The Importance of Exercise

It’s already February 3rd, but it’s not too late for New Year’s resolutions! Actually, as the lines for treadmills start to wane and people lose their resolve, now is a great time to start that exercise regimen you have been thinking about for a while. Seniors should pay special attention to this, for more and more, it is becoming clear that things such as senior independence, health, and mobility can be seen as a direct result of exercise.

Recently, in the Boston Globe, in an article titled “For Elders, Fitness Can’t be Beat,” Kay Lazar wrote “Dr. Jonathan Bean, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a researcher at Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, is tracking about 350 older adults, including [Dolores] Selenkow, and has found that building core -- also known as abdomen -- strength, and leg speed are vital to keeping elders active and independent.” This research matches that of many other experts on senior health. Many injuries in seniors can be tracked to falls, and these falls can be directly traced to a lack of balance or a lack of muscle mass. Additionally, a lack of mobility reduces independence for self-evident reasons. When somebody cannot walk for longer than five minutes, it becomes infinitely more difficult to socialize and to take care of yourself. Therefore, if you are a senior – or know a senior – who wants to maintain independence, it is essential that you follow Dr. Bean’s advice and build core strength and leg speed.

Lazar continues, in her article, “Another study, the largest and longest-running trial of its kind, found that regular physical activity in older adults measurably reduced mobility problems.” Optimally, you want to exercise for 30 minutes, five times a week. If this is too much at first, that is fine. Experts urge to go at your own pace and try to build up to that number. It is important to rest and not push yourself. Walking is one way to exercise. If you are looking for alternate ways, or you just got bombarded by snow in the Northeast, here are some videos a simple search on youtube.com brings up: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elderly+exercises. Youtube.com is a great resource, as you can tailor exercise videos for things such as balance, core, or cardio. Another resource that may be helpful is your local senior center and ask them to see if they offer fitness classes, walking clubs, or other services. If you need help locating a local center, you can look in the phone book, or you can locate it at the National Institute of Senior Centers web site: http://www.ncoa.org/national-institute-of-senior-centers/. You may also call them at 571-527-3900. Again, there are many resources out there for you. The most important thing to do is to start exercising. The health benefits of exercise are endless, and they will help anyone maintain mobility, strength, and – most importantly – independence. If you have any questions for us, do not hesitate to email or call.

Some Spring Ideas for the Elderly

With the first day of spring less than a week away, it’s a good time to start thinking about some fun outside activities. Being outdoors is great for your health. According to the Harvard Health Letter, being outside will increase your vitamin D levels, elevate your mood, increase concentration, and, most importantly for the elderly, speed up healing. The Health Letter indicated that in one study, individuals who were exposed to natural light felt less pain and stress following surgery.  Additionally, the benefits of being active are very important to elder health.

For the elderly, some of these activities may have to be modified. However, the health benefits of being outside and the health benefits of being active make these activities a ‘must do’ for seniors.

Here are some ideas:

Take a walk: Take a walk around the neighborhood. If you don’t have any safe sidewalks around your home, you could try walking around a high school track.

Garden: Gardening is a great way to enjoy the nice weather and fit some exercise into your day. It can be very tiring work, but it’s extremely rewarding!

Hike: Find some easy trails around your home, and go for a hike. Be sure to wear appropriate footwear to prevent injuries!

Have a picnic: Pack a light lunch and head to the park!

Yard games: You can pick some easy games with the elderly. Think of low impact games such as shuffle board, horse shoes, or badminton.

Have coffee outside: Find a local café or restaurant, get a cup of coffee or tea, and sit outside in the sun.

Explore your own town: Get outside and pretend to be a tourist in your own town.

Do you have any other ideas? Leave some in the comments section!

Caregiver Stress Relief: Walking

For caregivers, taking a break can be incredibly difficult, and it can be next to impossible to incorporate a workout into the day. Exercising is crucial to stress relief and physical health, and for a caregiver, stress relief is top priority. That’s why walking is a great exercise option for caregivers.

Walking is a great fit for many reasons. First off, it doesn’t require a gym. You can walk anywhere and anytime without having to worry about setting time aside to drive to a gym or fitness class. Secondly, it’s an opportunity to have some time alone, which can be difficult to find as a caregiver. On the other hand, caregivers can walk with a buddy to incorporate some social interaction into their day. Whether walking alone or with a friend, the stress relief and mental health benefits are incredibly important. Lastly, there are numerous physical health benefits. Here are some from the Mayo Clinic:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases HDLs and lowers LDLs
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
• Is good for weight maintenance
• Increases strength

For more information on walking, take a look at this information from the Mayo Clinic by clicking here.

Caregiving and the Importance of Getting Outside

Caregivers are constantly being bombarded with things they should and shouldn’t do to help process the incredible amount of stress involved with caregiving. One thing is frequently overlooked, and it is probably one of the easiest things to do: get outside!

The health benefits of sun exposure and fresh air are incredible. First, it’s important for caregivers because sunlight is a necessary part of the production of Vitamin D. Vitamin D has been credited with reducing the risk of cancer, increasing bone health, reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis, and it is associated with better moods and increased happiness.

Aside from the health benefits, going outside will give you an opportunity to take a break from caregiving. If you incorporate 15-30 minutes of alone time outside, you will see both mental health benefits as well as physical health benefits! As always, be sure to wear sunscreen while outside, and only moderate amounts of sun exposure is recommended!

Click here for a list of 25 health benefits of sun exposure.

The Health Benefits of Swimming

When I exercise I prefer to jog or do aerobics, but sometimes joint aches prevent me from doing so. For many years now, when this occurs, I turn to the water and get my workout in the pool.  Because of human's natural buoyancy, we are able to maneuver in the water and exercise without putting the stress of our own weight on our bodies.  This means we can do all sorts of exercises without straining our joints or bones.  Additionally, swimming laps using the freestyle stroke exercises every major muscle group in the body.  Swimming for thirty minutes can go a long way toward building muscle strength, getting a good cardiovascular workout, and shedding pounds.  And if you join a water aerobics class it can be a great social outlet.  So if you ever feel joint pain, or if you just feel like cooling off in the water, know that swimming is a great way to exercise!

Medical Costs in the Information Age

As medical costs grow and the frustrations of sitting in doctors’ office waiting rooms for hours mount, the benefits of self-care are becoming more evident.  Recently, I was doing yoga, and I felt a bit odd.  Why?  Not because I was sweating profusely, but because my instructor was on the television.  On the same station they offer classes for Pilates, aerobics, and Tai Chi. 

In the Internet age, we have so many resources for keeping ourselves healthy right at our fingertips.  Need some good advice for staying trim?  Go to Google.  Need some good tips for how to stretch correctly?  Check the videos on YouTube.  Have a medical problem you are worried about?  Check WebMd. 

The point is, we spend so much money on keeping ourselves healthy, but it does not necessarily need to be this way.  Instead of paying for a personal trainer or a physical therapist, often we can just as easily get treatment by doing the right research in the right place. 

Saving Money Through Personal Preventive Healthcare

An interesting study on the Affordable Care Act that shows that even by extending health insurance to 30 million more Americans, health costs in the next ten years will only rise by about one-tenth of a percentage point more than without the Act.  While this is certainly an encouraging statistic, the article does not explain exactly who will be paying for the costs.  As it remains to be seen exactly what will happen with the new healthcare laws, and if Barack Obama's legislation will be effective, it stands clear that the best way to cut down on healthcare costs is preventive care.  If we take care of our minds and bodies by regularly exercising, living a healthy lifestyle, and visiting the doctor, we will avoid costly emergency treatment.  If we adopted this mindset as an entire society, healthcare costs would drop precipitously.

How Exercise Keeps the Mind Limber

We all know that exercise helps build strength, flexibility, balance, and that it reduces stress, but a new study shows how exercise impacts long-term memory.  The New York Times recently published an article about the effects of moderate exercise and how well it increases one's capacity to stave off memory loss.  The conclusion as always?  Exercise! The article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/how-exercise-can-keep-the-brain-fit/?smid=tw-nytimeshealth&seid=auto

The Health Benefits of Yoga

The University of Missouri put together a movie about the health benefits of yoga.  Doing yoga helps increase flexibility, strength, posture, balance, concentration, and mood, and decreases stress.  So find the nearest yoga studio, bring a bottle of water, and get ready to sweat!