The following forms of exercise have been shown to burn a significant number of calories in only a 30-minute period. The figures are calculated for a 130-pound woman.

Aerobic Exercise (intense)———Calories Expended Badminton———360 Bowling———300 Cleaning windows———240-300 Cross-country skiing———252 (walking speed) Cycling———420 Cycling (9.4 mph)———177 Downhill skiing———600 Golf, pulling cart———300 Handball or squash———660 Ice or roller skating———400 Jogging (5 mph)———480 Paddleball———600

Aerobic Exercise (intense)———Calories Expended Rowing machine———210 Running (8-minute mile)———375 Scrubbing floors———360 Sitting, conversing———72-84 Stair climbing———285 (moderate pace) Step aerobics (6-inch step)———175 Step aerobics (8-inch step) ———208 Strength training (free weights)———150 Swimming (crawl)———228 Table tennis———360 Tennis, singles———480 Volleyball———400 Walking (on pavement)———141 Walking (treadmill at 3 mph)———132 Walking (2 mph) ———120-150 Water skiing———480

Exercise Helps Maintain Joint Flexibility. Joint flexibility is also a special concern of the elderly because the aging process gradually diminishes the amount of fluid in the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis, the most common disorder of the joints, is caused by inflammation of the lining of the synovial capsule (the fiber tissue surrounding bones and cartilage). Exercises for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers help maintain cartilage, mineralize underlying bone, strengthen shock-absorbing muscles and ligaments around joints, and increase joint flexibility. Several new programs at the University of Michigan Medical Center, for example, suggest that weight lifting in water helps distribute synovial fluid around the cartilage and throughout entire joint spaces.

Exercise Reduces Depression and Negative Moods. With aging, a reduced cerebral blood flow causes a depletion of neurotransmitters (biochemicals in the brain that send instructions from neuron to neuron), which may affect memory, attention span, concentration, and learning function. The neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine require oxygen for their synthesis and metabolism, and regular endurance exercise is an excellent way to supply this oxygen to the brain.

Depression is linked to disturbances in these neurotransmitter levels–a major reason why aerobic exercise is now being prescribed for depressed patients. The mood improvement experienced after vigorous exercise may also be related to a better biochemical balance in the brain.

Exercises which require the least expenditure of energy produce the least amount of change on depression and mood levels. Any exercise to lower depression must be progressive because people who start with high intensity workouts are most likely to quit and therefore will not realize the benefits of exercise.

Matthew Mishr

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