Ready To Travel Again? Get Great Road Trip Advice From AARP : By Derek Baine
There are so many national parks and other beautiful places in America that you can visit for little to no cost (ignoring the outrageous cost of gas now, of course). For ideas on taking a road trip, turn to the AARP who just posted a great video on this topic at www.aarp.org/roadtrips.
Exercise Is Extremely Important For Seniors
At Family inHome Caregiving, we always encourage our clients to have good nutrition, plenty of social interaction and exercise to help them live a healthier and longer life.. Everyone is different, and not all seniors can tolerate a lot of exercise, but try the best that you can. One simple way is just walking more. There are all kinds of devices that can track how many steps you take each day, with 10,000 a goal. But start easy by walking around the block and you can work your way up to this. Walking at a constantly brisk rate can also get your heart rate up. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to estimate your maximum age-related heart rate, subtract your age from 220 and this is the maximum beats per minute. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends for moderate-intensity physical activity at 64% to 76% of your maximum heart rate (Source CNN.com).
Carmel, CA Exercise Is Critical For Those With Early Onset Alzheimer’s
We have written repeatedly on our blog about the importance of proper nutrition, social interaction and exercise is to keeping the mind and body healthy for seniors. A new study from Arizona State University Edison College of Nursing and Health Innovation had participants either ride a stationary bike or do stretching exercise for six months. Those who took part in the regular exercise program had significantly less memory loss than those who don’t follow a particular exercise regimen. The results were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease. (AARP Bulletin May 21, P6). Regular readers of my blog know that both my father and grandmother had this terrible disease when they passed away. There are wonderful people at our local chapter of Alzheimer’s Association in Ryan’s Ranch. They also have a 24-hour hotline if you need support at 800-272-3900.
Capitola, CA Caregivers Looking For Relief For Clients With Arthritis Or Osteoporosis Might Want To Turn To Vibration Therapy Or Light Therapy
With the opioid crisis, it has becoming increasingly difficult to get doctors to embrace any kind of pain medication therapy for those struggling with debilitating and painful diseases which impact the muscle and bone. Amplitude Vibration Therapy is now getting a lot of buzz in the medical community, providing relief for a number of ailments without having to turn to prescription drugs. It works by stimulating muscles and ligaments, which increases blood circulation and can reduce pain and inflammation, promote immune response and improve joint strength as well as more flexibility. A recent study by the National Institutes of Health and researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa found that those living with rheumatoid arthritis showed improvements in functionality and decreased pain after using vibration therapy over three months, and an even better response after six months.
https://www.homecaremag.com/june-2021/buzz-vibration-therapy
Best of all, vibration therapy doesn’t bring the feeling of electric shock that is commonly associated with some other therapies. Clinical studies suggest vibration therapy may offer benefits for patients with arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis and other ailments. It is also a trendy workout recovery option due to ease of use. A study completed earlier this year indicates that five minutes of low-level vibration therapy was as effective as a 15-minute massage at reducing muscle soreness and improving recovery time after strenuous exercise.
Potential Benefits of Vibration Therapy:
- Increased blood and lymphatic circulation
- Reduced pain and inflammation
- A boosted immune response
- Additional joint strength and flexibility
- Increased healing of fractures, strains and sprains
- Decreased stress and increased energy levels
- Assistance in detoxification and removal of wastes from the body
- Safe and effective
Source : www.brownmed.com
Locally, Sol Santa Cruz provides a number of different therapy programs for those in pain, including exercises like Pilates, Active Relief and Light Therapy.
https://solsantacruz.net/about-us/featured-services/a-perfect-light/
Commonly Treated Conditions
- Back pain
- Ligament injuries
- Muscle strains
- Contusions and bruising
- Arthritis
- Muscular atrophy
- Chronic pain conditions
- Muscle aches and pains
- Tendinitis
Source : Sol Santa Cruz
Experiment with these traditional and non-traditional treatments and see what is best for you. You may be surprised at how your body reacts. My chiropractor has evolved over the years to combining massage therapy, ultrasound, laser therapy and other services which are sued to relieve chronic pain along with traditional chiropractic treatments. I’ve been very pleased with the results.
New Fitbit Luxe Great For Tracking Activities And Building On Them : By Derek Baine
Pacific Grove, CA Seniors Need A Solid Exercise Routine
At Family inHome Caregiving we emphasize to our clients the importance of a healthy diet, the proper amount of social interaction—difficult during the pandemic—and the right amount of exercise. Most seniors put walking into their routine but experts say they need to add strength training. As you age, loss of muscle strength and power leads to declining activity, increased frailty and functional dependence, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Resistance training is an easy way to add strength training to a daily regimen. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that seniors participate in activities at least two weeks that strengthen muscles along with a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking. We enjoy taking our clients for a walk on Carmel Beach or downtown Pacific Grove, which is not very crowded with very few tourists in town.
Monterey, CA If Seniors Are Feeling Lazy, Try Giving Them Resistance Bands For Exercise
If you have a senior loved one who you are struggling to help with exercise, try resistance bands. They are great to give them some exercise while watching TV or just sitting around. You can find them on amazon.com and other web sites in the $10-$20 range. An easy exercise is to put the resistance band under both of your feet and hold the handles at your sides with the palms facing up. Then slowly curl your hands to your shoulders, keeping your elbows at your sides. Then slowly lower to the starting position, repeating as many times as it feels comfortable. Although it may seem inadvisable to go to Carmel Beach or Ocean Avenue for some fresh air and exercise because of the coronavirus, at least take them for a walk around the neighborhood once in a while. It’s good to get out of the house once in awhile!
Pacific Grove, CA Tip For Diabetics : Exercise Frequently
If your job requires you to do a lot of sitting, make sure you take frequent breaks especially if you are diabetic. The ADA’s 2020 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes recommends doing a light activity for every 30 minutes of uninterrupted sitting. Sitting increases insulin resistance, and it also increases blood pressure and impedes blood flow. I know that this is tough to do now that the entire state of California has been put on lockdown. We can’t go to Point Lobos or the beach, but try taking a walk around the block!
Pacific Grove, CA Tips For Seniors With Balance Issues—Particularly If You Have Diabetes
An article in Diabetes Forecast (September/October 2020, page 40), had a top for seniors who have balance issues—brush your teeth on one leg. You would be surprised how a series of very short, but powerful exercises throughout the day can help your balance, tight muscles, and soothe aches and pains. The article says this is particularly important if you have type 2 Diabetes. To get more information on diabetes, visit Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP’s, Diabetes and Nutrition website. You will find useful information about support groups, classes and more.
https://www.chomp.org/locations/location-profile/diabetes-and-nutrition-therapy/#.X9F3p9hKjcs
Another useful resource is Community Health Innovations. A full 45% of Monterey County residents have Diabetes or pre-Diabetes!
https://communityhealthinnovations.org/what-we-do/diabetes-prevention-management/