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An Informational Program
Presented by…
Part 1 - Enhancing Health &
Fitness for Older Adults
Achieving the Optimal Level of
Wellness & Health
Why are you attending?
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How many are attending to get
information for personal use?
How many are attending to get
information for their spouse?
How many are attending to get
information for another family member?
How many thought it would be cool to
just hang out with the rest of us?
Optimal Level
of Health & Wellness
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For Each Individual
Self-Determination
Seek it for Ourselves
Seek for Those Whom We Love
Primary Components
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Physiological, Mental & Spiritual
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(or - Body, Mind & Spirit)
Early Years
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We All Begin the Same Way
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(Well, at least most of us…)
We All Face
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Challenges & Opportunities
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A Life-time of Experiences & Emotions
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Choices & Consequences
Yields Our Individual Experiential Data Base
We All Must Do the Best With What We Have!
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And, we are here to assist our loved one’s.
Purpose
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The dictionary defines purpose, as “the
reason for which something exists or is done,
made, used, etc.”
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Early Years, Sometimes Too Many “Purposes”
Golden Years, Fewer “Purposes”
Learn from Each Other - Share Some Examples…
Primary “Purposes” of our Loved One
Diet & Nutrition
The Human Body is a High
Performance Engine and Requires
High Performance Fuel!
American Dietetic Association
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Older Persons Require Less Calories
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Uses Less Energy
Activity & Metabolic Rates Differ
Critical That Calories Consumed Are
Packed With Vital Nutrients!
Eight Primary Nutrients
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Calcium
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Calcium is one of the most important minerals
needed by the body. For individuals over 50 years
of age, it is recommended that at least 1,200
milligrams of calcium be consumed daily. The best
sources are yogurt, cheese, and milk. Additional
sources include dark green leafy vegetables,
cereal, and calcium enriched fruit juices.
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Folate
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Also known as Folic Acid, enhances the blood's
ability to carry oxygen. Good sources include
strawberries, spinach, kidney beans, broccoli,
romaine lettuce, and green peas.
Protein
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At least five ounces of protein are recommended
for older adults every day. Protein can be found in
meat, cheese, yogurt, milk, eggs, and beans.
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Vitamin A
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Vitamin A helps protect skin tissues, enhances
vision, and supports the immune system. Good
sources include carrots, yellow squash,
cantaloupe, dark green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin B12
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Vitamin B12 helps support higher energy levels,
mental clarity, emotional stability, and nervous
system functions. Good sources are meat, dairy
products, and eggs.
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Vitamin C
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Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a
powerful antioxidant that can help lessen the
symptoms associated with colds and flu. A
common problem among older adults is iron
deficiency, which can lead to anemia. One way to
help the body absorb more iron from foods is to
consume vitamin C along with the foods. Iron-rich
foods include whole grains, iron-enriched cereals,
lean meat and poultry. Foods high in Vitamin C
include oranges, guava and fresh fruit juice.
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Vitamin D
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Vitamin D helps protect the skin, helps with
calcium absorption, and keeps bones
strong. Recent studies have shown that
many adults are deficient in Vitamin D. The
body needs 20 to 30 minutes of sun
exposure on the skin two to three times a
week to make Vitamin D. Other sources of
vitamin D include tuna, eggs, cod liver oil,
vitamin D enriched milk and cereals.
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Trace Minerals
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While today’s food can provide much needed
vitamins and roughage, they are devoid of critical
trace minerals because minerals only come from
the soil and years of farming depleted the original
minerals. American farmers can grow bountiful
crops with adding Phosphorous, Potassium, and
Nitrogen to the soil. It is highly recommended
that a mineral supplement be added to our daily
diets.
Aging Changes the Rules
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Robust health depends on eating a well
balanced diet rich in nutrient dense foods, but
the ability to absorb nutrients from our food
diminishes with age. Our body composition
changes and energy requirements scale
down, while the need for micro-nutrients
rises.
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Many older people lose their appetite and eat
the same foods over and over. Convenience
foods may be easier to prepare but they
simply can't meet the nutritional needs of the
elderly. Dietary supplements bridge the
nutritional gap opened by aging because
supplements can compensate for poor
nutrient absorption, offset poor dietary habits
and help prevent or delay the onset of many
chronic diseases associated with aging.
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Our body mass index changes as we
age. Muscle mass decreases and our
percentage of body fat rises. These
bodily changes together with a
sedentary lifestyle mean lower caloric
requirements but the need for quality
protein remains constant and older
adults need higher levels of critical
micro-nutrients, not less.
Getting a Better Understanding of
Nutrition and the Aging Process
Gerontologists and nutritionists have finally
understood that the amount of nutrients
needed to prevent chronic disease in the
elderly is a more important measure of
recommended daily allowances (RDAs) than
the amount of a nutrient necessary to prevent
deficiency, and the RDAs are being
investigated and revised accordingly.
In 2002, The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
issued a comprehensive report, based on extensive
scientific research, that confirms the importance of
nutritional supplements for the elderly. Among other
conclusions, the report found that "consistent use of
multivitamins with minerals and such single-nutrient
supplements as calcium and antioxidants (vitamins C
and E) demonstrated substantial positive impact on the
immune systems of elderly people and played a key
role in protecting eye and brain function and
maintaining bone mass.
Why We Must Get Involved
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The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)
score is a summary measure of the
overall quality of a person’s diet.
(USDA Study HEI-2005)
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The mean overall HEI score for older adults
in this sample was 66.6%
17% had a ‘‘good’’ quality diet,
15% had a ‘‘poor’’ diet
68% had a diet that ‘‘needs improvement.”
What about Prescription Drugs
and Dietary Supplements?
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Dr. Frederic Vagnini, who co-authored "The Side
Effects Bible: The Dietary Solution to Unwanted Side
Effects of Common Medications," said he believes
many side effects can be solved through nutritional
supplements and dietary sources.
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"This could be a big reason why we have what we call the
walking wounded, and why so many people on drug therapy
are having so many problems.”
“The problem is that most doctors are not aware of the
problem and don’t give their patients any guidance about
what nutrients could be depleted by their prescription drugs.”
Some common prescription drugs can
cause a long list of nutrient depletion.
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For example, according to Vagnini, common aluminum antacids
such as Maalox and Mylanta can cause a depletion of vitamin A,
vitamin D, folic acid, calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium,
phosphorus and zinc.
Statin drugs, like Lipitor, Mevacor, Zocor and Pravachol, are
meant to treat elevated levels of cholesterol. Vagnini said that
while these drugs are effective in treating cholesterol, they can
lower levels of coenzyme Q10, which can be bad for the heart,
brain and energy level.
And the major side effects from statin drugs are liver problems
and also statin-induced myopathy, which is muscle pain and
weakness. Other problems include fatigue and memory
problems.
Remember The Body is a Total
Synergistic System
It is a precisely developed system
designed to naturally seek optimal
health. It can only use, however, the
tools (or nutrients) it receives to
accomplish its goal. If it is deprived of
nutrients it will use the existing
storehouse it has available to survive.
What we have just learned…
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Ensure older adults have indentified and
believe in their “purposes”.
Eat a balanced diet of nutritionally dense,
preferably natural foods.
Consult with a healthcare professional to add
vitamin and mineral supplementation where
necessary.
Drink plenty of clean water each day,
preferably distilled water.
Part 2 - Fitness At Any Age
Each Individual’s Optimal Wellness
Begins with Right-Thinking
Decisions, Right Now!
Let’s Take a Reading….
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How many have loved one’s that need
improved physical fitness?
For declining fitness:
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For what period of time?
What primary functions affected?
For those that have maintained fitness:
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Health Trends
Future Projections
We Must Keep Moving –
Use it or Lose it!
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Like most people, you’ve probably heard
that physical activity, including exercise, is
good for you. If you’re already active, keep
it up. It may even be time to push yourself a
little harder, try a new activity, or find new
ways to add exercise to your daily life.
Don’t worry if you’ve never exercised, or if
you stopped exercising for some reason.
Just slowly begin again!
Go4Life
The National Institute of Health has a Guide
Book as its centerpiece of Go4Life, their
national campaign to help American’s fit
exercise and physical activity into their daily
life. To find out more about how Go4Life can
help you be more active, visit their website at
www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life. This excellent
program is made part of this presentation.
Why is Physical Activity So
Important?
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Allows you to Continue to do the things you
enjoy and stay independent as you age.
Regular physical activity over long periods of
time can produce long-term health benefits.
That’s why health experts say that older
adults should be active every day to maintain
their health.
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Regular exercise and physical activity can
reduce the risk of developing some diseases
and disabilities that develop as people grow
older. In some cases, exercise is an effective
treatment for many chronic conditions. For
example, studies show that people with
arthritis, heart disease, or diabetes benefit
from regular exercise. Exercise also helps
people with high blood pressure, balance
problems, or difficulty walking.
What’s the Difference Between
Physical Activity and Exercise?
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Both terms refer to the voluntary movements
you do that burn calories.
Physical activities are activities that get your
body moving such as gardening, walking the
dog, raking leaves, and taking the stairs
instead of the elevator.
Exercise is a form of physical activity that is
specifically planned, structured, and repetitive
such as weight training, tai chi, or an aerobics
class.
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Today, we know a lot more about older
adults and their need to exercise.
Regardless of their health and physical
abilities, older adults can gain a lot by
staying physically active. Even if you
have difficulty standing or walking, you
can still exercise and benefit from it. In
fact, in most cases, you have more to
lose by not doing anything.
Exercise and physical activity benefit
every area of your life.
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Help maintain and improve your physical strength
and fitness.
Help improve your ability to do the things you want.
Help improve your balance.
Help manage and prevent diseases like diabetes,
heart disease, breast and colon cancer, and
osteoporosis.
Help reduce feelings of depression, may improve
mood and overall well-being, and may improve or
maintain some aspects of cognitive function, such as
your ability to shift quickly between tasks, plan an
activity, and ignore irrelevant information.
Take a Balanced Approach!
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The benefits one gains from physical
activity will depend on their starting point
and how much effort put into it. Each will
need to match their physical activity to their
own needs and abilities. For example,
some people can swim a mile without
thinking twice about it. For others, a slow
walk to the corner and back is a big
achievement.
See how Greta has benefited from
regular exercise.
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“At age 67, I’m in the best physical
condition of my life. Two years ago, I
joined a low-impact aerobics class at a
nearby senior center. The entire routine
is done to music, planned and led by an
instructor. My balance has improved
greatly, and my osteoporosis has
remained stable.”
What Kinds of Exercises and Physical Activities
Improve Health and Physical Ability?
Exercises generally fall into four main
categories:
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Endurance
Strength
Balance
Flexibility.
Endurance
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Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your
breathing and heart rate. These activities help
keep you healthy, improve your fitness, and help
you do the tasks you need to do every day.
Endurance exercises improve the health of your
heart, lungs, and circulatory system. They also
delay or prevent many diseases that are common
in older adults such as diabetes, colon and breast
cancers, heart disease, and others.
Physical activities that build
endurance include:
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Brisk walking
Yard work (mowing,
raking)
Dancing
Jogging
Swimming
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Biking
Climbing stairs or
hills
Playing tennis
Playing basketball
Strength
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Even small increases in muscle strength can
make a big difference in your ability to stay
independent and carry out everyday activities
such as climbing stairs and carrying
groceries. Some people call using weight to
improve your muscle strength "strength
training" or "resistance training." Strength
exercises include:
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Lifting weights
Using a resistance band
Balance
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Balance exercises help prevent falls, a
common problem in older adults. Many
lower-body strength exercises also will
improve your balance. Exercises to
improve your balance include:
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Standing on one foot
Heel-to-toe walk
Tai Chi
Flexibility
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Stretching can help your body stay flexible
and limber, which gives you more freedom of
movement for your regular physical activity as
well as for your everyday activities. To
increase your flexibility, try:
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Shoulder and upper arm stretch
Calf stretch
Yoga
Emotional & Mental Vitality
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Emotional and mental vitality are closely
tied to physical vitality. Just as your
mind has powerful effects on your body,
so your physical state affects how you
feel and think.
Social contact can also make a big
difference in how you feel.
Replace “Lost” Activities
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Replacing a "lost" activity is a key to staying active
and feeling good about yourself. For instance, if you
can no longer run, you might try walking, biking,
and/or swimming. And if your favorite activity was
dancing, you might try something else that combines
social and physical activity, such as joining a water
aerobics class. Replacing lost activities can help you
keep a positive attitude and sense of well-being over
time, even if aging and changes in your health mean
you can not do all the things you used to do.
And This All Gets Back to…“Purpose”
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Remember that “Purpose” is the spark
that lights the kindling that begins the
fire we want burning in our hearts
creating an undeniable drive within us
to seek Optimal Wellness & Health!
And in Conclusion…
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To achieve Optimal Wellness & Health,
we must help our loved ones, and
ourselves:
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Have Balanced Purpose
Maintain a Balanced, Nutrient Dense Diet
Maintain Optimal Balanced Physical Activity
Think Right and continue to pursue our
dreams!