As a person living with hemophilia, I love anything to do with fitness and building great veins.  From the time I was a small boy I always wanted to be as strong as I could.  I have come across a great item that I think will really help build strength in your forearms and consequently build your veins.  If you have hemophilia, your veins are your lifelines and you really have to be diligent to keep building them.

I was in my local REI one afternoon -I had a gift card to spend, and I saw a Gyro exercise ball which is meant to improve your grip and since I have recently built a climbing wall and need something to help build my grip strength, I decided  I would try it.  I brought it home and after a little struggling I got it to work; man is this a neat device!   I think this is one of the best exercise tools for anyone, especially people with a bleeding disorder who have to access their veins a lot.

The basic idea is that you are working against gravity and the harder you spin the ball, the more resistance it creates.  The great thing is that a person of almost any age or strength level could use it, and I don’t think you could ever get a bleed from it.  The faster you spin it the stronger you get!  And, the more you build your forearms, the better your veins will become.  If you have really bad elbows, there is a chance this could give you problems, so as with any new exercise, you should ask your physical therapist at your HTC or your doctor if you have any questions.  The neat thing about fitness is, if you are dedicated to it, you will get results.

Young men, this will be a great thing for your arm veins and the girls will love it to!  Moms and dads, this would be a great thing to do with your son or daughter who has a bleeding disorder; you could even make a contest out of it.  Men and women, this is also a great device to use if you have trouble lifting weights and getting a traditional workout in.  You can find them at REI, or probably at any sporting goods store, or look on the internet too where I just bought some more for only $15.00 each at Amazon.com.  Here’s their website, www.dynaflexpro.com, to read more and see video of it in action.  Good luck and please let me know if you try it and how you like it.

Keep spinning…Andy Matthews, andy.matthews@stcare.com

We have started to talk a lot on sweetaffliction.com about how important it is to incorporate fitness into your daily life when living with hemophilia. Well just as important as it is to keep your body strong as a hemophiliac, it is just as important to keep your mind strong and healthy. Below is an article by Kimberly Moore on this subject. Kimberly Moore is the owner of Custom Fitness, a fitness consulting and personal training business. She has spoken to numerous companies and organizations and is the author of The Healthy Lifestyles Program. You can contact her to speak to your company or organization by calling Custom Fitness at 214.348.7050. E-mail your fitness questions or comments to mooremotivation@aol.com.

FITNESS FOR YOUR BRAIN

Regular exercise is essential for a lean, healthy body. Did you know it is also crucial for maintaining a healthy brain? As early as age 30, you literally start to lose your mind due to a loss of brain tissue. The brain is the most complex part of your body, therefore requiring the most energy. It is made up of approximately 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, and other tissues. The brain controls all of your bodily functions ranging from life support systems such as breathing and keeping your heart beating, to your five senses, emotions, and the ability to learn new things. Therefore, it is important to keep it healthy and strong throughout your entire life. 

Routinely participating in both aerobic exercise and strength training can slow brain tissue deterioration and enhance mental function by 20 – 30%. How does this work? When your heart rate elevates during exercise, blood flow is increased, delivering more oxygen and glucose to the brain which is needed to function properly. Exercise also enables you to form new circuits between nerve cells, allowing you to think more clearly, improve your memory, and increase the speed of your reactions to stimuli. 

In addition to physical exercise, it is also important to give yourself a mental workout each day if you want to preserve brain power. Take time to do word games like crossword puzzles or acrostics. Memorize Bible verses or your favorite poems. Read books that challenge your vocabulary or encourage you to try a new hobby. Activities such as writing in a journal, learning a foreign language, or taking music lessons all require thinking and will challenge your brain, keeping it mentally fit. 

Just as the foods you eat affect your body’s shape, they also affect the shape of your mind.  In a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers tested people between the ages of 65 – 90 and discovered that those with the greatest ability to memorize words and perform mental arithmetic included the most fruits and vegetables in their diets. Coincidentally, the same group of people ate the least amount of saturated fat. 

Vitamins and minerals play a role in brain function as well. The B vitamins are essential for healthy brain and nerve cells and the transmission of nerve impulses. They are found in whole-grain foods (bread, rice, pasta, and fortified cereals), meat, poultry, fish,  legumes, eggs, milk, nuts, vegetables, and fruit. Iron is needed to carry oxygen to the brain cells and is used to make neurotransmitters to regulate your ability to concentrate which is crucial to learning. The best sources of iron include lean beef, whole grain cereals and breads, raisins, and legumes. 

Managing your stress also has an impact on your brain’s health. When you maintain a high stress level, your adrenal glands release the hormone, cortisol. This hormone has a very toxic effect on the memory center of the brain which can lead to memory loss. Cortisol blocks the uptake of glucose to the brain cells, a vital ingredient for the cells to function. Neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow messages to travel from one cell to another, are also blocked by this hormone. Therefore, be sure to take time for relaxation each day to keep your stress and cortisol levels under control.

Remember that when you take time for regular exercise, healthy eating, and relaxation, you are keeping both your body and brain in shape so you can be physically and mentally fit no matter what your age. 

POSTED BY ANDY

I know that I am just a little voice out here but even if the people who visit this website sweetaffliction.com would commit to achieving an optimal weight, exercise, and diet, that alone can make a big impact! If all the children and adults living with hemophilia could maintain some kind of fitness routine they would have healthier joints and if they are dealing with problem joints, even a moderate amount of fitness along with factor dosage can help rebuild muscles around the joint areas and minimize future bleeds. Think about how much better you would feel with strong healthy joints! I am living proof that eating right and adhering to a fitness program with strict discipline can change your life if you are living with hemophilia!

I know fitness is the answer because I can tell you that I am healthier than most people living without hemophilia! I remember that when many of my hemophilia friends found out they had HIV in the 90′s most of them just figured they would die. I always thought that mentality was crazy and I chose to start getting more serious about what I ate, having a positive outlook and most importantly developing a work out regiment with regular cardiovascular exercises. Yes I had a bad ankle target joint to worry about but I still stayed true to the physical activities that worked for me – mostly mountain biking and fast walking. Did you know that if you will just commit to parking in the furthest parking place, taking the stairs instead of elevators and walking whenever possible you will be amazed at how much better shape you can be in by incorporating fitness into your daily routine. Heck, just think about how much power walking you can do by going to the Home Depot or the mall. You can get exercise anywhere by just walking like you are in a hurry and you will look important while you are doing it!

The great thing about fitness is that it is a sure thing. There are many things in life I can tell you to do that are not a sure thing. I can tell you to work harder but that does not necessarily mean you will make more money. I can tell you to improve your appearance but that doesn’t mean you will get more dates! You can do all the things your Hemophilia Treatment Center says but that does not guarantee you will not have any problems. But I can promise you this, if you are committed to it you will get results from a fitness program! How much success you achieve is up to you. No matter whether you are rich or poor, tall or short, skinny or fat – with proper training, diet and good clean living your body will become your temple! 

Start working out now! Begin by just walking. Then try some light weightlifting or swimming. Get your helmet on and try some mountain biking. Make sure you factor up to prevent bleeding and get better results. And always go over your fitness plans with your Hemophilia Treatment Center staff before starting  - especially your physical therapist. I guarantee you will start dropping cumbersome weight and building stronger muscles and most importantly joints. You will have more energy and begin to feel better. In these uncertain economic times this is the single best thing you can do for yourself and your children. After all, if you do not have your good health and strong body, what do you have?

POSTED BY ANDY

POSTED BY: DAVID