Ageing A New Way of Living

AGEING A New Way of Living
Mary C Newton
“We don’t stop living because we grow old; we grow old because we stop living 

Do you wake up feeling like a truck hit you every morning?  Be open with others, set youself free by sharing a few of your life experiences, dreams, frustrations, fears, triumphs, goals, and resource.
Before you attempt any task, try to figure out how to finish your tasks to plan is to succeed
Able-bodied or disabled, performing daily tasks generally help people with functional disabilities leading more independent lives. Take a moment to think how you’re blessed, fortunate, and lucky that we yet lived to see another day.
Having a disability doesn’t mean health and fitness isn’t important to you; on the contrary, a focus on these two key factors will help you ensure the greatest level of independence and quality of life.
So you’re in a disability mobility chair? NO EXCUSE
The sit down relaxing exercises below help with back movements and firming your spine
              1. Come halfway forward on your chair Shoulders back chin slightly parallel to the floor, and lift the head up Inhale, roll the shoulders forward, up, back, and down Align the knees directly above the ankles, place the palms of the hands on the knees
Hold your breath for a little while exhale and relax

              2. The Twist: inhale, then while exhaling place the left hand on the right knee, twist around to the right and place your right hand on the chair close to your buttock. Inhale and exhale 3times Repeat to the other side.

              3. Meditate: Sit with an upright spine for two minutes, focusing the mind’s attention on breathing as it flows in and out.
Arthritis:
Count me among those with arthritis; it affects the musculoskeletal system and the joints specifically. Older people most often have osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis,
“You can’t choose whether you’ll get arthritis, but you can take steps to minimize its impact on your life. Causes of pain include physical problems weakness or tense muscles, stress, depression and fatigue, and exercise is one effective way to break this cycle
Arthritis can affect the whole body and damage virtually any organ or system: heart, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, and skin. It cost millions of people their health, physical abilities and, in many cases, independence.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune system disease; the immune system keeps out or destroys bacteria or viruses. The object of the attack is the lining of the joints. This continues to damage joints more over time. The damage done can become very severe.
Smokers with knee arthritis suffer quicker joint loss than non-smokers with the condition. smokers had more pain and were more than twice as likely to show significant cartilage loss in the joint.
Identify the warning signs: swelling in one or more joints; early morning stiffness; recurring pain and/or tenderness in one or more joints; inability to move a joint normally; redness, warmth in a joint; unexplained weight loss, fever, weakness, combined with joint pain, and symptoms that last more than two weeks.”
“You should inform your doctor of all medications and dosage and determine the need for each one, using each as prescribed and reporting the effects.” Also, go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. “Avoid caffeine, including chocolate, for four hours before bedtime and avoid alcohol near bed time.
Most of all, if you have a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea, treatment can make a real impact on your pain.”

As for any difficult emotion such as depression,” Understanding the tie between pain and mood will help with difficult emotions,” Keep active when you have pain; tell friends and family you’re in pain. A request for help isn’t being dependent; it’s a direct, and honest. Remember, pain is related closely to stress and depression. Reducing them will ease pain.”

McCartney has created a Top 10 List to “stay rejuvenated from arthritis pain.
Learn how fluids are absorbed.
Ø          Eat healthy foods and follow a balanced diet plan.
Ø          Exercise environmental control; make your home user-friendly.
Ø          Exercise to improve flexibility and strength.
Ø          Rest and sleep well.
Ø          Form a support team.
Ø          Communicate any changes.
Ø          Don’t ignore pain; listen to your body.
Ø          Be patient.
Ø          Make an action plan and problem-solving techniques.

How Stroke Affects Us

Women are uniquely impacted by stroke in several ways. Twice as many women die from strokes than from breast cancer every year, In fact, women represent more than half of all stroke survivors,
We need to better understand stroke risks, prevention and treatment.

“It’s important to recognize that 80 percent of strokes are preventable.

Women tend to have strokes later in life than men, and for this reason, their strokes often are more devastating. Women are more likely to die from a stroke. They’re more likely to become disabled and they’re more likely to have trouble thinking

Since women typically are older when they have their first stroke, they are more likely to have other health problems Lacking the proper support at home, female stroke survivors are more often transferred from the hospital to a nursing home
Hormone replacement therapy also increases a woman’s stroke risk Even younger women need to pay attention to their risks for stroke.  Know your risk factors for stroke and be able to recognized stroke symptoms in yourself

Toning and stretching muscles, works to balance every system of the body and reduces stress All you need is the willingness to learn.
Yoga is a great stress reliever, and activates the nervous system the gentle flow of breath and movement calms the mind, increases blood circulation, improves strength, reduces muscle tension, and enhances respiration.
Deep breathing reminds our bodies of what it feels like to deeply relax.” And once we relax, we become more clear-headed and productive.

For people with disabilities, yoga offers additional benefits, such as developing self-esteem; improving communication, listening, and relationship skills; and helping people discover their unique qualities in a non-competitive atmosphere.
Almost any yoga pose can be modified to be practiced in a chair,  Any style of chair can be used for yoga, though a sturdy armless chair works best. Some wheelchair, has arm and leg rests that may be removed
How we use words determines the effectiveness of our teaching and the messages we give to ourselves.” Focusing on abilities and avoiding attention on problems and limitations yields the best results from yoga, or any practice.

Stress Busters and relaxation

In our modern world of relationships, responsibilities, and commitments, we are inevitably caught up in psychological stress. Unrelenting stress can become a threat to both our physical and emotional well-being..

But in today’s busy world, we often need a little help reminding our bodies what it’s like to feel relaxed and calm. You might prefer to try something active like going for a walk or a run, or lying down and deeply relaxing the body to let go of tension.
Walking, running, rowing, or biking, preferably outdoors, puts physical and mental distance between you and the stress-causing environment.  Massage relaxes your muscles as well as your mind. While it’s nice to treat yourself to a massage session, you don’t have to visit a spa to enjoy massage Ease away stress by gently massaging your scalp with circular motions of your fingertips for 15 to 20 seconds; make circular motions with the pads of your first two fingers and gently squeeze and release the muscles between your neck and shoulders they are common areas for holding tension.
Music can be used throughout your day to reduce stress and increase enjoyment from any activity. Pick background music for the morning to set the tone of your day; play energizing music when cleaning or cooking, and listen to soothing music to relax yourself before bed.

As the body relaxes, so does the mind.

Thoughts create our reality, while some thoughts escalate stress levels, others can lower them. Whenever you find yourself thinking stress-provoking thoughts, try countering them with feel-good thoughts.

Aromatherapy

Oils are compounds extracted from seeds and flowers, roots and barks, and fruits and resins of plants. Chamomile, lavender, orange and sandalwood oil are especially good for combating tension and stress. Try adding a few drops of essential oil to bath water or massage oil, using a diffuser to disperse the scent into the air, or simply put a drop of essential oil on a tissue and keeping it with you to sniff whenever you need to relax.

Laughter! the best medicine of all.

Learning to smile and laugh again reduces stress by releasing pain killing, It also helps keep things in perspective. Laughter is also thought to stimulate the nervous system and strengthen the heart and immune system. Watch a laughter-inducing movie, get together with humorous friends,. Even fake laughter causes the body to respond as if the laughter is real, so practice laughing for five minutes every day and fake it ‘til you make it.
Aquatic therapy
Aquatic therapy is a relatively new phenomenon. It increases circulation, improves heart rate, increases range of motion, decreases blood pressure, and increases digestive movement.  The properties of the water, such as its buoyancy, allow dynamic exercises in a safe environment. 
Look after your heart and your body will survive
A Well Controlled Diet helps the heart
Heart; stroke and blood vessel disease is the leading cause of death in many countries, killing more than 50,000 Australians alone each year.

What is heart disease and what causes it?

Heart disease is the gradual build up of cholesterol in the coronary arteries - the blood vessels that feed the heart. A total blockage in one of these blood vessels will result in a heart attack.
Several things can increase the risk of heart disease.
These 'risk factors' include:
Ø          High blood cholesterol
Ø          Diabetes
Ø          Smoking
Ø          High blood pressure
Ø          Family history of heart disease

High cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced naturally by the body and found in our blood. Cholesterol is only a problem if the level in the blood is too high. This increases the risk of cholesterol building up on the inside of the blood vessels, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood vessel feeding the heart becomes blocked, the heart becomes starved of oxygen - that's a heart attack.

The average blood cholesterol level of Australian adults is 5.5 mmol/L. Lower levels are recommended for heart health. For people at high risk of heart disease the Heart Foundation recommends a cholesterol level of less than 4.0mmol/L. A simple test organised by your doctor will reveal your cholesterol level.
There is one other major factor in overweight, and that is age. We all know there is a marked tendency to put on weight as middle-age approaches. But contrary to what people believe, the process is far from inevitable. The chances are that once we reach middle age we will eat well, get little or no exercise and often have a job where expenditure of physical energy is not very high. There is no reason why, the weight that we had when we were 25 should not be the same weight when we reach 40.

There are 2 important things to be said in favour of a slower weight loss.
Ø          It is much less likely to cause damage to your health
Ø           Is that you have to re-train your appetite to a permanent pattern of eating less.

Once you have lost your surplus weight and settled sown on a maintenance diet, you will be amazed at how little food you really need to maintain that weight and sty healthy. Well-balanced slimming diets can

Healthy Mind & Body: -
Find an exercise plan you enjoy. Feeling good about yourself helps give you the confidence to communicate clearly at home or work Choose a routine:
·          Fitness Video
·          Exercise equipment
·          Work at a Gym, you will benefit from the tailor made program and experts guidance
Aerobic / Aqua Aerobics the goal is 2x60 minute classes a week.
·          Take up a sport.

Women should aim to reach from 75 to 85% of the average minimum hear rate for their age group in aerobics. You calculate the rate by deducting your age from 220. So if you are 45 your maximum rate should be 195 beats per minute. Start slowly and gradually increase frequently. Do not attempt too

Core Food Groups: - The National Dietary Guidelines to healthy eating has developed the following food groups based on the nutrients they provide.

·          Bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles
·          Legumes and vegetables
·          Fruit
·          Milk, yoghurt, and cheese.
·          Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and nuts
·          Fibre is found in plant products such as wholegrain breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Although fibre is considered to be an extra food type it needs to be included in your diet to prevent bowel disease. Fibre improves bowel function by increasing the bulk of faeces (poo) and reducing transit time in the body, which results in softer, larger stools and more frequent bowel action.
The main preventable risk factors for heart disease include smoking, not enough physical activity, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and obesity. Many adults aren’t active enough for their own well-being.

Physically active
Being physically active is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle that includes healthy eating. At any age, physical activity provides a range of health benefits. Regular, moderate-intensity physical activity is the key to reducing the risk of heart disease and various other diseases including type diabetes, osteoporosis and colon cancer.

Regular physical activity can also improve flexibility and balance, build stronger bones, prevent falls in later life, reduce the symptoms of arthritis, help manage blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes, and improve sleep patterns and energy levels.

Activity doesn't have to be vigorous - even moderate activity is great for your health.
As a minimum, you should do at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on all or most days of the week. You can do this in bouts of ten or fifteen minutes if this is more convenient.
However, more vigorous activity, such as skipping or aerobics, can give you even more health benefits. For best results, these should be done an additional three or four times per week for 30 minutes or more each time.

A Light and Tasty Margarine on your toast is the perfect and healthy way to start your day. Light and Tasty products contain a good source of essential nutrients for your body, including calcium for strong bones. Choose products that have been approved by the National Heart Foundation, Fat Free, and are an ideal balance of goodness and taste.

Diabetics: -
Having diabetes doesn’t mean you need to buy special food. A healthy diet for diabetes is much the same as a healthy diet.

Burning up the Calories: - To keep your weight constant you have to maintain a balance between the energy you consume in food calories and the energy you use up as heat or physical work, so you can help to stabilize your weight not only by dieting but also by making sure you keep active. In warm weather it’s a good idea to take an extra ½ walk each day or if you are go swimming instead which is an excellent form of exercise.

The important thing is to increase your level of daily activity. A few minutes of formal exercises each day help to tone your muscles and improve your posture and deportment, but unless you really work quite hard for ½ hour they have no significant effect on your energy balance.
No slimming campaign is complete without the aid of exercise. It tightens up slack muscles, tones the body and leaves you feeling health and vibrant. More important, it helps you maintain that low level of weight you’ve worked so hard for.

Exercise: - All sporting activities, walks, yoga, even dancing will keep you trim. Choose an activity that you enjoy, and you will be more likely to adhere to it. Let moderation be your guide.
Walking benefits nearly every muscle in the body, it is rapidly disappearing from so many people’s lives as a form of relaxation. You will be glad you did and so will your figure.