Why Mayo Clinic is a power user of social media: "Our patients are doing it, so this is where we need to be"

Mayo Clinic's first-ever Social Media Residency took place October 20-21, 2011. At the end of the first day, the attendees went out on a video interview assignment. Check out some of the videos they returned with.

The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered

The Mayo Clinic CEO, John Noseworthy, M.D., pointed out recently that Mayo intends to be the leader in social media in healthcare but this is not about competitive advantage, it is about the patient. The best interest of the patient is the only interest to be considered. Social media makes the union of forces more broadly practical than at any time in human history.

Social Media and Medicine is a Good Marriage, says Mayo Clinic director for social media: We're judged more by how well we listen, than by what we say (http://goo.gl/0ECin).

If you work for Mayo Clinic, social media is not an option, it's a job requirement http://bit.ly/IHf3lM - Others will follow.

References:

Social media in medicine: How to be a Twitter superstar and help your patients and your practice

How to Exercise WHILE Blogging or Doing Other Computer Work

The exercises below have been adapted from a ProBlogger post. Most of the names have been modeled after popular social media services such as Twitter, RSS, Blogger, etc.

1. Cyber Squats. Set your chair aside for a few minutes and instead move to a semi-squat position with thighs parallel to the floor. Hold for 1 minute.

2. RSS Raises. As you’re sitting at your desk, straighten your knees and lift your legs out in front of you.

3. Ten Minute "Move it!" Break. Alternate jogging in place with jumping jacks – do a minute of each and repeat 5 times.

4. Twitter Tummy Tone. Tighten your abdominal muscles for 30 seconds and then release.

5. Social Squeezes. Tighten your gluteal muscles for 30 seconds and then release.

6. Ten Minute "Move it!" Break. Grab a step stool and climb up and down.

7. Inbox Incline. While you’re sitting with your feet on the floor, raise your heels so you are on the balls of your feet and lower them.

8. Ten Minute "Move it!" Break. Do walking lunges around the house. You can add some weights and do bicep curls at the same time.

9. Blogger Breather. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Count to 10 as you slowly inhale through your nose, thinking positive thoughts. Exhale through your mouth, again counting to 10. Release all the tension and stress out of your body.

10. Sign Off Stretches. Shoulder shrugs – with your head at your chest, shrug your shoulders up and down. Neck Rolls – relax your shoulders and let your head roll forward. Slowly rotate your head in a circle. Repeat five times.

How to stay healthy while traveling: This is a mnemonic for exercises that can be done with just body weight: PLSS

P ushups
S itups
L unges
S quats


Exercises that can be done with just body weight: PLSS.

Exercise slows telomere shortening (and aging). Telomeres are the chromosome tips which shorten each time a cell divides, making them a possible marker of aging. A study of 2400 twins showed that physically active people had longer telomeres than sedentary people. According to the authors, this provides a powerful message that could be used by clinicians to promote the potentially antiaging effect of regular exercise.


Human chromosomes (grey) capped by telomeres (white). Image source: Wikipedia, public

domain.

If you need any more convincing, please see this "health promotion" video that clearly shows the benefits of exercise:

"Health Promotion" video: Benefits of exercise. References: 10 Ways to get Fit WHILE Blogging. ProBlogger, 2009. How to stay healthy while traveling

What's the best exercise for heart health? A combination of weight training and aerobic exercise http://goo.gl/h1YKD and bit.ly/on9sNn

Related reading: Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: 15 min a day or 90 min a week. Lancet, 2011.
3 Best Exercises & Why Exercise is the WORST Way to Lose Weight - YouTube http://bit.ly/19m4Jx7

Exercise pioneer Jack LaLanne died at 96 and was doing great until the very end (video)

Prticipation in sport is associated with a with a 20—40% reduction in all-cause mortality compared with non-participation. Exercise might also be considered as a fifth vital sign, according to the Lancet: http://goo.gl/gyxYf



Jack LaLanne, the fitness pioneer who inspired TV viewers to trim down, eat well and pump iron for decades (34 years), died at 96 of respiratory failure due to pneumonia at his home in California.

He ate healthy and exercised every day of his life up until the end. Just before he had heart valve surgery in 2009 at age 95, Jack Lalanne told his family that dying would wreck his image.

"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne said. "Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."

His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s. LaLanne and his dog Happy encouraged kids to wake their mothers and drag them in front of the television set. He developed exercises that used no special equipment, just a chair and a towel.

He said his own daily routine usually consisted of two hours of weightlifting and an hour in the swimming pool.

When he turned 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on a TV show. At 60 he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat. At 70, handcuffed and shackled again, he towed 70 boats, carrying a total of 70 people, a mile and a half through Long Beach Harbor.

He had a blog too: http://www.jacklalanne.com/blog



Jack LaLanne at Age 95 (CBS). He had just published his 11th book at the time.

Twitter comments:

@TracylynnHolt (Tracyfogelstrom-Holt) But lived an awesome LIFE...:):)

@DrVes: Sure. He was great. I wish everybody could make it to 96 in reasonable health... :)

@Thinkbirth (Carolyn Hastie): I love the videos, thanks for sharing "Jumping Jack" :-) so good to see that.

References:

Exercise pioneer Jack LaLanne dies at 96 at California home; inspired generations to get fit. Chicago Tribune.
Jack LaLanne, Fitness Guru, Dies at 96. TIME.
Jack LaLanne, Founder of Modern Fitness Movement, Dies at 96. NYTimes.

Farewell to Jack LaLanne - Photo Essays - TIME.

Fitness guru Jack LaLanne dies at 96 - CNN.com.

Related reading:

Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: 15 min a day or 90 min a week. Lancet, 2011.