Exercises for upper back flexibility

Did you know?...once you start being physically active, you’ll begin to see results in just a few weeks. You may feel stronger and more energetic than before. You may notice that you can do things more easily, faster, or for longer than before. As you become fit, you may need to make your activities more challenging to see additional results.

Simple cooking recipes (American Heart Association)

Improve your:

Exercises to improve endurance, strength, balance, flexibility

Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute on Aging - photos and detailed exercise instructions, worksheets to track progress, and tips on eating a healthy diet. FREE!

Seniors

Exercise or Take It Easy?

exercise class Should older adults save their strength and “take it easy”? No, regular physical activity is very important to the health and abilities of older people. In fact, studies show that “taking it easy” is risky. For the most part, when older people lose their ability to do things on their own, it doesn’t happen just because they’ve aged. It’s usually because they’re not active. Inactive people are nearly twice as like to develop heart disease as those who are more active. Lack of physical activity also can lead to more visits to the doctor, more hospitalizations, and more use of medicines for a variety of illnesses.

The goal is to achieve at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity endurance activity on most or all days of the week. Every day is best, but doing anything is better than doing nothing at all. Try to do all four types of exercise – endurance, balance, flexibility, and strength. Try to do strength exercises for all of your major muscle groups on two or more days a week for 30-minute sessions each, but don’t do strength exercises of the same muscle group two days in a row. Make it a point to get more active in the New Year.

Preparing Quick and Tasty Fruits and Veggies

variety of fresh vegetables Here are some no-hassle, quick ways to get delicious fruits and veggies on the table.

Open and rinse cans of kidney beans, wax beans, chickpeas, and green beans, and toss with a low-fat or fat-free vinaigrette for an ultra-fast bean salad.
Try adding fresh herbs to vegetables before you roast, stir-fry or steam them. Example: tomatoes go well with basil and oregano, and carrots go well with dill.
Add 1-2 cups of frozen vegetables to canned soup before heating; serve on top of rice in a shallow bowl.
Use a 12-inch, prebaked packaged pizza crust to create a 20-minute dinner, add sliced zucchini, fresh spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, onion, and low-fat cheese and bake at 400 degrees until the cheese bubbles
Add grapes, sliced apples, and pears to a chicken salad made with low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise.
Top broiled lean meat, chicken, or fish with salsa. Try to buy low-sodium salsa.

Stay active as you get older: quick tips

Take steps to prevent Type 2 diabetes

Exercise: enjoyment key

Keep track of when you exercise

Tips for stretching your fruit & vegetable budget

5 simple heart-healthy energy boosters (American Heart Association)

Did you know?.....

Researchers have found that spinach leaves exposed to light similar to the 24-hour fluorescent light received by packages of fresh salad greens on display in grocery stores had higher levels of some nutrients than did leaves exposed to continuous dark. If you reach toward the back of the fresh-produce shelf to find the freshest salad greens with the latest expiration dates, you may instead want to look for the packages that receive the greatest exposure to light – usually those found closest to the front.

Small Steps Change of the Month

When eating out, remember that foods served fried, au gratin, crispy, scalloped, pan-fried, sautéed, buttered, creamed or stuffed are high in fat and calories. Instead, look for steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted foods..