Costa Mesa Chiropractor Weekly health Alerts:

Exercising slows many of the degenerative issues that result from aging. This definitely seems to be the consequence of modifications in several different biological processes and systems — exercising in fact adjusts the operation of your metabolism, making it work better.

There are a number of proposed mechanisms for the effects of exercise, including:

 * The induction of heat shock proteins
 * Boost in cardiac antioxidant capacity
 * Expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins
 * Anatomical and physiological alterations in the coronary arteries
 * Modifications to nitric oxide production
 * Adaptational changes in cardiac mitochondria
 * Improved autophagy
 * Improved function of sarcolemmal and/or mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels

Costa Mesa chiropractic Weekly health Alert:

Hit the sack an hour earlier before switching to daylight saving time this weekend, expert says. Worried that your sleep patterns will be disrupted when the clocks move ahead sixty minutes this weekend? The secret is getting enough sleep in advance, says one sleep expert. First, be certain you’re well rested before the switch to daylight savings time on March 13, advises Dr. Aparajitha Verma, medical director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston.

One method to do that is to start changing your sleep habits in the days before the time change; one example is, start getting up and going to sleep 1 hour earlier, Verma said.

You can also take a nap on Sunday afternoon if you feel you need to and you have enough time. But avoid napping within a few hours of your regular bedtime because that can disrupt your nighttime sleep, she added.

As you try to adapt to the time change, keep in mind that certain persistent problems may indicate a more serious sleeping disorder. Included in this are: remaining awake after 30 minutes of trying to go to sleep; excessive daytime sleepiness; or sleeping for seven or even more hours and waking up tired.

If you experience such problems, you may want to consider participating in an overnight study at an accredited sleep study center. Verma suggested.

More information

SOURCE: Methodist Neurological Institute, news release, March 7, 2011