Stay agile
Over time, everyone’s body ages and shows signs from natural wear and tear, says Mayo Clinic. Regular exercise helps delay the process. However, many people forget to include mobility exercises in their routine. Both flexibility and mobility are important to how your body functions. Flexibility refers to the ability to move a joint through the full range of motion, or fully lengthen a muscle. Mobility involves a bit more. It includes flexibility, as well as strength, coordination and balance. Staying active and preserving mobility are important as you age. Here are three ways to do so: 1) Stretch every day; 2) use a foam roller for self-massage as a way to release tension in muscles and connective tissue; and 3) take advantage of your body’s natural movements by doing things like climbing, carrying, throwing, catching – even crawling.
Improved quality of life for adults with stroke
Cardiorespiratory training, repetitive task training, and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may improve activities of daily living in adults with stroke, according to a systematic review for the 2019 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense Guidelines (DoD) for Stroke Rehabilitation, published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may reduce symptoms of poststroke depression, but use of SSRIs to prevent depression or improve motor function was not supported. Stroke is the fifth most common cause of death and a leading cause of long-term disability in the United States. Approximately 44% of younger individuals, aged 18 to 50 years, who have had a stroke experience moderate disability, and require some assistance with activities of daily living or mobility. Early rehabilitation after stroke is essential to help reduce disability severity and to address depression, which can often occur as a result of stroke.
Your lymph system: Take good care
Your body relies on your lymphatic system to remove waste, like bacteria, viruses, toxins and abnormal cells that can lead to cancer, according to MD Anderson. And every step you take helps it do its job. That’s because the lymphatic system lacks an organ like the heart to pump fluid around your body. Lymph fluid relies on movement and the contraction of your muscles to make it flow. “The lymphatic system is stimulated by moving your muscles and getting your heart rate up,” says MD Anderson Senior Physical Therapist Sarah Cleveland. “All these things stimulate the lymphatic flow.” The contraction of your muscles becomes the pump that helps the fluid get around your body. Exercise can help the lymphatic system flow more effectively and potentially help prevent infections and other diseases, like cancer. “Any exercise is helpful for the lymphatic system,” says Cleveland. “Exercise under water is especially helpful because of the pressure from the water.”