Life After 50 Expo

Pilates for Your Health !

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So how do you  get started with Pilates?

One of the best parts about Pilates is that it is good for just about anyone no matter if you are someone that likes to sit around or if you are a health nut.

In fact Pilates has gained a lot of attention these days and there are new classes available.

You can find that many of the YMCA’s and fitness centers offer Pilates and most are done with the mat.

There are some Pilates instructors that offer private classes.  They may be bought either one class at a time or in blocks.

These classes may be combined with mat and machine work.  If your health club has Pilates machines there for your use, make certain that you get supervision from a qualified Pilates instructor.

Just like anything, there are good and bad ways of doing things.  Pilates has to be done the right way.

The fact is that Pilates is very popular today and classes are coming available all the time.  You may be getting the wrong type of instructions if you are not using a good source.

With any type of exercise, you can hurt yourself especially if you have a health condition or do not know the right way to do something.

Some gyms think that if they send their personal trainer to a weekend course, they are qualified to begin teaching Pilates.  This is not true and can lead to injuries.

You want to have an instructor that is certified by a group that approves of rigorous training.  This type of program needs to consist of several hundred hours of being instructed in Pilates only.

They have to have the education to modify the exercises so that a new person can teach them well and not hurt themselves.

Health Tip

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A new study in the Journal of Physiology explored the connection between aging and physical activity, finding that older adults who exercised regularly experienced health and functioning similar to younger adults. The study examined the health of people who bicycle regularly, and compared the physical functioning of older cyclists to younger ones. The researchers found that the older cyclists had levels of physical functioning similar to the younger cyclists, and that they performed physical tests well. However, the older cyclists did experience less muscle mass and lower overall aerobic capabilities, which may be a result of the body aging. Overall, regular physical activity was found to help the bodily functioning of the older adults in the study.

To read more about the study from the New York Times,click here. To read the study in the Journal of Physiology,click here.
Need to Know
The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period occurs each year from January 1 to February 14. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan for 2015 and are dissatisfied with the plan or its changes, you can use the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period to switch from your Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare, with a stand-alone Part D plan.

You can only switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period. To make this change, you can contact 800-Medicare.

Health Tip !

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The New Year is a great time to consider the state of your health and create new health goals for 2015. TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention publishes various health tips and toolkits to help you create new health and fitness goals and stick to them. Some small steps to take for a healthy 2015 are:

  • Make smart food choices, such as substituting salty snack foods for fruit or drinking water instead of soda;
  • Exercise regularly and explore new opportunities for physical activity, such as fitness classes;
  • Get enough sleep, as sleep is important at all ages for good health.

To read more tips for a health new year, click here.

Medicare covers many preventive services benefits at no cost to beneficiaries, such as an Annual Wellness Visit, counseling to help you quit smoking, and obesity screenings and counseling. Speak with your doctor to learn more about these services, and other preventive care benefits that can protect and promote your health.
Need to Know
If you received a notice in the mail that your Medicare Advantage plan is ending on December 31, 2014, you have a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in a new Medicare Advantage plan, or switch to Original Medicarewith a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D plan for prescription drug coverage. To avoid any gaps in coverage, make your coverage decision by December 31, 2014.

To read more about your options, click here. If your Medicare Advantage plan is ending and you receive Extra Help, click here.

Exercise Is So Important – Make it A Daily Routine !

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Muscle Strengthening for Senior Adults

For the older adult, staying active can be a real challenge. Family caregivers become genuinely concerned about the health and safety of their elder parents. When health and activity are at declining levels, frailty can become a real issue. Seniors fear the thought they may become frail, for they know it will threaten their independence. Senior care experts attest that frailty takes a toll on a senior’s social life.Elderly Care St. Augustine FL

In order to avert frailty, those muscles must be worked and those limbs and joints must be moved. Frailty is not an inherent part of aging, but nevertheless it is a result of inactivity. For the elder adult who wants to retain as much independence as possible, it’s never too late to start working out! Of course, they can start out small. It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing effort.

Talk to your senior loved one about physical fitness and strengthening their muscles. They need to be committed to make this work. Let them go through the following steps to start a muscle strengthening plan. You can do it with them or hire an elder care provider to encourage them to exercise daily. Their elderly care provider can take them to their weekly swimming or yoga session. Other days of the week they can workout at home in their living room or senior’s day at the local gym.

How to get started with physical activity – for seniors

  1. Make the decision that physical activity is important to you
  2. Think of the benefits being fit will bring you – more movement, more independence, better health, more energy, less fall risk, etc.
  3. Go see your doctor and make sure everything is okay to start an exercise plan. Get the doctor’s suggestions as well as any restrictions if they apply.
  4. Make a plan. Have some buddies who will support you and help you carry out the plan. You could even hire someone who specializes in senior fitness to help.
  5. Carry out your plan.
  6. Chart your progress. At the beginning write down what you can and can’t do. Write down your progress at the end of each week. It will be of great encouragement to you.

The fear of becoming frail tends to make seniors worried they can’t stay in their own homes. The best way to ensure they can continue living in the comfort of their own home with a caregiver to assist them with some daily tasks is to make sure they are exercising every day and staying as strong as possible. It adds not only to physical health but to mental and emotional health as well.

If you or a loved one could benefit from the help of elderly care in St. Augustine, FL, contact the caregivers at Signature Home Health Care. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call 904-513-2464 for more information

About Robert Duncan

Robert Duncan began his health care career at New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation the largest metropolitan healthcare system in the United States. In 2010 he became a Certified Senior Advisor and is Director at Signature Senior Care, AVP at Signature Staff Solutions and president of Signature Home Health Care. The Signature Health Care group’s mission to provide the most qualified, best trained caregivers for any environment.Google Verified Author

Healthy Living as we Age!

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As an older adult, regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can prevent many of the health problems that seem to come with age. It also helps your muscles grow stronger so you can keep doing your day-to-day activities without becoming dependent on others.

Not doing any physical activity can be bad for you, no matter your age or health condition. Keep in mind, some physical activity is better than none at all. Your health benefits will also increase with the more physical activity that you do.

If you’re 65 years of age or older, are generally fit, and have no limiting health conditions here are some things that the Center for Disease Control says are healthy and helpful.

Do some aerobic exercise each week. Walking is the easiest way. At a moderate pace, 250 minutes a week is the reccomendation. That is a little over 35 minutes a day. At a vigorous pace only 75 minutes a week is needed. And you can do as little as 10 minutes at a time and still get the aerobic effect. The point is to get the heart rate up.

In addition to aerobic work, muscle work is also needed each week. This could be weight lifting, resistance bands, heavy gardening or yoga. To keep our muscles strong we need to place enough resistance on the muscles so that the next movement is hard.

The point is to have active bodies as we age. You can find a wide variety of ways to stay active and still enjoy the process. For more information on this subject go to http://cdc.gov.