by Connie McMullen
The benefits of exercise in prolonging life and premature aging have been documented extensively in the past decade, but exercise can also improve health and fitness for people all ages. For Karen Barrett, a 49-year-old nurse who also happens to be a caregiver, parent, and baby boomer, exercise has been a way of life.
“Exercise is a lifestyle - not a fad.
It has to be part of your life.
People are busy, but they must
make time.” Karen Barrett
Everyday, Karen looks in on both her father and mother in-law, who live in a granny flat next to her home. Once full-time traveling RVer's, the couple have declined in mobility and physical fitness. Karen spends much of her time caregiving her 78-year-old father in-law who is suffering with Parkinson's disease. She additionally provides a hour of respite time for her 77-year-old mother in-law so she can exercise at least an hour a day to maintain strength, endurance and muscle tone.
“At first she could barely walk a block. Now she can walk several blocks without huffing and puffing, and can exercise on the elliptical trainer up to 20 minutes,” she explains. “I don't care how old you are, it's never too late to start good nutrition and exercise.”
Millions have discovered today that the secret to longevity is staying active. Finding an exercise program that works and sticking to it can prevent or delay diabetes and heart trouble, reduce arthritis pain, anxiety and depression, and enable many to remain independent regardless of age. A study conducted by Dr. Vonda Wright, a professor of orthopedics at the University of Pittsburgh, found that people slow down as they age, but they may be able to stave off more of the deterioration than generally believed. Study research also suggested that people can start exercise later in life and obtain significant benefit, pointing to a 62- year-old who began running, completing a marathon a year later in 3 hours 25 minutes.
“I use to walk with a colleague whose father starting running when he was 70. He ran till 80, and then began walking. He walked everyday until he was 95, and even though he passed away last year, he lived to be 100,” explained Karen.
A career nurse working in both the hospital setting and local school district, Karen's belief in longevity and physical fitness evolved early in life, but was affirmed as an adult. As a young girl, she would hike and climb Peavine Mountain almost daily.
In middle school, she began running and never stopped. “The furthest I've ever run has been 32-miles,” she said. “I do marathon distance (26.2 miles), but in the past two years, I've switched to half marathons which is 13.1 miles.” Her enthusiasm for the sport is contagious motivating others.
A year ago, she recruited some of the women she worked with to walk in the Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon in San Francisco. “Eleven of us went down last year in October and completed the half marathon. This year, the ladies came back and asked to do it again.” On April 1, the group qualified to compete in the 2008 Nike Women's Marathon, October 19, in San Francisco. “Some of these gals had never walked a mile or half mile. To see them finish 13.1 miles and enjoy it, that's what I loved to see,” she said. “I love to get people involved.”
Fitness activities can be stimulated in groups, but research published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 also supported finding that obesity can spread within social networks, and that the closer the social connection the greater the influence. “Nearly one in three American adults - 66 million men and women - are obese, which puts them at risk for a number of serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke,” reports Richard J. Hodes, M.D., National Institute on Aging.
“I see kids in school and think back when I was in school; there's a lot of concern. There are a lot of over weight children,” Karen said. “I think about what has changed since I was young, and it is convenience. There is a lot of fast food we didn't have growing up.” Karen also points to the concept of immediacy. “We have remote controls, and microwaves; people don't have to get up and move.”
Parents also need to become role models for their children. A mother of two boys, Karen and husband Dave set examples of physical fitness early on. “I'd get up at 4 a.m. to go running in the neighborhood. They saw Mom out there before the crack of dawn training.” Over the past 13-14 years the family has also hosted a New Years Summit for the Silver State Striders. “We start our New Years day with a fun run. We start at the house, run to Circus, Circus, and then run throughout downtown Reno hoping and hollering, yelling Happy New Year.”
“Exercise is not a cure all for everything, but it can certainly stave off a lot of medical issues especially hyper tension, high cholesterol, and obesity. Diet, nutrition, and exercise can prevent or delay disease.