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According to the National Institutes of Health, there are four recommended types of exercise for older adultswho want to improve their health.

1. Strength training. This type of exercise builds muscle, which in turn increases your metabolism. This is vital to maintaining your weight and blood sugar.

2. Balance training. This type of training helps build muscle in your legs and hips. As people age, their legs tend to become weaker faster than the rest of their muscles. Stronger hips and legs also help prevent falls.

3. Stretching. Helps flexibility and freedom of movement.

4. Endurance training. “Cardio” type training, such as walking or jogging, that raises your heart rate for an extended length of time.  

As with any exercise program and senior activity, please consult your doctor and start slowly in order to build your strength, endurance and flexibility at a proper rate.

Ever wondered if your place of residence is a “healthy” place to live? Well, even if you haven’t, you can now find out if your residence promotes healthy lifestyles for seniors. The University of Wisconsin recently completed a study in which they ranked every county in all 50 states. Numerous factors were researched, including mortality and health factors such as smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption pollution. Check out your county’s rankings at www.countyhealthrankings.org.

Most of this is common sense, of course, but it never hurts to read articles like the one below to help reming us what foods we should emphasize in our diets.  It’s also important to remind ourselves of portion control, although I can never remember anyone telling me I’ve eaten too many green beans.  For more information on which foods are best for a healthy heart, click here.

The following comes courtesy of www.helpguide.org MYTH: Old age means poor health and disability. Fact: There are some diseases that are more common in older adults. However, getting old does not automatically mean poor health or that you will be confined to a walker or wheelchair. Plenty of older adults enjoy vigorous health. Preventive measures like healthy eating, exercising and managing stress can help reduce the risk of chronic disease and fall risk later in life. MYTH: Memory loss is an inevitable part of aging. Fact: You may eventually notice you don’t remember experiences as easily as in the past, and memories may take longer to retrieve. However, significant memory loss is not an inevitable result of aging. Brain training and new learning can occur at any age. And there are many things you can do to keep your memory sharp. MYTH: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Fact: One of the more damaging myths of aging is that after a certain age, you just won’t be able to try anything new or contribute things anymore. Quite the contrary. Older adults are just as capable of learning new things, thriving in new environments, and sharing their wisdom and experience with many generations.  If you believe in yourself and have confidence in yourself, you are setting up a positive environment for change no matter what your age.