Are you tired of the same old routine? Want to spend more time with your grandchildren stuck at home? Then set up a play date with your grandkids! If you've ever seen children on a playground, you will know how much they love to run around. A few hours outside with the little humans will surely get your heart racing.
Moving around and being physically active comes naturally to children, so it's an excellent motivation to move around. The best part is that playtime will benefit you and help them. Swimming in a pool or climbing to the top of a slide encourages your grandchildren to a lifetime of being active, especially during this digital age.
Here are six ways you and your grandkids can stay active together:
Take them for a nature walk around your neighborhood or local park.
Play a video fitness app together and see who wins!
Go for a bike ride, don't forget your helmets!
Build a magical...
Losing weight and trying to maintain your blood sugar under control can seem unattainable. Though the journey is far from comfortable with a little grit and a positive attitude, you can achieve your weight loss goals. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, you do not have to give up your favorite foods to lose weight. By practicing moderation and eating the correct amounts at the right time will keep your blood sugar in its target range and help you drop pounds. A good rule of thumb is to try and fill our plate up with tons of greens and vegetables as well as lean protein, healthy fats, nuts and seeds, whole grains, small amounts of dairy, and some fruits for dessert. There are plenty of programs available to help support you and keep you on track while you are on your journey.
Here are a few programs to help guide you:
The DASH Diet
Mark Bittman's VB6 Diet
The...
It’s summertime, so we all know what that means: extreme heat.
While living in Florida has its perks like year-round warm weather and beautiful beaches, the downside is the high temperatures that come with it.
Seeing 100+ degrees on our car dashboard is nothing unusual for us Floridians but even though we have lived through it for many years, that doesn’t mean it’s not harmful.
During the warmer months, remember to always:
Wear light, loose-fitting clothing
Stay in shaded areas
Avoid strenuous activities
Drink lots of water
Stay inside between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.
If you begin to feel symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, heavy sweating, nausea, or cold skin with goosebumps, it’s important to go into an air-conditioned place and drink liquids with electrolytes. Should the symptoms persist after an hour, it may be time to seek medical attention....
| Contributed by Fitworks Perfect Posture |
It may contribute to life-threatening conditions, contribute to chronic pain, increase the risk of osteoporosis, increase the risk of thrombophlebitis and compromise the immune system.
Evidence shows that prolonged sitting is devastating to your health. It actively promotes dozens of chronic diseases, even if you’re very fit.
Because of sitting, your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol, and toxic buildup all rise. The solution to these adverse effects does not involve a prescription—all you need to do is get up and avoid sitting as much as possible!
If you’ve been sitting down for a full hour, you’ve sat too long.
Did you know that within 90 seconds of simply standing up, the muscular and cellular systems that process blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol—which are mediated by insulin—are activated?
At the molecular level, the human body was designed to be active and on the move all day long. If you stop moving for extended periods, it’s like telling your body it’s...
There is no question that loneliness is one of the most common problems faced by seniors. It’s a serious problem too; loneliness can lead to increased stress, more frequent use of alcohol or tobacco and a number of medical problems. Unfortunately, the isolation made necessary by the Covid-19 pandemic has made this problem all the worse.
Adopting a pet may offer seniors at least a partial solution to the problem of loneliness. Having a pet gives seniors both companionship and a purpose in life. Pets depend on their human companions for care, making a senior feel needed. Some pets provide increased security and the opportunity for exercise and social interaction. Seniors benefit physically and emotionally from having a pet companion, and the new adoptee finds care and a loving home. It can be a win-win situation, but there are some things to think about before jumping in.
The first consideration is commitment. A senior must understand that pet ownership involves a long-term...
| Contributed by Fitworks Perfect Posture |
What is the first thing you visualize when you hear the phrase “bad posture?” I am sure we all see a body slumped forward with rounded shoulders and a huge hump in their upper back.
What is happening to the organs inside that body we just visualized? What about the nerves? And, what about the blood flow?
Just in that one small bad posture we have a person who may have restricted nerves going down into his harms and hands. So, the hands may tingle or feel numb at times. The fingers may feel cold and may have trouble moving in the manner they are used to.
This person may have trouble raising their hands above their head. Reaching for items in a cupboard or even washing their hair may be impossible.
They may have digestion issues. The stomach could feel bloated at times and have heartburn at other times.
The ribcage and sternum are pushing down on to...
Seniors face a number of obvious health issues. Many of these, like digestive problems, joint pain, hearing and vision loss make themselves known every day, reminding us to see the appropriate medical professional. Other medical needs seem to hide themselves in the back of our minds until it may be too late. Immunization is one of the tasks that can fall through the cracks of medical care.
Health experts recommend that seniors be immunized for several preventable diseases that can cause serious or even fatal illness. Every year in the United States, an estimated 45,000 adults die from diseases that could have been prevented by immunization. Because seniors are more susceptible to infections than younger adults, immunization is especially important for them. Think about this short list of preventable illnesses.
Influenza. Health officials recommend an annual flu shot for seniors and all patients with conditions like heart disease or diabetes. Each year, the flu vaccine varies, as we try to guess what...
Few things worry seniors more than the thought of “cognitive decline”—losing the ability to do mental tasks like remembering names or doing simple arithmetic. When a young person forgets where they put their keys or neglects to lock a door, we tend to think that they simply have too much on their mind. But for many seniors, each misplaced key, forgotten lock or hard-to-recall word brings with it the thought, “I am losing it!”
We are not referring to disease conditions like Alzheimer’s or other dementias, but to the normal decline in brain function that comes with age. Like your heart, kidneys and lungs, the brain is a physical organ that changes with age. An 80-year-old senior cannot expect their heart or lungs to perform as well as those of a teenager. Likewise, the brain undergoes changes as we age; in fact, elusive changes may start as early as the 20’s. Neurotransmission, the speed at which signals travel within the brain,...
You may not realize it, but your posture has a large impact on how you are perceived by others. It also changes your body chemistry setting you up for either success or failure.
Judged by your posture? You have probably never even thought about this. In fact, studies have shown that your body language can influence the way you are perceived by others. Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist from the Harvard Business School, determined that assuming a powerful stance can increase power hormones (testosterone) and decrease stress hormones (cortisol). If you can feel these physiological changes in yourself, it will be reflected in the way others perceive you.
From the outside, others judge you by what they see.
Posture begins from the ground up. A lot of people these days walk with feet in an externally rotated position, or as we call it, “duck feet.” Instead of walking with a confident stride and a spring in your step, this gait style can often...
Let’s start with the facts: Vitamin D, technically a hormone, is considered a crucial nutrient commonly known to help build bones and keep them strong. It’s acquired by exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet B rays), or food and/or supplemental absorption.
A family history of osteoporosis was once the only prerequisite required to guard your levels; of late, that’s no longer the case. Turns out, vitamin D receptors have been found across all biological systems and countless medical studies have demonstrated its positive effects toward our overall well-being.
Let’s take a look at what deficiencies have shown:
Inflammation: Vitamin D has been shown to possess a range of anti-inflammatory properties leading to its benefit in a host of respiratory infections and many other inflammatory disorders.
Immune System: Vitamin D is essential for optimum immune performance and has played a role in combating everything from influenza and the common cold to relieving symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, celiac disease and psoriasis.
Musculature: Due to...
