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Strength Training: A Prescription for Aging Well

If you aren’t strength training, you should be! It is never too late to start strength training and it will bring numerous benefits at any age. 

Whether you are inactive or active, like exercise or hate exercise, it can make an incredibly positive impact on your life. 

Let’s go over all the ways strength training can help you:

  • Improve your sleep
  • Increase cognition
  • Increase your energy and metabolism 
  • Increase longevity
  • Improve your posture
  • Increase your confidence
  • Maintain independence as you age
  • Increase bone density which reduces risk of osteoporosis
  • Preserve and enhance muscle mass which progressively decreases with age if you don’t do anything about it
  • Improve quality of life
  • Increase mobility
  • Better your balance which decreases risk of falling
  • Improve ability to do daily activities (things like carrying groceries, walking, getting up from a chair, getting up and down from the floor, going up and down stairs, housework, gardening, etc)
  • Manage and/or prevent chronic conditions such as arthritis, back pain, heart disease, depression, diabetes, osteoporosis and more!
  • Decrease blood pressure
  • Prevent injuries
  • Enhance your pickleball or golf game
  • Be an active grandparent

The good thing about strength training is that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time and it can be done anywhere.  2-3x/week is recommended. 30 minutes is recommended, but even 10 minutes can make a difference. There are many strength training exercises that can be done solely with your body weight. It is usually best to start with bodyweight exercises and then progress to adding resistance bands or free weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls, ankle weights  and suspension trainers (like TRX). 

Resistance bands are great because they are lightweight, don’t take up much space, are inexpensive, can be used at home or when traveling and can be used in a variety of ways targeting all large muscles groups. 

Strength training is not just for people that want big muscles or want to look good. It is for everyone and every body. It should not be painful so it is about finding ways to make it work best for you and your body. If you have good muscle strength you will be able to function at a much higher level (doing all the things you want and need to do) for much longer. 

If you are unsure of how to start strength training or if what you are doing includes strength training contact A to Z Personal Wellness.

Fall Prevention, Fitness, Health and Wellness, Small Group Training, , , , , ,

Snow Shoveling Tips to Help you Stay Safe and Pain-free

Luckily we haven’t had to do much shoveling this winter and hopefully it stays that way:) However, it seems like the next few days we may need to do some.

I know some people who love shoveling which is great. I am not one of them but I do feel good after I finish. It is a good form of exercise and I usually love being outside unless it is completely freezing.

Shoveling done smartly and safely can be a good way to stay active in the winter and get some fresh air.

Here are my tips for making shoveling a little easier and having less aches and pains doing it.

  • Dress appropriately! Wear boots or shoes that have non slip grip and will keep your feet warm. Also wear enough winter clothing to keep your whole body warm. Warm joints move and feel much better than when they are cold and stiff. It also helps your balance to be warm enough.
  • Try to shovel in daylight or if it is dark have the area be well lit so that you can see any icy areas or uneven ground.
  • Shovel more frequently if it is supposed to snow a lot so that you can avoid having to lift a lot/heavy snow.
  • Use a good shovel. Make sure it fits you and your height so that it is not too heavy or too long.
  • Hands should be spaced approximately 12inches apart on shovel for good leverage and stability.
  • Avoid lifting any snow with your arms outstretched.
  • Keep the shovel with snow close to your body and center of gravity when you are lifting.
  • Try to push snow as much as possible instead of lifting. If you have to lift, smaller amounts on the shovel will be better for you.
  • Avoid rotating and lifting at the same time.
  • Bend with your knees and hips and not your back to avoid back pain.
  • Engage your core muscles – try to pull your belly button in
  • Avoid throwing snow over your shoulder or to one side because this creates more stress on your spine.
  •  
  • Switch arms so that you don’t overwork one side of your body.
  • Take frequent breaks and make sure to stay hydrated.
  • Doing a little warm up/ stretch before and after shoveling is definitely a good idea.
  • Enjoy the snow!

Contact A to Z Personal Wellness if you have any questions or would like help with exercises to make shoveling easier.

Fall Prevention, Health and Wellness, , ,

How to Avoid Slips and Falls This Winter

Winter is here which means snow and ice and being indoors more. Here are my tips to prevent slipping, tripping or falling this winter. 

  • When getting out of the car plant both feet and hang onto the door before starting to walk to make sure you have your balance and that it isn’t slippery
  • Dress warmly – cold muscles tense up which affects balance and can cause a fall – also being warm decreases joint stiffness
  • Wear shoes with good traction, even if it is just for a very short distance
  • Wear clothes that fit well – if they are too tight or bulky your movements can be restricted which can lead to a fall or if they are to big/baggy they can catch on things
  • Slow down and give yourself extra time when going places
  • Always have a cell phone with you
  • Keep shoes and walking aides dry and free of snow and ice as soon as you come inside 
  • Avoid walking in more than one inch of snow – snow can hide uneven ground, curbs, and other tripping hazards
  • When walking on surfaces that may be icy, shorten your stride and walk with your feet pointed slightly out and knees gently bent (like a penguin) to improve traction and balance
  • Make sure you have enough lights and night lights in the darkness of winter! Use a flashlight on your key ring for extra light when needed
  • Can also carry a small bag of kitty litter, sand or rock salt with you in case you need to throw some down in a walkway or slippery area
  • Have a table or chair by door/entrance way to set things down when you come in and out of the house so that you are not trying to hold too many things/do too much all at once
  • Can use cleats on shoes and also add ice spikes to canes. Attaching cleats to shoes are great, especially if you want to continue to go for walks outside.
  • Don’t take short cuts when walking, stay on cleared sidewalks and paths
  • Last but certainly not least…keep moving!! Staying active during the winter months is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health.

Now you are ready to tackle this winter weather safely:)

Contact A to Z Personal Wellness if you need help staying active and safe this winter.

Fall Prevention, Health and Wellness, , , ,

Tips for Traveling and Fitting Exercise in this Holiday Season

The holidays are right around the corner, which is exciting, can be stressful, very busy, and can throw us off of our routine. I know for me, it is harder to make time to exercise. It is even harder to keep up with an exercise routine if you are traveling. Here are some tips to keep exercising during this busy and fun holiday season.

If you are traveling by car, take breaks every 2 hours to to walk/stretch. This will help decrease aches and pains and keep your body happy. If in a car or a plane, pump your ankles (point your toes up and then down) to get blood flowing. Even if you are on a plane, try to move around/walk a little bit, at least every 2 hours.

Drink water! – I know I say this a lot, but while traveling it is easy to get dehydrated, especially if you are traveling by plane. Staying hydrated keeps your joints lubricated, gives your more energy and the list goes on with all of its benefits.

Keep your medications organized and stick to your routine. Being out of your normal routine can also cause a change in when you take your medications but it is best to take the same dose at same time to avoid any negative effects.

If you are staying overnight somewhere, make sure there is a night light or light switches that are very easy to access and that you have a clear path from your bed to the bathroom. This will help prevent tripping or falling in a dark and unfamiliar area.

Try to fit in exercises in short bouts if you don’t have enough time to do your regular routine. “Exercise Snacking” is great during the holidays. If you are in the kitchen cooking, do some marching in place or side stepping. Practice standing on one leg while you brush your teeth. Each time you stand up from a chair try to avoid using your arms so that your leg muscles do the work. If there are stairs where you are, try going up and down them 2, 3 or more times in a row or doing step-ups on the bottom step. Another option when driving places is to park farther away to get more steps in.

Examples of some exercises that you can do in a hotel, while staying at a friend or relative’s, or at your own home are:

Wall push ups

Squats

Heel raises

Toe Raises

Marches

Standing on one leg for balance

These can be done anytime throughout the day and they don’t have to be done all at once.

If you want to keep resistance exercises in your routine, resistance bands are easy to travel with because they don’t take up much space, they are light and you can use them for core upper and lower body exercises.

You know the saying, “use it or lose it.” Don’t lose it this holiday season!

For an individualized exercise program or more exercise snacks that you can do anytime and anywhere during the holiday season contact A to Z Personal Wellness.

Fitness

Home Safety Tips to Prevent a Fall

Did you know that most falls happen in the home? There are ways to make your home more safe to decrease your risk of falling. 

Here are some tips to prevent falls in your home. 

1) Avoid having cords or wires on the ground or in an area where you have to walk around or over them

2) De-clutter! Avoid having clutter around, the less tripping hazards the better off you will be

3) Have proper lighting- keep spare light bulbs at your house and in an easily accessible place. Is there a light close to your bed? It is best to have a light that is within reach of your bed. Use nights lights! You can get motion sensor lights which can be helpful especially at night.

4) Try to keep objects off of the floor

5) Have a clear path from your bed to the bathroom

6) Avoid and/or be cautious with area rugs – if you have them, use double sided tape or non-slip backing so they don’t move around

7) Have non-slip mats in the shower/tub and always watch out for wet spots on the floor. Grab bars are also great to have.

8) In the kitchen, try to keep things you use often on the lower shelves of cabinets, or around or at counter/waist height.

9) Outdoors or indoors, make sure to have sturdy handrails ( 2 rails are better than 1!). Keep steps cleared, well lit, and if they are uneven, loose, or in rough shape, fix them; it will be worth it!

10) Exercise or get some form of physical activity daily! 🙂

If you would like more ways to make your home safer, would like a consultation/walk through of your home with safety recommendations or have questions please contact A to Z Personal Wellness.

Fall Prevention, Health and Wellness,

Fall Prevention Awareness Week

It is Fall Prevention Awareness Week! Fall prevention is so important, so let’s talk about it.

Did you know that if you have fallen in the past year you are at risk for falling again? Did you know that even if you haven’t fallen but have a fear of falling that also increases your risk of falling?

The good news is that falling is not a normal part of aging and there are ways to prevent and modify risk factors for falling.

Here are some things to think about during fall prevention week:

  • Have you had your eyes checked recently (within the past year)? If not, make an appointment to have them checked. While you’re at it, clean your glasses and keep them clean to help prevent a fall!
  • Have you had your hearing checked recently(within the past year)? If not, make sure to also make an appointment to check your ears. Even if you don’t like wearing hearing aides it is important to wear them as often as you can because when your hearing is affected, so is your balance which could lead to a fall.
  • Next on the check list, have you had a conversation with your doctor about medications, both prescription and over the counter, that you are currently taking? Talking to your doctor about medications- dosage, interactions with other medications, and knowing side effects is extremely helpful for fall prevention. If your doctor is unaware that you started a new prescription with a different doctor or you started taking over the counter medications with your current prescriptions, it is important to talk about it, especially if you are feeling more fatigued, dizzy, weak, etc which can increase your risk of falling.
  • Are you getting enough vitamin D and calcium for your bone health? The stronger your bones are the less likely you are to have a fracture if you were to have a fall.
  • Check your feet! Any changes in your feet like numbness, tingling, etc can affect your balance which can lead to a fall. There are exercises to help with foot and ankle strength, mobility and balance. Wearing supportive footwear with non slip grip and a back to it also helps to prevent a fall.

Stayed tuned for more fall prevention tips coming soon.

As always, contact A to Z Personal Wellness if you have questions or would like more fall prevention info.

Fitness, Health and Wellness,

Is it Pain or Muscle Soreness?

I’m sure you have heard the phrase “no pain no gain” but is that always the case?

There is a difference between muscle soreness and pain, they are not the same thing. Muscle soreness can be expected with exercise but it should only last a day or two. It is common to be sore after an intense workout or when doing new exercises.

Soreness is typically generalized, can be widely distributed, can also feel like stiffness or fatigue, and may cause you to move slower but usually feels better with movement. Soreness will go away on its own after a few days.

Pain on the other hand is more localized, persistent, inhibits movement and is recurring and in the same place/area of the body. 

Now, you may have also heard if it hurts don’t do it. So which one is true? Well, that depends.

As long as pain goes away after 10-15 minutes then it is ok and you are not hurting yourself. If it lasts longer then that you may have over done it. If it is sharp pain that you are experiencing while exercising then you should stop right away. You don’t want to push through the pain because that could cause injury or worsen an existing injury.

Our bodies were built to move so sometimes our sedentary lifestyle or not moving enough can actually cause us pain, and therefore, moving/physical activity or exercising through it can help decrease the pain. For arthritis, keep in mind that motion is lotion, and one of the best things you can do for it is keep moving. But like medication, you have to find the right dosage of movement and what movements will help the most.

Start slowly and gently and if pain decreases continue with your exercises, but if it gets worse the more or longer you exercise, listen to your body, and stop so that you are not doing more harm then good.

As we age it takes longer for our muscles to recover so it is normal to feel more fatigue or soreness whether you have been exercising your whole life or are new to it. Making sure you are eating enough protein and drinking water throughout the day can help with muscle recovery. Stretching after exercise and using heat or ice can also assist with muscle recovery. It is best to stay active and continue to move through the soreness but vary the activities and/or the muscles you are using.

Remember, if you want to get stronger and improve your balance and mobility, it is important to challenge yourself. Finding the right amount of challenge is crucial for progress so that you don’t over do it, but you also don’t want to to go too easy on yourself!

If you have questions or want guidance with safe, effective and pain free personalized exercise programs contact A to Z Personal Wellness. 

Fitness, Health and Wellness, ,

Don’t forget to Hydrate!

It is officially Summer and the hot weather is here! With the warmer weather it is important to increase your water intake. 

Staying hydrated is important for everyone but as we age it becomes more important and some times more of a challenge.

As we age we start to lose our sense of appetite and thirst so we may not be aware we are thirsty/needing water.

Medications can also increase risk of dehydration so ask your doctor or a pharmacist if you are unsure.

Your body composition also changes as you age which causes less water to be in our bodies.

Being hydrated helps your joints stay lubricated to move smoothly and with more ease which can decrease stiffness, aches and pains.

Other benefits of drinking more water include improved cognition, increased energy, improved digestion and better body temperature regulation.

How to tell if you are dehydrated: if you are not going to the bathroom much and if urine is dark colored and more concentrated

Symptoms of dehydration include: fatigue, feeling weak, dizziness, headaches, muscle cramps, confusion, dry mouth

These symptoms of dehydration call also increase your risk of falling and or injuring yourself.

If it is a challenge for you to drink water throughout the day or you just don’t like water you can of course try flavored water but you could also try smoothies or eat foods that have high water content such as watermelon, grapes, apples, strawberries, cantelope, tomatoes and cucumbers. 

If you aren’t sure how much water you are drinking, it may be beneficial to choose a water bottle that measures how many ounces you should be drinking and fill it up each morning to be sure you drink throughout the day or catch up if you are behind. This can also be helpful if you have a hard time remembering to drink water, this water bottle can be with you all day so you see it and it reminds you to drink. 

Get into a routine of always drinking water at the same time each day, one glass as soon as you wake up or one glass of water with every meal, one glass of water after exercise etc. 

There are also free apps for your phone you can use to track how much you are drinking and can remind you when you need to drink water.

Also try to ease into exercising or being active out in the heat to give your body time to adjust to the warmer temperatures. 

There is no one right answer for how much water to drink because there are so many individual factors to consider but if you feel energized and your urine is light colored or clear that is a good sign!

Happy Summer!

Contact A to Z Personal Wellness for a summer time exercise program that can be done indoors or outdoors.

Health and Wellness, ,

Ways to Make Exercise a Daily Habit

Have you tried to get into a routine of exercising and it only lasts a few days? Here are some ideas to make exercise a daily habit. 

One way to make exercise a habit is to do it right after a habit that you already have established. An example would be, after I wake up and brush my teeth I will exercise. Another example would be after I take off my work clothes I will put on my exercise clothes. Stacking your habits can make them stick better. You can think or write out all of your current daily habits and see where exercise could best fit in and then do that daily. This will also help create consistency and can make it become automatic. 

If you are exercising at home, create a space for it and have that be where you exercise every time. If you are going to the gym, set out a gym bag and outfit before bed or if you are going after work, have it in your car ready to go.

It is also important to make adding a habit appealing, so you could tell yourself after I exercise for 10 minutes I will read a book or check the news/social media or watch a TV show. Try to add your habit that you need to do (exercise) with a habit you want to do ( read, watch TV, etc). 

You could also make it more appealing by listening to music that you love while you exercise, or watching a TV show while you exercise. Challenge yourself by saying you will only watch a certain show while you are exercising to make it something you look forward to.

View exercise, in a positive way, instead of thinking of it as something hard, tiring or dreadful. Think positively by saying, this will make me stronger so I have more strength to play with my grandkids. This will increase my endurance so I will have more endurance to go shopping. This will increase my confidence so I will feel more comfortable and confident when traveling or hiking.

Habits form based on repetition. If you exercise everyday for 30 days, it is more likely to become a habit compared to if you only exercised twice over those 30 days. Repetition is key, it doesn’t matter how long you exercise for, it is just about making sure you do it.

It is also important to start small. So starting with 2-5 minutes of exercise may sound strange but once you have created the habit of doing 2-5 minutes then you can improve it/ increase the time. 

If you are someone that likes to make lists and cross things out, put exercise on your to do list and cross it off once you complete it. Or you could put an x or check mark on a calendar or piece of paper to track your progress and have the satisfying feeling of checking it off and also of seeing how far you have come. Try not to miss more than 1 day in a row. Even if you don’t feel like it or you don’t have much time, go back to at least doing 2-5 minutes so you can keep maintaining progress and stay on track.

Make sure the exercise fits you, if you have never liked running don’t try it now, if you have always enjoyed walking focus on that. You could try something new like a dance class or pickleball. Find something that works for you, your body, and your personality. 

If you need help getting started or finding an exercise routine that works for you contact A to Z Personal Wellness.

Fitness, ,

Benefits of Small Group Training

Meeting with a personal trainer one-on-one may be intimidating to some people. It can also be intimidating to start a group fitness class that has a lot of participants. If either of these sound like you, you might benefit from small group training. 

There are many benefits to small group training, such as:

  • Exercise programs are designed by a personal trainer to meet your individual needs and goals
  • The small group allows for camaraderie which can also increase motivation, accountability and make it more fun 
  • The personal trainer is able to build a connection with each individual and give proper attention to each participant’s form and other needs which prevents injury, increases safety and effectiveness of exercises
  • Trainer can offer more personalized attention for modifications or progressions of exercises
  • You can meet new people or sign up with a small group of friends 
  • Some group fitness classes may be too easy or too hard but a small group training class will be just the right challenge for you
  • It can be more financially friendly which is always a welcome perk

If you have any questions or would like to know more about small group training offerings contact A to Z Personal Wellness.

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