Cardio Exercises for Seniors

by HANNAH WAHLIG

As you age, losses in aerobic capacity and muscle strength can reduce your endurance and stamina. Cardio exercises have benefits for both healthy older adults and older adults with preexisting medical conditions, such as hypertension. Before embarking on any new exercise routine, a doctor should perform a full medical examination and provide individualized guidelines as necessary.

Recommendations for Exercise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines cardio, or aerobic, activity as any action that increases your respiratory and heart rate above your normal resting rate, sustained for at least 10 minutes. The CDC advises that generally healthy adults older than age 65 should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio exercise every week. Moderate-intensity activity increases your heart and breathing rate enough so that, though you can still speak, you would not be able to sing.

Low-Intensity Exercises

Low-intensity exercises only slightly increase your heart and breathing rate, and are suitable for older adults with a range of medical conditions that make exertion particularly difficult or dangerous. The most standard low-intensity cardio activity is walking. Walking at a slow pace during standard activities, such as shopping, counts toward your weekly goal. If your health and stamina improve, you might consider increasing the pace or length of your walks. Recreational swimming is another low-intensity cardio exercise that reduces joint strain. Low-impact water aerobics classes may also be available at a local facility like a gym or recreation center.

Moderate-Intensity Exercises

More moderate-intensity exercises are generally recommended for healthy older adults. Cycling is a common moderate-impact exercise, though road biking can have hazards especially if you struggle with balance. Instead, consider a recumbent stationary bike which reduces your injury risk. If you enjoy the pool, lap swimming is more vigorous than recreational swimming, though still gentle on joints. If you prefer being outdoors, consider hiking as a more strenuous option than walking. Dancing is also an option; many senior centers and gyms offer group dance lessons specifically for seniors and may include swing, jazz or ballroom options.

High-Intensity Exercises

High-intensity, or vigorous, cardio exercise increases your heart and breathing rates so that talking is difficult. One minute of vigorous exercise is the equivalent of two minutes of moderate intensity exercise, so you only need 75 minutes weekly to meet the CDC recommendations. High-intensity cardio activities tend to put stress on joints and can cause injuries. If you do want to include an activity such as jogging, try an elliptical machine, which tends to reduce the impact on your ankles and knees. Another option is cross-country skiing, a vigorous cardio exercise that incorporate muscle extension and flexion more so than muscular load.

And remember - Before embarking on any new exercise routine, a doctor should perform a full medical examination and provide individualized guidelines as necessary.

reprinted from livestrong.com

3 Sneaky Things That Are Making You Crave Sugar

by Kristin Canning

When you're trying to keep your added sugar intake to a minimum, you know to steer clear of the obvious temptations: the office vending machine, the ice cream freezers at the supermarket, and the dessert porn that come across your Instagram feed. (And just a refresher, the recommended daily intake of added sugar for women is six teaspoons, according to the American Heart Association.)

But some sugar triggers are a lot more subtle than that, altering your physiology without you realizing it and leaving you with a strong need to rip into a party-size bag of M&Ms. If you've noticed that your appetite for the sweet stuff has surged, one of these three food-related factors might be to blame. Here's how they activate your sweet tooth—and how you can get control of your cravings.

You take in too much caffeine

That double espresso you pick up on the way to work every morning might be doing more than fueling your energy. A recent study from the Journal of Food Science found that caffeine can switch up our taste buds so we perceive foods as less sweet than they actually are. When you can’t taste sweetness as well, you're apt to consume more in order to satisfy your natural sweet tooth, the researchers suggest.

It's a preliminary study and more research is needed to back up the findings and provide a better understanding of how caffeine alters taste buds, cautions Vandana Sheth, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (Sheth was not involved in the study.) But if your sugar jones tends to rage mid-morning after you've finished your morning joe, it may be worth trying a switch to decaf.

You consume artificial sweeteners

Call it the catch-22 of calorie-free drinks and low-sugar desserts. "Because non-nutritive sweeteners, or artificial sweeteners, are many times sweeter than sugar, [consuming them] trains your taste buds to appreciate hypersweet flavors," says Atlanta–based nutritionist Marisa Moore, RD. "This may make it difficult for fruit and other less-sweet foods to measure up to that expectation." In other words, after a steady diet of fake sugar foods, regular sugar is a letdown for your taste buds. So you finish off that tub of mint chocolate chip to try to make up for it.

A review of previous studies on artificial sweeteners published in the journal Neurosciencesupports this idea, with the author of the review noting that "artificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence."

Nutritionists see this effect anecdotally as well. "I can say I’ve heard from past clients that they've have seen a change in their tastebuds when they reduce their artificial sugar intake and eat a more balanced diet," says Los Angeles–based Megan Roosevelt, RD.

You load up on the wrong carbs

The glycemic index measures how specific foods affect your blood sugar level. High-glycemic foods such as processed white bread, pastries, crackers, and cookies cause your blood sugar to spike soon after consuming them . . . and then crash quickly as well. With your blood sugar down, your body seeks a fast energy fix, amping your appetite for sugary sweets like a donut or candy bar, says Moore.

The trick is to consume foods that keep your blood sugar level on an even keel. So skip the high-glycemic empty carbs and load your plate with low-glycemic carbs, like fruits and veggies, minimally processed grains such as quinoa and bulgur, steel-cut oats, brown rice, and whole grain bread. These items keep your energy steady, so you don't experience the sudden crash and subsequent craving.

High-glycemic carbs are also high in fiber, which can help promote fullness and further keep blood sugar steady, says Libby Mills, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

reprinted from health.com