As most of us know, the brain is like a muscle, and if you don’t flex it from time to time, valuable functions like memory can be weakened. And just as exercise stimulates the body, exercising the brain will help to keep it healthy and strong. grow grape vines Our brains are constantly hungry for new information and so is definitely true later in life. One way to feed the brain, so to speak, is to learn a new language. Taking on tasks like learning simple French of Spanish can give the brain the workout that it needs and can
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Archives for Anti-Aging
Sit and be fit with Mary Ann Wilson
Yesterday, we here at Freedom Home Care reported on the importance of maintaining healthy bones, joints and muscles in order to increase coordination and balance. In our post, we talked about the benefits that come from weight-bearing activities like taking a walk. Understanding that all older individuals might not have the mobility to get out of the home, we are happy to take advantage of the exercises suggested by the PBS series, Sit and be Fit. In it, Mary Ann Wilson focuses on healthy activities that can take place while sitting in any household chair. For the video that we’ve
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Combating old age from the inside out
As individuals get older, retire and settle into their later years, there are a lot of positive changes to embrace. Free time is opened up to spend with loved ones and to devote to hobbies that were always put on the backburner. In that same breath, however, there are also changes that happen in old age that might not be as welcomed. The aging process can bring about wrinkles and gray hair, and although these changes are expected, old age can also usher in other harder-to-spot changes. Just as wrinkle cream and hair dye can improve what happens to the
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Sleeping your way to 100
The next time you hear the ridiculous phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” you may want to let the individual know that their chances of reaching age 100 could be slim as long as a good night’s sleep isn’t part of the equation. According to a Wall Street Journal article, extra sleep and a healthy diet equate to a longer life lived. The primary findings of a United Healthcare study that looked at centenarians and baby boomers and the possibility of reaching the age of 100 revealed that “many boomers are embracing lifestyles that could lead to a long and rewarding
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Getting health benefits from video games
It’s a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon, and chances are that a lot of Chicagoland kids are inside playing video games. As adults, whether it be a parent or a grandparent, it should be our responsibility to get those kids off the couch and outside. And then once Chicago’s youth have taken a deep breath of fresh air, we adults, should then feel it our responsibility to pick up those controllers and start playing video games where the kids left off. Although it might sound a bit odd, a recent Wall Street Journal post titled “How Video Games Keep Seniors Fit,” discussed
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Finding inspiration from senior athletes
Last week we reported on Hiroshi Hoketsu of Japan, a 71-year-old competing at the 2012 London Olympics in the individual dressage for Japan’s equestrian team. Hoketsu’s accomplishments are impressive. He is, after all, the oldest individual to do so in the last 92 years. As you’ll see in the video below, Hoketsu isn’t the only senior out there showing off their athletic prowess. The National Senior Games also known as the Senior Olympics is bringi college essay writing ng together a whole host of aging individuals who despite their age are participating in competitive games. In Tennessee, for example, tens of thousands of senior
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Competing in the 2012 Olympic Games at age 71
Hiroshi Hoketsu of Japan, pictured here, is 71 years old and is, believe it or not, competing at the 2012 London Olympics in the individual dressage for Japan's equestrian team. According to an article recently published by the Huffington Post, Hoketsu isn’t just the oldest athlete to compete at London 2012; he's the oldest one to do so in the last 92 years. As we have come to understand, staying active at a later age in life is not just important; it is imperative. And physical activity isn’t just good for aging individuals; it’s good for people of all ages. Simple
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4 of 4: The signs of aging, a four-part series
Over the past week, we here at Freedom Home Care have been looking at the National Institute of Health’s “Eight Areas of Age-Related Change.” And we’ve been quite captivated by the list because we believe that being aware of the physical changes that our bodies undergo later in life is the best way to combat old age today. So as we post these last two topics, we’d like to thank the NIH for arming us with the knowledge that will help us better enjoy our twilight years. 7. Skin “The simplest and cheapest way to keep your skin healthy and young
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3 of 4: The signs of aging, a four-part series
The National Institute of Health has a very distinct mission. The governmental agency’s goal is to seek out information and cultivate knowledge about the “nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.” In doing so, the NIH developed its list of what can be expected later in life. And we here at Freedom Home Care have dedicated our efforts to disseminating the organization’s hard work, which can be found in four consecutive posts, starting with last week’s blog roll. But without further ado, here
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2 of 4: The signs of aging, a four-part series
Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name, George Eliot, said, “Old men's eyes are like old men's memories; they are strongest for things a long way off.” Evens, a leading Victorian journalist and author, delivered a touching sentiment about old age with her statement; it is one that speaks to the changes that take place in one’s twilight years. According to the National Institute of Health, there are eight areas of change associated with aging. And in an effort to disseminate the information surrounding these areas of change, we here at Freedom Home Care are delivering the message
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