Healthy Aging Archives - Page 45 of 45

The Importance of Correct Posture

Maurice D. Williams, MS/9 March 2015/ All MFN blog/

Growing up, I can remember my mother saying the following: “Sit up straight boy, stop slouching, do not bend over like that because you will end up with terrible posture.” As a young boy, I had no idea of what she meant. In hindsight, my mother was right (and a great educator too)! In today’s day and age of technology, less activity and overall laziness, good posture is more important now than perhaps it ever has been. Unless you want to be like the elderly man or woman who cannot lift their head to look straight ahead, then I suggest you start paying more attention to your posture. With that being said, shall we discuss posture in general, what happens to your body with bad posture and how to achieve great posture.

What is Posture?

Quite simply, posture is the way our respective bodies position themselves. It can also be defined as the way our head, neck, shoulders, hips, knees and foot/ankle are positioned while standing still or in motion. When we think of good posture, this is what typically comes to mind: our body straightened up, chin raised and shoulders relaxed and in a down position. A great example of this would be a military person standing at attention. When we think of bad posture, this is what typically comes to mind: our body is slouched or hunched over, our shoulders are rounded forward and we have some terrible looking curve in our backs! A great example of this would be the hunchback of Notre Dame. The latter is something we should all try to avoid and let us talk about the reasons why.

What Happens When We Have Bad Posture?

Bad posture does not happen over night. If we do a lot of daily: sitting, driving and repetitive movements without paying attention to what position our body is in, then we typically end up with bad posture. From a psychological standpoint, bad posture could be the result of feeling anxious, not motivated and not optimistic on life (yes, our mood affects our bodies physically). As a result of all this, we end up with skeletal and muscle pain, joint restriction or just general discomfort. Our bodies end up misaligned with muscle imbalances and, ultimately, we set it up for degeneration, ouch! However, no need to fret just yet, because there are a few simple things we can do to improve or enhance our posture immediately!

How to Achieve Great Posture

There are a few simple things we can do to make sure that we have great posture. They are so simple that we can start doing them today! The first thing we should do is to observe our current body position. Is our head pointing straight ahead and ears aligned with our shoulders? Is our shoulders pulled back and not rounding forward? Is our stomach tucked or pulled in? Is our belt line straight around our waist or it below or above it. How about our knees and feet, are they facing straight ahead or turned in or out. Remember, we do want our posture to look like the military persona standing at attention.

williams-posture

After we observe our posture and make those corrections, then we should work to make sure that our bodies will adapt to that position. This is going to require us to do certain exercises. I recommend things such as single balance exercises, core exercises and integrated exercises that incorporate both balance and core exercises. Exercises for Better Posture

Lastly, after we have observed our posture and done exercises to allow our postures to improve, it is not time to make sure that we maintain what we have developed. This requires us to be aware of how we sit and stand at home, work and while driving in our cars. Even though we cannot avoid doing these things, we can certainly be fully aware of how we position our bodies. The following link is a great example of how to position our bodies when we stand and sit: Better Body Positioning for Better Posture

So, there you have. As I am sure we all know, mothers know best. If all else fails, let us remember back to our youth when our mom use to say: “Stand and sit up straight!”

Links for Exercises and Pictures of Good Posture http://www.wikihow.com/Improve-Your-Posture
http://blog.nasm.org/workout-plans/workday-boost-beat-desk-bound-posture-workout/

Maurice D. Williams is a personal trainer and owner of Move Well Fitness in Bethesda, MD.

References:

Postural Assessment by Jane Johnson, 2012.
Human Kinetics; NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training, Third Edition. 2008

In Sickness and in Movement

Dr. MaryAnne Harrington/3 March 2015/ All MFN blog, Conditions/

I have a personal and professional mission to help people move. Helping them move with no pain while accomplishing their goals and enjoying life. Movement is everything. But we don’t give it the credit it deserves in our society today. Lack of movement (which could be considered “sickness”) is leading to many of the issues we face in medicine and movement health today. What would be reasons why someone is unable to move? First things that come to mind is physical size restrictions (obesity) or because it hurts (chronic pain). Here’s some food for thought…

fresh green salad with arugula and beets

What’s New? Nutrition Update from the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

Nancy Clark, RD/28 January 2015/ All MFN blog, Conditions/

Beets, genetics, and weight were just a few of the topics highlighted at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference and Exposition. Here’s an update with some food for thought. Beets and arugula are powerful nitrate-rich foods that can enhance both athletic performance and your overall health. These vegetables are rich sources of dietary nitrate, a potent food compound that converts into nitric oxide (NO), a gas.

Instructor Showing Health Results On Clipboard To Senior Couple

Getting Older, Day by Day: 15 Facts to Retain Youthful Fitness

Nancy Clark, RD/7 July 2014/ All MFN blog/

Like it or not, every one of us is getting older, day by day. As a fitness exerciser or an athlete, you might wonder how aging impacts performance—and what you can do to retain youthful fitness. The following information is gathered from a workshop (www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com) presented by Dr. William Evans, an exercise physiologist and expert on aging, muscles, and protein. The following information can help you chart a healthy course into your future.

Live a Longer Healthier Life

Kristy Richardson/6 September 2013/ All MFN blog/

Are you looking to live longer and improve your quality of life? Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States so by decreasing your risk you can increase your chances of living a longer healthier life. The good news is YOU CAN DO THIS by making lifestyle changes (increasing exercise, improving nutrition, reducing stress, not smoking, etc.). Here are a few simple ways you can decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease by improving your nutrition:

Increase your intake of fiber-rich foods. Eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables each day, choose half of your grains as whole grain, and choose beans and lentils a few times per week. When choosing a whole grain cereal, consider choosing oatmeal or Cheerios for the cholesterol-lower benefit of soluble fiber.

Increase your intake of plant stanols and sterols. Plant stanols and sterols may help lower blood cholesterol by blocking the absorption of cholesterol in the intestines. Small amounts of plant stanols and sterols are founds in plant foods, but to have a cholesterol-lowering effect foods fortified with higher amounts may need to be consumed. Some brands of fruit juice, cereal, bread, low fat milk, low fat yogurt, and margarine (Benecol and Take Control) have been fortified with plant stanols and sterols.

Choose lean meats such as skinless turkey and chicken, top sirloin, 7% fat ground beef, round steak, pork loin or loin chops and trim fat from meats.

Eat smaller portions of meats. Limit your portions to 3 ounces for lunch or dinner. Three ounces is equal to the size of a deck of cards.

Choose fatty, cold water fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, halibut or tuna) two times per week for heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. If you don’t like fish, you can find omega-3’s in canola oil, flaxseed, walnuts, leafy green vegetables, or enriched eggs or bread.

Eat a meatless meal for lunch or dinner at least 1-2 times per week. Try pasta primavera or beans and rice.

Limit egg yolks to 4 per week or have egg whites or egg substitutes (e.g. Egg Beaters).

Select non fat or low fat dairy foods such as non fat or 1% milk and non fat or low fat cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese.

Choose fat free or low fat condiments or use less of the regular version (salad dressing, mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, etc.).

Choose olive oil or canola oil and use it in small amounts. Use tub or spray margarine and avoid stick margarine or butter.

Choose a low fat cooking method. Bake, broil, steam, barbecue and grill foods instead of frying. Use cooking spray instead of greasing the pan.
Modify recipes to reduce fat intake. You can substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg in most recipes. If you are making baked goods, replace 1/3 of the fat in the recipe with applesauce. If you are making 3-cheese lasagna, substitute one or two cheese with reduced fat versions.