Tag: exercise

Five exercises to improve balance and mobility

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many older adults have been staying at home and communicating with family members via electronic means.

That’s certainly a good way to stay safe. But changes in activity levels may mean those same older adults are concerned about losing independence through a fall, which not only can result in serious injury, but also lessen mobility and rob seniors of the things they most enjoy.

While there are numerous steps one can take, including having a healthy diet, being especially careful and increasing activity levels, one of the most important actions is to adopt an exercise routine that enhances balance and mobility.

Although it can be tempting to jump right into a new exercise program, please keep a few things in mind:

Is it time for a lifestyle change?

Twining Village resident Barbara DiEuginio’s favorite form of exercise is water aerobics.

“I exercise five times per week; sometimes I exercise multiple times a day,” she says. “I used to exercise because I needed it, but now I have reached the point where I actually enjoy it.”

We have all heard phrases such as I have a family history of… or I am genetically predisposed to…  and don’t get me wrong, these are legitimate facts proven by modern science. However, one thing we don’t hear as often is the fact that—regardless of family history or predisposition—we are not destined to suffer from any form of chronic disease. As the famous cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish said, “There are two ways … you can control how long you live, one is to change your genes and the second is to change your lifestyle.”

If you eat healthier, manage stress, exercise, and love more, you can change the way your genes are expressed. In other words, your body can act as if it is suppressing the “bad” genes and activate the “good” ones.