Tag Archives: aging

Four Insights on Erectile Dysfunction – Harvard

As a sports fan and viewer of ESPN, I have been caught in the deluge of erectile dysfunction (ED) ads that proliferate on these TV venues. Who hasn’t heard the litany of Cialis, Viagra, Levitra, etc.? It seems you can’t help but conclude that a lot of the guys watching sports have a problem with ED.

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Harvard has a publication for sale on the subject.

By way of introduction to it, Harvard offered the following four observations on ED.

“1. ED is often the result of diseases or conditions that become more common with age — or a side effect of the medications used to treat them. Other possible causes of ED include prostate surgery, stress, relationship problems, and depression.
2. Other age-related factors can affect a man’s ability to have an erection — tissues become less elastic and nerve communication slows. But even these factors don’t explain many cases of ED.
3. Cardiovascular disease is a common cause of ED. Clogged arteries (atherosclerosis) affect not only the blood vessels of the heart, but those throughout the body as well. In fact, in up to 30% of men who see their doctors about ED, the condition is the first hint that they have cardiovascular disease.
4. Intriguing findings from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study suggest there may be a natural ebb and flow to ED — that is, for some men, trouble with erections may occur, last for a significant amount of time, and then partly or fully disappear without treatment.”

They conclude with the following positive thought: “Regardless of the cause, ED often can be effectively addressed. For some men, simply losing weight may help. Others may need medications, and there are other options available as well. Given the variety of therapies available, the possibility of finding the right solution is greater than ever.”

From the above list, it appears that age and diet have a lot to do with the problem. Must confess that number four was a surprise. I hadn’t known that ED could come and go, so to speak.

If you want to find out more about the subject, check out the link.

Tony

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Filed under aging, diet, health, healthy eating, healthy living, Weight

150413 Get strong and stay strong with strength training

Reblogged from Explosivelyfit Strength Training:

Get strong and stay strong with strength training

It would appear, from a casual glance at the magazines in the stores that aerobics is a panacea for all the health problems existing in our country. Well it does sell magazines, but is it true?

Certainly participating in aerobic activity plays an important part in accomplishing and then maintaining a certain level of good health.

Read more… 249 more words

17775541-single-dumbbell-used-in-weight-lifting-and-fitness-workouts Exercising the muscles increases the stress placed on the bones, which in turn makes the bones stronger and less susceptible to fracturing. Resistance training also helps increase the fat burning capability of the body due to the more active muscle tissue in relation to fat. If you are a senior and concerned about lifting weights, check out Weight-training Techniques for Seniors.

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Filed under aging, chia seeds, Exercise, healthy living, Weight, weight-bearing exercise, weight-training

What are 5 Good Things About Aging?

As a senior citizen, I hear a lot of complaints from folks who are aging, some are not even seniors yet. “I have slowed down.” “My memory is shot.” “Everything hurts.” “I’m always tired.”

But, ConsumerReports onHealth lists five good things about aging in their latest issue.

Is there a better example of successful aging than Betty White?

Is there a better example of successful aging than Betty White?

Anger, stress and worry become less common. People in their 70s and 80s report being less troubled by those negative emotions than younger age groups.

Laura Christensen Ph.D., psychologist at Stanford and director of its Center on Longevity, says that as people age, they worry less about the future. “As people get older, they’re more likely to stop and smell the roses.”

onHealth suggests that we try to adopt a more positive outlook on life. Focus on daily activities that you enjoy. Let go of negative feelings. Type positive psychology into the search box at the right for about a dozen blog posts on positive psychology. Continue reading

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Filed under aging, Consumer Reports, happiness, Positive Psychology

Weight Training Techniques for Seniors

One of my problems with most advice on working with weights is that it is written by young jocks for young jocks. I am a senior citizen and I don’t want to break or tear anything. If I tried to emulate some of the recommendations or workouts done by you younger guys and gals I would end up in the hospital I am sure.

The principles of exercise change for seniors whether it is cardio or resistance work. I have written about seniors doing endurance sports and also seniors lifting weights.

Dr. Anthony Goodman, in the course I took called Lifelong Health, said that seniors should concentrate on using lower weights, but do higher reps because they want to strengthen their ligaments and tendons as well as the muscles. Ligaments and tendons weaken in old age and lead to injuries that can slow you down. Strengthening ligaments can also protect you from common aging problems like Achilles tendon rupture, rotator cuff tears in the shoulder and hip and knee injuries.

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Having said that, I am very pleased to pass on the bottom quarter of a recommendation from Dr. Doug McGuff as reported by Dr. Mercola on his fitness website in January of 2012. Although over a year old, it was news, welcome news, to me. I hope it will be to you, too.

Dr. McGuff is explaining super-slow weight lifting. As you will see in his conclusion it is especially helpful for seniors.

Essentially, by aggressively working your muscle to fatigue, you’re stimulating the muscular adaptation that will improve the metabolic capability of the muscle and cause it to grow. McGuff recommends using four or five basic compound movements for your exercise set. These exercises can be done using either free weights or machines. The benefit of using a quality machine is that it will allow you to focus your mind on the effort, as opposed on the movement.

Continue reading

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Filed under aging, endurance sports, seniors, Weight, weight-bearing exercise, weight-training

COCONUT OIL AN INCREDIBLE ALZHEIMER’S TREATMENT.

Reblogged from IS MOLD IN YOUR HOME MAKING YOU SICK?:

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HEALTH/COCONUT - ALZHEIMERS

While solid scientific studies on the role of coconut oil in the treatment of Alzheimer’s are lacking, several case studies have been presented to the public in recent years that have drawn a positive connection. In these, we learn of Alzheimer’s patients who began taking coconut oil daily and found significant improvements in their condition.

In one such case, a 67-year old British man had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so serious that any drug treatment would simply be pointless.

Read more… 287 more words

Having lost a loved one to Alzheimer's, I say any port in a storm.

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What is the Most Balanced Exercise Program?

The more I read and write about exercise, the more the element of balance becomes important. Exercise if crucial to our well being, but it is easy to overdo it, or use bad technique and set ourselves back with an injury. Heaven knows I have had biking injuries galore.  So what is the most balanced exercise program, let me count the options.

Among the possibilities, are walking, running, weight lifting, bicycling, yoga, tennis, kick-boxing to name a few.

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WebMD says that walking, weight lifting and yoga constitute the most balanced plan because there are “three different types of exercise: aerobic/cardio (walking), strength training (weight lifting), and flexibility training (yoga).

“All three are important. Aerobic or “cardio” (walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, tennis, basketball) boosts the strength of your heart and lungs; strength or “resistance” training (weight lifting, resistance band exercises, etc.) help to keep your muscles and bones strong, and help with balance and coordination; and flexibility exercises (yoga, stretching, tai chi) can improve your range of motion and reduce your risk for injury.”

You can take the WebMD test on Fitness Do’s and Dont’s at the link.

I really like their breakdown because I consider walking to be the Cinderella sister of exercises. Everyone does it to some extent, but very few people appreciate the benefits.

Here are some of my posts on walking.

Benefits of Walking and Cycling

Walking, not Sudoku for Seniors

National Walking Day – American Heart Association

Mall-Walking

Tony

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Filed under aerobics, aging, Exercise, stretching, tai chi, target zone, walking, warming up, Weight, weight-bearing exercise, weight-training, yoga

How Good Are Pushups and Chinups?

I like pushups because you can do them just about anywhere and don’t need special equipment. That eliminates the ‘can’t make it to the health club now’ excuse.

“Pushups and pullups challenge your torso muscles. You do them anytime, anywhere. These synergistic, compound exercises offer convenient, complete body conditioning and customizable workouts,” according to Livestrong.com.

They condition all the major upper body muscles.

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“As a symbol of health and wellness, nothing surpasses the simple push-up,” the New York Times says.

“The push-up is the ultimate barometer of fitness. It tests the whole body, engaging muscle groups in the arms, chest, abdomen, hips and legs. It requires the body to be taut like a plank with toes and palms on the floor. The act of lifting and lowering one’s entire weight is taxing even for the very fit.” Continue reading

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Filed under aging, Exercise, general well-being, men's health, Weight, weight-bearing exercise

How to Handle Arthritis Through Natural Healing

Regular readers know that I have been doing home study from The Great Courses since I retired over 12 years ago. So far, I have studied, nutrition, neuroscience, the brain and increasing longevity to name a few. Also, I have shared what I learned on the blog. So, I am pleased to announce that I have just commenced with The Science of Natural Healing.

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At this point I have listened to several of the lectures and am very impressed with Dr. Guarneri’s expertise. She came from regular medicine where she was surgically implanting over 700 stents a year in patient’s arteries. Through natural healing Dr. Guarneri has found what she considers to be a better way to prevent heart disease as well as myriad other diseases.

In lecture six, she talks about inflammation, nature’s way of protecting our bodies and how it is the root of many of our health problems. Inflammation is our body’s normal response to injury, infection, stress, foreign substances and irritations. Inflammation in our body presents itself in swelling, warmth, redness, pain. That is the body’s defense mechanism going to work so that healing can take place. However, in a situation where our body is under chronic attack, inflammation becomes damaging. Continue reading

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Filed under aging, arthritis, cancer, fast food, heart, heart disease, inflammation, nutrition, omega 3s, stress, sugar

How Can Senior Cyclists Warm Up Faster?

I am over 70 and averaged biking over 20 miles a day last year, most of them with my dog in the basket. My pace is one that keeps my heart rate in the target zone, but otherwise I am not breaking any speed records. Thought this discussion of warm ups from our friends at RBR Newsletter for senior cyclists worth reading.

Biking on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive with poochie.

This senior cycling on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive with poochie.

Question:
Have you guys noticed that it takes much longer to warm up for a ride? Once upon a time I could jam from the gun. Now, 40 years later, it takes me close to 40 minutes to get comfortable going hard. And if I push hard too early, the ride seems to stay hard to the finish. Is this common among senior riders or unique to my physiology? — Art W.

Coach Fred Matheny Replies:
I’m afraid that difficulty feeling good and performing well without a warm-up is common among older riders. As the saying goes: “By the time I’m warmed up, I’m too tired to ride!” Continue reading

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Filed under aging, biking, Exercise, seniors, warming up

What is Nature-Deficit Disorder?

What are we talking about here? Wikipedia says Nature-Deficit Disorder refers to a hypothesis by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems. This disorder is not recognized in any of the medical manuals for mental disorders.

I confess that on first blush this term sounded kind of tree-hugging and politically-correct to me. Don’t we have enough important things to concern us without worrying about being out in nature?

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While this being nature deprived is usually applied to children, it doesn’t have to be. I am indebted to Kelly, The Spunky Caregiver, for introducing me to the concept in the first place.

Kelly mentioned it regarding care giving for seniors. She wrote, “Getting outside alleviates our stress and can literally change the mental state we are in. I have personally seen this in caring for seniors with moderate to advanced dementia. Having trees, gardens, horses and walking trails around, is like heaven after being inside. They begin to remember stories, smile more and connect. I have also seen it in rehab patients, how it inspires and elevates their optimism for recovery. For me personally, I need to get outside to feel alive in my body and the thought of being inside for days is painful. I love the sun and the trees and the air. Taking the seniors outside is a serious paid benefit!” Continue reading

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Filed under aging, appreciation, biking, blood pressure, brain, calories, cardio exercise, cold weather, dementia, depression, Exercise, fat kids, healthy living, men's health, walking, Weight