Yoga has become quite a popular exercise for people of all ages, but especially for the seniors. Yoga exercise for elderly people can help reverse the aging process and provide a wide range of positive benefits even if practiced on a moderate basis. There are many styles of yoga ranging in degree of difficulty. However, the basic moves and positions can be utilized by any age group. It is all about how you approach your exercise program that makes the difference. Since everyone is unique, it is always advisable to see your doctor before beginning any type of exercise program.
The Benefits of Yoga Yoga can provide positive health benefits for anyone but can be especially helpful for those more mature adults. The three main areas of development would be balance, stretching, and strength. Balancing exercises strengthen leg muscles and help to prevent falling. Every year in the U.S. there are tens of thousands of patients admitted for broken hips and usually some type of fall is the reason for the bone fractures. Balancing exercises can also help you avoid disabilities that may result from falling.
Beginning Yoga Exercises
Stretching exercises can increase your range of motion and allow you to do more of the things you need and want to do. Stretching by itself is not designed to enhance strength or endurance, however keeping one’s muscles more flexible can also reduce strains and may improve circulation as well. Flexibility exercises, such as stretching, might help keep your body and joints limbered up, which could help prevent injuries and falling. It sometimes can speed up a recovery from an injury. Exercises for strength help build muscle as well as increasing your metabolic rate. This stabilizes blood sugar which and helps you maintain a healthier weight. By having stronger muscles, you will be less likely to need frequent assistance in doing your normal routines.
The Mental Benefits of Yoga
Besides the physical attributes of yoga, there are several mental benefits seniors can enjoy. By definition, yoga means union; therefore it is no surprise that one of the main underlying concepts is to achieve greater peace and harmony by better uniting the body and spirit. Perspectives on life and ourselves tend to change as we advance in age. The spiritual side of the world receives more importance as we grow older - this forms an excellent foundation for elderly people to start practicing yoga.
Proper Warm-ups for Seniors
It is recommended for seniors to begin their yoga exercise with slow, controlled motions. This phase can last for several weeks or longer depending on the individual. It is especially important in the earlier stages to avoid muscle sprains and strains. That will make the experience more enjoyable and safer while reducing the chances for injury. Even while using this slow gradual approach, many retirees can still benefit from improved circulation, range of motion and vitality.
Improve Your Circulation
Another benefit of yoga that most seniors can experience is improved circulation. This helps to better utilize the oxygen in their blood vessels resulting in improved memory and concentration. Many elderly people experience losses in these areas as the age increases and yoga can help reduce or reverse some of these effects. Seniors have many options for keeping fit through various forms of light exercise. One of the most important and often overlooked keys to staying healthy is proper breathing. That happens to be one of the foundations of yoga. Air feeds our bodies just as much as food and water does. Slow, deep breathing through the nose helps to cleanse the body on many different levels.
Just Get Started
Contrary to popular belief, yoga does not require years of practice to attain many positive results. In fact many elderly people really look forward to their yoga exercise sessions not only for the increased vitality also opportunities or social contacts if done in a group situation. The biggest key to succeeding is just get started.
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or web site, as long as you include the resource box and the active link to my website. Please notify me when it is used. Barry Craft is the owner and webmaster of http://www.Yoga-Exercise-Help.com.
For more inspiring and useful tips about the benefits of yoga, please visit our web site.
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Charlene J. Nuble
During the past thirty years there has been a steadily growing
amount of scientific evidence linking vitamins and minerals to
having a direct effect in protecting one’s self from aging.
Apart from the usual health benefits that we can receive from
having adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and other
nutrients in our body, it’s also a highly appealing note to
include that being healthy inside will actually reflect on how
we look like on the outside. This is why a great change in
one’s lifestyle is highly encouraged, a healthy way of living
can still be achieved given that you have the patience and
enough self-discipline to actually control yourself from
wolfing down hamburgers and steaks as well as chugging bottles
of soda each and every day.
And the health benefits don’t just stop there, along with the
youthful appearance, a healthy lifestyle can actually result to
a wonderful effect on your immune system, strengthening it and
eventually making you more active and less likely to catch any
illness. There are a number of nutrients that have shown to be
necessary in improving how our immune system functions.
Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, beta carotene and
selenium have been shown to boost resistance. The minerals zinc
and magnesium are also important for immune function. To ensure
a good bill of health, it is important that you have to make
sure that you’re getting the right amount of these antioxidants
each and every day, from a variety of fruits and vegetables in
your daily diet to nutrition supplements, it really is quite
easy to be healthy. However, antioxidants such as zinc and
magnesium can be found in dairy products and seafood.
Certain vitamins and minerals have been shown to aid in the
prevention of some degenerative diseases and illnesses and
peculiarities that are brought about by aging. Antioxidants can
actually help lower the risk of cataracts and macular
degeneration which are conditions associated with aging.
Experts actually suggest that antioxidants can help slow the
aging process by reducing the daily cell damage done by
environmental pollution and time. Vitamin E has been linked
with a lower risk of heart disease. Niacin a B vitamin can help
in reducing the level of cholesterol in the body. While some
other nutrients that are helpful in protecting against age
related disorders are selenium, cartenoids, flavinoids and some
Amino acids.
Proper nutrition via the diet can actually be quite a feat for
some who have never diet in their entire lives, as hard as it
may seem to be at first, a well-balanced diet is definitely
achievable. Even though people often work longer and harder
while parents tend to both work hard in order to provide for
their family, it is not an excuse for people to be neglecting
their health by filling their bodies with all sorts of junk
Another difficulty comes in being surrounded by a lot of
processed food that don’t really pack in the nutritional value
that a person needs to stay healthy. This problem goes as far
as the lack of minerals from the soil, which in turn causes our
food to be a lot less healthy that it should be. Even vegetables
nowadays cannot be relied on to fill in the necessary
nutritional requirements that one needs in order to be healthy.
This is the reason why nutritional supplements greatly abound
in check out counters and drugstores nowadays. Not only are
they affordable but they can also prove to be a good source of
the added vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that a person
needs in order to stay healthy and fit. Consult a licensed
dietician or your family physician to be able to choose the
right kind of nutritional supplement for you.
About The Author: Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links
and information about Vitamins, please go to:
http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and
information on all health related topics, go to:
http://www.besthealthlink.net/
Right now medical science is discovering why and how the human body ages. Recent discoveries on the hormonal and genetic control of the aging process have brought about many new possibilities to “slow down the clock”. One tried and true anti-aging method is exercise. Here are some tips on how to exercise and stay young:
* Resistance training such as weight lifting can increase lean muscle mass which normally declines as we age. More muscle means a stronger body and a higher metabolic rate. Resistance training can raise your metabolic rate more than any other type of exercise.
* As you age your metabolism slows down. A short interval training session (alternating periods of hard work followed by recovery work) or weight training will substantially boost your metabolic rate more than 24 hours after exercise.
* Heart function deteriorates with age so it’s necessary to give your heart muscle a regular workout. Short interval training (12-20 minutes) is great for the average healthy adult. If you are a beginner or have certain degenerative diseases start at a slower intensity.
*Increasing your lung volume is also an anti-aging effect of exercise. Intense exercise where you use your lungs to their fullest extent will best increase lung volume. Again, beginners start less intensely.
* Intense exercise has a positive effect on several hormone levels. Most notable is human growth hormone. Growth hormone declines with age but regular intense exercise and good sleep can increase the level of growth hormone resulting in more lean muscle mass, a decrease in body fat, improved mood and memory, more energy, increased skin thickness, higher bone density and increased sex drive.
* Perspiring during exercise brings moisture, circulation and nutrients to the skin’s surface keeping it more youthful. It also helps the skin slough dead cells naturally leaving fresh new skin to shine through.
* Provided you are not overtraining, exercise can also lower cortisol levels. Cortisol is a stress hormone which can contribute to anxiety and fat gain. While cortisol rises immediately post- exercise, it later declines to below pre-exercise levels as long as other stressors in your life are kept to a minimum.
* Exercise exerts a similar response on insulin, another fat storage hormone, and one that causes diabetes.
* As we age our susceptability to disease goes up. Most kinds of exercise have been shown to enhance the immune system to include increasing white blood cells which fight disease.
* Weightbearing and resistance exercise both increase bone density reducing osteoporosis that develops with age.
* Aerobic, interval and weight training modes of exercise all increase specific neurotransmittors in the brain whch elevate mood, decrease depression and alleviate anxiety.
* Millions of Americans suffer from insomnia. Regular exercise, especially if performed at the same time each day, can improve sleep quality. A full nights’ rest is important for many reasons including the fact that most of your natural growth hormone is produced while you sleep.
As you can see, exercise is indeed the fountain of youth. The best news is you don’t have spend hours a day to reap the benefits. New research has clearly shown that if the intensity is high enough as little as 15-20 minutes 4-5 times a week is all you need to do to look younger and feel younger.
About the Author
Dr. Lanny Schaffer is an Exercise Physiologist and the President of The International Fitness Academy. For more cutting edge fitness ideas go to http://www.aerobic-exercise-coach.com
Mike Spencer
Deficiencies in CoQ10 (also known as Coenzyme Q10) can cause or aggravate many conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and periodontal disease.
“After age 20, levels of Coenzyme Q10 in your body decline
gradually.After 50, it plummets.”
Healthy levels of CoQ10 help to lower your blood pressure and assist circulation as well as maintain healthy muscle tissue in your heart.
CoQ10 is also one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man.
CoQ10 levels decline as we age. This is significant because evidence suggests that a vast number of diseases including dystrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Neurological disorders and certain cancers are not only treatable with CoQ10 but may in fact be caused, at least in part, by a deficiency in CoQ10.
What can CoEnzyme Q10 do for you?
Take a look at what Coenzyme Q10 can do for your health:
Slows down the aging process as it protects your body from the
damage of free radicals
Support your immune system defences
Is beneficial for promoting cardiovascular health
Plays a crucial role in the maintenance of periodontal health
Research has shown that your immune system function is reduced when your levels of CoQ10 are depleted.
What is CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10 resists easy classification. Because it’s an organic
compound acting as an enzyme or coenzyme, necessary in small amounts for normal body function, most researchers consider it a vitamin.
CoQ10 is needed in every single cell in your body. It’s found in
meats and some protein-rich nuts, but the concentrations in these foods are normally weak.
How about fifteen pounds of peanut butter - or an equally improbable three-and-a-half pounds of sardines - which provide just 100 mg of Q10!
Now I love peanut butter - but fifteen pounds….. a day!
This is the amount the University of Washington School of
Medicine Physicians’ Update calls “a reasonable daily amount.”
To get optimal amounts of Q10, you need to take a supplement.
Why you need CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10 is recognised as an essential component in your
body’s production of ATP (also known as “muscle fuel”).
Without ATP, our muscles cannot move. Without CoQ10, we can’t
manufacture ATP.
After age 20, levels of CoQ10 in your body decline gradually.
After 50, it plummets.
Coenzyme Q10 is also one of the most powerful antioxidants every discovered, and has been found to improve athletic performance, and help intensive training athletes recover quicker.
In short, CoQ10 may well be one of the most important and versatile nutrients ever discovered. The only downfall of CoQ10 relates to its oral absorption.
A Breakthrough in CoQ10 research
Fortunately, however, a recent breakthrough in CoQ10 delivery
technology was recently discovered, meaning you can now make the most of this amazing nutrient.
“When I coined the word vita-nutrient, I was thinking of Coenzyme
Q10. It is neither vitamin nor mineral nor amino acid, yet it is absolutely
vital to our health and vital that we get enough of it.” Dr Robert C. Atkins, M.D. from his book, “Dr. Atkins’ Vita-Nutrient Solution”
Although it’s present in virtually every cell in your body, very
few people are aware of how important it is or how many different health benefits CoQ10 provides.
In fact, CoQ10 plays so many different roles in health, you
really need a book to detail all of them!
CoQ10 combats effects of heart attack.
Coenzyme Q10 is shaping up to be a heart’s best friend. But only
a small fraction of people who could benefit actually know about it.
Mike Spencer is committed to helping people promote and protect
their health. Here Mike talks about the benefits of CoQ10 for heart
health. Read more about CoQ10 here:
http://www.heart-healthy-diet.com/articles/coq10.html
—————————–
The Amazing Health Benefits of Coenzyme Q10
Nicky Pilkington
Coenzyme Q10 has exploded onto the health scene. This powerful mineral has many health saving properties. It is responsible for essential chemical reactions in your body as well as being a dynamite antioxidant.
What’s more, Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 occurs naturally in your body, (and that’s good), but unfortunately, as you age, have
nutritional deficiencies or get sick you are producing less of
this essential mineral.
And check this out…studies show that an estimated 25%
deficiency will cause serious metabolic health problems. At 75%,
death will follow and that would mean no more birthday cake for
you!
CoQ10 plays a key role in the production of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) needed for energy production in every cell. It
also has a powerful antioxidant that helps guard against damage
from free radicals.
And that is just for starters, cardiologist Peter Langsjorn
explains “Like the vitamins discovered in the early part of this
century, CoQ10 is an essential element of food that can now be
used medically.”
It gets even better…
Here are just a few of the health benefits:
Weight Loss - stimulates your bodies metabolism
Healthy Gums - suppresses gingival inflammation
Male Fertility - improves sperm mobility and protects free
radical injury
Cardiovascular - improvement of symptoms in cardiac and
congestive heart failure patients
Immune System - significantly enhances function
In various other studies CoQ10 was a tremendous benefit in
lowering high blood pressure and helped with angina and
congestive heart failure.
So you may be asking yourself, “Wow, where do I find this
stuff??” well, good news and bad news. A small amount, 10 to 20
milligrams of CoQ10, can be found in fish and organ meats of
animals. Well…that slowed me down a little! I don’t like organ
meats of animals, do you? Yuck! Here is another solution. An
easily available source of this nutrient is in many high quality
nutritional systems.
Safe scientific formulated blends of vitamins and minerals
including CoQ10 are specially formulated for maximum absorption. For adults taking Coenzyme Q10 in a supplement, the optimal amount should be between 30 and 90 mg per day. Under a doctors care, higher amounts may be prescribed.
Regardless of age or health almost everybody would benefit from
taking CoQ10 daily. Our health and quality of life are based on
feeling good and having healthy energy supplies.
And really people… this is so much better for your energy
levels than a cigarette and a diet soda!
Find out more about Mental Health at www.healthandfinesse.com
PINEAPPLE AND PAPAYASMedical authorities say that pineapples and papayas can relieve arthritis pain.
Research shows that pineapples and papayas have potent anti-inflammatory properties from high levels of bromelain and papain, which are natural enzymes. These enzymes reduce the inflammation in two ways.
First, the enzymes neutalize hormones in the body called prostaglandins. These are chemicals that spark pain in the body’s nerve cells.
Second, they reduce painful pressure from fluid buildup in the joints. This is achieved by the enzyme dissolving joint debris, like tiny bone chips, calcium deposits, dead tissue and blood cells that can clog joints, leaving them stiff and swollen. University teams have found that eating the fruits can diminish inflammation by 25%.
Bromelain and papain can turn a leathery-tough steak buttery soft, so you can imagine what they will do for stiffened joints. It will loosen them and restore movement. One of the most important functions of bromelain is to neutralize free radicals, the destructive compounds produced when the body uses oxygen.
Pineapple is also rich in vitamens B1 and B6, which also helps to ease arthritic pain, while papaya is one of the highest sources of vitamin C. Both of these fruits are low in calories - 40 to 80 calories per cup - and promote good digestion and the elimination of toxins and waste in the body.
GINGER
Ginger contains proteolytec which is a digestive enzyme similar to those found in papaya and pineapple. Ginger stimulates circulation in the digestive tract, helping to speed up the delivery of nutients to the bloodstream and increases muscle tone in the stomach. Ginger’s proteolytec enzymes are also valuable for nutritionally supporting the joints. Ginger has been successflly used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory.
Ginger tea compresses may be used to relieve arthritic pain and headaches. Keep a batch of ginger tea ice cubes in the freezer for making the compresses. This way, both hot and cold ginger remedies are readily available. For arthritic aches, soak a wash cloth in warmed ginger tea and apply to the site of the pain. Repeat as necessary.
For tension headaches, soak a clean wash cloth in melted (but still cold) ginger tea ice cubes. Place cold compress on the back of the neck or shoulders for 15 - 20 minutes. Repeat with fresh cool tea as necessary.
Ginger is naturally rich in assorted phytochemicals that work collectively to nourish and support the entire cardiovascular system. Functions such as blood pressure, cholestral absorption, blood clotting, and circulation are all nutritionally benefited.
To read the rest of the article please go to:
http://naturesway.50webs.com/
June Parker lived in Hawaii for forty years where she studied and practiced herbal healing and lived a drug free, organic life style. http://naturesway.50webs.com/
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