Seniors Site

If you are interested in getting fit and sexy, you should always remember that your body was not built with a switch, such that it is impossible to turn it off and on whenever you like it. Even a younger body needs to adjust when adapting a new lifestyle, and exercise, goes without saying, is a lifestyle meant to be adapted.  Especially with an aging body like ours, we need to take it slow, give our bodies some time to adjust and just enjoy the moment.
Like what I always say, staying fit and healthy is a lifetime commitment. A commitment you do for yourself. While staying fit usually results to slimmer, sexier body, it should not be your motivation and should only be considered as an additional reward for being a good girl/boy. It is because, almost always, you don’t lose weight and tone the body instantly. It takes time and hard work. If you focus on losing weight when exercising and you don’t get the desired result at once, you get easily discouraged and may even see exercising as a tedious task to do, hence unfinished fitness routines and ineffective weight loss programs.
Most of my senior friends have just started their fitness programs and they don’t have prior experience with any kind of exercise. However, they managed to stick with it and actually enjoy it. Here are some of their tricks on how they were able to start their exercise routines the right way:
·    Start slow and ask questions. In other words, they were curious—and managed to stay that way even if they already made it past the beginner’s level. They never assumed the role of a know-it-all and would ALWAYS seek assistance from professionals. This way they were able to uncover pro’s secrets and practice them too.
·    Feel your body responding. When exercising, focus your mind more on how your body responds. If a certain pose makes you feel weaknesses you never knew existed, let your instructor know and try to strengthen that part with his or her guidance.
·    Never overtrain. It’s easy to get obsessed with a program especially if your body is responding well to it. Unfortunately, obsession only occurs in your brain and it clouds whatever your body might be telling you. Overtraining causes injury and it is never recommended to anyone especially seniors and older people. Rest whenever needed and stay within healthy workout limits.
·    Try other sports. Just as long as it keeps you active and you enjoy it, engage. Engaging in other sports will help you stay away from getting bored with repetitive workout routines.
·    Find time for it. Making your fitness program a part of your daily life will make it easier for you to reach your goal, whatever that may be. Find your most comfortable time for it and follow it religiously, like you would when taking a bath or brushing your teeth.

Aside from the basic and generally known fact that organic is good for your health, going organic really has many great benefits for an aging body like ours—and I am not only talking about market-bought organic foods and whatnot—it includes your backyard, homegrown produce which your hands have personally tended and cared for.
I have heard complaints from my penny-pinching friends when it comes to going organic. Seniors who are very conscious of their money-spending activities have expressed the same thoughts—that going organic is indeed expensive—and I have to agree with that. Although I really couldn’t see the reason why organic products cost more—like it discourages us to finally make the switch, sellers tell me that it is actually the demand/care combo it requires just to be able to arrive safely on our tables. Apparently, it is much easier and cheaper for traditional farmers to deliver in bulk than organic farmers hence the stiff price.
However, seniors should know that you don’t have to buy organic produce each and everytime as you can yield your own especially if you are a good gardener. If lucky, you can even earn money from it by selling some of your produce to your neighbors. You can also keep free ranging animals as long as your local authorities permit it. When aiming for all-organic produce, make sure that you are farming right. Some of the basic guidelines are:
·    Make sure that the soil is free from any chemical i.e not treated in any way with pesticides and chemical-based solutions.
·    Must be “fed” with organic fertilizers only.
·    Should maintain an all organic diet through its different stages of growth.
So why is organic good for you? First of all, anything that is chemical will have a reaction the moment it touches your blood. This reaction can never be good for you as chemicals are not a natural substance for the body to recognize. Most of the time, it considers these substances as a foreign object and will try to fight it. Problem is, these chemicals are a lot stronger than our immune system which only creates havoc inside of us. Most chemical byproducts found in the blood causes diseases and illnesses and can sometimes make underlying ones resistant to treatments. By avoiding products that are drenched with harmful chemicals, you are saving yourself from these life threatening diseases or at the very least, boost your immune system to fight them off.

It’s not only your body that needs exercise, but also your brain! Bear in mind that as we age, our entire physical being begins to deteriorate so it is important that we start taking care of our body early on to somehow delay the aging process. Alongside with it are the 101 age-related and/or lifestyle diseases and illnesses that may plague us during our golden years. However, studies have shown that one of the fastest degenerating parts of our body is the brain which accounts to the sheer number of seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Like exercising the body, seniors are always reminded to train the brain regularly. But how often is regular exactly? And how hard should it be to fully work it out—and we are not talking just about anything there is to think of instead your brain should stay away from anything that will stress you out. When we exercise our brain, it should be something that will make it think outside of the box and yield creative, happy thoughts. Also, it is essential to provide your brain the nutrients it needs, in other words, you need to feed it too.
Let’s tackle the frequency first. Unlike physical exercise which needs at least 1 hour and half of working out per day, exercising your brain has no specific time period but it is most recommended for seniors to train your brain as often as possible which means almost always. When working it out, make sure that your brain uses all faculties possible which means it should be able to think forward, backwards and sideways. It is most recommended that you engage in something that will make you remember things that are otherwise forgotten—again, no unhappy thoughts please! Activities like crossword puzzles are the most recommended since it will boost your noodle in catching the right word to write down.
Snack on nuts and berries as they are rich in anti-oxidants and Omega3, the ultimate brain foods! Also, nuts, particularly walnuts, are known to boost melatonin, the hormone responsible in keeping your circadian cycle in its right track. In other words, nuts are not only good for the brain but it helps you sleep well at night too!
Some alternative ways work well in an aging brain too, such as trying online games whenever you have a short break instead of wasting your time doing unproductive things. Do take note too that most video game consoles offer games to train your brain as well. Now is the time to grab that joystick out of your grandkid’s hands!

Before I proceed, let me remind seniors all over the world that losing weight is neither easy nor instant. I would like to think of it as an adapted lifestyle in which you should leave behind bad habits to embrace a life that is healthy—bland food and all! Problem is, we only face this problem when it is already in front of us, staring back like an ugly monster. I, for one, am guilty of this. There were days when I’d rather stay at home and sleep than run my usual mile just because: it’s too hot or too dark outside; my running shoes gave up or I’m having a bad-knee-day. Fast forward and I’ll have 3 days of useless procrastination, only to find myself staring at those awfully huge thighs screaming “RUN!!”. Even though, the ever loyal partner would say that I appear no different from the other day, I swear, that guilty feeling always kills me!
So for the benefit of seniors who would like to lose weight, actually maintain it and manage to keep sanity intact, here are my 10 easy ways to lose weight:
·    Don’t be obsessed with that weighing scale! Actually, you don’t have to do it everyday. Weigh yourself every single morning and it’ll definitely drive you crazy! Pressure is not good when trying to lose weight. Bottom line is, relax and just do what you can to lose weight—not your mind.
·    No fad diets. Most of the time, they are very dangerous for your health, especially those which promise instant results. Based on my very extensive record of losing weight, no fad diet is ever doable and maintainable except if you are a model aiming for a stick-thin figure. Fad diets are crazy, and you know it. They will only ruin your good fitness program.
·    Accept that there will never be a shortcut for losing weight. It’s always a combination of exercise and diet. All you can do is make it fun and somehow, “stickable”.
·    It’s okay to “break the commandment” sometimes. It is impossible to totally give up the habits you love especially if they make you happy. Indulge yourself when you feel the urge, just don’t let that throw you off the fitness track.
·    Seek help. Losing weight can be a battle for most seniors but with supportive people cheering for you, you’ll be able to fully adjust to your newfound lifestyle in no time!
·    Be conscious of the food you eat. The first few weeks are the most crucial as probably you are not used to healthy options. Always stay on guard during these times.
·    Being healthy is not all about losing weight. It’s training the body to keep age-related, as well as lifestyle diseases at bay.
·    Never consider losing weight as a task or a problem to be solved. A problem, when solved, you stop exerting effort for it. On the other hand, staying healthy is a lifelong commitment to yourself.
·    Stop blaming outside forces for your poor choices in life. You have gotten fat because you ate too much and moved a little for a very long time.  In other words, you let yourself go, it’s time you take responsibility for your actions.
·    Don’t give up. So what if you are not seeing results? Just as long as you feel good about it, there’s no reason for you to stop. Never stop challenging yourself!

Losing weight is much more than following a strict diet and exercising. I say, when you want to really lose weight, you need to prepare yourself in every aspect of your life, especially emotionally and of course, physically. If teens and midlifers with stronger and more stable bodies are having a hard time following these two simple rules, then what should we expect from an aging body like mine?
With slower metabolism, limited range of motion and digestive problems, seniors are indeed puzzled on how to really lose weight and stay healthy for the rest of their lives. It seems that the odds are now reduced to almost half. Take into consideration the fact that seniors SHOULD never engage in anything drastic and life threatening which I find in every fad diet that comes my way!
One of the reasons why I find it hard to lose weight is that I always find myself shifting from one fitness program to another and end up with several fitness programs with zero results. Why? Just because I heard someone has been successful with her program and I want to try it too. Unfortunately, frustration strikes me first before I see anything tangible to hold on to! In addition to exercising hard enough, a senior must be able to stick with “the plan”. With that said, your fitness program should be something you really enjoy doing or take an extra effort to make it enjoyable on your part. A fitness instructor once told me that the best fitness program is a combination of cardio and light strength training. For seniors, it could mean jogging and Pilates on a regular basis.
Making your body strong enough to endure exercise is a must. This means seniors are allowed to eat to fuel the body as well as provide your body with enough sleep. I understand that some seniors are having a hard time getting enough sleep however, never harass yourself and end up frustrated for not getting any sleep at all. Seniors must gauge themselves, if you feel you can do exercise with little sleep, then by all means, go.
A proper mindset is also important when trying to lose weight and even in maintaining an ideal weight. As much as possible, try to aim for a healthy body to help you live longer, rather than a stick-thin figure which I think is not too charming to see. Furthermore, a balanced mind and body requires a stress-free lifestyle. While it is impossible to live a life free of stress, there are ways to de-stress yourself like getting a massage or joining a Yoga class.

Today, you can smell love in the air and there’s no denying it, it’s infective as ever! It’s hard not to get caught up with all the hustle and bustle of it. Whether you’re single or attached, you’ll certainly get the feeling that you need to join in the celebration and make someone feel loved today. Just this morning, my granddaughter who is currently living with me just arrived after spending the night at her cousin’s house holding a little heart-shaped balloon and a lone, red rose which I dearly suspect came from my own garden. She extended those chubby arms and in her 8-year old, high-pitched voice, shouted at the top of her lungs “Happy Valentine’s Day, Nana!” with a grin so big, it made my heart melt. I don’t know but little gestures like this, I appreciate more. I held back the tears because this kid might take it the wrong way, said thank you and I love you then kissed her cheeks.
These things made me think how important it is for me to stay alive longer, to be able to see them grow and build their own lives. I want to be there when they need me and knowing how they appreciate my being there for them is enough for me to go on, no matter how hard life can be. Since it’s a heart day, let’s direct our attention to that little muscle which has both medical and profound meaning, the human heart.
Now that I am old, I take an extra effort to take care of my heart as I see it getting vulnerable everyday. Of course, dying of an unexpected heart attack is not my idea of a stylish death so I am really conscious of getting my aging heart as healthy as can be.  Oftentimes, seniors tend to forget about their hearts, setting aside its needs, until they experience usual heart problems such as chest pains and palpitations. Problem is, when you reach this point, it is usually too late as the heart disease already progressed into something more damaging—and yes, life threatening too. As much as possible, make it a habit to care for your heart and never wait for the worst to come. Here are some easy ways to take care of your heart:
·    Do cardiovascular exercises. When you do these exercises, make sure you clearly know where your intention lies. Cardio is done for many reasons; some go for it to lose weight while others do cardio to tone their legs. Yours should be moderate cardio exercises that will just keep your heart beating adequately. No need to stress your heart, just give it its much needed exercise.
·    Go for high-fiber, low-cholesterol diet as it is the most heart-friendly diet. Make it a point to eat oats in the morning as it lowers cholesterol.
·    It was found out that lack of sleep causes calcium buildup in the arteries of the heart which leads to heart attack and stroke. If you love your heart, get enough rest and sleep. Read report here:  Lack of Sleep Linked to Heart Problems
·    Avoid stress as much as possible. Stress triggers hormonal reactions vaguely understandable by the body thus it fires up signals for which the heart takes the direct stress. As you get older, you must learn how to manage stress in your own ways.
·    Take supplements prescribed by your doctors. Your supplements should consist of Omega-3, antioxidants, and B-vitamins.

Yoga is not all exercise, in truth, it is a lifestyle for all yoga enthusiasts. As your yoga instructor might be teaching you, practicing Yoga means releasing distractions your mind and body might be having right now.  In order to maintain a healthy, balanced equilibrium, Yoga teaches us to limit disturbances in our daily lives by way of unburdening ourselves of lies, hatred, violent thoughts, unfaithful acts, and even refocusing our thoughts away from material things which tend to occupy a human’s mind most of the time. The practice of Yoga will not only make you physically fit and strong but also will help you maintain a mind that is both balanced and aligned to each and every part of your body, making movements more controlled.
Like most seniors, the major reason for us to get engaged in Yoga is fitness and hopefully regaining balance. I must admit, the first few sessions were harder than I thought it would be. I found myself dangerously swaying left to right, even toppling over many times while I eye enviously other seniors in the room confidently doing all the poses without hesitation. Fortunately, my instructor has been very patient with me, helping me to attain right form and posture during sessions, even allowing me to rest when needed.
But like I said, Yoga does not stop there. To further help us in achieving perfect health inside out, we must also give attention to the food we eat. Eating the Yoga way, both quantity and quality are considered. It should be a source of your body’s vitality and restore health no matter what age you are in. A Yoga diet is mostly veggies and fruits. As much as possible, it should be fresh and natural. In a Yoga diet, it is also advisable that we eat less than our capacity everytime so that we are always light and active.
Proper digestion is very, very important in a Yoga diet. Chewing your food slowly everytime you eat will tremendously help your digestive tract in processing your food intake hence proper digestion. Overeating is a big no-no as it will only make you feel heavy, not to mention overloading your digestive system, making it harder for the body to absorb essential nutrients.
The practice of Yoga also believes that the food we eat has a direct effect on our mind and body’s equilibrium. It influences the way we think and act thus keeping a wholesome diet is very important if we want a physically and mentally healthy life. Those who are strictly into Yoga diet know that avoiding stimulating food and beverages is a must such as coffee, alcohol and spicy food.

There’s no doubt everybody in this room has had their so-called “senior moments” or in cyber lingo, mental glitches, like it’s something you can defrag, reboot or upgrade when necessary. Although subjective memory loss is almost always a portent of dementia, or so these medical researchers say, let’s for once consider this as a matter of being unorganized and always in a hurry. I say, there’s totally no harm in considering ourselves normal, healthy persons, right?..
Milder terms for memory loss are forgetfulness and absent-mindedness. These two, for me, connote that I am indeed a busy person that I have no time for such unimportant things like my keys and my wallet. Yes, I like fooling myself sometimes just for the humor of it. But let’s face it, sometimes it gets so irritating to forget things just when I needed them most, especially in cases when I need to take medications on a strict schedule then I find myself in the middle of the day wondering if I took my morning meds and have absolutely no idea if I did. Talk about frustration!
Let me tell you, forgetfulness knows no age, gender or whatsoever. This morning, my grandkid asked her mother if she saw his toy truck when I just witnessed him the night before bragging about it like there’s no other one like his toy. You see? Only when it occurs to seniors, we’re “marked” FOREVER! Here are my tips and tricks to avoid the inconveniences of forgetfulness and at the same time improve senior’s memory skills:
·    Maintain an organized life. It may be harder to do but take it from me, it really does wonders! I always make it a point that I visit stores with office supplies in them or even bookstores and browse through racks to see if there’s something new for me to use such as an organizer with better organizing capabilitites, sticky notes, etc. Anything that will help me remember things round the clock!
·    A place for everything and everything in its place. A bowl just beside the door proves to be very helpful to my key-hunting activities because I just throw them in the minute I step inside the house and pick them up on my way out. All my medications go to my bedside drawer as it is easier for me to reach for them when I need them.
·    Take memory enhancing vitamins. There’s no use hiding forgetfulness from your own doctor. Let him do his job and make your life a little easier and more convenient.
·    Brain exercises are the best! Try online games that will challenge your memory skills. Some can be downloaded to your computer so you can access them even offline.
·    Make it a habit to calm the mind. A calmer mind is a focused one. You will easily remember things if your mind is not too cloudy with unnecessary things.

Of course! And if I may say so, seniors are more than ready for change nowadays. Seniors today are living longer and healthier lives, unfortunately, our skin doesn’t always match our inner being. Honestly, one of the worst experiences we have to contend everyday is looking in the mirror and see a saggy, wrinkly face when you really are feeling 10 or 20 years younger than your true age. Unfair right? Especially when you know you fought hard for your health, only to end up with bagful of wrinkles evenly distributed around your face.
I have some friends who underwent the knife, some got their happy endings while others end up with a face a million times worse than what they exchanged for. I, for now, am sticking with my natural face but God knows, if I get to live some 40 more years and end up with jaws just above my collar bone, then I will definitely make necessary arrangements to Costa Rica—and fast!
Actually, it’s never a sin to be vain, just as long as you are doing it for yourself and never for others. Well, that’s according to me. When you reach a certain age, somehow you will hear a nagging voice inside of you saying that maybe it’s time to take care of yourself instead. For some, this voice gets a little louder earlier in life, say midlife?..
Whatever your reasons are and no matter how intent you are in having a plastic surgery, seniors need to be reminded that safety should always come first. I consider plastic surgery as merchandise wherein you shop around to find a retailer that suits you best. They may offer you the same thing and would promise you the same end result but let’s face it—and no pun intended—it’s a traumatic experience and not to mention risky. So if you’re adamant in getting it done, make sure you go for a doctor that would provide you with lesser stress and great results. This, you could only know by getting feedbacks from previous patients or from friends and families who underwent the same thing.
It is important that you do your research first and go meet previous patients to know about the procedure more before going to the doctor. The reason for this is, sometimes, cosmetic doctors tend to get all flowery with words that it gets harder to spot the “not”. In other words, it’s fairly easy to get blinded with promises and not see the warning signs at once. Aside from that, it is best if you explore other options aside from the ever popular face lift. Today, there are many non-invasive procedures that are available to erase those wrinkles away depending on the severity of the problem. Again, go for the ones that won’t stress you much and won’t require too much healing time. Lastly, always check your doctor’s credentials and make sure he or she is qualified to do such procedures. Bear in mind that it is your face at stake.

One of the most health threatening situations we seniors have to face every single day is the risk of falling. I personally have observed that as we grow older, the more trips and falls we experience—and in ever shortening intervals too! I say, my balance is seriously impaired that’s why! I can honestly attest to this since I observed that while the strength of my knees are still there, I can no longer do exercises which involve balancing myself without risking an off-balanced feat!
But I’m not the type of person who would just easily give up on things! I admit, there are things that an aging body won’t be able to do like it used to but these things can be improved, especially  if given enough attention. So I did my research and come up with what might be an answer to the question of my ever dwindling balance.
As the title suggests, senior citizens can prevent falls just by improving their balance and body stability. These two go hand-in-hand, side-by-side thus improving one will benefit the other. Fortunately, there are types of exercises which specifically target strength building, particularly of the legs, and balance improvement. Yoga for one, promotes balance, inside and out. Yoga, having adjustable levels and degrees of practice, also proves to be perfect for an aging body.
Strength training on the other hand, will help your bones stay strong, well almost, since it will build muscles around it, hence protecting the bones. It also stabilizes your body’s stance for better balance. Contrary to popular notion, there are many ways in which seniors can improve their balance and build strength without hurting themselves. All you need to do is find an exercise which really interests you and will be able to keep you in regular attendance.
Tai Chi has also shown excellent results in terms of improving seniors’ balance and stability. Tai Chi is originally an ancient Chinese martial arts but has managed to evolved in a moderate-impact exercise most suitable for seniors.  Studies even showed that with regular Tai Chi training, seniors were able to improve their range of motion and flexibility preventing falls from happening.
Why not try aquatic exercises instead? When you do aquatic exercises, you take advantage of the buoyancy that the water will naturally give you, enabling you to float, raise, jump and stretch to your heart’s content. Things that are otherwise impossible to do when out of the water. Also, water has its own resistance so it’s more or less doing resistance training minus heavy dumbbells from the local gym!