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5 Tips to Keep You Exercising in the Summer

Summer in Arizona is HOT and sometimes humid, but definitely hot! This can make exercising difficult for many people, including myself.

So what do you do when the weather is too hot outside to exercise and you just don't feel like it? Well, I wanted to share 5 tips to help keep you motivated to exercise during the hot summer months!

1. Schedule It Into Your Calendar- Just like a doctor’s appointment or lunch date with a friend you need to put it into your calendar so you won’t miss this appointment with yourself. I schedule every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5 a.m. to run 3 miles with Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday as strength training or yoga.

2. Find An Accountability Partner- This partner can be a friend, spouse, trainer, relative, or physical therapist that will check in with you daily or weekly to make sure you are on track to maintaining your exercise goals.

3. Take It Indoors- When it is 90 degrees at 5AM and 103 degrees at 9PM no one wants to be outdoors let alone exercising outdoors! So why not take your exercise routine indoors. I know many older adults who walk around the inside of a mall before it opens to the public where it is cool. Another option is to take a group exercise class or follow a class online.

4. Keep It Simple- Make exercise fun and simple. Don’t feel like you have to attend an exercise class if you have to figure out transportation or move appointments to do so. Choose an exercise that is easy and repeatable.

5. Use The Buddy System- This one is the game changer for me! Knowing that I am meeting a friend to run at 5am motivates me to wake up at 4:30am and not skip a day! I know there may be some of you that enjoy working out alone and this tip may not apply to you so go back to tip #2. However, for those that need the extra motivation find someone who will join you in your workout!

Moving your body for 30 minutes a day doesn't have to be a chore or challenge. Make it fun and simple! I hope you can use some or all of these tips to keep you motivated to exercise this summer.

Happy exercising!

Dr. Lianne Rogers PT, DPT specializes in helping older adults move with confidence and stay physically active through all stages of life. She is passionate about educating patients in the areas of fall awareness and prevention. She enjoys leading people to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle.

Recently I wrote to you about frailty syndrome and how muscle weakness is one of the characteristics of frailty.

This week I wanted to go deeper into muscle weakness. Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass as you age. This starts to occur at the 3rd decade of life and continues to increase exponentially with age. By the time we are in our 7th and 8th decade of life you can potentially lose 50% of your total muscle mass!

If you haven't figured it out by now muscle is vital to movement. Without the adequate muscle strength, it becomes difficult to perform tasks such as yard work, carrying/lifting a laundry basket, carrying groceries into your home, going up stairs, or even getting out of a chair. In order to maintain our muscle strength during the aging process we MUST incorporate strengthening exercises into our exercise routine.

The good news is that like frailty syndrome, sarcopenia can be prevented and treated. Yes, you may have guessed the prescription, EXERCISE! Specifically, progressive strengthening exercises.

This means going on walks or bikes rides is not enough to combat the muscle loss we will ALL experience. You and I need to start lifting heavy things to make our muscles strong.

Starting a strengthening program will look different for every person. Your own body weight may be enough to start a strengthening program, where others may need to use bands or dumbbells to challenge themselves.

Dedicate 2-3 days a week specifically for strengthening exercises to help you prevent and slow the loss of muscle mass. A good rule of thumb is to perform 6-8 exercises that incorporate both upper and lower body. Aim for 2-3 sets of 8-10 repetitions of each exercise.

Just remember you strengthening program can't be a walk in the park. If your current exercise routine is not CHALLENGING you than it is not CHANGING you!

Let's stop living life on the edge waiting for things to change and get up and make the change happen today!

Dr. Lianne Rogers PT, DPT specializes in helping older adults move with confidence and stay physically active through all stages of life. She is passionate about educating patients in the areas of fall awareness and prevention. She enjoys leading people to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle.

Your blood pressure (BP) and heart rate are two main indicators of your health. Blood pressure will help to determine the force of your blood moving through your blood vessels. While your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute. Each of these numbers are important to understanding what is going on with your heart and health.

Monitoring your blood pressure is important as the higher it gets could lead to a stroke, heart failure, heart attack, or kidney failure.

This week I wanted to bring awareness of the importance to checking these two numbers (blood pressure & heart rate) regularly.

I recently had a patient who was admitted to the emergency department due to atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat. His resting heart rate was 150 beats per minute (bpm) which is not normal! A normal heartbeat should be between 60-100 bpm.

Thankfully, he was at the beginning of an occupational therapy visit and she noticed his vitals were not normal. Without checking his vitals, we would have not known this was going on as the patient was not exhibiting any symptoms.

If you are healthy with no underlying health conditions, I would suggest weekly BP readings and if you have multiple health conditions do this 3 times a week or daily.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been around for years, but the past few years it has been a popular workout. Many may think of HIIT for young people; however, this is far from true. HIIT can be for everyone including the sedentary 80-year-old.

What exactly is HIIT? HIIT is not a specific exercise but a method of doing exercises. HIIT workouts involves short bursts of exercises alternated with low-intensity recovery periods. Basically, you exercise for X amount of time and rest/recover for X amount of time.

Today I wanted to share with you 3 reasons why you need to try this workout.

1. The health benefits - HIIT has been known to burn more calories during and post-workouts (yes you continue to burn calories after you are done working out), lowers insulin resistance, increases endurance, increase fat oxidation (it burns more fat during your workout), increase memory, and improves your strength! Do I need to say more?

2. It is safe - Many older adults here the words “high intensity” and immediately get turned off because they fear of getting injured. However, given the proper exercises for your fitness level and abilities, HIIT workouts have been proven to be very safe for all ages.

In fact, I have a 99-year-old patient that performs HIIT when I see her. If you have underlying health issues or haven’t worked out in months or years you can’t go to YouTube or the internet and pick out a HIIT workout. In order to perform this type of workout safely and correctly you need to be guided by an exercise specialist. However, with that said a HIIT is safe and you to can be able to reap the health benefits that comes with it.

3. It is quick - If you are short on time or dread working out for long periods than you are in luck! Most HIIT workouts last between 20-30 minutes. A typical HIIT workout parameters are choosing 6-8 exercises and perform each exercise for 30 seconds with a 10-20 second rest interval and repeat all exercises for 3-4 rounds.

It is recommended that a HIIT be performed 2-3x/wk and not used as a daily exercise routine. The day following a HIIT workout should be a low intensity activity such as walking, tai chi or yoga.

While a HIIT workout may still be intimidating start slow and build up your intensity just like any other workout. You wouldn’t go out and walk 1 mile if you have been sitting on the couch for the past year.

HAPPY EXERCISING!

When you hear the word frail what comes to your mind? 

Here is the Meriam-Webster’s definition of frail: 1. Physically weak; 2. Easily broken or destroyed. 

Today I wanted to talk about a diagnosis that doesn’t get a lot of press- Frailty Syndrome.  I also want to share with you how it can be prevented and treatment for it 

The medical classification of Frailty Syndrome includes these 5 chracteristics: 

1. Muscle weakness

2. Slowness of movement or walking speed

3. Low level of physical activity

4. Fatigue or poor endurance

5. Unintentional weight loss >10lb in the last year.

To be considered frail, a person must have 3 or more of these characteristics. Do you have any of these characteristics? If you have 3 or just 1 of these characteristics listed above do not fret! Luckily, frailty can be treated and prevented. Read on to find the ways to combat frailty!

1 Starting a regular exercise program that includes both aerobic and resistive  strengthening activities.  While walking and biking can have many benefits for your heart and endurance, starting a strength program using resistive bands or weights has been shown to reduce the decline in muscle strength that occurs as we age. 

2. Eat a diet full of whole foods and low in sugar and processed foods. I am a firm believer that food is medicine and what we put into our bodies is what we become. If we are eating a ton of artificial foods with chemicals and genetically modified ingredients then our bodies will become compromised.  

3. Keep your mind active by engaging in puzzles, card or board games, or learning a new language. Be sure these activities or stimulating and challenging for you. 

4. Social interaction. Having conversations with others is vital to our overall well-being and mental states and not to mention our brains! What you don’t realize is when you are having a conversation with someone else your brain is processing their facial expressions, tone of voice, and you are focusing on timing of when it is your turn to speak in the conversation. All of this is going on when you have these interactions. Left alone in isolation we don’t get to use this part of our brain. 

Now you have the tools to start preventing or treating frailty and start living an active and thriving life!

Dr. Lianne Rogers PT, DPT specializes in helping older adults move with confidence and stay physically active through all stages of life. She is passionate about educating patients in the areas of fall awareness and prevention. She enjoys leading people to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle.

The pandemic has surely changed our way of life in many ways this past year. With many Americans confined to their homes our lifestyles have led to a decline in physical activity and social interactions. Sadly, this new lifestyle can lead to many long-term health risks for people of all ages. 

Since the start of the pandemic more than 80% of adults do not meet the government guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities (150-300 minutes of moderate intensity). In addition, I read another publication reporting on how quickly muscle mass can occur with sedentary behaviors. The data shows that you can see muscle loss within 2 days of decreasing your activity level. It was found that people experience a 6% loss of muscle mass after just 10 days of decreased activity and a 10% loss after 30 days! These findings were similar across all age groups.  

Although there are no mandatory stay-at-home orders in place currently in metro-Phoenix many gyms and senior centers are no longer holding group exercise classes. So, what is one left to do during these unprecedented times?

I have known many people who began walking outdoors in their neighborhood or on our beautiful hiking trails. While walking is a great exercise and has many benefits, it is simply not enough to combat muscle loss. Walking daily is a great start to get your body moving if you have stopped exercising or going to the gym. However, walking does not stop the effects of muscle loss or strength that is occurring in your body. The only way to increase strength is by performing strengthening exercises using your own body weight, resistive bands, or weights. 

Without the help of a structured exercise program, it can take up to several months to recover the loss of muscle mass following prolonged inactivity. This is why it may be appropriate to seek out Physical Therapy if you or a loved one has experienced these declines to safely improve strength and fitness levels. 

As we transition to the fall and winter seasons the days begin to get shorter, resulting in limited amount of direct sunlight.  This can be a problem for people who get their vitamin D allotment from the sun.

 Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin as it's the only nutrient our body can make when exposed to sunlight.  Research has reported that approximately 10-30 minutes of exposure to sunlight without sunscreen daily can provide sufficient vitamin D synthesis for that day's need. However, this behavior may cause some to worry about other skin conditions.

Did you know as many as 40% of older adults living in sunny climates such as South Florida or Arizona might not have optimal amounts of vitamin D in their systems!

 Vitamin D deficiency is more common than you would expect especially among the older adult population.

 According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition older people are at greater risk for vitamin D deficiency because of their decreased sun exposure, limited dietary choices, kidneys having trouble converting vitamin D to its active form, and skin doesn't make vitamin D as efficiently as in their younger years.

Why Is Vitamin D Important?

Building and maintaining strong bones. It helps the body absorb calcium, which is important for healthy bones.  

Helps your immune system. The immune system uses vitamin D to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. This is another great layer of protection against the flu and common colds.

Carries message through the nervous system

Helps muscles move

Regulates cell growth

How Much Do You Need?

The need for this vitamin increases with age.  The recommended dosage for adults 70+ years is 800 IU, and adults 70 years and younger require 600 IU.

Sources Of Vitamin D

salmon, sardines, & tuna

egg yolk

mushrooms

cod liver oil

beef liver

fortified foods such as milk, yogurt, cereal, and orange juice

Symptoms Of A Deficiency

Muscle weakness, muscle cramps or aches, fatigue, changes in your mood, and bone pain. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms on a regular basis I would suggest a visit to your physician to rule out other medical conditions.

 There are many reasons why this vitamin is important to our aging bodies, however it is very rare for anyone to experience a vitamin D toxicity (too much in our bodies).

Have you heard of the new disease? It’s called SITTING! Ok so it may not be officially a named disease by the CDC or World Health Organization, but sitting too much can be deadly.

The Heart Foundation reports over 25% of American adults sit for more than 8 hours every day. 44% of those people get little to no exercise.

Here’s why sitting can be so bad. According to The Heart Foundation website when you sit…

Blood flow slows down. This can allow fatty acids to build up in the blood vessels, leading to heart disease.

Sitting for extended periods of time, regularly may lead to insulin resistance which can cause type 2 diabetes and obesity—2 major risk factors for heart disease.

Your body’s ability to process fats is slowed. When you sit, your body’s production of lipoprotein lipase (an enzyme essential for breaking down fat) drops by about 90%. When your body cannot break down fat, it is stored instead.

So what is the solution to sitting?

Well the obvious would be to get up and move more often. Here are some tips to moving more during your day.

1. If you are prone to tv watching try standing or walking in your home during the commercials.

2. Set a timer. Getting up to move every hour will help to break up long periods of sitting in a day.

3. Strive to get 30 minutes of physical activity or exercise daily! It is recommended that older adults get 150 minutes a week of physical activity.

Here are some fun fact: you burn 30% more calories by standing than sitting. Also, by standing for an extra 30 minutes per day over a year, you can burn 5lb!

This week is National Fall Prevention Week, a week where we take time to bring awareness to the dangers and prevention of falling.  

Falling is a topic that can bring a lot of fear to older adults which is understandable as 1 in 3 Americans 65+ will fall. Falls are also the leading cause of unintentional deaths among this population. 

Today, I wanted to share 5 actionable tips you can do today to help prevent a fall.  

1. Start An Exercise Program. Begin an exercise program that includes balance and strengthening exercises! It is not enough to go on daily walks in your neighborhood. In order to improve your balance you must practice it daily by performing balance exercises. If you are unsure how to incorporate these exercises into your program give me a call and I would be happy to help you!

2. Keep Your Home Safe. There are many things that can be done to reduce your risk of falls in the home, I want to share a few of them with you. First, keep your walkways clear of clutter next, have adequate lighting throughout your home to help eliminate falls, and lastly remove rugs in your home to keep you from tripping or slipping on them. As I mentioned these are just a few tips on keeping your home safe. If you would like more suggestions on how to keep you safe in your home reply to this email requesting my FREE Aging In Place E-book.

3, Get Your Eyes Checked Yearly.  Many of you may be wondering how vision contributes to preventing falls. Well, getting regular eye checks will spot potential cataracts, macular degeneration, or other eye conditions that may make it difficult for you to see clearly.

4. Review Your Medications. If you are taking 4 or more medications you are at risk for a fall. Have your pharmacist or physician review your medications and supplements to find any potential side effects that could put you at risk for a fall.

5. Speak To A Physician or Physical Therapist.  Lastly, if you have experienced a fall make sure you tell your doctor or physical therapist who can assess your balance to determine what areas you need to focus on. Once a person has experienced a fall they are 50% likely to have a second fall. Don’t be ashamed or brush it off as it was a silly trip and I didn’t even get hurt. If you have fallen get screened to find out what else you can do to improve your balance and reduce your risk for falling again!

I wanted to talk about a topic that may be on the top of our minds these days. How do you improve your immune system? The good news is that there are several tips to boost your immune system. 

1. Take steps to avoid infection. This includes washing hands frequently, avoid touching your face, and wearing a mask when out in public.

2. Eat more fruits & vegetables. This can be difficult to do at any age, but it has been known that as we age eating the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables decreases. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables can help to increase vitamins and minerals needed to fight off infection and reduce inflammation. Be sure to include a wide variety of brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as berries, apples, kale, sweet potatoes, spinach, bananas, and carrots. If it is difficult to eat your veggies think about drinking them. Yes you heard me! Juice or blend them in a smoothie in order to get it in. 

3. Exercise regularly. It is important to move our bodies at least 30 minutes daily. Regular exercise can help to maintain a healthy weight, decrease your stress hormones and cause your body’s antibodies and white blood cells to circulate more helping to detect bugs quickly. If you are not moving daily make this a habit pronto!

4. Get adequate sleep. Your body heals and repairs when you sleep at night. Adequate amounts of sleep boosts your T-cells which are immune cells that fight against pathogens. 

5. Reduce stress and anxiety. Stress affects your physical and mental health, and too much stress can take a toll on your immune system. Practice daily mediation, listening to music, or deep breathing to help reduce stress. 

6. Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water daily can help your body from becoming dehydrated. Water also helps to balance the body’s fluid levels. Aim to drink 8 glasses of water or 32-ounces daily.

Did you know that people who have close relationships at home, work, or in their community tend to be healthier and live longer? One reason, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is that we’re more successful at meeting our health goals when we join forces with others. NHLBI launched the #OurHearts movement to inspire us to protect and strengthen our hearts with the support of others.

Here are some facts, how-to tips, and resources to inspire you to join with others to improve your heart health. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. About 90 percent of middle-aged people and more than 74 percent of young adults have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or being a smoker or overweight. Having multiple risk factors increases your risk for heart disease.

Why Connecting is Good for Your Heart

Feeling connected with others and having positive, close relationships benefit our overall health, including our blood pressure and weight.  Having people in our lives who motivate and care for us helps, as do feelings of closeness and companionship.  

Follow these heart healthy lifestyle tips with your friends, family, coworkers, and others in your community and you’ll all be heart healthier for it:

Ø  Be more physically active.

Ø  Maintain a healthy weight.

Ø  Eat a nutritious diet.

Ø  Quit smoking.

Ø  Reduce your stress.

Ø  Get enough quality sleep.

Ø  Track your heart health stats.

You don’t have to make big changes all at once. Small steps will get you where you want to go.

Move More

Invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your community to join you in your efforts to be more physically active:

·       Ask a colleague to walk with you on a regular basis, put the date on both your calendars, and text or call to make sure you both show up.

·       Join an exercise class at your local community center and bring a neighbor along. Carpool or walk there together to make it a regular date.

·       Grab your kids, put on music, and do jumping jacks, skip rope, or dance.

·       Make your social time active and encourage everyone—family and friends alike—to think of fun activities that get you off the couch and moving.  

How much is enough? Aim for at least 2½ hours of physical activity each week—that’s just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. In addition, do muscle strengthening exercises 2 days a week. Can’t carve out a lot of time in your day? Don’t chuck your goal, chunk it! Try 10 or 15 minutes a few times a day. 

Aim for a healthy weight

Find someone in your friend group, at work, or in your family who also wants to reach or maintain a healthy weight. (If you’re overweight, even a small weight loss of 5–10 percent helps your health.) Check in with them regularly to stay motivated. Do healthy activities together, like walking or playing on a neighborhood sports team. Share low-calorie, low-sodium meals or recipes. Check out NHLBI's Aim for a Healthy Weight web page.

 Eat heart healthy

We tend to eat like our friends and family, so ask others close to you to join in your effort to eat healthier. Together, try NHLBI’s free Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. Research shows that, compared to a typical American diet, it lowers high blood pressure and improves blood cholesterol levels. Find delicious recipes at NHLBI’s Heart Healthy Eating web page.

 Quit smoking

To help you quit, ask others for support or join a support group. Research shows that people are much more likely to quit if their spouse, friend, or sibling does. Social support online can also help you quit.   All states have quit lines with trained counselors—call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). You’ll find many free resources to help you quit, such as apps, a motivational text service, and a chat line at BeTobaccoFree.hhs.gov and Smokefree.gov.

If you need extra motivation to quit, consider those around you: Breathing other people’s smoke, called secondhand smoke, is dangerous. Thousands of adult nonsmokers die of stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.

Manage stress

Reducing stress helps your heart health. Join with a friend or family member to do a relaxing activity every day, like walking, yoga, or meditation, or participate in a stress management program together. Physical activity also helps reduce stress. Talk to a qualified mental health provider or someone else you trust.

Improve sleep  

Sleeping 7–8 hours a night helps to improve heart health. De-stressing will help you sleep, as does getting a 30-minute daily dose of sunlight. Take a walk instead of a late afternoon nap! Family members and friends: remind each other to turn off the screen and stick to a regular bedtime. Instead of watching TV before bed, relax by listening to music, reading, or taking a bath.

Track your heart health stats, together

Keeping a log of your blood pressure, weight goals, physical activity, and if you have diabetes, your blood sugars, will help you stay on a heart healthy track. Ask your friends or family to join you in the effort. Check out NHLBI’s Healthy Blood Pressure for Healthy Hearts: Tracking Your Numbers worksheet.

Dr. Lianne Rogers PT, DPT specializes in helping older adults move with confidence and stay physically active through all stages of life. She is passionate about educating patients in the areas of fall awareness and prevention. She enjoys leading people to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle.

Common Unknown REASONS Why People Fall Or Have Balance Problems. It’s Never Because Of Age... There’s Always A REASON!

There are many risk factors when it comes to falling. Having poor balance is the obvious reason why someone would fall, however, other factors such as age, poor vision, unsafe home environment, and chronic conditions can contribute to a fall.  In addition to these risk factors here are other reasons why someone may fall or have balance issues.

1. Furniture Walking. 

Touching furniture and walls while walking is a sign of feeling unsteady on your feet and you need the extra security to touch a piece of furniture so you don’t fall.  If this is you immediate action is needed to prevent this from becoming a fall!

2.  Walking slowly  

Walking slower makes older people less balanced, but this is a common strategy to combat balance problems. Have you noticed that you are walking slower these days?

3.  Rocking your body to stand up from a chair or couch

Do you struggle to get out of your favorite reclining chair or need to rock your body back and forth to gather up the momentum needed to stand up? This could all be signs of weakness in your legs, which is a huge risk factor for falls.

4.  Losing balance when turning too quickly

Turning 90-180 degrees can be difficult for someone who struggles with their balance. A person with decreased balance will usually take multiple steps to turn around instead of pivoting on one foot to turn.  

Do You Want To Get Well?

I was at church a couple weeks ago when my pastor asked the question “Do you want to get well this year?” I’m sure he meant spiritually, but it made me ponder and expand on his question of getting well in other areas of life.  This could look like getting well physically, mentally, emotionally, or even spiritually.  I thought I would expand on getting physically well.

Do you want to get well so you can continue to golf with your friends? Do you want to get well so you can continue to meet your girlfriends for lunch? Do you want to get well so you can continue to watch your grandkids from time to time? Do you want to get well so you and your husband can go on that cruise you’ve always wanted to go on?

If you answered yes to these questions then 2020 is your year to improve your health, mobility and independence! If you have never started an exercise program it can be quite intimidating. If you are able to walk, starting a walking program is the easiest, or begin with a group exercise class in your community or senior center.  Tai Chi is a great exercise for people starting to exercise.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking I already go on daily walks or go to an exercise class twice a week so I am physically well.  I would say tell you great for you! However, I would challenge you what else could you do to improve your physical wellness? Maybe adding a yoga or tai chi class to improve your balance and flexibility, or adding resistance training to your exercises to combat the natural loss of muscle that occurs as we age (Sarcopenia)- more about that strange word in another blog!

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that older adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity each week. In addition older adults should engage in strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups at least two days a week. They also recommend older adults at risk for falling shoulder add exercises to help maintain or improve balance.  So just walking everyday is no longer good enough to combat muscle loss as you age!

What Is Mobile Physical Therapy

Many people are confused by what physical therapy is, so I can understand when you hear ‘mobile’ physical therapy how that can confuse a person even more. Generally, most people link physical therapy with pain and exercise. We have been nick named as professional torturer, pain torturer, and so forth. However, the reality is that physical therapy is here to help a person restore their function, mobility, and movement so the individual can get back to living an active and independent lifestyle.

Mobile physical therapy is essentially bringing the clinic to you. You can receive physical therapy in the comfort of your home, office, gym, or even at a park. There is no limit to where a session can take place with a mobile physical therapy practice. Additionally, it offers the therapist an in-depth view of how your limitations are affecting you in the space you live or function in and allows the therapist to provide treatment for that specific problem.