By definition, osteoporosis is a disease that, over time, causes bones to become thinner, more porous and less able to support the body. Bones can become so thin that they break during normal, everyday activity.
I’ve written a number of articles about the importance of weight bearing exercise and a calcium and vitamin D rich diet in preventing osteoporosis. So today I’m focusing on FALL PREVENTION. So many osteoporotic fractures are caused by falls so anything that can prevent those falls should be on your radar.
An interesting fall prevention method that’s been getting a lot of attention lately is using a Whole Body Vibration platform. Research by the Russian and American space programs has long suggested that a piezo-electric effect caused by vibrating the body strengthens muscles, and may prevent bone loss. A German study ‘Erlangen Longitudinal Vibration Study (ELVIS) shows it can also greatly reduce falls.
You simply stand on the vibrating plate and shake for several minutes. How long and how vigorously you shake can be dialed to suit your personal body needs and fitness level.
Commercial versions of the vibration platform are available at gyms and rehab centers. Home versions are sold online and at sporting goods and health equipment stores. Prices for the home versions start at about $199.
And for traditionalist in all of us, it’s true, simple balance exercises can go a long way towards reducing your chances of taking a serious fall.
Try this simple exercise:
Stand erect near a chair or wall (in case you lose your balance) hands at your sides.
Slowly raise one foot a couple of inches off the ground while shifting your weight to your grounded foot. When you’ve got your balance slowly raise your arms in front of you and hold for 10 seconds.
As you get more comfortable, try raising your held-up foot farther up until it’s near the knee of your grounded leg. More advanced, try closing your eyes as you balance.
Stress. It’s everywhere. If you live and work on this planet it’s almost impossible to avoid. In these times of social distancing and sheltering inside it can cause us to feel even more stressed and anxious too.
Feeling stressed? Me too!
Today I’m writing about how to get rid of stress and suggest some easy ways to get that burden off your back.
To get us in the mood, let’s start with a short, guided meditation and stretch video to help reduce stress. Try it with me and see for yourself.
Stress:
Now that you’re a believer, lets have a look at stress and how to get rid of it. (By the way, as you get better at becoming relaxed, you can keep your eyes open while watching the waves on the video.)
Stress has been around since the beginning of time. It started as the fight-or-flight response when early humans confronted a life-threatening situation. In that situation, stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, are produced. Your blood vessels constrict, blood pressure goes up, pupils dilate, heart rate quickens, and breathing becomes more rapid. The body is preparing itself to do battle or run. This response is essential in times of acute danger. But problems at work, crying kids, traffic, you name it can trigger the same response.
Given the pressures of daily life, chronic stress itself has become a life-threatening situation. It can cause a host of health problems including headaches, gastrointestinal issues, insomnia, trouble concentrating, anxiety, depression, increased body weight, high blood pressure and heart disease.
We can’t eliminate the stress. But we can relieve the fight-or-flight response that sends our bodies into danger mode. And we can cultivate a relaxation response over time that will reduce our physiological stress reaction.
So what do we do about chronic stress? How do we get rid of it?
How? Relax. That’s what my first yoga teacher used to say when I was all bent up in the pretzel pose with a grimace on my face. And, like that meditation you just did, it actually worked. Once I was able to relax, I was stress-free even in the pretzel pose.
Seriously, daily conscious relaxation exercises can make real difference in the way your body responds to stress. Dr Herbert Benson coined the phrase “relaxation response” in his book by the same name in 1975.
Since then he and others have conducted numerous studies, including a recent one at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine, that have detailed the body’s intricate positive response to conscious relaxation exercises. In a nutshell, the relaxation response has the opposite effect of fight-or-flight. It engages the parasympathetic nervous system to counteract the effects of stress. You experience a feeling of deep relaxation and well being. And if you practice relaxation regularly you’ll feel better and help yourself avoid those stress related health issues. That’s how we get rid of chronic stress.
Meditation is just one of an almost infinite number of ways to consciously relax. Virtually anything that takes your attention away from your daily grind and makes you concentrate on just one thing can work. Doing the dishes, aerobic exercise, yoga, stretching, golf, playing a musical instrument, casting a fishing rod, playing with a cat, almost anything can work if you pay attention to only that and clear your mind. I’m partial to exercise because I get the benefits of a workout as well as the relaxation. It’s my mantra. It’s what I do to get rid of chronic stress.
Dr. Benson suggests you practice some form of conscious relaxation for 10 to 20 minutes every day to get rid of chronic stress in the long-term.
But what if you’re pressed for time? (Pressed rhymes with stressed.)
Reduce Chronic Stress with this little exercise.
Sometimes you only need a few seconds and you feel a lot better.
Sit down and close your eyes. (If you’re on the street, duck into a doorway, stand and keep your eyes open and one hand on your purse.)
Let your muscles relax. Concentrate on your breathing.
Breathe in and hold your breath for one second, count one one hundred thousand, and breathe out.
Breathe in again a little deeper and hold for two seconds — one one hundred thousand, two one hundred thousand — breathe out.
Breathe in deeper and hold for three, then four, then five seconds.
When you get to around three seconds of breath holding, your stress level should start to drop and your mind should start to clear itself of thoughts.
After five, you should feel pretty good. This works well for me particularly in moments of acute stress.
That one worked too didn’t it. I hope concentrating on reading this helped you reduce your stress and I hope you’ll make conscious relaxation a part of your life.
It’s a lifestyle change that’s easy to make because it feels so good when you do it.
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Bone healthy Diet? EEK! One more thing to worry about? What ever happened to “these are our golden years”?. Sounds like more bad news but it’s not. True, our bodies can lose up to 40% of their bone mass in the 10 years following menopause. And true, if we don’t do something we could easily end up with osteoporosis. But also true, the fix for this is both easy and delicious.
It’s important to get enough calcium, Vitamin D in your bone healthy diet. As we age bodies become less efficient at absorbing these nutrients.
Here are some recommendations.
If you’re 50 or over you should make sure you’re getting a total calcium intake of at least
1200 milligrams daily and a Vitamin D intake of at least 800 to 1000 units daily.
Here are some sources of dietary calcium:
Dairy Products including milk, yogurt and cheese
Nuts such as almonds and various green vegetables such as broccoli
Fish with bones such as sardines, and mackerel and calcium fortified juices and cereals.
So, yogurt with fruit, almonds and maybe even a little cereal sounds like lunch. So does a salad with sardines, and a little raw broccoli. How about a nice piece of fish with a smaller salad. You might try some cheese and fruit with a glass of fruit juice. OK, wine. You get the idea. Get your calcium from food and you don’t have to take supplements. But if you do, most people have a better time digesting calcium citrate than calcium carbonate, but they both work fine.
Sources of Vitamin D include:
Fatty fishes such as salmon and mackerel and Vitamin D enriched milk, juices and cereals.
Although your skin can make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, sun block prevents vitamin D production.
By now you’re making up your own healthy bones recipes so I don’t have to suggest a Salmon, mackerel, milk, fruit juice and cereal smoothie do I?
But if you’re like most people and wear sun block and don’t get enough D in your diet you’ll need to take a supplement to get your 800-1000 units of Vitamin D.
MORE BONE HEALTH DIET DO’s
Research suggests nutrients such as magesium, potassium, Vitamins A, K & C found in certain vegies and fruits may help foster better bones. It is recommended to eat about 12 ounces of fruit and 16 ounces of vegies daily.
Vitamin C: Oranges, pineapples, payayas, grapefruits, lemons, strawberries, red and green peppers, broccoli and brussel sprouts and cauliflower.
BONE HEALTHY DIET NO’s
One bit of bad news is too much alcohol or caffeine can add to bone loss; and soft drinks particularly colas that have both caffeine and phosphorous (bad for your bones) may be a double whammy.
So that’s my quickie eating for your bones report. Don’t try that smoothie; it’s nasty.
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Studies show that about one third of cancer deaths each year are related to an unhealthy diet and not enough exercise. On the other hand, not smoking, eating well, and getting plenty of exercise are the most important things we can do to prevent cancer.
Cancer Exercise programs can help to control your weight and stabilize hormones. The same 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day that reduces your risk of heart attack by 50% can also reduce risk breast and colon cancer.
Controlling your weight helps to reduce the risk of breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, and kidney cancers. Healthy low fat diet of fiber, fruits and vegetables is also a major factor in reducing cancer risk.
Cancer Exercise Programs
Easy aerobic exercise has been shown to increase hemoglobin levels, reduce inflammation, lessen fatigue, and keep muscles in shape for better every day activities. Also you can increase self confidence, reduce depression and aid in recovery of surgery. Here are some aerobic exercise suggestions.
Other research has shown cancer exercise programs that involve strength and flexibility exercises have helped patients return to a normal activity level sooner.
Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed kind of cancer and lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among all Americans. Using sunscreen and not smoking make these two cancers largely preventable.
For women, the second most deadly cancer is breast cancer, third is colorectal cancer. Among women’s reproductive cancers, cancer of the endometrium – the tissue lining the uterus – is the most commonly diagnosed, followed by ovarian, vaginal, and vulvar cancers.
Breast cancer. Age and hormones play a big role in prevention of reproductive cancers in women. The hormone estrogen (and subtypes, such as estradiol) has a lot to do with breast cancer, although scientists are still exploring why. New research studies are finding that young girls who get plenty of exercise and eat calcium and soy foods may have lower risk for breast cancer later in their lives. Pre-menopausal women have lower risk if they have had children and breast-fed children; for this age group, being overweight seems not to be as great a breast cancer risk as it is for post-menopausal women who gain weight. Weight gain also adds risk of recurrence for overweight breast cancer survivors.
Exercise and social support seem to increase the life expectancy of breast cancer survivors, preventing recurrence. Monthly self-exams and annual mammograms are vital in detecting breast cancer early enough to treat it, so that a patient’s survival is as great as possible. More exacting screening methods, including sentinel node biopsies (removal of small bits of tissue likely to reveal cancer) and mammograms better able to penetrate dense breast tissue that can hide cancer, are improving detection and making earlier treatment and longer survival possible. Breast cancer symptoms include:
• Lump or thickening of the breast
• Breast pain
• Dimpling or puckering of the skin
• Change in skin color or texture
• Change in breast shape
• Swelling redness or heat
• Discharge from or retraction of the nipple
• Scaly skin on or around the nipple
Cervical/Uterine Cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the few types of cancer (liver cancer is another) that develops as the result of a virus. PAP smear tests to detect cervical cancer have been greatly improved in the past few years. Regularly getting a PAP smear is the best method of detecting cervical cancer. Abnormal bleeding, especially in post-menopausal women, may be a sign of these cancers, but may also be a sign of other disorders that are not cancer. Premenopausal women may have heavier than normal bleeding. Pelvic pain (except cramping) and urination difficulties also are possible symptoms.
Ovarian Cancer. Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect before it has spread to a stage where it is usually fatal. Symptoms may include constant abdominal bloating and gas in the digestive system. Other symptoms may be the same as for cervical/uterine cancer, described in the previous paragraph.
Cancer treatments are improving. Although the side-effects of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation can still be devastating and very unpleasant, all of these therapies are being more finely tuned and made less dangerous as better technology is developed. More studies are showing effective combination treatments. Many cancers are becoming more manageable over a long-term with healthy habits and watchfulness, instead of the automatic death sentence they used to be. However, some hard-to-detect cancers, including ovarian and pancreatic cancer, have often spread too far before they can be treated.
So now may be the time to try some health coaching!
If you need some help, I have your back! Here’s a short video about my Health Coaching Technique how I have helped my clients achieve a balanced and Healthy Life.
For more health and fitness information and at home exercise programs please visit www.mirabaiholland.com
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It is important to keep up with new developments in cancer treatment and other care options. Here are some reliable resources on cancer, exercise, nutrition & support for women:
We all have a lot to lose if we take a serious fall. Assuming we survive, the effects can be life altering. And if you have osteoporosis, what would have been a minor slip and fall for others, could have devastating consequences for you.
Fall Prevention Video
Here’s a fall prevention video that should be of interest to anyone interested in staying upright.
Osteoporosis Fall Prevention Video
There’s a story that prompted me to post this video and write this article. Here it is.
I have a friend who had been eyeballing this cute little red purse for a couple of months. She didn’t need it but she wanted it and sort of became obsessed with it.
She’d visit it online and wave to it in the store. But, there’s no way she was going to buy that purse because wanting it that bad made her feel a little stupid.
Well, the darn thing went on sale the other day at 40-percent off and another 10-percent off with her store card. Now, of course, she had to have that red bag.
Apparently, so did every other woman in the United States. Because, she had it in her online shopping cart and by the time she got her credit card out, it was no longer available. It had been snatched right out of her cart.
She was furious. She felt violated. “How dare they sell MY red purse?”
She called the company. They apologized and looked for one in their inventory anywhere. They gave her stores and a warehouse to call and reserve it before the last one could be sold. She called around for over an hour and finally got to someone who found one in California and ordered it for her.
As she was patting herself on the back for her investigative skills and persistence my friend had an aha! moment. She had recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Her doctor had given her a list of endocrinologists he’d be comfortable recommending but she hadn’t even looked at it, let alone researched it.
“I had been meaning to but I had been putting it off for no good reason. I thought why on earth don’t I apply that same purse passion to taking charge of my own health care?”
Health Care Not Sexy?
She thought about it for a minute and the answer she came up with unnerved her a little. “Health care is not sexy,” Purses are sexy! Purses are sexier than being healthier and maybe living longer? Eek!
But health is sexy! Quality of life is sexy!
As she started to Google the doctors on the list, she began to sing a parody to that old rock song.
“I’m too sexy for my purse, too sexy for my mouse pad, but not too sexy for my doctor’s office. Maybe a little bit too sexy, but I’m goin’ anyway.”
LOOKING GOOD VS FEELING GOOD?
I think perhaps my friend has touched a nerve in many of us. Would we really rather look good than to feel good?
Sure seems like it. I think it’s that very premise that prompted an ad agency to come up with a TV commercial for a dietary supplement featuring a sexy dancing X-ray skeleton of a baby boomer model that’s protecting her looks by protecting her bones.
It got my attention. If you can’t get them to do it for health, get them to do it for beauty. Twistedly brilliant!
So I guess, if beauty is your motivation, go for it; especially when the health comes with it.
But what do you do if you already have osteoporosis like my friend, or have low bone mass, or you just have the good sense to want to take of your bones?
Osteoporosis And Calcium
Under age 50 need a total of 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium* every day.
Women: Age 50 and older (or any women who is not menstruating) need a total of 1,200 mg of calcium* every day.
Men: Under age 71 need a total of 1,000 mg of calcium* every day.
Age 71 and older need a total of 1,200 mg of calcium* every day. Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF)
Weight Bearing Exercise
Weight bearing exercise actually builds bone in youth and will help maintain bone.”As we get older the type of exercise changes a little bit. We still have to do some impact work but it has to be safe to avoid injury and falls so you want to add balance training, flexibility training, and safe movement to make sure the individual is able to stay active and healthy.”
So what’s the takeaway here? My takeaway is if you like standing on your own two feet, taking care of your bones is about as sexy as it gets.
by Mirabai Holland MFA Certified Health Coach, Certified Exercise Physiologist.
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Osteoporosis Prevention Diet? EEK! One more thing to worry about? Sounds like more bad news but it’s not. True, our bodies can lose up to 40% of their bone mass in the 10 years following menopause. And true, if we don’t do something we could easily end up with osteoporosis. But also true, the fix for this is both easy and delicious.
It’s important to get enough calcium, Vitamin D in your bone healthy diet. As we age bodies become less efficient at absorbing these nutrients.
Here are some recommendations.
If you’re 50 or over you should make sure you’re getting a total calcium intake of at least
1200 milligrams daily and a Vitamin D intake of at least 800 to 1000 units daily.
Osteoporosis Prevention Diet
Here are some sources of dietary calcium:
Dairy Products including milk, yogurt and cheese
Nuts such as almonds and various green vegetables such as broccoli
Fish with bones such as sardines, and mackerel and calcium fortified juices and cereals.
So, yogurt with fruit, almonds and maybe even a little cereal sounds like lunch. So does a salad with sardines, and a little raw broccoli. How about a nice piece of fish with a smaller salad. You might try some cheese and fruit with a glass of fruit juice. OK, wine. You get the idea. Get your calcium from food and you don’t have to take supplements. But if you do, most people have a better time digesting calcium citrate than calcium carbonate, but they both work fine.
Sources of Vitamin D include:
Fatty fishes such as salmon and mackerel and Vitamin D enriched milk, juices and cereals.
Although your skin can make vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, sun block prevents vitamin D production.
By now you’re making up your own healthy bones recipes so I don’t have to suggest a Salmon, mackerel, milk, fruit juice and cereal smoothie do I?
But if you’re like most people and wear sun block and don’t get enough D in your diet you’ll need to take a supplement to get your 800-1000 units of Vitamin D.
MORE Osteoporosis Prevention Diet DO’s
Research suggests nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, Vitamins A, K & C found in certain veggies and fruits may help foster better bones. It is recommended to eat about 12 ounces of fruit and 16 ounces of veggies daily.
Vitamin C: Oranges, pineapples, payayas, grapefruits, lemons, strawberries, red raspberries
Osteoporosis Prevention Diet NO’S
One bit of bad news is too much alcohol or caffeine can add to bone loss; and soft drinks particularly colas that have both caffeine and phosphorous (bad for your bones) may be a double whammy.
So that’s my quickie eating for your bones report. Don’t try that smoothie; it’s nasty.
Have you tried to pick a coin up off the ground lately? How about tying your shoes? Have you switched to slip-ons? What about reaching over the coffee table to scoop some dip on the other side? Remember when you didn’t think twice about those maneuvers?
Sounds like decrepitude is setting in. Or maybe you’ve just lost some Flexibility.Flexibility is range of motion around your joints.
There are two types. Static flexibility – how far you can stretch and hold a body part, and dynamic flexibility – how much range of motion you have when you move.
Both are important. In fact I consider Flexibility one of the 3 main components of fitness, along with Aerobic Capacity and Muscle Strength.
I recommend a flexibility program that incorporates slow dynamic movements like Tai Chi, as well as static stretches like Yoga.But in my experience, Flexibility is the most ignored component of fitness. We do our Cardio and our Strength training but, unless we’re regular Yoga or Tai Chi, practitioners, Flexibility is not on the menu.
Why not? I think there are a couple of reasons. First, I think we don’t get it.It doesn’t make our muscles stronger or our figures shapelier. We don’t realize how valuable flexibility is until we try to do something we used to take for granted, like reach around to the back seat to get our sunglasses. Even then we toss it off with, “Well, I guess I’m getting older”. We somehow don’t connect with the thought, ” If I’d been doing a little stretching all these years, it wouldn’t have felt like I was going to rip something just then”.Secondly, there’s been lots of press about conflicting studies on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of stretching.
Some studies say stretching improves athletic performance. Others say they’ve proved the exact opposite. Some studies say stretching helps prevent injury. Others say it has no effect on injury prevention. There’s enough conflicting buzz to make you not want to bother.That’s too bad because all that buzz masks the fact we do know stretching does help you gain and maintaining flexibility. Does stretching help prevent injury or aid athletic performance? I DON’T CARE.
I want to stay flexible as I age. I want to be able to pick up coins, tie my shoes and grab my sunglasses. Give me my dose of flexibility training!Even if we were flexible as kids, as we get older, connective tissues, our tendons and ligaments, tend to lose water, shorten, and become stiffer. So we get less flexible. But it’s not too late.Even if you’re not interested in the fine practice of Yoga or Tai Chi, barring some medical issue, there’s a simple way to help hang on to the flexibility you have, and work on getting some of that youthful flexibility back. A few easy stretching exercises may be the difference between living tight and living flexible.I stretch every day. Easy for me to say, I teach a stretch class. But just a few minutes, three times a week, can make a real difference. I’ve seen students of mine go from really stiff to pretty darn flexible in a few months, without trying hard.Stretching, when done right, feels delicious while you’re doing it, and even better when you’re done. The kind of stretching I do is relaxing and meditative. I find it melts my stress and energizes me while keeping me flexible. I’ve developed a stretch exercise technique I call Moving Free. It’s evolved some over the 30 years I’ve been teaching it. I use a fusion of modified static stretches from Dance, Yoga and classic fitness as well as dynamic movements adapted from Dance and Tai Chi and Kinesiology.Here’s a video with some lower body stretches you can try at home. As if that weren’t enough, There’s more to stretching than just flexibility. I think stretching is a form of meditation that creates a sense of well-being and promotes peace of mind. When I finish my stretching routine I have a more positive outlook as well as the feeling that my body is more alive, more accessible to me. Try it and see.
Chances are that pretty soon you’ll be able to find your shoes simply by looking down.
Heart Healthy Valentine: Eat Berries, Drink and Be Fit! Here is a heart healthy formula that just might help save your heart and the one that you love!
February is Heart Month. Since heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women and men in the U.S., I thought I’d focus on prevention. After all, if you prevent heart disease, you’re very unlikely to die from it.
Heart Healthy Research
A Harvard study says women who eat three or more servings of strawberries or blueberries a week can lower their risk of heart attack by 32 percent. The study also said grapes, eggplant and blackberries may work too. It’s those flavonoids again. The antioxidants you find in red wine, dark chocolate, green tea, apple skin, etc. Rule of thumb: The darker the color, the more flavonoid content. They slow down your aging clock and prevent disease by keeping free radicals from damaging cells in your body.
Free radicals are incomplete molecules looking for an electron so they can complete and stabilize themselves. Sounds like something you’d hear in therapy. They steal an electron from a neighboring molecule, turning it into a free radical and setting off a chain reaction. They contribute to the aging process and a wide range of diseases.
We form them naturally when we breathe and metabolize. Free radicals don’t wreak havoc with your body until you have too many of them. They can be formed by oxidative stress, like intense exercise, smoking and exposure to environmental toxins.
Enter the flavonoids. They give the free radicals one of their electrons and stop them in their tracks. They help prevent heart disease by stopping LDLs (bad cholesterol) from breaking down and forming plaque in your arteries.
Nowadays, you can get berries year round, and they are a perfect low-calorie food, alone, in yogurt, or sprinkled on your cereal. So let’s have a few servings of berries, some eggplant, a glass of cabernet and maybe a square of dark chocolate for dessert. Not such a major lifestyle change and it came help you stay heart healthy too!
Since we are talking about prevention, how about stress?
A series of studies by Columbia University Medical Center says whether or not we perceive ourselves as stressed can be a measure of whether or not we’ll have a heart attack in the future. So from now on, I’m not going to perceive myself as stressed. Yeah. Good luck with that.
Seriously: My clients who exercise regularly, particularly aerobic exercise, tend to think of themselves as being more relaxed. And they are more relaxed. Aerobic exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural tranquilizer, and they know they’re getting the heart benefits of all that cardio. To get the maximum benefit from cardio exercise, most people should build up to 45 or more minutes at 60 to 80 percent of your max heart rate. If you’re just starting out, you can ease in with a few minutes a day at a comfortable pace and add more as it gets too easy. But here’s the rub: Aerobic exercise, because it requires so much oxygen, is an oxidative stressor. It produces free radicals.
People who exercise once in a while or really hard only on the weekend are more at risk for producing harmful levels of free radicals. But studies have found that people who exercise regularly tend to adapt and produce enzymes that create antioxidants minimizing free radicals’ negative effect so that it helps them stay heart healthy.
So here’s the formula to be heart healthy: Eat berries, drink wine and get regular cardio so you don’t perceive yourself as stressed. It’s an eclectic concoction, but I think it’s tastier than one of those midnight vegetable smoothies. Don’t you?
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In these times of social distancing and sheltering in place is a perfect time to focus on your health and well-being. It can make a big difference to keep your immune system strong. If you need some help, I have your back! Here’s a short video about my Health Coaching Technique how I have helped my clients achieve a balanced and Healthy Life. If you are ready to break the cycle of failed diets, exercise programs with no results or have low energy, high stress or persistent health issues, YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!
FIRST HEALTH COACHING SESSION. CONTACT MIRABAI: askmirabai@movingfree.com
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With the holidays around the corner again those old familiar fears are rearing their ugly heads. For me it’s: how am I going to get through this with my sanity and how am I going to keep from gaining a ton?
Exercise has always been my catchall solution, like Windex for the father of the bride in that movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
As those of you who read my column know, during the holidays I pretty much throw up my arms and prudently sample every goodie that comes my way. But I emphasize the word SAMPLE. If I come to the table hungry those samples could get quite large, so I use my Windex (I mean holiday exercise; I don’t use real Windex) to help me through.
Holiday Exercise Tips:
Here is a short video to kick start your Holiday Exercise:
Endorphins make you feel like all is right with the world. Maintaining sanity becomes much easier after a good workout. They also tend to suppress your appetite. 30 minutes or so of aerobic exercise is enough to get your body to release those endorphins and it burns about 200- 300 calories. Strength training about a half hour every other day burns about 200 calories. It also raises your metabolism and keeps it up for hours after you’ve finished exercising. You see where I’m going here?
If you get started now you can stay sane, get in shape, reap all the health benefits daily holiday exercise has to offer, maintain or even lose weight, and get a jump on the 2 most popular New Year’s resolutions: Get in shape and lose some weight. Not bad.
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Orthopedic Injuries. Here’s one of mine. This picture is real. It was taken by my husband a few years ago. That’s me unable to lower my arm without passing out. I’m on the phone with my orthopedist. Orthopedic Injuries are a real drag. This one took me 3 months to rehab.
We’re running a little scared. We want longevity, but we’re scared of losing our mobility and independence. So we’re trying to stay active, or get active, in order to avoid decrepitude. With that many older bodies on the move, orthopedic injuries are on the rise. Once you’re injured, there’s excellent treatment and rehab available
But there is a lot you can do to prevent orthopedic injuries. If you want to stay active and mobile in the second half of your life, consider prehab today to avoid rehab tomorrow. Here’s a quick video to tell you more:
Who gets up in the morning thinking: I feel like getting a nice orthopedic injury today. What can I do to help that along? But we have them anyway, even if we’re disease free. We over use our bodies or use them wrong. We break hips and legs. We get strains and sprains. We get hurt at work, at home or playing sports.
Vintage Bodies Prone For Orthopedic Injuries
No matter how active we’ve been, our bodies are not the same as they were when we were younger. They’ve got miles on them. And like vintage cars, it’s not wise to drive them flat out. Those of us, who’ve used our bodies for a living, know we’ve had to make adjustments for our aging muscles and joints. Many of us are favoring old injuries that have left those body parts weakened and vulnerable.
We may be nursing over use injuries from repetitive actions. These can be anything from back problems from years of standing all day, to shoulder issues from years of manual labor, to carpal tunnel syndrome from constant mouse pushing. But it doesn’t have to take years. Raking leaves, shoveling snow or playing tennis all weekend when you’re out of shape can be an express ticket to Overuse Ville. And being overweight puts extra stress on your musculoskeletal system. But, there’s a simple fix that can reduce your risk for orthopedic injuries, give you more energy, stamina and even help you live longer
Prehab to Avoid Orthopedic Injuries
Two Types of Prehab
There are two main types: general and sport-specific.
General Prehab for Daily Life
Every day, we run for the bus or the phone, load groceries in the car, pick up children or pets and a million other things we take for granted. These all carry a risk for injury and I’ll bet we can all remember being injured doing them. Luckily for most of us the, injuries were limited to a little pull or sprain. But people do fall and break bones, dislocate limbs, have heart attacks and worse because they’re not fit enough for that activity at that moment. Being inactive and overweight adds to the mix. A simple fitness and weight management program may be all you need to help prevent orthopedic injuries during everyday activities.
Sport-Specific Prehab is designed to get you ready for the rigors of a particular sport or physical endeavor. Good activity specific exercises pay special attention to the body parts most involved in that activity or sport with regard to use and form without ignoring the concept of training the body as a whole. Sport specific training is available at many gyms and community centers.
So I hope you’ve become a believer in the little proverb I’ve coined to remind my clients “An ounce of prehab is worth a pound of rehab.”
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By definition, osteoporosis is a disease that, over time, causes bones to become thinner, more porous and less able to support the body. Bones can become so thin that they break during normal, everyday activity.
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