GENERAL HEALTH

The old idea that seniors should sit back, take it easy, and rest do not help promote health, wellness and independence. In fact, the body and mind suffers due to inactivity, by losing abilities to easily accomplish daily life tasks.

Physical activity can maintain or increase range of motion, coordination, balance, strength, endurance, and reaction times. Fitness affects walking, how you comb your hair, wash your face, brush your teeth, get up or sit down, roll in bed, reach, lift, and etc. In short, your physical abilities affects the quality and levels of your participation in activities that are meaningful to you. If you would like more information about your abilities to participate in daily life activities, refer to www.aota.org.

Physical activity has benefits for people of all ages. It has been linked to improved heart and lung functions, improved strength, flexibility, memory and mood. Physical activity greatly reduces risk of dying from heart disease, decreases the risk for colon cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, arthritis and stroke. For older adults, being physically active is essential for health and well being.

Being physically active helps to control weight; contributes to health, nourishment of bones, muscles and joints; helps to relieve the pain of arthritis; reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression; improves sleep, balance, coordination, and can decrease the need for medical care.

What if I am already out of shape?
Fitness can be regained, and you are never too old or too unfit to get back on the path to fitness. Before beginning a regular fitness program, consult with your doctor. For safety, pre-existing conditions and baseline fitness must be considered before beginning regular routines. Multiple medical conditions influence the choice of physical activities. Changes in your health must be monitored. Be aware of your health risks. Choose a fitness plan that is developed for your personal capabilities to meet your health needs.

Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to be beneficial. Gardening, doing the laundry, mopping the floor, vacuuming, dusting, getting the mail, parking the car in a distant place from your destination, are examples of useful physical activities. Anything that you can think of that will get your heart and lungs working, while stretching and strengthening your muscles are helpful. If you need assistance with developing an activity plan, an occupational therapist can help you. For more information on occupational therapist, go to www.aota.org/featured/area6/

Tips For Safe Physical Activity
Ask you doctor about ways you can safely increase your amount of activity (if you are over 40 years old)

• Take time to warm up
• Start slowly and build up to more intense activity
• Stop activity if you feel pain.
• Drink plenty of water
• Wear proper attire
• Wear sun screen, hat, sunglasses for sun protection
• Wear shoes that fit well and are designed for the purpose

Healthy Eating Depends On You:
Nutritional needs really depends on the individual, medical conditions, and many other factors. For instance, older adults need a little more protein. Nuts, grains and cheeses are a good alternative. However, people who have diverticulitis need to avoid nuts, so this isn't a useful alternative. Consult with your doctor to determine the best most nutritious plan for your needs.

Eat a nourishing breakfast. Eat small, but frequent meals. Serve food in pleasant surroundings, avoid stress at meal times, drink as much fluid as possible.

More Information

Water, Water, Water
Drink plenty of water (8-10 ) 8 ounce glasses of water per day. A good way to remember how much water to drink is take your body weight and divide that amount by half. For instance if you weigh 200 pounds, you should try to drink or consume 100 ounces of water in a day. For a more detailed information, please check out this site. How much water do you need?

Exercise Programs
There are different types of exercise that accomplish different things for the body and the mind. To us, a "good" exercise program is one you will do faithfully and happily and includes three categories of exercises: flexibility, endurance, and strengthening exercises. See Article

Coping With Cognitive Changes
You can take personal control of your situation and choose new ways to cope with changes.  See Tips to Cope With Cognitive Changes

Hazards of Immobility
The body works like a well oiled machine. When all the parts of the machine are maintained properly, the machine will work. When any one part or combinations of parts are not maintained, the machine will decline rapidly, until one day it just can't function any more. See Hazards of Immobility

Ten Tips for a Healthy Brain
Every day we make choices that can build a solid foundation for future health and safety… or not! Lifestyle choices can add or subtract years to a life. See Ten Tips for a Healthy Brain

Home Strategies to Improve Sleeping Habits
To improve sleeping, start by looking at your own sleeping habits. Here are some simple strategies you can try at home to improve your sleeping. See Article

Sleeping Tips
If getting good quality sleep is a problem for you, here are a few tips you can consider using to prepare for a good night's sleep. See Article

A Laugh a Day Can Keep the Doctor Away
There are many reasons why laughter should become a vital part of your day. Smiling will make you feel better. In fact, it is infectious. It makes everybody feel good. See Article

Loss of Smell
Information on causes and suggestions for solutions.  See Article

Loss of Taste
Information on causes and suggestions for solutions.  See Article

Control Tips to Manage Depression
Failure to detect depression can lead to many serious health and safety complications. It is vitally important to rapidly identify and treat depression.  See Article

Stress is Part of Daily Life
This article reviews the roles and risk factors of stress in our daily life.  See Article

Footwear
Taking care of your feet is a very important aspect of health care. Ongoing problems or conditions with your feet require medical oversight. Problems require immediate attention. See Article

Disability 101:  Deafness/Hearing Impairment
Hearing impairments affect people of all ages and range from mild to severe. Many older people (at least 25% of people over 80) have a significant hearing loss. Wearing hearing aids can help some, but not all, people who have a hearing loss. See Article

Listen to the World Around You
Hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. Roughly one-third of Americans 65 to 74 years of age and 47 percent of those 75 and older have hearing loss.  Most people are aware of their own hearing loss, but surprisingly, don't do anything about it.  See Article

Variety is the Spice of Life
How many times have we heard the old adage "variety is the spice of life"?  Well, it turns out, it is true.  Doing new things or old things in new ways challenges the brain and is really good for brain health.  See Article

Save Lives:  Be a Quiet Hero
Give the gift of life--donate blood. One out of every 10 people entering a hospital needs donated blood. Without life saving blood transfusions, 5 million Americans would die each year. Just one pint of donated blood can save the lives of three people. Be a quiet hero. Save lives up to 5 times a year by donating your blood.  See Article

Reducing the Risks of Heart Attacks
A heart attack is a frightening event.  It is not the thing that people want to think about.  But, it is important to know the signs of a heart attack and the steps to take to save a life.  See Article

For more resources, visit our Health Influences/Promotion Topics in the Learning Center Links.