What Can We Do Besides Just Sit There?

Exercising to maintain a healthy weight reduces breast cancer risk. According to the Women's Health Initiative, postmenopausal women who walked 30 minutes daily reduced breast cancer risk 20%. According to an American Cancer Society study, women gaining 21-30 pounds after age 18 were 40% likelier to develop breast cancer than women who stayed within 5 pounds of their youthful weight. Those gaining more than 70 pounds doubled their risk. Overall, obese women were 30%-50% likelier to develop the disease than women who maintained a healthy weight. Exercise is important. The only but about it is ... a bigger "butt".

Exercise and a healthy diet reduce risk of dementia, which is important to know because a study published in the British Medical Journal found signs of age-related cognitive decline in people 45 years old. Researchers tracked 7,400 people ages 45-70 for 10 years. They were repeatedly tested for memory and vocabulary, as well as auditory and visual learning. Mental abilities declined in everything except vocabulary. Specifically, there was a 3.6% decline in mental abilities for people ages 45-49. However, because the youngest people in the study were 45, mental decline may start earlier. It may be already later than we think.

Both yoga and stretching relieve back pain. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine randomly assigned 228 adults with moderate chronic back pain to weekly yoga classes, weekly stretching classes or gave them a book about back pain. The yoga and stretching groups were also given instructional videos and encouraged to practice 20 minutes daily. Three months later 40% of the yoga and stretching groups had reduced their mediation compared to 20% of the book group. It seems beginner yoga or stretching classes that focus on the back and legs can provide a "leg-up" on back pain.

Frequent dental cleanings reduce heart disease and stroke risk. Research presented to the American Heart Association followed more than 100,000 patients for 7 years - only half of whom had ever had their teeth cleaned. Those who had dental cleanings had 24% lower risk of heart attack and 13% lower risk of stroke. Those who had dental cleanings at least yearly had even lower risk. It seems oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream, grow into plaque and clog arteries. Because it's foreign material, bacteria can also cause inflammation and swelling that narrows blood vessels. Obviously, not even bacteria from teeth are "toothsome".