Senescence and Summer 2009 (and beyond): Heat and Hyperthermia

Heat Stress and Aging:

We are fast approaching the summer of 2009. And it is hard to believe that so much time has gone since July 1995.

July 1995?

Almost 14 years ago and in our country during that summer there was a brutal heat wave that had gathered intensity and settled in over the expansive metropolitan area of Chicago, Illinois. The resulting effect – and impact – was devastating and it shocked the nation with how heat had come to claim so many (over 700 people) in that short span of time. With all of the focus on macro-scale weather events like HURRICANES or the acute devastation of TORNADO – but  we forget about HEAT- heat as a major factor in weather-related disasters.

Extreme heat heat kills more Americans annually than any other natural disaster. 

As the globe warms up, scientists expect ever more heat waves like the one that killed more than 700 people—many elderly and living alone—in Chicago in the summer of 1995. And this is exactly what  was later discovered through a careful analysis of the “natural” and the social ecological factors of the urban setting became the basis for the book, Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago, by Eric Klinenberg.

(see http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/443213in.html) for an extensive interview with the author)

Klinenberg specifically indicated how it was the elderly – especially the elderly that lived alone – who were the most vulnerable to heat.

Before we will briefly examine the social ecological factors, we need to continue onward and indicate the dramatic impact of hypothermia as it relates to morbidity and mortality – and how the elderly are more at risk with this kind of event. And this public health issue is NOT just an event isolated in the US.

You will recall that France experienced a record-breaking heat wave in August 2003 (see  Fouillet A, Rey G, Laurent F, Pavillon G, Bellec S, Guihenneuc-Jouyaux C, Clavel J, Jougla E, Hémon D; “Excess mortality related to the August 2003 heat wave in France.” Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2006 Oct;80(1):16-24

 Fouillet et al (2003) reported that,

“all the French regions were affected by this heat wave, which resulted in an excess of 14, 800 deaths. The increase in the number of excess deaths followed the same pattern as the increase in temperatures. The victims were mainly elderly women older than 75 years. Excess mortality at home and in retirement institutions was greater than that in hospitals. The mortality of widowed, single and divorced subjects was greater than that of married people. Deaths directly related to heat, heatstroke, hyperthermia and dehydration increased massively. Cardiovascular diseases, ill-defined morbid disorders, respiratory diseases and nervous system diseases also markedly contributed to the excess mortality.”

And then later research by Kim Knowlton, Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, Galatea King,Helene G. Margolis, Daniel Smith, Gina Solomon, Roger Trent, and Paul English followed up with the heat wave in California with an article titled, “The 2006 California Heat Wave: Impacts on Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits” in Environ Health Perspect. 2009 January; 117(1): 61–67. During the heat wave, the researchers noted 16,166 excess ED visits and 1,182 excess hospitalizations occurred statewide. Knowlton (2009) et al indicated that,

“Besides older residents with recognized heat vulnerabilities, children showed significant elevated risk for some morbidities. Strategies to prevent heat-related illness during extreme heat events should include messages and information dissemination targeted toward parents, caregivers, and other guardians of young children, continued outreach to the elderly and especially to socially isolated individuals, and geographically targeted messages about health risks of heat exposure and heat stress. By better understanding heat wave effects on morbidity, local communities can develop appropriate public health interventions and increase their adaptive capacity to cope with heat waves when they happen—both today and in a globally warming future.”

As Kovats and Hajat (20080 have indicated (see “Heat stress and public health: a critical review”; in Annu Rev Public Health. 2008;29:41-55),

“Heat is an environmental and occupational hazard. The prevention of deaths in the community caused by extreme high temperatures (heat waves) is now an issue of public health concern. The risk of heat-related mortality increases with natural aging, but persons with particular social and/or physical vulnerability are also at risk. Important differences in vulnerability exist between populations, depending on climate, culture, infrastructure (housing), and other factors. Public health measures include health promotion and heat wave warning systems, but the effectiveness of acute measures in response to heat waves has not yet been formally evaluated. Climate change will increase the frequency and the intensity of heat waves, and a range of measures, including improvements to housing, management of chronic diseases, and institutional care of the elderly and the vulnerable, will need to be developed to reduce health impacts.”

The connection between the degree (or lack thereof) of social capital and well-being (or in contrast: vulnerability and risk) has been established and elobroated upon, epscially with the trends in the US by Robert Putnam (see Bowling Alone) and others.

Thus, we have had – and appears will continue to have – an unfortunate triangulation of demographic, social and natural forces (and events) that can expose segments our society (e.g., elderly who live alone with minimal social capital) to even greater risk if (or as many would say: not if, but when) catastrophe occurs either by natural or human made- disasters (or some combination of both).

We have Harrell  (2008) has done a nice job of articulating the cocenr of challenge of older adults who live alone in our midst – in her article, The Elderly: Living and Dying Alone.

“Many elderly people in cities, live alone, with their windows sealed or nailed shut because they are so afraid of crime-afraid that someone will break in, and they will be defenseless. So many are poor and sick, hardly able to care for themselves, with no family or friends, and are often dealing with some level of confusion or dementia. When the elderly die, they usually die alone, just as they have lived in their later years. Sometimes they die at home alone, and sometimes they die in hospitals, or nursing homes. It is such a tragic end for a person who has given so much of their lifetime to others, and yet, when it is their time to depart, there is no one to be there for them. Many times their bodies are not discovered for a long time, because no one cares, or notices that they are missing.

They are sometimes referred to as “elder orphans.” It is estimated, by Kenneth W. Wachter, Ph. D., Chair of the Department of Demography, at the University of California at Berkeley, that “the number of Americans between the ages of 70 and 85, without a living spouse, without any biological or stepchildren, and without living siblings or half-siblings, will total more than 2 million people by the year 2030.” It is an increasing problem as the Baby Boomers age, due to their low birth rate, and their longer lifespan. After age 80, Alzheimer’s disease increases to between 22% and 40%. This cognitive impairment, leads to the elderly without family, being unable to care for themselves properly.”

(for more information see http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/529693/the_elderly_living_and_dying_alone.html?cat=12

And Klinenberg went on to write about how community organization is essential for disaster preparation. Klinenberg (2008) in an article for The New York Times (July 6, 2008) said that,

“The two deadliest recent US environmental disasters, Katrina and the 1995 Chicago heat Wave, highlighted the vulnerability of socially isolated people, for whom the safe house becomes a tomb. Efforts to build strong, durable connections among neighbors, local organizations, businesses and government agencies will help improve community resilience in crises of all kinds.”

(see  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/magazine/06wwln-idealab-t.html  for full article)

      

The are several key points to be prepared for addressing the challenges of hyperthermia in persons of all ages, but as the blog focuses in on ages issues, we highlight vulnerable older adults – in our families, neighborhoods, and communities in this summer 2009 – and beyond.

Heat can be extremely dangerous, but there are many factors that contribute to hypothermia. Please be on the lookout – and help to monitor those older adults who are living alone – and espcially those who may those who may be cut off from social capital and social resources. The following represent excellent resources for further information. 

thanks, Scott Wright

The EPA Aging Initiative has two great resources to check into:

      

http://epa.gov/aging/resources/factsheets/itdhpfehe/index.htm

http://www.epa.gov/naturalevents/extremeheat.html

http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/hyperthermia.htm

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/443213in.html

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/elderlyheat.asp

http://www.infography.com/content/556376659104.html

Martial Arts and the Art of Aging

Martial Arts and the Art of Aging  {updated as of Jan. 30th, 2009 with recognition to
Hélio Gracie)

This blog posting is now dedicated to spirit and tradition of Grand Master Hélio Gracie who passed on  due to natural causes.
Please see this link for more information: 
http://enews.gracieacademy.com/m/dc3Qdm3NQykM7v2BedNfIJpnLhQyBVDlsg1ToYWsxdNdU7TTfg

and new citation from Jan. 25th:

New story from Press Democrat (1/25/09)
Aging Baby Boomers find a Refuge in Tai Chi 
www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090125/LIFESTYLE/901250302/1350
(thanks, Scott Wright) 

Introduction

            We are bombarded by claims (in the hundreds – and counting) in the media that have purported to discover the “secret to longevity” and the ultimate “anti-aging” pill or elixir. We are overwhelmed by such marketing and publicity stunts and over time many people are sucked into purchasing these “magic bullets” and as a result their money and time have disappeared into a black hole of quackery and scams.

            The fountain of youth does not exist – at least as we think of it from some “golden time” in the past or on some “golden isle” somewhere – these grand hopes are a part of the mythology and the story telling that captures our imagination – but escapes our reason.

            But there are ways in which we can work toward a healthier lifestyle, achieve tranquility, and age with grace and dignity. The approach is straightforward, but yet takes effort and a dedication to the practice and an acceptance of the art. I am convinced that science and medicine are tools by which we can understand – and create – a more complete experience (and existence) in the aging process. But there is more to it than that. We must be our own best stewards of our health by nourishing both the body and mind with activities that sustain well being.

I am not claiming that the following approach is the Holy Grail to defeat the aging process; rather, I am claiming that there are many techniques that create an opportunity for us to embrace the transformations of the aging process in a more creative and adaptive manner. Furthermore, these activities and techniques are not written out on prescription pad – Rx – nor do they have to be purchased at outrageous prices. The barriers to participation may be more psychological than physical. The involvement will take time and practice and a dedication to the craft- to the art. I am not talking about an obsessive/compulsive approach; rather, I am proposing an approach where the practice is effortless – where the activity is more of a flow – than a burden and drudgery. But in our frantic world of busy distractions, the practice can be vulnerable to displacement and a lower priority compared to all else.

            The practice is breath. The practice is stretching. The practice is posture. The practice is a knowing and experiencing of your center, your core, your muscle, your movement, your flexibility, your balance, and your mind.

            Walk. Hike. Bike. Meditate and reflect. The practice can be Yoga. The practice can be Pilates. The practice can be weight training. The practice can be all of the above.

            The practice can be Tai Chi. The practice can be Kung Fu.

            To age well = stretch and strengthen. The body and the mind.

Aging Well: The Center, the Balance, and the Sphere

            In one of the most significant publications on the topic of aging ever produced, Thomas R. Cole, the author of “The Journey of Life”, has captured the developmental essence of the spiritual and scientific understanding for the life course from pre-modern, through modernity, and into the so-called “post-modern” domain of how we come to interpret and dialogue about the meaning of – what it means to be old – and an aging individual.

          Now, while I find this publication to be the exemplar of “complete” scholarship in the field of aging, this publication nevertheless had as its primary focus, the Anglo-European traditions as the overarching template and optic for analysis (however, see The Oxford Book of Aging: Reflections on the Journey of Life, Cole & Winkler, 1994). While this limited focus is fine and worthy in its own right, the complementary perspectives of eastern beliefs, philosophical nuances, and the respective cross-cultural approaches to the aging process also intrigue me (personally and professionally).

           My interest has less to do with the role of “alternative medicine” (as compared to the “scientific biomedical model” associated with western perspectives), and rather, more the interest of the belief systems and practices of the martial arts as a potential for enhancing the quality of life as we age in all domains: physical, mental, and spiritual (and very much the totality of all three as integrated). While not all styles of martial arts are necessarily embedded within an “eastern” approach, my approach here is to recognize the diversity of martial arts, while showing the highest respect for the origination of most in the sphere of Asian culture.

            Because I embrace the scientific method, the verification and validation of the ‘truth’, and some good ole fashioned skepticism and Cartesian “doubt”, this is not a blog posting about seeking some magic elixir or potion to obtain immortality; this blog is not about how the martial arts are examples of “anti-aging” (I detest the phrase = anti-aging) or how they can “reverse” the aging process; rather, I see the martial arts as an philosophical and practical example of engaging in the aging process and understanding the essence of life in all phases and stages of life. To some degree, I have found an interesting cross-cultural symmetry between the Roman Stoical approach to the aging process and the nuances of wisdom about “existence” and “the way” in many of the martial arts.

            For example, Michel Foucault (2005) has proposed some interesting insights from both Seneca and Marcus Aurelius on the topic of old age:

“…old age should not be seen merely as a limit in life, any more than it is to be seen as a phase of diminished life. Old age should be considered, rather, as a goal, and as positive goal of existence. We should strive towards old age and not resign ourselves to having it come upon us one day. Old age, with its own forms and values, should orientate the whole course of life. (p. 109).

“…even if we are still young, even if we are adult and still active, with regard to all that we do and all that we are we should have the attitude, behavior, detachment, and accomplishment of someone who has already completed his life. We must live expecting nothing more from our life and, just as the old man is someone who expects nothing more from his life, we must expect nothing from it even when we are young. We must complete our life before death. The expression is found in Seneca’s letter 32: “consummare vitam ante mortem.” We must complete our life before our death, we must fulfill our life before the moment of death arrives, we must achieve perfect satiety of ourselves. “Summa tui satietas”: perfect, complete satiety of yourself.

“Book VIII (Marcus Aurelius): “Keeping your eyes fixed on your task, examine it well and, remembering that you must be an honest man and what nature demands, perform it without a backward glance” (see p. 201).

Now take those representative examples of “western” wisdom and compare to the “eastern” perspective found within the Tao Te Ching (Mitchell, 1988);

Knowing others is intelligence;
Knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
Mastering yourself is true power.

If you realize that you have enough,
You are truly rich.
If you stay in the center
And embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever. (#33)

Or in another example (from Light on Aging and Dying {Wise Words} by Helen Nearing (1995):

          No one can really stop growing old….Since there is no use in fighting against nature one might just as well end with a grand finale of peace and serenity and spiritual contentment and not with the crash of a broken drum or cracked cymbals. Lin Yutang, The Importance of Living, 1937.

So, it is my belief that there is great profit in examining the wisdom from the classical to the modern – and from all cultures – in relation to the process of existence, and aging.

Styles and examples of Martial Arts – and the Art of Aging

            There are many, many variations and “schools” found within the martial arts, for example (and using Black Belt Magazine (www.blackbeltmag.com/styles) as reference point in creating a fairly complete list of “styles”):

Aikido, Aikijujutsu, Bando, Bersilat, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, Catch Wrestling, Chi Kung (qigong), Dim Mak, Haganah, Hapkido, Hsing-i Chuan (xingyiquan), Hwa Rang Do, Iaido, Jeet Kune Do, Judo, Jujutsu, Kalaripayit, Kali, Kapap, Karate, Kendo, Kenpo, Kickboxing, Krav Maga, Kuk Sool, Kung Fu, Lima Lama, Lua, Mixed Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Ninjutsu, Pa Kua Chang, Pentjak Silat, Sambo, Savate, Shuai Chiao, Sumo, Taekwondo, Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan), Tang Soo Do, Wing Chun,Wushu, (and others) –

            And so let me say from the outset, my primary preference leans toward the philosophical practical methods found within the arts of aikido (at least from a gerontological perspective). But I will also examine other approaches and identify exemplary “role models” of aging individuals who lead, follow, and serve as living testimonies to the “practice” of their art. There will include Aikido, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Hapkido, and Tai Chi Chuan. I will finalize this blog posting with some good old fashioned empirical research findings that indicate the positive benefits of practicing the martial arts – and in particular – the advantages of practicing the approach of Tai Chi Chuan.

            Aikido

When contemplating the direction of time and examining our place in the spatial domain, especially in the context of the aging process, we typically think of a linear flow and life unfolding in phases – or stages. While it all makes sense to our prevailing paradigm of the unidirectional movement of energy and objects, the principles of Aikido, challenge that limited view to the experience of life.

With Aikido, there is the centralization of energy – and a center – to all things. There is a spherical and dynamic embrace of life while keeping one point – focused, in harmony, and a balance of the opposites. The practice of the art leads to an inner condition of calm and constant control – and an objectivity to maintain (a meaningful) mental distance with events. With events that swirl about us, we are the calm center and then guiding the unbalanced energy over us, around us, and past us. There is a guiding and a leading of the energy by converging with it – to flow with it – not against it. In the practice, there is the use of circularity and sphere-icity to move and defend and visualize –aggression. The counteraction is a redirection of action and a reframing of the mind.

“We must understand that human life is limited and must develop the modesty that comes from understanding.” – shizen tota -  (see Saotome, 1993).

Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of the Japanese martial art of Aikido, lived to 85 years and has a rich legacy to offer for people of all ages, and I would like to offer a few “gems” from his living philosophy.

Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment.

If your heart is large enough to envelop your adversaries, you can see right through them and avoid their attacks. And once you envelop them, you will be able to guide them along the path indicated to you by heaven and earth.

The body should be triangular, the mind circular. The triangle represents the generation of energy and is the most stable physical posture. The circle symbolizes serenity and perfection, the source of unlimited techniques. The square stands for solidity, the basis of applied control.

http://www.aikido.com

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

My first experience with the practice/style Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was quite by accident. I was participating in some Jeet Kune-Do classes and at the end of one class, a group of people were waiting to use the same large room, and then began their practice. A few of us stayed to see what that was all about. About halfway through, we were invited to join in and get some direct experience “on the mat.” Whatever I had thought I knew and learned (some Judo, some Jeet Kune Do) was crushed in an instant. I was not demoralized, rather, I was in awe – even after being subject to a chokehold that appeared out of nowhere. Done. Tap out. What is this? Where did this come from?

Well – The Man – is Hélio Gracie (born October 1, 1913) and is the co-founder of “Gracie Jiu-Jitsu,” also known as  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). He is a master of the discipline (the grandmaster) and is widely considered as one of the first sports heroes in Brazilian history; he was named Black Belt Magazine’s Man of the Year in 1997. Hélio Gracie celebrated his 95th birthday in 2008. Think about that  - 95 !

When Hélio Gracie was 16 years old, he found the opportunity to teach a Jiu-Jitsu class, and this experience led him to develop Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The Director of the Bank of Brazil, Dr. Mario arrived for class as scheduled. The instructor Carlos was running late and was not present. Hélio offered to begin the class with the man. When the tardy Carlos arrived offering his apologies, the student assured him it was no problem, and actually requested that he be allowed to continue learning with Hélio instead. Carlos agreed to this and Hélio began as an instructor. Hélio realized however, even though he knew the techniques theoretically, in actuality, the moves were much harder to execute. Due to his smaller size, he realized many of the jiu-jitsu moves required brute strength that his physical nature did not allow. He began adapting the moves for his particular physical attributes, and through trial and error learned to maximize leverage, thus minimizing the force that needed to be exerted to execute the move. From these experiments, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, formally Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, was created. Using these new techniques, smaller and weaker opponents gained the capability to defend themselves and even defeat much larger opponents.

Here are a few excerpts (from an interview) from a magazine (http://www.graciemag.com/?c=154&a=2744) that highlighted the thoughts and principles of Helio Gracie. 

Few people get to your age with so much lucidity. Is there a secret formula for that?

The sternness of age makes me see things as right or wrong. With me there’s no halfway, it’s either yes or no. Try from now on not to answer “maybe?” “more or less,?” “who knows? Simply say yes or no, you’ll see how tough it is.

Are you afraid of death?

Death? [Laughter.] Why fear death? I don’t need anything, I don’t have anything, I don’t want anything. I think it’s silly for somebody to be scared of dying. One should be afraid of being born. I have already told my children when I die I want a party, with no alcohol, no hell raising [general laughter]. But I want a party with music, food… I don’t know if you guys believe in reincarnation, but we all go and come back until the day we no longer have to return. My brother [Carlos Gracie, already deceased] used to say the fellow only stops returning to Earth when he mingles with the Whole. Even when you’re thinking just a little bit wrongly, you come back to continue evolving. Hell, my friends, is right here on Earth.

            The art and the practice continue on via The Gracie family. This is also a great example of multigenerational involvement in a rich tradition.

http://www.gracieacademy.com/

http://www.gracieacademy.com/helio_gracie.html

Hapkido

            This is the amazing story of the 61 year-old – Mark Shuey Sr. who took the notion of defensive tactics and the cane to whole new level. I would have never thought a “cane” could be used as a defense tool in such a way.

The very device that one might associate with “disability” or vulnerability or “weakness” turns out to be an effective way to restore confidence and provide self-protection. Mark Shuey holds black belts in Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido and Tang Soo Do, began using the cane in earnest ten years ago. Although he’s trained in all of the major martial arts weapons, he’s completely sold on the merits of the cane. “It’s the most practical weapon a martial artist, or anyone for that matter, can learn,” says Shuey. “What other self-defense tool can you carry on a plane or in a casino? Try getting nunchuka past airport security! And if you think about it, what good is it learning a weapon if you can’t take it anywhere?”  His techniques and the art of using the cane has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal (see “Everybody Is ‘Cane Fu’ Fighting At Senior Centers, So Watch Out Older People Get Healthful Exercise And Learn to Wield a Ready Weapon” -

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121582129325447667.html)

http://www.canemasters.com/

Tai Chi (Taijiquan)

Dr. Jwing-Ming Yang (PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University) and was born in born in 1946 in Republic of China and became an expert in the White Crane Style of Chinese Martial Arts.

He is now 63 years old and one his books present a concise and detailed approach to Shaolin Chin Na (seizing techniques) and the other I want to mention is on Tai Chi Theory and Martial Power. Readers of this blog may also want to review this article as well: Tai Chi (Taijiquan) Theory of Reaching Enlightenment by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, November 12, 2008 (http://www.ymaa.com/articles/reaching-enlightenment).

Dr. Yang further discusses the merits and goals of Tai Chi. Taijiquan was created at the Daoist monasteries on Wudang mountain. The final goal of Daoist spiritual cultivation is to reunite the human spirit with the heaven’s (natural) spirit. To reach this goal, first we must comprehend the meaning of our lives, cherish all living things, search for the mandate of nature, and finally fulfill this mandate. From this, we can see that, though Taijiquan was created as a martial art, it does not mean to destroy or to kill life. On the contrary, it is the tool for us to understand life. From self-understanding and discipline, we learn how to control ourselves and to appreciate life everywhere. Only then can we have a pure and kind heart to understand nature and its mandate. All of these are the required procedures for the unification of human and heaven’s spirit.

            I will briefly review some research articles that examine the intervention potential of Tai Chi for increasing balance, coordination, and reducing falls in the next section.

To summarize this section I will highlight this article from 2004, Martial Arts Defend Against Aging (posted in Aging – (HealthDayNews) –

A new study finds the martial arts to be safe, effective exercise for 40- and 50-somethings.

”If you want to do something that’s fun, different and good for self-defense — and good for long-term self-defense against disease — do the martial arts,” says study author and physical therapist Dr. Peter Douris, of the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, N.Y. His findings appear in the March 25 issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine. For most people, the decision to get fit usually means buying a gym membership or shelling out money for expensive home-exercise equipment. But what about alternative methods, such as practicing the martial arts? 

In their study, Douris’ team examined the overall fitness of 18 individuals between 40 and 60 years of age. Nine of the study participants had been practicing soo bahk do, a Korean martial art similar to karate or tae kwon do, for about three years. The other nine participants maintained a more or less “couch potato” lifestyle. Overall, the soo bahk do devotees “were much more flexible, had more leg strength, less body fat, better aerobic conditioning and better balance” compared to the sedentary study subjects, Douris reports. 

The martial art practitioners had an average 12 percent less body fat than the non-exercisers, the researchers report. They also seemed much stronger — while sedentary types could only muster up 37 sit-ups in a row on average, the soo bahk do practitioners averaged 66 sit-ups before exhaustion set in. The martial arts group also displayed more than double the balancing power of non-exercisers and outperformed the sedentary types when it came to flexibility. 

The study did not compare the benefits of the martial arts to that of gym workouts, running or other fitness options. However, Douris estimates that the average soo bahk do class raises students’ metabolic level — a measurement of changes in the metabolic rate — to about a 10, a level equal to that of jogging. 

And he believes that older individuals, especially women, needn’t be put off by fears they will be injured trying out karate-like sports. “It’s not like ju-jitsu or judo, where you’re doing a lot of flips and throws,” Douris explains. “There isn’t that much of that in soo bahk do. You do fall down when you’re ‘free-sparring,’ but there’s people in the classes that are 60 years old — they get right back up. There’s plenty of women in these classes, too.” 
Dr. Douglas McKeag, a sports medicine expert at Indiana University in Indianapolis, believes the martial arts “are a perfectly acceptable way to boost fitness, certainly in middle age it makes a great deal of sense. The sport is capable of delivering the type of stimulus that the body needs to get in shape.” But he cautions that, as with any new sport, beginners “have to come at it relatively slowly and intelligently.” Douris, 47, has been practicing soo bahk do and tae kwon do since he was a teenager and says he routinely beats competitors half his age in tournaments. He calls the sport “self-defense against aging.” 



Good Old Fashioned Science (evidence-based) meets the  Martial Arts and The Art of Aging

Wolf, S. et al (1999). Reducing frailty and falls in older persons: An investigation of Tai Chi and computerized balance training. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 44(5), 489-497.

The authors concluded that a moderate Tai Chi intervention can impact favorably on defines biomedical and psychosocial indices of frailty and that this intervention can also have favorable effects upon the occurrence of falls.

Li, F. et al. (2005). Tai Chi and Fall Reductions in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 60A (2), 187-194.

The authors found that a 3x per week, 6-month Tai Chi program is effective in decreasing the number of falls, the risk for falling, and the fear of falling, and it improves functional balance and physical performance in physically inactive persons aged 70 years or older.

Lu, W. & Kuo, C. (2006). Comparison of he Effects of Tai Chi Chuan and Wai Tan Kung Exercises on Autonomic Nervous System Modulation and on Homodynamic in Elder Adults. The American Journal of Chinese Medicine, 34(6), 959-968.

TCC and WTK are comparable to each other in terms of their positive effects on autonomic nervous system modulation and hemodynamics, thus suggesting that WTK can be just as beneficial as TCC as a form of low-impact exercise for elderly adults.

Tsang, T., et al (2008). Health benefits of Kung Fu: A systematic review, 26(12), 1294-1297. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26(12), 1249-1267.

The authors found no evidence that Kung Fu is associated with prevention or treatment of any health condition. However, as moderate-to-high intensity form of aerobic exercise, it may confer benefits similar to those attributed to other aerobic training modalities.

Summary: Take it home and put it on your refrigerator message:

            As it stands now, the health benefits of some forms of martial arts (e.g., Tai Chi) for older adults is well-documented especially as it relates positive outcomes in improved balance, motion, and the prevention of falls, and reducing the fear of falling. Several studies have indicated an improvement in some physical indices of well being, but there is more that needs to be done to understand the mental and psychological potential for positive outcomes as well.

            In the long run, and in the long lane of life, stretching and strength, is a worthwhile activity and practice to engage in for overall well being in later life. The older adult role models in the various styles and art forms of the practice of martial arts are many -  and the specific style may be a matter of personal preference, availability of learning opportunity in community, and physical status of the practitioner.

            No one would advocate that the older adult begin from scratch (no experience) and jump right into the Kung Fu “horse stance” for one hour as a way of beginning the path to practice the art.

          Only after an initial traditional physical evaluation (by a medical professional such as Family Practice doctor, Nurse Practitioner, or a Geriatrician) and assessment, there is great potential in the incremental exposure and practice regimen in Tai Chi and some reasonable Yoga sessions.  From there, the older adult “student” may progress and expand into other styles of martial arts. The art of aging well begins with the dedication and self-discipline to practice and follow in the footsteps of the masters who have created a path before us.

You were born in human form, and you find joy in it. Yet there are ten thousand other forms endlessly transforming that are equally good, and the joy in the these is untold. The sage dwells among those things, which can never be lost, and so he lives forever. He willingly accepts early death, old age, the beginning and the end, and serves as an example for everyone. (from Chuang Tsu: Inner Chapters; Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English; Vintage Books; 1974; p. 123

 

(photo: Scott Wright – Portland, OR – Japanese Garden; 2008).

References:

Cruikshank, M. (2003). Learning to be Old: Gender, Culture, and Aging. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.

Donaldson, S. R. The Aging Student of the Martial Arts – “Why Do We Do It?”

http://www.stephenrdonaldson.com/TheAgingStudentoftheMartialArts.pdf

Cole, T. R. & Winkler, M.G.  (1994) (Eds.) The Oxford Book of Aging: Reflections on the journey of life. New York: Oxford University Press.

Gleason, W. (1995). The Spiritual Foundations of Aikido. Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books.

Gracie, H. and Gracie, R. ((2007). Gracie Submission Essentials: Grandmaster and Master Secrets of Finishing a Fight. Montpelier, Vermont.  Invisible Cities Press.

Mitchell, S. (2006). Tao Te Ching (A new English version). New York: HarperPerennial (Modern Classics.

Cole, T. R. (1992). The Journey of Life: A Cultural History of Aging in America. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Foucault, M. (2005). The hermeneutics of the subject: Lectures at the College de France, 1981-1982. Palgrave: New York.

Nearing, H. (1995). Light on Aging and Dying {Wise Words}. Tilbury House, Gardiner, Maine.

Kim, S. H. (1999). Martial Arts After 40. Turtle Press.

Westbrook A. & Ratti, O. (1996). Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere. Charles E. Tuttle Co. Rutland Vermont.

Saotome, M. (1993). Aikido and the Harmony of Nature. Boston: Shambhala.