Tag Archives: emotional stability

DANCE TO STAY HEALTHY

Dance belongs to those things that really can colorize the monotonous life of any person. Dance is good for the emotional state, psychological health and physical condition, together with feeling good and self-awareness in general. When you decide to add physical activity into your life, you try to choose something exciting and entertaining. And what could be more exciting than dances?

The dance with a good reason is called “a song of the soul” – the older a person is, the more meaningful are his or her movements, the more sense and experience it is possible to invest in the dance steps. Dance is a nonverbal way to express yourself, to process the accumulated problems, find new dimensions of the world. One should not also forget what a wonderful way to exercise are the regular!

Dancing is just a perfect way for people, irrespective of age, to keep themselves in a good shape. Dancing is not only fun and enjoyable, but also very good for health. In this article, we will tell you what kind of benefits can dancing bring to your body.

How useful is dancing for the general well-being?

- Dance protects our hearts
Dance is an excellent exercise for people who are living with a high risk of cardiovascular diseases. An Italian study has proved that people with heart failure, engaged in dancing as a kind of exercise strengthen their health, heart and improve their breathing. Their life-quality also improves significantly in comparison with those who are doing exercises on a stationary bike or treadmill.

- Dance helps to lose weight
If you attend dancing-classes regularly, they will definitely help to lose weight. The scientific research has shown that sportive aerobics based on dance movements, is as effective for losing weight and gaining of a good shape as cycling or running.

- Dance gives energy
Do you feel during the day, that you do not have enough energy? Dancing is one of the things which can help you regain it. Yet another scientific study found that weekly dancing can improve the physical condition and make adults more energetic.

- Dance endows with flexibility, strength as well as endurance
Ever and again dances require flexibility from you. Most dance classes are started with a warm-up, when people are doing stretching and suppling exercises. During the dance, you have to do your best to have all the muscle groups involved.
Dancing makes you stronger, causing the muscles to resist the weight of your own body. Many styles of dance, jazz and ballet among them, include jumps. In order to jump, your leg muscles need to be particularly strong.
It’s not a secret that dance can be called a physical exercise that is why it makes everyone more enduring. And what is endurance? It is the ability of muscles to work each time for more time without getting tired. If you’re dancing regularly, especially if you are doing some energetic style, you will be much more enduring.

How useful is dancing for the emotional state?

- Dance brings happiness
Dance is a special action which is enjoyed by any person. If you watch a dancing person, you will certainly notice a big happy smile on a dancer’s face. Smile and laughter while dancing is absolutely normal! That is because dancing provides an opportunity for real enjoyment of life and each other. Unlike other physical exercises, dancing has no age limit. A person irrespective of age can dance and take advantage of the benefits that this activity brings to his/her health.

- Dance saves from depression and de-stresses
It is proved that the dance can prevent mild depression and make a dancing person more self-confident. Depression is becoming increasingly common problem in teenagers and adults of various ages.
The research, published in the International Journal of Neuroscience, has proven that therapy that includes dance moves, not only helps to get rid of depression, but also helps to fight stress, since it regulates serotonin and dopamine levels in organism. Taking into account that dance has also a social aspect, it helps to get rid of feelings of loneliness, from which so many people in depression are suffering, and very often – elderly people living alone.

- Dance enhances the self-esteem
Dancing helps to become more self-confident. Each time you master a new movement, a wee bit of confidence is added to you and your mood gets better. And this increased self confidence extends to all areas of your life.
As we have already said, dance is a social action. Studies of specialists have proved that strong social relationships and communication with friends help to increase self-esteem and give a positive attitude towards life. Dancing gives you plenty of opportunities to meet other people. Sign up for dance classes and it will give you a chance to raise the self-esteem and make new friends. Considering that the physical exercises relieve tension and stress, dance will allow you to feel good in general.

How useful is dancing for the state of mind?

- Dance improves memory
Scientists have proved that dancing can improve memory and prevent dementia. Scientists have found that aerobic exercises help to prevent reduction in the hippocampus volume – the part of the brain responsible for memory. Hippocampus in a natural way diminishes during adulthood. This often leads to problems with memory, and sometimes to dementia.

- Dance helps to combat Alzheimer’s disease
A study involving elderly people, represented in the New England Journal of Medicine, enlightened the fact that dance frequently helps to prevent symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease along with some manifestations of dementia. Moreover, dancing makes people of any age smarter. This study also manifests that people having Alzheimer’s disease are capable to restore forgotten memories when dancing to familiar music.

- Dance makes people smarter
For centuries, books and other writings about dancing praised benefits of this activity for health, considering dance, as a rule, as a physical exercise. Today, thanks to the scientists, the benefit of dancing for the mind has been proved. The main quality of an intelligent person is the ability to make decisions. The ideal way to develop this ability – to get engaged in an activity that requires a constant fast (within seconds) decision making. Thus, to become smarter, it is enough just to work on your dance style, without having to remember the sequence of movements.

What is the best dance style?

There are many dance styles. Jazz, salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, zumba, hip-hop, ballet, etc., all of which require different music. Each dance style is equally useful. Any dance gives an opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle. Dancing can help in many different things. All kinds of dance are equally effective, the main thing to choose the style that you prefer, and do it regularly, so that this pleasant activity brings benefit to the health.
During the scientific study the specific dances have been established, which have the most positive impact on the state of health of elderly people. These include: Waltz and Argentine Tango.

GETTING READY FOR AUTUMN

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HEALTH OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN AUTUMN

Autumn has already come, and the cold is just around the corner, which in our climate occupies quite a long part of the year. The so-called “golden autumn” passes quickly, and the rest of the time is dominated by mud, cold and slush. The sharp drop in temperature and frequent changes in barometric pressure may themselves cause serious deterioration of health, especially this appeals to elderly people with chronic diseases.

First of all, these factors affect the condition of elderly people with diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, disorders of musculoskeletal system and psycho-emotional disorders. The sharp fall of temperature causes a spasm of blood vessels, which can lead to a hypertensive crisis or angina attack. Atmospheric pressure drop causes hypoxia – low oxygen content in the body. This in its turn leads to a lack of it in the heart muscle and brain. People can feel heartaches and headaches, and in people who are prone to emotional instability, their psychological condition is deteriorating, and sometimes they face a real depression.

Elderly people who have diseases of the musculoskeletal system (osteoarthrosis, rheumatism), there are aching pain in the affected joints in places of old fractures or wounds, and even absolutely healthy people during this period often feel uncomfortable.

The cold leads to a reduction of immune system capacities: dramatically increases the number of acute respiratory diseases, chronic illnesses are aggravated.

Following our recommendations below will add some bright colors to your autumn:

• If during this period of the year you experience the exacerbation of chronic disease, you should consult your doctor and try to follow all his prescriptions and recommendations. Do not self-medicate.

• If your health and mood are heavily dependent on the weather, take care of yourself. Dress warmly in cold.

• Include in your diet herbal teas, which may include some brier, eat more vegetables and fruits, add some vitamin complexes with microelements.

• If the state of your health allows this, move more regardless of the weather – it enhances the metabolic processes in the body and normalizes blood circulation.

• Wear low-heeled shoes with non-slip soles. Remember that the fall is the main cause of serious injuries and death among the elderly.

• If you have a reduced visual acuity, try not to leave the house in the dark period of the day, to avoid injury.

• And most importantly – create for yourself and your family a good mood, it is a universal remedy against different diseases. Friendly and smooth attitude towards others, optimism and humor – all this contributes to a long and healthy life.

It is well known that negative emotions: resentment, fear, sadness, anger, grief, envy, hatred – are risk factors, approaching old age and shortening life, and vice versa, positive emotions – delight, joy – cause extraordinary rise of vital forces of an organism. Laughter is a sign of joy, cheerful mood and mental health. It favorably affects the lungs and regulates the metabolism.

Practice care and attention towards each other. Try especially after retirement, to organize the rhythm of life. Alternate feasible work with a reasonably organized rest.

• Much attention should be paid to sleep. Sleep is a vital human need. The duration of sleep should be such that after waking up a person should note good spirits and a burst of energy. A healthy and sound sleep requires a right regime of life: go to bed at the same time, dine without overeating not later than 2-3 hours before bedtime. Take a thirty minutes walk before the bedtime and do not watch too emotional television broadcasts, neither take tonic beverages such as strong tea or coffee before the bedtime.

Autumn of life is called the elderly age, and it is a very difficult season. But this time of life has its joy and delight. A person in this age moves into a new quality, he or she becomes a grandparent. And life begins to play with new colors, new, previously unknown feelings and joys, new worries and concerns, life takes on new meaning.

Sleep Disorder in Seniors

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As the saying goes – “Sleep is the best medicine”. And indeed it is. During the night sleep about 70% of the daily amount of a very important for the human body hormone melatonin is produced. This hormone of the pineal gland (epiphysis) regulates biorhythms, protects against stress, premature aging and even prolongs life. Sleep restores the body and the brain, during sleep our memory and blood pressure are regulated, immune functions are restored. Sleep disorders, especially in older people, significantly reduce their quality of life. Statistics show that 35% of seniors are experiencing problems with sleep deficiency. Thus in women (50%) the sleep disorders are met more often than in men (25%).

Some basic concepts of sleep

Sleep consists of two phases – rapid-eye-movement sleep (REM sleep) and non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (NREM sleep). During REM sleep, we process the obtained during the day information, “communicate” with our subconscious mind and see dreams. NREM sleep is divided into four phases. Falling asleep, people consistently pass all the phases of NREM sleep, then – REM sleep, then the cycle repeats.

Each cycle lasts about 90-100 minutes, and each duration of REM sleep increases, reaching in the morning up to 50 minutes. This is called sleep structure.

During the night, on average, five such cycles occur, and for the normal recovery of the body it is important for sleep not to be interrupted. However, with age, duration of sleep and its structure change.

Older people have the following sleep peculiarities:

• sleep in the elderly is discontinuous, fragmented;
• elderly often wake up at night and then have difficulty falling asleep, lying awake for about 30-60 minutes, and sometimes even more than an hour;
• elderly people go to bed earlier and falling asleep takes longer;
• sleep efficiency is reduced in the elderly (they are able to sleep only 80% of time spent in bed);
• senior’s sleep is more sensitive;
• biological clock shift with age: 50% of 70-year wake up before 7 a.m., and 25% – before 5.

All these are the normal age-related changes, and one should adjust to them. However, sometimes insomnia results from other causes, some of which are listed below:

- stress and psychological disorders;
- nutrition routine violation: late meals or overeating;
- drinking coffee or alcoholic beverages, as well as smoking;
- violation of the daily routine/sleep schedule;
- taking medications which may have insomnia as a side effect;
- periodic limb movement disorder, myoclonus or restless legs syndrome.

What can be done to prevent sleep disorders?

- Do not limit physical activity: a short walk before bedtime makes it easier to fall asleep.
- If you sleep poorly at night, do not go to bed in the afternoon. If you still feel tired during the day, it is better to sleep not more than two hours, and before 3 p.m.
- One of the most effective means in the fight against insomnia is a calm environment and fresh air. In such environment it is easier to fall asleep for any person, and especially for older people. You can sleep in the open air in the yard, in the garden, if there are conditions for this. It is good to sleep with an open window or window leaf: the flow of oxygen calms overexcited areas of the brain, and a person quickly falls asleep.
- For sleep to be normal, it is necessary to go to bed constantly at the same time. What is it for? If a person has a distinct schedule, timely rests and goes to bed always at the same hour, his entire body adapts to such a regime. At the time, when a person is used to get ready for bed, he already wants to sleep, he falls asleep quickly and soundly.
- Bright sunlight stimulates the activity of the organism, and the darkness, on the contrary, promotes sleep. In the elderly due to deterioration of vision (as a result of cataract, for example) the efficiency of the light exposure reduces, and thus the phase of wakefulness and sleep have less contrast. In this regard, experts advise to spend in the afternoon as much time as possible outside for the retina to receive enough light stimulation. In this case, darkness will promote sleepiness and quality sleep.
- Restrict fluid intake during the second half of the day, keeping its daily amount.
- Perform routine actions before bedtime. Make daily evening regimen (brush your teeth, wash, set the alarm clock) – this creates a good mood for sleep.
- Maintain a calm environment around yourself. The room where you sleep, should be dark, quiet, not hot and not cold.
- Bed – a place for sleep. And therefore do not use it for eating, reading, watching TV, and so on, that is, for those actions that are associated with an active lifestyle.
- Sleep is affected by many diseases: hypertension, gastric diseases, peptic ulcer disease, airways obstruction in case of problems with the lungs, chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency, renal and prostate diseases, accompanied by frequent urination, pain in the joints and spine. It is therefore important to control chronic diseases and keep them in a state of remission.
- Many medications taken by the elderly, affect the sleep structure. So sometimes you need to find an alternative drug.

With a wise attitude and care about their health every elderly person is quite able to establish a healthy, deep sleep.

Pet Therapy – a Wonderful Cure for Loneliness

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The help to elderly people cannot be accomplished without ensuring, first of all, a harmony in the soul of an elderly person. Pet can carry out the most important assistance to the elderly – to make them not so lonely, provide them with an extra incentive to existence, and give them their warmth and joy. Pets bring harmony and order into the emotional state of their masters.

Any pet, whatever it may be – large or small, and even a fish in the aquarium, as if connects to human energy, adjusting it to a positive mood. Each animal species has certain unique features; that is why their positive impact on a person has its shades and nuances, but the result of this interaction has always the most beneficial impact on an elderly person.

Sometimes there are such situations in life, when pets are the only friends for the elderly and lonely people. They fill their lives with meaning and care. Help to relieve mental and physical pain and suffering. Pets give their owners life energy.

Elderly people understand that the main and the best part of their lives is left behind. Their emotional tone is decreasing, and the physical condition is worsening. And this in its turn may lead to such a mental state, as depression. To avoid this, we need positive emotions, and in this our four-legged friends can help.

Animals have a natural ability to maintain a person’s emotional state. And remove the feeling of loneliness when you are not needed. This feeling appears because the majority of elderly people live alone, away from their children and grandchildren. And they need anything to fill in the lack of attention and communication. Animals will love devotedly their master and will constantly be near. And most importantly is that the elderly and lonely people will acquire a vital need to be wanted and needed by someone.

Pet-therapy or animal therapy

The origins of psychological illnesses treatment with the help of animals go back to the end of the 18th century, when the Yorkshire mental hospital began to use dogs for the treatment of patients. Even then, the clinic doctors have noted that animals had a positive impact on patients. In the course of therapy the reduction of aggression and frequency of episodes was noted in patients.

Today Canistherapy (dog therapy) and Felinotherapy (cat therapy) is widely used to improve the condition of children with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and other pathologies. The specialists observed the improvement of coordination, decrease of spasticity and significantly improved memory in children.

Communication with your pet has also a beneficial effect on the activity of a human brain, which helps to prevent or reduce many psychological disorders. Thus, in particular, during Alzheimer disease – communication with cats eliminates anxiety, which is so pronounced in this disease. A sense of great responsibility in relation to a pet, and taking care of the beloved one stimulates an elderly person to be active, which in its turn stimulates the desire to be healthy and to live.

How pets help to cope with depression and stress

With the approach of autumn, many people gain such kind of psychological disorder as “autumn spleen”. Causeless melancholy, gloom and other subdepressive states begin to exhaust us with the arrival of the first frosts. Often even quite healthy people can be difficult to force themself to get out of bed in the morning and do not frown during the day. If you are familiar with such states, physicians strongly advise to adopt a pet.
Pets live according to their own schedule, in which the emphasis of life corresponds to the daily cycle. Thus, a dog or a cat is sure to wake you up early and require a morning walk or feed. And it will be a good enough reason for you not lie in bed until noon.
Morning walking the dog helps to strengthen immunity, is good for the heart and helps to lose weight. If you feel a bit lethargic and inactive, a dog will teach you to be more cheerful, open and determined.

Equally effective cure for the blues Is communication with the cats. Did you notice that the Internet is full of videos with funny shots of the cat tricks and pranks? These animals are very curious, and having got a kitten in your home will be an endless source of funny events and situations. In addition, cats are curing the vain anxiety and excessive fatigue by the warmth of their body and the characteristic “purr”.

But not only dogs and cats are “home psychotherapists”. Other pets, such as aquarium fish, birds, rabbits, hamsters and even insects, are also doing an excellent job in fighting with stress and despondency.

Psychological observations allow the following conclusions: pets help people to cope with the problems they face, with stress, loneliness. They significantly improve the bad mood and give a great emotional support. And it does not matter who lives at a person’s home: a cat or a dog, a bird or a simple fish – any animal has a positive effect on the physical and psychological well-being of an elderly person. Daily contact with a pet reduces the risk of various diseases, as well as inspires the human soul with optimism and reliability.

Pets give their owners a hundred percent, selfless love and attention, no matter who is their master: a young boy or a very old man. Pets turn into the very best friends with whom you can talk and share feelings. Communication and interaction with the animal increases the level of serotonin in the brain, which increases the sense of well-being of the owner.

Take care of yourself and your pets, and stay healthy!

Laughter Therapy is Prolonging Our Lives

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Not everyone knows that there exists a whole science of laughter and it is called gelotology. It claims that laughter, laughter therapy is able to have a positive impact on human physiology. Laughter therapy is widely used by psychologists worldwide.

Laughter therapy, what is it?
Laughter therapy is one of the methods of psychotherapy, which is practiced by modern psychologists all over the world since the 60s. Gelotology manifests that a person can treat some of his diseases by laughing. Referring also to history, we see that even the great Hippocrates said that laughter is a medicine and that it brings invaluable benefit to our health.

Why laughter is so useful and on what principles the laughter therapy is built?
William Fry, a professor of Psychology from Stanford University, considered laughter as one of the types of breathing, at which the inhale increases and exhalation is shortened, herewith the intensity of such laughter makes the lungs to get completely rid of air. At this moment the body’s biochemical reactions occur. In particular, the laughter therapy helps to reduce the level of stress hormones – adrenalin and cortisone, and at the same time promotes the release of endorphins, that can reduce the emotional and physical pain, thus a feeling of satisfaction appears.

In addition, laughter therapy helps to cleanse the upper air passages and improve the blood circulation. Therefore laughter therapy can be compared to a walk in the woods or an oxygen cocktail.

By means of laughter therapy, first of all, the accumulated psychological problems can be solved. Laughing, we overcome stress, become more sociable, get rid of hatred, anger and resentment, reset the negative emotions and irritation. Laughter, which began in a state of relative rest, eventually restores our entire body.

But the benefits of laughter therapy do not end thereon. You do not have enough good rest? Laughter therapy for only 5 minutes will replace a 40-minute rest. Therefore, if you suffer the lack of sleep – just laugh and you will immediately feel how the body is filled with cheerfulness and energy.
No time for training in the gym? Also laugh! Laughter therapy helps almost 80 muscle groups to relax. During laughter therapy the heartbeat quickens, blood cholesterol level decreases, and endocrine glands produce substances that contribute to the removal of headaches. It’s hard to believe, but 1 minute of laughter therapy is equal to 30 minutes of aerobics.
Laughter therapy may work as a personal cosmetologist. Laughing involves almost all the facial muscles, thereby increasing their tone and, consequently, improving the appearance.

Thus today there are three subtypes of laughter therapy:
• Classical laughter therapy – conducting psychological trainings in groups and individually;
• Laughter Yoga – Indian technique of correct, natural and light laughter;
• Medical clownery – employees of medical institutions make some performances for the patients.

During special trainings, under the guidance of an experienced specialist, people learn to laugh properly. To laugh in such a way that laughter will bring maximum benefit to their health. They learn such laughter with the help of special exercises – breathing and physical, autotrainings, yoga, and special games. Medical studies have shown that the cerebral cortex contains areas that are responsible for the overall physical condition of a person and their proper work cause a sense of happiness.
Laughter can influence these “areas of happiness”! When a person laughs, the intensity of the blood flow to the brain increases, and the cells of the gray matter of the brain receive a large dose of oxygen. As a result, the weariness and headaches go away, the blood circulation in the vessels improves, the upper respiratory tract is cleared, endorphins are produced – the hormones of happiness, depression and other mental illnesses disappear. Shakespeare said, “A merry heart lives long.” Here you have the principle of the laughter therapy.

Wise nature has given the human laughter not in vain. It releases vast amounts of energy, rejuvenates and heals us, makes it possible to throw off the heaviness of accumulated thoughts, problems. But how to use laughter to fight for our health teaches the laughter therapy. Laughter therapy is a great healer. So laugh more often and be healthy!

What is Resistance Training for Seniors?

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As people grow older, the risk of falls and injuries is increasing; their muscles and joints can break down. However, there is a special training that can decrease the risk of falling. Resistance training is a special type of exercises that help seniors to build up muscles slowly, to regain muscle mass and protect joints from breaking.

Resistance training can also be called strength training. During this training seniors work their muscles through lifting weight or using exercise bands – let me put it into other words – every object that can produce resistance in the muscles is good for such trainings. For example, if your loved ones do not want to go to the gym, you can help them by training them at home, using usual gallons of milk or usual cans.

Training specialists agree that in order to get results, your loved ones should work out at least two or three days a week.

Resistance training is a great way not only to keep muscles and joints strong, but it also helps your loved ones to lose extra weight. This sport program makes the whole body strong.

Different studies have shown that resistance training positively influences not only seniors, but also people of different ages. For example, seniors over 80 years old still can gain muscle mass if they add resistance training into their daily activities. As for the women of all ages, this sport program can help to increase their bone mass that will prevent breaks.

Experts also say that resistance training influences not only physical body, but plays an important role for the inner world, world of emotions and feeling. Seniors who go info sports tend to suffer from depression less than those who do not stay active.

Encourage your loved ones to exercise regularly in order to stay healthy.