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Making sure you stay healthy in your older age

You’re more likely to get sick when you get older because your immune system becomes weaker. That’s why doctors always recommend that the elderly get a yearly flu shot and a regular physical exam.

As you get older, you should do everything you can to stay healthy and take care of yourself.

Exercise Daily

Muscles become weak over time if they are not being used. This means you should get some exercise in everyday to keep your muscles strong. Twenty minutes is the recommended amount of daily exercise you should get, but you can always get more. You don’t always have to go to the gym for exercise either. There are plenty of creative ways to get your exercise.

Here are some ideas:
-Take your dog for a walk
-Do physical chores around the house like washing windows, mowing the lawn, vacuuming the carpet etc.
-Play video games that encourage movement. Both the Wii and Kinect consoles offer interactive, physical games.
-Take care of a garden or flower bed.
-Go socialize with others at a senior center or other place in your community.

Eat Healthy Meals

In addition to exercise, you should try to eat healthy meals. In general, this means avoiding fast food and choosing fresh options at the grocery store. Prepackaged meals contain a lot of salt, fat and other things that are not good for your health, so these should be avoided when possible. You don’t have to follow a strict diet plan, just be more conscious of the foods you eat and make better choices. Alcohol should only be drunk in moderation.

Buy Health and Life Insurance

Insurance is one of those things you don’t want to be without, whether it is life insurance, health insurance, auto insurance or anything else. It can be expensive, but it is a necessity. Insurance is there to protect you when something goes wrong, which can be more stressful in your older age.

Health insurance is particularly important because it is expensive to see a doctor without it. Plus, you’re more likely to need a doctor when you are older, so having health insurance puts a lot of worry out of your mind.

It can be difficult to obtain life insurance in your older age, but definitely not impossible. In fact, there are some companies that focus on life insurance specifically for elderly people. Life insurance info can be obtained on the Internet, through brokers, and from the government. It is important because you want to make sure your family is taken care of when you are gone.

There are definitely plenty of other things you can do to ensure you stay healthy in your old age, like keeping an active mind, volunteering in your community, and socializing with others. The most important thing is to have a routine that involves staying active both mentally and physically and pairing it with a healthy diet.

Can you think of any other ways to stay healthy in your twilight years?

Female Fitness & Summer- New Exercises to Shake Off Winter Blues

Right about the time you’ve decided you’re ready to get off the couch, now that you can actually get out your door again, and start your exercise routine to get ready for swimsuit weather, you find out you’re pregnant. Don’t worry, though, once you find out your due date, you and your doctor can discuss exercises that you can perform safely.
 
Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy-Even During the Summer 
 
One of the first things you’ll probably notice about your pregnancy is that you are experiencing a lot of fatigue. When this occurs, you’ll probably think that the last thing that will help is exercise. Surprisingly, just the opposite is true. Pushing yourself (within reason, of course) to move and stay active will actually help you combat pregnancy fatigue, which usually disappears or at least lessens considerably after the first three months. 
 
Once you find out your due date, you will know how far along you’ll be during the hottest part of the summer. If you’re going to be in your third trimester, you may be worried about exercising in the heat. This is when you will want to take advantage of indoor malls, fitness centers, and other places that are climate-controlled. 
 
During your first trimester, if you experience a lot of morning sickness along with fatigue, and it is in the heat of summer, you can also move your exercise routine indoors. This will help you with the nausea while still giving you the opportunity to fight the fatigue. The trick is to plan your exercise routine for when you are feeling your best during the day.
 
Exercise Routines You Can Do During Pregnancy 
 
Again, make sure you check with your doctor before starting any of these. If you feel any discomfort while doing them, stop exercising immediately and rest. If it persists, call your doctor.
 
1. Walking. The best exercise, both before, during, and after pregnancy, is walking. Walking is the easiest exercise on your body as it doesn’t cause undue jarring and can be done practically anywhere.
2. Bicycle riding. You’ll probably be able to do this all the way up to your third trimester (you’ll know about when this is once you find out your due date), as long as your doctor says it’s OK. Just make sure to ride on a level, smooth surface, and wear appropriate safety gear. Keep it slow, too.
3. Low impact aerobics. High –impact aerobics should definitely be avoided during pregnancy. Low impact aerobics are exercises you can do almost throughout your entire pregnancy. The key here, though, is low-impact. Smooth dance moves, with minimal bending or jumping around, will be better for you.
 
If you are participating in a guided exercise program, let your instructor or trainer know as soon as you find out your due date. He or she may be able to adjust your exercise routine so that you can continue exercising as long into your pregnancy as is possible.
 
So why not be active and keep yourself in shape during your pregnancy?

Getting Fit Matters – Even if You Aren’t a Fitness Buff

You don’t have to really love fitness or have a desire to be in perfect shape in order to get fit. You can also get fit just because you know it’s good for you and will help you live a longer, healthier life. There’s nothing wrong with spending time on the computer, enjoy the sports betting sites, the forums, and all the social media that’s available. After you’ve done that for a while, though, it’s time to get up and get moving. Don’t spend all day in that chair or on that couch, because you’ll never achieve your optimum level of health that way.

In order to really be fit, you have to do two things: move more and eat less (or at least healthier). If you’re already at a healthy weight you should be proud of yourself, because the majority of people today are overweight. Even healthy-weight people can have problems, though, if they don’t eat properly or have too much body fat. Internal fat that builds up around the organs can be dangerous, and even people who look thin can develop too much of it if they aren’t getting enough exercise.

You should always check with your doctor before you start exercising. Once you’ve been cleared, start slowly. You don’t want to injure yourself, because then you won’t be able to stick to your exercise routine. Just take things slow and build up over the course of days, weeks, or months, depending on your level of fitness and how slowly you started on your fitness journey. You can reach your optimum level of health, but it’s a very good idea to make sure that you do it the right way – and that means gradually and safely.

Good Food Rots, Bad Food Doesn’t

The more natural a food is, the healthier it is right? It is common knowledge that food that is not full of preservatives will go bad quickly, and that fast food is not the healthiest option. In fact, an accidental experiment is shedding new light on the quality of fast food.

It started with a bet between photographer Sally Davies and her friend. Davies read about Karen Hanrahan purchasing a McDonald’s hamburger in 1996 and how after 12 years it still had not decomposed. Hanrahan used the burger to show people the benefits of a healthy diet. Davies was interested in this story and mentioned to a friend. This friend thought she was crazy and bet her that a burger would mold or rot after a few days on the kitchen counter.

Davies took the bet, purchased a Happy Meal, and set it out on the counter just like she would do with her handbags. Davies took pictures daily, but quickly realized that it was going to be a tedious task and decided to take pictures every week or so. After 180 days, there was not a spot of mold or a fleck of rot on the burger, bun, or fries. The only change in over six months was that the burger shrunk a bit as it dried out and the bun got stale, with a small piece falling off the edge.

McDonald’s has consistently claimed of only using natural ingredients in their foods. Scientists have weighed in on this interesting event, stating that the high level of sodium is keeping the burger and fries from decomposing. Scientists also say that food with high fat content has less moisture, and moisture is needed for mold to grow. If a fast food burger has as much salt and fat in it to become a hockey puck, just think of what it can do to a person.

Basic Fitness: Improving Your Blood Oxygen Levels

Maintaining appropriate blood oxygen levels isn’t just for patients requiring a finger pulse oximeter. This key factor in your overall fitness should be maintained regardless of what your health goals are. Here are a few basic steps you can follow in order to improve your overall blood oxygen levels.

1) Find better air.

If you’re living in a highly polluted area, you may be suffering from lower blood oxygen levels than are ideal. Much more importantly, you need to be certain that you’re not bringing any bad air into your life. If you’re a smoker, quit. If you add any air pollutants, such as heavy perfume, cleaners, and so forth, either avoid the area for a while after or stop altogether.

2) Do deep breathing exercises.

There are a number of breathing exercises that can help you improve your oxygen levels. These range from simple “sitting and breathing” tasks to more complex activities, such as yoga. This practice can also help you improve your breathing habits in other situations.

3) Improve your posture.

Poor posture makes you look like a slouch and it prevents your lungs from filling up completely. Adjust your posture in order to resolve this. If needed, do muscle training for any weak areas that are preventing appropriate posture.

4) Exercise regularly.

This one should be pretty obvious. If your heart or lungs aren’t healthy, a good blood oxygen level will be impossible. Get involved in a reasonable cardio fitness regimen that pushes your limits without ignoring them.

5) See a doctor.

If you have any extreme issues with blood oxygen levels, it’s important that you talk to a doctor. They will be able to examine your overall health and advise appropriate nutritional supplements and activities. In the more extreme cases, advanced treatment such as oxygen therapy may be suggested.

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