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In this issue of Style Weekly’s Healthy Aging Guide we look into the Best Ways to Lose Weight After 50, explore natural medicine with Osteopathy to Achieve Total Wellness, and try Tai Chi for Better Health. We also share how to deal with scars, and the signs to look for when you have aging parents. Please pass along this issue to whomever you feel might benefit, and share online using this link: www.styleweekly.com/HealthyAgingGuide.

Style Weekly and RVAStrong.com would like to thank the exhibitors and attendees of the 2nd Annual MIND+BODY Meetup & Healthy Happy Hour, held on Friday, January 30th at Crossroads Art Center. The event benefited both the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation and the Central Virginia Food Bank. Look for an update to our Virtual MIND+BODY Meetup coming soon to RVAStrong.com, and we’ll look for YOU next year!

Good health is a duty to yourself, to your contempo-raries, to your inheritors, to the progress of the world. ~Gwendolyn Brooks.

Publisher: Lori Waran; Healthy Aging Sales Director: Dana Elmquist; Healthy Aging Art Director: Chris Mason; Healthy Aging Graphic Designer: Joel Smith; Healthy Aging Business Manager: Chris Kwiatkowski

The Healthy Aging Guide is a free promotional publication from Style Weekly, 24 E. Third St, Richmond, VA 23224

Please tell all of the fine folks you see on these pages where you found them!

For more information: dana.elmquist@styleweekly.com

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What can you do to help your own scars?By Mona Saeed, DPT, cert MDT, CHTLocated at Tidewater Physical Therapy, John Rolfe clinic

Scars can come from many things including falls, scrapes, and surgical procedures. The scars I want to discuss today are those found after surgery. It is imperative for scar tis-sue to form because it helps us heal by putting back to-gether what the doctor so carefully worked on. It makes us whole again.

It is important to realize that scars are much more than the neat line of stitches left on the surface of our skin. Scar tis-sue actually goes very deep, starting at the skin level, going through connective tissue, down into muscle tissue, past nerves, arteries and veins, and sometime even bone. Scars do not discriminate: they stick to all tissue and reach in all directions. Left untouched, scar tissue can become kinky, tight, thick, tough, bumpy and a variety of colors. They can contribute to pain, restrict range of motion, cause hyper-sensitivity, and even deficits in strength. All of these side effects are undesirable, but they can all be treated with a little bit of “know how” and elbow grease.

So what can you do to help your own scars? The best thing is to get in there and give them a deep friction massage. With your thumb, fingers, knuckle, or heel of your hand, press firmly, and move the tissue in all directions—up/down, side to side, and in circles. You can even place your fingers right along the scar line, and move it to either side, up and down! So, it is not a typical rubbing massage but a deep, friction massage. Keep the same quadrant of skin directly under your contact point and moving it as a unit. Don’t be shy with your pressure and force. It will not be comfortable, but it is better than the alternative. Spend 5 minutes of your day working on it, and you will notice that

the pain resolving, the range of motion improving, sensi-tivity is disappearing and the strength returning.

Doing this can be scary! It is an incision and it had stitches going inside it. A Physical Therapist can help teach you to loosen the scars. Otherwise, even years later, they can still wreck havoc in your life. We can teach you the proper way to apply pressure, teach you exercise to engage and stretch the new tissue you are freeing up, and strengthening exer-cise, to ensure you get back to your daily activities.

Your doctor can provide you with a prescription for Physi-cal Therapy after you recover from your operation. Or, if has been some time, you can call and come directly to Tidewater Physical Therapy, for proper education and techniques to do on your own.

Signs Aging Parents Need to Consider Moving to Assisted LivingBy Cheryl Culbertson

Unexplained signs of injury. As people age, they grow more fragile. Some elderly people may not tell their adult children about potentially serious falls they are taking-maybe because they don’t want to worry you, or because they want to stay in their homes. However, this can put them in an extremely dangerous situation, as falls can cause serious injury to elderly people. If you are seeing mysterious bruises or other injuries, you may need to have a conversation about your parent’s contin-ued safety in living at home.

Decreased quality of life. Is your parent less well groomed than usual? Is your normally impeccably-dressed mother or father wearing rumpled clothes or forgetting to shave or shower? Is the house or yard messier than usual? Are you noticing strong odors in the house that weren’t there before? These might be signs that activities of daily living-such as dressing, bathing,

laundry, or housecleaning tasks-are becoming more dif-ficult for your parent to cope with on their own.

Signs of memory loss. Is your parent forgetting things more frequently than usual? Are they missing appoint-ments, forgetting to take important medication, or for-getting to pay bills? Are there stacks of unopened mail lying around the house? Are some of your parents’ med-ications expired? Does your parent sometimes forget to turn off the oven or stove? Some symptoms of memory loss are benign, while others-such as forgetting to turn off the stove or take medication-can be life-threatening.

Physical fragility. Do you notice your parent has a hard time going from sitting to standing? Do they seem to have trouble navigating stairs? Do they move more slowly than usual? Do they have trouble bending or lift-ing even light burdens, such as grocery bags? Is it easy for you to see your parent struggling with tasks that used to be easy?

Sudden weight loss or gain. Have you noticed a sudden change in your parent’s weight? Are they not eating as healthily as usual? Are you noticing food going bad in their fridge-even if they tell you they’ve been eating reg-ularly? Your parent may be trying to conceal from you the fact that tasks such as cooking and shopping for gro-ceries have become more difficult.

Their living situation. Some elderly people are more supported than others. Your parent may be able to stay in his or her home independently more easily if the home is outfitted with safety features such as grab bars in the bathrooms, night lights in the hallways, and all im-portant rooms on a single floor. Also, consider whether your parent has a solid response plan in place in case of a fall or a medical emergency, and whether there are friends and family around and available most of the time to help out. The more isolated your parent is, the sooner assisted living may be needed.

Calls from bill collectors. Are unpaid bills piling up in the house? Are bill collectors calling? Has your parent had a utility shut off in recent memory? Especially if paying bills has never been a problem before, this is most likely a sign that your parent is forgetting to manage regular tasks such as bill payment.

Unexplained damage to the car. If your parent is driv-ing, take a look at the car. Are there mysterious dents or scratches on it? If your parent does not have access to a car but has a strong support system or access to easily navigable public transportation, the period of indepen-dence may be able to be maintained longer.

Unexplained changes in mood. Are you noticing unchar-acteristic mood changes? Does your normally cheerful mom or dad suddenly seem depressed, angry, or irra-tional? Sudden changes in personality and demeanor can be early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

Once you know exactly what your parent is having trouble with, you can begin to assess what type of care is needed. If help with light housekeeping is all that’s needed, this is easier to deal with than issues of physi-cal fragility and memory loss. But before you can decide what to do next, you’ll need to find out what your par-ent’s challenges are-and be aware of signs that some-thing may be wrong.

Once it’s been determined it’s time your parents move to assisted living, you need to realize that assisted living is expensive. Here are some helpful resources on what to expect and ways to pay the expenses. http://www.texasbabyboomers.com/texas-assisted-living-costs/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cheryl_CulbertsonArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8477161

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And you’ll have the time of your life.

Bring your curiosity t o the Osher Institute.

There’s no better time to be a part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Richmond. It’s our 10th anniversary, and we’re celebrating with style all year long.

We’re offering one of our largest selections of classes and specialprograms. Several programs are free and open to the public and a great way to test the waters and see if the Osher Institute is right for you.

Visit us online at osher.richmond.edu or call (804) 287-6608 to join our contact list and receive the latest copy of our schedule of classes.

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How Osteopaths Can Help In Achieving Total WellnessBy Courtney Y Johnson

With advances in both medicine and technology, one would think that modern people would have it better than their predecessors. But now, more than ever, peo-ple are becoming prone to a host of ailments. Among the culprits for these are an unhealthy diet and a seden-tary lifestyle.

But at the core of this culture of un-wellness is the dis-sociation between wellness and medicine. For a lot of people, medicine refers to treatments when one suffers aches, pains and other symptoms associated with dis-eases. At the core of true health and wellbeing is medi-cine, not only as a remedy, but as a vital cog in achieving vitality, vigour and happiness.

This is the overall goal of an osteopath. A lot of people often think that the work of an osteopath is simply fo-cused on the relief and treatment of pains, joint injuries, arthritis, nerve problems, headaches and migraines, sports injuries, and pre- and post-natal problems. How-ever, osteopaths, folks should know, can offer much more than that.

Unlike other forms of medical treatments, osteopathy does not involve the use of drugs or invasive treat-ments of surgery. Instead, this branch of medicine uti-lises manual treatments in strengthening the muscles, joints and spine. In addition to this, osteopathy produc-es a positive impact on the body’s circulatory, nervous and lymphatic systems.

Osteopathy is holistic in approach. This means that in-stead of solely focusing on the aches and pains of the pa-tient, its overall goal is to use manual techniques which may include soft tissue manipulation, muscle contract-ing and stretching, mobilisation and articulation, ultra-sound and exercises for rehabilitation to achieve better health and wellbeing. Osteopaths recognise the body’s ability to heal itself and treatments are meant only to assist the body in this healing process.

Osteopathy’s first and most obvious benefit is im-provement in a person’s mobility. Other benefits in-clude better functioning of the body’s circulatory, nervous and lymphatic systems. Some people who have undergone osteopathic treatment even report having improved sleep.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that osteopa-thy is an effective form of treatment for pain manage-ment. An Initial consultation typically lasts under an hour. During the initial consultation, the osteopath will ask the patient to perform a few movements to assess the patient’s mobility and posture. In addition to this, the osteopath may also use other diagnostic results. In some instances, the osteopath may refer the patient to a general practitioner or other medical specialist.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Courtney_Y_JohnsonArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8871968

Tai Chi: A Chinese Secret to Better HealthBy Michel Czehatowski

In the ancient Chinese medical text entitled the “Huang Di Nei Jing” (circa 200BC) it was said that giving someone medicine after they became sick was like digging a well after they became thirsty or going to war and then mak-ing weapons. The idea was that it was easier to prevent illness rather than treat it developed early as a part of Chinese medical philosophy and became part of Chinese culture. To this end Chinese physicians instructed people in diet and exercise in what we would describe today as “preventative medicine”.

The development of movement routines came about with the realization that exercise was necessary to prevent dis-ease. One exercise that came out of this quest for better health was called Tai Chi or Tai Chi Chuan. It was said to have been originated by a Taoist monk named Chang San Feng who lived between 1279-1368 A.D. Chang was the author of the Tai Chi Jing - the earliest known text that describes the characteristics of the Tai Chi movements. His writings explained the basic principles of Tai Chi. He wrote that the practitioner was to be like a great river that flows unceasingly, that is, being smooth, flowing, steady, and powerful.

Tai Chi was introduced in the United States in the late 1960’s. Initially people didn’t understand what to make

of the slow movements but now it is a popular exercise that is even seen in television commercials. But what is this exercise that we call Tai Chi and what can it do for you?

At the foundation of Tai Chi we have a series of slow, in-terconnected movements that were based on martial art techniques. Nowadays the focus is on the health aspects of the exercise. The martial techniques are not empha-sized. The Tai Chi movements are collectively called “the form” and is much like a Japanese Karate “kata”. Forms or Katas are essentially “dictionaries of movements” for self-defense techniques. They give the martial art student a method to remember and practice the different skills they’ve learned.

When we learn Tai Chi we are taught easy-to-learn move-ments that link together. If practiced regularly over time a person will reap significant health benefits such as im-proved balance and flexibility and because Tai Chi is medi-tative in nature it can also help reduce stress. Tai Chi com-plements and can help improve all other exercises and activities by teaching how to move in a relaxed manner.

There are many reasons why Tai Chi is such a popular ex-ercise. One is that people of any age can learn Tai Chi. Because the exercise is not stressful it is common for students to start in middle-age and be able to continue practicing well into their 80’s and 90’s. Modern studies have shown that those who practice Tai Chi have lower blood pressure, reduced incident of falls, and are less likely to experience Shingles outbreaks. Another reason why it is popular is that no special clothing or equipment is required. A person can practice Tai Chi just as easily in business attire as they could in beach attire. The surface of the ground where it is practiced can be smooth, rough, uneven, wet, or dry and a minimum of space is needed to practice the form. But the most compelling reason to practice Tai Chi is that you will feel better every time you do it and the effects are cumulative - typically a person gets better at it with age.

A Blog on Chinese culture: http://theriverlands.blogspot.comArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michel_CzehatowskiArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8870285

The Surprising Best Ways To Lose Weight After 50By Debra Atkinson

Are you trying to lose a few pounds? Would you love an energy boost? Have you committed more than once to get back in shape only to find it doesn’t matter what you do? It’s like reading as it gets dark. You finally decide to interrupt your book and flip the switch. When you do however, you find the light switch has no effect and you don’t know how to turn it on.

Several things are working against you. Hormones dur-ing a woman’s late 40s to 60 take her for yet another ride. For some it’s a nice cruise, but for others this ride is a roller coaster ride you wish you’d been too short to take. Then there’s time, stress, and a good chance that there’s been some injury that changes what you can do. Finally, here’s some insight on how and why to turn things around.

1. There actually is a best time of day to exercise. The answer to that question has always been the best time is the time you’ll do it. Expert opinions lean toward morn-ing since there are fewer interruptions at 5:00 am than later in the day.

A recent study showed that exercise first thing in the morning, in a fasted state, helped burn more fat through-out the day compared to no exercise or the same exer-cise after breakfast.

In the particular study, subjects followed a diet higher in calories and fat than their usual diet. The study suggests that if you over-indulge you can prevent weight gain by getting up the following morning and exercising with ad-equate intensity before you’ve had breakfast.

2. Cortisol is not your keeper. Known as the stress hor-mone for good reason, cortisol is a necessary hormone in the body. Under stress, particularly prolonged stress, however, higher levels of it encourage fat storage. Easily stored as bat wings and muffin top, it’s harder to burn off. Harder to store as deep belly fat you can beat like a drum, it is at least easier to burn off with exercise.

Reducing the amount of cortisol you have in response to stress gets at the real problem. If you focus on los-ing fat while your body is still on high-speed fat storage you can’t win. Once experts suggested reducing expo-sure to stress. Another suggestion was find your way to yoga or get a hobby. Breath in and breath out. Studies suggest now the ultimate stress strategy is to embrace your stress.

People who think of stress as a positive challenge and expect there will be stress fare better than those of us who believe stress is bad. When you buy into the stress is bad for your health idea, it is. You can change the bi-ology in your body based on your thoughts. Choose a positive attitude toward stress and you will live longer healthier based on mortality rates. Believe stress is bad for health and you shorten your life.

3. Hacking has become a new sport. A hack is a short cut. People are trying to hack sleep, hack work, hack exercise. While it works in some areas as a working smarter not harder or more strategy it doesn’t work at all in others. Sleep is one of those areas. If you’ve been an infomercial fan whose ordered one of those fat loss programs for a quick fix in the past, you’ll love this.

Sleep is one of the most passive things you can do to get some weight loss control. When you’re sleep deprived your cortisol levels go up. Not only that but two other hormones work against you as well. Ghrelin tells you that you’re hungry after a short night. Leptin never tells you you’re full. Round out the trio with cortisol and you are likely to eat foods you don’t need, never feel you get enough, and then have the super-storage power thanks to cortisol.

Find your optimal sleep length. Do everything you can to protect it. Seek support if you’ve had sleep problems for

years. It’s time you got a good night’s sleep and you may find that it changes your weight loss efforts.

4. Exercise and diet count but less than you think. We need to eat right. The hard thing here is fine tuning your “right.” While we seek diet and exercise changes first to take control, they are really only a part of the picture. Without optimal alignment of your hormones a good diet and exercise won’t work and might each contribute to your lack of success.

You want to as Pamela Peeke wrote in her book, Fitness After Forty, have a routine and a stress routine. We of-ten don’t adjust. That pushes hormones further out-of-order. If you tend to have a “if I work harder I get better results” ethic you may have to rewind and relax your grip in order for things to work.

What got you here won’t get you there. That’s a line borrowed from author and coach Marshall Goldsmith. You can’t look inside to check whether your hormones

are in balance without testing. Yet, if you know, intui-tively you know something isn’t right here, then focus on these steps first. Then test don’t guess to see what you’re working against. Even tests sometimes won’t come back positive some doctors will admit. You know you. Use that information and find support in creating a priority list of where to begin.

Personal Training and Fitness expert Debra Atkinson, MS, CSCS is a barely boomer and founder of Voice for Fitness. As a wellness coach and personal trainer she provides articles, videos and up-to-date research in practical tips for exercise and nutrition that will change the way we age. Learn more at https://www.voiceforfitness.com/ac-tiveagingsecrets/ or find tips for being fifty going on sexy at https://www.voiceforfitness.com/navigatingthebook

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_AtkinsonArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8907434

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