Tag Archives: health

September 3, 2024 · 8:00 am

September is Healthy Aging Month

September has arrived and I’m ready for summer to be over! One of the best things about cooler weather is that it encourages me to be more active outdoors.

It’s no secret that middle age ushers in physical changes to the body, many unwelcomed. I’ve already had to address elevated cholesterol levels and I just turned 50. Fitness is something that I’ve taken for granted, because for most of my life, walking has been part of my daily routine. It still is, but the only downside in working from home is that my built-in exercise of walking to and from work has been eliminated. I walk my senior dog twice a day, but while our slow meanders around the block are good for my emotional well-being, they don’t offer the same physical benefits.

Good physical health as one ages isn’t just about weight, though you may have noticed that as you get older, it’s harder to lose a few extra pounds. Staying active can help reduce the risk of dementia, as well. Health.gov has an initiative called “Move Your Way” which encourages one to engage in physical activity they enjoy. Instead of forcing yourself to the gym if that’s not your cup of tea, take a walk in nature, or a dance class. I like this approach as it makes being active more accessible to everyone.

For me, yardwork is an effective, whole body workout that offers a mix of cardio, strength, and flexibility training. Don’t overlook the power of household chores! Sweeping, mopping, scrubbing, etc. all count as physical activity. Aim for a healthy mix of exercise that will help you maintain a healthy weight, as well as muscle strength, flexibility, and balance to prevent falls. The key is to find physical activity that you enjoy, so you’ll have an incentive to make it part of your health routine.

Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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August 14, 2023 · 8:00 am

New research finds walking just 4K steps daily offers health benefits

For caregivers who may wonder if they or the loved ones they care for get enough exercise, a new study offers recommendations that are more achievable than traditional guidelines.

According to a study published recently in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, walking just 4,000 steps per day is associated with a lower risk of death. A 2017 study cited by NBC found that the average person in the U.S. walks 4,774 steps per day.

I’ve been using a smart ring that tracks a variety of health-related metrics including steps. You might be surprised how many steps you log by doing daily household tasks. Cleaning, gardening, caregiving: exercise comes in many forms and offers health benefits.

For those able to move a bit more, the payoff was even better, with every 1,000 extra steps per day associated with a 15 percent reduction in a person’s overall risk of death, according to the new study. Walking has also been associated with a reduction in the risk of dementia.

But what about the 10,000 steps per day rule? That was actually based upon a Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer, according to NBC. The number caught on and became standard, but according to a health expert interviewed by NBC, it’s a misconception and there’s a wide range of recommended daily steps depending upon age and physical ability.

I inherited my father’s love of walking. While walking didn’t prevent my father from getting dementia, it kept him lean and in decent physical health despite being diagnosed with COPD due to smoking. He would do laps at the memory care center and maintained his mobility up until the last couple of months of his life.

Photo by RDNE Stock project.

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October 25, 2012 · 7:59 pm

Holidays without Dad

This is the time of year where families start planning their holiday agendas. Who will go to who’s house on Thanksgiving and Christmas. For me, this time of year only makes me think about how the beginning of the worst period of my life began Thanksgiving week.

Of course, though I’m the ultimate pessimist, even I did not predict that Mom would end up with colon cancer six months after Dad passed. Or that I would have to say farewell to two beloved pets in that time span as well.

So of course I’m thankful that Mom is still around and actually doing quite well. But since Mom and her health has consumed my life since July, I don’t feel that I actually was able to fully process my Dad’s death. Certainly, it’s been a lot for any only child to take, with one parent passing, and one parent narrowly escaping death.

Mom and I have agreed that we will have a non-traditional Thanksgiving. Mom will probably have pasta, and I will have pizza. I remember last year, Dad was already in the hospital for Thanksgiving. I cooked a small traditional meal for myself, worried that at any moment, I could receive that call that he was passing. That first scare came the very next day, on Black Friday, when I was at work trying to help holiday shoppers find the best deals.

For some reason, or perhaps just by chance, Dad kept hanging in there until five days before Christmas. Ironically, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, and one of the last times Dad was reasonably healthy.

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October 5, 2012 · 4:23 pm

A loyal companion gone

Mom has been missing Dad a lot lately. Now that she’s back home, she misses his presence even more than before. 40 years of daily contact is not easy to replace with something or someone new.

Over the past year, when Dad was in the nursing home, she learned to craft a new life for herself. It wasn’t easy or ideal, but she had her health then. Now that her health is in jeopardy, I think she is relying more on the good memories, before Dad’s dementia, when they had their boring yet comforting life together.

Of course, Mom had to live with a different version of Dad, the one with Alzheimer’s, for a few years. Even though that was very difficult, she had someone to take care of and protect, which made her feel needed.

Even though Mom and Dad were opposites in many ways, it is clear to me now how they fit together like puzzle pieces. Now that Dad is gone, Mom is finding it difficult to feel complete and whole again.

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