Exercise for Seniors Why do we keep hearing about exercise? Simple... because it is very important for all of us, regardless of age. Exercise benefits both our physical and mental health, and allows us to do the things we enjoy and stay as independent as possible for as long as possible. As we age it becomes more critical to be active on a daily basis to maintain our health. Regular exercise and physical activity help reduce the risk of developing certain diseases and disabilities as we grow older. It can be effective in treating some chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes, and it helps people with high blood pressure, balance problems, or difficulty walking. Exercise and physical activity are both voluntary movements and both burn calories. The difference is that exercise is planned, structured, and repetitive, while physical activity gets your body moving and includes everyday activities such as taking the stairs, walking a dog, and gardening. We can all find appropriate things to do that fit our current state of health, budgets, time, and interests. The U.S. National Institutes of Health's Institute on Aging recommends four types of exercise.

1. In This Issue
Exercise for Seniors
Exercise for Seniors
Why do we keep hearing about exercise?
Activity Corner: Scrapbooking
Simple... because it is very important for all of us,
Alzheimer's Disease: Know the regardless of age.
10 Warning Signs
Healthy, Easy Pear Crisp Exercise benefits both our physical and mental health, and
allows us to do the things we enjoy and stay as independent
Recipe
as possible for as long as possible.
Heart Healthy Tips As we age it becomes more critical to be active on a daily
basis to maintain our health. Regular exercise and physical
Puzzle activity help reduce the risk of developing certain diseases
and disabilities as we grow older. It can be effective in
treating some chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart
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disease, or diabetes, and it helps people with high blood
pressure, balance problems, or difficulty walking.
Exercise and physical activity are both voluntary
Exercise Can Help You movements and both burn calories. The difference is that
in Your Every Day Life exercise is planned, structured, and repetitive, while
physical activity gets your body moving and includes
Endurance Exercises everyday activities such as taking the stairs, walking a dog,
· Push your grandchildren on and gardening.
swings
· Vacuum We can all find appropriate things to do that fit our current
· Rake leaves state of health, budgets, time, and interests. The U.S.
· Shop without tiring National Institutes of Health's Institute on Aging
· Take a walk with a friend
recommends four types of exercise.
Strength Exercises Endurance

2. · Rise from a chair These types of exercises will increase heart rate and
· Carry groceries or smaller breathing for an extended period of time. Examples are
grandchildren walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, and tennis. Building
· Lift bags of mulch in the endurance helps make everyday activities easier. It is
garden important to spend about five minutes before your
· Carry a full laundry basket endurance routine to warm up your muscles and again after
from room to room or up/down your routine to cool them down. These warm-up and cool-
stairs down periods help prevent injury and reduce muscle
soreness later. Be careful to build up gradually to at least 30
Balance Exercises minutes of moderate intensity endurance exercise several
· Stand on your tiptoes to reach days a week. You may only start out being able to do
something on a top shelf endurance exercise for five or 10 minutes, but that's ok...it's
· Walk up and down stairs getting starting that matters. For some examples of
· Walk on an uneven sidewalk endurance exercises, CLICK HERE.
Flexibility Exercises Strength
· Get dressed and tie your Strength
shoes exercises are
· Make the bed ones that
· Look over your shoulder to increase
see muscle
what's behind you as you backstrength and
the car out of the driveway help make
everyday
things
easier.
Strength exercises require weights (which you can make if
you can't afford them) or resistance bands. Always start out
with light weights and gradually build over time. Major
muscle groups should be exercised two or more days each
week in 30-minute sessions, but remember not to exercise
the same muscle group two days in a row. It's okay to start
out light, even if you have to use 1- or 2-pound weights and
gradually add more. The last thing you want to do is start
You will know that I am out with too much weight, which can result in injury and/or
coming from the jingle of soreness. A good rule of thumb is that you should start out
my bell, being able to lift or push a weight eight times in a row with
some effort but it shouldn't feel too hard to do. If it does,
But exactly who I am is not an reduce the weight.
easy thing to tell.
Always lift or push weights slowly to get maximum benefit:
Children adore me for they find lift for 3 seconds, hold for 1 second, and return slowly for 3
me jolly, seconds. The goal is to work up to 10 to 15 repetitions, or
'reps,' for each exercise. Remember to breathe while
But I do not see them when the exercising, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through
halls are decked with holly. the mouth. If that's not comfortable then breathe in and out
using nose or mouth for both actions. It is important to

3. I do not do business in times of breathe in while lifting or pushing the weight and exhale
sleet, or ice, or snow. while relaxing or replacing or lowering the weight. For
some examples of strength exercises, CLICK HERE.
My job often leaves me frozen,
and I am a man that all should Balance
know. Balance exercises help prevent falls and the disability that
may result from a fall. More than 1.6 million older
I travel much on business, but Americans visit hospital emergency rooms due to fall-
no reindeer fly me around, related injuries. The nice thing about balance exercises is
that you can do them as often as you like and they usually
I do all my traveling firmly on don't require much beyond a sturdy chair, or something else
the ground. sturdy like a wall or somebody to hold onto. For some
examples of balance exercises, CLICK HERE.
I love the time of Christmas, but
that's not my vocational Flexibility
season, Flexibility or stretching exercises allow you freedom of
movement. These types of exercises do not always improve
And I assure that is because of endurance or strength. Stretches should be done three to five
a sound economic reason. times each during an exercise session. Like with balance
and strength exercises, stretches should be done slowly and
deliberately. Slowly stretch into the desired position,
CLICK HERE for answer holding the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds, and then relax back
into normal position. Never 'bounce' into a stretch and don't
stretch so far that you feel sharp or stabbing pain. Avoid
"locking" your joints. For example, straighten your arms
and legs when you stretch them, but don't hold them tightly
in a straight position. Your joints should always be slightly
bent while stretching. For some examples of flexibility
exercises, CLICK HERE.
Enjoy this diabetic, low-calorie, and low-carbohydrate
dessert recipe courtesy of Splenda, Inc., from
www.cooksrecipes.com. Take advantage of the fact that
pears are in season this time of year and try this easy-to-
make, healthy dessert.
Easy Pear Crisp
Makes 6 servings
Topping Filling
1/4 cup SPLENDA® Granular 3 cups peeled and sliced Bartlett pears
3 Graham crackers 2 tbsp. four
1/4 cup light butter 1/4 cup SPLENDA® Granular
1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. flour 3 tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray an 8X8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Set aside.
Place all topping ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until crumbly. Set aside.
Toss together all filling ingredients.
Place in prepared baking pan. Cover with topping.
Bake in preheated oven 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbling around the edges.
Nutrients Per Serving: Calories 200; Total Calories 90; Calories from Fat 40; Total Fat 4.5 g; Saturated Fat 2.5 g;
Cholesterol 15 mg; Sodium 60 mg; Total Carbohydrates 13 g; Dietary Fiber 3 g; Sugars 6 g; Protein 9 g
Activity Corner:
Scrapbooking
Have Fun Capturing Memories,
Photos, or Your Family Tree
Scrapbooking is a great hobby for
anyone, especially seniors. It can be
both fun and therapeutic, especially
if you enjoy writing to document
memories and stories that may or
may not include accompanying
photos. They don't have to be
chronological; some stores actually sell journals with questions already provided to help
stimulate recollection. For those not so keen on writing, you can simply scrapbook photo
collections with appropriate commentary, including names of those pictured and the event
that was captured.
Many stores, not just specialty ones, carry lots of basic as well as fun and theme-based
scrapbooking supplies since it has become such a popular hobby. Those who enjoy talking
can skip paper scrapbooking and dictate memories and thoughts into a tape recorder or on
videotape. Another idea is to create a family tree using information you already have, or if
you have access to a computer, through online genealogy websites. Best of all, whatever
the end product is, it can be handed down to loved ones as a treasured keepsake.
Alzheimer's Disease:
Know the 10 Warning Signs
Timely diagnosis of Alzheimer's is key for many reasons, including allowing the
person diagnosed to participate in decision-making about their treatment and

5. future care options.
1. Memory changes that disrupt daily life. Forgetting recently learned information is one of the
most common signs of Alzheimer's, along with forgetting important dates or events.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems. Changes in ability to develop and follow a plan
or work with numbers (e.g., following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills).
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks. Difficulty driving to a familiar location, managing a budget
at work, or remembering rules of a favorite game are common examples.
4. Confusion with time or place. Losing track of dates, seasons, and the passage of time. Trouble
understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Forgetting where they are or how they
got there.
5. Trouble understanding visual images or spatial relationships. Sometimes vision problems
can be a sign of Alzheimer's and may include difficulty reading, judging distance, and determining
color or contrast. Perception problems can include passing a mirror and thinking someone else is in
the room, or not recognizing their own reflection.
6. New problems with words in speaking or writing. Trouble following or joining a conversation.
Confusion in the middle of a conversation, struggling with vocabulary or finding the right word, or
calling things by the wrong name.
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. Putting things in unusual places.
Losing things and being unable to retrace their steps to find them. They might accuse others of
stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.
8. Decreased or poor judgment. Using poor judgment dealing with money, giving large amounts
to telemarketers, paying less attention to grooming or personal hygiene.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities. Removing themselves from hobbies, social
activities, work projects, or sports. Trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering
how to complete a favorite hobby. Avoiding social settings because of changes being experienced.
10. Changes in mood and personality. Confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful, or anxious.
Easily upset at home, work, with friends, or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.
For more information, visit the Alzheimer's Association website at www.alz.org, or call
800-272-3900.
© 2009 Alzheimer's Association. Reprinted with permission of the Alzheimer's Association. May be
distributed by unaffiliated organizations and individuals. Such distribution does not constitute an
endorsement of these parties or their activities by the Alzheimer's Association.

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