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OUR TOWN HEALTH & FITNESS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013

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• The best defense against influenza pg 2

• Personal trainers trending among fitness buffs pg 4

• Aquatic therapy now at YMCA pg 5

A special supplement produced by Our Town


The best defense against influenzaBy BILL CROUSHOREDaily American columnist

It’s flu season again. In case you aren’t aware, influenza is bad again this year. I’ve known several people already to get the infection and it sounds like it must be a pretty nasty strain.

Influenza, or flu, is caused by the influenzavirus. The funny thing about this virus is that it can infect more than one species at a time. You might remember the hype over the swine flu virus a couple of years ago being able to infect people and pigs. Indeed it can and that makes the influenza virus particularly dangerous since it tends to mutate quickly enabling the jump across species.

Fortunately, there is a vaccination that can lessen the severity of the disease, if not prevent it outright, in those who have received a dose. But it does require that you show up to get the shot. Vaccination simply primes the immune system so that it can react more quickly in the event of an exposure.

Cattle don’t really get the flu; they have plenty of other viral infections to worry about. But the way their immune system deals with viruses is the same way that other species deal with influenza. Having a vivid imagination, or even weird as my wife might suggest, I liken the immune system’s reaction to a virus to the military’s response to a foreign invader. In fact, people who have had the infection probably feel like their body is at war.

The influenza virus evades the border defenses (skin and mucous membranes) and sneaks in under the cover of darkness. It infiltrates the population (the body’s tissues) and tries to es-tablish a base camp. In the process, it expands its numbers (virus replication). Eventually, one of the invaders is captured and interrogated by military intelligence (the immune system). This interrogation gives a good description of the offending intruders to the other branches of the military.

Unfortunately, the military wasn’t really prepared to deal with this invader because of budget cuts (lack of sleep and poor diet) but instead is just beginning to ramp up production of specific weapons to neutralize the enemy. Fortunately, there are some nonspecific weap-ons at their disposal immediately, but these weapons do cause some substantial collateral damage.

The white blood cells are the first responders and react pretty quickly to any foreign threat. They perform reconnaissance missions throughout the bloodstream and are on the lookout for anything that doesn’t belong. Once they find something, like an influenza virus, they latch onto it and sound the alarm bells by releasing chemicals. These chemicals, called cytokines, bring in other troops that attempt to blow the place up. This chemical warfare is responsible for the aches, fatigue and chills one feels during the invasion.

Fever is another weapon. It’s sort of like the body’s flame thrower. Viruses and bacteria really don’t like the high temperatures. Mucus production and coughing is another defense that the body uses to physically trap and bounce the virus away from the sensitive areas.

Eventually, the defenses develop some more sophisticated weapons to deal with this in-vader. Antibody production commences among the B-lymphocytes after several days. An-tibodies are kind of like the laser guidance on smart bombs. They seek out specific proteins only present on the virus particles and bind to them. Once bound, other weapons and troops can destroy them.

Those first responders that I mentioned earlier actually took some intelligence from the enemy back to regional bases like tonsils and lymph nodes. There, they are debriefed and the information gleaned is used to train and multiply other troops (T-lymphocytes) on what to look for. This cell-mediated immunity is hopefully the final troop surge that finally puts an end to the invasion and restores normalcy to the body.

Keeping the body’s military healthy with exercise and good nutrition is sort of like boost-ing the military’s budget. But the thing that the military, or immune system, likes most of all is a vaccine. A vaccine is like a spy that comes back from the foreign invader’s land with the battle plans in hand. It allows the body to develop in advance the smart bombs and troop surge before the enemy even arrives. The best defense is a good offense. Get a flu shot.


But many people find they simply don’t have the time to exercise regularly. Commitments to career and family can be demanding and time-consuming, and exercise is often a casualty of a hectic schedule.

Though getting to the gym every day or even mak-ing use of exercise equip-ment at home on a daily ba-sis may not be feasible, that

doesn’t mean people still can’t find ways to incorpo-rate a little exercise into their daily routines. The following are a few simple ways to fit more exercise into your day no matter how busy you may be.

• Avoid the elevator, and attack the stairs. The elevator may be inviting, but it’s also somewhat of an en-abler. Instead of taking the

elevator up to your office each day, take the stairs, and take them with more gusto than you’re used to. Rather than taking one step at a time, take the stairs two by two, lifting your legs high as you scale each pair of steps. This helps build your leg muscles and makes the daily climb up the staircase a little more strenuous.

• Turn TV time into treadmill time. Watching a little television at night is how many people relax and unwind, but it can be a great time to squeeze in some daily exercise as well. Opinions as to what’s the best time of day to exercise vary, and no definitive study exists to suggest one time of day is better than another. People who like to relax with a little television time at night should make the most of that time by hitting the treadmill, elliptical machine or exercise bike instead of just plopping down on the couch. Add a television to your home’s exercise room or purchase a gym member-ship where the cardiovascu-lar machines are connected to televisions. You will still get to enjoy your favorite shows while simultaneously getting the benefit of exer-cise.

• Say “bon voyage” to the conference room. Pro-fessionals who spend lots of time in meetings can add a simple twist that incorpo-rates exercise into a typical business meeting. Rather than conducting the meet-ing in a conference room, propose a walking meeting when possible. A walking meeting is the same as a standard business meeting,

but it’s conducted on foot outside of the office. Walk-ing meetings can provide some much-needed energy for you and your fellow staff members, who may appre-ciate the chance to get out from behind their desks and stretch their legs while still getting work done. Take your smartphones or tablets along to jot down important ideas, just like you would in a more traditional meet-ing. And make the most of your walk by leaving time for some light stretching be-fore and after the meeting. Chances are you will return to your desk reenergized and glad you found a way to get some exercise despite of

a busy schedule.• Park far away when

shopping. It’s tempting and almost human nature to hunt for the parking spot closest to the door when shopping at the mall or even the grocery store. But for those who want to include more exercise in their daily routines, parking far away from the entrance to your favorite store is a great way to incorporate more walk-ing into your life. Walking is a simple yet effective cardio-vascular exercise, one that the Mayo Clinic notes can lower your blood pressure and manage your weight while lowering your low-density lipoprotein, which

is commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol. In fact, research has indicated that regular, brisk walking can be just as effective at lowering a person’s risk of heart attack as more vigorous exercise, including jogging. When parking far away from the entrance, just make sure you park in a well-lit area where others can easily see or hear you.

Many adults find they simply don’t have the time to commit to routine exer-cise. But there are several simple ways to incorporate exercise into your existing routine without taking time from your already busy day. MetroCreativeConnection

3

Exercising outside of the box Simple ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine

Forgoing the elevator in favor of the stairs is one way to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine.

xercise is an essential element of a healthy lifestyle. When coupled with a healthy diet, exercise puts men and

women on a path toward optimal health while reducing risk for a host of ailments, some of which can be deadly.

E


For the past four years, Dennis Manges has made working out part of his daily routine.

The 68-year-old Windber resident said he incorpo-rates strength training into

his workouts, but his focus always has been on cardio.

“I intermix it,” Manges said, walking with brisk strides around the indoor track at HealthStyles at Windber Medical Center.

“One day, I’ll walk more than others.”

Manges said he’s unsure what keeps him faithful to his health goals, adding that he’s “just trying to keep ev-erything moving.”

Others need a little more help. Using personal trainers is a trend that has taken hold nationally, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, which has con-ducted a fitness trends sur-vey for the past seven years.

“Come January, there are always a lot of new faces and our numbers increase,” HealthStyles Director Gary Pagano said. “Unfortunately, not everyone sticks with it.”

Though motivation to stick to health goals varies

by individual, Pagano said taking advantage of exercise and nutritional experts of-ten can help people achieve their fitness and health goals.

“I think the people who are more successful are peo-ple who access us, who get professional guidance and counseling,” Pagano said.

Of the trends that pop up in the fitness world, Pagano said using a personal trainer is one to hold on to — but it also can pose problems. Anyone considering using a trainer needs to do his homework, he said.

“One top trend now is that people are turning to more educated, certified, experienced trainers,” Pa-gano added. “You just have to remember there is a lot of difference between a fit-ness professional with a degree and experience and someone who has taken a weekend course. It’s part of what sets us apart. More people are looking for health benefits now than just look-ing better. More people are looking to tap into trainers who have that knowledge base.”

In fact, educated and ex-perienced fitness profession-als were the most popular trend in the American Col-lege of Sports Medicine sur-vey for the sixth consecutive year. The organization notes that the importance of ob-taining certification through academic accreditation is highly recognized by the fit-ness industry.

Incorporating more strength training has be-come mainstream, taking the second spot on the sur-vey, which was completed by 3,346 health and fitness

professionals worldwide.Pagano notes that more

women are recognizing the importance of strength-building as well.

“A lot of women were missing the boat,” he said. “But a well-rounded pro-gram for men and women incorporates strength train-ing.”

Using body weight as part of that strength-build-ing is an older idea that has been revived in the fitness world, Pagano added. The return to push ups, pull ups and newer twists on using body weight made its first appearance on the college’s survey this year.

Though the average cli-ent at HealthStyles is 52, Pagano said the fitness fa-cility’s personnel members are working to reach out to more age groups.

“There is more of an em-phasis anymore with adult programs for those over 50,” he said. “We have a couple clinical programs that deal with risk factors and nutri-tional guidelines. We moni-tor heart rate and blood pressure and it’s tied closely

with physicians.”The facility’s Physician

Exercise Program encour-ages doctors to actually prescribe exercise the same way they would a medicine. HealthStyles has offered the three-month program since 2009 — again taking a lead from an initiative of the American College of Sports Medicine. Participation in the program requires a doc-tor referral, but Pagano said HealthStyles staff members can help anyone interested work with his or her physi-cian.

And as awareness of childhood obesity grows, HealthStyles trainers soon will be reaching out to younger folks, too, Pagano said.

Officials at the facility are launching a pilot program for 11-13 year olds at a local school district that would involve bringing students to the facility, as well as work-ing with them at a school gym.

“It’s still in the planning stages,” he said. “I think if it works, we will venture into bigger and better things.”

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Aquatic therapy now at YMCABy OUR TOWN

Using water as a tool for rehabilitation and treatment has gained attention in re-cent months.

“The Today Show” and other national outlets re-cently have highlighted the benefits of aquatics therapy. Now, the treatment will be more accessible in the re-gion.

Though Allegheny Ches-apeake Physical Therapy has offered aquatic therapy for quite some time in Eb-ensburg and Pittsburgh, the facility staff has just announced a partnership with the Greater Johnstown YMCA to provide aquatic therapy to local residents us-ing the Olympic-sized swim-ming pool at the YMCA.

Dr. Kimberly Todaro, clinical director of Allegh-eny Chesapeake’s down-

town Johnstown office at 237 Johns Street, has begun scheduling aquatic patients at the YMCA pool.

Aquatic therapy uses the properties of buoyancy, resistance and hydrostatic pressure to complement skilled exercise instruction in order to reduce pain and strengthen muscles and to increase joint flexibility, car-diovascular fitness and am-bulating skills.

“Many patients just do better in the water,” Todaro said. “We develop aquatic physical therapy programs specifically designed for the individual patient’s needs. We work on restoring func-tion for those with acute or chronic diagnoses, various pain syndromes and those recovering from surgeries. The properties of water of-ten reduce pain and muscle spasms and increase range

of motion, circulation and re-laxation for patients so they can get better faster.”

YMCA Executive Direc-tor Sharon Jones said the partnership fits well with the YMCA’s existing program.

“Our relationship with Al-legheny Chesapeake Physi-cal Therapy will help their patients seamlessly inte-grate into our aquatic fitness programs such as Healthy Back, Arthritis Plus and Joints-N-Motion to continue on their path of healing,” she said. “In addition, YMCA members will have access to the guidance of an expert when physical therapy may be helpful.”

Patients interested in scheduling for aquatic therapy in downtown John-stown can call the Allegheny Chesapeake’s downtown Johnstown office at 814-539-2050.

Submitted photo.YMCA_ACPT_Aquatics 003.jpg: YMCA Executive Director Sharon Jones, Clinical Direc-tor Dr. Kimberly Todaro of Allegheny Chesapeake Physical Therapy’s downtown John-stown office and YMCA Aquatics Director Sharon Giles pose for an announcement.

5

For decades, people have turned to diet soft drinks as a healthier alternative to regular soft drinks. However, consuming diet soda on a regular basis may have some serious health ramifications, including weight gain.

It may seem counter-intuitive to suggest that diet sodas may be caus-ing people to gain weight, particularly because these sodas are commonly con-sumed by people who are trying to lose weight. How-ever, artificial sweeteners found in some diet sodas may increase a person’s risk of obesity. It’s not entirely what you are eating that can cause weight gain but what the body thinks it is eating (or drinking) that plays a role.

There are two factors at

play with regard to the arti-ficial sweetener conundrum. First, The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio has researched the potential link between obe-sity and artificial sweeteners. Researchers have found that something in the chemical structure of these sweeten-ers alters the way the brain processes the neurotrans-mitter serotonin. In addition to helping with sleep, mood and other functions in the body, serotonin helps tell the body when it is full. When natural foods and sugars are consumed, serotonin signals to the brain to turn off your body’s appetite. However, ar-tificial sweeteners may pro-long the release of serotonin, and your appetite remains in full force long after it should

have abated.Another component of

artificial sweeteners, par-ticularly aspartame, is that these chemicals can trick the body into thinking it has, in fact, consumed sugar. That triggers the pancreas to pro-duce the insulin needed to regulate blood-glucose lev-els. It also causes the body to store the glucose as fat. This can lead to low blood sugar, which may cause you to eat a sugary treat in response. Having diet soda or eating a sugarless item once in a while won’t create any long-term effects. But repeatedly relying on artificial sweeten-ers could affect appetite and change blood sugar levels for good.

These aren’t the only consequences to diet soda

and other beverages. Drink-ing diet soda regularly may affect cardiovascular health. According to the American Heart Association, research presented at the American Stroke Association’s Inter-national Stroke Conference found people who drink diet soda every day have a 61 percent higher risk of vas-cular events than those who reported no soda consump-tion.

Regular soda isn’t a bet-ter alternative. It can con-tribute to weight gain and cardiovascular issues as well as an increased risk for diabetes. A 2011 review pub-lished in the journal Circula-tion stated that a positive association has been shown between sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption and

weight gain in both children and adults.

Nutritionists and doctors have advised that instead of adding artificial sweet-eners to water and other beverages, flavor them with lemon or lime juice. Instead of drinking diet soda, opt for

unsweetened tea or plain water.

Although diet soda may seem a likely option to help curb calories and prevent weight gain, such beverages may actually be having an adverse effect on a person’s weight. MetroCreativeConnection


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No one is immune to ran-dom bouts of fatigue. For many people, fatigue is most common around midafter-noon, when the workday

starts to drag and that hefty midday meal has inspired thoughts of catnaps.

Though an episode of fa-tigue here or there is likely

nothing to worry about, adults who find themselves routinely struggling to mus-ter any energy, whether it’s to finish a project at work or play with the kids at night, might be surprised to learn that boosting daily energy levels is relatively simple. The fol-lowing are a few easy ways to boost your energy levels and make the most of each and every day.

• Get regular exercise. Many adults know the value of exercise but simply can’t find the time in the day to squeeze in a little time on the treadmill or at the gym. But the American Council on Ex-ercise notes that as little as 10

minutes of moderate or vig-orous exercise at a time each day can boost your energy levels and improve mood. The Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention recom-mend that adults get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, including at least two days of muscle-strengthen-ing activities, each week. If that’s a problem, particularly on weekdays, squeeze in 10 minutes here or there when the opportunity presents it-self. But the more committed you are to regular exercise, the more your energy levels are likely to improve.

• Treat yourself to a mas-sage. Many people find their energy levels are adversely affected by stress. Too much stress can make you physical-ly sick and cause both physi-cal and mental fatigue. There are many ways to more ef-fectively cope with stress, and treating yourself to a mas-sage is one of them. A mas-sage can relieve stress and help overworked muscles re-cover, boosting energy levels as a result.

• Treat breakfast with the respect it deserves. When you wake up in the morn-ing, even after a great night’s sleep, your body’s energy reserves are almost entirely depleted. Consequently, men and women who don’t eat a healthy breakfast are almost certain to struggle with their energy levels throughout the day. Something as simple as a bowl of low-calorie cereal or some oatmeal with fruit can help restore your body’s ener-gy levels and lay the ground-work for a productive day.

Skipping breakfast entirely will make you feel sluggish in the morning and increases the risk that you will overeat come lunchtime, adversely impacting your energy levels for the rest of the day.

• Focus on maintaining steady energy levels through-out the day. Lacking energy over the course of a typical day might be a byproduct of your eating habits beyond the breakfast table. Numer-ous studies have found that eating three large meals per day is not an effective way to maintain steady energy levels over the course of a typical day. Instead, smaller, more frequent meals coupled with healthy snacks can stabilize blood sugar levels and help maintain sufficient energy levels, improving both mental acuity and mood. Instead of a large omelet platter for break-fast, choose a small bowl of low-calorie cereal and follow it up three to four hours later with a healthy snack of fresh fruit. When lunchtime arrives three to four hours after your mid-morning snack, choose

a small lunch with ample protein and follow that up a few hours later with a healthy snack of yogurt. The specifics of your diet should be dis-cussed with your physician, but you will likely find that eating smaller,more frequent meals and healthy snacks will drastically improve your ener-gy levels throughout the day.

• Drink more fluids. Your lack of energy might not be the result of an unhealthy breakfast or a lack of exer-cise. Some people simply don’t drink enough fluids to stay hydrated and feel slug-gish as a result. Symptoms of dehydration mimic those of hunger, leading many to pur-chase unhealthy snacks when they might just need to drink more fluids. Those snacks can compound the sluggishness you feel from being dehy-drated, zapping your energy levels even further. So if you daily routine does not include drinking enough fluids, try having a few glasses of wa-ter each day and your energy levels might just improve. MetroCreativeConnection

Simple ways to boost your energy levels

A low-calorie bowl of cereal in the morning can help improve energy levels throughout the day.

OUR TOWN HEALTH & FITNESS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 7

Is the shingles vaccine necessary?

octors, pharmacies and walk-in medi-cal centers now offer

more vaccinations than just the standard flu shot. People have the opportunity to get vaccinated against chicken-pox as well as an offshoot of that illness known as shingles. But is the shingles vaccine necessary? And if so, why?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says one in three people in the

United States will develop shingles in his or her life-time. Shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella zoster virus. This is the same virus responsible for chickenpox. Anyone who has had chick-enpox is susceptible to hav-ing shingles years later. That’s because, despite being inac-tive, the virus remains in the body. Although doctors are not sure why, the varicella zoster virus can reactivate,

causing shingles, which have different and more severe symptoms than chickenpox. It is important to note that herpes zoster is not caused by the same virus that causes genital herpes.

Unlike chickenpox, which is characterized by itchy pus-tules that spread across the body, shingles generally be-gins as a very painful burning rash on one side of the body or face. The rash forms blis-ters that will scab in about a week. Prior to the presenta-tion of the rash, the skin may itch and men and women may feel pain and tingling feelings in the area where the rash will develop. Unless a person has a weakened im-mune system, the rash will usually be in one banded area of the body. Otherwise, it could be more widespread like the chickenpox rash.

Shingles is not conta-gious in the obvious sense, meaning a person with shin-gles will not give another person shingles. However, the shingles virus can be

spread to another person who has never had chick-enpox. Chickenpox may de-velop, but shingles will not. Because the shingles rash is often in areas of the body concealed by clothing, trans-mission to others is rare. Af-ter the shingles blisters have scabbed over, a person can no longer pass on the zoster virus.

Shingles occurs later in life, primarily after a person has reached his or her 50s. Therefore, the CDC recom-mends the shingles vaccine (Zostavax) for individuals age 60 and older. The vaccine will protect the body against the reactivation of the zoster

virus. It also may help those who have never had chicken-pox from contracting chick-enpox.

The vaccine isn’t fail-safe, though. In some cases, even vaccinated people will still experience shingles, al-though the outbreak may be less severe than if the shingles vaccine was never received.

The vaccine, which re-quires just a single dose, transmits a live virus as a single injection in the upper arm. Redness, pain, swelling, and headaches are known side effects.

The vaccine is safe for most individuals. However,

those who have a weak-ened immune system, are receiving immune-system-suppressing drugs, have tu-berculosis, are pregnant or trying to become pregnant or have had a life-threaten-ing allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in the shin-gles vaccine should not be vaccinated.

Even those who have had shingles before are urged to get the vaccine to prevent future occurrences. It is im-portant for people to discuss their treatment options with their doctors and also to in-quire if their medical insur-ance covers the shingles vac-cine. MetroCreativeConnection

Burning back pain and tingling could be indicative of shingles.

A new study in the journal Neurology suggests that working out is the most effec-tive way to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers studied roughly 700 study participants from Scotland, all of whom were born in 1936. Each participant report-ed their levels of leisure and physical activity at age 70, rating their physical activity on a scale from moving only to perform household chores to participating in heavy exercise or competitive sport several times per week. Participants were also asked to rate how often they engaged in social or intellectual activities. At age 73, participants received an MRI to measure certain biomarkers in their brains. Those who participated in more physi-cal activity showed less brain shrinkage and fewer white matter lesions, both of which can be signs of Alzheimer’s disease. And while social and intellectual activities can be beneficial in preventing Alzheimer’s disease, the study found that social and intellectual engagement weren’t as helpful to the brain as physical exercise. The types of physical ex-ercise most beneficial to the brain are still being studied, though information presented at the 2012 Alzheimer’s Association’s International Conference suggested that strength training is perhaps the most effective form of exercise. MetroCreativeConnection

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D


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