Staying active as a teenager and young adult is never an issue, but as we age, it can be a challenge to keep moving, especially if you suffer from a health condition or injury. However, it’s important to keep yourself moving as it can lead to a host of physical and mental health benefits. Follow these three tips to stay active no matter what your age or fitness level.

Get Moving

The first step is to get moving, and it’s never too late to get started. A regular exercise routine can help you to relieve stress, reduce pain, improve your sleep quality, and lower your risk of chronic disease and injury, just to name a few of the benefits. 

If you haven’t been active in a while, it can be overwhelming to even think about beginning a fitness routine. You may be wondering exactly how to get started. The key is to simply get moving. Start slow with a short walk and gradually extend the distance to a level you are comfortable with. If you have significant health concerns, talk to your doctor about what kinds of exercises will work best for you given your current activity level. 

Do Something You Love

Once you have made the decision to get moving, the second tip is to find something you love to do and do it! Whether it’s walking, yoga, Pilates, tai chi, swimming, water aerobics, biking, or light weight training, if you love to do it then you will be much more likely to develop a routine and stick to it. If you aren’t sure what to do, then try a variety of activities and see which one fits you best, just make sure it is something you really enjoy doing so you will be more motivated to do it. 

Once you find the thing you love to do, experts recommend to start slowly and build up to 150 minutes a week of moderate to intense aerobic activity. Be sure to let your doctor know if you have shortness of breath, pain, or other issues as you increase your activity level.

Experts also recommend mixing in some muscle strengthening activities a couple of times a week as well. It doesn’t have to be complicated, you can use books or cans of food as weights. Exercises like this, even if done while sitting down, can help you improve your strength and balance. Mixing up your activities can help you keep from getting bored with your routine. 

As you feel more comfortable and increase your fitness level, try something new and adventurous like taking dance lessons, tennis or golf lessons, or even incorporate yard work or minor home improvements to your routine; you will be amazed at the things you can do that you couldn’t do before.

Find an Exercise Buddy

The third tip to staying active is to find a buddy to take this new fitness journey with you. If someone is counting on you and holding you accountable, you are much more likely to stick to your routine; and let’s be honest, everything is more fun with a friend!

You can make your fitness routine a social one by starting a walking group through your neighborhood. Or get a group of friends to take water aerobics or tai chi lessons with you. Ballroom and salsa dancing lessons are always more fun with a partner. 

Consistent exercise, strength training with a bit of cardio to increase the heart rate, combined with healthy dietary choices, and regular acupuncture can help you stay active safely and improve your quality of life as you age. It’s never too late to start!

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As we get older, those aches and pains become a little more pronounced and life begins to create some new challenges. For many seniors, schedules become impacted with doctor’s appointments and trips to the pharmacy. If you haven’t tried acupuncture, here are three reasons you should give it a try as it can greatly help some of the greatest health challenges facing seniors today. 

Pain Relief

Studies have shown that acupuncture is highly effective at treating chronic pain conditions. For example, rheumatoid arthritis is commonly treated with acupuncture. Of course, the frequency, length and number of treatments will vary depending on the severity of the condition, but acupuncture has been proven to be a powerful tool in addressing the inflammation common in arthritis, which then relieves the pain, discomfort, and swelling that often comes with the disease. 

Acupuncture has been shown to be highly effective at treating back and neck pain as well as neuropathy pain, particularly for those with diabetes. Neuropathy impacts the peripheral nerves of the body and for those suffering from it, it feels like a tingling or burning sensation in the legs or arms. Acupuncture helps by promoting nerve conduction. 

Nutrition/Digestion 

Another common health challenge for seniors can come with digestion issues and compromised nutrition. For some seniors, it’s the result of a lifetime of poor dietary choices and for others, it could be the result of a medical condition or the side effects of a particular medication. Some of the digestive orders helped by acupuncture include nausea, diarrhea, bloating, vomiting, peptic ulcer, gastritis, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome and epigastric pain, just to name a few.

Your acupuncturist can also be a great resource if you are looking to improve your nutrition and dietary habits. There are herbal remedies your acupuncturist can discuss with you to help you address deficiencies or allergies that could be impacting your diet. 

Mental Health

Sadly, many seniors suffer from mental health issues. What’s great about acupuncture is that it recognizes the body and mind work together, in other words, emotions can have a physiological effect on the body. In channeling the “qi” or energy, acupuncture can help seniors relax and live in more of an emotional balance. Even the Centers for Disease control acknowledges acupuncture as a legitimate treatment option for many mental and emotional issues. 

Acupuncture can also help seniors who suffer from insomnia which can also trigger depression and anxiety in some seniors. And all without the dangers of becoming addicted to medications or treatment. The scientific literature is full of studies acknowledging how acupuncture has benefited those suffering from mental health challenges by improving mood and relaxations, which could be tied to a neuroendocrine connection.

But these aren’t the only three health areas where acupuncture can benefit seniors. As more seniors look to taking fewer medications and as they embrace a more integrated approach to their health concerns, acupuncture continues to rise in popularity. Acupuncture can also help seniors deal with……

If you suffer from one or more of these issues, make your appointment today and get back to better health!

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Exercise

For those with arthritis, exercise, no matter how little you do, is one of the best natural treatments. For those with severe arthritis, even the smallest amount of walking can make a difference. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for those with arthritis because it puts the least amount of impact on the joints. Strengthening exercises are also recommended to keep muscles and joints strong.

Acupuncture

One of the most common reasons people seek out acupuncture is for arthritis relief. Acupuncture can help relieve pain from arthritis and increase blood flow and circulation, reducing inflammation. Through the specific placement of needles on acupuncture points on the body, acupuncture realigns the body back to balance.

Capsaicin Cream

Made from the chemical that gives chili peppers their heat, Capsaicin cream has been known to relieve arthritis pain. The cream works by decreasing the body’s pain receptors and as a result, lessening the overall pain caused by arthritis. The cream can be bought without a prescription at your local drug store.

Fish Oil

Fish oil is beneficial for numerous reasons, one of them being its anti-inflammatory properties. Because it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, trials have found that the oil can reduce morning stiffness and the need for pain medication for those with arthritis. Fish oil is a supplement that is safe and recommended to take every day for the most beneficial effects. Consult your health care professional for brand suggestions and dosages.

Mind-Body

Mind-body techniques like meditation, relaxation and tai chi have been seen to improve overall quality of life for those with arthritis. Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that involves slow, easy movements along with deep breathing. This exercise can improve the body’s motion and physical fitness without being too demanding on the joints and muscles. Meditation and relaxation have been found to improve mood and health in arthritis patients dealing with chronic pain.

Diet

Studies have shown that some patients benefit from changes in their diet by eliminating food that may contribute to their arthritis pain and inflammation. By removing allergens from the diet, overall inflammation can be reduced. Common diets that have been seen to be beneficial include a Mediterranean diet rich in nuts, fish, vegetables, fruit and olive oil. Foods that are not recommended include red meat and dairy, as those can cause inflammatory reactions.

Sources:

http://bit.ly/1YtHTib

The post 6 Alternative Treatments to Help with Arthritis appeared first on Tybee Acupuncture.

If you find yourself struggling with hearing and feeling the need to turn up the TV or your music louder, you may be experiencing hearing loss. Here are five suggestions to improve your hearing and prevent further damage.

Wear protection

If you know you will be around loud noise and won’t be able to avoid it, like at a large event or while using power tools, wear ear plugs. You can find ear plugs at most grocery stores and pharmacies.  They offer great protection for your ears from damaging loud noise.

Limits

To keep volumes at a moderate level on devices or stereos, consider adding a volume limit. Most devices have a feature where you can set a maximum volume. This way, you won’t be able to turn your volume up to the actual maximum.

Give yourself a break

Research has shown that being in a quieter setting can train your ears to better focus on the quiet sounds and increase overall hearing. Try to take even just ten minutes a day and go somewhere secluded where there is not a lot of external noise and disruption.

Foods

These foods have been shown to improve hearing and prevent hearing loss.

• Salmon and other fish: The omega 3 fats and Vitamin D found in Salmon and other like-foods have been shown to strengthen the blood vessels in the ear’s sensory system, which can then improve hearing. Research has shown that adults who eat fish twice a week reduced their risk of age-related hearing loss by 42 percent.
• Spinach, asparagus, beans, broccoli: These foods are high in antioxidants and folic acid. Antioxidants can help lower the risk of hearing loss by reducing free radicals in your body that can damage the nerve tissue in the ears.
• Cocoa/dark chocolate, nuts, and beans: These foods are high in zinc, and can improve your body’s resistance to age-related hearing loss.

Acupuncture

A study conducted by the College of Oriental Medicine in South Korea measured the effects of acupuncture on patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and found that half of the patients showed improvement in hearing after acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture points can stimulate the strength in the auditory cortex to the brain, thus increasing the brain’s ability to react to auditory stimuli.

Learn how to be aware of the symptoms of hearing loss including difficulty understanding what people say, having to raise the volume higher, and muffled sounds. If you think you are suffering from hearing loss, try these tips and contact an acupuncturist today.

Sources:
https://audicus.com/you-hear-what-you-eat-5-foods-that-can-prevent-hearing-loss-and-hearing-aids/

http://www.everythingzoomer.com/12-tips-for-better-hearing/#.VT_XA2RVhHw

http://www.howtogetbigforearms.com/health/how-to-improve-your-hearing-top-10-ways

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/530-acupunctureceushearinglosskorea

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/720-mrihearing

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/basics/symptoms/con-20027684

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