A Walk in the Park
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggested we may
have been fooling ourselves a bit about the value of moderate
exercise. Among Australians who exercised at all, the ratio of
vigorous to moderate activity was an important predictor of
mortality. This was true regardless of the total amount of
exercise. Vigorous activity was defined as activity "that made you
breathe harder or puff and pant," like jogging, cycling, aerobics,
or competitive tennis ("Social" tennis and gentle swimming were
examples of moderate activity.) Controlling for various
demographic, dietary, and physical factors, the amount of overall
activity was important in reducing mortality. That is no
surprise.
More strikingly, the study indicated that the proportion of
vigorous activity was also key in determining mortality. When
exercise activity that made people huff and puff accounted for more
than 30 percent of their physical activity, mortality over the next
six years was reduced - not that I'm encouraging Dan Waxman to walk
faster on the morning walks he enthusiastically leads at the ABC
meetings. (Thank you, Dan!)
When I read this study, I thought about our work climate. We
have fun, and the satisfaction of helping wonderful donors provide
useful blood components to patients in need does not just go away.
But our centers are not just strolling along. We huff and puff,
working hard to make our organizations leaner and more efficient.
We may painfully climb the hill to an affiliation or an
acquisition, knowing that the accompanying work of integration is
just beginning. We consider new services and models of service
until our brains are practically panting. ABC itself is changing to
keep up with our evolving industry. None of it is easy. None of it
is a walk in the park.
But this is the run that will lead to our survival - to our
ability to continue to serve our communities. More vigorous
activity of our bodies leads to more physiological adaptations, and
our vigorous efforts to adapt our blood centers to the current
climate will lead our institutions to become stronger despite being
stretched and stressed. We all have too much to do, and perhaps
feel like our hearts are beating a little faster than is
comfortable. But it's a sign of vigorous exercise - it's ok - it
will actually make us healthier. We all need to get moving a little
faster, and more of the time.
Posted: 04/10/2015 | By: Susan Rossmann, MD, PhD, Board President | Permalink
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