Older Americans and National Senior Health and Fitness

By Terry Orr

Older Americans Month

The Older Americans Act of 1965 (Pub.L. 89–73, 79 Stat. 218, July 14, 1965) was the first federal level initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for older adults. It created the National Aging Network comprising the Administration on Aging on the federal level, State Units on Aging, and Area Agencies on Aging at the local level. The network provides funding - based primarily on the percentage of an area's population 60 and older - for nutrition and supportive home and community-based services, disease prevention/health promotion services, elder rights programs, the National Family Caregiver Support Program, and the Native American Caregiver Support Program. (Source: Wikipedia)

Programs created to support OAA (Source: Wikipedia):

• Administration on Aging (AoA) established under the Department of Health and Human Services as the federal level advocate for the aging population, and coordinator for service delivery to the elderly
• National Eldercare Locator Service a toll free hotline for identifying community resources
• Support Services to promote independence with regard to transportation, home care, legal aid, case management, and adult day care,
• Nutrition Programs including congregate and home delivered meals
• National Family Caregiver Support Program to provide respite services, education, training, and counseling to seniors providing kinship care, and to the caregivers of seniors
• Health Promotion providing educational services, counseling and consultation
• Aging and Disability Resource Centers to facilitate the dissemination of information on available resources
• The Community Service Senior Opportunities Act (OAA Title V) which works with the Department of Labor to provide employment opportunities for seniors
• Grants to Tribal Organizations
• The Long-term Care Ombudsman Program
• Elder Abuse, neglect, and exploitation public education services

National Senior Health and Fitness Day

National Senior Health & Fitness Day is honored on the last Wednesday of every May as part of Older Americans Month and National Physical Fitness and Sports Month activities.

The goal: To promote the importance of regular physical activity, and to showcase what local groups are doing to help improve the health of older adults in their communities.

Regular physical activity is essential for healthy aging. Adults aged 65 years and older gain substantial health benefits from regular physical activity, and these benefits continue to occur throughout their lives. Promoting physical activity for older adults is especially important because this population is the least physically active of any age group.

The benefits of physical activity include:

• Helping to maintain the ability to live independently and reduces the risk of falling and fracturing bones;
• Reducing the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and of developing high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes;
• Helping reduce blood pressure in some people with hypertension;
• Helping people with chronic, disabling conditions improve their stamina and muscle strength;
• Reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression and fosters improvements in mood and feelings of well-being;
• Helping maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints; and
• Helping control joint swelling and pain associated with arthritis.

In the meantime, here are some simple health tips from Healthfinder that will help keep you aging well:

• Keep your body and mind active
• Choose healthy foods
• Get regular checkups
• Take steps to prevent accidents

Always consult your doctor before starting an exercise program, or drastically changing your diet. It is also very important to take an active role in preventing sickness.

References and Links:

http://www.aarp.org

http://www.olderamericansmonth.acl.gov

http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/index.aspx

(Images from Google)

Family Wellness

By Nurse Diane

A friend of mine recently sent me an article about the most active to the sluggish cities in the country.  I can't remember what the most active city was, but I do remember the least active one.  It was Jackson, MS, and my old hometown!  Yes, it is true, people here in the south, Particularly in Mississippi like things a bit laid back.  Not everyone, but a good many of them.  We are famous for sitting on our front porch, swinging in the swing, and sipping on some sweet ice tea.  Passing the time shooting the breeze with friends and neighbors.  My grandmother never saw the inside of her house until it got dark.  She could be found on her back porch, and sometimes her front porch if company was coming.  In fact, the reason I bought the house I have is because it had a screened in porch!

May is Family Wellness Month, and this is to emphasize the importance of family activities, and porch swinging is fun, but its not a very active way to spend the afternoon.

Family Wellness Month strives for communities to stress healthy family lifestyles and habits as well. The healthier each individual family is overall, the healthier we can all be as a whole!

life 360.com shares some ways to participate in Family Wellness Month.  They include:

Change Your Eating Habits – Now this doesn’t have to be a complete transformation of the way your family eats (though if your up to the challenge I say go for it!). Make a few smaller changes, add ground turkey into that recipe that calls for ground beef, switch to non-fat milk, or organic fruits. Buy more fruits and veggies to snack on. You can make it a fun family affair by making a chart that tracks each family member’s daily fruit & veggie intake. When the family makes it through a week or two of everyone getting their daily intake, reward yourselves with a trip to the movies, zoo, six flags or the beach. Also, find healthy alternatives to favorite recipes and make the meal together.

Park Exploration – A simple, inexpensive and fun month long activity is setting a goal to visit every neighborhood park in your city. Print out a list from your local Parks & Recreation department and throughout the month visit as many as possible. Take pictures of each one and at the end of the month you can create a fun memory book of all the parks and talk abut what you liked and didn’t like about each one. A great activity, which feels like an adventure, the whole family can do together. Plus it will give you a great leg up when deciding which parks to visit during the summer break.

Hiking Exploration – If visiting the neighborhood parks doesn’t seem like enough of an adventure for your family, do the same thing only by listing all the hiking and walking trails in and around your city. Each weekend visit a new one. And again take pictures to document the trips and make a collage of all the trails you visited.

Get fit with the Wii Fit – Though getting out there and enjoying the May weather is HIGHLY recommended, there are days when time and (depending on where you live) weather prevents you from getting out there. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be active. Turn on the Wii and enjoy some active games together. Studies show that girls who play video games with their parents are happier for it.

Family Game Night – Board games never go out of style, and even just simple card games will not only give the family a chance to spend some quality time together it also offers a great opportunity for your kids to work on math skills, critical thinking skills and other brain functions they need to stay sharp.

Gardening – You don’t have to have a green thumb to grow a mean garden. If you can’t seem to pull off a lush yummy veggie garden, keep it simple and start a wildflower garden. Either way the time the family spends tending to the garden during the season is priceless.

Scrapbook – With May signaling the coming end of the school year a fun family project to do together is make a scrapbook of everything you did during the school year. Let each family member create a few pages of their favorite activities done in school and with the family over the last nine months.

Visiting Family – It is Family Wellness Month after all, so make it a point this month to go visit grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, you don’t get around to seeing as often as you’d like. If family is too far to make a visit plan a Skype date with them! A great way to utilize current technology and catch up with faraway family members face to face.

Green Your House – Research with your family ways you can green your house even more than it already is. Make sure you really are recycling all that you can and set some fun goals. See how long you can keep from taking out your kitchen trash by recycling and reusing as much as you can instead of throwing stuff in the trash. Does your city recycle compost? Are you sure your throwing in everything that you’re allowed to? How about juice pouches? Is your school recycling them? They should be.

Set a Personal Goal – By working on something yourself, you’re benefitting your whole family. If there’s something you want to make better, do it! Quitting smoking, getting to a healthy weight, going back to school, whatever challenge you’ve been putting off, do it now. Nothing inspires your kids to try harder then setting a healthy example. Encourage your kids to find a challenge as well, whether it be working on their reading, making their bed everyday or keeping their room clean.

This month try some new things with your family, and let us know how you plan to celebrate your family's wellness.

(All images from Google) 

Recess – why did they stop them?

By Terry Orr

Remember in elementary school we had recess twice a day – to go outdoors, run around, get some fresh air and exercise our bodies for 15 or 20 minutes?  Seems to me all these years later that we should have continued having recess throughout our educational and work years. Remember The 4 ‘R’s: reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmatic and recess!

The world celebrates “Global Employee Health and Fitness Month” each May.

What is Global Employee Health & Fitness Month?

Created by the National Association for Health & Fitness (NAHF) and ACTIVE Life, Global Employee Health & Fitness Month (GEHFM) is a national and international invitation to workplace wellness. The goal of GEHFM is to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to employers and their employees through worksite health promotion activities and environments. GEHMF is held during the month of May every year. Throughout GEHFM employers will challenge their employees to create Healthy Moments, form Healthy Groups, and develop a Culminating Project. Participants will be able to log these activities on the GEHFM website throughout the month, allowing employers and employees to track, share, and promote their individual and group activities. (Source: healthandfitnessmonth.com)

It is my belief that our work place needs to take a proactive, leadership role in encouraging all employees to participate regular health and fitness programs.

References and Links:

http://healthandfitnessmonth.com/uploads/EH.pdf

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/The-4-Rs-Reading-Riting-rithmatic-and-RECESS.html

http://www.physicalfitness.org/nehf.php

National Chiropractic Health Month

(Google Image) 

Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"

Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"

Ezekiel cried, "Dem dry bones!"

"Oh, hear the word of the Lord."

The foot bone connected to the leg bone,

The leg bone connected to the knee bone,

The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,

The thigh bone connected to the back bone,

The back bone connected to the neck bone,

The neck bone connected to the head bone,

Oh, hear the word of the Lord!

Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun',

Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'

Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'

Oh, hear the word of the Lord.

The head bone connected to the neck bone,

The neck bone connected to the back bone,

The back bone connected to the thigh bone,

The thigh bone connected to the knee bone,

The knee bone connected to the leg bone,

The leg bone connected to the foot bone,

Oh, hear the word of the Lord!

By Terry Orr

(Google Image) 

“Find Your Game” means achieving optimal function at any level of fitness. That includes everyone from athletes to office workers, young and old. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) encourages everyone to use the month of October to resolve to be your best, feel your best, and perform your best. [Source: ACA]

(Google Image) 

“Quacks” are what chiropractors were called when I was growing up in Kansas City – although some folks still believe they are.  Way back, way back –when I was just a young tadpole while sleeping in the back of our station wagon – Dad drove into an old farmer pulling a wagon with his tractor and was unable to avoid a tragic accident.  I was slammed forward and broke my leg and really messed up my back.  Leg was reset and put into a cast – but my back was not treated.  Several years later, my step-mom took me to a chiropractor who had been treating my step-sister.  Now my Dad was not in favor of me seeing this ‘quack’ but relented to maintain peace at home.  Talk about being scarred – this fella snapped and cracked all sorts of things in my back and neck.  After a few months – my back was once again straightened out and all those issues I had been dealing with for several years were gone.  Magic!  That’s what it was – pure magic. This was my first experience with “Alternative Healthcare” and by far not my last.

I strongly encourage you to consider visiting a Chiropractor – especially if you have arthritis which many of us do.

(Google Image) 

References and Links:

• http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=4427
• http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/c/child/dry_bones.html

National Women's Health and Fitness Day

(Google Image) 

By Nurse Diane

This summer much of the country tuned in to watch the summer Olympics that took place in England.  There were contests in Swimming, gymnastics, track and other events that included women.  I watched as one woman ran in a track event, and didn’t even become short of breath when the race was over.  These women are incredibly healthy and fit.   Every time I see women compete in sports, I always wish I could do that too.  Fitness is really becoming popular among women.  Even my small town has a gym just for women, and my mother is a member.  She goes and rides a stationary bike, and rows a "boat".  We also had Curves, another place just for women and I was a member there.

(Google Image) 

Today is National Women's Health and Fitness Day.  It is the nation’s largest annual health promotion event for women of all ages.  It focuses attention on the importance of regular physical activity and health awareness for women.

Today, more than 1,000 groups across the country will host women’s health and fitness events at senior centers, hospitals, health clubs, park and recreation districts, local health and service organizations, schools, retirement communities, houses of worship, and other community locations. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 women of all ages are expected to participate in these local activities. The goal of this event is to encourage women to take control of their health: to learn the facts they need to make smart health choices, and to make time for regular physical activity.

(Google Image)

There are many ways to improve your health and fitness, without having to train for the Olympics.  You can start by walking in your neighborhood, or inside a mall if the weather is bad, then you can try riding a bike, or taking an exercise class.  However, don’t start any exercise program without a doctor's approval.

To learn more about this day, visit this site:  http://www.fitnessday.com/women/

National Childhood Obesity Month

(Google Image) 

By Terry Orr

Obesity in America has reached a catastrophic level. Almost every aspect of our lives is threatened. The first step toward ending the damage is learning how to fight back.

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September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and recently HBO broadcasted a wonderful series of four episodes regarding Obesity in America called “The Weight of the Nation and the link is listed below.  They are: 1) Consequences; 2) Choices; 3) Children in Crisis; and 4) Challenges.  It is my hope that everyone who reads this post will take time to view these highly informative and solid understanding if the epidemic.

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Childhood Obesity Facts (from CDC)

• Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.
• The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
• In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
• Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.
• Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.

The first step in solving any problem is recognizing there is a problem.

(Google Image) 

It is going to take the entire village working together to be successful!

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The Alliance for a Healthier Generation offers five first steps parents can take to cultivate a healthier lifestyle for their family.

1. Be a Healthy Role Model
2. Make Healthy Schools the Norm
3. Ask the Family Doctor Key Questions 
4. Instill Healthy Values in Kids
5. Make a Commitment to Health 

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How to Make a Difference (from Volunteer Guide):

• Don't reward children with food. Candy and snacks as a reward encourage bad habits. Find other ways to celebrate good behavior.
• Practice what you preach. If you're practicing healthy habits, it's a lot easier to convince children to do the same. Incorporate healthy activities into the time you spend with children. Take walks, ride bikes, go swimming, garden or just play hide-and-seek outside. Everyone will benefit from the exercise and the time together.
• Limit TV, video game, and computer time.
• Be an advocate for healthier children. Insist on good food choices at school cafeterias and vending machines.
• Bring kid-friendly, healthy snacks to classroom parties and other school events.
• Get kids to be active at your child’s next birthday party by bowling, roller skating, or playing picnic games.
• Encourage school administrators to join the Healthier US Schools Challenge. This nationwide award program, created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, challenges schools to promote good nutrition and physical activity. Schools that are doing the very best work are recognized, and high-achieving schools even receive monetary incentives.
• Sign the national petition calling for an end to childhood obesity discrimination and bullying. Forward the link to five friends to encourage them to sign too.

(Google Image) 

Let us all pitch in to help our young people and those of us as adults to also take the necessary actions to set the example for them.

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References and Links:

http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/films

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm

http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/initiatives/coam

http://healthiergeneration.org/parents.aspx?id=4294967617

http://catchinfo.org/?gclid=CLKwsruKk7ICFUGo4AodPkUAxw

http://www.volunteerguide.org/minutes/service-projects/childhood-obesity?gclid=CM3n8IWMk7ICFYMRNAodSVUAvQ

Today is National Women's Health and Fitness Day - 9/28

By Diane Forrest, RN

This is the largest national health promotion day for women. Similar in concept to the successful National Senior Health & Fitness Day, over 100,000 women of all ages will participate in events at more than 1,400 local registered event sites throughout the U.S. — on the same day. The event's goal: to promote the importance of health awareness and regular physical activity for women of all ages.

Local health and fitness activities will vary widely based on the organizations hosting the events and the interests of local women in these communities. Activities will be noncompetitive and may include walking events, exercise demonstrations, health screenings, and health information workshops.

The goal of this event is to encourage women to take control of their health: to learn the facts they need to make smart health choices, and to make time for regular physical activity.

Because of its grassroots nature, the event provides an excellent opportunity for local organizations to showcase the health-related programs and services they offer to women in their communities.

Why don’t you check your area and see if they have some activities going on today and learn how to be fit and healthy for National Women's health and fitness day

For more information check here:  http://www.fitnessday.com/

June is Men's Health Month

The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury. The response has been overwhelming with hundreds of awareness activities in the USA and around the globe.

Like most things in life, there is not one method that works for everyone.  I have done like most folks over the years, trying this and that to get a more balanced lifestyle and healthier me.  Some things have worked in the short and intermediate time frame – I have just not found the right answer for the long term to date.  I know the right answer and solution to my problem.  Now I must make that all important decision to set my objectives, goals, get the right folks to help me and ‘make it happen.’

Below are some interesting likes to Web and Blog Sites that contain good sources of information and additional links.

My Google search listed the following top web/blog sites:

• Men’s Health Magazine (www.menshealth.com)
• Fitness Tips, Exercises, Workout Plans (www.menshealth.com/fitness)
• WebMD Men’s Health Center (www.men.webme.com)
• Men’s Health: MedlinePlus (www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menshealth.html
• CDC – Men’s Health – Home (www.cdc.gov/men)
• Mens Health (www.medicnenet.com/mens_health/focus.htm
• Men’s Health Network (www.nenshealthnetwork.org)

These blogs touch on a number of men’s health issues and offer the latest news. (from Nursing Schools Net http://www.nursingschools.net/blog/2010/04/100-best-mens-health-fitness-blogs/)

• About.com Men’s Health Blog: Visit this site for a look at the latest issues, controversies and news in men’s health. http://menshealth.about.com/
• MH Life: Peter Moore, Men’s Health Magazine’s editor, maintains this blog full of articles on a wide range of health and lifestyle issues for men. http://blogs.menshealth.com/mh-life/
• Just a Guy Thing: This site isn’t solely health-focused. Men will find tips on dating, entertainment, tech, life as well as health on this blog. http://www.justaguything.com/
• Men’s Health Blog: From dealing with wrinkles to getting more muscle mass, this blog covers a wide range of health issues. http://menshealthblogs.info/
• Web MD Men’s Health: Read through the articles here to find not only expert advice but to learn about potential health risks you might not be aware of. http://men.webmd.com/news-features
• MaleHealth: This website is a great place to find health information for men, and the editor maintains this informative blog as well. http://malehealtheditor.blogspot.com/
• Insure Blog: What will your insurance cover? Can you afford it? This blog offers news and answers on everything health-insurance related. http://insureblog.blogspot.com/
• WSJ Health Blog: Here you’ll find articles that address important health concerns for both men and women. http://blogs.wsj.com/health/
• Respectful Insolence: This blogger will help you cut through all the myths and lies about health out there. http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/
• Mark’s Daily Apple: Men can learn to get more in touch with their primal sides with help from this blog. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Other categories on this site are:

• Eating Right
• Wright Loss
• General Fitness
• Strength Training
• Sexual Health
• Disease and Illness
• Mental Health
• Aging
• Looking Good and Living Well

Men’s Health Blogs (http://blogs.menshealth.com/)