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Hampstead- Manchester Area Merchandiser - August 3, 2016
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Give Me Strength
By Ronda Addy
Just because you reach a certain
age doesn’t mean you have to give
up exercising. Sure, it won’t be as
easy, but if you become inactive,
you will lose flexibility, endurance
and strength. Your metabolism
will slow down, and you may
gain some weight. Exercise is
important, even in your golden
years.
The type of exercise you do will
depend upon the effect you want. If
you are hoping to gain flexibility,
you will want to concentrate on
stretching exercises. If you are
hoping to improve your overall
fitness and strengthen your heart,
you will want to concentrate on
endurance exercises. If you are
hoping to gain muscle strength,
you will want to concentrate on
strength training. For the best
results, you may combine the
three. Before you start an exercise
program, make sure you check
with your doctor first.
Building and maintaining strength
is important for seniors. Strength
training involves weights that
you can buy at a sporting goods
store or make using milk jugs
filled with water or sand or socks
filled with beans. You should start
with a weight you can lift without
much effort five times. As lifting
becomes easier, you can gradually
increase the number of repetitions
up to 15 times in a set. Then you
can increase the amount of weight
you are lifting. Strength training
works well when done two to three
times a day for 30 to 40 minutes in
the privacy of your own home.
Here are some strength training
exercises you can do at home:
• Arm raises. Sit in a chair with
your feet flat on the floor even
with your shoulders. Drop your
arms down by your sides with
your palms facing toward your
body. Raise both arms until they
are at shoulder height. Hold this
position for one second and then
slowly lower your arms back to
your sides. Repeat eight to 15
times, rest and repeat another eight
to 15 times.
• Chair stands. Place some
pillows against the back of a chair.
Sit in the middle or toward the
front with your knees bent and
feet flat on the floor. Lean back
on the pillows in a half-reclining
position, keeping your back and
shoulders straight. Raise your
upper body until you are sitting
upright. Using your hands as little
as possible, slowly stand up and
slowly sit back down. Keep your
shoulders and back straight at all
times. Repeat eight to 15 times,
rest and repeat another eight to 15
times. As your strength increases,
try doing this while standing on
one leg and alternating legs.
• Back-strengthening exercises.
Sit with your back straight and
your feet flat on the floor. With
your arms relaxed and bent, pull
back your shoulders as far as they
will go. Repeat 10 to 30 times
twice a day.
• Hip flexion. Lie back with one
leg bent. Straighten your other
leg and raise it about six to eight
inches. Slowly lower your leg.
Repeat 10 to 30 times twice a day,
alternating legs.
• Quadriceps-squats. Stand
on your tiptoes holding onto a
countertop or the back of a chair.
Squat down as far as you can and
then stand up. Repeat 10 to 30
times twice a day.
When exercising, there are some
things you should remember.
Breathe. Exhale as you lift weights
and inhale as you relax. Don’t
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hold your breath, or it could affect
your blood pressure. Use smooth,
steady movements when bringing
weights into position. Don’t use
jerky movements or lock the
joints of your arms and legs into a
strained position. Be prepared for
some fatigue and muscle soreness
for a few days. Don’t overdo it,
or sore joints, muscle pulls and
exhaustion could occur.
To avoid injuries while strength
training, warm up and cool down
with some stretching exercises
for five to 15 minutes. There are
stretching exercises for the back,
chest, shoulders, arms, stomach,
calves and thighs.
Strength training can build your
hips, ankles, legs, buttocks and
lower back, which in turn can
lead to better balance, more active
participation in everyday activities
and more independence. Isn’t that
what every senior wants?
Fun Fact:
Green bell peppers have twice as
much vitamin C as citrus fruit. Red
peppers have three times as much.
Hot peppers contain 357% more
vitamin C than one orange.
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Robert A. Shaw, MD & Melanie Chatterji, MD
would like to welcome
Aaron B. Heath, DO
(Rheumatologist)
If you have joint pain or muscle pain, then find out what
type of arthritis you have. We can help. You do not have to
“just live with” the pain of arthritis. At Carroll Arthritis, we
strive to get you back to doing the activities that you enjoy.
Dr. Heath is accepting new patients!
412 Malcolm Drive, Suite 306 • Westminster, MD 21157
Phone 410-848-0364
Tips To Get Your 8 Glasses Of Water Daily
Did you know that lack of water
might also lead to fluid retention
and weight gain? It sounds contradictory, but it is true. However,
the most compelling reasons for
drinking water are that water
keeps you alive, gives you proper
hydration, and gives life to all
your body functions. Hence, the
importance of drinking at least 8
glasses of water daily.
Water allows your body to eliminate toxins and waste products.
Water helps reduce fat deposits by helping your metabolism.
Intestines need to be kept moving
to flush those toxins and waste
products. If you do not drink
enough water, those toxins will
continue to accumulate, originating many health problems, such
as constipation, bloated feeling,
water retention, and so on. Water
relieves fluid retention and helps
suppress the appetite. Moreover,
water helps rid the body of excess
sodium. There is more. One of the
best ways to prevent the formation
of kidney stones is by drinking
water. Water is a natural diuretic;
in addition, it can help you reduce
high blood pressure by decreasing
water retention in your blood.
Tips:
1. Keep a daily record to mark
your water consumption.
2. Keep a pitcher containing
your 8 glasses of water and finish it during the day. Do not go to
bed unless you have finished that
pitcher.
3. Keep bottles of water visible,
either the equivalent of 1 glass or
2 or more glasses, on your desk.
4. If you work 8 hours daily,
make it a custom to drink 1 glass
of water every hour.
5. Have bottles of water in the
car, your room, your desk, living
room… just in every room you
go. Also carry one in your purse,
backpack, and gym bag. It will
serve as a reminder and you will
drink that bottle of water to flush
those toxins!
6. If you drink juice, try to combine it with water. Sometimes
juices are loaded with extra sugar.
7. Whenever you feel a craving
for junk food, stop for a moment
and grasp a glass of water. It will
help you feel full.
8. Add lemon or orange slices to
your glass of water.
9. Drink 1 glass of water before
lunch and one after you finish
eating.
10. Keep a bottle of water handy
while watching TV or doing the
laundry.
Bonus information: Many beauty
experts agree that drinking water
is the safest and cheapest way to
look better and improve our skin!
Be aware that if you practice
strenuous physical activity, do
cardio exercises, or you are living in a hot and humid climate,
you will need to drink even more
water to keep yourself properly
hydrated.
Source: A to Z Wellness
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