By Stefan Bechtel - Prevention Magazine, Magazine, February 1983 Shown to help fight high bloo pre!!ure, "r Broino #iveloff$! !i%ple e&erci!e progra% %ay even 'eep age at bay( ---------------------------)hat %anner of bea!t, the Sphin& Sp hin& a!'e *eipu!, wal'! fir!t on four leg!, then o n two, then on three+ *eipu!, the ree' hero of legen, finally ca%e up with the an!wer( t wa! %an hi%!elf who began life creeping on all four!, later learne to wal' upright on two leg! an uring hi! eclining ay! hobble along on a thir leg, hi! cane( .he ol rile i! a clever one( But life i!n$t really that !i%ple or certain( /ot everyone i! e!tine to beco%e a 0three-legge0 per!on !o%e carry on to the la!t un!upporte by anything but their own vitality an ze!t for life( 2n %eical etective!, probing the eep %y!terie! of hu%an aging, have begun to !how that %any %ore of u! coul hol bac' the 0inevitable0 ecline of ol age( t ruin! the rile, but it$! terrific new!( ow oe! a per!on ta'e action again!t age+ .here are %any way!, but one ta'e! le!! than a %inute a ay, co!t! nothing an can be learne al%o!t in!tantly( t$! been !hown to help fight high bloo pre!!ure, the %a4or ri!' factor for heart attac'!, !tro'e an 'iney i!ea!e, an now it! inventor believe! it can al!o retar aging by the !a%e %echani!%( 0.here are thou!an! of theorie! of again,0 !ay! Broino #iveloff, M("(, a!!ociate chief of rehabilitation %eicine at the /ew 5or' 5or' nfir%ary nfir%ary - Bee'%an Bee' %an "owntown o!pital( 0.hi! i! a new one-the be!t one60 "r( #iveloff #iveloff hi%!elf i! a te!ta%ent to the %etho he$! been practicing aily for the pa!t 18 year!( .hough he won$t !ay how ol he i!, he will !ay he$! been practicing %eicine for 77 year!( 2n hi! grip i! !till fir%, hi! !'in harly wrin'le, hi! %in uic' an !ure( 2! a : year-ol painter who$! al!o been practicing the %etho put! it; 0*ne feel! !o %uch %ore energetic - you feel a !urge of energy i%%eiately, i%%eiately, al%o!t li'e 4u%ping off the floor60 )hat are they oing+
ollege, who beca%e the co-eveloper of the techniue( 2%ong the fir!t patient! "r!( #iveloff an uber treate were !everal !uffering fro% inter%ittent clauication, li%ping or !erver pain in the leg! when wal'ing( .heir pain cau!e by con!triction of the tiny arterie! in the li%b!, at the far ege! of the va!cular !y!te%( .o help increa!e the peripheral circulation through the!e be! of !%all ve!!el!, the octor! evi!e a !y!te% of brief, aily i!o%etric e&erci!e!, which earlier re!earch
!ugge!te %ight o the tric'( ?!o%etric or !tatic e&erci!e %ean! %u!cle ten!ion without %ove%ent !uch a! pre!!ing your ar% again!t a oorfra%e(@ *ne early patient wa! year!-ol fe%ale octor who wa! an avi hi'er hill cli%ber until inter%ittent clauication brought her hi'e! to an ab rupt halt( She coul wal' no further than one or two bloc'! without pain( *n e&a%ination, the octor! foun !he ha a hi!tory of coronary i!ea!e an high bloo pre!!ure( .hey put her on their i!o%etric! progra%, an after a few wee'! her pain while wal'ing began to graually fae away it eventually i!appeare co%pletely( But !o%ething el!e happene, too; er bloo pre!!ure fell fro% 18=A9= to 17=A:( ?.he fir!t figure i! the !y!tolic pre!!ure, or the heart$! contracting pha!e the !econ figure i! the ia!tolic pre!!ure, or rela&ing pha!e( /or%al bloo pre!!ure for a healthy young ault i! 1=A=(@ C&ploring further, the re!earcher! foun that i!o%etric e&erci!e rai!e the te%perature in the han! - inicating that peripheral circulation wa! inee being increa!e( They even found that it could reverse the constriction of arteries caused by smoking ( ------------------!o%etric e&erci!e! fight age by i%proving peripheral circulation, "r( #iveloff %aintain!( 2l!o, he !ay!, $t %a'e! people happy($ -------------------
'Enemy Number One' >oul thi! techniue al!o be a !afe reliable way of lowering high bloo pre!!ure for the %ore than = %illion 2%erican! who !uffer fro% it+ 0Cne%y nu%ber one,0 a! "r #eveloff refer! to hyperten!ion, i! often the gri% prelue to heart i!ea!e - the leaing cau!e of eath in the Dnite State!( "r!( #iveloff an uber e!igne a !tuy to te!t their i!o%etric! progra% on volunteer!( Seven of the% ha nor%al bloo pre!!ure, an 17 were hyperten!ive( Seven of the 17 hyperten!ive! were al!o ta'ing rug! to help control their pre!!ure( /ot !urpri!ingly, while actually oing the e&erci!e! all the volunteer! !howe an increa!e in heart rate an bloo pre!!ure( But after five to eight wee'! of regular aily i!o%etric!, bloo pre!!ure roppe !ignificantly a%ong the hyperten!ive volunteer!( .he eight hyperten!ive people who were not ta'ing any rug! regi!tere rop! in !y!tolic pre!!ure of fro% 13 to 7 percent an ia!tolic pre!!ure roppe to percent( .he five people who 'ept on ta'ing their %eication while they i the e&erci!e! e&perience !%aller ecline!; Sy!tolic pre!!ure went own 3 to 18 percent, ia!tolic roppe to 17 percent( .wo of the !tuy !ub4ect! i the e&erci!e! in!tea of ta'ing their %eication( For the%, bloo pre!!ure roppe own to nor%al an !taye there( .he !even !ub4ect! with
nor%al bloo pre!!ure were unaffecte by the e&erci!e! ?Eournal of 2%erican eriatric! Society, "ece%ber, 191@( .here were !o%e 0free bonu!e!0 to the progra% a! well; Many of the volunteer! reporte that they felt fitter, %ore energetic an notice i%prove%ent! in their po!ture, %u!cle tone an general appearance( So have %any of the hunre! of people who$ve written "r( #iveloff about their !ucce!! with the progra%, a! he$! gone about 0!preaing the wor0 through %eical 4ournal! an the lay pre!! over the pa!t 1= year!( *ne %an we tal'e to that been re!tricte to a !alt-free iet an p ut on %eication after hi! octor i!covere hi! bloo pre!!ure wa! 1:=A97( Cvery three %onth! for the pa!t !even year!, he ha to go to the octor for bloo te!t! an other chec'up! on hi! progre!!( But after five to eight wee'! of i!o%etric!, hi! pre!!ure fell to 1=A8= an he i!continue the %eication ?though he !till avoi! !alt, he !ay!, becau!e he learne to li'e the ta!te of !altle!! foo@( 0t$! !o %uch %ore wonerful than ta'ing %eication,0 he tol u!( 05ou have to go to the octor only when want to60 2n e&ecutive nearing :7 tol u! he han$t %i!!e a !ingle ay of i!o%etric! !ince he !tarte !even year! ago, an hi! bloo pre!!ure ha! !taye at 13=A= ?own fro% 187A1=7@( 0$% in awfully goo !hape, fit an fle&ible, an thi! i! the only regular e&erci!e get,0 he tol Prevention Magazine( 2 iabetic ho!pital technician !tarte the e&erci!e! 1 year! ago after i!covering her bloo pre!!ure wa! up to 197A9=( t roppe to 1=A= in !hort orer, !he tol u!, an toay ? at the age of 7:@ it$! !till there( 0.he e&erci!e! have really, really helpe %e, but they$re the 'in of thing! you have to 'eep oing every ay(
Here's how you do it: G Stan in a rela&e po!ition, ar%! hanging loo!e( "on$t clench your fi!t! or ben your elbow! or 4oint!( G .en!e all your %u!cle! at the !a%e ti%e a! tightly a! po!!ible, while breathing nor%ally an counting alou to !i&( 5ou %ight try ten!ing each %u!cle group !eparately -- leg!,
ar%! che!t, abo%en, face -- an then try ten!ing the% all at once( )hen you o, you !houl feel an i%%eiate !urge of war%th all over your boy( G Hela& an re!t for a few !econ!( G Hepeat the e&erci!e twice %ore( G "o thi! three ti%e! a ay ?try %orning, noon an night@( 2n that$! all there i! to it( "r( #iveloff tol u! he$! begun oing the e&erci!e! four or five ti%e! a ay for ae benefit( 2n, he ae, though the original !tuy wa! on e with people e&erci!ing in a !taning po!ition, it can be one !itting or even lying own( enerally, he !ay!, it ta'e! !i& to eight wee'! to prouce a !ignificant rop in bloo pre!!ure ?if your pre!!ure i! elevate to begin with@, with the long-ter% benefit! growing over ti%e( ?f you are pre!ently uner a octor$! care for high bloo pre!!ure, you !hou l con!ult your octor before i!continuing any %eication! or beginning an e&erci!e progra%(@
Taking Up Arms Against Age But what oe! thi! have to o with aging+ Cverything in the worl, "r( #iveloff %aintain!( e e&plain! hi! theory thi! way; 0.he h u%an boy i! li'e a plant( )hen there i! not enough %oi!ture it wither! when the b loo !upply to the boy ti!!ue! an vital organ! i! i%paire a lo!! of vitality, early aging an cariova!cular i!ea!e! follow(0 So aging i! a proce!! that begin! with i%paire circulation, a con!triction of the ve!!el! that !upply o&ygen an nutrient! to ti!!ue! an organ! an carry off wa!te( 2 per!on$! age, he a!, i! not !o%ething that$! eter%ine by the calenar( 0.he %ain cau!e of early eath--cariova!cular an cerebrova!cular ecline--can !et at any age,0 he !ay!( >rucial to a healthy cariova!cular !y!te% i! goo peripheral circulation( n fact, bloo pre!!ure i! irectly relate to peripheral circulation, !ince the greater the re!i!tance to bloo flow through tho!e tiny, far-flung ve!!el!, the harer the heart ha! to pu%p to pu!h the bloo through, an the higher your bloo pre!!ure( .he proce!! 'nown a! 0cariova!cular aaptation0--or the way a race get! ea!ier the longer you train for it--i! largely a %atter of i%prove peripheral circulation, "r( #iveloff !ay!( 2 !oun cariova!cular !y!te% al!o reuire! aeuate re!erve! of bloo properly i!tribute through the boy, he !ay!( /or%ally the %u!cle! !tore !o%e = to 7= percent of the boy$! total !upply( 5et aging affect! bloo-!toring %u!cle fiber, replacing it with connective ti!!ue, which can$t !tore bloo nearly a! well( !o%etric!, "r( #iveloff %aintain!, attac'! all the!e proble%! at once( t$! been !hown to ra%atically an reliably i%prove peripheral circulation( t i%prove! an %aintain! %u!cle tone an %u!cle bul', elaying the conver!ion of %u!cle fiber to connective
ti!!ue an thu! protecting the proper balance of bloo re!erve! though the boy( 2n it chec'! the !teay upwar creep in bloo pre!!ure that u!ually acco%panie! age, which can lea to !eriou! an often fatal co%plication!( 2long the way, "r( #iveloff !ay!, you ta'e up ar%! again!t again other wa y!; oo peripheral circulation help! prevent wrin'le, for e&a%ple( %prove po!ture ai! your overall health an fight! off one of the cla!!ic !ign! of age; !toope !houler!( 2n enhance !en!e of well-being !o %any people report goe! a long way towar 'eeping a youthful !pring in your !tep( "r( #iveloff tol Prevention Magazine hi! original !tuy ha! nev er been !eriou!ly challenge by other re!earcher!( 5et !urpri!ingly little aitional wor' ha! been one to clarify or confir% it( *ne recent "ani!h !tuy !ee%! to !upport hi! wor', however( *ver a perio of nine wee'!, nine healthy %en perfor%e i!o%etric e&erci!e! ?'nee e&ten!ion!@ while their bloo pre!!ure an heart rate were %onitore( 2t the en of the !tuy perio, two %inute! of i!o%etric! prouce a lower heart an bloo pre!!ure than it ha at the beginning of the !tuy ?2%erican Eournal >ariology, February, 199@( "yna%ic or %oving e&erci!e! !uch a! 4ogging al!o0 generally have favorable effect on bloo pre!!ure,0 accoring to owar artley, M("(, irector of cariac rehabilitation at Brigha% an )o%en$! o!pital, in Bo!ton( "r( artley tol Prevention Magazine that in hi! own !tuie! of people with hyperten!ion, a ecline in bloo pre!!ure occurre after !everal wee'! of 4ogging( 0enerally !pea'ing,0 he tol u!, 0the higher the re!ting bloo pre!!ure, the greater the re!pon!e to conitioning(0 2!'e about the lac' of follow-up !tuie! on "r( #iveloff$! wor', "r( artley !ai, 0.here$! not a lot of enthu!ia!% a%ong octor! about reco%%ening i!o%etric! to people who are prone to coronary i!ea!e, becau!e it ha! the potential for being very !tre!!ful e&erci!e(0 5et "r( #iveloff %aintain! that he$! !een no !ie effect!--!uch a! irregular heartbeat!, izzine!! or i!co%fort--in anyone oing the e&erci!e! properly( n fact, he point! out a !tuy of 1= patient! with 'nown or !u!pecte coronary artery i!ea!e conclue that i!o%etric e&erci!e alone i! %uch le!! li'ely to prouce %yocarial i!che%ia ?!hortage of bloo to the heart@ than vigorou! yna%ic e&erci!e ? Chest, 2pril , 197@( n hi! office at the rehabilitation center at the /ew 5or' nfir%ary, "r( #iveloff lean! bac' in hi! chair( "e!pite all the publicity, he tell! a vi!itor, he$ never %ae a penny for hi! i!o%etric! progra% e&cept the pay%ent for one %agazine article( )hy oe! he go on teaching an tal'ing about it, e!pite the lac' of financial rewar an !o%e re!i!tance fro% the %eical co%%unity+ .he vi!itor a!'!( 0Becau!e it %a'e! p eople happy, you 'now(0 2n then he !%ile!(
