You Older? What Does It Take?

What does getting older and physical fitness have to do with aging gracefully?  No one can stop it.  Every day you will be a day older than yesterday.  How do you want to look and feel?  What do you want to be able to do?  It could be as simple as talking to a friend, walking from one place to another, playing with grandchildren, and being able to do the activities you want to do.  Your lifestyle is your choice.

Your age is merely a number.  Although many of us look in the mirror and are surprised to see who is looking back at us.  It is not always the vibrant person we remember of our younger years.  So, what will you do today and tomorrow so your future days can be spent how you want?

Did you know that by exercising:

you can delay the onset of dementia by 11 years?

you can lower blood pressure? Lower your cholesterol?  Diabetes controlled better?

you can improve blood flow to the brain?

the earlier/younger you start the better?

that by adjusting what you do for activity, you can be active every day of your life?

You do not have to “go crazy” with your activities.  30 minutes a day is perfect.  As you learned from Vi in the video, she did different activities throughout her life.  The important fact is Vi is moving every day.  She will be 95 in November.  Violet is motivated.  How about you?

What keeps you motivated?  Personally, I want to maintain my active healthy lifestyle so I can do almost anything I want to do for as many years as I can.  I want to be able to do these activities with friends.  I want to travel and see the world.

Do you have trouble finding a reason to move every day?  Is it easier to do nothing?  Are you afraid of the consequences of NOT doing exercise?  Does exercise conjure up some ugly memories of how you were never the star athlete?

It’s what you do now, today, that matters.  Do you want free coaching? There is truly no charge.  In my earlier years I was a PE teacher and coach.  I loved working with kids and seeing them get strong, healthy, and active.  All we are is a grown-up kid in an older body.  Join our Facebook group today to gain encouragement from me and other group members.  You don’t have to do this by yourself.  You can be a beginner or someone who has exercised all your life and you just want some motivation or accountability partner, so you will keep up being active. Join today. Active Healthy Lifestyles Private

www.facebook.com/groups/activehealthylifestylesprivate

 

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Where do you find the most germs in an airport?

Airplane bathrooms top the list.

When you’re traveling by air, try to use the bathroom before you get on the plane. Bar none, the germiest place on an airplane is the tiny restroom. Because they are not cleaned during flights or on continuing flights, germs and bacteria are everywhere. Studies have found E. coli on almost every surface—including the toilet, hand rails, sink area, and door. Be sure to wash hands with soap and water. Use a paper towel to open the door.

What other places in the airport accumulate a lot of germs?

Any surface will collect germs, especially given the number of people walking through the airport and touching things. Door handles, tables, elevator buttons, hand rails, and other high-touch items are often covered with nasty stuff and may not be hygienically cleaned.  Airplane tray tables. With quick flight turnovers, these tray tables aren’t getting sanitized between every trip, either. So think about that before you eat off of one on your next flight. Bring sanitizing wipes and give your tray table a quick once-over before using it.

What steps can passengers take to stay clean while going through the airport?

The best advice is to do what your mother told you to do—wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water. Avoid touching your eyes and nose. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. And carry hand sanitizer for use between hand washings.

What can passengers do to stay clean in the airport security line?

Wear socks through the security line instead of walking bare foot, which can increase your risk of picking up diseases. Children 12 and under are no longer required to remove their shoes to go through airport security, so that adds one more way to help protect your kids.

Are hand-sanitizers effective in protecting passengers against germs?

Hand sanitizers are recommended when hand washing with soap and water is not an option. They are a good back-up plan and easy for children to use. Also carry disinfecting wipes if possible. I use them on the tray table as a standard rule.

Do airports have more germs than planes?

Both airports and airplanes are transfer stations for large numbers or people and for the germs they carry. They both present a vast number of opportunities for harmful germs to find a surface and live there. In any place where there are a lot of people and a lot of surfaces to touch, there will be more germs. That goes the same for your workplace, workout facility, doctor’s office, favorite restaurant, and other common places that most of us visit in our daily lives.

Do you get sick when you travel?

Chances are you’ve contracted some germs from the air that you have been breathing.  You can wear a face mask or even easier wear a “Fresh Air Buddy”.  Your own personal purifier that is so small you can wear it around your neck.  It keeps germs out of your air space.  I recommend putting this on the minute you enter the airport.

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What Is Flag Day?

On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress, by resolution, adopted the US Flag, consisting of thirteen stripes and thirteen stars for the thirteen colonies. Over the years a star was added when each additional state was admitted to the union. We now have 50 stars but the thirteen stripes remain as a symbol of the original colonies.

It was not until August 3, 1949 that National Flag Day was established by an act of congress. Flag day while observed nationwide is not an official federal holiday,

We fly the US flags on June 14 to commemorate the day when the first US flag was adopted.

Now I bet you are wondering how this ties in with our Fresh Air Purifiers.  Well here goes..    It really doesn’t.

But flags do wave in the air.

So as you see the American flag waving think of all the clean air you want to breathe.

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Sitting leads to greater chances of health issues

I learned on 10 tv news that those who sit 11 hours have a greater chance for 13% cardio  disease, 20% increase in heart problems and 20% increase in cancer. WOW!  Have you added up how many hours you sit each day?  Yes this includes travel time.  This is a perfect time to get the pedometer you have been thinking about.  My husband and I each have a Fitbit.  It records your steps; calories burned and is a clock.  It keeps track on your computer and portable devices.  For hints on how to use and goals to set just give me a shout.

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Looking Young and in Your 90’s: It’s Not a Secret Read more to find the answer

exercisingSo you think you can be healthy without exercise.  That’s what we want to believe.  No work and “voila” we are feeling good.  If it were only that simple.  Have you looked around you when shopping, attending sporting events, at restaurants, or just at your family gatherings.  What do you observe?  Now I know that it is unkind to judge others.  So let’s just look at yourself.  Ouch!  For some of us this could be a not-so-happy experience.

 

Being healthy is sometimesexercise 10 a boring subject.  We don’t want to talk about it.  We dismiss the little voice in our head that warns us we are about do to something unhealthy.  For some of us, we don’t even hear that voice anymore.  We just bound forward and do what we want to do and the heck with the consequences.  And for others we hear that voice, do it anyways, and then feel guilty.  This unhealthy emotion takes its toll on our mental and physical health.  Here we are talking about “being  healthy” again.  So whether we want to admit it or not, the way to being healthy is and always will be a part of our lifestyle.

My mom who is 96 is living at Primrose in Marion, Ohio.  This is an assisted living group of apartments with 24 hour care available.  Her name is Mary and she is still doing exercises.  Mom is wheelchair bound.  You can ask her.  If you stop working on the muscles, you lose it.  She goes into the bathroom and holds on to the bar rails and does stand ups.  While sitting in her chair she lifts one leg off the platform or floor.  She alternates legs.  Another exercise is leg extensions.  We are able to transfer her from the wheel chair to her adjustable recliner.  With her ability to stand, it makes this maneuver much easier to do.  Mom’s fingers are getting weak.  It is important for her to be able to control the knob on the power chair.  She wants to be independent.  Eating is also a challenge.  We kids go in and help her eat.  She has been doing some finger and hand exercises.  She is now receiving occupational physical therapy.  What some people don’t know is once you begin no longer showing improvement, that program stops!  Who is responsible now?

Yes, it is you.  You know deep down that you want to live a happy, independent life and not be a burden to anyone.  A question you need to ask yourself is how you want to be functioning as you reach “Senior Citizen” status.  I’m still in denial about that.  My mom and I are both senior citizens.  We do laugh about that.  And we’re both on Medicare!  How do you want to be when you turn 45, 50, 60, 70 and even 90 years young?

Yep, you wexercise 5ant to be able to do everything you could do when you were 40 and in our minds 30.  When I chat with the other residents at Primrose they often share what they did in their younger years and in their mind they think young and in the mirror they realize the cycle of life is happening ready or not.   So back to the age old discipline of exercising.  “If it ain’t fun, it must be good for us.”  Exercise does not have to be labor intensive or boring.  It is what you make it.  There are many choices for you.  You can get a trainer, go to the gym, swim, walk, play sports.  If you want to stay home there is exercise equipment you can purchase for your home.  For many this is cheaper than a sports club membership and it is conveniently located, you don’t have to worry about dressing up or how you look performing the exercises.  Besides the exercise equipment, there are many exercise programs on CD’s.  You pop it in and there is your friend and you are exercising together.  You don’t have to think.  Just imitate what that person is doing and “viola” you are becoming more fit a day at a time, a week at a time and a month at a time.

In conclusion, notice where you are today.  Make the decision to live a healthy lifestyle so that when you reach your 50’s, 60’s 70’s and more, you will be able to live the life you want.  It takes action and self-discipline.  You have what it takes.  Now take the next step, contact me.  Together we can plan your exercise program.  I can be your accountability partner that you share your progress.  You are on the road to a healthier you.  Read the hints on this website and on our Face Book Page, www.facebook.com/activehealthylifestyles.com I offer exercise and nutrition hints that may be just what the doctor ordered.  Contact me today to start your plan to a healthy lifestyle.

Your Health Savvy Advocate,

Diana

Diana@ActiveAirPurifiers.com 

www.beachbodycoach.com/DianaHoffman

www.ActiveHealthyLifestyles.com

Content Copyright © 2014  Active Healthy Lifestyles   Diana Hoffman

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Treat Myself to Regular Maintenance

6 months ago, today, an orthopedic surgeon inserted 7 screws and a plate into my right ankle because 2 days prior, Feb. 19, I slipped on the ice and broke off both bones on my right ankle.
I heard from the medical attendants that by spring I’d be back to walking normally. Then I heard from those who have had these injuries as an adult that it could take 6 months to a year before I was back to par.

After this morning doing an exercise routine that includes running in place and jumping jacks, I can today say that my ankle is doing better. But the reason I share this is not about pointing you to my recovery but to staying regular with stretches, exercises and conditioning that helps muscles and bones handle even the everyday pressures.

In six months there have been about 6 days that I did not stay on track. When I got lazy or forgot my routine, that short span of inactivity allowed all the effort I had put into my recovery to quickly diminish. Today I realize that at 54 years old, if I want to move well (or relatively well), I need to treat myself to regular maintenance.

Merri Bame The Importance of Regular Exercise   August 2014

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Diet, Exercise, and Stress How’s your lifestyle treating you today?

10297928_10152411068809684_4092118028527514375_n-286x300Believe it or not, the one big thing besides diet and exercise that can cause you to plateau is stress. When you’re stressed, your body sends out higher levels of the hormone cortisol .  This can encourage your body to hang on to fat.

“Cortisol is actually a performance-enhancing hormone,” says Edwards. “But it’s gotten a bad rap because we’ve begun living our lives at too high a volume. Cortisol is released at times when the body is in an emergency state. It increases performance, but only over a short period of time. When cortisol is released and forced into action at regular intervals, it causes your body to wear down and switch to more drastic means of survival, like holding on to excess amounts of body fat. Your life shouldn’t feel like one big emergency. As a society, we need to learn to be more “tranquillo,” as the Spanish say.

We get stressed for many reasons, almost all of which are influenced by the society around us. One of the best ways to combat stress is to get some alone time to chill. If you’re the type who can’t let go, try some forced relaxation techniques, of which yoga seems to be one of the most effective. There’s something special about the mind/body interaction of yoga that forces a relaxed state even from the most stressed of us.

If you feel you need a lot of help, dig into an intense course, like P90X Yoga X.

For others, something lighter, like Yoga Booty Ballet® Pure and Simple Yoga, will do the trick. If you’re not into yoga, then consider at least adding some stretching into your schedule. Most of Beachbody’s programs have at least one stretching session. TurboFire® even has two! PiYo is the newest program that combines Pilates and yoga and does not have any jumping around.

Your Health Savvy Advocate

Diana@ActiveAirPurifiers.com

www.beachbody.com/DianaHoffman

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Ways to Win the Battle of Self-Sabotage

You have set a weight goal. Clifton Gorge Springfield Oct One challenge is how to stay on track when you are on the road. It can be vacation, a one day travel to visit friends or family, or doing your business and have meetings, client appointment and errands. What to eat?

My story: Steve and I drove two hours to visit his father and see his two sisters last Sunday. One sister was visiting from North Carolina. We had a wonderful visit on a beautiful fall day. The foliage was almost at its best. So we decided to visit Clifton Gorge on our way home. It took us a little longer to find it as the entrance is on one side and Siri was unclear where to direct us. We finally arrived. After our picture taking, it was 7PM and getting dark. Home was 1 ½ hours away. We were hungry now. And eating after 8:30 is just not a good idea anytime. So Siri to the rescue. We chose the Hibachi Buffet. There would be no waiting for food so we could eat and be on our way. The choices were terrific and the food tasted great. Problem: When eating at a buffet I feel I need to eat my money’s worth, and I was hungry from our active day. Good thing: My stomach has shrunk so I am eating smaller portions. Dilemma: Food choice and portion size. Who won? My old self. I did make healthy selections of food, but I also ate too much of a good thing, including very small pieces of 3 desserts. Results: The food was yummy. I got my money’s worth. The price of buffet was very reasonable. We were on the road in 40 minutes.

Monday morning. Ouch! The scales told me the results of my one meal food binge. I gained 3 pounds. Do you see how easy that was to do? Have you attended a wedding, graduation, or a party and thought “one day won’t matter,” or “I’ll eat very light all day so I can eat at the selected event.” Guilt: I was so close to reaching my weight goal for this month. Do you realize it is so much easier to put on the pounds than to take them off? For example it takes over 60 minutes of activity (like brisk walking)* to burn off just the 260 calories of snack bar. And oh my gosh, when I add up all I ate at the Buffet, there are not enough hours in a few days to accomplish this.

So after 5 days, I have released two pounds. I have been logging what I am eating and have exercised faithfully every day. By day 7, I am now back to even. Three pounds are gone thanks to exercise and clean eating.

Commitment. Are you like me? Your mind knows what to do, but your stomach takes over? So rather than beating yourself up here are a few steps to take the next time you go somewhere where there is unlimited food.

  1. Be sure to exercise this day as it increases your metabolism for hours afterwards.
  2. Decide ahead of time how you will eat.
  3. Visualize what your food choices will look like on the plate.
  4. It is ok not to eat everything on your plate.
  5. After eating wait thirty minutes before a second helping. It takes your stomach about that long to let your brain know you are full. Amazing what a little patience can do for your daily eating plan.
  6. Plan to take some food home with you. If that is appropriate. That is the advantage of going to a restaurant. You can ask for a to-go box and take food off your plate before you even start eating. Bonus: you have food for another meal already cooked and ready to go. You have kept to your diet plan on your food portions. And this second meal is free!
  7. Have some desserts or food you don’t eat on a regular basis. It is ok to eat without guilt. You have planned for this. You may also have eaten fewer calories for a few days ahead to allow for your party foods. Remember vegetables and fruit are the perfect foods to eat, and I love that the calorie value is low.
  8. Drink water 30 minutes before your meal, so you have lowered your hunger level.
  9. Shakeology to the rescue. Take in a thermos. You can drink some of this before eating and it takes the edge off your cravings.
  10. Have fun at the party!

What worked? What did not? What’s next?
Weigh yourself the next day. Review what you did. What are your action steps going to be for the coming week?

Personally, I am proud that I have released the three pounds in 7 days. I have kept to my exercise routine and eating plan (with a few poor choices). I have had my daily Shakeology drink. Yep, I am far from perfect in this weight loss journey. I have lost the same ten pounds over and over. But this time my story is different. I am committed to my goal weight. I track my measurements. How will you know you have improved if you don’t this?

As your health savvy advocate, I have a plan just for you that can help you become fit for life so that you can live the life that you desire. You can check out my Facebook page, www.facebook.com/activehealthylifestyles as well as my website www.activehealthylifestyles to get to know me better. I can make a difference in your health goal of fitness. Ask me about “The Plan.”

*Here’s a website that calculates your activity, your body weight and calories burned. www.myfitnesspal.com/en/exercise/lookup

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Your First Program for Exercising

Deciding the Best Program for Your First Workout?

We have the answer here for you. This workout will help you attain an improved fitness level. This is for you. You can adjust the number of repetitions, decrease the range of motion, use no weights. It is what works for you today. I am here to cheer you on and give you tips for success. Do you want improved strength and endurance? Do you want to feel better? Check out this video below. Contact me and/or go to www.BeachBodyCoach.com/dianahoffman. Please go to the upper right hand corner and sign up with me as your coach. Even if you make no purchases today, when you are ready it will be simple to place your order. Any questions email diana@activeairpurifiers.com. Good Health is Your Wealth!

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