Exercise and Brain Health

It seems a new research study comes out every week on the connection between physical activity and brain health. The research shows that being active has many benefits, including a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s and the possibility of slowing the risk of dementia.

Here are a couple of additional facts the research agrees on:

-Total cerebral brain volume declines 0.2% each year after age 60

-Physically active individuals have less decline

-Exercise increases cerebral blood flow and cerebrovascular function

-This is even true for those not achieving physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes per week (not intensity specific)

It’s never too early to start incorporating physical activity into your lifestyle. Start good habits early and reap the benefits of a healthy mind and body!

Musculo-Skeletal Conditions Are Still the Most Costly…                      And Getting Worse

The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans recently published the outcomes of their Workplace Wellness Trends Survey. What we found most interesting was an answer to the question, what conditions had the most impact on a company’s health care costs between 2012-2019?

As shown in their data, musculo-skeletal conditions represent the greatest impact on health care costs and, unfortunately, these musculo-skeletal conditions appear to be getting worse.

These outcomes support the IPCS findings that continue to show that the muscular strength of the worker is 12-15% weaker today than 10 years ago and the worker is 13 lbs heavier. In addition, the worker’s strength to body weight ratio is on the decline which means the worker’s strength relative to his/her body weight is putting them at greater risk for injury and certain diseases. As the physical fitness of the worker continues to decline, the costs associated with musculo-skeletal conditions will only get worse.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on muscle health and how to objectively assess it, contact Tom Gilliam at tgilliam@ipcs-inc.com.