For many of us, winter can seem like never-ending gloom, with little sunshine and rainy, cold weather. And although it is nice to hunker down by a warm fire with a good book or a favorite television show, we still need to move our bodies. I know you may be thinking… it’s far too cold to exercise, right? Or is it?
For seniors, staying active during the winter months can go a long way toward staying healthy. But “active” doesn’t have to mean running a marathon — or even heading into the cold for a walk or jog. Simple exercise several times a day is enough to keep muscles and joints in shape. Fear of getting hurt is actually what causes many seniors to stay in – and be more inactive – during the winter months, but, in reality, it is really a ‘move-it-or-lose-it’ scenario.
It is suggested that seniors try and squeeze in exercise at least once a day, though more often is optimal. A lot of people, when they get older, think they can’t do something, and they stop moving forever. I say, if it feels good, go for it. If it hurts, pay attention to those signals your body is giving you. When you don’t move, your body will stiffen up, so it is important to keep moving — even if you do only tiny things every day. Start the day by stretching, whether standing or in a chair, to get the blood flowing to your heart and lungs and loosen those joints and muscles that have tightened up from lying in bed all night.
If weakness or balance is an issue, using a chair for support or try chair yoga or chair cardio classes that can be found at the local gym, or on YouTube. You can find any type of exercise videos on YouTube these days that can be pulled up on a smart TV – and many streaming services offer an exercise channel or programming, as well. Balance issues or fear of falling, that is still no excuse. Sit in a chair and move your arms, stomp your feet, bend your knees or do jumping jacks sitting down. The important thing is to keep your muscles moving.
Even arthritis pain can be stemmed by small movements. Almost all of us will experience arthritis pain at some point. Keeping our joints moving will help with that. It can be as simple as opening and closing our fingers to make a fist or making circles with our wrists to ease the pain in our hands, or flexing elbows, knees and ankles several times a day.
For those seniors who are not homebound, consider joining a walking club at the local mall or an indoor track or find a water aerobics class at a gym or community center. Water aerobics are a great way to stay active – whether in summer or winter – because seniors are in a warm pool where the resistance of the water helps joints and muscles move freely, but without the low impact of jumping around on a floor.
But keeping your body active is not enough. We need to keep our mind active as well to stay healthy. Socialization is an important piece of staying healthy and active. We all saw what isolation did to our mental health during COVID. Depression can set in when we stay to ourselves, but it can have an even bigger impact on a senior’s memory if they don’t keep their mind working, so if they can get out and join a club or exercise class at a senior center, it will do a lot for your overall health.
And while we have all heard the mantra to “check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program,” it is even more important to “listen to your body.” If you have heart or lung or a mobility issue, an individual should talk to their doctor to learn their limitations, but limitations don’t mean you should stop moving. Exercise doesn’t have to be crazy or strenuous to be beneficial. As long as you know your body and don’t push yourself too hard, movement will always make you feel better.
If you think you’re too old to do something, you are probably not. A lot is mental attitude: ‘I can do this, I am strong enough, age is just a number!
Source: Cleveland.com
Since last month was all about love, it made me think… what comes to mind when I think of March? The first thing I thought of was happiness. I mean, how could one not be happy when winter is almost behind us, all the beautiful spring colors are popping, and the weather is warming up!
Regions around the country are starting to experience their first tastes of the cooler temperatures and shorter days fall has in store for them. Don’t miss this quick essential checklist for seniors looking to safeguard their health and safety this season.
The feeling of being out of breath (dyspnea) is a sensation that is well known to those who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Although it is common for those experiencing shortness of breath to use oxygen therapy (oxygen tanks) to cope, the downsides can include fatigue, headaches, and dry or bloody noses. Further, when depending on oxygen tanks as a primary oxygen supplement, there exists a severe risk: the body can learn to actively suppress its natural respiratory system. Following is a list of 5 natural ways to improve your oxygen levels that should help in reducing your dependence on tanks.
As baby boomers age, more and more folks will reach their 80s, 90s—and beyond. They will not only lose friends but face the daunting task of making new friends at an advanced age.
Summer greetings from the Home Care Aide team! In June 2019 our department celebrated the retirement of our Hiring Recruiter, Angela Spinelli. She will be greatly missed, but we wish her all the best with her retirement. We are excited to announce that her position has been filled by Racheal Gonzalez. Racheal is doing a wonderful job as our new recruiter and is continuing to hire fantastic caregivers.
Promoting independence and “successful aging” is a laudable goal for many. But it’s not the reality for people caring for anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness or a relative who struggles to manage day to day as a result of debilitating health conditions and growing frailty. Most people would prefer to talk about wellness rather than illness, so we tend to avoid planning for advanced illness and ultimately death. One valuable, often overlooked, and generous Medicare benefit for those caring for a family member or friend is hospice care.
Although life expectancy has more than doubled since 1900, our “mindspan”—how long we stay cognitively healthy—hasn’t kept pace. Forgetfulness, slower processing and feeling less sharp plague most of us as we age. One in five people develops mild cognitive impairment, a decline in thinking skills beyond normal aging, which may or may not advance to dementia. After 65, your odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease are one in 10. It doesn’t have to be that way, mounting research suggests.
For many older adults, mobility limitations, health issues and low energy can keep them from the social engagement they once enjoyed. Especially in seniors who live alone, social isolation can lead to loneliness, depression and poor physical health. Pet therapy has been shown to benefit seniors by improving depression and anxiety symptoms, increasing self-care, and even improving heart-health. It turns out giving and receiving unconditional love is literally good for your heart.
You worked hard to put money away for retirement, so it is important that you understand the various strategies available to you to make sure you maximize that savings by minimizing taxes and avoiding penalties. Here are several tips to maximize your retirement savings:
There are obvious reasons to declutter. Safety: Clutter can trip us up. Efficiency: With declining eyesight, it gets hard to find things we use everyday. Focus: Messy environments can make it hard to process information.
No one wants to think about dying, but it’s going to happen to each of us sooner or later. While approaching the topic of death and dying may be difficult for caregivers, family members as well as the elderly should try to organize and prepare for the end ahead of time, to reduce the stress, confusion and the necessity of making serious and sometimes confusing decisions regarding the care and disposition of a loved one.
In 2004, the American Society on Aging sponsored a study to evaluate the financial knowledge of Americans age 50+ which included a survey of three simple yes/no questions that assessed the knowledge of the respondents on concepts such as inflation, risk diversification and interest rates.* At that time only one third of respondents could answer all three questions correctly. Since 2009, broader studies have been made within the wider population and the results were similarly dismal, but there was a clear correlation between age and a failure to understand some basic financial concepts that make up financial literacy. This is especially worrisome given that money and debt management issues are most consequential to this most vulnerable population.
It’s a too-common scenario for seniors: Places to go, things to see, and a life to lead—but limited mobility or the inability to drive prevents them from getting out. Fortunately, ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber—and a new service tailored to the needs of seniors called SilverRide (which has launched in San Francisco, CA but is planning expansion in the US)—are all addressing senior transportation with new initiatives.
Many families reach a point when they recognize that an ill or older relative needs more than occasional assistance—they need full-time care. But who will provide that care? The answer is usually close to home: an adult child. A child might be the default choice, or is selected because he or she lives closer or has fewer family responsibilities.
