Smart Senior

Senior to Senior: New Year Resolutions

As a senior you have seen it all. New Year Resolutions have come and gone and you may even be thinking “why bother.” Still, you have to admit that there is something exciting about the idea of “starting over.” A new day, a new week, a new month, and yes, a new year undoubtedly fills you with hopeful intentions. You may feel a bit disheartened if you have been making and breaking the same resolutions every year, but chances are you are ready to have another go at it. This year will be different. Why is it that you haven’t succeeded in the past? Instead of just making blanket statements about health and fitness, try something different. Start by examining what it was that kept you from succeeding the last forty or fifty times. You make a resolution because you want to “start over.” A new beginning so to speak; a fresh start, an opportunity to master a hobby, learn a language, or change an old habit that has been dragging you down. You aren’t looking to change good habits. It is the bad habits that hang over your head. You’ve tried to change, over and over again, but this time you will succeed. Keep thinking “older and wiser.” Researchers say you need to replace bad habits with good ones. Something equally rewarding; a walk, a hot bath, taking a class that is particularly interesting to you, learning how to knit, or training for a marathon. Top new years resolutions generally revolve around spending more time with family and friends, physical fitness, cutting back on smoking or drinking, curbing impulsive spending, learning something new, helping others and getting your life in order. Lofty goals, but you might want to narrow the field. Pick just one or two and have reasonable expectations. Do it because you really want to and because it is something that will make you healthy and happy. It isn’t too late to change or learn something new. Be optimistic and do it your way.

Senior to Senior: Aging and Exercise

Another one of the “perks” of aging is that aging muscles are more susceptible to injury. Not only that, but when injuries occur, they take forever to heal. I am learning this the hard way, and I suspect you are too. It doesn’t seem to matter if you are new to exercising or an old timer; time marches on. Simply put, you are more apt to fall victim to sprains, strains, and tears as your aging tendons and ligaments lose elasticity. I’m starting to get the picture that I can’t exercise the way I used to. Gone are the days of increasing muscle mass by lifting, pushing, and pressing increasingly heavier weights. Exercise is still important but, like it or not, the focus has to change. Instead of bulging biceps and six-pack abs it is time to think about flexibility, mobility, and gentle strength training. Not as much fun perhaps, but still important. The thought of injuring yourself while doing something you loves is scary. You are probably wondering if pushing yourself to go to the gym is more trouble than it is worth. Nice try, but you can’t get off the hook that easily. Exercise is more crucial than ever if mobility, functional fitness, and independent living are important to you. The benefits of exercise still outweigh the risks. It’s just that the old mantra of “no-pain, no-gain,” isn’t going to cut it anymore. Pain is not a good thing. Aging is inevitable but pain should not be; it is time to talk to a physical therapist about what exercises you can do for optimal fitness without injury. Whether new to exercising or an old hand: • Get a check-up before starting and ask for a PT evaluation • Ease into exercise gradually • Warm up and cool down (this is the thing most apt to be skipped) • Rest. Your body needs recovery time just as much as it needs exercise • Stop exercising if you feel pain, dizziness, shortness of breath or fatigue Remember, it is not about how much you can bench press as you get older but about doing what it takes to remain healthy and independent.

Senior to Senior: Walking Safely

Now that you have developed the “walking habit” you have joined a pretty elite group. You may have reached the point where you feel guilty if something or someone makes you miss a day. This is a good thing; it means that you are taking your health and well-being seriously. You’ve made a big commitment and you have every right to be proud of yourself. We’ve stressed self-motivation and technique already, but now it is time to touch on something else; personal safety. You may want to expand your route to three blocks instead of two, or to include a cul-de-sac or a neighborhood park. This means you will be getting further and further from home. Don’t forget to factor your sense of direction into the equation. You always want to know where you are and how to get back home. If you are “directionally challenged” (we’ve talked about this before, and it doesn’t have anything to do with your age), but if asking for directions makes you feel “old” or “foolish”, you might want to have a GPS Tracker on your person. If your skills don’t extend that far, ask someone to walk with you until you recognize all of the landmarks. Tell a family member or friend that you are going for your walk and where you are going. Wear a little fanny pack with your name, address, and contact information in it. Carry a cell phone and/or a medic alert bracelet and don’t be afraid to use them. There is always the possibility of a twisted ankle or heaven forbid, an episode of chest pain. Dress in comfortable bright colored clothing. This is not the time for gray sweats. You want to be seen. A bright orange vest with reflectors may not be a fashion statement but everyone will see you. Safety first. Walk during the day and chose highly traveled areas. Sidewalks or designated walking paths are the preferred places to walk. If you use headphones keep the volume down so you can hear what is going on around you. Be alert, be safe, and keep on walking.

Senior to Senior: Keep on Walking (motivation)

Okay, you’ve been walking every day for a couple of weeks. You can now make it to the end of the block, or around the block, without feeling breathless. You are either feeling pretty good about yourself, or you are bored out of your mind. “The honeymoon is over,” and you have to decide whether or not walking for the “health of it” is for you. What will it take to keep you walking? I keep walking because I have a dog that expects lengthy outings, and it is a good way for me to keep up with my favorite authors (listening to books on tape, CDs or downloads). These two endeavors find me out on the trail every single day of the week. As a result, I am in reasonably good shape and I have listened to everything on the best seller list. When I first started, back in the day, I listened to a Jane Fonda tape with peppy music and motivational chatter. It was fun, but now that I am older, I am more interested in a steady but lengthier pace. Keeping it simple has kept me walking: Choose convenience. Sure, it is nice to walk at the park, at the mall, or even the local gym, but driving to and from will take more time than the walk itself. Local neighborhoods are the most popular places to walk. Matching head and wrist bands, gadgets, gizmos, poles or weights are not what makes you a walker. Simply put, a good pair of walking shoes is the only equipment needed. It is nice to have a walking buddy, but they aren’t as easy to find as you might suppose. First of all, people are seldom reliable. More often than not they will try to erode your confidence, and if you aren’t careful you will be joining them on the couch. Generally speaking, walking is a solitary pursuit. This is actually a good thing. Think of your walk as “me time.” You, alone with nature, you alone with your thoughts, or you relaxing with up-lifting music or a good book.

Senior to Senior: Feet Are Made For Walking

Before you launch into a walking program you need to take a long hard look at your feet, often not a pretty sight. Unfortunately, feet change as you age, and the day will come when it takes more than a toe ring or sparkly nail polish to atone for years of abuse. We should have taken better care of our feet when we had the chance, but who knew. Now we have to deal with the damage. First and foremost, we have to accept that the size and shape of our feet have changed. The expensive elegant shoes that we used to wear no longer fit. The narrow toe boxes and the high heeled shoes that made our legs look so fabulous need to be put away forever. I can remember making fun of “granny shoes.” Fortunately, we have more choices now, but we still aren’t talking about high fashion. It is time to decide whether comfort and safety are more important than style. Believe it or not, your shoes will determine how active you are likely to be. You need shoes that are comfortable and really fit. Stop taking chances, especially if you are already dealing with fallen arches, calluses, corns, nerve ending pain, torn fascia or thick unsightly nails. Get over yourself for half a second and admit that mobility matters. Before embarking on a walking program invest in a good pair of shoes. Manufacturers catering to athlete’s design shoes with comfort and durability in mind. They know all about how to cushion vulnerable heels, snug stressed arches, and providing enough wiggle room for tender toes. The good news is that they come in all sizes, shapes and colors and nearly everyone wears them these days, well everyone who cares more about comfort than high style. What else? Learn how to pamper your feet. Massage them, soak them and exercise them. See a specialist if your feet hurt. Foot pain may seem inevitable but it isnt a normal part of aging. Treat your feet right and you will be walking for years.

Senior to Senior: Walking 101

With the exception of a few dedicated exercise buffs, seniors take walking more seriously than most. They walk because they can, or they walk because they can’t. Doctors everywhere are advising patients to walk more, and for good reason. Walking is the perfect exercise. You may scoff and you may think walking is not a big deal, but it becomes a very big deal when climbing a flight of stairs leaves you breathless and sick to your stomach. You can allow yourself to become a true couch potato or you can walk more, rather than less. Walking is easy, convenient, inexpensive and stress free. Almost anyone, at any age, and in just about any physical condition can do it. Why not you? Trainers and exercise gurus are well meaning but they tend to scare people off by using words like “exercise,” “brisk,” “aerobic” and “intensity,” as they try to whip up your enthusiasm. What you really need to hear is that walking is good for you. Please don’t confuse “good for you” with speed walking or marathons. Seniors, couch potatoes and even heart attack victims have to start somewhere, and that somewhere could be as slow as a 25-minute mile. If you have ever walked on a treadmill you know that a 25-minute mile is pretty darn slow. I’ve seen people with walkers and canes go faster than that. How fast do you have to go? It depends on your goals. For general health and well being try to accumulate 30 minutes a day at a moderate speed (remember don’t let the word moderate scare you, think of it as a comfortable walking speed). If you want to lose weight you will need to go a little faster and for a little longer. To reduce stress its okay to go for a stroll with your husband or your best friend. You should feel refreshed after your walk, not worn out. Just get out there, look straight ahead and put one foot ahead of the other. Walk to the end of the block and back. We will talk about going further when you are ready.

Senior to Senior: Breathe for the Health of It!

Take a deep breath. I’m talking about the kind of breath that fills your lungs and gives your body a tune-up. Feels good doesn’t it, but how often do you do it? You are not alone if you say “almost never,” because most people do not breathe fully. Research tell us that people who breathe deeply are healthier. That ought to be reason enough to make you “catch your breath”, but something is holding you up. Let’s talk a little bit about what good old-fashioned deep breathing can do for you. Breathing deeply expands your lung capacity, encourages endurance, and oxygenates the blood flowing to your brain. Pretty impressive, don’t you think? You already know the basics. The good news is that oxygen is free, you don’t need a prescription, and there is plenty of it. Go ahead. A few deep breaths can: • Reduce stress • Improve energy level • Improve alertness • Improve circulation • Facilitates relaxation and reduces chronic pain Go ahead and take a class, yoga or meditation techniques perhaps, if you feel that you need a little help. We all need a little nudge from time to time, but if you are reluctant to pay an instructor to teach you how to do something that you have been doing for 60 plus years, you can wing it on your own. If you feel stiff and sore in the morning you can combine deep breathing with deliciously easy, but effective, exercises. If you can’t stand the thought of exercising first thing in the morning you can just “stretch and breathe.” Not only will you be doing your lungs a favor but you will feel deliciously warm and relaxed by the time you get through. If you need “‘at home help’” you might find a gentle stretch and breathe DVD to get you started. I use O! Down Under by Oxycise International Inc. to guide me through a series of breathing and stretching exercises that can be done right in bed. Don’t wait until you are tethered to an oxygen tank to think about what your breath means to you.

Senior-to-Senior: Take the Stairs

I don’t know if they did it on purpose or not, but my library is spread out on two floors, and of course you have to go to both floors to find what you are looking for. I am pretty sure that everyone else has to do the same thing, which is fine, because they have a very nice elevator. It drives me nuts though, when I see able bodied people clustered in front of the elevator. Come on people, we are talking about two floors here not the Empire State building. Why not take the stairs? I mean, it’s not like you are going to get bowled over by people rushing to get out of there. Stair climbing is good for you. Those big muscles in your butt and thighs are just are begging to be exercised. Climbing the stairs is an aerobic exercise. Your thighs will burn and your heartrate will increase dramatically, even if you don’t go very fast. The best part is that you can find stairs everywhere, including right in your own home. If you have arthritis in your knees or hips or balance problems, try walking or climbing stairs in your own home, rather than outside, at least at first. If stairs make you nervous ask a physical therapist for tips. Try: • Leading with your strongest leg. • Taking one step at a time (you aren’t training for the Olympics here, you are just going up the stairs). • Lightly touch or hold the handrail; not with a death grip, you want to be using your legs, not your arms, to propel yourself forward. Yes, by the time you get to the top of the stairs your heart will be pounding and you will probably be a little out of breath, but this is a good thing. It is called exercising. You have every right to feel proud, and its okay if you take the elevator down if your arms are filled with books, groceries or shopping bags. Take the stairs once in a while instead of cramming yourself into a crowded elevator; it’s an easy way to add a little physical activity to your day.

Senior Living: Weathering Winter

Winter can be rough. Many seniors avoid winter by heading south, but the rest of us have to figure out how to weather the storm. Last week we talked about creating a “feel good” zone indoors, but what happens when you want to, or have to, go outdoors. Aches and pains, whether the byproduct of arthritis, degenerative joint disease or just plain old age, plague us all. Skiing is out of the question for most of us, but snow shoeing and long winter walks are still an option. Still, dealing with ice and snow is no joke; even a trip to the mail box can trip you up. That doesn’t mean you should avoid outdoor activities altogether, but use common sense. Dress appropriately when you go outside. Wear sturdy boots and consider ice grippers if you want to stride purposefully along. Walk in the powdery snow on the outer edges of the sidewalk and avoid slippery patches whenever possible. You might consider learning how to use walking poles, even if you don’t normally do so. Be sure to apply sun scream and/or good moisturizers because senior skin is delicate and needs all the help it can get. Dress for warmth. Select loose outerwear like a cape that will accommodate layers of clothing. Heavy snug jackets make you feel hot, uncomfortable and unbalanced. Good insulated boots and thick socks are important. You want your feet to be warm, dry and grounded. Complete your outfit with a warm hat and wear gloves or mittens that are lined with fleece, fur or a thermal material. Oh, and one more thing, protect your muscles and joints. Seniors like to do their own chores; many find shoveling snow both necessary and satisfying. It is not unusual, even for people who don’t normally exercise, to get caught up in the excitement of it all. This might be the year to invest in a lightweight snow blower or electric shovel. Winter shows up every year whether you like it or not. Hibernating is not an option. Lighten up a little, be careful and enjoy the crisp cold feel of it all.

Senior Living: Mobility and Independence

Watching an elderly gentleman nearly upend a table at a popular restaurant was an uncomfortable sight, but knowing it could happen to any one of us was even more sobering. How often have you used a flimsy table to help you get out of chair? Simple household tasks like raking leaves, gardening, or getting out of a chair to answer the door are taken for granted, until your legs are no longer up to the task. Think about it; everyday activities such as walking, going up and down stairs and getting up from a chair unaided will soon determine how and where you are going to live. Growing old happens, but it doesn’t have to be all bad. Research confirms that many of the most frustrating changes associated with aging are caused by a sedentary lifestyle. I know, you hate to exercise but it is time to be practical. Today we are talking about the thigh muscles, the ones that get you in and out of your chair without holding on to anything. The thigh muscles, commonly known as quadriceps or “quads,” make the difference. Skinny thighs are no longer a fashion statement. Every time you swing your leg forward to take a step, climb a stair or get out of a bath tub you should say “thank you” to a pair of big strong beautiful legs. Don’t wait until you have a health crisis to figure out that you need help. See your doctor and tell him/her that you don’t want to be the person who can’t get up off the floor or the one unending a table. Own up to your frailties and discuss joining a gym, hiring a trainer, or working with a physical therapist to stay ahead of the game. Strong quads are essential. The exercises are simple but they are hard; your thighs will burn after just a few repetitions. This is normal and it is a sure sign that there is work is to be done. Try this: Sit in a chair with your arms folded across your chest. Can you stand up, pause, and then sit back down without holding on? Need I say more.