10 Easy Exercises You Can Do if You Are 65 or Older

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Exercise is important at all stages of life, but it is especially important if you are a senior.  Seniors need exercise to maintain muscle mass, strengthen aging bones, increase circulation for blood flow to both the heart and the brain, and to help maintain balance to prevent falls.  You should try to exercise thirty minutes each day.  Here are 10 easy exercises you can do if you are 65 or older:

1.  Push the Wall.

Wall pushes strengthen your arms and chest.  To do a wall push, stand about three feet away from the wall, place your hands flat on the wall, then lean in and push back from the wall.  Complete this movement 10 times.

2.  Stand on One Foot.

This exercise is often called “The stork” and is used to improve balance.  Stand straight, and then lift one foot by bending the knee.  Hold the position for 30 seconds, then switch feet.  If you have trouble maintaining your balance, use a chair or the wall for support.

3.  Do Dumbbell Curls.

Dumbbell curls will strengthen your biceps.  Start with a light weight, such as 2 or 5 lbs., and then lift the weight toward your shoulder by bending your elbow.  Repeat 10 times with each arm.

4.  Lift Your Heels.

Heel lifts will stretch and strengthen your calves.  From a sitting position, keep your toes on the floor and lift your heels.  Repeat 20 times.

5.  Sit…Then Stand.

The sit/stand exercise is great for balance, but it will also strengthen leg muscles and the buttocks.  Start in a sitting position, then without using your hands, rise to a standing position.  Hold for 5 seconds, sit, and repeat 10 times.

6.  Do Toe Laps.

Toe taps will strengthen your lower legs and also increase blood flow.  Sit with your feet on the floor, and then with your heels still on the floor, slowly lift your toes until you can feel a comfortable stretch in your leg muscles.  Repeat 20 times.

7.  Stretch Your Neck.

Stretching your neck will release tension in your neck and shoulder area and increase strength.  Start by tipping your head forward until your chin touches your chest to stretch the back of your neck.  Next, tip your head to each side, leading with the ear to the shoulder.  Hold each stretch for 3 seconds.  Repeat 10 times.

8.  Lift Your Knees.

Knee lifts will strengthen your thighs.  From a sitting position, raise your knee so that the back of your thigh is 2-3 inches off the chair.  Hold it for 3-5 seconds, then place it back down.  Repeat 10 times, then switch to the other leg.

9. Raises Your Arms.

Arm raises will stretch your arms, shoulders, and back.  Place your arms at your sides from a sitting or standing position, then slowly bring them up, pausing for 3 seconds when they are extended out, then continue to lift them straight above your head, pausing for another 3 seconds when they are straight up.  Slowly return them to your sides and repeat 10 times.

10. Squat at Your Chair.

Stand with your feet apart, in front of a chair. Raise your arms, then squat down slowly in front of your chair. As you slowly move down to your chair, slowly return to a standing position. Chair squats help strengthen your hamstring muscles, as well as other key muscle groups.

In addition to these easy exercises, you can take daily walks, swim laps at the pool, or participate in senior group exercise classes like yoga or low impact aerobics at a local gym.  Staying active will lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, dementia, stroke, and other debilitating diseases and improve your overall quality of life.  For more information on other areas of healthcare, follow the Avidity Medical Design Blog.

10 Easy Things You Can Do To Sleep Well Every Night

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Sleeping is one of the most important things we do. Sleepiness decreases work and school productivity and can be dangerous when working with heavy machinery or while driving. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 35% of adults in the US average less than 7 hours of sleep per night, and almost 70% of high school students average less than 8 hours of sleep every night. This is concerning since poor sleep raises your chance of alcohol and tobacco usage, obesity, heart problems, respiratory issues such as asthma, depression, arthritis, diabetes, and even cancer. Clearly, sleep is important, but it’s also pretty easy to change your habits to get better sleep–here are 10 easy things you can do to help you sleep well every night.

Tip #1: Set a Strict Schedule.

If you’ve ever slept in all weekend and then struggled to get up on Monday morning, you know just how hard it is to fight your wake/sleep schedule, or circadian rhythm. Your body quickly gets used to a set schedule of waking and sleeping that is tied to your activity patterns and the transitions between day and night. One of the most important tips for helping you sleep well is to set a regular schedule so your body will know when you’ll be sleeping.

Tip #2: Create Your Own Personal Bedtime Routine.

One of the most crucial parts of your day is the last hour before you sleep. You should try to do the same things every evening, such as taking a warm shower, brushing your teeth, and getting into pajamas, which will cue your body that you’re about to go to sleep.

Tip #3: Turn off the TV, Phone or Computer.

As you get ready for bed, try to avoid spending time looking into lights like your TV, phone, or computer. Though it may be tempting to watch videos as you relax in bed, this kind of light keeps your brain alert, so opt for entertainment like podcasts or audio meditations that don’t require a lit screen.

Tip #4: Go Somewhere Else If You Can’t Sleep.

If you really can’t go to sleep just yet, or if you wake up during the night and can’t get back to sleep, go ahead and move to another room for work or entertainment. This will help remind your brain that bedrooms are for sleep, not for alert activities.

Tip #5: Make Your Bedroom as Dark as Possible.

At night in your bedroom, use blackout curtains and cover lights on electronics in the room to keep it as dark as possible for the best sleep. Conversely, during the daytime, stay in brightly lit rooms and get lots of sunlight to help align your circadian rhythm with the passage of time in nature.

Tip #6: Watch What You Eat.

Eating large meals, drinking alcohol or caffeine, and smoking cigarettes hurts your sleep quality. Whether you’re awake with jitters or indigestion, you won’t sleep as well as you would if you just drank water and ate a small snack in the evening.

Tip #7: Exercise Regularly.

By regularly exercising, you burn off excess energy and keep your mind and body active without the use of stimulants. 

Tip #8: Adjust Your Thermostat (Or Set a Thermostat Schedule).

Most people sleep well when the temperature of the room is in the mid 60s. Who hasn’t woken up in the middle of the night too hot or too cold? If you have a thermostat with a scheduling device built in, set the schedule to lower or raise the temperature at different time intervals during the night while you are sleeping.

Tip #9: Block Out All Noise or Use White Noise.

Whether it’s a dog barking or a partner snoring, noises tend to distract from a good night’s sleep. Use white noise from an app or fan to dull exterior noise, and wear earplugs if necessary. Also, if you have your phone at your bedside, make sure to silence it so you aren’t up all night with Twitter notifications.

Tip #10: Make Your Mattress and Pillow Comfortable.

Try to change your mattress out at least once every 10 years, and if you can’t afford a new one, you can make a firm mattress softer with a pillow-top insert or soft mattress firmer with boards under the bed. Find a comfortable pillow that fits your size, and spend a little extra on soft and breathable sheets and blankets. 

To learn more about different healthcare subjects, follow the Avidity Medical Design Blog.

To enroll in a healthcare course, visit Avidity Medical Design Academy.

10 Easy Exercises That You Can Do At Work

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Working at your desk all day can put extra stress on your body.  Because of this, it’s important to stay fit while you’re working at your desk all day.  There are plenty of easy, beneficial exercises that you can do while you’re sitting at your desk, or working in the office. Here are 10 easy exercises you could do when you are at work.

1.  Do Some Head Lollers 

When you’re working behind a computer all day, your head and neck could become stiff.  Loosen them by letting your head loll over so that the left ear nearly touches your shoulder.  Use your hand to press your head a little lower for 10 seconds.  Repeat the same exercise using your right ear.

2.   Try Some Victory Stretches

This easy exercise is great for relieving stress and keeping your muscles from clenching up.  You could stay seated or stand up for this exercise.  Raise your hands up overhead in a V-shape and stretch high up.  Hold for 10 seconds.

3.   Do Wall Sits

This exercise is great for building strength and endurance while taking a phone call.  It’s also great for your back.  You will stand with your back against the wall, bend your knees and slide your back down the wall until thighs are parallel to the floor.  Sit and hold this position for 15 seconds.

4.   Clench Your Muscles

A muscle strengthening exercise that you can do while sitting or standing.  All you have to do is tighten your buttocks for five seconds, relax and repeat 15 times.  If you do this exercise regularly, it could help tone your muscles.

5.  Squat at Your Printer or Your Fax Machine

Try doing this exercise when you are standing at your printer and waiting for something to print, or standing at your fax machine and sending a fax or receiving a fax.  Squatting is great for strengthening the thighs and buttocks.  Stand with your feet together, bending the knees slightly until your thighs are parallel to the ground.  Hold this position for five seconds and then release it.  Repeat this exercise. Do 4-6 repetitions.

6.  Raise Your Legs While Sitting

This exercise is great for adding strength to your legs and abdomen.  Try doing this while sitting down on a conference call and nobody’s watching.  Straighten your leg while sitting upright in your seat.  Hold it in place for 10 seconds.  Repeat with the other leg and then do this 15 times for each leg.

7.  Do Some Chair Dips

These are easy exercises you can do to strengthen your core and arms.  Be sure you’re using a chair that doesn’t roll away.  Scoot up to the front edge of the chair, extend your legs out in front of you and place your hands on the edges of the chair behind you.  Use your core and arms to raise your body up and down.  Repeat this exercise 15 times.

8.  Raise Your Leg While Hovering

Similar to raising your legs while sitting, raising your legs while hovering helps strengthen your abdomen.  The only difference is that you will be raising both of your legs at the same time, instead of raising each leg one at a time.  Hold this position as long as you can and then release it.

9.  Do the “Leaning Plank Exercise”

This is another one of our favorite easy exercises you could do in the break room.  Just lean against a wall using your forearms for support.  Hold for as long as you can.

10.  Hug Your Knees

Lift your leg up with a bent knee and grab it with your arms.  Hold for 5-10 seconds.  Repeat on the other leg.  This exercise is great for strengthening your knees.

For more easy exercises you could at your desk, be sure to follow the Avidity Medical Design Blog. 

To take an online healthcare course, visit Avidity Medical Design Academy.