Strength training equipment is now available for public use at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Decatur. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with health concerns often benefit most from an exercise program that includes strength training a few times each week. Strength training, when combined with regular aerobic exercise, can also have a powerful effect on a person’s mental and emotional health.
“All county residents will have access to this equipment and we hope they will take full advantage of this opportunity to reap the many benefits strength training can provide to improve their health and wellbeing,” said Connye Rowland, Coordinated School Health director and member of the Meigs County Health Council.
According to the CDC, regular strength training can be very beneficial to people with diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis and other chronic conditions.
CDC statistics show that in 2011, 13.2 percent of Meigs County adults had been diagnosed with diabetes, which puts them at a greater risk for heart and kidney disease and is a leading cause of blindness in older adults.
“A recent study demonstrated that 16 weeks of strength training produced improvements in glucose control that were comparable to taking diabetes medication,” said Ms. Rowland. “In addition, study volunteers were stronger, gained muscle, lost body fat, had less depression and felt much more self-confident.”
Tufts University completed a 16-week strength training program with older adults who had moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis. This study found strength training decreased pain by 43 percent, increased muscle strength, improved symptoms of osteoarthritis and decreased disability. Strength training was as effective in easing the pain of osteoarthritis as medications. Tufts University also found strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of fractures in women ages 50 to 70.
"Strengthening exercises also increase a person’s flexibility and balance, which reduces the likelihood of falls," officials said. "A study in New Zealand found women 80 years of age and older had a 40 percent reduction in falls with strength and balance training. Cardiac health is also improved with strength training because heart disease risk is lower when the body is leaner. The American Heart Association now recommends strength training as a way to reduce heart disease and a therapy for patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs. Along with improved physical health, strength training leads to improved emotional health, providing improvements in depression similar to that of anti-depressant medications."
In addition to the new strength training equipment, tracks are available at both Meigs County elementary schools during the evenings and on weekends for local residents to walk or run for aerobic conditioning.
Funding for the strength training equipment came from a grant to the Meigs County Health Council from the Appalachian Diabetes Translation and Control Project through the Office of Rural Health at Marshall University. ADCTP is funded by the Bristol-Meyers Squibb Foundation and the CDC.
For more information or to join the Meigs County Health Council, contact Brittany Kirkland at 745-7431 or “like” the Meigs County TN Health Council on Facebook.