As an Arthritis Foundation Certified Instructor, I’ve received in-depth training on how to work with arthritis sufferers. I can tell you with no reservation that one of the worst things arthritics can do is fail to be physically active. That doesn’t mean you need to exercise like a fiend, but regularly participating in moderate physical activity will help decrease fatigue, strengthen muscles and bones, and increase flexibility and stamina…not to mention improve your general sense of well-being.

Your exercise program should include three types of activity:

1. Flexibility (stretching, range-of-motion) exercises…like mild yoga
2. Strengthening (resistance) exercises…using weights or resistance bands to make your muscles work harder
3. Cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises…like walking, dancing, swimming and biking

Before you get started, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor to determine which exercises are most appropriate for you, or work with a trained professional like me to ensure your exercise program is designed with your specific needs in mind. You can learn more about the importance of exercise for arthritics at the Arthritis Foundation’s website, http://www.arthritis.org/types-exercise.php.

Arthritis Walk Update

Since May is National Arthritis Month, the Arthritis Foundation has scheduled Arthritis Walks throughout the country to raise awareness and funds for research. I’m involved with the Los Angeles County Arthritis Walk on May 19 (in Santa Monica). Santa Barbara also holds its walk on that day, while the Orange County event (in Irvine) takes place on May 20. The North Valley Arthritis Walk will be held on Sunday, June 3rd at Magic Mountain!  Learn more at http://www.arthritis.org/arthritis-walk.php.

Honoring Older Americans

“Never Too Old to Play” is the theme of the U.S. Administration on Aging’s 2012 campaign to encourage older Americans to stay engaged, active, and involved. During May, which is Older Americans Month, the AoA will honor and recognize older adults’ contributions to their families, communities and society in general. Learn more at http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Press_Room/Observances/2012/Older_Americans.aspx.

“Check with your doctor before beginning an exercise regime.”

Collecting proper, detailed health history, including all current prescription and over-the-counter medications, is crucial to alleviating contraindications to exercise. For example, those with high blood pressure must be extra careful when lifting heavy weights and those who’ve recently had hip surgery shouldn’t be doing exercises that include crossover steps. Along with a proper assessment, another important tool, the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q), must be administered (see Fitness Resources – “Are You Ready”) and written physician consent may be necessary for those considered at high risk.

Once an age-specific exercise program and physiologic considerations are established, we progress clients safely so they have fun and get the most value from their exercise experience. Sensory impairments such as hearing, vision and joint stiffness can cause complications, and repetitive motions can be detrimental (causing shoulder, knee, back and hip injuries); both must be carefully monitored.

The Administration on Aging says that almost every adult suffers from at least one chronic medical condition, many of which increase the likelihood of developing additional medical issues, e.g., hypertension increases the risk of stroke and coronary artery disease. That’s no reason to shy away from exercise, but you do have to make smart choices that support your commitment to healthy living and improve your quality of life.  There is no magic pill, but the magic is in the results.

How it will work
Primary care physicians administer the screening and then refer eligible patients for counseling. This individual will then receive a once-per-week face-to-face counseling for 1 month, followed by one session every week for another 5 months.  IF they lose weight, they will then receive one counseling visit per month for 6 more months.

Important Step
This decision is an important step in aligning Medicare’s portfolio of preventive services with evidence and addressing risk factors for disease,” says Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, chief medical officer and director of the agency’s Office of Clinical Standards and Quality. “We at CMS are carefully and systematically reviewing the best available medical evidence to identify those preventative services that keep Medicare beneficiaries as healthy as possible, for as long as possible.”

Some types of exercise, including resistance training and cardio, can be intense and cause some level of discomfort, but pain isn’t an indication that you’re really “working it.” It can actually be a warning sign that you have injured yourself, possibly pulling a muscle or even worse, tearing a ligament.

It’s very important to get to know your body, and understand how far you can push yourself before it’s too much. The last thing you want to do is overdo it, because you can inadvertently cause some structural damage, and you’ll be less likely to keep up with an exercise regime if you believe pain is required to get a proper workout.

When you first start exercising, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve been physically active, it’s critical to take things slow and build up to more reps, more weight, more time, etc. Take a cue from marathon runners, none of whom began by running 26 miles; they started at a small distance—perhaps even a mile—and gradually built up their endurance.

If you’re experiencing pain when you exercise, something is wrong. You may be positioned incorrectly, wearing shoes without proper support or just overexerting yourself. “Pain = no gain” is the expression you should keep in mind, to ensure you don’t unintentionally undermine your good intentions to be physically active.

You can choose to have to carve out the time to go to the gym (including drive time) and then coordinate your schedule with a friend’s so you’re more likely to actually go.  Or why not be good to yourself and eliminate those planning steps that eat up your time?  No more having to force or drag yourself there. Your home gym is your very own and the quality and convenience make it SO easy, you can reach your goals and sustain them.  Motivation needn’t be a problem again.

It’s a few steps to the next room. No waiting for the loud-talking machine-hoggers to finish. No model-like bodies reminding you of the short-falls of your own. Read or watch tv while you peddle or stride without noisy distractions. And you can dress and look any way you want.  In your own gym, you make the rules.  Go anytime you want, it’s open 24/7.

With no more monthly dues, over time, you will save money.

Your personal home gym doesn’t have to be big; just enough space for your favorite equipment. No costly additions, no special plumbing or insulation or fancy plans.  Just simple and affordable and ready to use, soon.

Pipe in music or mount a flat screen TV, use the remote from where you sit, stand or lie down. Install a big mirror for some feedback and to make the room feel larger. Hang a rack for items not in use at the moment. Include a shelf or cubbie for your ankle weights, pedometer, or iPod, and a towel or two.   A mini-frig is great for water bottles and sports drinks. It’s easy to make your home gym spacious, inviting and your very own healthy exercise center.

Insure adequate air circulation and decide what kind of flooring you’d like. No mats needed if you have rubberized flooring material which also reduces noise and increases safety. Bring in a treadmill, stationary bike, cross-trainer or elliptical. Include weights, balls, bands and tubes, too.

When you’re finished Sweatin’ To The Oldies, it’s a hop, skip and a jump to your private bathroom, shower or pool. No need to cover up around lookie-loo’s in the locker room.

Penny Spark
So. Cal. Home Improvement Referral Service, Inc. (S.C.H.I.R.S.)

Here are a few heart facts that may surprise you:

• Your heart beats about 100,000 times a day, which equates to 35 million times a year and 2.5 billion times over the average lifetime.
• The force used by your heart to pump blood out to your body is equivalent to the amount of force you’d use to give a tennis ball a hard squeeze.
• Even at rest, your heart muscles work hard…twice as hard as the leg muscles of a sprinter.
• The six quarts of blood in your body circulate through it three times every minute, so in one day, your blood travels a total of 12,000 miles.

What are the takeaways from this? Your heart is arguably the most important muscle in your body…and you need to exercise it just like you would any other muscle. Are you aware that an inactive lifestyle is one of the top risk factors for heart disease? Regular exercise, particularly the aerobic variety, strengthens your heart and cardiovascular system, improves your circulation and heart failure symptoms, and lowers blood pressure…and that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.

The chocolates, flowers and other expressions of love you receive from your Valentine may make your heart go pitter-patter, but they’re no substitute for a good workout. Of course, you should check with your doctor before beginning any exercise regime, especially if you’ve been a “couch potato” for a while.