The key to an improved diet is that your engine runs better with good fuel in the tank. That means we feel better, sleep better, and perform better – Metro Newspaper Service
A few months ago, while reading through one of my monthly PT journals, I saw a continuing education course offered for Lifestyle Medicine. Intrigued, I read the course description and found it closely describes my monthly columns for the past six years. Healthcare has come a long way in recognizing the importance of how we feel and how it can affect our bodies. People we communicate with regularly, what we eat and drink, and how we sleep are some pillars associated with Lifestyle Medicine.
Physical Therapists who work with aging adults (that’s every clinic in town) see the effects of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, respiratory disease, and neurological conditions. These are noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and they develop over a lifetime. They are primarily caused by behaviors such as inactivity, smoking, poor eating patterns, and, as a result of many of these issues, excessive body weight. Data in the Health, United States 2019 Report shows that of people over the age of 65, 77% have hypertension, 35% of men and 24% of women have heart disease, almost 20% report a history of cancer, and close to 30% have diabetes. Integrating Lifestyle Medicine into PT practice provides a path to improve our society’s health and wellness and coach our clients to make meaningful and lasting changes in their health.
Lifestyle medicine is the evidence-based practice of helping people adopt and sustain healthy behaviors that affect health and quality of life. Lifestyle medicine promotes whole food, plant-predominate dietary lifestyle, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection as a primary therapeutic modality for treating and reversing chronic disease. Hearing this description of Lifestyle Medicine, you can see how it complements traditional medical practice and is not a standalone type of practice or a form of alternative medicine.
The evidence of a healthy lifestyle is indisputable. Here is some evidence to support a healthy lifestyle. In 1990, a study showed that a one-year low-fat vegetarian diet, smoking cessation, stress management, and physical activity led to a regression of coronary atherosclerosis disease. To date, thousands of studies are growing on the benefits of improved lifestyle choices creating positive health effects.
The Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
Lifestyle medicine has six pillars that healthcare professional should address with their patients. No one pillar is more important than the other. Dr. Michael Puthoff, PT, PhD, and Nola Peacock, PT, DSc published a paper titled, Integrating Lifestyle Medicine into Physical Therapy for the Ageing Adult, in GeriNotes, May 2022. The information below is an overview of that article.
Exercise / Physical Activity: In my column (Jun. 2023, How to get younger next year), I wrote about getting healthier and, therefore, younger the following year if you exercise regularly. The book described countless facts that daily exercise (four days a week of aerobic exercises and two days a week of strength training) was the key to slowing down aging and reversing some heart-related diseases. How to integrate into practice: For adults, you need 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly plus two days of muscle-strengthening activity.
Nutrition: This speaks for itself. The key to an improved diet is that our engine runs better with good fuel in the tank. That means we feel better, sleep better, and perform better. Healthy diets are also critical in improving the signs and symptoms of / eliminating many diseases like diabetes. A good rule of thumb is to eat foods with a short shelf life. That will be all your fruits and vegetables. Avoid boxed foods with a long shelf life as they have more preservatives to keep them “fresh” longer. For more information on nutrition and a healthy body, see my November 2019 column “ What Your ‘Gut Feeling’ Might Be Telling You. How to integrate into practice: A focus on predominantly whole, plant-based foods that are fiber-filled, nutrient-dense, health-promoting, and disease-fighting. Examples of the eating patterns that meet this criterion are Mediterranean, Nordic, Flexitarian (a semi-vegetarian diet centered on plant foods with limited inclusion of meat), and vegetarian diets.
Sleep: Sleep is our reset/recovery time. The lack of sleep can be devastating if we don’t sleep well. Dozens of chronic pain dysfunctions are associated with poor sleep. (See January 2019 column, Sleep health and the science behind a good night’s sleep). Integrating into practice: Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep daily.
Social Connection: In my October 2023 column, ‘Loneliness and your Health,’ I wrote about the need for social connection. Having meaningful social connections with family and friends can add years to your life. How to integrate into practice: Work towards obtaining healthy relationships with others for emotional resiliency and overall health.
Stress management: In January 2023, I wrote, ‘Can mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) relieve back pain.’ This article reviews the literature and supports using either an inwardly focused (meditation) or outwardly / exercise-focused method (a movement therapy like walking, running, cycling, or dancing) to relieve stress. How to integrate into practice: Practice a form of stress reduction that works for you regularly.
Substance abuse: Having 1 – 2 drinks a couple nights a week can be what many of us feel is a safe and social activity if shared with others. However, keep this in check and ask your healthcare provider about your usage. The CDC has a comprehensive site to help anyone assess their drinking habits. Avoid addictive substances that increase the risk for many cancers and heart diseases. Primarily focused on nicotine, excessive alcohol, and other drugs.
Now that you have seen how Lifestyle Medicine is steeped in evidence-based healthcare and that your primary care physician (PCP), Nurse practitioner, Nutritionist, Physical Therapist, Chiropractor, or any other licensed healthcare provider can help you to make improved lifestyle choices, you can live a healthy and active lifestyle well into your late eighties and possibly nineties.
Source: The Union
