ACTIVE LIVING (Part 4)

This is the fourth, and final installment in a series on physical activity.  The first three parts focused on children (ages 5-11), youth (ages 12-17) and adults (ages 18-64).  This segment speaks to seniors (ages 65+).

As you enter your ‘golden years’, physical fitness is as important as ever.  Leading a healthy lifestyle at this stage can help protect you from some of the challenges faced by seniors.  Exercise can help with your balance, which may reduce any chance of falling, for example.  It can help prevent other serious ailments too, such as osteoporosis and high blood pressure.

If you are already active then you’re ahead of the game, but if you aren’t, there’s nothing to say you can’t start now.  Be sure to find an activity that interests you and start off slowly, gradually increasing the duration of the exercise you choose.  Whatever pace you start off at, you should be aiming, ultimately, for about two-and-a-half hours of aerobic activity a week and they should include activities that will get your heart-rate beating fast (like running or biking, for example).  You also want to aim to include core strengthening activities as well if you can.  They are activities that will create resistance which in turn help develop/maintain bone and muscle strength (gardening or stair climbing, for example).[1]

One of the best parts about exercise – and one of the most convenient – is it doesn’t have to be organized, and it can be quite cost-effective.  Everyday activities can act as physical activity, and the results are just as good.  Instead of driving to the corner store, try walking there instead.  Instead of the elevator, try the stairs.  If you live in a building with a pool, try swimming which is an excellent source of fitness.

Living a healthy lifestyle is really important for anyone, regardless of age.  And while everyone should strive to include exercise into their daily lives, the unfortunate reality is that it may not be safe for you to do so.  So before you get started, remember to consult your physician, or any of the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.

Written by Stephen Colomvakos

This is the third of a four-part series on physical activity.  The first two entries were dedicated to children (ages 5-11) and youth (ages 12-17).  This one is geared towards adults (ages 18-64).

One of the drawbacks to being an adult is you can have a lot of responsibilities, and juggling them can be pretty time-consuming.  Whether it’s work, school, or taking care of the kids, sometimes there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day.  But regardless of how busy you are, exercising is one thing that should not be overlooked since it’s an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle.  In a given week, try to aim for about 2.5 hours of exercise that includes both aerobic and strength-training activities.[1]

For aerobic exercises, you’re looking for activities that will increase your heart-rate, like biking or roller-blading, for example.  Where strength-training is concerned, look for activities that create resistance to your bones and muscles, like weight-lifting or push-ups, for example.

Exercising doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours of your time in a gym and paying monthly fees to maintain one’s well-being.  Running, swimming or even just climbing the stairs at work during your break are easy and relatively cheap ways to keep active too.  If you’re looking for something you feel might be a little more enjoyable, look to fast-paced sports like basketball or soccer to accomplish your fitness goals.

Staying active can have many rewards, but leading a healthy lifestyle is as important as any.  Exercise helps reduce the risk of a number of illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis.  On a more positive note, physical activity can help increase your energy levels and even your self-esteem.

For more information on this topic, please contact the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.

Part four will cover seniors (ages 65+).

Written by Stephen Colomvakos for Kew Gardens Health Group

ACTIVE LIVING (part 2)

This is the second of a four-part series on physical activity.  The first was dedicated to children (ages 5-11), and this one will speak more to youth (ages 12-17).  If you missed Part I you can find it here.

As one enters their pre-teen, and teenage, years, exercise should be an important part of life to help create and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Since children at this age are starting to enter junior-high and high school, gone are the days when you had recess and the chance to run around outside in between classes.  So whether it’s gym class, or after school sports, one should aim to partake in daily activities to make up for that void.

What you should be looking for here is roughly one hour of daily activity with medium-to-high intensity; something that will not only get your heart pumping but that will also allow for a little resistance to help muscle growth too.  Swimming and running, for example, are great all-around exercises as they both strengthen bones and double as great aerobic exercises too. ^[1]

There are other benefits too, than just improving your body physically.  Exercise can also help improve one’s confidence, it can help increase your concentration, which could lead to better marks in school, and it can even help reduce stress, to name a few.

So whether you decide to join a school sport, or you choose something to do with friends, like indoor rock climbing, the important thing is that you find something you really enjoy.  Not only does it make things more fun, but where your physical well-being is concerned, you’ll be doing something that is really good for you too.

For more information on this topic, please contact the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.

Part three will cover adults (ages 18-64).

The first of a 4 part series written by Kew Gardens Health Group columnist Stephen Colomvakos

ACTIVE LIVING (part 1)

Having an active lifestyle is something we should all strive for as it helps achieve and maintain a healthy well-being.  The challenge, of course, is understanding what the parameters are so you can meet such goals.  And since the variables change depending on your age, this blog will be broken up into four parts to represent the different age categories:  Children, youth, adults and seniors.  For all intents and purposes, we’ll start with children (ages 5-11 years).

Taking part in exercise as a youngster can greatly impact one’s overall health for years to come.  We all know that physical activity can help prevent a number of ailments, such as cancer and heart disease, but it can also strengthen bones and muscles, which is crucial, especially during childhood. If your child is on the right track as a tyke, you help them develop a positive habit for them to follow well into adulthood.

Experts recommend that a child take part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day.  Now, you’re not necessarily going to get your six year old in the gym for weight training and spin class, but instead try to incorporate physical activity in a format that is more suitable to their needs.  While enrolling them is a sport of some kind is an excellent way to exercise, short of that, they can always make the best of even daily routines:  They can walk to school (if it’s close), or they can go on bike rides with you or their friends, just to name a couple of choices.  The idea here is to include both aerobic (running, biking, for example) and muscle-building exercises (like climbing on the jungle-gym at the local park).[1]

While I touched on some of the health benefits above, some others to keep in mind include:  Better posture and balance, increased concentration and improved self-esteem. So make sure your child takes advantage of all the options available to them, and help them grow up to be active, and more importantly, healthy adults.[2]

For more tips on this topic, please contact the health professionals at Kew Gardens Health Group.

Part two will cover youths (ages 12-17)

[2] Ibid.

Eating healthy is important to everyone’s well-being, but it is especially significant when it comes to training.  What you eat prior to exercise will have an impact on your results.  What’s more, the number of calories you consume will also play a role on your body, so it’s important to know what you’re goals are so you can adjust your diet accordingly. 

Any nutritious diet will incorporate the five major food groups, with more emphasis being on grains, fruits and vegetables, rather than meats and simple sugars.  But you don’t have to stick to these guidelines at all times.  For the sake of argument, let’s say you’re at the gym and you’re looking to put on muscle.  You may want to eat more meats in that case because the protein will help in muscle growth.  If, on the other hand, you’re a marathon runner, you may want to incorporate more wheat and grains into your diet because the carbohydrates will be of more benefit to your body by providing easy to use calories. 

Another important factor to consider is the calories you consume.  While there are certain rules-of-thumb to follow when determining the right caloric intake, the actual amount will differ from one person to the next depending not only on their height and weight, but also on their level of activity.  So if you are at a healthy weight, you will want to consume enough calories to maintain that weight.  If, on the other hand, you find that you are losing pounds, then you will want to ingest more calories than usual to try to balance things out.  You can find any number of calorie calculators online to find out what is right for you including this on line calorie calculator  Remember, if you’re finding it hard to remember what works for you, you can always keep a diary to log the number of calories you consume before a workout which will allow you to adjust accordingly.

What is also really important are the types of calories you take in.  It is one thing to eat a healthy meal before working out; a meal, say, like a plate of pasta with chicken, but it’s quite another to stuff yourself on sweets and think that because you’re full that you’re getting the same results.  Yeah, you might get an initial burst of energy to start but once the sugar-rush wears off your body will feel the crash, and as a result, you’ll find that you under-perform.  You’ll find, ultimately, that you’re cheating your body out of its best possible results.  Strutcture your meals around the 1-2-3 principle  for snacking for most optimal results!

You know what your goals are.  Just remember that physical activity alone won’t get you your best results.  You’ll need to incorporate a healthy diet as well, if you’re going to reach your true potential.

Written by Stephen Colomvakos for Kew Gardens Health Group