Resistance Training May Help Lower Cardiovascular Risk
Research shows that resistance training produces a different pattern of blood vessel responses than aerobic exercise, and may offer greater benefits because of increases in blood flow to active muscles. While resistance exercises produce greater increases in blood flow to the limbs, they also cause small increases in central arterial stiffness. Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, decreases arterial stiffness without an increase in blood flow. Researchers suggest that weight training could be a valuable adjunct to an aerobic training program.
-Duke Medicine
Posture Perk Up
If you feel tired when you’re on your feet, take a moment to consider your posture. Standing in a stooped or slouched manner makes muscles and ligaments work harder to keep you balanced. That extra effort can lead to fatigue, back pain and other problems. Here are some simple head-to-foot adjustments to set your posture straight: • Hold your chest high – As you do this, avoid rounding your shoulders forward by keeping them back and relaxed. Ideally, your head should be level – not tilted forward, backward or sideways. The top of your head should reach toward the ceiling. From a side view, these upper body adjustments position your ears so that they’re aligned over your shoulders and your shoulders are in line over your hips. • Engage your core muscles – Do so by keeping your abdominal muscles tight and your buttocks tucked in. The core muscles of your trunk help stabilize the rest of your body and also help support your spine. • Keep your knees straight and relaxed – Knees that aren’t locked or rigid allow your weight to be balanced over the middle of your feet. Keep your feet parallel and a little less than shoulder-width apart. - Mayo Clinic, 2011
The Gentle Power of Tai Chi
Tai Chi may be the perfect prescription for preventing bone-breaking falls in the elderly, research suggest. Dubbed the "granny martial art," because it calls for movements that are slow and gracefull rather than kung-fu type kicks, this ancient Chinese disipline is ideal for those with creaky joints and may even improve balance and coordination in older men and women. According to Emory University research funded by the National Institute on Aging, healthy seniors were nearly half as likely to fall after practicing tai chi for three months as relatively robust older adults taking a wellness class covering fall prevention and other topics. What's more, in a subsequent yearlong study of frail folks who took twice-weekly tai chi classes, there was a 40% decline in falls from the fourth month on. "Participants who ranged in age from 70 to 97, also became less dependent on walkers and wheelchairs," says lead researcher Steven Wolf, PhD, professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta. Looking like a cross between shadow boxing and slow-motion ballet, tai chi consists of a series of controlled movements that flow rythmically together. The exercise may improve balance because the movements emphasize truck rotation, shifting of weight from one foot to two, and coordination of lower - and upper-body movements, according to Dr. Wolf. A bonus: Because it also involves deep breathing and intense mental focus, some studies suggest that tai chi - which has been called "meditating in motion" - may lower blood pressure. You can find classes at your local Y, health club, senior center and retirement center.
Walker Safety
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 47,000 older Americans are treated at hospital emergency departments each year for injuries from falls that involve walking aids - with the vast majority involving people using walkers. If you need a walker, follow these safety tips:
Remove clutter - Clear the floor of throw rugs, electrical cords or any other tripping hazards. Be aware that pets also can pose a tripping hazard. So can uneven surfaces and transitions, such as walking from a tiled floor to a carpeted area.
Size it right - When your arms are relaxed at your sides, the handles of a properly sized walker should line up with the bend in your wrist.
Don't get ahead of yourself - If you're using a non-wheeled walker, lift the walker and move it a comfortable arm's length ahead, then step into the middle of the walker. Placing the walker too far ahead, walking too far into the walker or leaning over the front increases the risk of falling. If using a wheeled walker, walk in the walker, not behind it.
Check contact points - Wear stable walking shoes with nonskid soles or socks with rubber grips on the bottom. To prevent falls on ice, consider wearing shoes with ice grippers on the bottom. Keep the rubber leg tips of your walker clean and replace them if they show wear. - Mayo Clinic 2010
Get Back in the Game!
Seniors may beat depression with video "Exergames."
FEELING DOWN? Fire up the Wii console, invite the grandkids over and start lobbing that virtual tennis ball or bowling ball.
A 2010 pilot study at the Sam and Rose Stein Institiute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine suggests that video "exergames" can help seniors who have a form of clinically significant depression known as subsyndromal depression (SSD) improve their mood, cognitive functioning and mental health.
According to study co-arthor Colin Depp, PhD, a research fellow at the Stein Institute and assistant clinical professor of phychiatry, older adults are several times more likely to suffer from SSD than from major depression - the kind that's often treated with medicine and talk therapy. The study, published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, suggests that fitness video games can be an entertaining way to beat the blues.
For 12 years, adults ages 63 to 94 with SSD and conditions like arthritis, osteoporosis and diabetes played a Nintendo Wii Sports game for 35 minutes three times a week. More than one-third of participants had a 50 percent or greater reduction in depressive symptoms. They also reported that the games were "satisfying," "fun and varied" and "challenged me to do better."
Wii games inspire payers with positve feedback, tracking their progress and egging them on, at times with the roar of a cheering crowd. As Depp observes, this type of reinforcement helps older adults with DDS "enjoy the experience of success, which is important for people who are depressed."
So if you're feeling down in the dumps - or someone you care about is - give these exergames a try. Brigher spirits could only be a hop, skip and a jump away. - Arthritis Today
Regular exercise can significantly reduce anxiety
In an analysis of nearly 40 studies involving more than 3,000 people, researchers determined that people who exercised regularly reported a 20 percent reduction in anxiety symptoms, compared to those who aren't as physically active. Anxiety symptoms include feelings of worry, apprehension and nervousness. The findings were reported in the February issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. They add to a well-established body of research that links exercise to a reduction in depressive symptoms.
Researchers also found that even people who were not anxious at the start of the study felt calmer after starting an exercise program. The best results were found amoung subjects who exercised for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. Researchers suggested the the boost in energy levels and overall health, as well as the understanding that exercise is a positive way to deal with most medical conditions, all contributed to the reduction in anxiety.
Resistance training may make for a sharper mind
Keeping a sharp mind as you age may be helped along by regularly lifting weights – resistance training – once or twice a week. That’s what researchers found in a yearlong study of older women.
The study, in the January issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, involved 155 women ages 65 to 75. They were divided into three groups. One group participated in once weekly resistance training. The second group did the same training twice a week. The third group did balance and toning exercises, but not resistance training. Classes for each group were 60 minutes long.
Women who lifted weights once a week netted the greatest improvement in conflict resolution, decision making and concentration skills. Their scores improved by 12.6 percent compared with a 10.9 percent increase by women who lifted weights twice a week. However, the group who lifted weights once a week had more injuries than did those doing the exercises twice weekly. Those in the balance and toning group had a slight decline in test scores.
Mayo Clinic doctors say the findings on resistance training may offer older women a straightforward, nondrug choice for maintaining and even improving cognitive skills.
Skin Care Tips
Some skin changes with age are inevitable, but proper skin care can help optimize skin function and appearance. Be sure to:
• Protect your skin from the sun – Even if your skin is already wrinkly or spotted, sun exposure will cause further damage. In addition, it can increase your risk of developing skin cancer. Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher at least once a day to areas that are likely to get sunlight- even in the winter. Wear clothing to block sunlight and a broad-brimmed hat when feasible. Try to avoid being in the sun from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and seek shade when you are outside.
• Wash gently – Take warm, not hot, baths and showers, because hot water can deplete natural oils from your skin. Use a mild soap and generally use soap only on your face, underarms, genital area, hands and feet.
• Moisturize after bath – Gently pat your skin dry after bathing, then immediately apply a moisturizing lotion to trap moisture in your skin. For extra-dry skin, a product in which petrolatum is one of the top three ingredients is likely to be best. Products containing glycerin, lactic acid or urea may provide an extra boost.
• Drink water – Being well hydrated moisturizes your skin from the inside out.
Simple Ways to Avoid Falls
Falls are the leading cause of hip fractures among older adults. Staying active is one step you can take to minimize the risk of falling.
Exercise improves strength, muscle tone, balance and coordination. This is extremely important, as poor balance is a major cause of falls. Simple leg exercises seated in a chair can really improve strength in the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, ankles and arches. Walking can also help improve balance and provides aerobic exercise, too.
The classes at Brandon Oaks all focus on strengthening leg muscles and reinforcing your balance skills, along with many other skills. Our goal is to keep residents independent and healthy as long as possible. Remember, stay active!
