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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by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Oct 22, 2014 | Caregiving, Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
Falls continue to be one of the leading causes of fatal injuries for older adults in this country. It is why finding ways to prevent them continues to be a focus of so many aging-related researchers. One study that might be of interest to our readers was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in June. The article, Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults, explored how walking might help seniors beat or decrease their odds of being injured in a fall.
What Role Does Walking Play in Fall Prevention?
The goal of the project was to evaluate the potential link between older adults levels of physical activity and the role exercise could play in preventing disability. While seniors are often afraid a more active lifestyle will increase their odds of experiencing a disabling fall, this study took the opposite approach. Researchers posed a different question. Could higher levels of daily physical activity be considered a sound fall prevention practice?
The two-year long study was made up of 1,635 people between the ages of 70 and 89 years of age. Older adults chosen to participate in the project were considered to be sedentary by scoring low on a senior fitness scale. Each of them was able to walk one-quarter of a mile unassisted when the study began.
During the trial:
- Participants came to a research center once a month for education on a variety of topics related to healthy aging.
- A sub-group of participants was randomly assigned to also participate in a twice-weekly fitness program at the center. This group underwent supervised stretching activities and walks. In addition to the organized exercise activities, members of this sub-group also exercised on their own three hours each week.
- Every trial study member was assessed twice each year during the study to see if they could still complete a quarter-mile walk.
At the study’s conclusion, researchers found that those who were also enrolled in the exercise subgroup were 18% less likely to have suffered any short-term physical disability during the trial and 28% less likely to have had a permanent disability.
Talk with Your Primary Care Physician First
If you or a senior loved one lead a sedentary lifestyle, the results of this study should be motivation for making a change. Talk with your primary care physician first. Ask them for their help in determining the safest way to begin increasing your level of physical activity.
Heritage Senior Communities is pleased to announce that our newest community is set to open this month in Holland, Michigan. The Village at Appledorn West will offer adults over the age of 55 one- and two-bedroom independent living apartments. The campus will also be expanded to include assisted living in the spring of 2015.
by trevor@addfuelfire.com | Oct 16, 2014 | Healthy Aging, Uncategorized
More than 46 million people in this country live with arthritis. 300,000 children also live with the disease. It can have a debilitating effect on those who suffer from it. In addition to the physical toll it takes on those who live with this diagnosis are the financial consequences. The Arthritis Foundation estimates that arthritis and complications from the disease add up to over $124 billion each year. Those numbers include the cost of care, lost wages, and other related expenses. There are a variety of forms of arthritis, but the most common is osteoarthritis (OA). As cold weather makes its return to Michigan, the symptoms of OA often worsen.
What can you do to help a Michigan senior you love find ways to treat joint pain that doesn’t involve medication?
Natural Remedies for Osteoarthritis Pain during a Michigan Winter
Inflammation in the joints can be incredibly painful. While exercising is one of the best ways to prevent inflammation and stiffness, the bone-on-bone contact arthritis creates can make it too painful to move.
Here are a few natural remedies that might help you or your senior loved one enjoy a better quality of life this winter:
- Monitor your diet. Everything from toxins in the air to stress and sugar can contribute to inflammation. It is nearly impossible to avoid it all. There are some foods, however, that have been proven to help fight inflammation. A few healthier ones include raisins, kale, sweet potatoes, ginger, cherries and walnuts.
- No impact exercise. One of the best ways to prevent swelling in your joints is to stay active. There are no-impact exercises that still provide a full range of motion workout. Some suggestions to consider are water aerobics, tai chi and chair yoga.
- Alternating hot and cold. Arthritis suffers often find that alternating cold packs with hot ones can provide relief. The heat source can help decrease stiffness in the joints while the cold pack can help with the pain and swelling.
- Hand and finger dexterity. For many with arthritis, joints in their fingers and hands are the most painful. There are several inexpensive products that can help. You can purchase a home paraffin wax machine for under $30 that will help relieve joint pain. Another way to keep joints in the hands limber is to take part in activities that require dexterity such as playing cards, sewing, drawing, and knitting.
We hope these remedies to help decrease the pain and symptoms arthritis sufferers in Michigan experience during the winter!
