Better bone health with exercise if you’re obese

Q: I’ve been exercising regularly for years, and my friend, who I used to run with wants to get back into it. But I think her excess weight is keeping her on the sidelines. What can I tell her to get her back out there? – Kerry Q., Austin, Texas

A: A new study has uncovered information that should inspire her. It seems that people who are obese and get back to, or start, exercising build stronger bones by burning fat that’s accumulated in their bone marrow. (Who knew you could have fat bones?)

Researchers from University of North Carolina School of Medicine have found that when obese people start exercising, the bone marrow fat they burn not only improves the strength, quality and even quantity of their bones but it happens pretty quickly. They can see measurable results in weeks.

For more inspiration, remind your friend about how she used to enjoy exercising. She has the memories, so she knows how good exercise can make her feel.

Also, tell her that there’s research proving there’s a link between regular exercise and stress reduction, easing of depression and happiness. And she’ll be helping you stick with it if she joins you.

While that is true for everybody, research shows that focusing on exercise that makes you happy is especially motivating for women – and helps them keep exercising. Misguided motivation (“I am exercising because I should, and it is virtuous”) is why 67 per cent of gym memberships are never used – even once.

So help your friend pick out a new set of really good running/walking shoes; get her doing pre-workout stretches with you; then start out slowly. Mix up what you try – maybe interval walking and a back-tothe-beginning yoga class. Help your friend re-find the fun in working out.

Tip: So you don’t cut back on your regular exercise routine, do part or all of you usual workout before joining your friend as a workout buddy.

Q: I hear there’s a new noninvasive electronic brain stimulation that can make your short-term memory sharper. Is that true? – Chris H., Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

A: You’re referring to transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and it’s actually been around in some form for about 55 years. Dr. Mike (an anesthesiologist) points out that it was tested for and used for anesthesia in the 1960s. Dr. Oz reported in 2012 how one precursor to the current system, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), could be effective in treating depression. Several other studies suggest that it may be valuable for treating anxiety and for short-term relief from symptoms of stroke, Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain.

However, there’s been no documentation that these therapies have any lasting effect.

You can buy these devices on Amazon for between $100 and $200 depending on how many accessories you want and how much time you want to put into the therapy. So here’s what we know about these devices so far:

1. tDCS is a noninvasive, painless, brain stimulation treatment: You put two electrodes over your cranium and, using an electronic stimulator, dial in electrical currents to specific parts of your brain. Some devices are cleared by the Food and Drug Administration; some are not. The tested ones have been found to be free of any intermediate-term side effects.

2. What has been well-established – Dr. Oz also reported on this back in 2012 – is that transcranial stimulation can, at least temporarily, improve blood flow throughout the brain. That could explain a lot of its apparent benefits right there, and might account for any cognitive boost.

3. As one handbook puts it: “Transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation techniques encompass a broad physical variety of stimuli, ranging from static magnetic fields or direct current stimulation to pulsed magnetic or alternating current stimulation with an almost infinite number of possible stimulus parameters.”

That said, your caveat is that an infinite number of (unregulated and perhaps misleading) marketing opportunities are possible, as well. We say: Buyer beware.