Picture Source:  ABCNews.com

Being active is an important part of aging and aging in place. Exercising improves health, strength, and reduces the likelihood of falls.  Case in point, Ernestine Shepherd, a 73 year old grandmother, who would give anyone half her age a run for their money.  Ernestine has been exercising for years and is a certified personal trainer.  She is also in the Guinness Book of World Records’ for being the oldest female bodybuilder.  She bench presses 150 pounds and runs about 80 miles a week.  All this while being 73 years young!

Ernestine wasn’t always active.  She says that 20 years ago, she never exercised. At 56 Ernestine decided to change her body when she was trying on bathing suites in a dressing room with her sister, Mildred. After that experience, she and Mildred decided to train to become the oldest living fitness competitors in the world.  They took aerobic classes and later a trainer suggested weight lifting.  Sadly, a little over a year into their training, Mildred died in 1992 of a brain aneurysm. After Mildred’s death, Ernestine stopped exercising, staying at home and suffering frompanic attacks and high blood pressure.  A friend encouraged her to leave her home and she started working out again, this time to keep her promise to her sister.

To date, Ernestine has completed 8 marathons and also wants to compete in the New York and Boston races.  So, don’t be surprised if she beats you to the finish line.  What a great role model and example of how anyone can change their life at any age.  Go Ernestine, go!

Source:  ABCNews.com

The Aging Suite strives to provide people with information to help them age in place safely at home.  In keeping with our previous discussions on fall prevention, this week we’re highlighting various fall A Matter of Balance, a unique and effective fall prevention program.

A Matter of Balance is a nationally recognized fall prevention program developed by the Roybal Center at Boston University.  The program was designed with several purposes including: helping to reduce the fear of falling, stopping the fear of falling cycle, and improving the activity levels of older adults living in the community.  The program consists of eight classes, each 2 hours long, that are run by trained coaches.  Class size may range from 8-12 people.  Strategies incorporated into their sessions include group discussions, problem solving, exercises to improve strength, coordination, and balance, and a home safety evaluation.

A Matter of Balance also has good outcomes supporting their program.  After completing the program, participants demonstrated improvements with areas including their levels of fall control and fall management.  A Matter of Balance research indicates that after completing the classes:

• 98% of participants would recommend the program to others
• 97% felt they were more comfortable discussing the fear of falling
• 99% planned to continue exercising

To learn more about A Matter of Balance and states/organizations that currently offer this program click here.

The following information is brought to you by The Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation offers an entire range of exercise programs to help you get started. You can choose from all-around gentle exercises that increase joint flexibility, range of motion and muscle strength or aquatics that allow you to exercise without putting excess strain on your joints and muscles. There are also tai chi classes designed specifically for people with arthritis and a Walk with Ease program helping you take the first step toward developing a healthy walking habit. Find out more on exercise programs in your area.

How to Move and How Much to Move

When it comes to moving, the goal is to do it on a regular basis. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults do a minimum of 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (brisk walking, gardening) a week or 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of vigorous aerobic physical activity (jogging, aerobic dancing). Whether your activity is moderate or vigorous, keep moving.

There are many different goals for exercise. You want to keep your weight down in order to lessen impact and pressure on joints. You also want to strengthen the muscles around certain joints. And you want to increase your range of motion. So, how do you do it all? Just make sure your workout is well-rounded!

The best way to do that is to slowly incorporate aerobic fitness, muscular fitness and flexibility into your routine.

Aerobic fitness – Getting your heart pounding and your lungs filled with oxygen rewards you with improved metabolism, a better mood, more energy, increased stamina and decreased inflammation. Try aquatics, walking, swimming and cycling.

Muscular fitness – Strength training makes your joints more stable and strong muscles keep your bones positioned properly, increasing bone density and decreasing your risk for osteoporosis and fractures. Try light resistant bands or tubing.

Flexibility – Stretching decreases daily joint stiffness, improves range of motion and minimizes muscle soreness after exercise. Try yoga and tai chi and other gentle stretches.

Remember, when beginning an exercise program, you should always consult with your doctor before starting out.

Movement Tools

Now that you know how important it is to exercise and how often you should do it, here are some tools to help you stay motivated to move.

• Set your exercise goals and get moving with the Let’s Move Together movement tracker.
• Get up and go with motivational podcasts that will psych you up to move.
• Follow along at home with exercise videos you can watch online.
  • Stay flexible with tai chi, yoga and stretching.
  • Work on muscular fitness with weight-bearing exercises.

Keep an exercise log to track your progress.

The following information is brought to you by The Arthritis Foundation

Want to fight your osteoarthritis? Get off the couch! Moving is the best medicine to fight osteoarthritis pain.

Regular, moderate exercise offers a whole host of benefits to people with arthritis. Mainly, exercise reduces joint pain and stiffness, builds strong muscle around the joints, and increases flexibility and endurance. It reduces inflammation from arthritis and related conditions and lowers the risk of other chronic conditions. It also helps promote overall health and fitness by giving you more energy, helping you sleep better, controlling your weight, decreasing depression, and giving you more self-esteem. Furthermore, exercise can help stave off other health problems such as osteoporosis and heart disease.

So, it’s obviously a no-brainer. You’ve got to move. But sometimes it’s not so easy to get started. When you’re achy and sore, the last thing you want to do is exercise.

Getting Started

Starting an exercise program can seem like a daunting proposition. The important thing to remember is to start slow and make it fun. It is always good to start with flexibility exercises, which are basically stretching exercises that will improve your range of motion and help you perform daily activities. (Watch these stretching exercise videos to get started.) Once you feel comfortable you can move on to weight training and endurance exercises such as bicycling.

Videos brought to you by Arthritis Today.

You may be reluctant to exercise because you are in such pain. If this is the case you may want to start with a water exercise program. In the water, your body’s buoyancy reduces stress on your hips, knees, and spine while building strength and increasing range of motion. There are many aquatic programs and exercises that are great for people with arthritis. Try water walking, for example. Water provides 12 times the resistance of air, so you’re getting a great workout without the wear and tear on your joints.

Join us next week as we talk about How to Move and How Much to Move

Nearly 24 million Americans — about one out of every 10 adults over the age of 20 — have diabetes¹. For those with the disease, keeping it in control is a lifelong challenge that requires the support of a knowledgeable healthcare team to advise on proper care, medication management, and the importance of healthy diet and exercise.

Ninety percent of Type 2 diabetes sufferers are considered overweight², and because of this close link between diabetes and obesity, CVS/pharmacy is partnering with Dr. Ian Smith and the 50 Million Pound Challenge to help patients with diabetes gain better control of their disease. The partnership is part of a broader effort by CVS/pharmacy to support diabetes patients.

“Weight management is one important step in managing diabetes, and for those who have pre-diabetes, it can prevent further progress of the disease,” said Dr. Smith. “If you’re overweight, losing just five to ten percent of your body weight will improve diabetes control.”

Monitoring Glucose Levels as a Measure of Control

Diabetes control is measured by blood glucose levels. In addition to daily self-testing to determine glucose levels, a quarterly A1C test is recommended to ascertain average glucose levels for the past two to three months. For people with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association measures control as A1C levels of less than seven percent.

To help patients monitor blood glucose levels in a manner that is convenient and reliable MinuteClinic healthcare centers within select CVS/pharmacy locations will administer free A1C tests, sponsored by Bayer Diabetes Care, now through June 12th. MinuteClinic recently introduced condition monitoring services for patients with diabetes and other conditions.

“Consistent monitoring is critical for diabetes patients, particularly for those who have related health issues like elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure,” said Dr. Troyen A. Brennan, Chief Medical Officer for CVS Caremark. “Regular screenings are an important way to assess control of these conditions.”

Helping to Manage Costs

Patients with diabetes, who often have additional health complications that require treatment, incur medical expenses almost two and a half times greater than the average for a non-diabetic. As a way to help lower diabetes care costs for patients and caregivers, CVS/pharmacy has launched the ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes program that offers members discounts and rewards on the purchase of diabetes supplies.

CVS pharmacists are also available to counsel patients on ways to lower medication costs, such as switching to generics from brand-name medications. And, because of the high prevalence of related conditions, diabetes patients are often taking multiple medications. The pharmacist can play an additional role in helping patients manage their medications by counseling on side-effects, dosage timing and interactions in efforts to improve adherence.

“Diabetes is a manageable health condition and you can live a very full life despite the diagnosis,” said Dr. Smith. “By working with your entire healthcare team to lower your glucose levels, managing weight through proper diet and exercise and taking medications properly, you can get your diabetes in control.”

Patients can learn more about ways to manage their diabetes at www.cvs.com/diabetes and receive diabetes-related health and weight loss information at www.50millionpounds.com.

About CVS/pharmacy

CVS/pharmacy is the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS). The Company operates more than 7,000 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drugs stores. CVS/pharmacy is committed to improving the lives of those we serve by making innovative and high-quality health and pharmacy services safe, affordable and easy to access, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at http://www.info.cvscaremark.com/.

About The 50 Million Pound Challenge

Dr. Ian Smith’s 50 Million Pound Challenge is a call-to-action for all Americans to come together and help people take control of their health by getting fit, losing excess weight and turning back the deadly toll of weight-related diseases that threaten nearly half of us. The Challenge is a campaign supported and endorsed by leaders across the community and national civic and health organizations.

About Dr. Ian Smith

Dr. Ian is a diet expert on VH1′s Celebrity Fit Club and author of the New York Times #1 best-sellers 4 Day Diet, Fat Smash Diet and Extreme Fat Smash Diet, and HAPPY: Simple Steps to Get the Most Out of Life, as well as other works of fiction and non-fiction. He hosts his own TV and radio shows, BET’s Meet the Faith and HealthWatch on American Urban Radio Network. Dr. Ian is a contributor to The View and Men’s Health Magazine. He has filed reports and written for NBC Nightly News, Today Show, Essence, Ebony, People, Cosmopolitan and University of Chicago’s Medicine on the Midway.

The partnership is part of a broad effort to support patients with diabetes through education, chronic monitoring services, and new ExtraCare Advantage for Diabetes savings program

March is brain injury awareness month. In this week’s feature, we talked about traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and learned that falls are the leading cause of TBIs in seniors.  While today is the last day of the month, it’s never too late to implement these tips to reduce your risk of falls at home.

 Have a health care professional check your medications

 Assess your home for safety risks

 Get your vision checked annually

 Exercise regularly to maintain agility

No matter your age, incorporating some form of exercise into your day is always  a good thing.  The benefits of exercise include helping to prevent obesity, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.  The CDC recommends that adults between the ages of 50-64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week; or 75 minutes a week of vigorous intensity aerobic activity or an equal combination of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activity.

Last week we talked about the benefits of exercise including; aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching.  This week, we’ll be discussing the benefits of Tai Chi.  Tai Chi is a traditional form of Chinese martial arts that has been practiced in China for centuries.  Its benefits and forms have spread throughout the world.  Tai Chi is also a low intensity exercise; its movements are smooth, non-jarring, and work joints through their full range of motion.   It is believed to have many health benefits including helping to reduce fall risks in older adults and improving flexibility, both of which are important in aging in place.  Other believed benefits of Tai Ch include:

• Improved muscle strength

• Reduced risk of multiple falls

• Lower blood pressure

• Improvements with muscles that control posture

• Improved balance

• Improved cardio fitness

• Improved ability for adults with osteoarthritis to get around

• Lower levels of depression

• Reduced stress and anxiety

Tai Chi is a great form of exercise at any age.  It can be particularly beneficial for older people as it works joints through their full range of motion, improves balance, involves slow and smooth movements, is low impact, and has so many health benefits. Click here and here to find out more about Tai Chi.

Source:  The Effect of Tai Chi on Health Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Conditions A Systematic Review