Exercising for Seniors (Part 3 of 4)

Keep Legs Strong With Lower Body Exercises

Lower body exercises are important for older adults in maintaining mobility and balance, preventing back problems, and even in helping to slow the progression of osteoporosis, and reducing knee problems. In combination with maintaining cardiovascular activity, such as walking at least three times weekly, older adults can perform these simple exercises to maintain balance and mobility.

Because it is part of your day-to-day activity, many don’t recognize the value of walking up stairs for exercise. To begin doing stairs for exercise, make sure to start gradually. If you have not gone up a flight of stairs for a while, do not do a whole flight the first time. Start by going up the first three or four steps to get your legs used to it again, and work to go up the entire flight. Walking up stairs is effective not only for increasing your cardiovascular capacity, but also works both the hamstring and quad muscles, which are required for leg flexion and extension.

To target the hamstring muscles more specifically, Hamstring Walk-Ins can be performed at home with an exercise ball. Although the hamstring muscles are often overlooked, they are important to maintain as we age, as they work to stabilize the knee, and serve primarily to facilitate flexion of the leg, and help with movements involved with walking, pedalling, and running. To perform Hamstring Walk-Ins, begin by lying on your back, with your feet up on the exercise ball, and your hands on the floor, by your side. When starting out keep your hips on the floor but as you progress you can perform the exercise with your hips elevated a few inches to increase the difficulty of the movement. Start with your legs straight and slowly bend your knees while rolling the ball towards your buttocks, and then return to starting position. Perform two sets of 10 to 20 repetitions, depending on your comfort level. The effort should be felt in your hamstrings; however, this is exercise is also effective at strengthening many of your trunk stabilization muscles.

Leg Curls are also effective for working the hamstring muscles. To perform leg curls, stand behind a chair, balancing yourself with both hands on the back of the chair. Bend one leg back at the knee, curling your heel up towards your backside. Alternate between each leg, working up to 20 to 30 repetitions for each leg.

Leg Extensions are also a good exercise for the leg, and work to target the quads, the main muscle group required for leg extension. To perform leg extensions, sit straight up on a chair, with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle. Alternating between legs, extend your leg out straight in front of you, while keeping your foot flexed. Work up to 20 repetitions.

For both leg curls and leg extensions, once you can comfortably perform 20 repetitions for each leg, add ankle weights for a greater challenge. Ankle weights can be purchased at most sporting goods stores for as little as $10, and can be used for a variety of exercises, including exercises for the upper body.

Performing these exercises twice weekly will work to increase the mobility and strength in your lower body. If you progress at a slow and gradual pace, you will be able to avoid muscle pain, which can arise as a result of doing too much at once.

Exercising for Seniors (Part 2 of 4)

Core Exercises For Older Adults

Abdominal and core exercises can have numerous benefits for older adults, including increasing balance and flexibility, and even reducing lower back pain. The core muscles work to stabilize the spinal column as we participate in our daily activities. If there is weakness in the abdominal muscles, it puts strain and pressure on the spine, and may possibly lead to back pain. Additionally, as we age, the back muscles naturally weaken, making it even more important to maintain and improve our abdominal strength. However, there are a few exercises you can do two to three times weekly to help improve abdominal strength, and consequently improve balance, flexibility, and even your range of motion.

Abdominal exercises are difficult to perform at first, because daily activities alone do not often keep them at their optimal strength. Beginning with the pelvic thrust is a great start, because it is extremely effective at isolating the lower abdominals, and also because it is the foundation for many key lower abdominal exercises. To perform pelvic thrusts, lie on your back and bend your knees. Next, hold in your stomach and tilt your hips backwards towards the floor, thrusting your lower back into the floor. As you tilt your hips back, you can also try to suck in your stomach, visualizing pushing your belly button towards the floor. Your lower abdominals will get stronger if you perform this exercise a minimum of two to three times per week, starting with one set and working your way up to three sets of 15-20 repetitions. Once your strength starts to improve you will develop good control of the pelvic tilt movement and then you can safely progress to other lower abdominal exercises.

After you’ve mastered the pelvic thrust, and are aware of the feeling of good pelvic control, move up to the basic abdominal crunch. This exercise can be performed on a mat, or on soft carpet at home. Place your hands across your chest and concentrate on raising your chest and shoulders up to a 30 degree angle. Squeeze your abdominals at the top of the movement and then return to the starting position; perform 10-15 repetitions starting with one set and working your way up to three.

The final exercise is called bicycle kickouts. Stay on the floor with your knees at a 90-degree angle. Contract your abdominal muscles and press your lower back into the ground. Raise your legs up while keeping your lower back pressed down into the ground. Move your legs as if you are riding a bicycle. Remember to keep your stomach contracted and your lower back pressed firmly against the ground while you perform this exercise. If you feel your lower back lift up off of the floor, stop and readjust your position. You should feel your stomach area, not your neck or lower back. Start with one set of 8- 15 kickouts per leg and work your way up to three sets.

When performing these exercises, it is important to pay attention to how you feel with each exercise, and adjust accordingly. If you are having difficulty performing the number of repetitions, reduce the repetitions to your comfort level. However, these exercises should be challenging, yet will become easier with time, as with any other exercise. If you do feel exercises becoming easier, start by adding a few more repetitions and once you get to the upper range for repetitions you can add another set, depending on your comfort level. Performing these exercises on a regular basis will not only tone up your tummy muscles, it will also help reduce lower back pain and increase your mobility. Join in on the next of our four-part series to learn some great upper-body exercises for older adults.

Exercising for Seniors (Part 1 of 4)

As we age, we face physical challenges, which can increase if we are inactive. Increasing physical activity as we become an older adult is essential for maintaining mobility and independence, and is also important in the prevention and avoidance of injuries, and even in maintaining conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes and osteoporosis. However, with an age range varying anywhere between 65 and 90 or more years old, it is difficult to know which exercises you, can, and should do.

The primary variable determining how you should approach exercise is based on how active you’ve been leading up to older adulthood. Three different categories can be assumed: those who have exercised throughout their entire life; those who have over-exercised, and have sustained/are prone to injury; and those who have maintained low activity levels during most of their life, and are now getting into exercise, and wanting to be more active in retirement. We will focus on the latter, as the majority of older adults do not have the knowledge, nor the resources, to know which exercises to focus on. Those who have exercised their entire life are aware enough of their body and its needs to exercise well into their adult life, and those who have over-exercised, and have remaining injuries from sports or exercise earlier in their life should consult a medical professional or personal trainer to overcome their injury and gain exercise knowledge specific to their individual needs.

Generally, the cardio component of physical activity for an older adult is reduced: when performing cardiovascular activity, the older adult should be able to maintain a conversation, and not be out of breath. When transitioning into exercise from an inactive lifestyle, start walking for cardio activity. Work your way up to 30 minutes of walking, three times weekly; start with five minutes, and gradually increase your walking duration. If you are currently already walking more than this duration, work up to 15 minutes, and progressively increase the time.

It is not only cardio activity that you should focus on as an older adult. Light weight training and performing exercises using a rubber band are integral in maintaining healthy joints and muscles. These exercises can be performed at home or at a gym, and do not require gym equipment; exercises can be performed even using soup cans as weights.

It is easy to suggest to begin cardio and light training as a means of becoming physically active as an older adult. However, it is difficult to know which exercises to do; over the next three articles, we will focus on exercises for three different regions: the upper body; the core; and the legs and lower body. These regions represent problematic areas, and areas of particular importance in the older adult’s body. As you work through these future exercises, keep in mind to perform them in a way that’s comfortable yet challenging for your body, and focus on enjoying the accomplishment of physically progressing, even in your retirement years.

Did You Know?

Today’s article includes a variety of health and fitness facts. Enclosed are some fit tips that answer commonly asked questions and also some important but not commonly known fitness facts. If you want to test out your health and fitness knowledge, read on!

- One tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 13 grams of fat and 120 calories.

- A healthy range for body-fat for men is 8-15%, women are healthy between 18-25%.

- Improving your hamstring flexibility and abdominal strength can reduce your lower back pain.

- One cup of peanuts has 830 calories and 70 grams of fat.

- Improving your posture can lead to reduced headaches.

- Egg whites have no fat but egg yolks have approximately five grams of fat in each one.

- Stability balls(a.k.a. Swiss Balls) were developed in Switzerland about 90 years ago, where they were predominantly used by physiotherapists.

- One avocado has the same calories as six apples.

- Your maximum heart rate can be determined by subtracting your age from 220.

- Plyometric exercises are good for athletes that want to improve their speed and acceleration.

- Regular exercise combined with healthy eating can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure.

- Sweating is one of your body\’s cooling mechanisms and is related to the relative humidity in the air, the greater the humidity the more you may sweat.

- Regular weight bearing exercises are good for osteoporosis prevention.

- Exercising in the morning can increase your metabolism causing you to burn more calories throughout the day.

- Stretching is an important part of an exercise program as it can prevent injuries, improve performance and reduce muscular soreness.

- Water cleanses your body of toxins and wastes and helps your liver convert fat into usable energy so be sure to drink at least eight cups of water a day.

- A “superset” is when you perform two sets back to back with no rest in between.

- The goal of your warm-up is to slightly elevate your body temperature and to increase the blood flow through your muscles.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing premium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

Alternative Organic Protein Sources

The battle to maintain a healthier lifestyle coupled with an attempt to be more socially responsible has led many people to search for alternative low-fat protein sources which are also organic.

After researching the fat, protein, and calorie composition of Ostrich, Muskox and Bison, I realized that these products have a similar fat and protein content as chicken or fish but can offer a more dramatic flavour. In my own search, I started with the Bison Rib Eye steak. I barbequed the steak carefully, so as not to overcook it (Bison steaks are best rare or medium). As it turned out, Bison tastes great! With a sweet, rich flavour, not only was it one of the most flavourful meats that I have ever tasted, it was also one of the healthiest. The 8 oz. Filet contained a mere 4 g. of fat (12%) of calories, which is approximately 70% less than a similar cut of beef.

The growing popularity of these alternative protein sources is due in part to their exceptional and exquisite flavour and their nutritional and health value. Wild game meats offer lower fat and cholesterol counts and higher protein levels than domestic meats. One serving of broiled ostrich contains 2.7g of fat, 127 calories and 26g of protein; about ¼ of the fat, nearly half the calories, with an equivalent amount of protein as beef. Bison, Muskox and venison also offer healthy comparisons.

It is not only the less typical meats that are popular, certified organic beef is also in high demand. This is due also to a growing awareness of social and environmental concerns along with health issues. To be certified organic, the meat must adhere to strict standards in both the treatment and production. These meats have been given free range, no genetically modified feed, no hormones or antibiotics, and no animal byproduct in their feed. Everything in the process from the raising of the animal to the moment it is purchased is regulated, which means what you eat is healthier for your body and for your conscience.

These meats can actually be found more readily than you might think. Burnaby is the home of Hill’s Foods, the largest distributor in Western Canada. Organic food stores such as Capers and Choices are expanding while independent meat marketers are also offering “certified organic”. But even unexpected places such as Buy Low Foods, Supervalue and Canada Safeway have become more aware, offering certified organic beef or Free-run Unmedicated chicken in some stores. Many of the fine-dining establishments in the lower mainland also offer wild game meats such as venison, ostrich, buffalo and muskox.

So if you are looking to add variety to your diet, but still want to keep the fat and calorie content low, keep synthetic chemicals out of your body or are concerned about ethical animal treatment, certified organic and naturally raised products really are a viable alternative.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing premium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

Get Involved in Your Recovery

If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident or have a chronic soft-tissue injury, such as shoulder, neck or back pain, you would likely benefit from an active rehabilitation program. One of the benefits of this form of treatment is that it allows you to become actively involved in your recovery. The program emphasizes education to enable you to continue exercising properly and independently, while improving your overall health. Increasingly, doctors are recommending this type of therapy to patients with soft-tissue injuries, as the treatment is effectively personalized to suit the individual’s needs. Active rehabilitation is also a highly cost-effective form of treatment, as a patient is able to continue their therapy independently long after the program has come to an end.

Active rehabilitation programs are lead and supervised by a qualified physiotherapist or kinesiologist, who begins by assessing the client to determine their specifics needs, limitations and physical capabilities. Programs can be performed in a gym, pool or at home, and consist of an individualized exercise prescription combining stretching, core stability and strengthening techniques. Active rehabilitation programs work to restore range of motion and address postural mechanics, muscular imbalances and limited flexibility.

Though each active rehabilitation program is tailored to the individual’s needs, the common goal is to return the client to normal function. Active rehabilitation programs are highly successful in enabling clients to return to work, get back on a sports team after an injury or simply resume activities of daily living, as they are progressive and easily modified, if necessary. These programs often include work-simulation exercises and functional activities, which effectively prepare the client for a return to their pre-injury lifestyle.

A common misconception with active therapy is that exercise should be avoided to prevent further aggravation of an in injury, when in fact the opposite is true. Monitored, controlled exercise is healthy way of strengthening muscles to speed up recovery and prevent reinjury. Dr. Stephen Hoschuler, co-founder and orthopedic surgeon with the Texas Back Institute write, “Controlled gradual and progressive exercise, rather than inactivity and bed rest most often provides the best long-term solution for reducing back pain.” You may initially experience some discomfort upon beginning an active rehabilitation program; however, this is a normal part of recovery, and you will begin to see positive results and ultimately improve your physical well being with continued and consistent effort.

The guidance of a kinesiologist throughout your program will ensure that you are not only performing your routines properly, but will also provide you with the motivation and structure necessary for a successful return to normal function and continued involvement in a healthier lifestyle.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing premium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

Exercise and Hypertension

An Overview of the Disease

Blood pressure is defined as the amount of pressure exerted by blood on blood vessel walls as it passes through the vessel. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the highest pressure on the walls right after one single heartbeat. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is the lowest pressure on the walls right before a heartbeat. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is defined as having a SBP 140 mm Hg and/or DBP 90 mm Hg. Hypertension is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease such as stroke, heart failure, angina, renal failure, and myocardial infarction or heart attack. It is also a stronger independent risk factor for mortality from coronary heart disease among elderly women than among elderly men.

Causes and Implications of Hypertension

Population factors associated with hypertension are obesity, high sodium intake, low potassium intake, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol consumption, and psychosocial stress. Accumulation of intra-abdominal visceral fat, which is fat located inside the body around organs instead of those right beneath the skin, and hyperinsulinemia also play a role in the development of the disease.

Hypertension causes the heart to do extra work in order to pump blood throughout a person\’s body. It promotes the presence of coronary calcium, which is a potential predictor of sudden death. It is associated with some changes in the brain, for example impaired cognitive function. It may lead to retinopathy, a degenerative disease in the eye, and nephropathy, a disease of the kidney. Finally, it induces thickening and stiffening of the medium and small blood vessels.

How May Exercise Reduce Hypertension?

The typical blood pressure response to acute bouts of aerobic exercise is a gradual increase in SBP and gradual decrease or no change in DBP. Age, gender, and body weight often cause variation.

First of all, exercise training can lower both cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance at rest and at any given level of work. Lowered cardiac output is primarily due to reduced heart rate. All these help to reduce the amount of work needed from the heart in pumping blood. Next, exercise can decrease visceral fat and central fat deposition, rather than simply body weight, which will help reduce blood pressure in most people, especially in obese people. Specifically, aerobic exercise will decrease both resting SBP and DBP. Even exercises of moderate intensity can induce these beneficial changes. Finally, exercise training may reduce or eliminate the need for antihypertensive medications in patients with mild or severe hypertension.

Exercise Guidelines

The recommendations for exercise for those with mild hypertension are generally the same as those for healthy adults. Endurance, or aerobic, exercises are preferred, with a frequency of 3-5 days/week, duration of 20-60 minutes, and intensity of 60-85% of maximum heart rate. However for those with severe hypertension of markedly elevated blood pressure, the intensity should be lowered to about 50-70% of maximum heart rate.

In regards to weight training, this form of exercise usually results in increased SBP and an associated increase in DBP during the exercise bout. However, there is a smaller increase in heart rate compared to aerobic exercise. The blood pressure response between individuals contains great amounts of variability. Therefore a person should just exercise cautiously when performing any types of weight lifting. Interestingly, circuit training has been shown to result in a modest drop in DBP and no change in SBP.

Finally, for any person with hypertension, lifestyle modification including diet, weight loss, and exercise is much needed to help manage the disease.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing premium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

Fall Prevention & Safe Route Program

Most of us have slips and trips with no serious consequences. But, among older adults, falls are more common, and can often result in serious injuries. Falling is the biggest health risk for seniors, but the good news is that older adults can reduce their risk of falling. At Karp, we can provide you with the education and skills to reduce your risk of falling, ensuring your mobility and independence.

Personal and environmental factors can increase an older adult’s risk of falling. And, in most cases, personal factors and environmental hazards interact, greatly increasing the risk of falling. At Karp, we can help you reduce the majority of these risks; however, it is also important you have regular check ups with your doctor to have your blood pressure, eyesight and ears examined, as problems with these, too, can increase your risks of falling. It is also important to periodically review any medications you are taking with your doctor, and discuss any side effects with your pharmacist.

As we age, our bodies change: we experience loss of muscle and bone strength, eyesight and balance problems, chronic illnesses and increased use of certain medications. Any or all of these issues may also increase an older adult’s risk of falling. Certain behaviours and lifestyles also contribute to increasing your falling risk: not paying attention, rushing or taking unnecessary risks increase your chances of falling, as does wearing improper footwear, not eating a well-balanced diet, or being physically inactive. That is why, at Karp, we encourage older adults to try to become more active. This may include going for walks with a friend, or joining an appropriate exercise program offered through a local seniors’ centre, or a recreation centre. With one-on-one guidance from our Karp representatives, we will help you make an informed choice on the physical activities that will be appropriate for you and your lifestyle.

Physical issues are not the only factors increasing your susceptibility to falling. Many accidents leading to falls happen inside the home; at Karp, we can help you protect yourself against any indoor hazards. These potential hazards include bathtubs without grab bars or non-slip surfaces; carpets or mats that are not secured to the floor; stairs with no handrails or poor lighting, and electrical and telephone cords in walking areas. Karp offers a guided walk-through of your home to identify any possible risks, and offers solutions to ensure your house is safe and free of possible hazards.

Safe Route Program

Hazards also exist outside the home, and can be particularly dangerous when you are not familiar with the outside environment. These hazards outside the home include poor lighting, broken sidewalks, uneven steps and poor snow or ice removal. Although you may not be able to control these outdoor hazards, Karp can still help you protect yourself from falling, with the help of our educated professionals, and tailored programs. We offer numerous tailored programs, each developed specifically for your individual needs; including our Safe Route program, where a member of our trained Karp team will personally guide you along a custom walk route. These custom walk routes will be devised in consideration of the challenges an older adult faces, including avoiding any major obstacles, such as major intersections, uneven paths, or construction zones.

Whatever challenges you face in older adulthood, Karp can help provide you with the knowledge on fall prevention, and help you ensure your independence well into your senior years. With close communication with your family doctor, pharmacist, and Karp, it is easy to safeguard yourself from falling, and to protect yourself from any unnecessary injuries.

Karp Home Care Vancouver is committed to providing premium in home care to the elderly, ill or injured. For more information call 604-420-7800

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