How To Maintain Your Balance As You Age.

Let's face it.  We all age and as we age our balance and flexibility can change.  It is important to maintain your ability to balance since having a good balance can help prevent falls.  The thing about balance is that your body is constantly gathering information from your eyes, muscles, joints, and tendons, and the inner ear.  

The eyes help your orient yourself in space while the muscles, joints, and tendons help the body sense its own movement, location, and actions.  The inner ear provides information about the location of the head, spatial orientation, and motion.  

The brain takes the information from all three locations and uses it to stand, move, stay balanced and perform tasks. Furthermore, the other two parts of balance is strength and flexibility because they help the body stay upright and properly balanced. It has been found that most people begin experiencing a decline in their ability to balance by the age of 50.  That being said, your body also begins losing muscle strength in your 30's and this can lead to issues with balance as you age.

Therefore, one should incorporate exercises and movements to help improve your balance as you age. Balance training helps your improve your equilibrium while improving your ability to recover from situations that make your balance unstable.  There are several activities one can easily do at home to help improve or at least maintain balance.  Begin by standing on one foot for 10 seconds and then do the other foot.  Always do several rotations and as you become more stable, extend the time you balance on each foot.

Another possibility is to stand with both feet about hip width apart.  Then slowly turn your head from side to side, then up and down for a total of about 30 seconds.  Be sure to keep your body still as you do this exercise. If needed, hold on to something to help your balance.  As you become better at this, begin repeating the exercise multiple times.

Think about practicing your sitting and standing.  Sit in a chair with your knees bent.  Then, slowly raise your body off the chair into a standing position without swinging your torso or using your hands to help get you started.  Repeat this exercise at least 10 times.  In addition to helping with your balance, this is excellent for strengthening your legs.  

Of course you could always march in place.  Begin this by standing so your feet are about hip width apart. Lift one knee so the thigh is parallel to the floor while keeping your posture straight and your core tight.  Let the leg drop slowly to the ground, and then bring your other knee up so the thigh is parallel to the ground then bring down.  Repeat the whole exercise for 20 times.  If you need to hold onto something, do so and as you improve your balance, you can quit holding on.

One of my favorite exercises is to stand on one foot, Lift the other leg slowly in front of you as high as in comfortable, the bring it down.  Then lift your leg to the side slowly, bring it down and finally extend your leg behind you as high as you can before returning it to the ground.  Repeat this on the other side.  Do as many of these as you can and over time you will improve your balance.

Another exercise is to face the wall at one side of the room.  Move one foot out to the side, and bring the other foot to join it.  Repeat this across the room and when you get to the end, repeat the other direction until you return to where you begin.  If you need to hold on to something, please do so and as you improve, you will be able to do it without the support.

Finally, walk across the room using the heel to toe step.  In other words, place one foot down, then take the other foot and place it so the heel meets the toe of the other foot, The next step requires you to take the foot that is behind and move it in front so it's heel touches the toe of the previous foot.  Continue for 30 seconds.

Practice these everyday or every other day and you'll help preserve your balance as you age.  Remember, you are never too young to begin doing this or too old to start.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. Have a great day.

Stress Relief # 2

 Imagine just floating on the lake, the waves gently rocking you back and forth. The birds saying hello as you enjoy the solitude.  

Stress Relief # 1

 Imagine walking along this road by yourself.  You stop to listen to nature, you breath the fresh air, and you just enjoy.

Want To Live Longer? Do These 8 Things

 

Remember Queen?  They had a song about wanting to live for ever.  I think everyone wants to live as long as they can.  I have a goal.  I call it a goal rather than a dream because you have to work for a goal but not always the dream.  I want to dance on a table in a cafe in Paris at the stroke of midnight when I'm 95.  To that, I have to make sure I stay healthy and the eight things I'm talking about today, will help me accomplish this.

Many of these things you've heard recommended before separately but together they can extend your life while helping you live a better life.  One of the first things is to exercise regularly. The exercise doesn't have to be at the gym.  It could be walking outside for blocks, running, jogging, or swimming but it should be something you enjoy.  Exercising regularly can help you maintain a healthy weight, strengthen your cardiovascular system, while reducing the risk of chronic disease.

Always, eat a balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean proteins, and healthy fats.  Healthy fats are fats such as monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats found in vegetable oils like olive or canola oil, nuts, seeds, or fish.  Cut back on processed foods, sugary foods, and alcohol.  A well balanced diet can help cut down the risk of certain illnesses.  Speaking of alcohol, it is best not to drink much as consuming too much alcohol can lead to certain diseases.  In addition, do not smoke as smoking increases your chance of getting certain diseases such as emphysema.

Furthermore, it is important to maintain a healthy weight because if you carry more weight than is healthy, your chances of having heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases increases.  This one is much harder as you age.  I noticed I gained weight over several years and I thought it was normal but about 8 months ago, I changed my exercise program, switched out the sugary desserts for fresh fruit and I dropped enough weight, I ended up where I needed to be.  So it is possible but you have to find the factors that work for you.

A big factor is to reduce stress because high levels of stress can cause health issues.  Stress is a big issue for many of us.  One can reduce the extra stress by practicing stress reducing techniques Such as meditation, deep breathing techniques, yoga, walking in nature, or participating in hobbies you like.  I added an app to my iPad that helps me with breathing and visualization as a way of helping me reduce my stress.

One of the big steps, is to visit your health care provider on a regular basis rather than waiting until you notice something wrong.  When you visit your health care provider regularly, they are often able to make an early diagnosis of a series disease so that treatment can begin earlier.  Early treatment of diseases can help you live longer because things are treated early and prevents other medical issues.  

Sleep is extremely important.  One should aim for between 7 and 9 hours each night.  I know it can be hard to sleep sometimes so on Monday, I'll look at things one can do to help sleep better each and every night.  A good nights sleep is necessary for rejuvenation both physically and mentally.  

Finally, maintain social connects with others because humans need to have social interactions and need contact with family, friends, and community. These connections encourage improved mental and physical health.  So try to do all eight things to improve your chances of living longer.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear. 

Waterproof Vs Water Resistant Makeup

 

There are so many choices when it comes to the type of makeup you go with.  When I first moved to Alaska, I applied my makeup one day in the middle of winter and by the time I got to work, my mascara had gathered ice and when I walked into the warm building it all melted and dripped down my cheeks.  After that, I waited till I got to work to apply it.  I did think about using waterproof mascara but then I'd come across both waterproof and water resistant types.  It was important to find out the difference between the two types of makeup. 

These two terms - water resistant and water proof actually refer to the different levels of resistance to water and moisture.  One has more resistance than the other but is not necessarily the best to use.  

First of all - water resistant makeup is designed to offer some protection against water and moisture but is not as long lasting as waterproof makeup.  It is able to withstand mild exposure to moisture and sweat without running or smudging but it is not designed to be fully waterproof.  It is a good choice for everyday wear and during activities you might perspire lightly but not for activities such as running in the rain or swimming.

In general you can find lipstick, mascara, and eyeliner in water resistant varieties.  The big plus of using this type of makeup is that you can easily remove it with regular makeup remover and you do not need to change your routine when using them. On the other hand, waterproof makeup is much more likely to last in situations with more moisture and sweat.

Waterproof makeup has been formulated to be highly resistant to moisture and sweat.  These products actually contain ingredients that provide a barrier between the skin and everything else so that moisture or water cannot penetrate it. This means that your makeup should not run, smudge, or smear.  This is the type of makeup you'd wear when swimming, running in a storm, or even during an intense workout.  

You are more likely to find waterproof versions of foundation, mascara, and eyeliner.  Choose this if you live where the humidity is high, it rains a lot, Due to the ingredients used in these products, it is important to have a makeup remover designed for waterproof products. This column explains the best way to remove waterproof makeup.  

Since waterproof makeup contains ingredients designed to create a barrier next to the skin, it is recommended you do not wear it everyday. These ingredients cause the makeup to remain on your skin longer and allows them to settle into the pores.  This could cause your pores to become clogged.  The ingredients may be harsh or cause irritation so it is best to only wear waterproof makeup when needed. In addition, waterproof makeup can make your lashes brittle especially if you do not remove it properly.  

If you aren't sure which would be best, the recommendation is to use water resistant makeup, but if you are going out in rain, swimming, being somewhere with lots of humidity, think about waterproof makeup. Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day 

NEAT Exercising

 I love reading up on the latest on exercise, makeup, fashion, and other things. The other day, I saw an article from NPR talking about NEAT exercise.  My first thought was that many people think exercising in neat but then I looked into it a bit further.  NEAT stands for Non-exercise activity thermogenesis.  The idea behind NEAT, is that a person counts all the calories burned through normal activities every day excluding regularly scheduled workouts.

The activities include cleaning house, going shopping, walking up and down stairs, strolling through the mall, bobbing your legs up and down while you work at your desk or even cooking a meal.  Unfortunately, most scientists do not look at the daily movement most people do because it is hard to quantify but someone at Mayo Clinic did.  

In the process of researching this topic, they've learned more about NEAT exercise.  It has been found that even small behavior changes can either amplify or decrease the amount of NEAT done. Everyone has a different level of NEAT based on their job, where they live, and their drive to get up and move around.  Although many folks have jobs that are more sedentary, it is possible to include more NEAT movements into daily life just by making small changes.

The first thing to know is that over half the calories burned due to supporting basic body functions which is referred to as Basic Metabolic Rate. This cannot easily be modified. Then about 10% more calories are burned digesting and metabolizing food.  So there are only 30 to 40 percent of the calories available for any other activities.

So when you move around all day, you are using the available calories and this is where NEAT comes in. For those who regularly exercise, NEAT actually burns more calories than the actual workout. However, one should not count exclusively on NEAT to burn all the necessary calories needed, but for people who do not exercise as much, increasing the amount of NEAT helps a less active person burn more calories.

Some ways to increase NEAT include fidgeting when working at a desk adds 5 to 7 percent, take up ironing or folding up clothing adds up to 15 percent. Start strolling around the mall you can double your metabolic rate.  So walk to the corner store, chew gum, mow the lawn, garden, or vacuum to increase the calories used.  

As far as the desire to move, researchers discovered the brain contains orexin which is the chemical that helps encourage movement.  The more there is, the more likely a person is to move around and it is possible to increase the amount of orexin produced by the brain.  

It all boils down to adding in movement, So instead of sitting in front of the television all night, get up and straighten up the room, go upstairs to the restroom, or just move. The more a person moves, the more they are likely to keep their weight down while staying in good health.  So the next time you have a moment, just get up and move around, mop the floor, fold the clothing, or just walk down to the corner store.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.

Weird But Cool