The Oasis

Valentines and Hearts are everywhere this season. February is the American Heart Month reminding us to keep our heart healthy by diet, rest, and exercise. Remember your heart is a muscle and exercising makes it stronger and healthier. Research shows that people who do not exercise have a greater risk of heart disease than active people. Like all exercise programs, check with your physician before beginning any new regimen. So, “What exercise works best for my heart?” Here are a few basic pointers: 

Include Aerobic or Cardio Exercise like walking, swimming, or biking. You should move fast enough to raise your heart rate and breathe a little harder, but not so fast that you cannot catch your breath or be able to carry a conversation. Three to five times a week for 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise is recommended by the CDC. Ten or fifteen minute sessions work just as well as 30 to 60 minutes. Our water aerobics and the Sit and Stand Exercise classes will get your heart rate up without wearing you out. Also the Nustep, treadmill and recumbent bike can raise your heart rate and monitor your heart rate, too. 

Stretching is also important. Be sure to stretch after warming up for a few minutes and after each exercise session to keep your body more flexible. Stretch gently (no pain) and hold your stretch for at least 30 seconds. We offer Yoga Stretch classes to provide full body stretching as well as water aerobics and sit and stand classes that finish with stretching. 

Strength Training uses weights and resistance with stretch bands. The Oasis has weight resistance equipment for upper and lower body work. Do strength exercises 2 or 3 times a week resting a day between sessions. Resistance levels can be increased on the Nustep and the bike. 

It is never too late to begin an exercise habit. Start gradually 10 – 15 minutes at a time and increase slowly… If you experience pain or pressure in your chest or trouble breathing, stop immediately and get medical assistance. A little soreness in the beginning is normal, but if pain lasts more than 2 hours after exercise, it may mean you have overdone it. After a few weeks, you can increase your workouts for longer sessions and add more resistance gradually. Exercise is a key to a healthier heart. Check out the schedule of exercise classes or make an afternoon appointment with Mary Hand if you want to learn more about the equipment in the Oasis. Remember an active life leads to a healthy heart. 

While the holidays are a time of gatherings with family and friends, they can also be a source of stress, as exercise schedules might be disrupted for shopping excursions and rich holiday meals make it difficult to adhere to a particular diet. Staying healthy can be a challenge during this time of year, especially for seniors. 

To stay healthy during the holidays, reduce stress and avoid the holiday blues, keep the following tips in mind: 

1. Make healthy choices: From rich meals to tempting and tasty homemade snacks, the holidays are a time for many to indulge in food — or overindulge. Try to plan meals with other events in mind. For example, if a big dinner is planned for New Year’s Eve, consider a lighter lunch of salad or soup. 

2. Stay hydrated: Drinking water is one way you can stay healthy during the holidays. To make it easier to stay hydrated, have water easily accessible at home and keep bottled water in a purse or bag when running errands. 

3. Follow dietary restrictions: Some seniors must follow special diets, such as one that is low in sodium. It can be difficult to adhere to a diet during busy, stressful times, especially if there aren’t any healthy options available. “When people get stressed, they tend to overeat and don’t stick to their diets.” To make it easier to follow dietary guidelines, keep healthy options like fresh-cut vegetables and fruit on hand. 

4. Keep exercising: Stick to an exercise schedule, bundle up and invite your family for a walk around the grounds at Kirby Pines If it’s too cold or icy outside, enjoy the decorated halls inside. Visit the Oasis or enjoy the warm pool. 

5. Decrease gifts: The holidays can be a financial challenge due to purchasing gifts for many family members. To reduce stress from paying for gifts and shopping, consider having a family grab bag, where everyone contributes one gift. 

6. Rest after traveling: For some, the holidays are a time to travel long distances to visit family and friends. Whether you travel by car, rail or plane, make time to rest before jumping into visiting or shopping. 

7. Take a break: Between parties and shopping, the holidays often involve busy days and late nights. If you are planning an all-day outing, carve some time for a nap or a way to relax for a bit, even if it is just to sip tea in a cafe. Little kids, seniors and everyone in between will appreciate it. 

8. Stay involved: Be a part of the holidays. For many, that may include helping out with holiday preparations. “Reduce your stress by allowing others to hold the holiday event at their home instead of yours, but stay involved by cooking a favorite dish or maybe help decorate the home.” 

With a few preventative measures and a willingness to change some traditions, seniors can stay healthy and follow their diets, while also having fun with their family members this holiday season. 

Don’t wait until January 1. Stay on track during this tempting season with these simple tips. ’Tis the season of staying fit, said no one ever. Busy schedules, holiday parties, and endless culinary temptations combine to make it especially difficult to stick to your fitness routine this time of year. Chances are, you’re going to fall off the workout wagon. That’s okay—we all do. Use these strategies to get right back on. 

Stay-Fit Strategy #1: Remember Why You’re Doing It 

When a client loses his or her motivation, corrective exercise specialist Kendra Fitzgerald prescribes a mental workout. What’s your motivation? To feel better, have more energy, be more productive at work, or age gracefully, it’s easier to commit the time and stick to it once you identify why you are working out.

Stay-Fit Strategy #2: Start Small and Be Realistic 

If your goal is to exercise daily, begin with one or two days a week. Pick days where you can easily fit it in. Add another day as each week goes by. Even if you can’t get to your favorite class or the Oasis, remember that 15 minutes of movement is better than no movement at all. 

Stay-Fit Strategy #3: Picture Your Success 

Write down your goal in a few simple words, and post it where you’ll see it every day. A visual reminder may strengthen your resolve. If you want to get back to your “fighting weight” of five years ago, put up a photo of yourself from that time. 

Stay-Fit Strategy #4: Make It Mandatory 

Time management is important for accomplishing any goal, and fitness is no exception. Even if it’s just 10 minutes, put it on your calendar. Call it your “feel better session,” and make that time nonnegotiable. You’ll boost your mood and health, and it will become a key part of your routine. 

Stay-Fit Strategy #5: Track Your Progress Daily 

Record your achievements daily or weekly: how many steps you walked, number of exercise reps, pounds lost, and so on. A pen and paper and a calendar will work just fine, or you can schedule and log your workouts on a free exercise app Stay-Fit. 

Strategy #6: Recruit Someone to Hold You Accountable 

Maintaining an ongoing schedule with the same person can help you stay accountable. You’ll want to hold up your part of the bargain. Plus, you can get a great workout while having a great time. Think about it: The more fun your workouts are, the more you’re going to look forward to and be committed to them over the long term. And consistency and longevity are necessary for achieving your goals. 

Stay-Fit Strategy #7: Hold Yourself Accountable Too 

Put your money where your mouth is: Pay a penalty for missing your workouts. Drop a dollar in a money jar, and then donate the dough to a favorite cause. 

Stay-Fit Strategy #8: Savor Every Success 

There’s no better feeling than finishing a challenging workout. Let the feeling of accomplishment wash over you, so that you’ll remember the feeling when it’s time for your next workout. 

And make no mistake: This is a big deal! You’ve just rewarded yourself with better health this winter—and a happier, fuller, and potentially longer life. 

Possibly. Exercise has many known benefits for both physical and mental health, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, strengthening the bones and muscles, and reducing stress. 

It also appears that regular physical activity benefits the brain. Studies show that people who are physically active are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function and have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Physical activity is one of the known modifiable risk factors for dementia. Plus, regular exercise helps combat other Alzheimer’s disease risk factors, such as depression and obesity. 

Exercising several times a week for 30 to 60 minutes may: 

• Keep thinking, reasoning and learning skills sharp for healthy individuals 
• Improve memory, reasoning, judgment and thinking skills (cognitive function) for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment 
• Delay the start of Alzheimer’s for people at risk of developing the disease or slow the progress of the disease 
• Increase the size of the part of the brain that’s associated with memory formation (hippocampus) 

Physical activity seems to help your brain not only by keeping the blood flowing but also by increasing chemicals that protect the brain. Physical activity also tends to counter some of the natural reduction in brain connections that occurs with aging. 

More research is needed to know how — and how much — adding physical activity may improve memory or slow the progression of cognitive decline. Nonetheless, regular exercise is important to stay physically and mentally fit. And for older adults, even leisurely physical activity offers health benefits. 

Are you ready to start walking for fitness? Follow these fitness tips to help you be successful. Walking is good medicine for any age, especially folks with arthritis. Walking has been proven to help with weight loss, stress control, increasing strength, and balance, as well as reducing pain. To improve your chances of success, try these five walking strategies. 

1. Find a walking buddy. 

To maintain your program find someone to walk with. A walking buddy adds accountability and safety. 

• Make a walking date with your spouse. It could even be your four-legged best friend. 
• Join a walking group. (Walk with Ease program starts here at Kirby Pines in September). 
• Schedule your walks like you would a doctor’s appointment on your busy calendar. 

2. Add variety to your walk. 

Don’t let it become routine. Take a different route at a different time of day. Pay attention to the wildlife and flowers. Walk with music to keep in step. 

3. Get good shoes. 

The only equipment you really need for walking is the right pair of shoes. Look for deep and wide shoe forms made of cloth or smooth leather that are not so tight as to not rub your skin. A good quality running shoe is best. (You can walk in running shoes, but you can’t run in walking shoes). Select shoes without thick treads to prevent catching the bottom of your foot. Make sure shoes are proper width and roomy. Wear high-top athletic shoes for weak ankles. Flexible shoes help reduce stress on the knee while walking.

4. Keep a record. 

Record your accomplishments in a journal or calendar. Keeping track of how far, long, when and where you walk can be a real motivator. Begin with an attainable goal like 10 minutes for 3 days each week, then add 5 minutes to each walk the next week, and change your goals as you meet them. A pedometer or walking app on your phone or ”fit bit” can be a real motivator. Post your accomplishments where you can see them and remember to reward yourself when you meet your goals with a purchase or event. (Avoid using food as a reward) .

5. Throw out the excuses. 

The first excuse for not exercising is lack of time. If walking is made a priority, people can find the time. Other barriers like bad weather can be solved by walking the halls of Kirby or using the treadmill in the Oasis. If tiredness or achy joints are the problem, be determined to walk; just walk a shorter easier route. Even a 5 minute walk is better than no walk and may even give you energy to go longer. Have a backup plan, if you can’t walk on your usual schedule, make a plan B and reschedule. The more you walk, the more energy and strength you have and feel like walking. 

Retired persons may leave their jobs, but they don’t have to leave the things they loved about their work. One thing I love about working is having a routine to get out of the house for a job I love where I feel welcomed and encouraged. Our exercise programs can become a wonderful routine with benefits that improve strength, balance, and endurance. In our classes you are always learning a new skill and experiencing new challenges, some physically demanding and even some mental. It is an opportunity to put out your best effort (whatever that may be). When you finish, you get that feeling of satisfaction that you accomplished something that day. Several residents have picked up new skills learning to use free weights properly and developing routines on the Nu-Step machine and the other weight bearing resistance equipment. In our group classes, you will gain not only strength and improved balance, but also encouragement and a team spirit as you work out together. Put us on your schedule and come to work out with us. The benefits
will profit your health and well-being.

Exercise is a key to a strong and healthy lifestyle boosting energy levels, lifting spirits, improving balance, enhancing immune system and aiding weight loss programs.

It’s Time to Join the Walk About Australia Part 2 Program

Participants may register in the Oasis or online with Mhand@nullkirbypines.com. The program will run from September 1 through October 31. Every week, we will track how many miles each participant walks, or completes on the Nu-Step, or treadmill. Get credit for 1 mile for each exercise class you participate in. Everyone’s mileage will be kept up individually and as a group total to see how far we can walk; pointing out interesting landmarks along Australia’s coastline which runs for 9395 miles. We have already traveled 3400 miles; that’s over 8 million steps. We’ll send postcards along the way and follow our progress on a map with helpful tips, awards and surprises for everyone along the way. Weekly door prizes and a Grand Prize at the end will be awarded for the most miles. We are dedicating this walk in memory of Gene Wainscott who was one of our biggest supporters. Make plans to join our Walk About Australia Program this fall.

Did you know water makes up about 50 to 60% of your body? 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, breathing, 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. 

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 (reducing the risk of urinary tract infections). Water helps energize muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue. 

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 6 8-ounce glasses of water.

Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to start drinking water: As we age, we are less aware of our thirst and our ability to regulate our body’s fluid balance via kidneys decreases. If you think you may need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of drinking water:

• Start your day with a glass of water before breakfast.
• Have a beverage with every snack and meal.
• Choose beverages you enjoy; you’re likely to drink more liquids. If you’re watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages or water.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables especially melons. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.
• Keep a bottle of water with you in your car, at your desk, or in your bag or walker.

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

ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION WALK TO CURE 

Many Thanks to everyone who helped make our fundraiser and Arthritis Awareness Month so successful. I very much appreciate the support for our Walk to Cure with more than 43 walkers and two pups. We are still receiving donations for The Arthritis Foundation but as of this writing we have received over $1,100 in donations which will be used to support research, education, and assistance to people of all ages who live with the pain of Arthritis. We really appreciate your generosity. Way to go Kirby Pines!

Arthritis simply means inflammation of the joint and refers to more than 100 types of joint diseases that affect 54 million adults in the U.S. Usually you picture someone with gray hair and retired as a person with arthritis, but today arthritis impacts the whole family when a child develops Juvenile arthritis (more than 300,000 children nationwide). 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 and experimental restoration treatments. Exercise 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 bimonthly magazine Arthritis Today, they keep people informed on new products, diet, exercise and medications. Online you can sign up for weekly tips for living successfully with arthritis.

On Wednesday May 19th at 10:30 am we will begin gathering in the Lobby for our Annual Kirby Pines Arthritis Walk to Cure. This walk will be outdoors around the lake if weather permits or indoors through the halls. Pre-register with Mary Hand in the Oasis or sign up on the day of the walk. We want to show our support for the Arthritis Foundation. We’ll have a few door prizes and light refreshments for those who register. This year our goal is to raise $1300 for the Arthritis Foundation. The funds that are raised will go towards research, education for public awareness about arthritis, and sponsoring exercise programs for people of all ages especially seniors. Here at Kirby Pines We have two types of exercises classes (water aerobics, and sit and stand) that were made possible through the Arthritis Foundation. We are grateful for the role the Arthritis Foundation plays at Kirby Pines. Let’s show our support physically and financially.

How can you help? Here is what we need:

• Participants to walk on May 19th
• Contributors and Supporters
• Volunteers to help with registration for the walk

Have you visited the Oasis recently? Exercise has been proven to improve physical and emotional health for people of all ages.

The most popular piece of equipment in the Oasis is called NuStep; the sitting position minimizes joint stress and lower back pain. This equipment promotes a natural walking motion while eliminating impact and stress on joints. Easy to operate and adjust to your specific height, weight, and level of endurance. You can keep track of your time while it automatically calculates your steps and calories burned. The newest model even checks your pulse. The NuStep is great for helping you lose weight or improve your strength and endurance in your arms and legs. We have three NuSteps available.

We make appointments with the doctors, our hairdresser and lunch with friends. Why not schedule a visit to the Oasis 2-3 times a week. This is a great place to start an exercise routine. Prove to yourself that moderate exercise improves your health and well being. Schedule an appointment with Mary Hand, who is in the Oasis Monday through Thursday to assist you with the equipment and help you with your exercise program.

Cabin Fever has become a new source of stress. It is easy to sit around nibbling on your favorite treat, watching TV, and doing puzzles. But enough is enough; your body is craving some endorphins as well as chocolates. What is an endorphin? You can’t find it on the Candy Aisle at Kroger or at Dinstuhl’s. Endorphins are the “feel-good” chemicals released by the brain during physical activity that help improve mood, energy levels and even sleep. If you have been inactive since the start of the Covid lockdown, here are some ideas to help you get moving again:

1. Check with your doctor first.
2. Start monitoring from the start; Keep a journal, mark your calendar, or use an activity tracker on your phone or Fitbit. Every little step counts.
3. Start slow. Begin with a warm-up and gentle stretch. Practice sitting and standing using a sturdy chair. Keep your feet on the floor (no bouncing). This strengthens the quadriceps muscles which work together to help you stand, walk, and move around.
4. Choose the best exercises for you. A balanced exercise routine should include:
   • Aerobics: walking, or water aerobics or water walking if you have pain in joints
   • Strength Exercise: freehand weights and exercise equipment in the Oasis
   • Balance: Yoga and SitnStand classes on Channel 10.
5. Here are some tips to create the right routine:
   • Alternate days between aerobic and strength exercises.
   • Find activities you enjoy. For example: walking, bicycling, dancing or yoga or the pool. Try walking indoors for 10-15 minutes or outside when the weather is good. Gradually add time and increase intensity with a goal of 30 minutes a day for 5 days or 150 minutes weekly.
   • Exercise is more fun with a friend and helps you stay committed. When someone is counting on you to walk with them, you are motivated to make the extra effort. Often when left on our own, it’s easy to let our exercise plans slide.
   • Strength train using free weights or resistance bands, slowly add weight as you’re able to do more repetitions. Check with Mary in the Oasis for pointers.
   • Work on balance every day. Simply stand at your kitchen counter on one foot and then the other helps improve balance. Yoga is a good choice for people who want to improve balance and flexibility.
6. Check your progress to see if you are working out effectively. Can you carry a conversation when your heart rate is up without gasping for air? A little soreness in the first 24 hours is normal but if it lasts longer, you may have overdone it. This is your program, if you are having difficulty, don’t force it or cause yourself pain. Just do as much as you can comfortably.
7. Remember to hydrate by keeping a bottle of water nearby.
8. Finish your exercise time with a gentle stretch.

Whatever you plan, Remember the first step is always the hardest. Go ahead, take it. Exercise will break that cabin fever.