Looking for a safe way to exercise?
Try climbing at your neighborhood climbing gym.
According to a German study of a half million visits to climbing gyms, only 30 injuries were reported, most of which were minor and none fatal. The rate of injury — 0.02 injuries per 1,000 climbing hours — was lower than surfing, skiing, badminton and Nordic walking, among other activities.
“Rock climbing, especially indoor climbing is a very safe sport,” Dr. Volker Schoffl, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the Klinikum Bamberg in Bamberg, Germany, and lead author of the new study, told Reuters Health. “It’s a sport that we can have all ages of people perform together, kids and grandpas can go do the sport together.”
Most of the injuries were belay-related.
Read more here.

In other recent health-and-fitness-related science news:

Ball hog no more
There may finally be a cure for that guy in your pickup games who refuses to give up the ball.
Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
According to a recent study presented at a meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, the bacteria was found to thrive on the surface of sports balls for three days “in typical storeroom conditions.”
Adds the ACSM: “And even if a ball is sterilized, it can accumulate the bacteria when it’s used.”
Read more here.

A good time for a walk
When is a good time to take a walk?
After a meal, according to a study out of Japan and published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
According to the study, folks who walked after eating lowered their level of triglycerides, high levels of which can put people at risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and other heart-related conditions. The study’s primary investigator was Wataru Aoi, Ph.D., of Kyoto Prefectural University in Kyoto, Japan.
Read more here.

Cold water thrown on ice baths
Taking an ice bath after a workout doesn’t reduce soreness or strength loss, according to a study from the University of New Hampshire.
In the study, 20 college-age guys ran for 40 minutes. Afterward, 10 took a 20-minute ice bath in 40-degree water, 10 didn’t. They then walked down stairs and were tested for quad strength, thigh circumference and levels of inflammation in their blood. The ice bathers exhibited “possible mild reduction in inflammation, but the findings were not conclusive,” according to the study.
Advises the study’s lead researcher, Naomi Cystal, “Use them sparingly. Use them in tournament situations, use them with an athlete who has done something extraordinary. But for day-to-day athletes, I wouldn’t recommend them. They’re painful, and they’re time consuming.”
Read more here.

Another strike against the BMI
According to a story appearing on Science Daily, “Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine point out that the body mass index (BMI), based on the weight and height, is not an accurate measure of body fat content and does not account for critical factors that contribute to health or mortality, such as fat distribution, proportion of muscle to fat, and the sex and racial differences in body composition.”
Read more here.

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While most of you are staring down Day 3 of your 2012 New Year’s resolutions, I find myself with less than five months to go on my annual birthday resolutions. Make that “first” annual birthday resolutions: When I turned 55 last May 11 I got to Googling and discovered that 55 is a somewhat pivital year for a male. Among other things, our muscles and organs begin to atrophy; we shrink, on average, 0.4 inches a year; we dehydrate more easily; our joints stiffen … . Suffice it to say that on May 11 of last year I didn’t feel I could wait seven months to set some goals, so I set 10 immediately.  All with a theme of 55.

Here’s a status report:

1. Run 11 5Ks (11 x 5 = 55). So far, I’ve run three, all last summer. The good news is that 5Ks are a dime a dozen — or more accurately, at least one a weekend, so the opportunities are there. Plus, I’ve ramped up my running of late (prompted by a more immediate and daunting goal, the Uwharrie Mountain Run on Feb. 4) and feel ready to get back into a 5K rythym. I should fess up, though, that on New Year’s Day I blew off a prime 5K opportunity: the Run in the New Year Run, which was, literally, three blocks from my house. But it started at midnight and my wife laid odds, based on my New Year’s Eve track record, that I wouldn’t make it past 10 (I didn’t). Still, I’m optimistic
2. Climb “The Mummy” at Linville Gorge, a 5.5-rated rock climb. This remains unchecked as well, though again, hope springs eternal. I’ve hooked up with the Triangle Rock Club’s Climbing Meetup, been climbing with them at the TRC and know that when it gets warmer, the group’s leadership (comprised of climbing instructors for the Boy Scouts) will be leadings us outdoors. Asterisk: The leadership being leaders and deciding things like where to go, I may have to substitute another climb of equal or greater difficulty.
3. Do a 55-mile backpacking trip. Bit of a conundrum here. Two weeks ago, Chris David and I did a 50-mile backpack trip on the North Carolina Bartram Trail and the Appalachian Trail. Chris, who’s been backpacking since the 1960s, said it was the hardest trip he’s done. Hence, the conundrum: Does the level of difficulty compensate for coming up five miles short? I’m inclined to say yes, especially if I can’t pull off a planned 60-mile backpack trip on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail along Falls Lake.
4. Do a 55-mile canoe trip. Again, unchecked but confidence reigns. I’m in the midst of writing a book on adventure sports in the Carolinas, with paddling as a primary focus. The trip may take place in a kayak rather than a canoe, but the fun factor alone should assure that this happens.
5. Do 55 continuous push-ups. As I wrote last May: “I’ve been especially slack over the years on strength training; with my muscles atrophying staying strong becomes even more important.” Turns out, I’ve discovered, the “atrophying muscles” claim isn’t speculation. I’ve been doing pushups regularly, three to five times a week, in sets of three or four. On the last set, I do as many as I can pump out. In October, I got up to 38 on that last set and plateaued. I’ve recommitted on this one and hope to cross it from the list by the end of February.
6. 55: Total of my waist size (30) and BMI (25). Now, three days after the Thanksgiving-Christmas-New Year’s bacchanal, is not the time to be taking measure of one’s waist and BMI. Again, check back the end of February.
7. Resting heart rate of 55. Just measured it: 48. (Confession: It was already 54 when I set the goal.)
8. 55-mile mountain bike race. That book I mentioned that I’m writing? Mountain biking is another focus area. I’m looking to accomplish this goal at the Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race in May. The race takes place in the Davidson River area near Brevard and ranges from 45 to 70 miles depending upon your orientation skills. That should assure I get in at least 55 miles.
9. 55 miles on my mountain bike on my birthday. This didn’t happen, I noted at the time, because I had to pick up the kids from school. So when I do it between now and this coming May 11, I’ll add an asterisk. Oh, and at least half of the total — 28 miles — needs to be on singletrack.
10. Umstead 100 endurance run. First timers such as myself are restricted to just (“just”?) 50 miles in the Umstead 100 endurance run, which is March 31. Alas, I missed the registration deadline and the race is full. In search of an alternative. Suggestions welcome.

Let’s see, according to the 55 for 55 Goals Tote Board that makes me two for 10 with just over four months to go. Wish me luck with my goals, and best of luck with yours in 2012!

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North Carolina’s absence from the Bottom 6 doesn’t mean the state is a beacon of good health. We still rank 13th nationally in terms of obese residents, with 29.3 percent of North Carolinians clocking a BMI of 30.0 or higher. But drill down into the North Carolina numbers and you discover geopolitical pockets of good news.

The most active county in the state? Orange, home of Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina’s home campus, where just 16.2 percent of residents get no exercise outside work. No surprise there: walkers and bikers in Chapel Hill at least far outnumber folks in cars.

Close behind are the state’s most populated counties: Wake County (Raleigh, Cary) at 19 percent and Mecklenburg (Charlotte) at 19.9 percent. Also in good stead: New Hanover County (Wilmington), 20.8 percent; Chatham County on the Triangle’s fringe (20.9 percent) and mountainous Watauga (18.9 percent), Buncombe (19.2 percent), Avery (20.1 percent), Henderson (20.9 percent), and Polk (20.9 percent) counties. On the downside, in 14 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, more than 30 percent of residents are inactive. The worst: Robeson County, at 37 percent.

For comparison, the nation’s most active states were California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, all with at least 70 percent of counties reporting inactivity levels of 23.2 percent or lower. Four of the five most active counties in the country — Boulder (Boulder), Douglas (suburban Denver), Eagle and Routt (both in the mountains) — were in Colorado.

Photo: Get off the couch or this could be you.

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On average, the workers (88 percent of whom were female, mean age 40.2) used the pedaling devices 12 of the 20 possible work days, for an average of 23 minutes each of those days. Some pedaled as little as a third of a mile per day, one went 13.5 miles.

The workers, who said they sit 83 percent of the time, said they liked having the gizmo under their desk and would use it regularly if it were made available. (I can only envision one better scenario.) The study was published online Monday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Read more here and here.

Junior’s BMI rises the more mom works

Kids whose moms work tend to have a higher Body Mass Index, according to figures pulled from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Researchers from American University, Cornell University and the University of Chicago analyzed the data on 900 kids in grades 3, 5 and 6 in 10 U.S. cities. More than 70 percent of moms in the United States work.

Researchers were surprised that the connection wasn’t related to the time the kids went unsupervised and how much screen time they had (as a  result). In fact, it didn’t seem to matter when the moms worked: kids whose working moms were home when they got home from school were just as likely to have higher BMIs than kids whose working moms weren’t home. Researchers speculate the problem might be that moms who work have less time to grocery shop, less time to cook at home and thus spend more time eating prepared foods and fast food, which are higher in fat and calories. There was no mention of what the dads were up to.

Read more here.

Again, kids who exercise do better in school

Yet another study that shows kids who are active do better in school, in the case of this study by  Georgia Health Sciences University researchers, in math. Read more here.

Spring into action

Finally, a timely reminder — especially considering temperatures this week have mysteriously broken out of a winter-long funk in the 40s and flirted with the 70-degree mark — to start limbering up for spring. Dr. Anders Cohen with The Brooklyn Hospital Center says you should spend at least three weeks working on strength and flexibility issues before immersing yourself in the physical pleasures of spring.

If you play in a spring softball league, for instance, he suggests starting to play catch and throwing at varying distances and angles to increase flexibility, reflexes and to loosen your arm. Before doing whatever you do, advises Cohen, take 10 minutes to warm up and afterward, 10 minutes to cool down.

More here.

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A five-year study of 288 seniors (ages 60-79) in Davidson, Forsyth and Guilford counties found that those who walked regularly and lose weight improved their mobility by as much as 20 percent. The Wake Forest University study divided the seniors into three groups: a control group   that was lectured about healthy living but not directed to do so proactively, a group whose physical activity levels were upped and a group that walked and was put on a weight-loss program. The walkers/dieters should significant improvement in their mobility, increasing from 5 percent to 20 percent based on how long it took them to walk 400 meters. (The 400-meter walk is considered a gold standard in senior mobility: Those who can’t walk that far are significantly more likely to lose their independence.)

Wake partnered with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and health care centers in the three counties to conduct the study. Read more here.

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Worried your child isn’t getting enough physical activity? You might try getting him to buddy up with the neighborhood jock. A study at the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences in the University of Bristol’s School for Policy Study found that kids whose best friends were active tended to be more active themselves. The study focused on 10- and 11-year-olds.

A no-brainer, perhaps, and odds are that if your child’s best friend is active, your child is inclined to be active as well. Still, good to know. Read more here.

While we’re on the topic of making big kids smaller, you might be wise to resist the urge to wake your slumbering spawn on Saturday mornings. A study published in yesterday’s issue of the journal Pediatrics reports that getting sufficient sleep can help kids fight obesity. Among other things, the study found that kids whose BMI was in the “obese” range slept fewer hours every night, showed more significant variations in how long they slept on weeknights vs. the weekend and exhibited “inconsistent sleep patterns.” The study, which you can learn more about here, found that catching up on sleep over the weekend also reduced the likelihood of obesity.

So let ‘em sleep in this Saturday. They can clean their room in the afternoon.

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