The Oasis

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.

Exercise Safely at Home!

Are you bored with those 4 walls? Get some pep in your step. Start your own stay-at-home exercise program. Moving your muscles and joints will improve your attitude. A hormone called endorphins is released in your body naturally when you exercise. Endorphins actually cheer you up and lift your spirits. Bodies in motion are stronger, more flexible, experience less pain, burn unwanted calories, and maintain better balance for fall prevention and more endurance.

Safety is the utmost concern in your exercise program. If you are new to exercise, start slow, limit your first week to about 15 minutes at a time whether you are walking or following an exercise program. If you feel short of breathe slow down or stop altogether to restore your normal breath rate. You know if you are working hard enough if you are breathing a little faster but can still carry a normal conversation. If you feel light-headed or dizzy, sit down immediately. If you experience chest pain, or other sharp pain different from the usual ache, dizziness lasting more than fifteen minutes, difficulty breathing or other serious symptoms, get assistance immediately. Keep a phone nearby for emergencies.

A little soreness is normal after exercising but if you are feeling pain more than two hours after you exercise, that is a sign that you have done too much. Next exercise session be a little easier on yourself and don’t push yourself too hard.

When exercising with Live TV Channel 10 classes, gather your equipment before the class starts. Use a sturdy chair, like a wooden dining room chair, not a desk chair with wheels or a flexible back and definitely not a “lazy-boy.”

Wear comfortable clothes that do not bind and sturdy shoes to give your feet good support (no sandals or flip-flops or high heels). When doing standing exercises, be sure the floor is not slippery and you are within an arm’s length to the back of the chair. A hand on the back of the chair can be useful for balance support for any standing exercise. On days you cannot trust your balance stay seated in the chair to exercise. Keep a bottle or glass of water nearby to stay hydrated through your class. If it hurts don’t do it or at least modify it to make it comfortable for you.

Yoga Stretch is offered on Monday and Wednesday at 12:45 pm and Sit and Stand class is at 11:00 am on Tuesday and Thursdays. Give those classes a try or go by the Oasis and pick up a sheet of safe and easy exercises you can do at home. The Oasis is still open and equipment is deep cleaned twice daily. Use of Disinfecting wipes before and after you use the equipment as recommended.

For more safe exercise ideas check with Mary Hand in the Oasis.

Just like your need for a balanced diet of vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits, protein, and carbohydrates, your body needs a balanced routine of exercise that includes cardiovascular, strengthening and flexibility.

Any exercise that raises your heart rate slightly is considered Cardiovascular, such as walking, biking, or swimming. In the Oasis, the Nustep, the treadmill, and the recumbent bike will increase your heart rate. As we age, it is not necessary to push ourselves to the point of being out of breath and heart pounding. Slight perspiration and increased respiration rate is good and still being able to carry a conversation is a sign of exerting enough energy to utilize our hearts and lungs without overdoing. If you do experience shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness or pain – SLOW DOWN or STOP to rest.

Strengthening exercises build muscle and endurance. Lifting weights, Upper body and Lower body resistant equipment in the Oasis are strengthening exercises. Noodles and barbells in the water and water walking use resistance to strengthen arms and legs. When exercising, a little soreness is normal but constant or a sudden sharp pain for more than two hours following exercise may mean “you overdid it.” Always begin a new program gradually using lighter weights for a shorter period of time. On the bike or Nustep set the resistance on a lower number for 10-15 minutes. Each week add a few more minutes and increase resistance slightly.

Exercise classes provide a balanced program for cardio, strength and stretch. Gentle stretching with deep breathing before and after an exercise session restores muscles and helps blood flow to muscles and joints to remove waste products (lactic acid) and bring Oxygen and nutrients to replenish muscle cells. Stretching and a tall glass of water may help prevent muscle cramps. Here is a quick review of the classes we offer here and how they can help keep you fit. Water aerobics and Sit ‘n Stand classes provide Cardio, Strength and Stretch. Tai chi and Yoga Stretch help with strengthening, stretch, and range of motion (reach and flexibility)

Always drink water before, during and after exercising.

Check with your medical doctor before beginning a new exercise program. Begin exercise sessions with 15 minutes three times per week. Gradually work up to 30 minutes five times per week. That is 150 minutes of moderately strenuous exercise each week which is recognized by the Arthritis Foundation, American Heart Association, and Centers for Disease Control for Cardiovascular health and healthy Joints. Visit the Oasis or join a class this week and experience that “good” feeling that comes with exercise.

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, reducing the load on the heart. Walking is good for you in other ways as well.

1. 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.
2. 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 study of postmenopausal women found that 30 minutes of walking each day reduced their risk of hip fractures by 40 percent.
3. Walking lightens mood. A California State University 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.
4. Walking can lead to weight loss. A brisk 30-minute walk burns 200 calories. Over time, calories burned can lead to pounds dropped.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Walking slows mental decline. A study of 6,000 women, ages 65 and older, performed by researchers at the University of California, 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.
10. 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, shows a study published in the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management.

Your heart beats on average 115,200 times per day without you even thinking about it; sending nourishments and oxygen to all areas of your body. February is the American Heart Month reminding us to keep our heart healthy by diet, rest, and exercise. 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?”

Aerobic or cardio exercise like walking, swimming, or biking raise your heart rate and making breathing a little harder, but do not go 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 Tai chi and Yoga 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 like with stretch bands or in water, and even your own body weight (yoga). Do strength exercises 2 or 3 times a week resting a day between sessions. The Oasis has weight resistance equipment for upper and lower body work. 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 (369-1334) if you want to learn more about the equipment in the Oasis. Remember an active life leads to a healthy heart.

Happy New Year! 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 cardiovascular health. Our four exercise classes supported by the Arthritis Foundation include Tai Chi, Arthritis Exercise (Stand and Sit), Water Aerobics and Walk with Ease (an 8-week class that will be offered in the spring). We also offer a Yoga Stretch class. These classes are tailored to your needs and having arthritis is not a requirement to take a class.

If group exercise is not your forte, Kirby Pines has an amazing variety of equipment for a small gym to exercise upper body, lower body and improve cardiovascular functions. The Oasis is open 24 hours / 7days a week. For training to operate the equipment, make an appointment with Mary Hand at 369-7334.

Here some ideas to make your holiday a little healthier:

On the first day of Christmas: Put on your walking shoes.

On the second day of Christmas: Put on your walking shoes, Walk to Hall L and back

On the third day of Christmas: Put on your walking shoes, Walk from L to I and back.

On the fourth, day of Christmas: Find a friend to walk with you around the lake.

On the fifth day of Christmas: Walk to the Oasis on the first floor near the Bistro.

On the sixth day of Christmas: Walk to the Oasis and Learn to use the Nustep

On the seventh day of Christmas: Use the Nustep for 15 minutes

On the eighth day of Christmas: Learn to use the resistance equipment for upper body

On the ninth day of Christmas: Learn to use the resistance equipment for lower body

On the tenth day of Christmas: Join an exercise class

On the eleventh day of Christmas: Bring a friend to an exercise class

On the twelfth day of Christmas: Take a rest then start again.

Yes, you’ll get stronger and more toned – but those aren’t the only reasons to strength train. Scientists continue to discover benefits of strength training or resistance training. It can be done using light weights, elastic bands or even your own body weight (think wall push-ups, mini squats and calf raises). Here are four more good reasons to start.

1. IT REDUCES PAIN. A small study, published in the July 2012 International Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that men with rheumatoid arthritis affecting their knees had a 23 percent reduction in pain intensity after following a three-day-a-week strength-training program for eight weeks. Other studies show strength training relieves the pain of osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, too. In the Oasis, the leg extension and seated-leg-curl machine will help with strengthening the muscles around the knee.
2. IT INCREASES RANGE OF MOTION. Another small study, published in the December 2011 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found that participants who practiced resistance training three days a week for five weeks had the same flexibility improvements as those who did a regular stretching routine. Stretching and strengthening are both important. Water aerobics can help with both.
3. IT BLASTS CALORIES – even when you’re not working out. Muscle burns calories, so adding muscle mass naturally amps up your calorie burn. In fact, an analysis of several studies, reported in the July-August 2012 Current Sports Medicine Reports, shows the number of calories you burn at rest rises about 7 percent after several weeks of resistance training.
4. IT BOOSTS BONE DENSITY. Women lose up to 50 percent of their bone tissue in their lifetime post-menopause. By age 65 or 70, men begin to lose bone mass at the same rate as women, according to the National Institutes of Health. Lifting weights can help slow that loss and increase bone density, according to a 2015 review in the scientific journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.

Seniors are often overwhelmed by all the different machines and other fitness tools a gym has to offer. However, a distinction can be made between two main kinds of exercises: free weight exercises and machine exercises. Machines can be very useful to anyone that wants to isolate a certain muscle. Free weights are dumbbells and barbells, and often people make use of both free weights and machines.

To start a workout program: You’ve probably heard people talk about reps and sets. Sets are the amount of times an exercise is done. Every set consists of reps (repetitions), which is the number of times the movement (for example bicep curls) are done 4-6 repetitions for strength training, 6-12 reps for muscle growth, 12-15 reps for toning the muscles and endurance. Another thing that is important, is to rest between sets. Rest as long as it takes to resume normal breathing again, which is usually, between 60 to 90 seconds. Most exercises are between 2 and 3 sets, and 8 to 12 reps, however, this depends on your goals and whatever feels good to you.

Safety is very important, so start off slow. Furthermore, proper form and good intensity is most important. It is recommended to consult your doctor before starting a workout program. Start slow, build up and stop doing an exercise as soon as it starts to feel uncomfortable or starts hurting.

Get trained. Make an afternoon appointment with Mary Hand to learn the best techniques for using free weights and the resistance equipment in the Oasis.

When you think of exercising your brain, do you think about Sudoku, crosswords, and other mental puzzles? 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.

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 wellbeing.

That extra blood flow to the brain creates higher levels of BDNF, a protein that
stimulates brain cell healing and growth. Studies show persons that are physically active have less dementia/memory/Alzheimer issues.

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 Tai Chi or yoga classes or free weights and resistance equipment in the Oasis.

So leave your puzzles behind and step it up to exercise your brain. See the schedule for an exercise class, you can enjoy or visit the Oasis anytime.