The Oasis

Almost everyone, regardless of age or physical condition, can benefit from aquatic exercise – even if you don’t know how to swim! Just being in the water has inherent benefits. From improvements in circulation to relieving joint pain, the rewards of aquatic exercise are numerous. Many physicians and therapists recommend aquatic therapy because it can advance individuals to a higher level of muscle fitness and mobility offering quicker advantages over land-based exercise and therapy: 

Buoyancy provided by the water allows you to move more easily with decreased stress on muscles, joints, and bones while increasing flexibility and balance. In chest-deep water, you take 70% of your body weight off your joints. The “support” your body receives makes exercising easier and less painful, allowing you to exercise longer without increased effort or joint or muscle pain. 

• Exercises performed in the water allow the heart to work more efficiently, making it a great cardiovascular workout. 
• The pressure of the water on your joints and muscles comforts your body while you exercise, leaving you feeling less fatigued. 
• Support provided by the water reduces the fear of falling. 

Resistance of the water allows for higher workout intensities with less impact on your body. 

Warm water therapy has even greater benefits. Our pool in the Oasis is usually at 90º and the spa is at 100º. Besides the comfort of the temperature, immersing in warm water raises your body temperature and relaxes your muscles benefitting individuals with disabilities and conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s disease, and many others. Participating in a warm water exercise class provides many physical benefits: 

• Improved endurance, flexibility, and range of motion 
• Improved pulmonary function 
• Increased circulation 
• Muscle relaxation and pain relief 
• Strengthened muscles 
• Decreased joint and soft tissue inflammation 
• Improved bone density 

Additionally, warm water exercise can have other benefits including reduced anxiety and stress, improved mood, and fun with friends. 

“It is what it is.” That’s what people say when a problem arises. It’s an excuse to avoid facing a difficult situation. Too often we just accept our conditions without looking at options that could actually benefit us. Many times we avoid exercise because of the way we think. Here is a list of some of the most common myths about exercise and aging: 

Myth 1: There’s no point to exercising. I’m going to get old anyway. 

Fact: Exercise and strength training help you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity. 

Myth 2: Older people shouldn’t exercise. They should save their strength and rest. 

Fact: Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy for adults over 50. Inactivity often causes older adults to lose the ability to do things on their own and can lead to more hospitalizations, doctor visits, and use of medicines for illnesses. 

Myth 3: Exercise puts me at risk of falling down. 

Fact: Regular exercise, by building strength and stamina, prevents loss of bone mass and improves balance, actually reducing your risk of falling. 

Myth 4: It’s too late. I’m already too old to start exercising. 

Fact: You’re never too old to exercise! If you’ve never exercised before, or it’s been a while, start with light walking and other gentle activities. 

Myth 5: I’m disabled. I can’t exercise sitting down. 

Fact: Chair-bound people face special challenges but can lift light weights, stretch, and do chair aerobics to increase range of motion, improve muscle tone, and promote cardiovascular health. 

At Kirby Pines we have options. We have a variety of exercise classes from chair yoga to water aerobics to strength training. Check our schedule and see what works for you. The Oasis has free weights and 10 different machines to build strength and endurance. Kim Roberts is available Monday and Friday at 8:00 am to help you learn how to use the equipment and start your own exercise program. The Nu-steps and treadmill are just waiting for you to give them a try. Our in-house Rehab Facility Ready for Rehab can also help with issues concerning balance and strength. 

The Serenity Prayer [God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference] reminds me at times we really don’t have to accept, “It is, what it is.” Just maybe “what it is” isn’t what it could be. 

“Exercise is an antidote to aging,” says Barry A. Franklin, PhD, director of the cardiac rehabilitation and exercise labs at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI. A well-rounded routine, as part of a healthy lifestyle, may help you avoid things like falls, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Experts say many of the conditions people think are due to getting older have more to do with not moving enough. At any age, these are the types of exercise you want to get: 

Aerobic: good for your heart and lungs. It’s also good for your blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, sleep, and memory. What to do: You can walk briskly, walk in the water, or do any other activity that gets your heart rate up. Tip: A Fitbit or Apple watch can help you track your steps and set goals. Challenge yourself to do a little more each week. 

Strength training/Resistance training: This isn’t about becoming a body builder or professional weightlifter. Strength training can help you stay as independent as you want. Do it to keep your muscles and bones strong and help prevent falls and fractures. It can make things like getting around easier. Strength training is just as important as aerobics, Franklin says. It’s the principle of “use it or lose it.” What to do: Start with 2-pound hand weights or resistance stretch bands. 

Flexibility and balance: helps prevent falls by stretching your muscles and keep them from stiffening up. What to do: Yoga stretch and water aerobics are good for both. You can also learn balance exercises in the chair yoga classes. You don’t need to go anywhere to do these or schedule a special time. Fit balance exercises into your daily routine. “You can do exercises like balancing on one foot almost anywhere — while you’re brushing your teeth or doing dishes,” Rogers says. Tip: It helps to have something like a counter to grab onto if you need it. 

How to Keep It Safe: Although exercise is great for you, it’s possible to overdo it. You’re working too hard if you exercise to the point of exhaustion or pain (not just tired legs or soreness). Tip: To stay hydrated while exercising, bring your water bottle. 

Whatever you do, start at a medium pace, where you move a little bit but can still hold a conversation. Aim for 30 minutes a day and build up to that, even if you need to start with just 5 minutes at a time. The risks of exercising are far less than those of sitting on a couch,” says Michael E. Rogers, PhD. director of the Center for Physical Activity and Aging at Wichita State University in Kansas. 

Get involved with one or more of the many exercise classes offered at Kirby Pines. And if you’re unsure about how to use our equipment in the Oasis, see Kim Roberts on Monday and Friday mornings at 8:00 am. She is there to help. 

What’s not to like about walking? It’s free. It’s easy to do, and it’s easy on the joints. And there’s no question that walking is good for you. Walking is an aerobic exercise; a University of Tennessee study found that women who walked had less body fat than those who didn’t walk. It also lowers the risk of blood clots, since the calf acts as a venous pump, contracting and pumping blood from the feet and legs back to the heart, reducing the load on the heart. Walking is good for you in other ways as well. 

Walking improves circulation. It also wards off heart disease, brings up the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart. Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Tennessee found that post-menopausal women who walked just one to two miles a day lowered blood pressure by nearly 11 points in 24 weeks. Women who walked 30 minutes a day reduced their risk of stroke by 20 percent – by 40 percent when they stepped up the pace, according to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. 

Walking shores up your bones. It can stop the loss of bone mass for those with osteoporosis, according to Michael A. Schwartz, MD, of Plancher Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in New York. In fact, a Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, study of post-menopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduced their risk of hip fractures by 40 percent. 

Walking lightens mood. A California State University, Long Beach, study showed that the more steps people took during the day, the better their moods were. Why? Walking releases natural painkilling endorphins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of exercise. 

Walking can lead to weight loss. A brisk 30-minute walk burns 200 calories. Over time, calories burned can lead to pounds dropped. 

Walking strengthens muscles. It tones your leg and abdominal muscles – and even arm muscles if you pump them as you walk. This increases your range of motion, shifting the pressure and weight from your joints and muscles – which are meant to handle weight – helping to lessen arthritis pain 

Walking improves sleep. A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that women, ages 50 to 75, who took one-hour morning walks, were more likely to relieve insomnia than women who didn’t walk. 

Walking supports your joints. The majority of joint cartilage has no direct blood supply. It gets its nutrition from synovial or joint fluid that circulates as we move. Impact that comes from movement or compression, such as walking, “squishes” the cartilage, bringing oxygen and nutrients into the area. If you don’t walk, joints are deprived of life-giving fluid, which can speed deterioration. 

Walking improves your breath. When walking, your breathing rate increases, causing oxygen to travel faster through bloodstream, helping to eliminate waste products and improve your energy level and the ability to heal. 

Walking slows mental decline. A study of 6,000 women, ages 65 and older, performed by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, found that age-related memory decline was lower in those who walked more. The women walking 2.5 miles per day had a 17-percent decline in memory, as opposed to a 25-percent decline in women who walked less than a half-mile per week. A study from the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville found that men between the ages of 71 and 93 who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day had half the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who walked less. 

Walking helps you do more, longer.Aerobic walking and resistance exercise programs may reduce the incidence of disability in the activities of daily living of people who are older than 65 and have symptomatic OA, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management. 

Much research goes into the “science of exercise” and scientists have realized it doesn’t require long sessions of sweat-breaking exercise to make improvements in your health, endurance, and strength. 

Each session of exercise stimulates some form of change in every body system including countermeasures for the negative effects of arthritis and protection from symptoms of other chronic diseases. The CDC recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate level exercise like brisk walking to benefit your health and help prevent disease. Dr. Zhen Yan, professor of medicine reports that his research shows exercise can prevent and even reverse the damage of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease as well as arthritis. Exercise improves circulation and removes cellular waste which is linked to tissue damage associated with many chronic diseases. Essentially “Exercise takes out the trash.” Exercise reduces levels of proteins in the blood that cause inflammation that results in painful swollen joints, improving function and reducing pain. 

Exercise actually does produce more energy by increasing “organelles” that create energy at the individual cell level especially in the skeletal muscles, improving circulation and empowering brain and muscle cells. So on those days when you feel so-o-o tired, gentle to moderate exercise can boost your energy level. 

Exercise improves balance in several ways: improving communication between joints and brain by increasing the awareness of where the joint is in space. Chair Yoga‘s slow controlled movements promotes “motor learning” improving smooth and precise motions thus improving balance. 

Aerobic exercise (water aerobics) strengthens the heart muscle and keeps the circulation flowing through healthier veins and arteries. Better circulation means better oxygen flow to cells in the brain, organs, and muscles. Also stimulating muscle cells to build stronger fibers helps the heart to pump more powerfully and more efficiently. Keeping arteries and veins more elastic will prevent arterial stiffening that result from unhealthy eating or aging which lowers the risk of heart attack or stroke. 

Weight–bearing exercise (walking) keeps joints healthy: strengthened muscles relieve pressure on supporting tendons and ligaments. In other words, the muscle acts as a natural brace. Strengthening core muscles helps support the back, reducing back pain. Stronger muscles absorb the normal jarring of weight-bearing exercise by nourishing and thickening the cartilage inside the joints. 

Rhythmic exercises (line dancing, NuStep and walking) soothe the nerves while producing natural hormones called endorphins that give a happy feeling which helps relieve depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. 

Prove it for yourself. Join one of the many exercise classes and/or use the equipment in the Oasis available here at Kirby Pines. 

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

– Confucius

Using the Treadmill with Arthritis

Treadmills seem simple, but they can be hazardous, particularly for people with joint or balance issues. “Trying to catch yourself when you lose your balance can result in muscle strains or injury in almost any joint”, says physical therapist Mary Ann Wilmarth, CEO of Back2Back Physical Therapy in Andover, Mass. 

“Injuries can go all the way up the kinetic chain when people slip and try to recover by catching themselves. This can mean foot injuries, strained or sprained ankles, shoulders and wrists – as well as the back and hips if you’re twisting as you lose balance,” she says. 

You can protect yourself by using these tips to tread more safely. 

1. Use a full-sized treadmill with side rails. The belt should be at least 22 inches wide and 50 inches long, and the machine should have handrails on both sides you can use for balance. 
2. Wear sturdy, low-heeled athletic shoes. Soles higher than 1 inch can lead to ankle rollovers. Use the topmost shoelace hole for extra stability. 
3. Learn the controls. Before you step on, get familiar with how to adjust the speed, incline and especially the red “fast-stop” button. 
4. Use the safety key. Before you hit start, clip the safety key to your shirt so if you slip, the machine will stop immediately. 
5. Start, then step on. Hold the rail and stand on either side of the belt as you start it at a low speed. Then step on the belt and increase speed slowly. 
6. Use a slight incline. An incline of about 2% can reduce impact on the spine, hips, knees, feet and ankles, but a steeper climb increases joint stress. 
7. Find the right stride. You’ll know it’s on target when you’re walking comfortably – not overstretching your lead leg – with arms swinging freely. 
8. Look straight ahead. Looking down or around can throw off your balance and cause you to trip. 
9. Stay centered. Know where you are on the belt and avoid drifting sideways or toward the back of the belt. 
10. Catch Your Fall: If you start to fall while you’re on the treadmill, hit the emergency stop button. Grasp the rails and move your feet to one side, then step off and sit down until you’ve recovered. 

Use the NuStep as an alternative if you are currently using an aid for balance, such as a cane, walker or wheelchair or having balance issues. You should not attempt to use the treadmill. 

Tomorrow’s Treadmill – One day in the near future, a treadmill that uses sonar technology to automatically adjust its speed to match the pace of the user may be the future of treadmills. But until then, follow these guidelines for safety on the treadmill. 

Never use exercise equipment if you have any questions about how to use it. Exercise is important, but your safety is more important. 

Stay Hydrated and Stay Well!

Did you know water covers 70 % of the earth’s surface and makes up about 50 to 60% of your body? These are old facts, but true. Water is essential to life. Staying hydrated is important for our general health, too. Dehydration can be the result of exercise, certain medications, diarrhea, excessive sweating, loss of blood and diseases, such as diabetes. With the warm summer days ahead, it is easy to become dehydrated which can cause dry mouth, weakness, dizziness, headaches, heart pounding, cramping, confusion, low blood pressure, rapid but weak pulse and fainting. As we age, we are less aware of our thirst, and our ability to regulate our body’s fluid balance through our kidneys decreases. 

Everyone knows—but many people seem to forget—that water is what sustains life. Here are just two of the benefits of being hydrated: Drinking at least five 8-ounce glasses of water daily reduces the risk of fatal coronary heart disease among older adults. Being sufficiently hydrated reduces the discomfort of constipation, improves balance and kidney function, which reduces the risk of urinary tract infections. 

How much water is enough? 

A good formula for how much water is needed every day is to take one-third of the person’s body weight in pounds and drink the equivalent number of ounces of water daily. For example, a 150-pound woman would need 50 ounces of water daily, or about six 8-ounce glasses of water. 

Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to start drinking water: 

If you don’t like the taste of water, try flavored water that is available in almost every flavor from Pink lemonade to Mango- Kiwi-lime. Water from the tap with a little ice and a spritz of juice, makes a refreshing beverage. My favorite refresher is a little cranberry juice in a tall glass of water. Also, a little squeeze of lime or lemon in water can be very refreshing on these warm summer days. 

Avoid coffee and caffeinated sodas since caffeine dehydrates your system. 

So drink, stay hydrated and stay well. Don’t forget we have a cool water dispenser in the Oasis when you come to exercise. 

It’s odd to say Arthritis Awareness, because if you have one of the over 100 medical conditions that fall under the diagnosis of Arthritis you are probably aware of arthritis everyday and every night. While no cure for arthritis has been developed yet, with much research, medical science has improved its understanding for the causes of arthritis and better treatments including new medications for pain and inflammation relief have been developed. Exercise that emphasizes stretching, strengthening, and cardiovascular has an important role in the improvement and continuing function of daily activities. The Arthritis Foundation sponsors research, educational programs, exercise programs, public awareness and advocacy efforts in Congress. Through their Live Yes Program, The Arthritis Foundation offers several resources and virtual events to help people manage their disease and live their best life with arthritis by keeping people informed on new products, diet, exercise and medications. 

Arthritis affects over 54 million people in the US and two-thirds are under the age of 65. Over 300,000 families deal with arthritis in children under the age of 16. The Arthritis Foundation has been fighting juvenile arthritis and supporting families for more than 60 years. Every year they invest more than $4.5 million in outreach and research that advances treatments and will lead to a cure. 

In support of the Arthritis Foundation, we are planning a Bake Sale on Friday, May 19 from 10 to 1 and our own Walk to Cure here at Kirby Pines on Friday, May 26 at 10:30. We need your help. Baked goods for the sale, volunteers to run the sale, and customers to purchase our delicious offerings. Then on the day of our walk we will need volunteers to help at our registration table and walkers to participate. We will have a course marked for around the lake and another course for inside walkers. Water and healthy refreshments will be served following the walk. Please join with our family at Kirby Pines to support the Arthritis Foundation with financial gifts and physical support. 

Last year we raised over $1000 for the Arthritis Foundation. We can make a difference when we team up to Walk to Cure Arthritis. Let’s show our support physically and financially. 

How can you help? Here is what we need: 

May 19th – Bakers and bringers of goodies, helpers for set up and sales, and customers. 

Participants for the walk on May 26th. Sign up with Resident Programs or by email at programs@nullkirbypines.com 

Contributors and supporters 

Volunteers to help with registration and serving refreshments for the walk at Kirby Pines May 26th. 

Thank you for making this fundraiser a success every year.

Learn when to keep moving through exercise pain and when to stop.

Exercise is crucial if you have arthritis. But knowing just how much activity to do when you’re hurting can be tricky. Research shows that moderate activity can help prevent the progression of arthritis and improve overall function. But while mild muscle soreness after a workout is normal, sharp pain during or immediately after can signal injury. And sometimes simply the fear of pain can keep you from wanting to do any kind of exercise. Here’s how to determine when it’s OK to work through exercise pain – and when it’s not.

If you have mild to moderate pain in a specific joint area before you work out: Some mild pain is typical when you first start to move, but after a few minutes you’ll usually start to feel better, says A. Lynn Millar, PhD, a professor of physical therapy at
Winston Salem State University. “Our joints and muscles get nutrition through movement,” she explains. “With some movement, you’ll improve the lubrication and circulation around that joint.” Start with some gentle range of motion movements and if that feels OK, progress to some low-impact activity like walking.

If you have moderate to severe pain in a specific joint area before you work out: Focus on a different area for a day or two. If your knees hurt, decrease the intensity. If the pain becomes worse, then stop the lower body moves and work your upper body instead. “Continuing to put pressure on a joint when it’s especially sore could contribute to joint damage, so it’s best to ease up for a while,” says physical therapist Richard Kassler, supervisor at New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases.

If you have moderate to severe joint pain during exercise: Stop immediately. “Most people with arthritis can work through mild pain safely. But if you’re experiencing a lot of pain while you exercise, even if you’re not doing a particularly joint-taxing
workout, it may be a sign that you have inflammation in the joint, or even joint damage that requires treatment,” says Kassler.

If you consistently have joint pain (not muscle pain) after exercise: Switch to a workout that puts less pressure on your joints. “If you need an elaborate brace or have to pop ibuprofen constantly, it’s a pretty good sign that your activity is too hard on your joints. Swimming, water aerobics and biking are all good options for people with joint pain.

If you occasionally have moderate to severe joint pain the day after you work out: Cut back on the intensity of your workout. Take a day off, then do a shorter, less strenuous workout. If your pain still doesn’t let up, switch to a less intense form of exercise, such as trading your elliptical workout for water aerobics.

Our exercise classes in the pool and in the PAC are good for everyone whether they have arthritis or not. Please consider joining us. See the schedule for times and places.

My children played a game called you move, you lose. When someone got up from the “choice seat” in the car or at a party, or “Daddy’s cushy chair” in front of the TV, another child would quickly sit in the coveted seat. When the first child returned to find their favorite spot taken, the “offender” shouted, “You move, you lose!” 

As we age, we find just the opposite is true; if we don’t move, we lose. Sitting for long periods of time causes our muscles to weaken and our joints to ache. Usually our worst times are in the mornings just when we rise out of bed. One of the participants in the Chair Yoga exercise class shared her secret of flexibility: she stretches head to toes, including arms, legs, fingers, and neck before she even steps on the floor every morning and then gently exercises each joint for a few minutes before breakfast. She has done this for so long, it’s a habit and she couldn’t imagine starting her day without it. 

When a joint hurts, people tend to protect and not move that joint. In a study by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago: “more than 40 percent of those with rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, remain inactive; ‘We were surprised they were very inactive,” says the lead author Jungwha “Julia” Lee, PhD, assistant professor in the department of preventive medicine, ‘Regular, moderate physical activity offers a host of benefits. It helps reduce pain and improve well-being.’” 

The moving of muscles and joints does not require expensive exercise equipment, although the Oasis has many helpful pieces of exercise equipment to keep you moving. The Nu- Step is especially helpful with movement of the arms and legs without extra pressure on the joints. Kirby Pines offers exercise classes 5 days a week. These exercise classes will help you implement safe and helpful strengthening and stretching exercises. But just getting out of your apartment and walking the halls of Kirby Pines is a great beginning for moving and gaining flexibility, strength, and balance. Remember “You move, you lose.” Move those aching joints and lose some of that pain of arthritis and lose that attitude that there’s nothing you can do about it.