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The INDEPENDENT, April 18, 2002
New health improvement “product” is great for women over 65
If you’re a woman over 65,
there’s a great new health im
provement “product” available
to you. It will help you live
longer, decrease your risk of
heart attack by 50 percent, low
er your “bad” cholesterol, in
crease your endurance and re
duce your body fat. It will re
duce your risk of diabetes and
increase your muscle mass. It
is considered relatively safe
and low-risk. Too good to be
true? Not at all, according to a
study in the American Journal
of Geriatric Cardiology. That
“product” is regular exercise.
The older you are, the more
good regular exercise will do
for you. One study showed that
older women’s endurance of
women aged 62 through 82 in
creased 40 percent. The great
est improvement in endurance
was in women who started out
the most sedentary and wound
up with the highest exercise in
tensities. The good news for
people who don’t exercise is
that starting an exercise pro
gram, no matter how old you
are, can help you live longer
and better.
Benefits to muscles and
bones, due to exercise, have
been well documented. Without
exercise, you may expect your
muscle mass to reduce by as
much as 15 percent per
decade, double that after age
80. But with regular exercise,
combining both endurance and
resistance training, muscle
strength in senior women actu
ally increases. Resistance
training in older women results
in increased muscle mass,
muscle strength, lung capacity
and reduces weight and body
fat density. These improve-
Hazardous/toxic household waste
disposal event scheduled May 4th
Columbia County residents
may take advantage of a free
Hazardous Household Waste
disposal event on Saturday,
May 4 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. at the St. Helens Mainte
nance Facility, 58555 McNulty
Way in St. Helens.
Some of the items classified
as
Hazardous
Household
Waste include yard and garden
chemicals, household cleaners,
paint, fluorescent lights, auto
motive products, solvents, mer
cury thermometers, medical -
sharps only, and used batter
ies.
Visitors pay parking
Items which cannot be ac
fees at Vernonia Lake cepted are tires, radioactive
materials, explosives, medical
The City of Vernonia will be wastes, industrial or commer
implementing park fees at Ver cial waste, propane tanks and
nonia Lake beginning April 18. techno wastes (computers and
The entrance fee is $3.00 per monitors).
The event is jointly spon
vehicle per day or $12 per ve
sored
by the Oregon Depart
hicle per year. The fee does not
pertain to those residing in the ment of Environmental Quality,
Vernonia 47J School District. A Columbia County, City of St.
“Friends of Vernonia Parks” Helens, CEPA, Waste Manage
sticker is available at Vernonia ment and Hudson Garbage &
City Hall with proof of resi Recycling.
For more information, call
dence.
Donations to Vernonia Parks
503-397-2185.
are always gladly accepted.
out on
Limb
gifts - antiques - collectibles
OPEN: Tue-Wed-Thu-Sat, 10-6 • Frl, Noon-6 • Sun, Noon-4
58650 N ehalem H wy . S., V ernonia (N ext to S torage , Too)
503-429-0156 • S haron B ernal , P rop .
ments in strength are associat cent increase in HDL “good” of exercise.
ed with an increased flexibility cholesterol and significantly
So what to do to get started?
lower levels of LDL “bad” cho If you’ve been sedentary, you
and range of motion.
During the last ten years, 36 lesterol.
may want to begin by engaging
percent of women between the
A study of women aged in “lifestyle activities," such as
ages of 65 and 74 and one-half 50-69 years of age showed walking up stairs, gardening,
of women over 75 and older re that regular aerobic exercise housecleaning, and other phys
ported no leisure-time physical reduced blood pressure, lower ical tasks that can be incorpo
activity. In this same time peri ing the systolic pressure by ten rated into everyday life. Studies
od, according to the American points, and the diastolic an av have shown that benefits de
rived by becoming more active
Heart Association, the death erage of six points.
rate due to cardiovascular dis
A research project on heart throughout the day are similar
ease in women increased. Ac attacks showed other benefits to those obtained through a
companying that increase were of moderate leisure-time physi structured exercise routine.
increases in glucose intoler cal activity. In that study, mid
Before starting an exercise
ance, hyperlipidemia, and high dle-aged and senior women program, see your physician.
blood pressure.
showed a 24-38 percent re Then ask for your doctor’s guid
Type 2 diabetes increases duced rate of mortality. They ance in starting out. Physicians
with age for people with a suffered 50 percent fewer heart have good resources for start
sedentary lifestyle and obesity. attacks.
ing exercise programs. Other
But in one group of healthy old
San Francisco researchers resources include the library, a
er women who undertook six studied about six thousand local gym, or the Internet.
months of high-intensity en mostly white, healthy women
Women over 65 are the
durance training three times a age 65 or older, evaluating their fastest growing segment of the
week, there was an improve mental faculties and exercise nation’s population. That trend
ment in insulin sensitivity.
levels over a six to eight year will continue for the next twenty
In studies of cholesterol lev span. Those women in the years. During the past 30
els and exercise, both women highest quartile of exercise, years, studies have shown that
and men benefit, but women which was measured by calo exercise and physical activity
have a greater benefit from ex ries expended walking or en improve health, reduce the risk
ercise. A one year study of car gaging in other rigorous activi of illness and enhance the
diac rehabilitation subjects ties, were 26 percent less apt to quality of life. Exercise may be
showed that women who exer develop cognitive decline than the best health-care “product”
cised regularly had a 20 per- those who got the least amount that you can invest in.
Volunteers needed at Columbia Co. WRC
The
Columbia
County
Women’s Resource Center is
seeking male and female vol
unteers of all ages. A number of
volunteer opportunies are
available, including the follow
ing:
• Volunteer Advocates an
swer the 24-hour hotline at The
Women’s Resource Center.
Crisis line counselors are
linked between victim, law en
forcement, hospitals, other re
sources in the community and
to provide peer support to help
people who call in crisis. They
Oh Fudge!
GOURMET
CANDY SHOP
Swedish Berries • Dutch Mints
Rock Pebbles • Orange Slices
Saltwater Taffy • Jelly Beans
Caramel Com • Nut Brittles
Old-Fashioned Candy Sticks
Trailblazer Preserves
Local Honey & More!!!
B rid g e S tr e e t M a ll
9OX B rid g e S t., V e rn o n ia
5O3-419-S6O3
are also responsible for work
ing with residents and walk in
clients in a 24 hour facility.
• Youth Services Facilitator
does presentations in area
school districts for the Child
Abuse Prevention Program,
Teen Healthy Relationship and
Date Rape Prevention. Facilita
tors must be available to be
scheduled for daytime classes.
• Child Care Providers must
be willing to provide temporary
childcare of clients and resi
dents children when the parent
is participating in case meet
ings, support groups, training
or medical appointments.
• Transportation Providers
provide emergency transporta
tion to appointments and to
shelter.
• Donation Coordinators are
responsible for donation calls
and for inventory and putting
away.
• Maintenance and Yard
Workers provide routine main
tenance in The Women’s Re
source Center and yard work
on the grounds.
WRC offers volunteer train
ing twice a year. The next train
ing starts April 22.
For more information, call
Theresa, the Volunteer Ser
vices Manager, at 503-397-
7110.