SeniorsNutritionAndHealth.com

Getting older changes your body and your appearance as well as your ability to exercise. The heart rate declines as you age. This means your heart and lung can't pump as much oxygen and blood during intense physical activity, therefore your muscles won't be able to work as hard as they once could. Muscle mass will reduce as you age. This reduces the maximum effort you can sustain. The tendons and ligaments will stiffen and shorten, therefore your natural range of motion and flexibility will be reduced. You probably will also have some age-related problem with bones, joints and/or nerves such as arthritis or neuropathy. These will affect the ability to move as freely as you did in your younger years. None of the above should make you give up and head for the easy chair. In fact, you should do just the opposite. Researchers discovered that much of the physical decline associated with aging may have more to do with increased inactivity than with the aging itself. Beginning or continuing a regular exercise program may delay or reduce the affects of aging. It may even reverse some declines already brought on by previous lack of exercise. Between the ages of 50 and 70, the benefits of regular exercise and the negative consequences of not exercising are probably more noticeable than at any other time in your life. If you are still able to move, it's not too late to improve your fitness level and the quality of your life. Not doing so could spell real trouble. For best results, aerobic exercise should be a regular part of your daily routine. Choose activities that are right for you, making sure you stay safe and use the exercise time effectively.

In any activity some muscles will be causing movement while others will be checking movement in order to stabilize the body. The muscles causing movement are working isotonically, and those checking movement are working isometrically. Take care when training isometrically, such as supporting a heavy weight or your own body weight for several seconds without moving, as this increases blood pressure dramatically. Muscular strength and endurance training can be carried out without weights. One method is calisthenics, which involves gymnastic exercises that boost strength and encourage graceful movement. Many techniques used in aerobic step or circuit training also increase strength and endurance. Muscles must be pushed beyond their previous levels in order to stimulate them to improve. They can be worked with the same weight, or resistance, but for a longer duration in order to improve muscular endurance, or with a greater weight but the same duration to improve strength. Flexibility is crucial to ensure a complete range of movement, good posture, reduced muscle stiffness, and lower risk of injury. The key to developing and keeping flexibility is to stretch often. However, stretches should be performed only after the muscles of the body are warmed up. In sports that involve a lot of stretching, such as swimming, it is important to warm up and do stretching exercises before participating.

You may have heard it said that something is as American as apple pie. According to the internet information the first apple pie was introduced in England. The following recipe was found at RecipeLion.com and is a very simple one with the crust recipe also. You will need one cup shortening, cut into three cups flour, one teaspoon salt until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Combine one teaspoon vinegar and one egg and add five tablespoons water. Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix until dough forms a ball. Divide dough and pat out with hands into desired shape on floured sheet. Put another floured sheet on top and smooth with rolling pin. Transfer to pie dish using the wax paper. This is a very good article that everyone would enjoy.
http://www.bakerscommunity.com/blog/2009/11/28/apple-pie.html

Among other things, seniors do need to know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid. Everyone over the age of 65 is on Medicare (Parts A and B) and it doesn't matter how much money you have. However, you must qualify for Medicaid and it depends on your medical needs and financial ability to pay for these medical expenses. Medicare Part A is hospital insurance for which you pay no premiums. Medicare Part B is supplemental medical insurance and you have to pay monthly premiums as determined by the government. A Medigap policy can also be purchased from a private company to cover charges not covered by Medicare. It's been more than three years since Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage was made available to those eligible for Medicare. The government has continued to make information available to seniors through written publications, on the Internet and 24/7 telephone access. A book, "10 Things Seniors Need to Know About Medicare's Drug Coverage," has even been written by Senior Bob Dole. Some of the things appearing in this book and other publications is that the enrollment or re-enrollment (make changes) period is from November 15 through December 31 of each year. Also, seniors do have a choice as to which plan they need to select during this enrollment period. They need to explore the costs, coverage and convenience of the plans offered. Do they meet your needs? Compare the different plans available in your area and consider the costs for the drugs you have to purchase. How do the premiums fit into your budget? It is comforting to know that all of the plans offered have been carefully checked and they do meet the standards of Medicare. There is extra help with paying premiums for those with low income levels.

At its most basic level, strength and endurance training ensures that muscles are able to meet the physical demands that normal activity puts on them, such as getting in and out of the bathtub, carrying shopping bags, and maintaining good posture, without getting unduly fatigued or sustaining injury. It can also help ensure that you maintain a good level of strength throughout your life. Weight training is the best-known type of strength and endurance training, but in conjures up images of competitive bodybuilders, which can be of no interest to many people. However, strength and endurance can be achieved through many other forms of exercise, including dance. Belly dancing for muscular strength; you do not need to use weights to build muscular strength and endurance. Belly dancing is good for developing both muscular strength and flexibility; especially in the abdominal and lower back muscles. The health benefits of strength training include reducing the risk of serious injury, making it easier to carry out everyday activities, and improving your resting metabolic rate and body composition. It also increases or maintains bone density, depending on your age, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis in later life. However, if you have high blood pressure, you should seek medical advice before starting high-intensity weight training because it can increase blood pressure to unsafe levels.

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Isometrics

Apple Pie

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Muscular Strength and Endurance