When people talk about health and fitness, they either take them as the same, or not. In either case, they are both right – and wrong.

Health and fitness are closely related with each other but are not the same.

Here’s why…

What is Health

Before:

The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It includes aging well, longevity, quality of life, freedom from pain, etc.”

Now:

That was in the 1940’s. Things have evolved since then. Now, Stedman’s Medical Dictionary defines health as the “capacity to function and cope with life at an optimal level, whether physically, psychologically and socially.” 

The current definition includes these factors to determine your state of health, i.e., heredity, gender, education, job and income.

What is Fitness

Before:

At the same time WHO defined health, it also defined fitness as “a set of attributes that people achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical activity.”

To be considered fit, you must satisfy several factors such as endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, balance, etc.

Now:

The American College of Sports Medicine defines fitness, or “physical fitness” – to be more precise – is the capacity and capability of the body to perform, based on factors such as cardiovascular condition, muscular strength, stamina and body composition.

And these factors must all be present for you to be considered fit.

The illustration below will give you a better understand of the relationship between health and fitness.

Fitness and Health Relationship

With their relationship safely tucked under your belt, you may ask…

Can one be healthy, yet not fit and vice-versa?

Based on the updated definitions of health and fitness, it is possible that one can be healthy, but not fit, and fit but not healthy?

Let me explain…

You are healthy if your metabolic indicators like blood pressure, cholesterol levels (HDL and LDL), blood sugar, etc., are normal or within tolerable limits.

But you are not fit if you don’t exercise regularly. You are not fit if you have physical limitations and disabilities that stop you from undertaking fitness endeavors.

On the flip side, you can be fit but not healthy if you have serious family, social and financial problems that affect your capacity to perform or function normally.

No amount of exercise can make you healthy if you don’t eat well, take drugs or having an unhealthy lifestyle.

Health and Fitness in Seniors

Due to healthy lifestyles and advances in medicine and personal care, people these days live a longer than a decade or generation ago. For example, 1 in 8 Americans are older than 65 years and can expect to live 18 more years.

The downside is that increased longevity increases the incidence of chronic conditions that can result to functional disability. It can result to a decline in health, reduced mobility, depression, isolation and loneliness.

Other than these age-related issues, the health and fitness of seniors are also affected by other factors like demographic, social and environmental, or their amount of physical activity and nutrition.

Lucky for you and me (and other seniors), there is a plethora of programs and interventions to copy with these health and fitness issues among seniors. And seniors these days are making use of them. In fact, “health issues” are one of the most searched subject by seniors online

Most searches are about physical activity and diet programs, proving how conscious they are of their health and fitness.

And for good reason…

–  Physical activities:

Physical activity is important for people of all ages. For the elderly, it is crucial

Exercise slows down age-relate muscle mass deteriorating, thus reducing the risk of injuries to falls. It is essential for balance, strength, and mobility. And it is a good mood-enhancer.

Aside from its physical benefits, exercise also slows down cognitive function decline resulting to better memory and reasoning. It promotes faster healing of injuries, prevents diseases and other chronic conditions, improve quality of life and expectancy.

To be effective, your exercise program must cover the following:

• heart health
• Strength
• Balance
• Flexibility

–  Diet:

Exercise, alone, won’t help you achieve your health and fitness goals without a proper diet.

However, most people cringe at the mere mention of the word “diet.” They take dieting as fasting or abstinence. That isn’t so.

Dieting is simply eating the right kinds of foods at the right time, and quantity. Dietitians call it healthy eating. And for seniors, healthy eating means:

• Lots of fruits and vegetables, either fresh, frozen or canned. Load your diet with dark green vegetables like broccoli, and orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes;
• Proteins from fish, beans and fish;
• At least three ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta per day;
• Three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy products fortified with vitamin D like like milk, yogurt or cheese. These are good for bone health;
• Using healthy, i.e., polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats.

Health and fitness is prescribed for people of all ages. It is crucial among seniors to offset the effects of aging such as changes in metabolism, mobility problems, loss of appetite, deterioration of the immune system, unwanted fats, chronic diseases, sleep problems and many others.

While these may be unavoidable but,  but their debilitating effects can be minimized by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and regular exercise.

In old age, one should be as concerned in adding life to your years and adding years to your life.

Sharing is one of the nobler things in life. So please share with other seniors

~oOo~

The post Everything You Need to Know About Health and Fitness first appeared on Age With Charm.

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude of what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”  – Zig Ziglar

If you doubt Zig’s wisdom, then you must be living a wretched and ungrateful life. How else could it be if you have forgotten how nice it feels to you say a sincere “Thank you,” for a good deed done on you Or when complimented for having done something worthwhile for others?

What is Gratitude

Learning Gratitude

The post Simple Acts of Gratitude Can Make You Healthier first appeared on Age With Charm.

Last month, May 3 to be exact, the husband of my sister-in-law died due to massive kidney failure.

It was a complete surprise to me and his family. He did not show anything to indicate kidney problems and he never hinted about it when we talked over the phone a month earlier.

Did he or did he not know that something wrong was going on inside him?

My son-in-law, who is a doctor, is certain he must have but chose to ignore it or hide it from his family to keep them from worrying.

Either way, it killed him to the great sorrow of his family.

Are you also like that Do you also ignore signs that something inside you is not doing well as it should Take note that major issues stalk the life of seniors. They just ignore, or are not aware about the.

It’s ironic that we obey road signs and believe in omens. We read horoscopes and consult palm-readers to know our future, yet we seldom heed the signs that portend potential health problems until it’s way too late.

My daughter, also a doctor, never tires of reminding me to tell her if I feel something woozy inside. She says no matter what, earlier is always better than later.

Agree?

So here are some signs you must heed before it’s too late:

1.  Changes in urine color:

Urine has 70 markers or signs that determine the overall health of a person. Foremost of them is its color.

A healthy urine is pale-yellow to light gold in color. It could change due to the food you eat, or medications you take.

It turns whitish if you drink too much water or a diuretic like coffee. If you are dehydrated, your urine would turn into the color of dark honey.

If the color persists after even after having hydrated yourself, it could mean a liver problem. Consult a doctor.

Reddish urine could be due to urinary tract infection, or kidney stones if urination is painful. If signs of blood are obvious and urinating is pain-free, it could be signs of colon problems.

A dark-orange color, if accompanied by a pale-colored stool and jaundiced skin and eyes, are signs of liver problems.

2.  Changes in weight:

Never take changes in your weight for granted – unless you are on a crash weight loss diet.

A weight loss of 5 to 10 lbs over a 3-mo period, could be a sign of cancer, autoimmune and chronic diseases, or depression.

Conversely, an unexpected gain could be a sign of hypothyroidism, adrenal disorders, or abnormal fluid retention which is common to people with heart failure or renal disease.

3.  Swollen gums:

When brushing or flossing your teeth, check for signs of gingivitis (infection of the gums), or periodontitis (a gum disease resulting in the destruction of tissue and tissue).

Signs of gingivitis are bright red or purple gums, soft and painful to the touch. It causes halitosis (bad breath) and bleeding when brushing.

Periodontitis has similar signs as gingivitis plus it makes chewing painful and loose teeth.

Here’s the downer…

Dental problems are not confined to your mouth. They can lead to lung and heart problem, digestive system and can lead to oral cancer.

4.  Changes on skin:

As we grow old, our skin grows old, too. It becomes soft, wrinkled, and liver spots start appearing on our hands and face.

These are unavoidable. But if a liver spot grows and size and starts to itch, visit a dermatologist immediately. It can be a prelude to skin cancer.

To safeguard your skin, limit your sun exposure to the minimum. Use sun-blockers if staying outdoors for prolonged periods is unavoidable. Keep away from chemicals and be careful around the kitchen to avoid scalding.

5.  Shortness of breath:

Another unwholesome effect of aging is the loss of stamina.

But if you ran out of breath in doing things you never had problems before, consult a doctor. You may have respiratory or heart problems.

6.  Home hazards:

Home hazards such as faulty electric wirings, frayed floor carpets, slippery bathrooms obstructions along passageways, etc., cause horrendous domestic accidents each year.

In fact, it is estimated that 18,000 elderly Americans each year, die from home accidents. These are due to falls, poisonings, accidental drowning, gunshot wounds, burns and many others.

And elderly people are very vulnerable to these accidents because of diminished vision, poor balance, and deteriorating cognitive skills.

Growing old is probably the most experience of one’s life (a lot never got this far). But it carries a lot of risks a lot of seniors either fail to recognize or choose to ignore.

And the price could be horrendous – either a long hospital stay or death.

~oOo~

The post Signs You must Heed to Prevent Serious Health Problems first appeared on Age With Charm.

What are apps?

Read on.

I find people like Steve Jobs (may his soul rest in peace), astonishing Why Because people like him seem to dictate the pace of technology.

For example, in 1983, Matt Strain predicted the evolution of a “new digital distribution system.” Ten years later, in 1993, the first PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), the forerunner of the smartphone, came into the market ten years later.

But before they gained maturity, in 1999 NTT DoCoMo, of Japan, introduced the first smartphones which immediately gained nationwide popularity.

Then in 2007, Apple introduced the first iPhone which Steve Jobs called “the revolutionary and magical products,” and the first 500 Apps started appearing in the Apple App Store, the following year.

Isn’t it awesome?

Originally targeting teenaged kids and young adults, the first Apps were mostly games and organizers. They soon evolved into other functions necessary to get by with one’s daily activities.

And when the first boomers retired, they started serving the peculiar needs of an aging segment of society. Now they have become essential in a world that is getting old.

The apps have evolved so much since then, and each year sees an update of existing ones or new ones coming in.

This year, these are ten of the most essential for seniors.

10 Apps seniors must have:

Note: Some of these are free while others have affordable subscription fees. And they are designed for the iPhone or iPad.

1.  WebMD:

This features doctor-reviewed health content and constantly updated information about maintaining a nutritious lifestyle.

It has a “Healthy Target” section that lets you establish exciting eating and exercise habits and suggests actionable insights at the end of the week.

You can also encode your symptoms and find possible causes, as well as treatments.

This should not replace a regular visit to your physician, but it can help you keep a close watch over your health.

2.  Pillboxie:

For seniors taking multiple daily medications, this extraordinary app provides an effortless way of managing them you so won’t forget taking any one of them.

Assign a specific medication to a sectioned pillbox graphic then put a schedule of taking them, and you’re all set.

The app will beep you when it is time to take a specific pill.

There is a subscription fee of $ 0.99/mo.

3.  Silver Surf:

Are you having problems with the small fonts of your smartphone?

No problem, Silver Surf is going to help you.

This incredible app zooms in, sets a higher contrast,  and displays larger buttons so you can use your mobile device with ease.

4. Lumosity:

If your memory starts failing you, this app is essential for you.

Designed by neuroscientists, this app contains hundreds of games and puzzles to improve memory recall and information retention.

And what makes this app even more exciting is that there is no subscription fee provided you subscribe to Lumosity.

5.  Park ‘n’ Forget:

A parking lot can often be like a huge haystack relative to where you parked your small car at. I often have to spend a few precious minutes figuring out where I parked my car.

This app solves that problem.

When leaving your car all you have to do is encode the color of the parking bay or the parking level and the app will remember it for you for easy retrieval.is would be.

This has a subscription fee of $ 0.99/mo, which is very minimal vis-a-vis its benefits.

6.  Blood Pressure Monitor:

This extraordinary app could spell the difference between life or death especially for live-alone seniors suffering from hypertension.

Not only does it track your blood pressure and weight over a period of time, it also provides statistical information on your health and gives out periodic reminders so you can manage your health properly. And you can export the data to your physician, saving you time and money.

7.  Voice Reading:

Amazing is an understatement in describing this app.

It audibly reads text from the Internet, emails, messages and even text files. It even comes in several languages.

This app is perfect if for seniors with reading or hearing problems, and it can be used even while driving.

8.  Easy Facebook for Seniors:

You want to stay connected with the outside world but find Facebook too complicated or cluttered for comfort This is what you need.

This app is specifically designed for seniors – cleaner, less-cluttered, and easy to learn.

It is a perfect antidote to loneliness and isolation for live-alone seniors.

9.  Epicurious: 

I am not a good cook. In fact, my meals are inherited from my late wife, while some are borrowed from friends then tempered with my own trial-and-error culinary curiosity.

If you are like me, but want to have a little organization, variety and flare with your meals, this app is what you need.

It contains an incredible 30,000 recipes carefully selected from quality cooking sites, and it offers reviews, tips, and pictures from other users.

And to make it easy the second time around, it organizes your favorite recipes and synchronizes your shopping list for easy and quick retrieval at the grocery store.

With this app, your meals in any given day are already taken care of.

10.  NPR:

National Public Radio (NPR) is an American privately and publicly funded non-profit media organization syndicating over 900 public radio station in the U.S.

With this app, you can surf 900 radio stations for your favorite music, latest news, the weather and many other interesting things to perk up your day.

You can also go through its archives for important and interesting events in the past.

Since the arrival of the smartphones and apps, life has taken a drastic change never seen before. They have become indispensable tools for daily living and given a different face and meaning to aging.

~oOo~

The post 10 Essential Apps for Seniors first appeared on Age With Charm.

Can you imagine what a senior’s life would be like if not for the latest in technology?

It would certainly be like my father’s when he was in his 50s.

My father was with the mass media and I can still remember his banging away at his Olivetti portable typewriter until late at night for his newspaper column, or a speech for others.somebody else.

Or Orlando Estrada, 70+ from Los Angeles, would still be moving around in his wheelchair.

Orlando was a design engineer of Hewlett-Packard. After retirement, he had to undergo two knee-replacement surgeries which put him in a wheelchair.

For a while, Orlando thought it was the end of his world. Then he joined an online health club in his senior center that uses two Microsoft products intended to help seniors get in shape, increase their social interaction, and manage their health information online.

It helped improve his overall fitness, lowered his blood pressure, and made him get off his wheelchair and walk again.

Of course, technology has always been with us since the dawn of man. But it was primitive, at best, during my father’s time.

Technology grew by leaps and bounds in 1981 when IBM released its first personal computers and, in 1990, the Internet went global.

Then, something happened in 2000 which caught the world totally by surprise – the first batch of baby boomers retired.

They created legions of people in their 60s with different needs. While they all want to enjoy their retirement, a lot of them have to cope with loneliness and medical issues.

Seeing the large business potential of this group, technology cranked its gears up and the rest is history.

Today, there is no aspect of an elderly’s life that is not touched or controlled by technology.

The following are the five major areas where seniors are benefitting tremendously from technology:

1.  Easier social interaction:

Numerous surveys have shown that getting connected is beneficial to the elderly’s health. In fact, it is even more important to a senior’s health and well-being than genetics and maintaining a good weight.

It lowers depression cases by 20% and enhances elderly people’s cognitive function.

Although online communication could never replace person-to-person contact, in situations where it is impossible or impractical, an email, a video, or an audio chat is good enough.

And technology has made all this easier, faster, and cheaper.

2.  Personal and home safety:

Various surveys have consistently shown that 80 to 90 of seniors want to age at home.

While this may seem an excellent idea, it is not without risks. Elderly people, being frail, forgetful, and can hardly see, hear or smell, are prone to home accidents.

In 2009 in Wales, England, 7, 475 people aged 65 above died from home accidents, 49% of them due to falls.

To minimize these risks, technology has come up with several products, i.e., fall and smoke detectors, home invasion systems, blood pressure, and heartbeat monitors, that send an alarm at the press of a button in case of emergencies.

3.  Physical and Mental Fitness:

Like wheelchair-bound Estrada, you can check into your local seniors center to see if they have activities to help keep you in shape physically and mentally.

The NCOA (National Council on Aging) has several downloadable online programs intended to promote senior fitness. The value of making use of these programs is immeasurable.

If this doesn’t appeal to you, you can play computer games. They keep the loneliness away and keep you mentally sharp.

4.  Medication Management:

I am taking a prescription drug a day for my hypertension – my only one – yet there are days when I forget to take it.

How much more if you take almost half-a-dozen a day?

In a 2009 survey done by Medco Health Solutions among seniors, more than half of the respondents are taking more than five prescription drugs a day while 20% were between 10 to 19. How could you manage that?

You can use the good old-fashioned way – the pillbox. It can help to a certain extent. But pillboxes tell you what medication to take, not when.

To remove this burden, technology has come up with smartphone apps that beep you when and what meds to take.

5. Health Tracking:

Last year I bought a wearable pedometer that tracks distance and calories consumed given a particular activity. I bought them so I can track my daily morning exercise.

It was a simple thing, very basic and it did not last long, by the way. But the point is to show how far technology has covered the bases where health and wellness are concerned.

There are more sophisticated products, apps, and cloud-based computing, that monitor your overall health and well-being.

The benefits of these products are invaluable. They provide the basis for your health management. Without them, you may be flying towards a storm without you knowing it.

These days there is no shortage of technology products to help seniors live a comfortable, trouble-free life.

The downside is that most of these require a learning curve to use and be of help – something a lot of seniors do not want to go through.

A reader of one of my articles wrote that her 90+ Mom is skeptical about the latest technologies for seniors. But she added that her Mom’s life has been saved several times by the personal emergency warning device she wears around her neck.

At the end of the day, technology is useless unless you embrace it. The stakes, however, are great if you don’t.

Please share with other seniors to help them decide.

~oOo~

The post Technology Benefits Among Seniors first appeared on Age With Charm.