By Dorene Internicola Dorene Internicola – Mon Sep 13, 6:00 am ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – Everyone knows that walking limbers the aging body, but did you know it keeps the mind supple as well?
Research shows that walking can actually boost the connectivity within brain circuits, which tends to diminish as the grey hairs multiply.
"Patterns of connectivity decrease as we get older," said Dr. Arthur F. Kramer, who led the study team at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"Networks aren't as well connected to support the things we do, such as driving," he said. "But we found as a function of aerobic fitness, the networks became more coherent."
Kramer's walking study, which was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, tracked 70 adults from 60 to 80 years old over the course of a year. A toning, stretching, strengthening group served as a control against which to evaluate the previously sedentary walkers.
"Individuals in the walking group, the aerobics training group, got by far the largest benefits," he said, and not just physically.
"We also measured brain function," said Kramer, whose team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain networks. A group of 20-to-30-year olds were tested for comparison.
"The aerobic group also improved in memory, attention and a variety of other cognitive processes," Kramer said. "As the older people in the walking group became more fit, the coherence among different regions in the networks increased and became similar to those of the 20-yr olds," Kramer explained.
But the results did not happen overnight. Effects in the walking group were observed only after they trained for 12 months. Six-month tests yielded no significant trends.
The findings come as no surprise to Dr. Lynn Millar, an expert with the American College of Sports Medicine. She said while walking might seem like a simple activity, the brain is actually working to integrate information from many different sources.
"When we walk we integrate visual input, auditory input, as well as input that's coming from joints and muscles regarding where the foot is, how much force, and things like that " said Millar, a professor of Physical Therapy at Andrews University, in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
"It's that old concept: if you don't use it you lose it," she said. "In order for something to be beneficial we need to do it repetitively, and walking is a repetitive activity."
Millar, author of "Action Plan for Arthritis," said while some changes are inevitable with age, they don't have to happen as quickly as they do in some people.
"We know reaction time gets slower as we age, but activity is a big modifier," she said, "so if we do trip we'll be able to get that leg out and catch ourselves."
Kramer, who also works with the military and people with disabilities, continues to work on mediating the negative effects of aging with lifestyle choices.
"We're interested in understanding brain plasticity but we're also interested in doing something about it," he said. "We can wait for that wonder drug or we can do something today."
Reuters
Monday, September 13, 2010
Walking helps keep body and brain young
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Bionic legs allow paralysed man to walk again
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:26 AM on 16th July 2010
When Hayden Allen suffered a spinal cord injury in a motorbike accident five years ago, doctors told him he’d never walk again.
But today a revolutionary product developed by a New Zealand biotech company has enabled him to do just that.
Mr Allen has been one of the first people in the world to use Rex, the Robotic Exoskeleton - a pair of robotic legs that supports and assists a person who usually uses a wheelchair.
It lets them stand, walk and go up and down steps and slopes.
‘I’ll never forget what it was like to see my feet walking under me the first time I used Rex,' said Mr Allen.
‘People say to me, "Look up when you’re walking" but I just can’t stop staring down at my feet moving.’
Rex users move from their chair into Rex, strap themselves in and control their movements using a joystick and control pad.
The equipment weighs 38kg (84lb) and is individually made for each user.
It is powered by a lightweight, long-life rechargeable battery.
Mr Allen, a mechanic, also spoke of how liberated he felt around his workshop as he now has far more access to machinery - and he can finally talk to people at eye level again.
Dr Richard Roxburgh, Auckland neurologist and medical adviser to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, said: ‘For many of my patients, Rex represents the first time they’ve been able to stand up and walk for years.
‘There are obvious immediate benefits in terms of mobility, improved social interaction and self-image.
'There are also likely to be major long-term health and quality of life benefits through reducing the complications of being in a wheelchair all the time.
‘I think that this will also enable people to stay well longer; this means that those who have conditions where disease-modifying treatments are coming over the next five to ten years will be in better shape when those treatments finally arrive.'
Each Rex battery-powered machine will last for one day’s typical use.
Potential customers must complete a medical appraisal including checks with their own doctor to ensure their general health and suitability before they can begin the process of fitting and training.
Rex is expected to cost about $150,000 (£98,000).
CEO of Rex Bionics, Jenny Morel, says they expect to conclude internal testing of Rex shortly and will then have a preliminary release in Auckland, New Zealand to allow the company to track what happens when people take Rex home.
Sales are expected to commence in New Zealand by the end of 2010 and elsewhere in the world by the middle of 2011.
Original source
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Buddhism Wins Best Religion in the World Award
Linda Moulin | 15.07.2009 | 16:55
Tribune de Geneve
In advance of their annual Leading Figure award to a religious figure who has done the most to advance the cause of humanism and peace, the Geneva-based International Coalition for the Advancement of Religious and Spirituality (ICARUS) has chosen to bestow a special award this year on the Buddhist Community. "We typically prefer an under-the-radar approach for the organization, as we try to embody the spirit of modesty found in the greatest traditions," said ICARUS director Hans Groehlichen in a phone conference Monday. "But with organized religion increasingly used as a tool to separate and inflame rather than bring together, we felt we had to take the unusual step of creating a "Best Religion in the World" award and making a bit of a stir, to inspire other religious leaders to see what is possible when you practice compassion."
Groehlichen said the award was voted on by an international roundtable of more than 200 religious leaders from every part of the spiritual spectrum. "It was interesting to note that once we supplied the criteria, many religious leaders voted for Buddhism rather than their own religion," said Groehlichen. "Buddhists actually make up a tiny minority of our membership, so it was fascinating but quite exciting that they won."
Criteria included factors such as promoting personal and community peace, increasing compassion and a sense of connection, and encouraging preservation of the natural environment. Groehlichen continued "The biggest factor for us is that ICARUS was founded by spiritual and religious people to bring the concepts of non-violence to prominence in society. One of the key questions in our voting process was which religion actually practices non-violence."
When presenting the information to the voting members, ICARUS researched each of the 38 religions on the ballot extensively, offering background, philosophy, and the religions role in government and warfare. Jonna Hult, Director of Research for ICARUS said "It wasn't a surprise to me that Buddhism won Best Religion in the World, because we could find literally not one single instance of a war fought in the name of Buddhism, in contrast to every other religion that seems to keep a gun in the closet just in case God makes a mistake. We were hard pressed to even find a Buddhist that had ever been in an army. These people practice what they preach to an extent we simply could not document with any other spiritual tradition."
At least one Catholic priest spoke out on behalf of Buddhism. Father Ted O'Shaughnessy said from Belfast, "As much as I love the Catholic Church, it has always bothered me to no end that we preach love in our scripture yet then claim to know God's will when it comes to killing other humans. For that reason, I did have to cast my vote for the Buddhists." And Muslim Cleric Tal Bin Wassad agreed from Pakistan via his translator. "While I am a devout Muslim, I can see how much anger and bloodshed is channeled into religious expression rather than dealt with on a personal level. The Buddhists have that figured out." Bin Wassad, the ICARUS voting member for Pakistan's Muslim community continued, "In fact, some of my best friends are Buddhist." And Rabbi Shmuel Wasserstein said from Jerusalem, "Of course, I love Judaism, and I think it's the greatest religion in the world. But to be honest, I've been practicing Vipassana meditation every day before minyan (daily Jewish prayer) since 1993. So I get it."
Groehlichen said that the plan was for the award to Buddhism for "Best Religion in the World" to be given to leaders from the various lineages in the Buddhist community. However, there was one snag. "Basically we can't find anyone to give it to," said Groehlichen in a followup call late Tuesday. "All the Buddhists we call keep saying they don't want the award." Groehlichen explained the strange behavior, saying "Basically they are all saying they are a philosophical tradition, not a religion. But that doesn't change the fact that with this award we acknowledge their philosophy of personal responsibility and personal transformation to be the best in the world and the most important for the challenges facing every individual and all living beings in the coming centuries."
When asked why the Burmese Buddhist community refused the award, Buddhist monk Bhante Ghurata Hanta said from Burma, "We are grateful for the acknowledgement, but we give this award to all humanity, for Buddha nature lies within each of us." Groehlichen went on to say "We're going to keep calling around until we find a Buddhist who will accept it. We'll let you know when we do."
Original source
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Extreme hot weather grills Myanmar
May 10, 2010
Myanmar people have been suffering from the impact of extreme hot weather this summer in terms of diseases, business and water shortage in various part of the country.
Summer season in Myanmar lasts from March to May, and April represents the hottest month.
As a rare phenomena in several decades, this year is experiencing excessive heat strike, with the day temperatures in central Myanmar reaching a record high of between 43 and 45 degree Celsius, 5 to 6 degree Celsius above April average maximum temperature.
The Myanmar authorities have stopped traders in the country from exporting rice in order to reserve for domestic demand due to less production.
Meanwhile, thousands of fish, bred in ponds in the country's southwestern Ayeyawaddy division, died of heat during the current summer season.
There was even worse case that all 100,000 fishes died in a single day in Twantay township, Yangon division.
Fish breeders feared that such cases would continue as long as there is no rainfall.
The excessively high temperature also led to water shortage in many villages in the country.
As an alternative, the villagers are digging up wells near the dry ponds to get water.
The heat wave has also spred flu and skin allergy and the lack of electricity and water intensified the suffering.
There was news report about a sudden death of a taxi driver in Yangon when heat struck him inside the car.
The authorities have advised people to remain indoor in the day time to prevent from exposure to excessive heat.
Amid the extreme hot weather, Myanmar's cyclone-ravaged Ayeyawaddy division has enjoyed a rare heavy rainfall last Thursday.
In the Ayeyawaddy delta, which was destroyed by deadly cyclone Nargis in May 2008, over 180,000 people are now suffering from fresh water shortage due to the summer heat.
Source: Xinhua
Heat wave kills 2 people in Myanmar
22:05, May 11, 2010
Two people have died of heat strike in Myanmar's former capital of Yangon over the past few days, the local weekly Yangon Times reported Tuesday.
The two drivers of three-wheelers were dead under scorching noon sun after they dropped their passengers at the destination.
Frightened by the tragedy, all other drivers stopped their business immediately in the afternoon but resumed in the evening to avoid the life-threatening temperature, the report said.
Summer season in Myanmar lasts from March to May, and April represents the hottest month.
As a rare phenomena in several decades, this summer is undergoing excessive heat wave.
The day temperatures in central Myanmar posted a record high at between 43 and 45 degree Celsius, 5 to 6 degree Celsius above April average maximum temperature.
People are forced to choose to remain indoor in the day time and knowledge about prevention from heat is being publicly disseminated.
Source:Xinhua
Many village water ponds in Myanmar dry up due to summer heat
May 5, 2010 8:16 pm
YANGON, May 5 — Drinking water ponds in many villages in Myanmar have dried up due to excessively high weather temperature during the current summer season, according to local sources on Wednesday.
Because of lying near the sea, the villages normally get salt- water.
As an alternative, the villagers are digging up some tube-wells near the dry ponds, the sources said.
Meanwhile, thousands of fishes, bred in ponds in the country's southwestern Ayeyawaddy division, died of heat stress daily, according to local fish breeders.
The phenomena is the worst in the last two decades, they said.
There were even some cases that all 100,000 fishes died in a single day in Twantay township, Yangon division, fish breeders in the township said, fearing that such cases would continue as long as there is no rainfall.
The month of April falls within the summer which lasts from March to the end of May in Myanmar.
The day temperatures in central Myanmar this summer have reached a record high in over four decades, peaking at between 43 and 45 degree Celsius in such regions as Minbu, Magway, Mandalay, Monywa, Chauk and Mingyan as well as in Yangon over the past week, which are 5 to 6 degree Celsius above April average temperature.
April represents the hottest month of Myanmar and this year it is experiencing excessive heat.
(PNA/Xinhua)
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Lack of sleep linked to early death
Wed May 5, 9:44 am ET
LONDON (AFP) – People who get less than six hours sleep per night have an increased risk of dying prematurely, researchers said on Wednesday.
Those who slumbered for less than that amount of time were 12 percent more likely to die early, though researchers also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours and premature death.
"If you sleep little, you can develop diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol," Francesco Cappuccio, who led research on the subject at Britain's University of Warwick, told AFP.
The study, conducted with the Federico II University in Naples, Italy, aggregated decade-long studies from around the world involving more than 1.3 million people and found "unequivocal evidence of the direct link" between lack of sleep and premature death.
"We think that the relation between little sleep and illness is due to a series of hormonal and metabolical mechanisms," Cappuccio said.
The findings of the study were published in the Sleep journal.
Cappuccio believes the duration of sleep is a public health issue and should be considered as a behavioural risk factor by doctors.
"Society pushes us to sleep less and less," Cappuccio said, adding that about 20 percent of the population in the United States and Britain sleeps less than five hours.
Sleeping less than six hours is "more common amongst full-time workers, suggesting that it may be due to societal pressures for longer working hours and more shift work"
The study also found a link between sleeping more than nine hours per night and premature death, but Cappuccio said oversleeping is more likely to be an effect of illness, rather than a cause.
"Doctors never ask how much one sleeps, but that could be an indicator that something is wrong," said Cappuccio, who heads the Sleep, Health and Society Programme at the University of Warwick.
Research showed no adverse effects for those sleeping between six and eight hours per day.
AFP
