by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Feb 10, 2015 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Every year, the month of February is designated as Heart Month. The goal of Heart Month is to raise awareness about heart disease and the controllable risk factors behind it. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in Michigan. Across the state, 27% of the deaths in 2010 were due to cardiac-related diseases. Despite a higher percentage of adults with health insurance and a greater number of people who exercise regularly, Michigan ranks as the state with 10th highest heart disease death rate in the country. Smoking and obesity rates are both higher than the national averages and likely contribute to these frightening statistics.
With that in mind, we have assembled a list of things you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease.
Heart Health Plan for Adults in Michigan
Decreasing your risk for developing most types of cardiovascular diseases means adopting a heart healthy lifestyle. Here are nine tips for getting started:
- Start Small: One reason New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and exercise fail more often than they succeed is people try to change everything in their life all at once. Instead, focus on making smaller changes over a longer period of time. For example, start by giving up soda. Then two weeks later add walking three times a week to your schedule. Continue making healthy improvements every few weeks. You will be more likely to stick with your goals when you slowly but consistently make changes.
- Schedule a Physical Exam: If you don’t already do so, make a habit of scheduling a yearly physical with your primary care physician. Medicare will pay for one Wellness Visit each year, and so will most insurance companies. The appointment gives your physician the time they need to check your blood pressure, cholesterol and evaluate you for other risk factors.
- Eat Your Veggies. Your fruits, too. The advice from most health professionals is that adults should consume five to eight servings each day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a helpful tool you can use to determine just how many fruits and vegetables you should eat. The Nutrition for Everyone calculator uses your age and activity level to make their recommendation.
- Exercise: Set a goal of getting thirty minutes of exercise each day. It might help make it easier to reach that goal if you break exercise down in to two fifteen-minute workouts each day. Maybe ride your stationary exercise bike for fifteen minutes in the morning and then take a brisk fifteen minute walk in the evening. As is true with any new form of exercise, talk with your primary care physician before beginning.
- Pump Iron: Another important part of staying fit and preventing heart disease is to keep your muscles strong and healthy. The Go4Life initiative from the National Institutes of Health has videos and guides that can show you how to work strength training in to your weekly fitness program.
- Stop Smoking: It is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the United States including those from heart disease. gov was developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The site contains a variety of free tools and resources to help you kick the habit.
- Reduce Sodium Intake: Salt and sodium contribute to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Reducing your intake can help you cut your odds for heart disease. The CDC has a free publication Sodium Reduction Tips that can help you learn how to do that.
- Limit Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol can lead to an increase in blood pressure. The empty calories can also lead to malnutrition and weight gain.
- Develop Stress Management Skills: Stress contributes to high blood pressure and hypertension. Finding ways to better management it is an important part of living a healthy life. Hobbies such as yoga, swimming and gardening can all help. Meditating for even ten to fifteen minutes a day can teach you better breathing techniques that are proven to lower blood pressure and decrease heart rate.
To learn more about heart health, sign up to follow the Million Hearts Initiative. You will receive messages and tips all year long to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and decrease your risk for heart disease.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jan 18, 2015 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
The post-holiday blues combined with the cold and snowy Michigan winter can leave caregivers feeling a little down. Exercise is one of the best ways to regain a sense of well-being. Fitness programs like yoga and Pilates can be ideal. They build core strength, while improving balance and flexibility. In addition, the breathing techniques used can help to improve oxygen intake and decrease stress. Both can help to boost your mood. For caregivers, Chair Yoga can be an easy way to get started.
Benefits of Chair Yoga for Caregivers
Chair Yoga is a modified form of yoga that allows participants to work out from a seated position. Caregivers receive the majority of the rewards of yoga while working around any physical limitations they may have.
Some of the benefits of yoga include:
- Helping with weight control and weight management
- Decreasing the pain of osteoarthritis by building muscle strength
- Promoting relaxation which helps to improve heart health
- Managing depression by improving the stress response and promoting better breathing techniques
Chair Yoga Resources
If you are looking for resources to help you get started, these might help:
- Get Fit While You Sit: This organization can help you find an instructor in your area. They also have DVDs you can order online.
- Seated Yoga Sequence: A helpful visual aid you can use to get started, the sequence consists of six yoga poses that can be done from a seated position.
- Arthritis Foundation Chair Yoga: The Arthritis Foundation also recommends several DVDs on their website. Each of them can be performed while seated in an armless chair.
- Energizing Chair Yoga: YouTube also has a variety of free videos you can watch to learn how to practice chair yoga. This is one that earns high marks from viewers.
As a reminder, be sure to check with your family physician before beginning any new form of exercise.
The Village of Appledorn West in Holland is now open! If you or a senior loved one would like to tour our independent living apartments or learn more about our assisted living community that will open in the spring of 2015, please stop by or call us at (616) 846-4700
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Jan 10, 2015 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Exercise leads to better health. It not only helps you decrease your risk for health conditions such as coronary artery disease and cancer, but it can also help to better manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes and osteoarthritis. Following a routine exercise program can also lead to increased stamina, a stronger immune system and a lower risk of depression. For older adults, there are even greater benefits.
Exercise and Aging
Decreased mobility and lack of flexibility are more common with aging. Regular exercise helps build flexibility and core strength both of which improve balance and coordination. That leads to fewer falls and fall related injuries.
Another benefit of exercise for seniors is that it can promote better sleep. For older adults, getting the right amount of sleep and good quality sleep can be a struggle.
Senior-Friendly Exercise Programs
If you or the Michigan senior you love needs help developing an exercise program that is senior-friendly, these resources should help:
- Getting Fit for Life: The National Institute on Aging developed a program that includes four types of physical activity: endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. They have helpful videos that show you how to incorporate each form of exercise into your fitness routine.
- Go 4 Life: This is another comprehensive fitness program from The National Institute on Aging. It covers exercise, safety, motivation and more. They also offer seniors free DVDs and guides.
- ElderGym: Is a senior focused fitness site that shares resources that range from helpful articles to DVDs and ebooks.
- Exercise Plan for Seniors: This Health Line site can help older adults develop a workout schedule that incorporates flexibility, strength, stretching and balance.
- Growing Stronger: Strength Training for Older Adults: Developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), this guide is free to download. It offers tips for getting started, a quiz to measure your strength, ideas for staying motivated, goal setting and more.
Finally, don’t overlook the exercise programs that take place every day at senior centers across the state of Michigan. To find one near you, visit Michigan Association of Senior Centers.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Dec 16, 2014 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Most adults know the value of receiving an annual flu shot. For seniors, however, an interesting study conducted by University of Lincoln and The University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom revealed what might be one more reason to get your vaccine. They found that people who received an influenza shot early in the fall were 24% less likely to experience a stroke during that year’s flu season.
Investigating the Potential Link between Flu Shots and Reduced Risk of Stroke
Here is a quick overview of the research:
- The records of over 47,000 people who had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were reviewed between 2001 and 2009.
- Researchers looked at those who had a flu vaccine, as well as those who received a pneumonia vaccine.
- Actual cases of stroke were compared against ‘control’ patients so research could be adjusted for other factors that might explain the differences in risk.
- Their research showed the flu vaccination was associated with a 24% reduction in risk of stroke.
- Those patients who had their vaccine early in flu season had the strongest incidence of reduced rate of stroke.
- The flu vaccine showed no statistically significant reduction in risk for a TIA.
- Receiving the pneumococcal vaccination did not appear to reduce the risk for a stroke or a TIA.
In 2010, this same research group also found a link between flu vaccines and decreased risk for heart attacks. Their previous trial showed people who received an early flu vaccination (between September and mid-November) had a 21% greater reduction in the rate of heart attacks compared with receiving flu shot late in the season where there was only a 12% reduction.
To read more about these trials and other flu shot research, visit Science Daily online.
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Nov 8, 2014 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
As we make plans to honor and celebrate both our veterans and our active duty military members on November 11th, we thought it would be a good time to share ways you can get involved. We have pulled together a list of organizations that serve those who serve and need your support to continue their mission.
Military Service Organizations You Can Support
- Homes for Our Troops. If you are looking for a project for your group or service organization to work on together, this is one to consider. They build homes for injured veterans to help them rebuild their lives.
- Wounded Warrior Project. This organization works to raise awareness about the needs of our wounded soldiers and their families. They help by providing programs ranging from combat stress recovery to health and wellness.
- Military Pets Foster Project. This might be a good organization to support if you are an animal lover. You can become a foster “parent” for the pet of a deployed military service person. The organization helps find temporary caregivers a variety of animals including dogs, cats, horses and birds.
- Honor Flight Network. At no cost to the veteran, this non-profit organization arranges trips to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to their service.
- Operation Gratitude. The mission of this organization is to send care packages to troops deployed in hostile regions. Care packages typically include letters, snacks, books, DVDs and more. Another arm of this organization is Battalion Buddies. They send toys to children of deployed military personnel.
- Operation Paperback. Another non-profit dedicated to our military, this organization collects new and gently used paperback books to send to American troops around the world.
- Operation Homefront. When a family member is deployed, it sometimes creates a financial burden for loved ones left behind. This organization helps provide food, home repair support, moving assistance, car repair, travel help and more to military families.
We hope this list gives your family, youth group or service organization a few ideas for supporting our veterans and military service members.
Have we missed a worthwhile organization you know needs help? Please share their information in the Comments section below!
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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Oct 30, 2014 | Alzheimer's and Dementia, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
As part of our commitment to keeping our readers updated on the latest research and findings on Alzheimer’s disease, we are sharing a study from the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. While exercise is known to be a critical factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, there is growing evidence to indicate it may also be good for the brain.
Exercise May Be Linked to Improved Brain Health
The study by Dr. J. Carson Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is the first research trial to demonstrate how exercise can be used as an intervention technique for older adults who live with a mild cognitive impairment.
The trial showed that exercise not only improves memory recall but also improved brain function. Physically inactive older adults ranging in age from 60-88 years old were divided in to two groups. The average age of study participants was 78. One group was comprised of older adults living with mild cognitive impairment and the other with normal, healthy brain function. Each group followed a 12-week program of regular treadmill walking. Exercise was supervised by a personal trainer.
By the end of the study, both groups had improved their cardiovascular fitness by about ten percent. They also improved their memory performance and showed improvements in neural efficiency when involved in memory retrieval tasks.
The Bottom Line on Exercise for Alzheimer’s Prevention
The bottom line is that the amount of exercise participants engaged in during the trial isn’t overly aggressive. It is the same recommendation most physicians are already making to patients. That is, you should get 30 minutes of moderate exercise (that which raises your heart rate but allows you to maintain a conversation) five days a week.
Just one more reason to lace up your sneakers and head out for a walk each day!
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