Exercises for Seniors: Good for the Heart

While our Cardioflex nutritional product is specifically designed to benefit you heart, exercise is important. We found this nice little article that provides easy physical activity recommendations for senior citizens to promote "hearty" health.

4 Best Exercises for Older Adults:
Improve strength, balance, flexibility and endurance

By Sharon O'Brien, About.com Guide

For older adults and seniors who want to stay healthy and independent, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend four types of exercises:

Strength exercises build older adult muscles and increase your metabolism, which helps to keep your weight and blood sugar in check.

Balance exercises build leg muscles, and this helps to prevent falls. According to the NIH, U.S. hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips each year, many of them seniors, and falling is often the cause of those fractures. If you are an older adult, balance exercises will help you avoid problems ar you get older. If you are a senior, balance exercises can help you stay independent by helping you avoid the disabilities that could result from falling.

Stretching exercises can give you more freedom of movement, which will allow you to be more active during your senior years. Stretching exercises alone will not improve your endurance or strength.

Endurance exercises are any activity—walking, jogging, swimming, biking, even raking leaves—that increases your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. Build up your endurance gradually, starting with as little as 5 minutes of endurance activities at a time

Source URL: http://seniorliving.about.com/od/exercisefitnes1/a/4seniorexercise.htm

3 Quick Tips to Eat Healthier

1. Keep a food journal. Many agree, the most important tool for weight loss or any dietary change is a food diary (in which you keep note of every single thing you eat throughout the day for at least a week). It helps you track what you're eating, makes you accountable and makes it easier for you to identify areas for change. 

2. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Even if you sometimes skip it, you will always feel more energetic and alert when you have it. At home, eat either oatmeal (sometimes topped with fresh fruit), whole wheat bread with cheese or with peanut butter, or cottage cheese with fresh fruit. These are healthful choices, and the protein fills you enough to keep me going all morning.

3. Small steps can add up to big permanent changes – whether you are trying to lose weight, lower cholesterol or simply feel better. For instance, measure the amount of oil you use in some of your recipes and cut it in half. You can do this with stir-fry, a common favourite; it still tastes delicious, and  saves about 150 calories each mealtime – based on frying once a week. Over a year, that adds up to 7,800 calories – or a weight loss of two pounds. 

Source URL: http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/how_to_eat_better_top_12_healthy_eating_tips.php