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Welcome
Please read all the group announcements before joining "Fitness Over 50."
This group was founded to be a Virtual Workout Room were members go to share fitness and nutrition ideas and inspirational successes. QUESTIONS about the these things are welcomed.
Members with Obesity concerns can go here: view link Many who post requests for help with Obesity NEVER return, so I will remove those kinds of posts. There is plenty of good advice in the Weight loss group.
New Members: please tell us what you're doing to stay fit!
ADVERTISERS will be booted.
Please take care to protect your identities. Go here to learn how to protect your privacy: view link Tasteful pictures are encouraged. Please report related issues to EONS help view link
Please protect the harmony of the group by denouncing personal attacks or ridicule.
This group was founded to be a Virtual Workout Room were members go to share fitness and nutrition ideas and inspirational successes. QUESTIONS about the these things are welcomed.
Members with Obesity concerns can go here: view link Many who post requests for help with Obesity NEVER return, so I will remove those kinds of posts. There is plenty of good advice in the Weight loss group.
New Members: please tell us what you're doing to stay fit!
ADVERTISERS will be booted.
Please take care to protect your identities. Go here to learn how to protect your privacy: view link Tasteful pictures are encouraged. Please report related issues to EONS help view link
Please protect the harmony of the group by denouncing personal attacks or ridicule.
Its Working!
Just wanted to pop in and say I have lost 5 lbs and it is great! I am feeling better just by eating the right things more often and lots of water and exercising a half hour each day. I want to thank Geri For her shot in the arm to get me going and if anyone has any recipes for me I would love them! Thanks everyone!
Wendy
Wendy
Home Gym / Elliptical
Does anyone here have a home gym and/or elliptical machine? I'm in the market for gym equipment for my home and wondered what brands/kinds people here might have purchased and can recommend.
Thanks!
Thanks!
resistance-exercise
I'm interested to learn if one of you has come across exercise sets using bungie cords for resistance-exercise.
There is some evidence that modest amounts of resistance-exercise may have a significant impact on insulin resistance.
I find this interesting in that I might manage a stretching exercise at a time when joint and muscle problems prevent me from using weights.
There is some evidence that modest amounts of resistance-exercise may have a significant impact on insulin resistance.
I find this interesting in that I might manage a stretching exercise at a time when joint and muscle problems prevent me from using weights.
Vacation Time Again
I had mentioned sometime in May of this year that I went to Panama on vacation and my weight went up from 123 lbs to 129-130 lbs. I am pleased to say that I am back to 123. However, I am on my way to Panama again for two weeks starting next week.
I will let you know how much I gained while there. It is just impossible to stick to a diet when I am there. My relatives, although not obese, and unlike the people in Costa Rica's blue zone, they have a lot of "American" food. The native food is somewhat greasy. Oh, well such is life. I will get back on my diet when I return.
I will let you know how much I gained while there. It is just impossible to stick to a diet when I am there. My relatives, although not obese, and unlike the people in Costa Rica's blue zone, they have a lot of "American" food. The native food is somewhat greasy. Oh, well such is life. I will get back on my diet when I return.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
For any of you who caught the new ad campaign that began this past weekend singing the praises of HFCS being sponsored by the Corn Refiner's Association, here is a link you may find informative. view link If nothing else, the commercials are funny. It's sad that this supposed responsible association is risking the health of our citizens. There are enough ethanol plants at this juncture to keep the corn from rotting in the fields.
Do short people live longer?
Ever notice how young adults and middle-aged people often seem to tower over some of their older relatives, like their great-great-grandmothers? More often than not, it appears older adults are short. While this loss of stature is attributed partially to shrinking bones and the other physiological effects of aging, some researchers say this is no coincidence at all. They pose the theory that perhaps we see so many short-statured, elderly people because they are, in fact, living longer than their taller peers. So, are short people really living longer?
Whether you're short or tall, enjoying life is the best way
to age.The correlation between height and longevity is a topic of much debate. Studies and evidence seem to point both ways. According to the World Health Organization, Japanese women have the longest average life spans worldwide, coming in at 86 years old [source: Washington Post]. Coincidentally, the average height of a Japanese woman between the ages of 75 and 79 is just 149.54 centimeters (58.87 inches) [source: Japan Statistical Yearbook].
On the other hand, we are a few inches taller than our ancestors of only a few generations past, and we tend to have improved life spans and overall health. In 1820, the average U.S. man lived to be approximately 39 years old [source: Steckel]. The World Health Organization reports that today, the average U.S. man lives to be about 75 years old [source: Washington Post].
Another interesting correlation is the relationship between standard of living measurements and height. Researchers have noted that during stressful times, such as periods of mass unemployment, people's heights tend to be shorter than during prosperous times [source: Steckel].
So who has the edge? Is it tall people, who seem to appear more often during times of prosperity; or short people, more likely to be the norm during times of stress? And in the long run, who will be the last ones standing at the finish line?
To find out the answer to this question and see whether your height, largely a genetic gift (thanks mom and dad), will affect when you will die.
But the final analysis? Height (or the causes of height variation) may be a factor, especially in some instances, like for those people who carry the Methuselah gene. However, there are many other dynamics involved in determining how long a person will live. These factors can include genes, lifestyle, birth weight, early childhood care and nutrition, vaccinations, antibiotics, diet and income level.
These factors seem to have an interweaving effect on what the quality of life will be like for however many years a person will live. For instance, some researchers studied the medical records of large populations of people who lived a few centuries ago. Those studies found strong links between a person's health as a fetus and baby (the first two years of life) with his or her state of health as a middle-aged adult. These links were stronger than factors such as someone's lifestyle as an adult. People born and raised under favorable conditions show substantially lower rates of chronic and fatal diseases later in life.
Two studies looked at people whose mothers were pregnant during times of strife, like Holland's Hunger Winter during World War II or 1918's influenza pandemic, compared with those who were pregnant right before or after these stressful times. The offspring of the former group were more likely to have chronic diseases upon reaching middle age than their peers of the latter group.
Whether you're short or tall, enjoying life is the best way
to age.The correlation between height and longevity is a topic of much debate. Studies and evidence seem to point both ways. According to the World Health Organization, Japanese women have the longest average life spans worldwide, coming in at 86 years old [source: Washington Post]. Coincidentally, the average height of a Japanese woman between the ages of 75 and 79 is just 149.54 centimeters (58.87 inches) [source: Japan Statistical Yearbook].
On the other hand, we are a few inches taller than our ancestors of only a few generations past, and we tend to have improved life spans and overall health. In 1820, the average U.S. man lived to be approximately 39 years old [source: Steckel]. The World Health Organization reports that today, the average U.S. man lives to be about 75 years old [source: Washington Post].
Another interesting correlation is the relationship between standard of living measurements and height. Researchers have noted that during stressful times, such as periods of mass unemployment, people's heights tend to be shorter than during prosperous times [source: Steckel].
So who has the edge? Is it tall people, who seem to appear more often during times of prosperity; or short people, more likely to be the norm during times of stress? And in the long run, who will be the last ones standing at the finish line?
To find out the answer to this question and see whether your height, largely a genetic gift (thanks mom and dad), will affect when you will die.
But the final analysis? Height (or the causes of height variation) may be a factor, especially in some instances, like for those people who carry the Methuselah gene. However, there are many other dynamics involved in determining how long a person will live. These factors can include genes, lifestyle, birth weight, early childhood care and nutrition, vaccinations, antibiotics, diet and income level.
These factors seem to have an interweaving effect on what the quality of life will be like for however many years a person will live. For instance, some researchers studied the medical records of large populations of people who lived a few centuries ago. Those studies found strong links between a person's health as a fetus and baby (the first two years of life) with his or her state of health as a middle-aged adult. These links were stronger than factors such as someone's lifestyle as an adult. People born and raised under favorable conditions show substantially lower rates of chronic and fatal diseases later in life.
Two studies looked at people whose mothers were pregnant during times of strife, like Holland's Hunger Winter during World War II or 1918's influenza pandemic, compared with those who were pregnant right before or after these stressful times. The offspring of the former group were more likely to have chronic diseases upon reaching middle age than their peers of the latter group.
How Does Mood Affect Immunity?
Everyday Health
by Jane Collingwood
We are slowly beginning to unravel the complex interactions between mental and physical health. Researchers have found a wealth of evidence that positive emotions can enhance the immune system, while negative emotions can suppress it. For example, individuals can take up to a year to recover a healthy immune system following the death of their spouse, and long-term caregivers have suppressed immune systems compared with persons in the general population.
Studies on survivors of sexual abuse and those with post-traumatic stress disorder suggest they have elevated levels of stress hormones, as do students at exam time. In these groups of people and others experiencing loneliness, anger, trauma and relationship problems, infections last longer and wounds take longer to heal. However, having fun with friends and family seems to have the opposite effect on our immune systems. Social contact and laughter have a measurable effect for several hours. Relaxation through massage or listening to music also reduces stress hormones.
The reasons for this link remain unclear, but the brain appears to have a direct effect on stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which have wide-ranging effects on the nervous and immune systems. In the short term, they benefit us with heightened awareness and increased energy, but when prolonged, the effects are less helpful. They lead to a profound change in the immune system, making us more likely to pick up a bug.
Stress also can overactivate the immune system, resulting in an increased risk of autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, hives and acne also may worsen, and stress can trigger asthma attacks.
The mechanisms behind this are complex and still only partially understood, but what we do know is that our reactions to life events can have far-reaching effects on our health. This can work to our advantage — feelings of relaxation reduce cortisol, together with other beneficial bodily responses. In turn, these changes feed into the immune system, making it function well. This happens spontaneously in our daily lives, but we also can encourage it by choosing to look after ourselves.
Insights From the 'Placebo Effect'
A mind-body link also is found in experiments where people with infections are given placebo (inactive) treatments, which they think are the real thing. Even though the treatment has no medicinal effect, these volunteers report milder symptoms than those given no treatment.
The link also can work the other way once we have developed an infection. Volunteers who are given a symptomless infection feel more anxious and depressed for the next few hours than healthy volunteers. The infection also has a detrimental effect on their memory, lasting several hours.
It's also been found that happier people may be less likely to come down with colds.
Dr. Sheldon Cohen, professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, suggests in his research that our susceptibility to infection can easily be altered by our lifestyle choices.
"Don't smoke, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, try to reduce the stress in your life, and strengthen your interpersonal relationships," he advises.
Being depressed or anxious is linked to catching more infections and experiencing the symptoms more strongly. Of course, it's possible that happier people might have a tendency to play down how bad they are actually feeling. We are slowly beginning to unravel the complex interactions between mental and physical health. Researchers have found a wealth of evidence that positive emotions can enhance the immune system, while negative emotions can suppress it. For example, individuals can take up to a year to recover a healthy immune system following the death of their spouse, and long-term caregivers have suppressed immune systems compared with persons in the general population.
Helping Ourselves
While no one knows for sure how our feelings can affect the immune system, most doctors agree that reducing stress is a good idea. Many stresses cannot be avoided altogether, but we can minimize our 'background' stress and our reactions to stressful events.
This is easier said than done. The modern world almost is set up to produce anxiety and frustration. But we can manage stress by reducing the demands upon us, increasing our ability to cope with them, or both.
Creative thinking may lead you to ways — such as delegating work or deleting less important items from your to-do lists — to help reduce stress. Then you can look for ways to improve your coping ability, such as learning a new, useful skill or spending more time unwinding each day. If you are anxiety-prone, consider meditation, yoga, or tai chi classes.
Although it takes effort to stand back and assess how things are going, it's more than worth it for your happiness as well as your health.
by Jane Collingwood
We are slowly beginning to unravel the complex interactions between mental and physical health. Researchers have found a wealth of evidence that positive emotions can enhance the immune system, while negative emotions can suppress it. For example, individuals can take up to a year to recover a healthy immune system following the death of their spouse, and long-term caregivers have suppressed immune systems compared with persons in the general population.
Studies on survivors of sexual abuse and those with post-traumatic stress disorder suggest they have elevated levels of stress hormones, as do students at exam time. In these groups of people and others experiencing loneliness, anger, trauma and relationship problems, infections last longer and wounds take longer to heal. However, having fun with friends and family seems to have the opposite effect on our immune systems. Social contact and laughter have a measurable effect for several hours. Relaxation through massage or listening to music also reduces stress hormones.
The reasons for this link remain unclear, but the brain appears to have a direct effect on stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which have wide-ranging effects on the nervous and immune systems. In the short term, they benefit us with heightened awareness and increased energy, but when prolonged, the effects are less helpful. They lead to a profound change in the immune system, making us more likely to pick up a bug.
Stress also can overactivate the immune system, resulting in an increased risk of autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, hives and acne also may worsen, and stress can trigger asthma attacks.
The mechanisms behind this are complex and still only partially understood, but what we do know is that our reactions to life events can have far-reaching effects on our health. This can work to our advantage — feelings of relaxation reduce cortisol, together with other beneficial bodily responses. In turn, these changes feed into the immune system, making it function well. This happens spontaneously in our daily lives, but we also can encourage it by choosing to look after ourselves.
Insights From the 'Placebo Effect'
A mind-body link also is found in experiments where people with infections are given placebo (inactive) treatments, which they think are the real thing. Even though the treatment has no medicinal effect, these volunteers report milder symptoms than those given no treatment.
The link also can work the other way once we have developed an infection. Volunteers who are given a symptomless infection feel more anxious and depressed for the next few hours than healthy volunteers. The infection also has a detrimental effect on their memory, lasting several hours.
It's also been found that happier people may be less likely to come down with colds.
Dr. Sheldon Cohen, professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, suggests in his research that our susceptibility to infection can easily be altered by our lifestyle choices.
"Don't smoke, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, try to reduce the stress in your life, and strengthen your interpersonal relationships," he advises.
Being depressed or anxious is linked to catching more infections and experiencing the symptoms more strongly. Of course, it's possible that happier people might have a tendency to play down how bad they are actually feeling. We are slowly beginning to unravel the complex interactions between mental and physical health. Researchers have found a wealth of evidence that positive emotions can enhance the immune system, while negative emotions can suppress it. For example, individuals can take up to a year to recover a healthy immune system following the death of their spouse, and long-term caregivers have suppressed immune systems compared with persons in the general population.
Helping Ourselves
While no one knows for sure how our feelings can affect the immune system, most doctors agree that reducing stress is a good idea. Many stresses cannot be avoided altogether, but we can minimize our 'background' stress and our reactions to stressful events.
This is easier said than done. The modern world almost is set up to produce anxiety and frustration. But we can manage stress by reducing the demands upon us, increasing our ability to cope with them, or both.
Creative thinking may lead you to ways — such as delegating work or deleting less important items from your to-do lists — to help reduce stress. Then you can look for ways to improve your coping ability, such as learning a new, useful skill or spending more time unwinding each day. If you are anxiety-prone, consider meditation, yoga, or tai chi classes.
Although it takes effort to stand back and assess how things are going, it's more than worth it for your happiness as well as your health.
Walking on a Saturday Morning
I just finished walking - one hour - I did Yoga first and balance exercises for about 45 minutes. The balance exercises consisted of standing straight on a Yoga mat, then go straight down to sit without using my hands as support. Then standing up, again, without using my hands as support to stand. I did this 10 times. Then I repeated the same exercise the only difference this time is that I had one gallon of water in each hand. I did 10 repetitions without using the gallon of water as support to stand.
