5 Ways To Stay Flu Free

Flu season is rapidly approaching, and now is the time to start taking action to reduce your risk of catching the flu.

The flu is a serious virus that causes serious complications in the body. Below are 5 key tips that will help you stay flu free during the coming season.

1. Always wash your hands – especially after the bathroom, before you eat, and after you cough or blow your nose.

Rub soap between your hands for a good 20 seconds (a good way to know if you have washed your hands long enough is to sing the ABC’s) and rinse your hands in warm water.

2. Cough into a tissue or cough into your elbow instead of your hands. Cover both your nose and mouth when you cough.

3. Don’t rub your eyes, nose, or mouth – this is how germs spread the fastest.

4. Avoid contact with others who are sick with the flu (because it is very contagious).

5. Get vaccinated. Contact your doctor to get a flu shot. The vaccination is usually available around September.

The symptoms for the flu are:
- runny or stuffy nose
- coughing
- sore throat
- body aches and tiredness
- fever (over 100F/38C)
- headache
- vomiting and diarrhea

Having these symptoms doesn’t automatically mean you have the flu. Other illnesses can have the same symptoms… like the common cold.

If you develop these flu-like symptoms, visit your doctor especially if you are at high risk for flu complications (people older than 65, young children, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions).

'Smart' Incentive to Keep Exercising

“I think the good news – if we take it seriously – is that many of the same factors that can reduce our risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes also reduce the risk for age-related neurodegenerative disorders,” says neuroscientist Mark Mattson from the National Institute on Aging.

As we all age, our chance for brain diseases (such as Alzheimer’s disease) increases. However, the exercises we do to keep our body healthy will also keep our brain healthy through the aging process.
-Aging naturally lowers our stress threshold in our brain, which increases the risk of brain disease. Exercise will slow down this natural aging process by helping our brain cells to cope with stress better.

-When exercising, you are sparking connections and growth in your brain’s cell network, which keeps your brain agile and ready to learn. An agile brain is less susceptible to aging brain diseases.

-Exercise not only keeps the brain from deterioration due to aging, but it also reverses it.
That being said, no matter what age or condition, exercise can increase our brain health and protect our mind.

Exercise is one of the few ways to slow down the aging process. Use exercise as a preventative medicine and as an antidote.

* The information for this post can be found in the book Spark by John J. Ratey, M.D.

Myths about Aging

A lot of people out in the world are scared of aging or getting old. Some of these fears are just myths.

Myth #1: “Older adults are more depressed than younger adults.”

Distress and depression studies show that older and younger adults have the same amount of distress and depression. If a young person is happy and enjoys life, then that person will continue to be happy as they grow older.

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."
~Abraham Lincoln

Myth #2: “Lifestyle changes will not help me when I get older.”

This myth is believed by many and is extremely wrong. Everyone knows it is difficult to change a sedentary lifestyle of comfort; but once you jump into a better lifestyle change, even when you are old, you will see the benefits. Making a change in your life to exercise and eat right will immediately affect yours and any person’s life for the better.

"Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are."
~Muhammad Ali

Myth #3: “Old people can’t learn new things.”

Studies have shown that the ability to learn does not decline with age. Knowledge can be obtained no matter what age you are. So the old saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is false.

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."
~Henry Ford

Low Impact Exercising

Low impact exercising is ideal for people who are injured, older, pregnant, or just beginning to exercise. Low impact refers to exercises that put less stress on the joints and bones.

Some low impact exercises that are offered as classes are yoga, pilates, cycling, and water aerobics. These are all very helpful because they increase your flexibility, strength and aerobic capacity without putting too much stress on your joints and bones. Classes are a helpful way to maintain constant exercise. The times are set and you can make friends in the class to help encourage each other as you exercise.

If you prefer to exercise on your own, then you can do low impact exercises such as swimming, bicycling, walking, or weight training. Swimming will give you the lowest impact or lowest amount of stress on your joints and bones. Weight training can help increase your joint, bone, and muscle strength. For low impact weight training you would use less weight and more reps.

Exercising should be enjoyable. For example, if you chose walking as your low impact exercise, then do something you love while walking – like maybe taking pictures.

Exercising should make you feel good and energized. So make sure to listen to your body and go at your own pace.