Fighting Fatigue with Healthy Lifestyle Choices

 

Image by Zaytsev Artem 
via Creative Commons

Anyone who is a teacher understands the shock that happens during the transition from summer to fall.  It happens every year. Usually, I try to keep pieces of my summer schedule once classes start up again.  I have learned to stay home during Labor Day weekend so that I can adjust my back-to-school schedule to be more realistic.  It's hard to let go of numerous exercise classes, lots of reading, working in the garden, and having lunch with gal pals. Nevertheless, some of that needs to be trimmed back. 

I found that this year, I had more fatigue than usual. Is my age a factor? 

Note: This post should not be used as medical advice. It is only meant to raise awareness. If you have any questions about being tired, sleepy, or fatigued, you should see a licensed medical professional. 

These types of habits help me combat fatigue, which I think are good for people of all ages: 

Classes that Address Posture: Yoga, Core, Ballet, and Tai Chi

 

Image by Nenad Stojkovid
via Creative Commons

From 2015 to 2023, I have been experiencing problems with my right shoulder. This gave me the opportunity to visit orthopedic surgeons who referred me to physical therapists. I thought my issue was overuse at the gym since I attend a mix of 10+ classes at week at my local YMCA (strength training, stretching, cardio). 

No. The problem was poor posture, caused in part by tech neck. (I am right handed, the hand I use to hold a mouse and a cell phone.) 

Note: I am not a professional fitness instructor. Nor am I a licensed medical professional. This post only invites people to increase their awareness of the benefits of movement. I am sharing my experience as friends might do while having lunch toether. I strongly suggest that readers hire a personal trainer or visit a physical therapist for quality help in proper positioning and movement. 

I have been practicing yoga regularly since 2004; however, I still managed to have my neck jutting out too far and my shoulder blades slumped too far forward and apart. Physical therapy helped me see how to place my upper body in better position during the many classes that I attend. 

I decided to change the mix of my fitness classes so that I was doing fewer intense cardio classes and doing more classes that allowed me to maintain nearly a constant focus on my posture, particularly of my "frame," as the ballroom dancers describe it. 

Yoga. I attend yoga 2 to 4 times a week. Yes, I work on positioning my feet, knees, and hips; however, I have good muscle memory with the lower half of my body. I talk to myself almost the entire time about my shoulder blades and neck. 

I also adapt some poses to focus on correcting my posture. 

Fall (Prevention) Festival

Evansville West Side Nut Club Fall Festival 2002
Photo by alandberning

For several reasons, I strengthen my core muscles by doing exercises. Every week, I attend three strength training classes, two dance classes, and one yoga class.

Core strength is vital to posture, balance, rising from a seated position, and preventing lower back injury.

After going to the gym in Evansville:
Strong is the new pretty.

A few years ago while living in Wichita, I had a history of poor alignment in my lower back.

I have had my spine adjusted several times.

I finally went to a physical therapist who helped me identify various muscles in my torso (core) and taught me how to strengthen them through several sets of exercises.

I received this guidance from a physical therapist in 2015. My back has not gone out of alignment since then.

Because of my poor bone health, I am very focused on fall prevention.

It's important for people of all ages and levels of health. However, it's especially important to me because I have very frail bones.

BMI: Biomarker for Longevity and Health

Photo by St. Murse

Body Mass Index, also called BMI, appears to be a simple tool for determining a healthy ratio between height and weight.

Not so.

Most people will agree to the truism that a person should not be too underweight or too overweight.

People should be just the right weight.

This post is part of a series on 18 biomarkers.

Note: The function of this post is only to raise awareness. It is not offering medical advice. If you have concerns about your BMI, please see a licensed medical professional. 

The BMI categories as published by the CDC are as follows:

Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5 - 24.9
Overweight = 25 - 29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
  
But the borders between these four categories are hotly debated as is the more general idea of "ideal weight."

Crack the Code: Book Review

Published November 5, 2018.

Louis Bezich combines reading, research, and personal experience to write a book for men 50 plus on how to adopt healthy behaviors.

His title reveals his dual content. Crack the Code: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men over 50. 

Bezich doesn't just give evidence-based facts about healthy lifestyle choices--diet, exercise, stress management. He also discusses the psychology of changing one's habits.

Consequently, he includes information from psychology alongside information from the health professions.

The book includes not only research from scholarly journals but interviews from case studies conducted by the author. The reader gets to "hear" the experiences of mature men taking control of their health.

2018 MAIA Concurrent Sessions

MAIA offered 36 concurrent sessions over two days. 

Concurrent sessions are a blessing and a curse.

Yes, it's wonderful to have an array of topics presented when attending a conference.

However, it's painful to choose among competing sessions.

See an earlier post for information about the 2018 MAIA plenary and keynote speakers. 

This was my experience during the 2018 Mid-American Institute on Aging and Wellness, which took place August 9th & 10th on the campus of University of Southern Indiana

As my name badge indicates, I was one of the people helping with the conference. Briefly stated, serving in the MAIA committee as a "Blue Shirt" further enriched my experience before, during, and after the conference.

But being a committee member didn't include the ability to time travel. Consequently, I can only report on a fraction of presentations.

Check out #maiarocks on Twitter for other attendees' photos and summaries of sessions. 

See an earlier post that lists Twitter and Facebook pages for many of the 2018 MAIA presenters and sponsors.

Live Longer, Live Better, Avoid the Risks: Book Review

Published July 12, 2017.

Healthy lifestyle choices serve as the foundation of sound health.

As people age, their habits have an enormous impact on their quality of life.

Authors William M. Manger, Ph.D. and Edward J. Roccella, MPH use their expertise in health care research to explain how to increase longevity and health by adopting healthy habits.

As a gerontologist, I have studied and taught classes on healthy aging. This book condenses a lot of literally vital information into one book.

The authors reference evidence-based scholarship in support of their advice for adopting healthy habits; however, the writing style isn't academic or stuffy.  It's clear and direct prose written for the lay reader.

The acknowledgement section lists about two dozen health and medical experts who were consulted to "improve the quality of this book" (p. 289).

The book's core chapters are as follows:

Forever Painless: Book Review

Published November 15, 2016.

Miranda Esmonde-White is a fitness expert, author and host of the PBS show called Classical Stretch, which has over 300 episodes.

This fall, Harper Wave has published Esmonde-White's most recent book:

Forever Painless: End Chronic Pain and Reclaim Your Life in 30 Minutes a Day. (Hardcover, 320 pages).

The book's main point is this:

Appropriate movement is key for managing chronic pain.

The first four chapters explain the theory behind this point. 

The next ten chapters provide detailed instructions for various types of movement.

Available for purchase links:

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

VO2 Max: Biomarker of Health

Photo by Charlyn Wee.

As a Baby Boomer, I have heard chatter about the value of cardiovascular fitness since Jane Fonda first marketed her aerobics videos.

However, I just investigated the assessment tools for VO2 and VO2 Max in my efforts to better understand biomarkers of health and longevity.

This post is part of a series on Biomarkers for Health. 

By looking at the tools used by researchers to measure fitness and pace of aging, I'm trying to better understand lab results that doctors might order for me or for my Greatest Generation parents.

I am also trying to use midlife as a time to prepare for higher quality of life during my 70s, 80s and beyond.  

For this reason, I decided to read a bit about various VO2 tests and VO2 Max tests as measures of cardiorespiratory fitness.

V = Volume

O2 = Oxygen

VO2 Max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen a person can absorb during vigorous exercise. 

The Pedestriennes: Book Review

Published  26 June 2014.

I love reading about athletes.  They inspire me to persevere through my present life challenges.

As a gerontologist, I most often follow news stories about mature athletes.

However, when I heard about the pedestriennes, I decided to talk a walk down memory lane.

But not my memory.

In order to help memorialize this fascinating group of female athletes, I eagerly read Harry Hall's 2014 book, The Pedestriennes: America's Forgotten Superstars.

I have accepted a review copy of Hall's book in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Thanks to Hall's tireless research, I learned a great deal about the pedestriennes, who captured the nation's attention for about five years in the late 1870s.

In a quest for fortune and fame, they would walk for days on end with little sleep.

Need Help with Your Bag?

Photo by Canadian Pacific.

"Ma'am, can I help you with your bag?"

I'm hearing this more and more lately from ever-so-helpful twentysomethings.

And each time I'm incredulous.

Really, do I look frail?

I often deny that Father Time has been messing with me.

However, this time, I really believe that young adults addressing me this way have a perception problem.  A short, small-framed woman can be physically strong in midlife.

I am not the little old lady who needs help from do gooders, and I've decided to re-educate the masses one misinformed person at a time by performing feats of strength (such as they are) as evidence.

I always use humor to put people at ease. I always start by politely expressing, "Thanks, but no thanks." 

I do fancy myself as a performance artist of sorts. I embrace the idea that I should overtly dramatize my approach to aging for others to witness. If I make a spectacle of myself, I can spark conversations about active aging.

Here's a highlight reel of some of the performance acts, which are designed to complicate people's perception of "little old ladies":

Depend Silhouette Active Fit Briefs

Getting ready to hit the gym with Depend. 

Going to the gym preserves my health and sanity.

At times, I have been hesitant to push myself hard while working out because of issues with bladder leakage.

A few weeks ago, I told my personal trainer, Melanie, that I didn't want to do jumping jacks.

She replied (in her drill sergeant manner): "Get some disposable underwear and quit whining!"

The next day, I received an invitation to review Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs. That was a happy coincidence!

Phyllis Sues, Active at 91

Photo by Zabara Alexander.

Today I stumbled across a slideshow about 91-year-old dancer, actress, fashion designer, and music composer, Phyllis Sues.

I decided to spend some time learning more about her.

Born April 4, 1923, Phyllis has been active for decades, but her recent activities include the following:

Daily or Weekly Weigh Ins?

Photo by Kiss My Buttercream.

After about a two months hiatus, I stepped on the scale today.  Yikes!  I've gained five pounds since Labor Day.

Now, this may not sound like a lot of weight, but I am less than five feet tall (about 141 cm).

Also, the timing is a bit shocking.  I'm going into the holiday season with a little Santa's bowl full of jelly.

I am too cheap to buy new clothes, so I need to trim down, or I won't fit into my clothes by the end of the winter.

I should probably start with a food journal so that I can be more honest about what I'm really eating.

3 Karens on the Track

Photo by Heikki Siltala.

Another trip to the YMCA where I'm measuring my pace against Father Time.  After an injury last fall followed by an illness in the winter, I got lazy about getting to the gym.  In 2013, I had been spending about 10 hours a week at the gym doing a combination of cardio, yoga and strength training.  I was moving so fast that I figured Father Time would consider me "outta sight, outta mind."  

Not so fast. 

Exercise Enlightens

Photo by Raja Sambaslvan.

Going to the gym gives me a good workout--body, mind and soul. If I get myself to the gym, I improve my physical fitness, my cognition, and my peace of mind.

It took me a while to recognize that the gym at time offers me spiritual enlightenment. It's not just the endorphins talking.  The gym offers some insights about life when I take the time to notice.

Photo by Bob Cotter.

1. We are all equal at the gym.  All people are equal when faced with fundamental tasks such as walking on a treadmill.

It doesn't matter how old we are, where we live, how much education we have, or what we do for a living.  The only question is this: can I move my feet to keep pace?

From time to time, I look around at all the people on the cardio machines or all the people in the exercise class and feel great unity with them. We are all united in our quest for greater physical fitness.

I sometimes want to break out in song.  But that would spoil the moment, so I just note the swelling in my heart and smile.

Longevity Predicted by SRT

Photo by Harry Harris.

Yesterday, a friend of mine posted a link to the Death Clock on his Facebook page.

According to this simple test, I can expect to live until age 83.

While more accurate than a reading of my lifeline, the Death Clock hasn't been vetted research.

The Sitting-Rising Test (SRT), however, is backed by data that makes it a more persuasive predictor of longevity.

Published by Brazilian physician Claudio Gil Araujo in November of 2012, the research on SRT shows that a simple evaluation of having someone rise from a seated position on the floor demonstrates their longevity.

Ping Pong: 2012 Documentary

Photo by OliBac.

I love mature athletes.  They motivate me in a number of ways.

After observing their accomplishments, I not only rev up my workout routine, I work harder to achieve in other realms of my life as well.

I was fortunate enough to stumble across a 2012 documentary Ping Pong.  The film introduces us to 8 mature table tennis players as they prepare to compete in China at an international tournament.

I was particularly delighted with the background stories of these players:

Bone-Thickening Videos

Photo by TobyOtter.

Because I have less-than-ideal bone density (a state recently identified by WHO as osteopenia), I am writing one post a month on bone health.

This month, I was interested in seeing if I could find videos that demonstrate exercises for improving bone density.

Many sites dedicated to bone health such as the National Osteoporosis Foundation suggest a variety of exercises people can engage in for greater bone health.

Exercise to Increase Bone Density

Photo by smcgee.

In September of this year, I found out that my bones are below the ideal limits for density.  I don't have osteoporosis--yet.  The range I'm in is a newly defined zone called osteopenia.  All is not lost. I still have a lot of control over my bone density. I can improve my diet with calcium-rich foods, and I can do bone-strengthening exercises.