Physical Fitness and Our Aging Population

It’s not a secret that we are living longer. Is this a problem? Medical technology certainly has much to do with prolonging life, yet just living longer does not mean you are living a healthier life. For example, simply walk through nearly any senior apartment complex and look at how many folks are sitting watching television all day long – just sitting all day long. Are these seniors healthy? Or, are they aging more slowly than their parents did due to increased medical advances and medications? 

So, how to change this situation? Physical activity is the answer. Now I know that doesn’t surprise most of you, however, the scope of the affect of regular physical activity on developing a “healthy” life style is impressive. Regular exercise can even go so far as to eliminate the need for medical intervention with regard to many of our illnesses that seem to be so prevalent in today’s world. An example would be diabetes. We would agree that many people are overweight. We would also agree that as we age, we tend to put on needless pounds. And, we might also agree that many of those needless pounds are a direct result of a lessening of regular physical activity (not to mention an unhealthy diet).

Granted the life style of the day was not as advanced with respect to exercise as it is today, so the proliferation of “gyms” as we understand them now had not yet begun. Also, “back in the day,” people’s routines lent themselves to more exercise (i.e., cutting their own lawns, shoveling their own driveways in the winter, painting their own houses, etc.). Yet, we know now that regular exercise and better eating habits, or being “fit,” is the way to go if you want to live a healthier life.

That requires some effort on the part of an individual in order to achieve the desired result: live not only longer, but healthier.

Aging is not only the accumulation of genetic reactions in our bodies, but the accumulation of poor habits, in the forms of eating and physical activity. When we let “ourselves go,” we allow these poor habits to take effect on our already aging bodies, speeding the process along. Take for example the number one problem with our elderly – falling. Falling is the result of a person’s inability to maintain balance. This is a result of the person’s psychological fear of actually falling (and the resulting physical damage the person may incur, i.e., broken hip, fractured arm, etc.), and their physical inability to stop themselves from actually falling (which requires muscle strength). Thus, a regular routine of not only aerobic exercise, but also strength training would go a long way in helping to eliminate the incidences of falling, especially in our elder population. For as our muscles gain strength, so does our ability to control our bodies’ movements, thus the increase in the ability to prevent a fall.

Exercise, both aerobic and weight training, is the way to go, for all adults. The programs that include these two forms of exercise will assist in reducing the need for medical intervention, especially as we age. With less required medical intervention, our elder population can remain more independent for longer periods, and, isn’t that what we all fear the most, losing our independence?

 

Home Sweet Home

Home is where the heart is, and if you look for statistics about where is the most common place for a Senior to get hurt, you’ll find home as the number one location.  Is it a coincidence ?    does   it   seem obvious?    I have no idea, and frankly if you’re looking for the magic answers to prevent Seniors from getting hurt, I’m afraid you are going to be sorely disappointed.  I don’t know what the magic answer is.

I do however have a few ideas about improving the safety of Seniors at home.

• Make sure that all the maintenance is done and done right.
• Loose railings make balance difficult. Poor balance leads to falls.
• Carpet that has developed that bump in it has also created a tripping hazard.
• Throw rugs / mats that are not rubber backed will slide leading to slips and falls.
• Improper lighting makes it difficult to navigate safely around obstacles
• Too much ‘stuff’ or too much clutter make it more difficult to move about safely
• Proper footwear improves balance and reduces falls
• The Fire department will replace smoke alarm batteries – stay off that chair !
• Spring rain tends to make lobby floors wet and therefore slippery.
• Wet, slippery conditions also exist in the bathroom.
• Proper handrails in the shower and at the toilet make both safer and easier.
• Consider using a Handheld shower-head and a shower bench.
• A small basket/tray can be used with a walker to carry things from the kitchen.
• Those Canes with 3-4 feet on them can help too.

There are lots of ideas, this is just the start of the list.  Try thinking outside the box, ask friends and neighbours how they deal with certain things and you’ll find that the list of

ways to avoid getting hurt is a wonderful exercise in Hospital avoidance.

Drop me a note and let me know what you think….

Safety at Home for Seniors

‘Pride goes before a fall’ or perhaps more accurately, ‘Pride goes before a fall, and is followed by a broken hip’

Take a walk around your home, and take a look at it from a slightly different perspective.  Consider if you will if things are safe enough for a someone who is either frail, weak, unsteady on their feet or who needs to grab on to things occasionally for support.

I am always amazed at the little things that we all overlook in our homes.  I often hear ‘yes, I know but it has always been like that‘ or ‘ yes I know, but what can I do about it?‘  While these redirects are honest, they don’t address the safety issues.

As we age from infancy and childhood into adults our situation changes in terms of what we need.  Everyone has heard of childproofing your home when there is a baby on the way.  What about addressing the situation as we go from middle age to ‘the golden years’ ?  Our situation changes as do our needs, yet often times we do not address whether or not the home is still as safe as it was.

We’re not talking about the wiring or the furnace here.  We are talking about that mat that sits on the floor in front of the sink.  We are talking about having railings and grab bars were they are most needed.  We are talking about having enough space to get through the hall safely with the cane or walker.  We are talking about clutter and the corners of furniture or that cord beside the table.  Any (all) of them can be hazards.

Any and all issues have solutions, replace the mat with one that is rubber backed or get a carpet liner to go underneath the mat (or just get rid of the mat!).   Want a fun way to look at having enough space to get around halls, corners and furniture ? have one of the grandchildren push a box the width of a walker (banana box from the grocery store) or the tube from wrapping paper around the house and take note of  places or things that get in the way.  Those are the issues to look at.

Because Seniors can be vulnerable to injury from a fall, precautions should be taken to try to eliminate or at least limit the hazards.  Just because you may not be a Senior, the same rules apply – safe is safe, not just for you but for your guests too !