra to form a series of joints that interlock (Moffat, 1999). The vertebral structure reinforces stability about the spinal column. Synovial fluid, a lubricant within each synovial membrane, is secreted to foster joint health and kinematics (motions within joint) where the bones meet.

The surfaces of healthy bones are smooth and covered with articular cartilage. The cartilage promotes fluid-gliding of the end of one bone on another. Excluding the joint between the base of the head and the atlas (first cervical vertebra) and nestled between each vertebra are discs that act to absorb forces placed on the spine and help prevent injuries.

Another important function of the spine at each level (upper, middle, and lower) is its covering of the spinal cord. Each vertebra has a hollow portion formed by the foramen known as the spinal canal. Here messages are relayed back and forth between the brain and the rest of the body. Branching off form the spinal cord are nerve roots, passing through the foramina (openings in the bones) and leading out to the muscular system, skin, and other vital systems. Messages, sent via these pathways, helps the brain understand where the body is in space, interpretations of various sensations (pain, thermal, pressure), and that foster muscle contraction for functional tasks (Moffat, 1999).

An important function of the neck in relation to the nervous system involves the brachial plexus, a network of several nerve roots originating from the cervical portion of the spinal cord that projects out through the mid to lower portions of the neck and down the arm. The plexus serves to foster movement and sensory input to the arms by means of the major nerves of the upper extremities (shoulder, arms, hands, wrists, and fingers) and by the median, radial, and ulnar nerves (Moffat, 1999).

The tendons and ligaments of the neck are essential in supporting the spine. Tendons are located at the distal ends of the muscle and attach to bone. They are strong, fibrous cords that work to move joints when muscles contract and add stability. Ligaments, on the other hand, are short bands of tough, fibrous, connective tissue that connect bones to one another. Several ligaments and tendons reinforce stability of the cervical spine, and joint capsules, fibrous, connective tissue that surround facets, also work to accomplish stability and joint health. (Moffat, 1999).

Another important function of the cervical spine includes musculature, which works to produce movement, stability (including proper spinal alignment), and protection. Several muscles are located within the neck and cross from this region down the