Jun 28

These statistics are appalling. Only three out of 10 adults are active enough to stay healthy and fit. Almost four out of 10 admit that they are not active at all, despite reams of research proving that exercise is a powerful defense, and sometimes an antidote, for disability and illness.

Regular physical activity makes an enormous difference to the quality and length of your life, a fact underscored by hundreds of concrete studies. Briefly, exercise does the following:

1. It lessens the likelihood of getting heart disease. Exercising regularly may increase the number of blood vessels feeding the heart, help prevent plaque buildup by striking a healthier balance of blood lipids, and help arteries retain resilience despite the effects of aging. Even if you already have heart disease, exercise lowers your chances of dying from it.

2. It lowers blood pressure, a benefit for many body systems. Long-term high blood pressure doubles or triples the odds of developing heart failure and helps pave the path to other kinds of heart disease, stroke, aortic aneurysm, and kidney disease or failure.

3. It helps prevent diabetes by getting rid of excess weight, modestly lowering blood sugar levels, and boosting sensitivity to insulin so that your body needs less of it. If you have diabetes, exercise helps control blood sugar.

4. It reduces the risk for developing cancers of the colon, breast, uterus, and prostate. By helping you attain a healthy weight, exercise also lessens your risk for other cancers in which obesity is a factor.

5. It helps support bones, which reach peak density and strength during the first three decades of life. Over time, bones become lacier and weaker as density slips away. When combined with calcium, vitamin D, and bone-saving medications if necessary, weight-bearing exercises such as walking, running, and strength training helps ward off bone loss. Balance-enhancing activities, like tai chi and yoga, help prevent falls that may end in fractures.

6. It helps protect joints by easing swelling, pain, and fatigue, and by keeping the cartilage healthy. Strong muscles support joints and lighten the load upon them. Activities that boost flexibility, including stretching, yoga, and tai chi, extend range of motion.

7. It may limit and even reverse knee problems by helping you control your weight, which is a big deal because for every step taken, each additional pound of body weight translates to four additional pounds of load on the knee.

8. It lifts spirits by releasing mood-elevating hormones, relieving stress, and promoting a sense of well-being. It also helps ease mild to moderate depression as effectively as medications. Combining exercise with medications, therapy, and social engagement is even better.

9. It may boost your ability to ward off infection since it prompts a modest, short-term upswing in natural killer cells and white blood cells, which help kill infection.

10. It adds years to your life. Studies show that moderate activity can add 1.3 years of life to men and 1.5 years of life to women. Raising the bar to high activity added 3.7 years for men and 3.5 years for women. Even current couch potatoes cannot wiggle out of this. A separate long-term study of 10,000 men ages 20 to 82, who were examined and given two fitness tests at five-year intervals, found those who made the attempt to shift status from unfit to fit cut their likelihood of dying by 44% compared to those who stayed inactive.

Jun 20

Considering that most of us learned to walk approximately a year after being born, you might make fun of the idea that you might need to take a refresher on proper walking. We should be experts on walking by now. However, the truth is, over time, people can get walking habits and patterns of movement that are not well organized or essentially unhealthy.

Walking is so natural to us that it is frequently prescribed without hesitation. All adults, regardless of age and health status, are advised to walk vigorously for a total of at least two and a half hours per week.

For adults who are in good physical shape, walking is a routine that it is impossible to consider how they learned how to do it. Nevertheless, it is likely that as we have logged pedestrian miles, many of us have picked up a small number of dreadful habits along the way that are making our walks less efficient, and maybe even harmful.

Ideally, by adulthood, you should walk with head erect, back straight and upright, arms bent, knees extending and flexing, feet striking the ground with the heel and pushing off with the toes. The pelvis should rotate back and forth about 8 degrees and list a little downward on the side that is not bearing weight. The knee of the weight-bearing leg should flex as you push off your toes. Moreover, while you bob up and down a little when you walk, the pelvic rotation and list, in combination with the movements of the knee, ankle, and foot, manage to smooth out that vertical movement.

Our upper bodies also get into the action. At reasonable speeds, rotation of the trunk and shoulders should be out of phase with the pelvis. Consequently, the forward swing of one leg is matched by the forward swing of the arm on the opposite side, a balancing act clearly visible in the overstated movements of a marching soldier.

Regrettably, only a few of us accomplish the ideal gait, and even fewer uphold it. Eventually, we may lower our heads and thrust our trunks forward at the waist, so our center of gravity is pitched as if we are always about to tumble forward. Instead of swinging elegantly, our arms may dangle lethargically at our sides. The rhythmic heel-to-toe movement may become a smack on the pavement.

Tips on Walking the Right Way:

It is doable to correct decades of ingrained walking habits with a little work. Actually, even if you do not think your gait is graceless, you might gain something from the following tips:

1. Look ahead. Lift up from the top of your head. Do not tuck your chin or look at the ground, but train your sights 10 to 20 feet ahead of you. If you need to check the ground to avoid obstacles, lower your eyes, not your head. An erect head reduces the likelihood of neck and shoulder pain.

2. Stretch your spine. Your shoulders should be level and square, neither thrust back nor slumped forward. Tuck your buttocks in. When your body is in alignment, you should be able to draw an imaginary straight line from your ear to your shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle when viewed from the side. Maintaining correct posture while you walk will help you to avoid hip and lower back pain.

3. Bend your arms. Flex your elbows at close to 90-degree angles and let your arms swing at waist level. Your fingers should be curled, but not clenched in a fist. If you have gotten into the habit of dangling your arms, it may take some conscious effort to keep them raised.

4. Swivel your hips. A slight pivot at the hip can add power to your stride.

5. Flex your feet. Come down on your heel; lift up off your toes. Assume that the person walking behind you wants to see the sole of your shoe as you walk.

6. Take measured steps. Too long a stride throws you off balance. Concentrate on taking shorter steps, but more of them.

7. Share your load. There is a lot to be said for carrying parcels on one’s head; any load on the back or shoulders is likely to affect posture by thrusting the trunk forward. A backpack, which distributes weight evenly across the shoulders, is the best choice for carrying objects. If you use a shoulder bag, transfer it from one side to the other every few minutes as you walk.

May 23

For people beyond their 50s, aging gracefully is often a challenge. While bones and muscles begin to deteriorate as we grow older, these have more to do with inactivity than aging.

Usually, at this age, people change in lifestyle and they start spending more time at home or under the close supervision of caregivers. Thus, the consequences are rapid muscle deterioration and increase in fat deposits.

Unexpectedly, cardio exercises alone are not as successful in older people as compared to those who are still at their prime. Once we reach 50, we must combine exercise with a balanced diet. An ideal combination of cardio exercises and healthy meals will make sure that we maintain flexibility of muscles and slower weight gain.

Unless you are stuck on a wheelchair, you should try to have an active lifestyle by doing some simple activities. Gardening, playing golf, or walking regularly are some of the easy ways to keep you active.

A good and balanced diet is important for all age groups. You cannot remain fit and fat free unless you take proper care of what you eat. Go for nutritious, fiber rich food as much as possible. Avoid eating fast food and junk food as much as your grandchildren should.

You can easily stretch yourself whenever you get the time. Simple activities help a lot in maintaining flexible muscles and strong bones. Even if you have limited walking abilities there is always a way around that. Proper walking equipment, like the ones available at DoAbility UK, can help you become active again.

May 23

We get our supply of vitamin D in two ways: from the food we eat and from a hormone our bodies make when we stay under the sun. There are only a few food options that are naturally rich in vitamin D, that is why the biggest dietary sources of it are fortified food and vitamin supplements.

Good sources of this vitamin include breakfast cereals and dairy products, both of which are fortified with vitamin D, as well as fatty fish like salmon and tuna.

For most people, the best way to get enough vitamin D is by taking a supplement, although the level in most multivitamins, which is usually 400 IU, is too low.

Fortunately, some manufacturers have begun adding 800 or 1,000 IU of vitamin D to their standard multivitamin preparations. If the multivitamin you take does not have 1,000 IU of vitamin D, you may want to consider adding a separate vitamin D supplement, especially if you do not spend much time in the sun.

The body also manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol, through a process triggered by the action of sunlight on the skin. This is actually the reason why vitamin D is also referred to as the ’sunshine vitamin’.

Yet, some people do not make enough vitamin D from the sun. These people are those who have a darker skin tone, who are overweight, who are older, and who cover up when they are under the sun.

Correctly applied sunscreen reduces our ability to absorb vitamin D by more than 90 percent. And not all sunlight is created equal: The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, the so-called ‘tanning rays’, and the rays that trigger the skin to produce vitamin D are stronger near the equator and weaker at higher latitudes. Hence, in the fall and winter seasons, people who live at higher latitudes, such as in the northern part of the U.S. and Europe, cannot make enough vitamin D from the sun.

Many of the body’s organs and tissues have receptors for vitamin D, which helps ensure that the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus that are critical for building bones. Vitamin D also reduces cancer cell growth and plays a critical role in controlling infections. Several promising areas of vitamin D research look far beyond its role in building bones.

Several studies link low vitamin D levels with an increased risk of fractures in older adults, and they suggest that vitamin D supplementation may prevent such fractures, as long as it is taken in higher doses.

The latest evidence comes from a combined analysis of several fracture prevention trials that included thousands of elderly people, most of which are women. It was found out that taking at least 800 IU of vitamin D supplements per day reduces hip and non-spine fractures by 20 percent.

Vitamin D may also help increase muscle strength, which in turn helps in preventing falls, a common problem that leads to substantial disability and death in older people. Taking 700 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day lowers the risk of falls by 19 percent, but taking only 200 to 600 IU per day did not offer any such protection.

Nonetheless, if you have been neglecting your vitamin D requirements and had a bit of a fall, you may visit DoAbility UK for all your mobility equipment needs.

May 16

When we reach our 40s, it is not always easy to stay upright. This is because after the age of 25, our balance begins to decline. Falls in the later years often result to wrist and hip fractures, which can have a devastating effect on our lifestyle or even threaten our life.

We juggle many activities, responsibilities, and people in our lives with grace. However, sometimes we can be physically tossed off balance by a wet floor or an uneven pavement. Falls can occur anytime, anyplace, and to anyone while doing everyday activities, such as climbing stairs or getting out of the bathtub.

As we age, our sight, hearing, muscle strength, coordination, and reflexes change, weakening our balance. Additionally, some health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and circulation problems, affect balance. Even some medications have been known to make people dizzy.

Unfortunately, all of these factors make falls more likely. But then, you do not have to be one of them. You can take simple steps to improve your balance and reduce your risk of falling.

Since balance tends to erode over time, regularly performing balance exercises is one of the best ways to protect against falls that lead to temporary or permanent disability. Balance exercises take only a few minutes and often fit easily into the warm-up portion of a workout. Many strength-training exercises also serve as balance exercises. Balance-enhancing movements may simply be woven into other forms of exercise, such as tai chi, yoga, and pilates.

Balance exercises can help us maintain our balance and confidence at any age. This can also improve our coordination. For older adults, balance exercises can promote independence.

Balance may be improved with exercises that strengthen the ankle, knee, and hip muscles, and with exercises that improve the function of the vestibular system, which regulates a person’s balance.

Nearly any activity that keeps us on our feet, such as walking, can help us maintain good balance. You can also include balance exercises in your daily routine. Try balancing on one foot while waiting in line, or stand up and sit down without using your hands.

For a more targeted approach, try specific balance exercises. If you have severe balance problems or an orthopedic condition, get your doctor’s approval before doing balance exercises.

Once a physical therapist has reviewed a complete medical history and thoroughly examined you, he or she will develop a personalized plan. This may include a walking regimen with balance components such as changes in surfaces/terrains, distance, and elevations. The physical therapist may also teach specific strengthening and balance exercises that can be performed at home.

Exercise A:

* Stand directly behind a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.

* Lift one leg six inches out to the side.

* Hold this position for 10 seconds.

* Repeat with the opposite leg.

Exercise B:

* Stand directly behind a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.

* Slowly bend one knee toward your chest lifting your foot six inches off the floor.

* Hold this position for 10 seconds.

* Repeat with the opposite leg.

Exercise C:

* Stand directly behind a table or chair and place your feet slightly apart.

* Lift one leg straight back, keeping your knee straight.

* Hold this position for 10 seconds.

* Repeat with the opposite leg.

The above exercises should be performed two to three times a day.

Balance Exercise Safety Guidelines:

* Be aware of your posture. Try to maintain your weight over your ankles.

* Avoid fast movements including quick turns or changes in position.

* Use a chair as a place to not only perform seated exercise but also to hold on to while standing.

* Always get up slowly when rising from a chair.

* Don’t close your eyes when exercising or standing from your chair.

* If you are taking medications, ask your doctor if there are any side effects which may cause light-headedness or decreased balance.

May 10

Risk assessment provides a useful framework when tackling accidents caused by falls, slips, and trips. Here is a five-step approach for this:

1. Look out for anything that may cause an accident. It could be objects lying around the floor like toys or rubbish; a wet floor; or basically, the proverbial banana peel that can cause people to slip.

2. Identify and decide who is at risk. It could be young children, the handicapped, or the elderly.

3. Take preventive measures, like doing repairs or renovations, making sure the area is regularly cleaned and cleared of any obstruction.

4. Keep a record of what you have changed. Now this one is a bit of a stretch to expect at home, but for commercial establishments and public places, it is certainly necessary.

5. Continually monitor your living space or work area. This is more of a continuation of the first 4 steps. It would not be effective if you just stop at recording and do not follow through, so there has to be constant monitoring.

Now here are more practical tips to prevent the incidence of falls:

- Keep pathways clear. Arrange your furniture in a way that it allows easy movement, and not serve as an obstruction. Clean pathways and remove any unnecessary clutter, like boxes, loose wires, and telephone cords, from high-traffic areas. Make pathways that are wide enough for plenty of people to use to avoid possible collision.

- Provide ample light. Make sure areas like hallways and stairways are well lit. Have flashlights and rechargeable emergency lights handy in case of power outages.

- Safeguard stairways. Keep stairways in good repair. Make sure all stairways have sturdy railings and that steps have a non-skid surface.

- Secure rugs and flooring. Secure loose rugs and carpets with tacks or a slip-resistant backing. Repair frayed carpet and loose floorboards. Avoid small throw rugs as much as possible.

- Keep your bathroom safe. Install grab bars in your shower or bath and near your toilet. Use non-skid mats in the shower or bath.

- Keep necessities handy. Store supplies, clothing, dishes, food, and other everyday items within easy reach.

You can improve your general well-being, and help reduce the risk of trips and falls by keeping yourself active and healthy. A good way to make your muscles stronger and to improve your balance is to have a regular exercise and a proper diet. You do not have to go to the gym to remain active. Simple tasks, like gardening, regular house work, and walking can boost energy levels and improve coordination and balance.

Exercise is very important for older people since they are more prone to falling.

For all your mobility equipment needs, check out DoAbility UK today.

May 2
Preventing Falls
icon1 Cheryl Weisz | icon2 Disability Prevention | icon4 05 2nd, 2011| icon3No Comments »

I am no stranger to minor accidents at home and outside. Slips, trips, and falls happen to a lot of people of all ages, from all places, and in all walks of life. These would sometimes lead to injuries which would require hospitalization, or at least a visit to the nearest doctor.

What a lot of us do not realize is that these falls happen to patients in the hospitals and medical facilities, too. There is nothing worse than injuring a person who is already sick, and the cause of such injury is the person who is supposed to be taking care of the patient, like the doctor or nurse. It is like adding injury to an existing injury.

Patient safety has been constantly one of the most pressing challenges in the health care industry, and a significant part of patient injuries come from falls while confined in the hospitals and nursing homes. Reducing harm from falls is becoming one of the top priorities of hospitals and health care organizations around the world. Patients, regardless of age, fall. While certain risk factors are common in younger people, falls are most likely to occur in older patients and they are much more likely to experience serious injuries.

A significant number of falls result in injury, or even death, costing millions per annum for immediate health care treatment alone, not to mention the additional costs of rehabilitation and social care. In addition to these financial costs, there are additional costs that are more difficult to quantify. It not only includes the obvious distress, pain, injury, but also loss of confidence and independence to the patient.

There are lots of researches and reports around the internet on patient safety, specifically on how to reduce harm from falls, but it seems that there is not one single guide for all. What is apparent is that non-profit organizations from countries like the UK, Sweden, Australia, Canada and the USA are at the forefront when it comes to these initiatives with The Institute for Healthcare Improvement IHI in Cambridge, Massachusetts providing the main thrust. In the UK, there is Patient Safety First Campaign sponsored by the National Patient Safety Agency, the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and The Health Foundation. In Australia, there is the Australian Patient Safety Foundation. While in Canada, there is the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.

The approaches are varied, localized, and sometimes isolated depending on the case. But what is common is the need to recognize these harms, identify patients prone to falls, record, monitor, and measure these incidents to be able to come up with actionable plans. These are for more organizational solutions though. Ultimately, it all boils down to the care and dedication given by our doctors, nurses, and caregivers that would spell a big difference.

Accidents do happen but a lot of them can also be avoided with the right actions and presence of mind. For those that cannot be avoided totally, there are ways to reduce the harms and risks brought about by these accidents. While this is easier said than done, it is doable with a little effort and good luck.

Apr 10

It appears that everyone has an older relative, who has broken a hip. Numerous times, seniors who suffer from a broken hip never return from the hospital because the injuries are so difficult to heal.

However, seniors do have some dominion over how quickly they recover from a hip injury, or whether they are at risk to having a broken hip in the first place. Regular exercise is one way to avoid having an injury.

The hip extension is one type of exercise that seniors can do at home to strengthen their rear and lower back muscles. Nevertheless, those with senior health issues or past injuries should consult their doctor first before doing this exercise.

How it is done:

1. Stand 12 to 18 inches from a table or chair with your feet slightly apart.

2. Bend forward at the hips at a 45-degree angle. Hold onto the table or chair for balance.

3. Slowly lift one leg straight backwards without bending your knee.

4. Hold the position for 1 second.

5. Slowly lower your leg to get back to your starting position.

6. You can do 8 to 10 repetitions on one leg, before working on the other leg.

Having the appropriate tools is also essential for any successful workout program. For the elderly, it does not have to be intense to create a quality workout. An exercise regimen for the elderly is often as easy as taking a walk around the park or doing some light yard work.

A few seniors may require activities that are more dynamic though, and finding inexpensive and versatile senior exercise equipment is relatively manageable. Hunt for equipment that can be used for a variety of exercises, such as dumbbells and stability balls. A plain set of light dumbbells is all that you need to work out your entire body.

Apr 6

Just because older adults may be frail or tire easily does not mean that they should not do regular exercise. Studies show that people who adhere to a program of physical activity show greater improvement in physical functioning than those who are sedentary. To be safe, seniors should ask their doctors about the types of exercise that would benefit them and those that they should avoid based on their conditions.

Anyone who is not active anymore should begin an exercise program slowly. Be sure to wear loose, comfortable clothing and well-fitting shoes while exercising. Shoes should have good arch support and a cushioned heel to absorb shock.

Start with exercises that you are already comfortable doing, and do not overdo it. Starting slowly will lower your chances of becoming injured. Walking is a great activity to start with, and you can increase the intensity as you become used to exercising.

Swimming is also a good low-impact activity. Combine this aerobic activity with resistance or strength training with one to five-pound weights a few times a week for maximum benefits.

As the body ages, it undergoes a series of degenerative changes. Lack of physical exercise can lead to muscular atrophy, in which muscles shrink and weaken from disuse. It is also crucial for seniors to maintain healthy circulation by keeping their cardiovascular systems in tip-top shape.

Experts recommend stretching exercises to increase freedom of movement and reduce the likelihood of joint pain. Endurance routines such as biking, swimming, and walking keep the heart pumping at a healthy pace. Strength exercises improve metabolism and build muscles. Lastly, balance routines decrease the odds of suffering from a broken hip, which is one of the most dangerous risks faced by the elderly.

Mar 13

When we grow older, we lose some of our strength that is why in time, our own home can also be a dangerous place for us. To prevent this, we should then enhance the interior safety of our houses.

See to it that your flooring is free from any types of mess to prevent falls. The easier it is to move around, the less likely one is to fall. Always keep things within easy reach.

Well-lighted areas make it easy to see whether the floor is clear of hurdles. Make sure to have flashlights available, in case of brownouts.

Set up grab bars, as well as rails, throughout the house to ensure safety. Locations that must have rails would include the bathtub and near the toilet bowl. Install bed rails to stop your loved ones from falling off the bed.

Put non-slip strips under rugs, on stairs, doorsteps, as well as in bathtubs.

It is also important to secure the outdoor surroundings of your house, even though it is less simple to make changes there. Sprinkle fine sand or salt on icy pathways to avoid falls. A walking stick can help with navigation on uneven flooring. If you are walking with your senior loved one outside your home, holding his/her hand will help make sure that he/she will be safe.

However, in spite of all precautions, accidents sometimes still happen since it is not possible to prevent all falls. In the event that something does happen, maintain your composure.

Do not panic since staying calm will keep the one you love calm. When they cannot get up, keep them comfortable by placing a blanket over them until the ambulance arrives.

To ensure your senior loved ones’ safety inside and outside your home, visit DoAbility UK to check out their wide range of products that can help prevent falls.

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