Yawning While Exercising

by Neil Anderson

Yeah, we see you over there.  Yawning.  Acting all bored.  Like today's workout is simply a breeze and you can't understand why the rest of us are hacking and puking and gasping for air.  What...these workouts not TOUGH enough for you???

HA!  Just messin with you.

We all do it.  Yawn, that is.  Especially during exercise.  

No one really knows why, but exercise and other stressful situations can induce yawning attacks.  Professional runners, bikers, even swimmers have been known to stop and even pull out of events due to excessive yawning attacks.  Just couldn't go on due to too much yawning.  Can you imagine?  

One of the things we do know about yawning is that it isn't due to your body not getting enough oxygen.  That is an old wives tale.  It used to be thought that yawning was your body's way of opening unused air sacks deep within the lungs, which were supposedly closed due to periods of inactivity.  Yawning was supposed to expand your chest cavity making it possible to take in more air and open these sacks.  The problem with this logic is that researchers found that yawning didn't improve physical capacity (a marker of improved oxygenation) after 1, or several yawns.  They also learned that even while a patient was confined to breathing 100% oxygen - they still yawned!  

So, why do we do it?  Some argue that it is due to our natural impulse to improve posture and stretch muscles in our chest cavities.  Some say it is our way of relieving tension in our jaw and neck.  Some think it is a long since abandoned human manifestation of dominance.  That's why hippos, lions and apes are thought to do it.  Some say the opposite.  They say that humans may yawn as a sign of submission.  It is a behavior observed in dogs.  No one really has the answer to why we yawn.  

What we do know is that excessive yawning can be a sign of very serious health problems (sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, heart defect).  You should see your doc if you yawn more than 3x per minute for several hours in a row for several days in a row. 

The other thing we know is that people have more yawning attacks when they are over-stressed, over-stimulated and/or over-tired.  I would argue that if you don't become one, or ALL THREE of these things before, during or after a GPP workout - you aren't human.  In that case, these workouts are too simple for you and you probably ARE bored.  If this is, or ever becomes case, then take it from us - you are fit enough.  You may stop now.  

T.V. Kills?

I hate "Associative" studies like the one below.  By this logic READING would also cause disease and death. So would breathing, drinking and eating.  And hold up a sec...did they EVEN take into consideration the hours people spend watching T.V. while exercising?  

It is too easy to pick on television.  Since it's inception it has been the default whipping child for EVERYTHING that ails Americans.  If your child misbehaves - blame T.V.  If someone commits a crime - blame T.V.  Now, when people become unhealthy - BLAME T.V. 

I like T.V.  I always have.  I think it is a powerful force for good in society.  Many of the best things I have ever discovered were due to a show I watched on T.V. (Discovery Channel, History Channel).  I believe my sense of humor (sketchy as it is) evolved from classic shows like Tom & Jerry and Cheers.  In fact, were it not for T.V. shows like (Warner Brothers) Bugs Bunny & Road Runner I would have no exposure to classical music (Wagner, Beethoven) AT ALL.  

T.V. harmful? I think NOT!  T.V. doesn't make people unhealthy.  Unhealthy lifestyles make people unhealthy.  I say, sit down and enjoy.  Just make sure you are eating right and smacking down on some daily GPP.    -Neil

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Extensive Television Watching Linked With Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Death

CHICAGO—In an analysis of data from several studies, watching television for 2-3 hours per day or more was associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease and all-cause death, according to a study in the June 15 issue of JAMA.

Television (TV) viewing is the most commonly reported daily activity apart from working and sleeping in many populations around the world. In the United States, the average number of daily hours of TV viewing has recently been reported to be 5 hours. "Beyond altering energy expenditure by displacing time spent on physical activities, TV viewing is associated with unhealthy eating (e.g., higher intake of fried foods, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages and lower intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) in both children and adults," according to background information in the article. "Physical inactivity, various dietary factors, and smoking are well-established independent risk factors of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. Because TV viewing is the most prevalent and pervasive sedentary behavior, there is a great deal of interest in quantifying its independent association with health outcomes. However, a systematic and quantitative assessment of published studies is not available."

Anders Grontved, M.P.H., M.Sc., of the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, and Frank B. Hu, M.D., Ph.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, conducted a meta-analysis to summarize data from published prospective cohort studies on the association between TV viewing and the incidence of type 2 diabetes, nonfatal or fatal cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. The researchers performed a search of the medical literature for relevant studies from 1970 to March 2011 and identified 8 studies that met criteria for inclusion in the analysis.

For type 2 diabetes (4 studies), the total number of individuals was 175,938 with 6,428 incident cases during an average follow-up of 8.5 years. For fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease (4 studies), the total number of individuals was 34,253 with 1,052 incident cases during an average follow-up of 10.4 years; and for all-cause mortality (3 studies), the total number of individuals was 26,509 with 1,879 deaths during an average follow-up duration of 6.8 years.

An analysis of data indicated that per 2 hours of TV viewing time per day was associated with a 20 percent higher risk for type 2 diabetes; a 15 percent increased risk for fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease; and a 13 percent higher risk for all-cause mortality. "While the associations between time spent viewing TV and risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease were linear, the risk of all-cause mortality appeared to increase with TV viewing duration of greater than 3 hours per day," the authors write.

Based on incidence rates in the United States, the researchers estimated that the absolute risk difference (cases per 100,000 individuals per year) per 2 hours of TV viewing per day was 176 for type 2 diabetes, 38 for fatal cardiovascular disease, and 104 for all-cause mortality.

"It is biologically plausible that prolonged TV viewing is associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. Numerous prospective studies have reported associations of TV viewing with biological risk factors for these outcomes including obesity, adverse lipid levels, and clustered cardiovascular risk; however, some studies did not report these associations. Furthermore, associations of sedentary behaviors analogous to TV viewing (e.g., sitting during work or while driving) with type 2 diabetes, fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality have been reported in cohort studies," the authors write.

"Additional research quantifying the mediating influence of diet and physical inactivity is warranted. Future research also should assess the association of prolonged daily use of new media devices on energy balance and chronic disease risk."
(JAMA 2011;305[23]2448-2455. Available pre-embargo to the media at www.jamamedia.org)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

For more information, contact JAMA/Archives media relations at 312/464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail mediarelations@jama-archives.org.

The Subjective Norm, TPB & Your Health

by Neil Anderson

The TPB, The Subjective Norm and Your Health

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) - Developed in 1985 by University of Massachusetts psychologist Icek Ajzen.  It suggests that if you want to change your behavior for the better, you'll be more successful if you attach tangible goal.  

The Subjective Norm - The thought that participating in the behavior of those deemed important in your life is most acceptable.  If you believe other people (especially those closest to you) are supportive of your behavior (i.e. exercise) you will be more successful continuing the behavior. 

Your Health - Is more likely to be improved, in part,  by combining the above principles.  GPP suggests entering an active event (5k, 10k, half, Dirty Dash, cycling tour, etc.) with friends.