Fitness programme for seniors

August 2, 2019

Brain Power: The Benefits of Exercise

The brain, also known as our coordinating centre of sensation, intellectual, and nervous activity, is what maintains our thinking, memory, and functioning capabilities. When we are younger, we have all of these intact, and never have to think twice about the operational capacities of our brains. Yet, as we grow older this looming issue becomes more prevalent, and we have to actively work harder to preserve these properties. What if there was a way to do this, where the benefits are two-fold? A main approach to keeping your brain healthy, and sharp into our older years is through the means of exercise!

When we are exercising we are gradually increasing our heart rate, and breathing, creating more oxygen into our bloodstream. From there, more oxygen goes to the brain leading to the production of neurons, where memory and thinking are controlled. This process increases your cognitive reserve which is the brain’s ability to improvise and find alternate ways to get the job done. It has been found that the greater the cognitive reserve, the better we are able to starve off symptoms of degenerative brain changes associated with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or a stroke. For this reason, many rehabilitation, or treatments surrounding these involve some form of exercise.

Another reason why being active helps your brain, is it leads to greater brain plasticity. This is the brain’s ability to change and adapt as a result of an experience. In other words, it allows the brain to modify, or rewire itself. Without this, the human brain would be unable to develop through adulthood, or recover from a brain injury. Also, working out increases serotonin (happy hormone), and norepinephrine (stress hormone), which boosts information processing, and mood. This is why we constantly here the saying, “You will never regret a workout,” because we will always feel better after exercising. Also, many of our participants who have had mood swings due to strokes, or chronic conditions, mention how the exercises have greatly improved their mood.

Gomes-Osman, and her colleagues looked at 98 studies that involved over 11,000 participants that were on average 73 years old, which tested the benefits of exercise on the brain. 59 percent of the participants were deemed clinically healthy, whereas the others had some form of a degenerative brain disease. They found that at least 52 hours of exercise over an average of 6 months can lead to better processing speed, which refers to the amount of time the brain needs to process information, or carry out a task. Also, the healthy individuals showed improvement in their executive function, which is the brain’s ability to plan ahead, set, and achieve goals, as well as come up with strategies. As far as exercise type (aerobic, yoga, or strength), they were equally beneficial for the senior’s thinking skills.

Overall, exercise is multifaceted, as it helps both the body, and the mind. Even though it is scary to face our own time clocks, and there are many things out of our control, exercise is the one thing we have the choice to do. The best gift we can give ourselves, and others is the gift of health, and working out is the easiest, and cost effective way to do so.

If you are interested in our programmes go to: https://www.sielbleu.ie/home/programmes/

Sources:

https://www.google.com/search?q=brain+definition&rlz=1C1CAFB_enUS660US664&oq=brain+defin&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.16884j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/what-is-cognitive-reserve

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/regular-exercise-changes-brain-improve-memory-thinking-skills-201404097110

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321981.php

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-fifth-vital-sign/201901/why-exercise-is-good-your-brain

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886

May 2, 2019April 14, 2021

Why We All Need to Improve Our Posture

April 25, 2019April 14, 2021

There Are Other Ways to Exercise Than Going to a Gym

March 28, 2019April 14, 2021

Challenge Yourself to Better Yourself

Push yourself to do something unexpected!

It can be difficult to challenge yourself. Once we are in a comfortable routine we think, “Why would I want to do something else, I like what I am doing now?” but pushing yourself to new limits can be refreshing and rewarding. Challenging yourself through exercise by pushing yourself a bit harder; we aren’t saying to push yourself to the extreme but make your exercise a little bit more demanding. If you want to walk in a 5k, but don’t feel physically fit enough, now is the time to set that as your challenge. We all have an activity we want to someday complete. There is no better time than now.

Setting a challenge as a goal gives us the spark in our life, many people looking for as they get older. For some older adults, they can feel like there is a decline in their physical abilities, independence or cognitive abilities. When you add something new that completely switches up your routine it can be daunting but necessary. We all love routines but there are times when making yourself uncomfortable is exactly what we need.

The challenge doesn’t have to be to run a marathon or lift a certain amount of weight. It can be as easy as walking back from the supermarket or being flexible enough to put your socks on. The most important thing to remember with challenging yourself through exercise is you have to want to do it. If someone else is telling you to do it, you will not have the motivation to follow through with it. You also have to believe in yourself and believe you can make a change. We have the people in our lives that tell us we can make a change if we just try, but deep down we have to believe in ourselves too. If you don’t believe that you can walk in a 5k then most likely you won’t, but if you attack it head on and constantly remind yourself you can do anything you finish the 5k with ease.

The key to challenging yourself through exercise success is to make smaller goals that are measurable. Let’s say you want to complete a 5km walk with the ParkRun, starting small and building up will be the key to your success. Small measurable goals such as walking 500m every second day and building on that achievement week by week will lead to not only achieving your goal but an overall healthier you. Having a plan and schedule helps motivate and encourages consistency.

We understand that setting a challenge for yourself can be tough but the overwhelming feeling of accomplishing something you never thought you could accomplish is worth the uncomfortableness and is extremely rewarding.

Did you know you don’t need to run a ParkRun? Walkers are more than welcome. Check out our friends at ParkRun for more information about a “run” near you.

***Disclaimer: The information in this post is for reference only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical expertise or advice. If you have any concerns about your own or another’s health then please contact your doctor.

January 17, 2019April 14, 2021

Exercise for Bone Health

The Importance of Exercise For your Bone Health

In our younger years, bone health isn’t on a top list of priorities except for maybe the odd break. However, as we age, issues such as arthritis, osteoporosis and fractures become ever more present. With a rise in sedentary behaviours, it’s not only our weight and the risk of disease we should be concerned about, it’s also the effect on our bone health.

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which bones become brittle and fragile due to a loss of tissue. In Ireland 25% of men and 50% of women aged 50+ are living with the condition. According to the Irish Osteoporosis Society, 20% of people aged 60+ who fracture a hip will die within 6 – 12 months due to secondary complications of the condition. Only a shocking 30% of people aged 60 who suffer a hip fracture will regain their independence.

Osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of fractures in Ireland and the cost of fracture occurring falls is set to cost the State €1billion by 2020 and €2billion by 2030.

It’s important that we make shifts to protect our bone health as we age, but how?

Exercise is a well known preventative tool to help keep our waistlines trim and stave off disease, but it’s vital bone health too. It is more difficult for an older adult to form new bone in comparison to a twenty year old, however this doesn’t mean that exercise can’t have a positive effect on our bone health as we age.

The most beneficial exercises for bone health are “load bearing”, or those where you are forced to work against gravity, for example walking, jogging, climbing stairs and hiking as opposed to exercise where you weight it supported such swimming or cycling. The benefits of load bearing exercise are two fold; firstly they help to build leg muscle which acts as a type of “scaffolding” for your bones and secondly the impact of your feet on the ground sends a vibration through your bones and helps to stimulate productivity of healthy bone. In fact the most beneficial exercise for your bones are those where you are forced to move in multi-directions such as racquet games or aerobics including tennis, badminton, ping pong etc.

These multi-directional exercises are fantastic for the lower body, but what about our upper torso? The answer lies in resistance work which requires muscle contraction.

But how often? It’s recommended that we practice 30 minutes of load bearing exercise, five times per week and also include at least two sessions of resistance work per week.

Don’t forget, this type exercise regime is not only going to help your bone health, but lead to other health benefits such as weight management, disease prevention, confidence and independence to name but a few.

Why not try a Siel Bleu exercise class or a walking group to help improve your bone health?

December 13, 2018April 14, 2021

The Importance of Active Ageing

Ageing is wrongly associated with decline, when in reality it just means we have to work that bit harder to look after ourselves. As we age it’s important that we exercise regularly, look after our nutrition and stay active within the community and our social network. The longer we neglect any of these areas of our life the more difficult it can be to resume a more active lifestyle, but it is never too late to change bad habits!

Exercising daily and remaining physically active is what helps us to retain our independence and which can ultimately enable us to live on our own terms. The World Health Organisation encourages up to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. That may sound like a lot but it’s just half an hour, 5 days a week.

Such targets can be achieved through moderate physical activity, such as walking while participation in a more vigorous exercise programme may be another person’s desired method of physical activity. As we age, resistance or weight bearing exercises are particularly beneficial in targeting muscle wastage and maintaining bone density and strength. No one mode of physical activity is right or wrong – the key is to find a form of physical activity that you enjoy enough to keep doing, whilst targeting key areas associated with age related decline. That means including flexibility (stretching), endurance, strength, and balance exercises in our routine.

As we age and become less active our metabolism slows and our energy output decreases. As outlined by the Institute of Medicine our body’s ability to process and utilise the nutrients we need to maintain healthy bones and to prevent muscle wastage decreases. This means that we may in fact need to boost the amount of nutrients and minerals we are absorbing into our body. Muscle wastage and loss of bone density (osteoporosis) can ultimately contribute to falls and loss of mobility and independence. From the age of 60 around one third of women and two thirds of men will have reduced muscle mass.

In practical terms what we must do is ensure that our food intake matches our output. Our daily activity levels will often drop as we age and live a more sedentary lifestyle, but portion sizes remain the same. More importantly though is the content of what we choose to eat. We must follow balanced and varied diets containing fresh fruit and vegetables for fibre, protein rich foods which can maintain muscle mass and bone strength, dairy, healthy oils, whole grain foods and plenty of fluids all of which provide essential nutrients and minerals to our bodies.

Finally we must remain active within our community and social circles. Social isolation can be hugely damaging to our psychological health and as we age and it’s important that we have a support network around us. People are living longer but in smaller family networks and in a society that isn’t as familiar with its neighbours. Increasingly studies are identifying a correlation between a lack of social engagement and the development of heart disease and other medical conditions aside from more obvious negative effects such as depression and anxiety. That is why we should get active, get out and about in our local community. We have nothing to lose but everything to gain!

Why not try a community class in your area or contact us about a one to one class.

December 6, 2018April 14, 2021

Exercise, COPD & Me: The Trainers View

Our Exercise COPD & Me exercise classes are a huge success here at Siel Bleu. We currently have 16 COPD classes running which reach about 350 people.

This week have a lovely piece written by one of our physical trainers, Michelle. Michelle often works with COPD groups and has seen first hand the positive impact it has had on people with COPD.

“As trainers we find new people who join our classes can be a bit apprehensive to join an exercise class as they may be afraid of becoming breathless or have a fear that they will be the only one there feeling a certain way. But as our new participants join, they soon realise that they are capable of exercising at a higher intensity than which they thought. Some people may work at lower intensity than others but they are still surprised at how much they CAN do. Exercise can help improve physical fitness in people with COPD and it can reduce levels of fatigue, this is brilliant as after the class although they may feel tired after the exercise they also feel like they’ve more energy.

Not only does our exercise class provide as service for people living with COPD, it also provides a meeting place for these members to see each other on a weekly basis. The support group is brilliant because it allows people to share stories and symptoms with each other, this helps people to understand COPD more as they realise that they’re not the only one feeling a certain way. On a weekly basis we as trainers see people grow in confidence, we see people making good friends and going out for lunches together or sharing a cup of tea after the class. We really want people to have a place to come to where they feel supported in a safe environment surrounded by their peers.”

Here are some of the quotes from current members of our COPD classes.

“COPD limits breathing and consequently puts limits on ones ability to do normal things like walking up a hill, doing anything that requires physical exercise or even walking the dog. Siel Bleu by introducing indoor walking with leg and arm exercises in a happy social atmosphere is an enormous benefit to COPD suffers. The exercises loosen up the body and people can have a better quality of life” -Peg

“I look forward to my Tuesday class and I feel great after the exercises, we have the added advantage of the friendship we make and share a cuppa and a chat afterwards. It is also good to have competition and make sure were keeping up with the rest” – Mary

A full list of our COPD classes can be found here

October 11, 2018April 14, 2021

Managing Arthritis Through Exercise

August 17, 2018April 14, 2021

Fuel for Fitness Day 5 – Exercise Keeps The Brain Healthy

Dementia – Exercise keeps the brain healthy

WHY DO I NEED TO EXERCISE?

A dementia diagnosis can be a difficult and scary time for a person. However, exercise is one activity which may seem unimportant, but can really help with numerous aspects of the disease. Dementia is due to a deterioration of part of the brain, exercise can help to maintain other parts of the brain not affected by the disease and help retain motor skills. Exercise is also known to help maintain brain function and therefore prevent further progression of dementia.

Apart from the obvious physical benefits of exercise for people living with dementia, exercise can help with mental and psychological health, especially reducing social isolation. Exercise in a group setting can offer people living with dementia the opportunity to socialise and interact with others. Exercise can also help with mood and sleep patterns.

At Siel Bleu, we provide a dementia gym class, which focuses on trying to connect the brain with the body again by using exercise as the instruction.

We try to focus on simple instructions and movements that would mimic day to day activities in order to get the most physical benefits.

We also do a lot of cognitive work for dementia to improve relationships with interactive games. Some examples are –

1. Marching of feet at a different speed (this may not seem like an exercise to many, but it can be a difficult task for those with severe dementia)
2. With a ball in your hand, roll it around the back of your hand. Once they are able to this, challenge them by circling the ball around the hand (this can be quite challenging for some)
3. With the ball, roll it from the back of the hand all the way up to the shoulders

We also do a lot of exercises around memory and language, allowing participants to learn new skills to further enhance the brain’s function. Sometimes we carry out exercise in Irish, counting numbers or giving an instruction such as up and down to encourage memory stimulation.

Apart from exercises for older adults with dementia, exercise is also vital to prevent the likelihood of developing dementia. There are numerous studies, which say exercise has an impact on preventing dementia, specifically practised during middle age. There are numerous ways to help prevent dementia such as “exercising” your brain with brain training apps, crosswords and Sudoku and learning a new language, however, exercise can also help by improving socialisation and hand/eye coordination.

THE DEMENTIA DIET
People living with dementia might have a different diet, not necessarily because of the disease itself but because of their behaviours towards eating. Many have said eating is the most challenging parts of the entire dementia journey. This could be due to someone continuously forgetting to eat or forgetting they ate already which can lead to being under or overweight. Thus it is important to know whether your loved one is underweight or overweight and list out the meal that is designed for them.

Try to use plates that have a contrasting colour from the tablecloth and napkin but make sure that there are no patterns on them to reduce distraction. Also, ensure the dining room or area is quiet; a busy room with background noise can be distracting for people with dementia.

Underweight: They might not be eating because their brain is not sending them the hunger signal.
1. Finger food will be the best solution. Something that isn’t too much. Such as sandwich but cut small so that it won’t be too overwhelming for them
2. Small plates with only one or two options can reduce confusion.
3. Fruits and vegetables as a healthy snack. So they get some sweet and it’s healthy. Best of both worlds!
4. Make sure they are hydrated all the time. If they can’t feel hunger they won’t be able to say they are thirsty as well
5. Show your loved one how to carry out the daily task. Remember when giving instruction to a person with dementia, do it only once and allow them the time to process. Repeating instructions can seem like a new instruction and can cause confusion.

It is possible for a dementia adult to feel hungry all the time because the brain didn’t register that he/she had a meal already. This can lead to them being overweight. There are a few ways to overcome this.
1. Since they can’t remember they have eaten, cut the portion size smaller so that they can eat regularly. Keep the meal within the recommended calorie allowance
2. If there are overweight because they love sugary food, try and swapping them with fruits or boiled sugar-free sweets.
3. Instead of giving them desert all the time, make it a special occasion. Give it to them during birthday or give them low sugar deserts such as sugar-free jelly instead.
4. Reduce the amount of sauce such as mayonnaise.
5. It’s best to avoid caffeine and drink mineral or fruit juice or sugar-free soft drinks occasionally.

DIET AS PREVENTION
Diet can play a vital role in the prevention of dementia. Here are some foods to introduce into your diet to keep your brain healthy.

Prevention 1: Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli and other vegetables rich in vitamin A and C. Consume at least 2 servings per week.

Prevention 2: Nuts are a good source of healthy fats for the brain especially almonds or walnuts. Maybe that’s why walnut shape like a brain? You can take up to 5 servings a day depending on how much fats you need in your diet. Take note, 12 almonds make up a serving. Avoid coated flavour nut because it defeats the purpose.

Prevention 3: It’s recommended to eat two servings of blueberries per week.

Prevention 4: Beans are also recommended as they are packed with fibre and protein and low in calories and fats. They help to keep a person’s mind vigilant. However again the method of preparing a meal with beans should not be too high in sodium.

Prevention 5: Wholemeal is the go-to carbohydrate! It is packed with fibre and recommended to eat three times a week.

Prevention 6: It’s recommended to eat oily fish such as salmon, trout or mackerel at least once a week.

Prevention 7: White meat is also good for the brain. Opt for lean meat such as turkey or chicken and ensuring you remove the skin before eating.

Prevention 8: Good news to those who love red wine. Research has shown that red wine may be able to help prevent dementia. Hold on though, it’s only one glass per day. Well, better than nothing!

**Disclaimer: The advice given in this blog is meant as a suggestion only. It is important to ask your doctor/dietitian before making any changes to your lifestyle.

August 17, 2018April 14, 2021

Fuel for Fitness Day 5 – Exercise Improves COPD Symptoms

COPD

I LIVE WITH OXYGEN 24HRS A DAY, CAN I STILL EXERCISE?

It is such a mystery how the body works. People often have this misconception that exercise will aggravate the shortness of breath for someone living with COPD. On the contrary, exercise helps. When you exercise, the heart beats faster, blood will transport oxygen around the body. There is a spiral of decline associated with COPD. People believe they cannot exercise and therefore don’t. This, in turn, can worsen symptoms and result in more sedentary behaviours. It is therefore recommended that people living with COPD practice physical activity and especially aerobic exercises.

What is an aerobic exercise you might ask? It’s an exercise that requires the pumping of oxygenated blood by the heart to the muscles. Examples of aerobic exercises are walking, swimming, hiking and even dancing. However, it is important to seek medical advice before carrying out any exercise. Your doctor might need to change the oxygen flow from your tank. Aerobic exercises help participants to open their airways which helps to reduce shortness of breath associated with the disease.

At Siel Bleu, our Exercise, COPD & Me classes run in the community with people who are living at home. Here we find the exercises bring the people together and help them form a better support network. At some classes, there is a shop that sells cuppa. Other classes have participants bringing in biscuit to enjoy with the cuppa at the end of the classes.

Having something to look forward to will certainly improve your mood and lungs capacity when engaging in physical activity.

Our biggest achievements we have experienced with our participants is the termination of continuous oxygen usage, only on exertion. John from COPD Bray was on oxygen 24 hours a day, using up to a tank of oxygen a day; today John only requires oxygen when he’s exercising or gardening and uses about 1 tank a month. What an accomplishment!

THE COPD DIET
It is really important to care for your own diet when you have COPD as extra weight might increase your shortness of breath. Extra weight in the chest and abdomen increases the work of the muscles, hence, it is important to maintain an ideal weight.

However, losing weight drastically is not ideal either as it can make you weak. Talk to your GP about your weight and get advice from them. Here are a few general tips. Bear in mind that these tips are written without taking any conditions into consideration.

1. It’s important to monitor the different elements that go into food such as sugar and sodium, not just calories. The food may be low in calories but high in sugar, which is an attribute for diabetes.

2. Avoid fad diets. This actually goes for everyone. As tempting as it seems, losing 10kg in a week is not healthy for your body and mental health. Your body won’t be able to keep up with the drastic change and you might even fall sicker. Prepare foods which are appealing to the eye such as adding purple cabbage, red pepper, sweet corn, carrot and lettuce. Shred some lean meat and mix with a simple vinaigrette dressing.

3. Studies have shown that people with COPD need vitamin C, D and E. That being said, don’ forget to have at least 5 serving of fruits and vegetables.

4. For those who exercise, it is important that you eat protein such as lean meat, eggs and oily fish.

5. Dietitian recommends older adults to eat a smaller portion of meal every 2 hours. This way you won’t get hungry easily and you won’t get shortness of breath too.

6. Limit sodium intake because salt can cause fluid retention that will worsen the effect of shortness of breath.

7. Don’t forget to hydrate yourself all the time. Keep a bottle close by and sip it as you go. Keep yourself hydrated all the time.

**Disclaimer: The advice given in this blog is meant as a suggestion only. It is important to ask your doctor/dietitian before making any changes to your lifestyle.

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Back pain? It’s probably from your posture!

It’s OK to Not Want to Go A Traditional Gym

Push yourself to do something unexpected!

The Importance of Exercise For your Bone Health

The Importance of Active Ageing

World Arthritis Day – The importance of exercise to manage Arthritis.

Dementia – Exercise keeps the brain healthy

COPD