PERF Monthly Newsletter – September 2018

SEPTEMBER 2018

Here is a roundup of the articles, news & updates that we've published on the PERF blog site during the past month. Click on the "Read More" link at the bottom of each excerpt to read the full article.

Did you ever wonder if those community-based exercise programs actually did much good for the people who participated? You know, programs like chair exercise and water exercise classes. For those observing from the outside, it may seem as though the activity in such classes is so minimal as to provide little to no benefit to the men and women sitting in chairs and lifting small hand weights, or standing in the water moving their limbs.

Not so.

The Annals of Internal Medicine analyzed the results of a randomized trial of both frail and non-frail older adults and found that such activity programs really do benefit those who partake of them.

…Read the article

We all know that stress is not good for you. Separate from the psychological effects, stress can damage your physical health. How, and why?

What Your Body Does In Response to Stress

The body is built to react to stress for its own protection, so if (in ancient times) a predator was after you, or if (in modern times) a car is about to run you over, your body goes into high-stress mode and engages physiological changes that enables you to escape from the danger. Your brain perceives the threat, and immediately signals your internal systems to release a burst of hormones that increase your heart rate and raise your blood pressure. You are instantly powered up to either fight or run; the classic fight-or-flight response.

…Read the article

We’re about to enter that perfect confluence of seasons that put you at risk of contracting the flu: holiday & travel season, and the flu season itself.

Getting this season’s flu shot is important and should be at the top of your list. After you’ve done that, though, you can take other precautions to minimize your chances of being exposed to the influenza virus, especially if you’ll be traveling by airplane. Here are good practices to adopt:

…Read the article

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