Archbold Medical Center| Archives Magazine | Spring 2019

ARCHBOLD.ORG • SPRING 2019 21 get older, exercise and physical activity should not. Savitri Ramdial, MD, family medicine Physician at Medical Group of Mitchell County, offered three options to help older people get the minimum amount of weekly activity to achieve health benefits. Option 1: 2 1 ⁄ 2 hours of moderate-in- tensity aerobic activity, with mus- cle-strengthening activities for at least two days. Option 2: One hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, with muscle-strengthening activities for at least two days. The aerobic activity can include jogging or running. Option 3: A combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activities equivalent to the recommendations above, plus muscle-strengthening activi- ties for at least two days. “Flexibility exercises should be performed at least two days per week at moderate intensity, preferably after aerobic or resistance exercises,” recom- mends Dr. Ramdial. “Inactivity is not rec- ommended. Some movement is better than none.” Older adults need to determine the level of effort for exercise that matches their fitness capability. Underlying chronic conditions may prevent a person from safely doing one exercise but allow them to do another. Discuss physical activity options with a doctor. “The benefits of exercising for people over the age of 50 are numerous,” said Dr. Ramdial. “People can see the reduc- tion of fall risk as well as improvements in mood, sleep, chronic illnesses, cog- nition, depression, anxiety and weight loss.” BREAST CANCER PATIENTS Being diagnosed and going through breast cancer treatment can be a trying time. However, studies have shown that patients with breast cancer who exercise regularly have less fatigue, depression and anxiety. “There is improved survival with regular exercise in patients with breast cancer,” said Amanda May, MD, medi- cal oncologist at Archbold’s Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center. “There is also a decreased risk of recurrence.” Patients going through treatment should discuss with their physicians and surgeons how much physical activity is too much. There can be limitations due to surgical interventions, and patients undergoing reconstruction may have additional limitations. While on treatment, aerobic exer- cise can decrease the potential cardiac toxicity associated with chemotherapy, and regular weight-bearing exercise decreases bone loss. Beginning exercise within three months of surgical inter- vention increases shoulder and arm range of motion and decreases risk for lymphedema. “Regular exercise, such as walking, has Savitri Ramdial, MD Primary Care Physician Amanda May, MD Medical Oncologist —Continued on page 22