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Before Mona Noyes started weight training, she struggled to carry a bag of groceries up the stairs and lift herself off the toilet. Now, the 86-year-old is deadlifting.
Noyes said she’d tried other gyms before – with lots of machines, "sexy workout clothes and lithe bodies,” she says. But the gym she stuck with is different. The equipment is simple, the focus is on strength and conditioning, and several mornings are reserved for older adults. And crucially, Noyes she gets to work with a trainer who knows her.
Strength training can help people stay healthy as they age. It can slow age-related muscle loss, help maintain bone density, improve stability, and even extend lives. "This is the best thing you [can] do for yourself, and then all the people around you," says Noyes. "Because you keep functioning."
Becca Jordre, a professor of physical therapy at the University of South Dakota, studies active older adults. She says at every age, bodies need to be pushed through exercise.
"If the signal is: I'm going to sit in my chair and I'm not going to walk very far, our body will adjust — we'll lose muscle mass and bone density," Jordre says. But with regular exercise, the body can adapt.
"It is just as possible with older adults as it is with younger individuals," Jordre says.
Noyes' trainer Emily Scolinsky says she gets a lot of satisfaction from working with older clients. "The worst thing that you can do is stop [moving]," Scolinsky says. "When they start a program like this … they stand taller. They walk with more purpose … because in the back of their mind, they know what they're capable of doing in the gym."
Get the whole story and hear from more seniors who weight train.
Plus: Taking vitamin D is unlikely to prevent falls or fractures. Here's what it does |
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Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register/Getty Images |
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When I was a kid, my dad had a habit of chewing on the ends and caps of pens. I used to snatch them out of his mouth, but he always seemed to have another one at the ready. At the time I just thought it was a gross habit – I wasn’t actually worried about Dad ingesting plastic. But if we’d had today’s research on plastic particles in human bodies, I would have tossed all the pens in the house into the trash.
A wave of new studies has come out recently about how tiny plastic particles called microplastics and nanoplastics have infiltrated human anatomy, from our brains to our gonads, and plenty of places in between. And chewing pen caps is not required: Plastics make it into our bodies through many avenues, including food packaging, tap water, and even clothing and furniture.
Researchers are just starting to learn about how microplastics and nanoplastics may affect health, as NPR’s Will Stone reports. A review of the data published this week concludes that microplastics are "suspected" to harm human reproductive, digestive and respiratory health, with a possible link to colon and lung cancer.
Tiny plastic particles can be inhaled or ingested through the mouth. Once absorbed into the bloodstream, they become coated in fats and proteins. "And then it's essentially going on a trip around your body," says Heather Leslie, a microplastics researcher from the Netherlands. Leslie says the immune system can’t break down these particles as it would other foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses.
Sounds scary, right? But Leslie cautions that we shouldn’t let our fears get ahead of the science. "I'd like to get to the truth of the matter," she says. "I have the feeling that sometimes we might be blaming plastics for things that they shouldn't be blamed for."
So what should you do as a consumer? There's only so much you can control, says Leslie. So "don't feel guilty" about using plastics — just try to limit your use when possible.
Here are some ways to reduce your exposure:
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Cut out single-use plastics as much as you can. Don’t reuse plastic take-out containers, cutlery, or water bottles. Avoid the plastic topper on to-go coffee.
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Don’t put plastic food containers in the microwave or dishwasher, because heat causes chemicals from plastic to leach into food.
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When you have a choice, choose natural materials over synthetic for clothing, rugs and furniture.
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Microplastics can accumulate in dust. So vacuum frequently, and open windows to improve ventilation
Here’s more of what scientists have learned about plastic in the body, and six questions they’re trying to answer.
Plus: Researchers find a massive number of plastic particles in bottled water
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COMIC: Think you can't dance? Get up and try these tips.
Bird flu update: California declares emergency and U.S. sees 1st severe human case
Who can say it's healthy? The FDA has a new definition for food labels
Big Health Care is ending a terrible year. Is anyone happy with this business? |
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Andrea Muraskin and your NPR health editors |
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