Generation Fit, Author at Generation Fit

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Generation Fit has contributed 393 entries to our website, so far.

Every Day is Heart Day

Feb 14, 2019

EVERY DAY IS HEART DAY Happy Valentine’s Day! On this day it seems appropriate to talk about senior heart health. The heart is an amazing muscle that beats around 100,000 times a day. It’s essentially a complex pump that is able to adjust blood pressure, flow, and volume in order to provide our bodies with all the blood they need. Yet, many of us seniors don’t take good care of our tickers. Nearly one-third of all deaths among older persons are due to heart disease. In fact it’s the leading cause of death for persons 65 and older. Heart disease is...

Gaining Flexibility—It’s a Stretch

Feb 7, 2019

GAINING FLEXIBILITY—IT’S A STRETCH I used to do a full set of stretches before I went out for a run. But lately I’ve read that stretching muscles before they’re warmed up can actually hurt them. So now I just take a 10-minute quick walk before I get into my jog. However, I’ve actually begun to perform more stretches—just not before I run or I jump into other aerobic activities. Two to three times a week I go through a routine where I stretch muscles critical for mobility—my hamstrings, hip flexors and quadriceps. This includes squats, clamshells, step-ups, standing quad stretches...

Sleep Deprivation Is Downright Dangerous

Feb 1, 2019

SLEEP DEPRIVATION IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS Last week I read a Washington Post online article warning that our general lack of sleep is escalating into a health emergency. I think we seniors need to especially pay attention to getting enough sleep, what with insomnia due to anxiety or restless legs or arthritis pain or needing to use the bathroom more frequently. Last June I wrote a post giving recommendations on how to get better sleep, Nothing Like a Good Night’s Sleep. However, the Washington Post piece was more on the dangers of not getting enough sleep. Here are excerpts from the...

Got Fruits & Vegetables?

Jan 22, 2019

GOT FRUITS & VEGETABLES? We all try to include both fruits and vegetables in our daily diet. But it seems most of us don’t include enough. Even though I usually have half a banana at breakfast, a small apple in the afternoon and broccoli, carrots or asparagus (or in season vegetables from my garden) with dinner it still doesn’t add up to an adequate daily amount—at least not according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC tells us we should eat 1-1/2 to 2 cups per day of fruit and 2 to 3 cups per day of vegetables. They...

The Top 12 Fitness Trends for 2019

Jan 15, 2019

THE TOP 12 FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2019 The most popular fitness trends change every year as you can see comparing this survey with last year’s post The Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2018. Here are excerpts from the new annual survey from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) published in its Health & Fitness Journal, Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2019. For the survey, the authors identified 39 possible fitness trends for 2019 and received responses from more than 2,000 fitness professionals who ranked them on a 10-point scale, with 10 meaning it was most likely to be...

Flu Fables: 14 Flu Myths

Jan 10, 2019

FLU FABLES: 14 FLU MYTHS It’s January, and we’re back into the height of flu season. If you’ve had the flu (influenza) as an adult you know how sick you can be. Heck, even for a kid it’s no picnic. You may have your theories on how to avoid the flu—and you may be 100% right. However, there’s also a huge amount of misinformation and bad advice out there on dealing with the flu and the flu shot. Here are excerpts from the November 12, 2018 updated Harvard University article 10 Flu Myths MYTH: You can catch the flu from...

Carpal Tunnel Trouble

Jan 5, 2019

CARPAL TUNNEL TROUBLE One morning back in July I began to tie my shoes and found I couldn’t properly manipulate the laces with my left hand plus I felt a tingling in my fingers. I asked myself what the heck could this be? I have arthritis in my hands so suspected that maybe it was especially acting up that morning. But when the same thing happened again later that day when I changed into my running shoes I began to think that this might be the dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome. But could it come on so quickly? I visited my...

Tinnitus: What to do about that maddening ringing in your ears

Dec 29, 2018

TINNITUS: WHAT TO DO ABOUT THAT MADDENING RINGING IN YOUR EARS Tinnitus is sound in the head with no external source. When it lasts more than six months, it’s known as chronic tinnitus. I’ve had it for years—in fact for so long that I can’t remember when I first developed it. Tinnitus is especially common in folks over age 55 and is strongly associated with hearing loss. Over time I’ve “habituated” myself to the buzzing in my ears and hardly ever notice it anymore. I’ll speak about that later in this post. But first here is more information on tinnitus...

Hop on a Rowing Machine & Give Yourself a Full-Body Workout

Dec 21, 2018

HOP ON A ROWING MACHINE & GIVE YOURSELF A FULL-BODY WORKOUT Just about the only device I use at a gym these days is the rowing machine. I love it. This machine works your back, arms and legs simultaneously giving you as close to a full-body workout as possible from a machine. Once you get the technique down, it’s also easy to use. Rowing is particularly attractive for us seniors because it is low-impact and easy on our joints. Plus, because rowing works out your entire body, it’s easier to stay engaged while doing it. Here’s more specific information on...

Should You Use a Heart Rate Monitor?

Dec 14, 2018

SHOULD YOU USE A HEART RATE MONITOR? These days there’s a profusion of technology available that tracks your health, from counting steps to counting calories to letting you know how well you slept. But the most valuable fitness device is a heart monitor, which tells you how many times a minute your heart beats. I have a Fitbit Charge 2 wristband that continually monitors my heart rate. Most of the time I don’t much care what it reads, but when I jog I refer to it all the time to make sure I’m exercising at the right intensity. Using it,...

About Generation Fit

Every Day is Heart Day

Gaining Flexibility—It’s a Stretch

Sleep Deprivation Is Downright Dangerous

Got Fruits & Vegetables?

The Top 12 Fitness Trends for 2019

Flu Fables: 14 Flu Myths

Carpal Tunnel Trouble

Tinnitus: What to do about that maddening ringing in your ears

Hop on a Rowing Machine & Give Yourself a Full-Body Workout

Should You Use a Heart Rate Monitor?

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