• Keeps up your strength so you can stay independent
• Gives you more energy for your favorite activities
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves balance and coordination

WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES ARE MOST BENEFICIAL?

Walking. Walking is one of the safest, most effective forms of exercise and the perfect example of a low-impact activity. A few extra steps each day can improve blood sugar and blood pressure levels and is easier on the bones and muscles than running.

Swimming and water aerobics. Working out in water can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol without putting too much stress or strain on the body’s joints.

Cycling. Want to use all of your ma­jor muscle groups and strengthen your cardiovascular fitness? It’s as easy as riding a bike. Cycling is a comfortable way to strengthen heart muscles and stimulate your circulation.

Yoga. Under the supervision of your in­structor, you can try out a series of poses that improve balance, strength and flexibility and practice proper breathing technique as well.

WHAT ARE SOME ALTERNATIVES ?

• Gardening, mowing the lawn and raking leaves
• House cleaning
• Performing light stretches while watching TV
• Taking a dance class

Sources: American College of Rheumatology, American Heart Association, National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center

Early Detection

Colon cancer rates rise among Americans under 50

The number of young people diagnosed with colon cancer is growing, but doctors say there are effective ways to reverse this trend. While colon cancer rates have fallen 30 percent since the 1980s, incidences among people under 50 have risen 1.8 percent.

In a study published in JAMA Survey, Doctors advise screening before age 50 for men and women with certain risk factors for colon cancer researchers analyzed a national database of 400,000 U.S. patients with colon or rectal cancer. Incidences increased about 2 percent annually among people aged 20 to 34 and by close to half a percent each year among those aged 35 to 49.

Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. An estimated 143,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year, and nearly 51,000 people will die from the disease. Screening tests can reduce mortality by allowing doctors to find tumors early before they’ve had a chance to grow and spread.

Doctors recommend regular screening beginning at age 50, but advise people to start earlier if they have one of the following risk factors:

• Personal or family history of colorectal cancer polyps or colorectal cancer.
• Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.
• Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease or ulcerative colitis.
• A genetic syndrome such as Lynch syndrome, Turcot syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

If you feel you may be at increased risk for colon cancer, your physician can offer advice and determine the right screening schedule based on your personal history. Speak with your physician if you have any of these symptoms:

• Blood in your stool
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Abdominal pain
• Significant weight loss

These symptoms may indicate cancer, or other issues. The only way to know is with a doctor’s exam. Please contact our facility to learn more about scheduling a colonoscopy with one of our board-certified specialists.