Balance Training for Body Stability Improvement

BALANCE is the ability to maintain the line of gravity of a body (vertical line from the center of mass)within the base of support with minimal postural sway, according to definition. However, we must accept that there are physical changes and the process of maintaining our balance slows or deteriorates as we age, such as:

• Overall weakness throughout the body.
• A generalized decrease in fitness (our whole body becoming less fit, leading to faster muscle fatigue and shortness of breath).
• Decline in posture, changing our center of mass.
• Decreased reaction time.
• Decreased balance.

Balance exercises are especially important for older adults because they can help prevent falls.  Balance training is as important as strength training, flexibility, and cardiovascular activities in a fitness routine. Simple balance exercises include the following:

• Walking can help build lower-body strength, an important element of good balance.
• Standing on one foot for 30 seconds on each side. (Tip: Keeping toes, sole, and heel firmly on the floor for best results.)
• Walking heel-to-toe for 20 steps, forward and backward.
• Going from sitting to standing without using hands, as quickly as you can.
• Doing heel raises 10 to 20 times, rising up on toes as far as you can while standing
• Walking on your toes, forward and backward.

We should do everything in our power from now on to improve our balance and keep it that way for the many benefits it will bring us. We can improve balance and prevent falls with balance training. Balance is a skill and can be trained at any age. Here is my personal story to share, with limited literature review.

Balance Training For Body Stability Improvement

Objective: Observations for progressive personal balance training (level 3) effect in body stability improvement

Importance for balance training: Balance is the condition during which the body's center of gravity is maintained within its base of support; the state of equilibrium, which relies on:

• Position of the center of gravity in relation to the base of support
• Direction of the forces
• Base of support

There are three pathways that help maintain balance, and they are:

• Eyes
• Ears
• Nervous System

Training the core muscles is vital for athletes, bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts. Whether running, lifting or performing upper/lower body activities, power in each movement is generated from the core. Gaining enough core strength increases the stability of the pelvis and spine, which improves balance during athletic and bodybuilding movements 1 .

Balance has been a part of my integrated personal training program, which began with level 1, then progressed and maintained for level 2 over 1 year.  This experiment was intended to observe the effect at the next level (III) for the first 14 days during the ongoing progression personal training.

Levels of balance training are defined as following:
Level 1: free-standing single-limb stance (left and right) with eyes open on stable surface, also with yoga based dynamic body poses
Level 2: free-standing static single-limb stance (left and right) with eyes closed on stable surface
Level 3: free-standing static single-limb stance (left and right) on a cushion with eyes closed

Results
Level 3 Results

1. free-standing static single-limb stance (left and right) on a cushion with eyes closed;  Day 1 – Day 14 balance time data summary

Summary of Improvement 2-week overall average vs. baseline
2-Week overall average  left  54.6 sec           right 38.7 sec
Baseline                              left 20 sec               right 25 sec
Improvement                     left + 34.6 sec         right +13.7 sec

 2. Additional observation free-standing static single-limb stance (left and right) on a cushion with eyes open; Day 1 and Day 14 balance time data summary
Summary of Improvement Day 14 vs. Day 1: Left +25 sec    Right +33 sec

Comparison with Level 1 and Level 2
Level 1: free-standing single-limb stance (left and right) with eyes open on stable surface and with yoga based dynamic body poses
Results: up to approximately 70 - 80 seconds on left or right limb stand, comfortably with yoga based dynamic body poses, upon approximately 2 years routine practice

Level 2: free-standing static single-limb stance (left and right) with eyes closed on stable surface
Results: up to approximately 100 – 120 seconds stands on left or right limb stand comfortably, upon approximately 14 months routine practice

Level 3: free-standing static single-limb stance (left and right) on a cushion with eyes closed;  upon the initial 2-week practice, effects are observed as following at this early time point, while the training routine is continuing:

1. When standing on a cushion with eyes closed, the difficulty level is increased considerably compared with level 1 and level 2, as the level 3 baseline ( 20 - 25 seconds) showing a dramatic shortened balance time from level 2 (comfortably 2 minutes) .  With the eyes open (75 seconds at baseline), however, it was less challenging. This observation suggests the importance of visual balance.

2. Data collected with open eye balance on cushion (75 seconds at baseline and 100/108 seconds on day 14) – results are comparable with level 2 (comfortably 120 seconds).

3. Left and right lib strength are not equal in the same individual under the same training conditions, however, improvements were observed in both sides [2-Week overall average  (left  54.6 sec and right 38.7 sec) comparing to the baseline (left 20 sec and right 25 sec) , positive deltas were observed at left + 34.6 sec and right +13.7 sec].

Summary:

Observations

Descriptive data from the initial 14 day level 3 balance challenge are summarized as following –

1. Balance training is essential for body stability improvement.  Overall balance enhancement on Level 3 difficulty was observed, as demonstrated by average time increase compared with baseline, after 14 days daily practice.
2. Variability of individual balance strength of each limb has been observed; left and right limb balance strength varies. Variance from day to day of the same limb is also observed. Limb strength improvements of both sides have been observed.
3. Significance for body stability benefit – not conclusive at the 2-week time point. This training program is continuing and progresses are to be evaluated with the same criteria at ongoing basis.

Practical applications and potential long-term benefits from literature review:
The potential benefits of routine balance training include improvements to overall fitness, performance, and injury prevention. Specific Benefits Include 2, 3, 4, 5:

There is strong evidence to suggest that balance training can improve static balance ability on stable and unstable surfaces, as well as dynamic balance ability.

1. Mind and body connection – It benefits neuromuscular coordination – basically it helps improve the communication between brain and muscles. Body awareness is the sense of how your own limbs are oriented in space, also referred to as proprioception. Balance training promotes body awareness which makes movement more seamless and prevents injury.  As balance diminishes progressively with age, balance training is not just about avoiding falls. Better balance will improve focus, overall movement and physical ability in daily life.

2. Core stabilization and coordination – Balance training requires all of the body to work together otherwise one might fall or stumble. It helps with core stabilization – this in turn helps to improve coordination and posture.

3. Joint Stability – Balance training promotes stable knees, ankles, hips, and shoulders. This can prevent a whole array of injuries including sprained ankles and serious knee problems. It helps with muscle isolation – during balance training you have to maintain stabilization and you are forced to engage an individual muscle predominantly.

4. Reaction Time – If you slip or stumble when carrying out challenging balance exercises your body needs to re-balance immediately or you will fall. This can improve your reaction time as you learn to quickly correct a mistake, but not over-correct.

5. Strength – Balance training is challenging for nervous system (brain and nerves). The nervous system recruits your muscle when lifting weights, so as nervous system becomes more efficient it can recruit a higher percentage of muscle for each lift. This means you are stronger and can lift more weight.

6. Power – Power is the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movement. The two components of power are strength and speed. With quicker reaction times and stronger muscles, your power ability should increase too.

7. Agility – Agility is defined as quick and nimble. It is the ability to change the direction of the body in an efficient and effective manner and to achieve this requiring a combination of balance, speed, strength, and co-ordination. Therefore, the better your balance is, the more likely you are to have good agility.

8. Long term health – Incorporating balance training into your routine helps to maintain or improve your balance, which is needed to prevent falls and fractures.  As balance may deteriorate with age, you want to be proactive with balance training efforts.

Suggested focus for future balance studies

• Establishing balance standard or normal range by age for healthy individuals
• Develop practical guidelines for balance training program design,  implementation, and maintenance
• The effective balance training evaluation criteria and measurement

Recommendations 

• Include balance exercises into personal fitness routine is beneficial
• Challenge brain and body with increased level of balance difficulties
• Practice balance routinely with yoga and tai chi for continued body stability improvements

References
1. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw49.htm
2. http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/five-factors-determine-stability-and-mobility
3. http://www.thera-bandacademy.com/elements/clients/docs/distefano2009-balance__201108DD_120807.pdf
4. http://www.passionateaboutfitness.com/blog/the-benefits-of-balance-training
5. http://www.activecenterforhealthandwellness.com/blog/active-news/the-5-major-benefits-of-balance-training-do-not-neglect-it

6.  https://morelifehealth.com/articles/balance-guide

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Golden Age Wellness and Functional Fitness

The Mayo Clinic defines “functional fitness exercises as those that train your muscles to help you do everyday activities safely and efficiently.” These include activities as diverse as walking the stairs, carrying groceries while walking, yoga or multidirectional lunges. They prepare your muscles for daily living activities like squatting down to pick up a spoon, reaching up to put your mugs away on a high shelf, hiking up the mountains or running to catch up to your grand-son. 

Human bodies do age, but they are also amazingly resilient and adaptable. The good news is that most of the negative changes can be significantly slowed with regular physical activity. You can get benefits with even small amounts of exercise and the more you do the stronger the effect, based on research findings. For individual wellbeing, you may have to find your own “fit” solutions, based on life situation and personal values.

Five-Pointer Golden Age Wellness Attitude

1.      Listen to your body – If it hurts (as opposed to just feeling tired), stop what you are doing. Also be aware of your body senses.  Exercises benefit physical and mental health. What happens when mind, body and spirit are disconnected? You feel lost, fearful, insecure, fatigue, may also experience depression and pain.  What’s the difference when mind, body, and spirit are harmonized? You feel calm, in control, energetic, and hopeful. Be conscious about your body needs, connect your mind with body, and keep up your spirits.

2.      Be open-minded and flexible – the “un-known” is acceptable; being aware that we can’t totally control life. Are you living at the present time for the fullest personal potential?  Don’t have to pursuit for happiness of an ideal life, but finding your own way to live happily. Establish your self-care and fitness routine, be persistent but flexible.

3.     Simplify life for happiness – want for less (i.e., possessions, positions, profits), focus more on perusing personal value and health goals to gain life satisfaction.

4.      Build strong immune systems – Basic building blocks are nutrition, fitness, and quality sleep. Healthy life style and self-care are important for prevention. Illnesses may heal naturally with well-maintained immunity and good care. Not all discomforts require medical treatment and over treatments are almost always associated with risks.

5.      Healthy body weight - Body weight does not tell about your health.  Each person has a biological baseline weight. Not everyone can survive at a socially standard ideal weight. Care your body and nurture it to perform your personal best. Create your own healthy body image. 

Three Key Steps for Fitness Goal Achievement Success -

1, decide what you want to do (be specific and realistic)

2, taking actions and keep a track record

3, evaluate and make adjustment when necessary

It’s simple but you need to stick with it to make it work.

Helpful Pointers

“Good health” is often cited as the number one goal for people as they age. Don't let another day pass without taking advantage of the powerful medicine of physical activity to take charge of your health. If you are struggling to make it happen, here are some pointers that might help.

•  Do something you enjoy. If you don't like it, you will stop. The specifics of how much, what kind, and how hard are less important than just doing something more than you were doing before.
•  Start small, but just do something. Small “snacks” of exercise can add up effectively throughout the day to meet the physical activity guidelines. Remember that small changes over time can impact your health and longevity.
• Understand that a convenient life is not necessarily a good life. Your health will benefit from finding ways to reintroduce movement back into your daily activities. The outdoor trails are naturally more challenging than a treadmill, but the nature connection is added benefit to energize your body and fresh your mind. Bundle up and enjoy the cold air in the winter sun.  Yes, you may feel heavier with the winter gear on, just think it will also add on as weight training benefit.
• In bad weather days, indoor activities are unlimited, whether going to gym or not; home training with DVD or online exercises, try yoga and tai chi, join a dance class, and much more. Make your workout enjoyable.
• Don’t be intimidated by the extremes. There are a lot of crazy exercise fanatics out there, but you don’t have to join them to get health benefits.
• Allow yourself recovery time.  Recovery time will need to increase as you age. However, no excuse to be a couch potato.
• Track your workout for cardio, strength, core/abs, balance, and flexibility. A balanced routine will benefit your overall fitness.
• Workout with friends or sign-up for personal training to keep motivated and stay on track
• Be patient. Change will happen if you give it a chance. Persistence is the key to gain benefits.
• Keep up the nutrition for energy and food is the source for body heat. Drink enough water and enjoy hot tea.
• As the winter nights are longer, your body will naturally sleep more. Let it be and get adequate rest. Physical activities during the day will also help you sleep better at night.

Hope you roll out winter fitness action plan now and enjoy it. QualityLifeForum.Weebly.com is you trusted resource for your healthy aging journey.

Reference:

Class material from StanfordOnline HUMBIOX0101 Your Body Inside and Out: Using Exercise Physiology to Slow Aging

Prevention For Health Maintenance Jan, 2024 update

When you are well, you may not want to see a Doctor or Dentist, as many people have all the sound reasons for it.  I know what a pain it is and you have a busy life. But think again – what could be more important than your health? You probably keep up your car on schedule for checkup, oil change, tire rotation, and all maintenance work up to date for keep it running. Won’t you want to maintain your health before break down? Prevention is the  key for health maintenance.

For too long, health care system has been focusing on treatment for illness.  This has been changing, with more focus on disease prevention and foster good health. Preventive health care focus on keeping people healthy, engages and empowers individuals in healthy behaviors, and makes changes that reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and other morbidities.

 

It is recommended that adults and children aim to keep regular check-ups (medical, vision, and dental), even if they feel healthy, to perform disease screening, identify risk factors for disease, discuss tips for a healthy and balanced lifestyle, stay up to date with immunizations and boosters, to maintain a good health. Now, most health insurance carriers also cover 100% for health, vision, and dental preventive care.  If you do not have health insurance, check with your local health department for free or affordable preventive services. 

Levels of prevention

Primal prevention :Any measure aimed at helping future parents provide their upcoming child with adequate attention, as well as secure physical and affective environments from conception to first birthday (i.e., over the child's primal period of life[12].

Primary prevention: Methods to avoid occurrence of disease either through eliminating disease agents or increasing resistance to disease.[13] Examples include immunization against disease, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen, and avoiding smoking.[14]

Secondary prevention: Methods to detect and address an existing disease prior to the appearance of symptoms.[13] Examples include treatment of hypertension (a risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases), cancer screenings[14]

Tertiary prevention: Methods to reduce the harm of symptomatic disease, such as disability or death, through rehabilitation and treatment.[13] Examples include surgical procedures that halt the spread or progression of disease[13]

Quaternary prevention: Methods to mitigate or avoid results of unnecessary or excessive interventions in the health system[15]

 Well-child visits and immunizations
From new born to age 17, the well-child visits and immunizations should be well maintained to meet children’s rapid growth and developmental needs. The day cares, schools and college admissions also require health record documentations. 

Common screenings for Adults
Annual physical with laboratory testing and dental checkup (twice a year dental cleaning are optimal) in adulthood are too important to be ignored.  For adults, some common disease screenings include checking for hypertension (high blood pressure), hyperglycemia (high blood sugar, a risk factor for diabetes mellitus), hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol), screening for colon cancer, depression, HIV and other common types of sexually transmitted disease (such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea), colorectal cancer screening, and screening for osteoporosis. For females, also include mammography (to screen for breast cancer) and a pap test (to check for cervical cancer).

Preventive screening guideline for healthy adults from BlueCross BlueShield, one of the nation’s largest health insurance carriers, is a good reference to consider.

Engaging in prevention for health maintenance

Health maintenance is more than an annual physical exam and dental checkup.  However, annual physical exam and dental checkup are important elements in health maintenance.

1. The necessity of an annual physical exam
Your annual preventive health exam (aka well visit or annual physical) is scheduled with your primary care physician to catch potential health issues early, before they become serious, and to help you focus on wellness and a healthy lifestyle while identifying important screening tests, vaccinations and other necessary testing.  

Your annual wellness visit includes the following:

• A review of your medical and surgical history 

• Screenings 

• Blood tests 

• Immunizations 

• A physical exam 

• Counseling to prevent future health problems  

Most insurance plans cover your annual wellness exam—no copay required.

Book an annual checkup will better keep your health on track. The laboratory testing may detect conditions require early intervention without any symptoms. Screenings may be prescribed at the well-visit only. As most major insurances pays for it, why not utilize this benefit. It is a small investment once a year, even you don’t have insurance; your health is worth of it.

2. Expectations and Preparations
The annual physical examinations consist of the basics, male or female exam, laboratory testing, and preventives.  I often see people get disappointed, because the doctor was not listening or don’t do anything about their complaints, or felt the exam was superficial which won’t discover much.

Consider these factors for your expectations - A typical visit with a family doctor is usually allotted about 15 minutes. It’s understandable that time is business. In order to properly assess a health concern when necessary, physicians need more than a couple of minutes to take a detailed history and perform a physical exam, which may require additional appointment. In fact, a 15-minutes well-visit can be meaningful, with proper preparations, in most cases.
Be prepared before the visit:

• Self-monitoring– you can monitor your own blood pressure and heart rate with an automated blood pressure monitor. Body temperature, body weight and BMI can be easily self-monitored as well. The best time for vital signs is after morning wake up and before start up the daily activities. Be health conscious for any changes or unusual sensations, including pain/itching/discomfort, awareness of lymph nodes, skin lesions or discolorations. If you are a woman, perform your own breast exams regularly. If you are a man, check your testicles for lumps, tenderness, or changes in size routinely.
• Keep a personal health record - start a journal and mark the notable changes (with possible physical or psychological impacts noted). For example, when your blood pressure was high, compared with the previous year’s physical baseline numbers, check for physical activities or stress factors at the time. Also record your diet intakes, body weight/body compositions, and track your exercises/work out.
• Improve health literacy – continue to learn from community and on-line health resources, educational health coaching sessions, medical research findings.
• Write down and ask the right questions – be as clear and as specific as possible.  Describe changes from the previous year or your usual state and share your concerns.

At the visit, ensure understanding of the medical advice and receive all prescriptions/diagnostics (i.e., lab slips, prescriptions for preventives - bone density, colonoscopy, mammogram, etc) deemed necessary.

After the visit, schedule and complete the testing and follow-up the results. Communicate with your Doctor for any further questions, call or by e-portal, which has become increasingly accessible for patients by more medical practices. Keep a record of your testing and treatment results.

3. Routine vision exam

Sight is a precious gift and eye exam results identify solutions that will keep your vision clear and preserve your long-term eye health.

An eye care professional may also detect early signs of several general health issues. A comprehensive eye exam with your optometrist is essential for maintaining good vision and detecting eye health problems. To learn more, go to Aging Eye Facts.

4. Routine dental check-up and cleaning

A routine dental check-up and teeth cleaning is recommended at least once a year, may be more often based on personal oral health conditions. The association between nutritional status and oral health in older people seems evident. Poor oral health can cause oral pain, chewing problems, periodontal disease, and tooth loss, which have a negative impact on nutritional intake, leading to poor nutritional status and risk of malnutrition. Inadequate intake of micronutrients and macronutrients can, in turn, lead to an increased risk of oral health problems such as gum disease, caries, and hyposalivation. There are evidence indicating a negative association between malnutrition and oral health. Prevention of malnutrition and optimizing oral health conditions in older people can result in better overall health, increased self-dependency, and higher quality of life. To learn more, go to Aging and Oral Health.

5. Take charge for your health
You know yourself the best and should not dependent on your doctor to find out everything at a 15-minutes physical exam once a year.  A 15-minute well-visit can be valuable, when it’s done right, for health maintenance.  Remember to schedule your eye exam and dental checkup as well. To take the initiative for prevention is your first step toward better health, as you are accountable for your wellness. 
Of course, health maintenance requires commitment year around. Your engagement in prevention and improvement in health literacy shall enhance healthy life style.
As defined by the World Health Organization, health promotion is:  “The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behavior towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions.”

Lastly, if you have shared your problem and the doctor concludes it’s not concern, then at least your mind will be at ease. Celebrate your health when everything checked out fine; don’t feel it was a waste of time and money. You did the right thing and you are doing well. Congratulations!

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References:

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/annual-physical-examinations
https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/community-health/health-promotion/1/definition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preventive_healthcare#Levels_of_prevention
https://www.ghc.org/healthAndWellness/?item=/common/healthAndWellness/children/childVisits/overview.html

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Health Literacy Update Dec, 2023

As it may rain someday, we will get sick someday, naturally. Then, it comes to decisions, decisions, and decisions…… Health literacy is fundamental for health decision making.

 Health Literacy is defined as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions," in the Institute of Medicine report, Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion .  Health literacy is not simply the ability to read. It requires a complex group of reading, listening, analytical, and decision-making skills, and the ability to apply these skills to health situations. For example, it includes the ability to understand instructions on prescription drug bottles, appointment slips, medical education brochures, doctor's directions and consent forms, and the ability to negotiate complex health care systems.

The complex medical information and treatment decisions can be challenging and require higher level of health literacy abilities, such as -

• Access multiple health care services, i.e., Doctor’s office, Specialists, clinics, hospitals, labs, insurance agencies, etc
• Communicate with health care and health insurance providers
• Evaluate information received for credibility and quality
• Search or request additional health information as needed
• Consolidate and analyze all risks vs. benefits and hierarchy vs. urgency
• Follow medical instructions and calculate medication dosages correctly
• Interpret test results and outcomes
• Plan follow-up or re-evaluation
• Understand patient’s legal right and protections

In addition, oral language skills are important in communication with the healthcare providers. Patients need to express their health concerns and describe their symptoms accurately. They need to ask pertinent questions, and they need to understand spoken medical advice or treatment directions. In an age of shared responsibility between physician and patient for health care, patients need strong decision-making skills. With the development of the Internet as a source of health information, health literacy may also include the ability to search the Internet and evaluate Web sites/information source credibility.

Only thirteen percent of adults have Proficient health literacy, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. In other words, nearly nine out of ten adults may lack the skills needed to manage their health and prevent disease. Fourteen percent of adults (30 million people) have Below Basic health literacy.

Significant factors/behavior patterns impact decision making judgments may include -
1. Medical knowledge and health information deficit
2. Blinded trust (or under intimidation influence) of the medical authority; not seeking or unable to obtain additional evaluation/opinions
3. Misled by statistical numbers
4. Communication and analytical deficit – not asking the right questions and unable to analyze/ evaluate the complex information/results
5. Vulnerability and fear
6. Passive and reactive
7. Religious or cultural believes/rituals
8. Financial situation
9. Mental state and physical conditions at the decision time
10. Don’t know how to reach out for help or where to find available resources

In dealing with the psycho-social changes, physical illness, information overloads and decision making pressure, it is overwhelming and stressful. Do you feel some of these relate to you? You are not alone. Knowing your strength and limitations is the first step and health coaching will help you to improve health literacy.

A complex array of health literacy skills are needed for functioning in a variety of health contexts. These skills include reading, writing, mathematics, speaking, listening, using technology, networking, and rhetorical skills associated with requests, advocacy, and complaints.

Patients are vulnerable for scams, biased medical influences, and medical malpractices. Health literacy empowers their protections. The most successful health literacy interventions have often incorporated some of the following: patient educational handouts, audiovisual media, online resources, educational software programs, web-based educational applications, and social support resources.

Take the first step actions now:

• Ask and read the factsheets/handout for any new medication and/or procedures ordered
• Ask questions (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, etc) and utilize on-line resources for better understanding
• Follow the instruction as given
• Self-observation for treatment effects and side effects, follow-up with the Doctor
• Keep preventives (vaccines, physical exams, routine blood work, etc) on schedule

Learn more for health literacy resources and to be an educated health care customer, go to Making Transition From A Patient To An Educated Healthcare Customer. 

Health coaching can personalize your health literacy needs. For Quality Life Forum coaching programs, go to Coaching programs. 

Feel free to contact qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for your health coaching needs.

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Gratitude for Healthy Aging

Psychological research over two decades shows that cultivating gratitude offers people of all ages emotional and social benefits. There's now evidence that starting in mid-adulthood, people naturally tend to become more grateful. That is good news for older adults. 

We are feeling grateful with age – for healthy relationships, life experiences and quality of life. Aging comes with perspective shift. We learn to reframe our mindset for aging and continue to live with purpose and meaning throughout life span. Gratitude increases from appreciation and gratitude practices. 

We share gratitude and appreciations with family, friends, and others. Feeling thankful can make us happy in short and long run. Some people rarely feel thankful at all, no matter what, or think gratitude as an obligation they owe in return for favors; in fact, gratitude is inner happiness. Gratitude is defined as “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.”  It is important to understand that personal growth is not isolated but inter-related with supports from others. Therefore, gratitude practice is essential for happy people, who build sincere friendships, trustworthy social networks, and better quality of life. They enjoy life’s pleasures, connect with nature and express gratitude openly. Gratitude will bring the family and friend circle closer, build trust, and bring you the sense of life satisfaction and happiness.

Practice gratitude benefits us in many ways. People who regularly practice gratitude by taking time to notice and reflect upon the things they're thankful for experience more positive emotions, feel more alive, sleep better, express more compassion and kindness, and even have stronger immune systems.   In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Whether or not these attitudes come to you naturally, paying attention to life's positives can train you to see and appreciate more and more of them, which will help you learn to be more grateful. 

Gratitude may be difficult, because life is difficult. Even beyond stress and depression, there are many ordinary circumstances in which gratitude doesn’t come easily. We can turn our negative feelings around by focusing on the good things in life and practice gratitude consciously. At the end of each day, ask yourself how your day was and think (or better to write down on your gratitude journal) at least three things to thank for.

 Act now to plan for your Thanksgiving dinner and make a guest list for invitations.  If you are invited, think ahead for what to do to appreciate the kindness of your host, even it is a family dinner (don’t take it for granted). Keep up your gratitude and express it at Thanksgiving. Smiles milt anger and thanks bring warmth. Gratitude will bring the family and friend circle closer, build trust, and bring you the sense of life satisfaction and happiness.  

Think back - When was the last time you were grateful for your family? Or friendships? Or free smiles from anyone? More seriously, think of the small, ordinary which seems useless things you experience — the fresh air, the food, the peaceful day, etc. Give thanks with a smile. Say thanks to someone every day.

Ordinary life is worth of your heartily thankfulness. Something in nature may be small and unnoticeable in the busy life; up on one day you made the nature connection to appreciate it. 

The sunshine, the raindrops, the fresh air, the beautiful moon and starry sky, and everything in nature, enjoy and appreciate them in the heart. Being happy is simple and being simple makes us happy.

Experiencing nature is grateful.  Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. 

Tips for nature connection and appreciation

·     Slow down and notice tiny details on your path. You may walk the same path but will see something new each day.
·        Tune in with your senses: breath in the fresh air, listen to the sound of birds, smell the earthy  soil, watch the colors of leaves, sing a favorite song and observe wildlife.
·        Stay awhile at a comfortable spot and enjoy without distractions.
·        Be curious and learning more about trees, plants, mushrooms, wildlife behaviors, etc of your interests.
·        Join a local or on-line club, such as bird watching, mushroom foraging, photography, to share with and learn from others.

I have a personal story to share – please click to read my Mourning Dove Story.  I truly enjoy wildlife in nature and the nest observation experience, hope you do too.

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Healthy Weight for Healthy Aging

Our bodies change with age. As we grow older, our body composition changes. We lose muscle mass — a process that starts in our 30s and accelerates in our 60s and beyond — and gain fat. This is true even when our weight remains constant. Also, less fat accumulates under the skin while more is distributed within the middle of the body. This abdominal fat is associated with inflammation and insulin resistance and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke, among other medical conditions. Your lifestyle choices affect how quickly the aging process takes place. To learn more, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-sept-your-decision-power-for-food-choices-and-eating-behavior.html

As the obesity is on the raise globally, there are many weight loss diets and products in the market place, including scams. For any weight loss promotions, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Let’s focus on the basics of meals and activities. The fact is very simple: People want to lose weight should find a way to reduce their energy intake (eat less) and/or increase their energy expenditure (burn more than intake). Nothing fancies, no short cut, no magic, really. 

Meals and Beverages

A. Ensuring food quality is essential. Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, sufficient protein and healthy fats. To learn more, go to  https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2018-aug-nourish-your-body-for-healthy-living.html
B. Eat balanced diet and mind portion control for each meal

• Tip 1: The general portion rule is ¼ plate carbohydrates, ¼ protein/fat, ½ plate       vegetables/fruit; stop eating at 80% full.
• Tip 2: drink a glass of water before you eat. Drink plenty water between meals. Water is the best beverage for hydration and help weight loss.
  
• Tip 3: Eat vegetables first. Eating vegetables causes satiation. Foods that promote satiation (full sensation) are generally very bulky, have a high water and fiber content, and carry strong sensory attributes. It is important to realize that the satiating properties of a food are not just determined by its nutrient (and water) content. Texture is also very important. For example, there is evidence that eating an apple is more satiating than drinking apple juice, even if that apple juice was prepared in a blender using the entire apple.
• Tip 4: Eat slowly and chew more; try to chew 20 times before swallow and work through your meal for at least 30 minutes. It will take 20 minutes for the fullness sensation to be transmitted to the brain; you could ate too much already if eat too fast.
• Tip 5: Reduce portion size – try to cut down the meal portion and you will see your body doesn’t need much food to function. The excess calories just padding on your waistline. You can add snacks between meals.
• Tip 6: Psycho-social factors affect eating behavior. Be aware of anxiety, mood, social events, etc. and keep self-control.

C. Limit sugary drinks, including fruit juices; it has been observed that consuming energy-containing beverages, which are ingested very quickly, does not make people eat less of other foods thereafter, perhaps because calories that are ingested quickly are not properly sensed. Green tea (unsweetened leaf tea) provides many health benefits and it is highly recommended. Limit alcohol use.

D. Don’t diet (i.e., low carb or low fat). Don’t overeat. Keep a balanced diet and consistency. Indulge occasionally is OK, the rule of thumb is - a diet should be 85-90 percent nutritionally dense foods and leave the 10-15 percent for foods that you enjoy.

E. Intermittent fasting is a good option to consider. A time restrict feeding schedule (i.e., 16/8) or with personalized modifications) provides many health benefits. To learn more, go to  https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2017-july-intermittent-fasting.html and https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2020-sept-time-restricted-feeding-is-a-healthy-lifestyle-choice.html

 Activities

The WHO guidelines are as following for different age groups. Following the guideline would be the minimal effort for weight maintenance. You may adjust your activity level for weight loss.

 Adults aged 18–64 years

• Should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.
• For additional health benefits, adults should increase their moderate-intensity physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or equivalent.
• Muscle-strengthening activities should be done involving major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.

Adults aged 65 years and above

• Should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout the week, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.
• For additional health benefits, they should increase moderate intensity physical activity to 300 minutes per week, or equivalent.
• Those with poor mobility should perform physical activity to enhance balance and prevent falls, 3 or more days per week.
• Muscle-strengthening activities should be done involving major muscle groups, 2 or more days a week.

  Tip 1.     Make a plan and commit to your goals – start with 30 min a day is an easy target. To learn more, go to Keep Life in Motion  

  Tip 2.     Plan fun activities outdoor; walk the dog, ride the bike, dip into the pool. Enjoy the nature and get some sun (and Vitamin D).

  Tip 3.     Break down your workout into shorter time intervals with more frequently and variety, i.e., break a one-hour workout into three 20 minutes for walking, yoga, strength training or two 30 minutes for aerobics and interval training. Each session will boost your metabolism. It will also prevent exhaustion with breaks in between sessions.

Tip 4.     Maintaining fitness and muscle mass is more important than losing weight. Build in strength training twice a week.

Tip 5.     Consistency is the key; stick with your daily fitness routine. 

Tracking and Re-evaluation

Tracking is an effective tool to check input and activity balance, in order to maintain adequate nutrition and burn more energy toward your personal fitness goals. It is a good habit to keep a journal tracking your intake, activities, time for sleep and weight. No need for obsessive calorie count. Don’t expect overnight result for weight loss. How good you feel is the most important indicator for your health. Use the QLFscore (link) for reference. Life should be simple and enjoyable.

Your Healthy Weight Goals

It is also important to be aware that your healthy weight goal should be realistic for healthy aging.  Numerous studies suggest that carrying some extra weight can sometimes be protective in later life. Older adults with the lowest risk of earlier deaths had BMIs of 27 to 27.9. According to World Health Organization standards, this falls in the "overweight" range (25 to 29.9) and above the "healthy weight" BMI range (18.5 to 24.9). Also, many older adults whom the study found to be at highest mortality risk — those with BMIs under 22 — would be classified as having "healthy weight" by the WHO. The study's conclusion: "The WHO healthy weight range may not be suitable for older adults." Instead, being overweight may be beneficial for older adults, while being notably thin can be problematic, contributing to the potential for frailty.  

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