Last updated on February 24, 2020
Protect your body and mind against aging
As the years pass by quicker and quicker, and body and mind slows down, my mind tends to think more about ways to help stop aging, NOW!
One surefire way to help both your body and your mind stay a peak ability is by:
WORKING OUT!
Your brain’s primary purpose is to move your body and a huge amount of your grey matter’s real estate is dedicated to exactly that job. If you want to keep learning and creating new connections in your brain, then nothing will compare to staying active and exercising. What’s more, is that exercise stimulates the release of countless necessary neurochemicals including dopamine and serotonin.
It has been shown to greatly improve memory and to boost the IQ too. Meanwhile, the benefits for the body are huge. Staying active can help to improve heart health and prevent the likelihood of heart disease. It can also improve your looks, combat diabetes, prevent depression, keep your bones stronger (especially if you train outside and get lots of sun) and much more.
More importantly, as we discussed in the introduction, staying active is actually the best way to prevent the loss of mobility that will leave us hunched and in constant pain in old age.
So the question is, how do you stay active in the right way to combat age-related health issues?
MOVE!
Get up right now and stand with your feet slightly apart and toes facing forward. Now try to squat all the way down with your
heels flat on the floor.
Can’t do it?
This isn’t just a problem for the older population it’s something that 90% of guys and gals in their 20s and 30s can’t do either. But you should be able to do it. Squatting is one of the 7 primal movements – it’s a fundamental ability that we should all have.
How about Touching Your Toes?
The problem is that most of us spend 8 hours a day sitting in an office in the same position. That position involves having our shoulders hunched forward, neck craned down and legs bent. This causes muscles like the quadriceps and pecs to shorten and tighten, while our hamstrings and glutes become weakened and flattened. The longer this goes on, the more serious the problem becomes.
Eventually we might even develop a pelvic tilt. Is it any wonder that you can’t move at all when you’re older? So the key is not to start some ‘gentle exercise’. Rather, the key is to get really active and to push your body. It should be able to handle it but you may need a trainer who can teach you to get started gently and to gradually increase the difficulty while keeping one eye firmly on mobility.
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and you’ll see that we age best when we use our body through its full range of motion and keep on doing so. Weight-lifting is actually a great choice of exercise for older individuals as it teaches movements like the squat and the deadlift with good technique to ensure that you have the full range of motion.
This is even more important if you do have a fall or accident as this is what will very often serve as the catalyst to many more problems. If that happens, then you should see a chiropractor or physiotherapist and then follow the advice they give you to strengthen the area and prevent knock-on effects throughout your body. Of course, if you have existing complaints then you may not be up for squatting and lunging just yet.
In that case, you may want to start with some gentle cardio in the meantime which will help to provide those afore-mentioned health and brain benefits in the short term. Good options include most low-impact forms of exercise, such as swimming, walking (or power walking), the recumbent bike and others that don’t involve hitting anything with force. Just make sure that the goal is always to work your way up to-ward more complex moves.
Ways to Move in Bella Vista
We are so fortunate here in Bella Vista because we have many opportunities to engage in exercise and different sports. There are over 100 DIFFERENT CLUBS in our area, many of them very active ones. Check out this list of
“THINGS TO DO“ in Bella Vista:
Exercise classes abound at the recreation centers here in Bella Vista. Check out Riordan, Metfield and Branchwood Rec Centers.
There are several great clubs you can join for free or a tiny fee so you can participate with other residents who enjoy being active.
Kayaking (Bella Vista Paddlers on FaceBook)
Biking (BV Bike Club on FaceBook)
Pickleball (Bella Vista Pickleball on FaceBook)
Volleyball (Bella Vista Beach Volleyball on FaceBook)
Walking (Bella Vista Lake Walkers on FaceBook) and (Bella Vista Walks on FaceBook)
Hill n Dale Hikers (Hill n Dale Hiking Club on FaceBook)
Bella Vista Community Garden (Bella Vista Community Garden on FaceBook)
Fishing (Fishtales, Bella Vista Arkansas Fishing Community on FaceBook)
Run (Bella Vista Run on Facebook)
Benton/Bella Vista Photography (Benton/Bella Vista Photography Club on FaceBook)
There is so much to do here that surely you can find an activity to help you MOVE!
Bella Vista is ranked one of America’s Top 10 Best Healthy Places To Retire by U.S. News & World Report, and one of the Top 25 best places for affordable homes by CNNMoney.com and Money Magazine.
Bella Vista Online Mall has several “Shops” where residents who enjoy the various activities available in Bella Vista can shop.
Stop Skin from Aging
1. Use sunscreen every day to protect your skin. Select a board spectrum 30 SPF or higher and waterproof product
2. Stop smoking, which ages the skin rapidly
3. Don’t tan, use self-tanners instead. Sun tanning and tanning beds will damage your skin and age you.
4. Cut down on drinking alcohol which dries out your skin so you look older.
5. Eat a balanced diet with plenty of veggies and fruits. Sugars tend to age you.
6. Daily exercise improves your circulation and makes your skin look better.
7. Use moisturizer daily which helps trap water in your skin and keeps it young-looking; be sure and moisturize your chin and neck.
8. Be gentle when washing your skin, wash twice daily and after sweaty exercise and then Moisturize.
9. Avoid squinting and repetitive facial movements. Use sunglasses to help avoid squinting. Avoid frowning, smile lines will look better.
Here are products I have researched that can help keep your skin glowing and healthy.
Summary
Your body needs movement and good nutrition to stay healthy and young-looking. Avoid smoking, sunburn, and alcohol and treat your skin gently and keep it moisturized.
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