Higginsville Senior Center
Volume 8, Issue 7
The Center Chronicle
February 2017
I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : February is National Heart Health month
with a focus on the first Friday in
February which is always Go Red Day –
a day to focus on women’s heart health.
We’ve all heard what we should do to
Center Tidbits 2
keep our heart healthy and we’ll hear
Birthdays
3
much more about that this month! In this
article, we decided to look instead at a
ODNT—Learn
3
something new
few fun facts about the heart! These
Every Month
facts are from the website
www.everydayhealth.com. Check them
Important
4
out for more information!
Dates
Coordinator’s
Corner
4
Stay Fit ...for
Life!
5
Color Your World, Relax 7
Your Mind!
Lafayette
County
Health
Department
(4th Wednesday)
√ March 22, 2017
√ May 24, 2017
√ July 26, 2017
Please note, the Health
Department will be at our
Centers every other month
in 2017.
The all-important heart is
constantly at work, pumping
blood (about 2,000 gallons a
day) filled with essential oxygen
and nutrients to your body’s
organs 24/7. Everything about
the heart and how it works is
interesting, but here are some
nuggets of information you may not
know.
Heart Health Month
Monday is the Most Common Day of the
Week for Heart Attacks
Mondays get a bad rap — Manic
Mondays, Monday blues, case of the
Mondays — but where heart health is
concerned, maybe it’s deserved. Research
has shown that more heart attacks occur on
Mondays than any other day of the week.
The Body's System of Blood Vessels is
More Than 60,000 Miles Long
There are three different kinds of blood
vessels: Arteries carry blood from
heart to organs, veins carry
blood from organs and limbs
back to the heart, and capillaries
connect the two. Together, all of
the arteries, veins, and capillaries
in the body are long enough to
go around the world more than
twice.
Your Heart Doesn't Stop When You
Sneeze
The Heart Sits in the Center of the
The increased pressure in your chest can
Chest, Not On the Left Side
affect blood flow to the heart, briefly
Does this blow your mind because you’ve changing its rhythm, but contrary to
always been told it’s on the left? When
common belief, your heart doesn’t skip a
we place our hands over our hearts to
beat when you sneeze. That doesn’t mean
pledge allegiance, we actually go a tad you should stop saying “bless you” or
too far to the left. The heart is located in “gesundheit” after a sneeze, though. It’s
the middle of the chest, snuggled
only polite!
between the lungs.
The Aorta Is Nearly the Diameter of a
The Human Heart Beats Around 70
Garden Hose
Times per Minute
Sure it’s the largest artery in the body,
This is a ballpark figure. According to
running from the heart to the abdomen, but
Mayo Clinic, a healthy adult heart should the thickness of a garden hose? That’s
beat anywhere from 60 to 100 times a
pretty big, and a weird thing to visualize
minute while at rest. Do the math, and it don’t you think!?
adds up to around 100,000 beats a
Here’s to Heart Health!
day and 2.5 billion beats in the average
lifetime. That’s a lot of pumping.
The Center Chronicle
Page 2
Center Tidbits. .
The Center was closed on January 2
in observance of New Year’s Day
and again on January 5 due to the
bad weather.
Our Happy Hookers Crochet group
made 245 Red Hats for premature
babies for February’s “Little Hats,
Big Hearts” campaign.
February 13 we are going to have a
decorated Valentine box contest
along with guess the number of Kisses
in the jar.
We held our Birthday Bash on
January 11 with 44 coming to enjoy
fried chicken.
On January 26 we held our first Fit
and Fun Fair and had 24
participants who enjoyed games,
demos, exercises, quizzes, bingo,
plinko and of course the prizes that
went with them.
On February 14 we are going to
have a Valentine’s Party.
On January 18 Kurt Lorenz from
John Knox Village East presented a
lunch program on the beginnings
and expansion of John Knox Village.
On January 24 we held a Baked
Potato sale and sold 181 potatoes
with lots of toppings. This was the
first time we opened it to the
general public and we had 10
outside orders. Hoping to hit the
200 mark at our next sale coming
up in March/April.
Coming up in February is
National Wear Red Day on
February 3.
On February 6 Brian Henning will
present a lunch program on
Scam Artists.
On February 22 we are having a
“Bring a New Friend” contest. If you
bring a friend who’s never been here
(or who seldom comes) you will win a
fabulous prize!
On February 27 our Happy Hooker
Crochet Group will celebrate their 8th
anniversary.
On February 8 we will have our
fried chicken Birthday Bash.
Healthy eating is a big part of being
heart healthy. Did you know that our
meals here at the center are designed
to provide you one-third of your daily
nutritional needs? Yep, you’re eating
healthy and didn’t even realize it.
Looking for a healthy snack? Try this:
Crackers With
Chocolate-Hazelnut
Spread and Banana
Dividing evenly, spread 2 crisp bread
crackers with 1 tablespoon chocolatehazelnut spread.
Top with 1 sliced
small banana.
From RealSimple.com
Volume 8, Issue 7
Page 3
Birthday Celebrations!
Here are the individuals that are celebrating birthdays this month! Won’t you join us in helping them celebrate?
February 9
February 18
February 20
February 24
February 24
February 28
February 28
Jeannie Richardson
Mel Oetting
Janet Hamilton
Darrell Tilly
Eileen Meyer
Vern Correll
Mary Greer
If your birthday is in February, we’d love to have you join us for lunch on Wednesday, February 8. See you
then. And a very Happy Birthday to the folks listed here!
Learn Something New Every Month!
In 2017, Old Dogs New Tricks University will focus on different health information each month.
We hope you enjoy this different type of information.
February is Heart Health Month, and there’s no better time to do a “gut check” on the foods you and your loved ones
are eating. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S., according to the Center
for Disease Control, and the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Canada states that strokes kill 32% more women than
men.
Hear t Healthy Shopping Tips for Seniors
Eating better is one of the Heart Association’s “Simple 7” factors for improved heart health. When you maintain a
healthy diet along with regular physical exercise and other good habits, you’ll not only feel better, but you’ll live
longer — and of course we want our senior loved ones to stay healthy and vital for as long as possible, too. Here are
some tips on what to eat, what not to eat, and how to succeed when the going gets tough.
1. Buy colorful fruits and vegetables. Low in calories, high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
2. Avoid buying high fat dairy or meat. Look for skinless cuts of lean meat with the least amount of visible fat.
3. Buy plenty of nuts and high fiber foods. Fiber can help lower blood cholesterol, and it keeps you full, which helps
you maintain a healthy weight.
4. Avoid buying butter. We all know these are the culprits of poor dietary health, but this is particularly important
advice for seniors.
5. Read nutrition labels. It’s easy for salt to sneak in, especially with prepared foods, so be sure to read the nutrition
label.
6. Consider frozen or canned fruits and veggies. Making sure the kitchen is well-stocked with healthy items — and
low on tempting junk food — will help your loved ones get the right nutrition.
7. Avoid rushing into major changes. Eating for heart
health
can seem overwhelming, but don’t get discouraged.
OATS—Local Contact
Start
with
small steps, and soon the whole family will be
Sean McConnell 660-641-1021
eating better — these dietary guidelines are great for
To schedule in-town rides between the hours of 10
everyone, not just seniors.
AM and 1:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, call the
Senior Center Hours 7:00 AM—2:00 PM
Senior Center 24 hours in advance.
Lunch Serving Hours 11:00 AM—12:30 PM
ALL out of town rides call 800-276-6287.
Important Dates
In February
We are on the web!
www.goaging.org
Higginsville Senior Center
21st & Walnut
Higginsville, MO 64037
Phone: (660) 584-7040
Phone: (660) 584-5322
FAX: (660) 584-3233
eMail: [email protected]
February 3 Lions Club Pancake Supper at the
Center 5-7 pm
February 3 Wear Red day
February 6 Brian Henning Are you Smarter than
a Scam Artist at 11:30 am
February 6 Happy Hookers Crochet 9:30 am
February 8 Birthday Bash – Fried Chicken
February 13 Decorated Valentine Box contest
February 13 Service Center Board meeting
12:30 pm
February 14 Valentine’s Day Party
February 19 Sunday Chicken Dinner at
the Center Fundraiser!
L i f e t i m e
d i g n i t y ,
Did you know that our Center is a
Care Connection Senior Center?
Care Connection for Aging
Services is a not-for-profit
organization designated by the
Missouri Department of Health
and Senior Services to: assess the
needs of older adults in the 13county area we serve; develop
necessary public and private
resources to meet their needs;
and deliver to our constituents a
comprehensive and coordinated
system of services, information,
and access to needed services.
February 22 Bring a Friend Contest – who can
bring the most new people
February 27 Community Council Meeting 12:30
pm
Happy Hookers Crochet 8 year anniversary
dinner
Our mission is to provide
resources and services that
empower people to create
healthy aging experiences. We
strive to realize this mission on a
daily basis through the 23 Local
Centers served by dedicated
staff and volunteers.
Don’t forget we knit and crochet Mondays @ 9:30.
Visit the Care Connection website
at goaging.org or talk to Susan
for more information on the
services available.
O p p o r t u n i t y ,
I n d e p e n d e n c e
Coordinator’s Corner
February – the Red month – Heart month – Valentine’s Day
– shortest month of the year. Do you remember when you
were in school and it was Valentine’s Day? The excitement
of making Valentine Boxes – decorating them with white
paper doilies, red paper hearts and cupid with bow and
arrows. Then, of course, we had to make our own Valentines.
Such fun for us kids – maybe not so much for our moms who
had to help and then clean up the paper and glue mess we
made. Today’s kids miss out on all the fun of because they
use store purchased valentines. Once we had our boxes
made, we started on making just the “right” valentine for
each of the kids in our class. The biggest problem we had
was transporting the boxes/sacks to school. We wanted to
be sure they got there in one piece with all the “stuff” still on
them so we could show them off to the other kids and see
who had the prettiest or the ones with the most hearts on
them. The anticipation – will I get many valentines? Will I
get one from my boy/girlfriend? Will some have candy
taped to them? Then the joy of Valentine’s Day when we
had a party and the “room mothers” brought in cookies and
cupcakes and milk and we played games, then the Big
Moment when we got to open our Boxes. Those are the
good old Valentine’s Day memories.
However, February is also Heart month. We need to be
sure we take care of our heart – so it takes care of us. Do
you know how best to reduce your risk of heart attacks
or stroke? Are you over 45, do you have a family
history of heart attacks, heart disease or strokes? Is
your blood pressure 140/90 or higher, do you smoke,
have high cholesterol, do physical activity regularly?
Are you overweight or diabetic? These are all risk
factors you need to discuss with your doctor. Take
care of yourselves – we want you to stay around for a
long time!
Julia
Page 4
Stay fit…
February 2017
for life
Fun, Good Food,
Regular Activity & Learning
How you live can change how you age!
The following information comes to us from the American Heart Association
Go Red for Women website. Visit them at https://www.goredforwomen.org/
live-healthy/heart-healthy-exercises/cardio-strength-training-tips-for-seniors/ for
more about heart health.
Regular exercise can help control your blood pressure, strengthen your
heart and bones, boost energy and even help reduce depression. You are
never too old to exercise.
If you have a chronic condition, be sure to get sign-off from your physician.
Dr. Deborah Rohm Young, chair of the American Heart Association’s Physical Activity Subcommittee, recommends regular physical activity for every person, including senior
citizens.
Rohm Young shares her cardio, strength training and stretching tips for seniors below to help you create a workout routine you can do throughout the week and build upon. “Participating in physical activity will make you feel better almost immediately,” she says. “It is best to exercise 30 minutes per
day at least five days per week for the best benefit.”
Cardio tips
For overall health benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, perform any moderate- to vigorousintensity aerobic activity using the following guidelines.
Walking
For senior women who’ve led relatively sedentary lifestyles, Rohm Young suggests starting a cardio
regimen by simply walking around your yard, apartment complex and/or neighborhood. Start slow
and work up from there.
“Just get outdoors and go for a walk,” she advises. “Start with 10 minutes and work up to 30 minutes
per day. If you don’t live in a safe neighborhood and you are still driving, go to a nearby mall and
walk down the aisles. Find or create a walking club or walking support group or a recreation program in your city and get involved.”
For increased intensity, try walking while carrying light, three- to five-pound hand weights, which can
FITNESS CLASSES…
Silver Sneakers :
HIGGINSVILLE
ODESSA
LEXINGTON
around the County
10 am Mon & Thurs.
10:15am Tues & Fri
9:00am Thursday
Stay Strong :
HIGGINSVILLE
11 am M –W - F
Peppi :
LEXINGTON
9 am Mon & Fri
Functional Fitness :
HIGGINSVILLE
8 am
M --- W ---F
Page 5
further enhance the cardiovascular effectiveness of your workout.
Strength training
Muscle strengthening activities are recommended at least two days each week, according to the
AHA. Try these at home to improve your physical strength.
Leg exercises
Sit erect in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
Hold onto the sides of the chair seat for support if you need to. Lift one leg off the floor
until your knee is straight and hold that position for a few seconds. Then, return that leg
to the starting position with both feet on the ground. Repeat on the other side. Work up
to eight repetitions on each side.
Arm raises
Sit erect in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and arms by your sides, holding light
weights (these can be soup cans if you don’t have dumbbells) in each hand. Start by
holding your arms straight down by your sides with your palms facing in. Keep a small
bend in your elbows and slowly lift both arms out and up until they are perpendicular to
your body and parallel to the ground. Hold for a second and slowly go down to the
starting position. Pause and then repeat this exercise six to eight times.
Tricep extensions
Sit erect in a chair with your feet flat on the ground and a light weight in your left hand.
Bend your left elbow straight up next to your ear, so it is pointing to the ceiling. Use your
right hand to support your left elbow and then slowly straighten your left arm to the ceiling. Hold this position for a second and then lower your forearm to the starting position.
Do this six to eight times and then switch to your right side.
Abdominal exercises
Abdominal strength is vital to a person’s overall health. Strengthening exercises, such as
seated knee lifts, can be done while sitting in a chair. Start by sitting erect with your feet
on the ground. Then, squeeze your abdominal muscles and simultaneously raise your feet
off the ground together. Hold for one second and release. Try to build up to six reps of
this exercise and hold for a little longer over time.
Balance exercises
One of the best ways to increase your balance is by walking heel-to-toe. Start by standing close to a wall for balance. Then walk by placing the heel of your right foot directly
in front of your left foot, stopping when it touches your right heel to your left toe. Switch
feet and work up to taking at least six heel-to-toe steps.
There are several more exercises on the American Heart website, or talk to the Center Coordinator for more information.
Remember — move it or lose it!
Page 6
Color Your World, Relax Your Mind!
Page 7