Carol MarakHow Seniors can Achieve 10,000 Steps Per Day
Do you believe 10,000 steps a day is realistic? I've always enjoyed walking outdoors, not on a treadmill. But before two years ago, I never tracked the number of steps, only the miles or the time. After buying a step tracker, I'm very loyal to reaching the 10,000 steps each day. If I don't, I feel guilty. The first year and half of owning a tracker, I lived in the suburbs and I found it difficult to achieve because the walk became routine and boring. It was the same walk every day. The landscape had little to offer and changing
Continue reading
Guest Blogger5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors
According to the CDC, in America, 25% of Americans 65 years of age or older fall each year. If you experience a fall, much like a concussion, you are much more likely to experience a fall in the next 6 months. With over 2.8 million injuries due to falls treated in emergency departments every year, it is clear that this is a concern for every single one of us as we age. 5 Ways Weightlifting Can Reduce Falls for Seniors These falls, whether you are injured or not, can impact you in other ways. It can start to deteriorate your quality
Continue reading
Richard BitnerKeeping Aging Bodies Fit Helps Aging Brains
When most of us think of exercise, we think of healthy heart rates, flexed muscles, and sweat. But one thing that rarely comes to mind… is the mind itself. Believe it or not, one of the biggest benefits to regular exercise is a stronger, healthier brain. That’s valuable news for seniors. And it’s especially valuable news for seniors at risk for dementia and cognitive decline. Keeping Aging Bodies Fit Helps Aging Brains Larry Meigs, President and CEO of Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services, agrees: “As home care providers, we can’t say enough about the benefits of exercise. Even light exercise
Continue reading
Jeff DaileyFighting The Pain To Enjoy The Game
Fighting The Pain To Enjoy The Game Staying in the game is often a physical challenge for those who suffer from hip and knee pain. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, many Americans exercise by staying active in their favorite hobbies, such as biking, skiing and tennis. But even if you remain active, there's always a chance of experiencing some type of physical pain during your life. "Hip and knee pain is not uncommon for people with active lifestyles," says Rufus W. Gore, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital. "Patients need to be more aware
Continue readingExercise Tips for Seniors
Exercise Tips for Seniors Follow these tips to start - and maintain - a safe exercise program. 1. Get medical clearance. Before you start exercising, visit your doctor and get his or her permission for the type of exercise you plan to do. 2. Start slowly and build up. Especially if you haven't exercised for a while, go slow and start with just 10 minutes at a time. Little by little, increase the time you exercise and the intensity. Your comfort range may change daily, so don't become discouraged if you can't do the same amount of exercise as you
Continue reading
Kimberly JohnsonExercise for Healthy Aging
Exercise for Healthy Aging Sixty-year-old Ester Kurz does a lot of things, but taking prescribed medicine isn't one of them. While most people her age take a pill for one thing or another, Kurz, from Baltimore, self-prescribes exercise for healthy aging. On a daily basis Kurz, who will turn 61 in June, goes to the Life Time Fitness in Rockville, Md., to enjoy everything from boot camp to yoga. Her favorite day is Monday, she says, when she goes from kickboxing to indoor cycling class to boot camp. "Each year, I seem to up the number and types of routines,"
Continue readingSenior Balance Exercises
Senior Balance Exercises Do balancing exercises every day to optimize your balance as a senior. Keeping a good sense of balance helps you avoid dangerous falls which can result in broken bones. It also increases your overall fitness. It also gives you a feeling of confidence everyday in every part of your life that you're not going to lose your balance. Senior Balance Exercises As you start doing balance exercises, if you're concerned that you might lose your balance and fall, ask someone to stand near you. You should also check with your doctor before you start in
Continue readingPrograms to Get Fit after 65
Programs to Get Fit after 65 It's Never Too Late, Experts Say America's aging population is posing special challenges, fitness experts say, because it is difficult to design effective workout routines for people with such a wide range of abilities. Programs to Get Fit after 65 For one 70-year-old, the goal may be to run a marathon, for another it's getting out of a chair. "If you are teaching 10-year-olds, it's perfectly reasonable to do an activity that everybody would participate in," said Dr. Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, an expert on aging with the American College of Sports Medicine. "But 20 80-year-olds
Continue reading