The Oasis

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.

Remember to sign up in the Oasis for the Walk Around Australia Program we will be offering this month. Last year we walked across Canada and this year we will walk around the continent of Australia…

Participants may begin registering January 4th. The program will run from January 11 through March 7 for 8 weeks. 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). If you use your pedometer, on average, 2000 steps equals one mile. 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’ll send postcards along the way and follow our progress on a map.

Check out worldwalking.org and search team “kirby pines“ for more details about our walk.

The Oasis is a great place to begin your new year’s resolution to feel better. Diet, rest, and exercise are keys to better health. Kirby Pines offers many opportunities to improve strength, endurance, balance and cardio-vascular health. We have exercise classes supported by the Arthritis Foundation include Arthritis Exercise (Stand and Sit) on Tuesday and Thursday at 11:00 on Channel 10 and Water Aerobics. These classes are tailored to your needs and having arthritis is not a requirement to take a class. Yoga Stretch is on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:45 on Channel 10 and a resident-led class meets three times a week. (See class schedule in The Pinecone)

If group exercise is not to your preference, the Oasis room at Kirby Pines has an amazing variety of equipment for a small gym to exercise and strengthen upper body, lower body and improve cardiovascular functions. The equipment is disinfected daily and facemasks are required in the gym area. The Oasis is open 7 days a week.

Can you believe it’s almost Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays: a time of celebration with Friends, Family, and Feasting!! 

We don’t want to worry with our weight or dieting. Yet on the other hand, overindulging can make us very uncomfortable, especially if we forget to wear those pants with the stretchy waistband. This event can set the pattern for six weeks of holiday overeating and dare I mention weight gain. A 2014 study found that particularly heavy meals also can quadruple the risk of a heart attack, especially those with elevated risk factors. 

Here are some TIPS to enjoy a more balanced and healthier holiday: 

1. GET OUT FOR A WALK. Starting the day with a walk or a turkey trot is a great way to get the metabolism going before the feast. Studies suggest that exercising within 12 hours before a meal can prevent one of the most damaging effects–a post-meal spike in a type of fat called triglycerides. If you can’t do a morning outing, fitting a walk in between dinner and dessert is also great – it will also help boost digestion. If you can’t get out for a walk after the meal – at least get up and do dishes. Not only will your hosts appreciate it, you will burn some calories (60 calories per half hour), and standing also aids digestion. Research shows that the person who does the dishes in the house tends to be less likely to gain weight. Anything is better for your digestion than lying on the couch! 

2. HYDRATE. Thirst can sometimes be confused as hunger. When we are drinking enough water, we feel better and digest our food better. An 8 oz glass of water before a big meal can help to prevent overeating. Large amounts of fluids during a meal may dilute much needed digestive acids, interfering with proper digestion. 

3. SKIP THE SECONDS. Serve yourself a small amount of everything that you like, and don’t go back for seconds – you won’t feel deprived, but will reduce the total amount of food that your body needs to digest. You won’t feel super bloated at the end of the evening, and it can lessen the load on your heart. 

4. CHOOSE YOUR DESSERT WISELY. Even if you didn’t go overboard on the Thanksgiving dinner, the dessert can really send you off the deep end. Pecan pie is perhaps the worst of all Thanksgiving finales – just 1 slice has more than 500 calories, 9 teaspoons of added sugars, and 21 grams of fat. While Apple pie weighs in at 400 calories a slice and the winner for “Healthy Desserts “is Pumpkin Pie at 300 calories and lots of Vitamin A. Of course, whipped cream and ice cream toppers all contribute to the calorie tally. 

5. PRACTICE GRATITUDE. The sweet potatoes, turkey and cranberry, and pumpkin pie is not the only part of Thanksgiving that I love. At the beginning of our little feast, everyone takes a turn sharing what we are most thankful for. The children and adults get excited as they express their gratitude. Scientists have found that “habitually focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of life is associated with well-being.” I call it an Attitude of Gratitude. 

Thanksgiving dinner prepared with love and sharing with friends and family all that we are thankful for is all we really need to celebrate Thanksgiving. (Well, maybe have some digestive enzymes on hand – just in case) 

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever”. 
Psalm 136:1

That’s what Thanksgiving is after all!! 

– Mary Hand, Oasis Coordinator 

Studies are beginning to demonstrate that we need to put down that pencil and stand up and go for a walk. Physical exercise is proven to be better for your brain health than memory quizzes. Studies even suggest that people who are physically active “have lower rates of Alzheimer’s and other age-associated neurodegenerative disorders,” says Arthur F. Kramer, senior vice provost for research and graduate education at Northeastern University in Boston and an expert on exercise and the brain. 

Our brains need the stimulation of aerobic exercise; that is, exercises that raise your heart rate and respiration. Just 30 minutes a day 5 days a week (150 minutes) of moderate intensity exercise can make a difference in mental as well as physical and emotional well-being. That extra blood flow to the brain creates higher levels of BDNF, a protein that stimulates brain cell healing and growth. 

Here at Kirby Pines we have many opportunities for aerobic exercise: walking, water aerobics, sit and stand classes. In the Oasis, we have the recumbent bicycle, Nustep, and treadmill to give you a safe aerobic workout. For strengthening exercises, try the yoga class or free weights and resistance equipment in the Oasis. 

So leave your puzzles behind and step it up to exercise your brain. We are offering Yoga Stretch on Channel 10 on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:45 and Sit and Stand at 11:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays or visit the Oasis anytime. It’s not too late to join the walking program. Our first team of the week was “Sam and Sadie”. 

October is Alzheimer Awareness Month. We are so blessed to have an amazing facility like Job’s Way that was specifically designed for people with Memory Issues. We want to show our support to the Alzheimer’s Association through financial donations so they may continue their mission to educate and research to end Alzheimer’s and dementia while enhancing care for those living with the disease. 

When I ask, “Would you like to Exercise today? “, occasionally I hear a negative answer: “I used to exercise but now I can’t.“ That may mean I can’t run a mile anymore or play tennis or 18 holes of golf. But everyone can exercise in some way. Many exercises can be done sitting in a chair or standing beside a sturdy chair or even laying on the bed. To get started, all it takes is a “CAN DO“ attitude. 

An article, Obtaining a “Can Do” Attitude By Celeste Stewart from lifescript.com reports: “A “can do” attitude is a conviction that shows the world that whatever needs to be done, can and will get done. Unfortunately, many people have a tendency to focus on what can’t be done rather than what can be done. These days especially, we are experiencing “the must and must not do.” It’s time to take the “Can Do” attitude. 

Developing a “can do” attitude requires shifting focus from “I can’t” to “I can.” Pay attention to what you are saying and hearing. How much of that is negative? How can you reword it to make it positive? If someone is complaining all the time, try to shift the conversation. 

Take responsibility. When facing an obstacle, are you quick to blame other people or circumstances? Instead of placing blame, take responsibility for the challenge and work to overcome it. What can I do? 

Take action and follow through. Procrastination will bog you down so don’t fall into the trap of 

putting off your tasks. Set your mind to doing something and then do it. Keep going until you reach your goals. If you must take it a small step at a time, that’s fine – as long as you are taking those steps. 

Take the positive direction. Surround yourself with other positive people. Energy, both positive and negative, is infectious. Aligning yourself with other can-doers will bring out the best in you. 

Adopting a “can do” attitude can change your life. With the right attitude, your health can improve. Whatever your goal is, applying the “can do” spirit will help you reach it. No one says it’s going to be easy. In fact, it takes determination, confidence, and initiative. In addition, this new attitude requires a whole new way of thinking. This positive approach will pay off as you become more self-confident and see steps towards your goals accomplished. 

Joining one of our exercise classes offered will put you into company with many “CAN-DOERS” who encourage each other to do what they can to get stronger and stay fit. Start small and work up gradually. If you have been out of the exercise habit for a while, start with 15 minutes of easy to moderate exercise and add 5 min a week to your schedule. After a month you will be up to 30 minutes which is the recommendation of CDC. Thirty minutes for 5 days per week add up to 150 minutes of exercise which has been recommended by Arthritis Foundation. Yoga Stretch on Channel 10 Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:45 is a good 

class for beginners (that can be done seated if necessary.) While walking hallways is always a good beginning. Mary Hand will be glad to help you get started in the Oasis with using the equipment and encourage you in whatever exercise plan you want to take. 

Remember the scripture, “I CAN DO all things through Christ who strengthens me. “ Philippians 4:13 

And don’t forget the children’s book The Little Engine That Could who told himself, “I think I CAN: I think I CAN: I think I CAN.” 

Weather in Memphis went from unseasonably cool to dangerously hot with high heat indexes. The Heat Index (HI) is a number that tells people how warm it actually feels. The body doesn’t release heat through the evaporation of sweat as effectively and especially dangerous for seniors (or anyone else) exercising outdoors in a high heat index. Even a mild activity, such as walking can cause problems. 

“Seniors are much more vulnerable to the harmful effects of heat, as their bodies do not adjust as well to sudden changes in temperature,” shares Dr. Lubna Javed of HealthCare Partners Medical Group. “Some chronic medical conditions and prescription medications can impair the body’s ability to react efficiently to rising temperature.” 

Know the Risks of Hyperthermia. Heat stroke is an advanced form of hyperthermia that can be life-threatening. Learn these warning signs and get medical attention immediately if you are experiencing these symptoms: 

Body temperature greater than 103 degrees; Change in behavior, such as confusion or agitation; Dry, flushed skin; Nausea and vomiting; Fatigue and weakness, headache; Heavy breathing or a rapid pulse; Not sweating, even if it’s hot out; Fainting. Muscle cramps and heavy sweating may occur with heat exhaustion. 

If symptoms occur go to a cooler environment immediately and lower the body temperature by using cool water (a pool, cool tub, cool shower or washcloth wipe-down. Drink chilled, but not icy cold water. Heat exhaustion can be a life- threatening emergency, so call for emergency medical personnel) or 911 (if on-site help is not available) immediately. 

Avoid a Heat Emergency. Recognize the signs of heat exhaustion to keep seniors safe in hot weather. Many seniors with memory issues don’t recognize changes in temperature immediately, stay alert for symptoms, prompt for re-hydration, and remind loved ones to remove extra clothing layers outdoors. 

Stay Hydrated. As we age we lose our ability to conserve water and become less aware of our thirst. Drink plenty of cool water throughout the day and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Pack extra water for outings. But if taking water pills or other medication, check with your doctor to find out exactly how much water you should be drinking on warm days. Drink sweat replacement products (that contain salt and potassium) to replace water lost by perspiration. Eat cooling snacks like popsicles or slightly frozen grapes or watermelon, and light, cold meals like chicken or pasta salad instead of heavy, hot dishes like pot roast. 

Place a cool washcloth on the back of the neck and a pan of cool water close by to periodically re-cool the towel…Sit with feet in a pan of cool (but not too cold) water. Keep the house as cool as possible by keeping shades closed during the hottest part of the day. 

Stay in Touch. High temperatures can be life-threatening, so let friends and family know if you’ll be spending an extended period of time outdoors, even if you’re only gardening. 

Wear the Right Stuff. Dress for the weather. Natural fabrics (such as cotton) are cooler than synthetic fibers. Light-colored and loose-fitting clothes feel cooler and more comfortable. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays and sunscreen when outdoors. Hats are also a great idea, especially for those with light colored hair and those with only distant memories of a full head of hair. 

Exercise Smart. If you enjoy outdoor activities such as walking or gardening, keep track of time. Don’t’ stay out for long periods and make sure to drink even more water than usual when exercising. Exercise outside earlier in the morning or later in the evening when the sun is not at its peak. 

Find indoor activities like that exercise class you were thinking of joining or learn to use the equipment in the Oasis or take a refreshing dip in the pool. At Kirby Pines we have many indoor exercise options with a variety of exercise classes. Check out the Sit and Stand Exercise class at 11:00 Live streaming on Channel 10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays or the Yoga class on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:45 on channel 10. Enjoy exercising in the cool of your home. The Pool is open for water walking and exercise (Team up with a workout buddy so you are not alone in the water). The Oasis has free weights and 10 different machines to build strength and endurance. Mary Hand will be glad to show you how to use the equipment and start your own exercise program. 

The summertime is a time of fun and relaxation for most people. But for seniors, the heat and sun can be dangerous if the proper precautions aren’t taken. If you follow these tips, you can have an enjoyable and fun-filled summer — no matter how old you are. 

Have you noticed lately that as the Stay In Place orders lag on and the summer days begin to heat up that you are spending more time on the couch or in your chair enjoying the air conditioning? Have you ever wondered why exercise has to be so exerting or sweaty? Exercise may be on the bottom of your to do list, if it makes the list at all. In this health column written by Doctor K (Komaroff), he gave several good exercises for a “couch potato.” His information was from a physical therapist Kailyn Collins who gave him these suggestions:

While lying flat on your back on the couch or bed, lift one leg 8-12 times
concentrating on using your thigh muscles. Repeat with the other leg.

Turn to your side and lift your leg up 8-12 times using your thigh muscles
(imagine a half “Jumping Jack”). Roll to the other side and repeat.

Lying on your back again, lift both legs while you tighten your stomach muscles.
Hold for ten seconds. Don’t forget to breathe.
Relax for 10 seconds and repeat every commercial break.

Sitting upright with your feet flat on the floor, practice standing up. Repeat 10 times. Another variation is to almost stand just raising your bottom off the chair and sit again. Make sure your chair is sturdy and not a rocker.

This exercise can be repeated in reverse where you begin standing and squat
like you are almost sitting and repeat 10 times. When you are ready to sit
make sure your chair is under your bottom (gently sit without a plop).

Move your wrists by rotating; waving up and down; Open and close your fists; Twiddle your thumbs and each finger one at a time.

Rotate your ankles and flex each foot.

Shoulder rolls; Raise one arm and then the other;
Extend arms out to the side to expand chest and take a deep breath.

These are just a few simple exercises that you can do while sitting on the couch. If you take the dare and give these a try, you may be pleasantly surprised that energy, strength, and balance will improve. If you like these, I have many more exercises you may find useful. Check out the Sit and Stand Exercise class at 11:00 Live streaming on Channel 10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays or the Yoga class on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:45 on channel 10.

Kirby Pines began a walking program in April with a little competition to see who gets out the most to walk. Participants were encouraged to walk outside in teams with safe distancing. The Rolling Walkers Team went out almost every day in their electric-powered chairs. People are walking everywhere from the lakes to the garden, gazebo and trails through the garden homes. Our 17 teams have put in more than 500 walking sessions in 5 weeks. Way to Go!!!! Here are a few of our teams of the week that were chosen randomly. Here are a few of our walking teams:

This has been so much fun that we have decided to go for a second round. We will start on Monday, June 8 and end Sunday, July 26. Outside temperatures may be in the 90’s, so plan to walk early morning or late in the day or enjoy the air-conditioned halls of Kirby Pines. Remember to use sunscreen, wear a hat, sunglasses, and like I always say, DRINK MORE WATER.