Strengthen a Neighbor, Strengthen a Community

Three years ago, Merlene's closest friend died. Merlene, who is 74, lost all motivation. Because she was not exercising, she gained a lot of weight. This is where Ivy came in...

Ivy from New Zealand, frequent success story contributor, wrote me in August about her neighbor Merlene:

"You will be pleased that I have a new lady under my wing so to speak. I lent her your book "How To Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs Or Surgery." Along with giving her advice she tells me that it has changed her life which pleases me."

I wrote to Ivy to ask her if Merlene would be comfortable telling us more on what she did, so others could try it too. Ivy replied:

"I encouraged her to walk again. At first it was difficult, she had difficulty breathing. I noted that she was walking flat footed and taught her to lift her toes. She complained of back pain - I showed her how to lie on her stomach and lift herself up on her elbows before getting out of bed in the mornings. She has now learnt to put her spine into the neutral position. Re her breathing, I showed her how to breathe deeply. She told me that she rolled her neck every day in a circle - she now does the trapezius stretch plus pectoral stretch instead.

"Instead of bad bending, she does squats and lunges while making the bed, doing the vacuum cleaning, going to the fridge and the like, plus gardening.

I checked in with Ivy a while later to make sure all was still improving, and gave her questions to ask Merlene so I could make sure all was well. Ivy wrote again:

"Today I visited Merlene and asked her some questions. She is stronger, breathing has improved, she is more flexible, can walk further, the back pain has improved immensely. She hasn't weighed herself yet, however, is hoping that there will be a weight loss when she weighs herself next week.

"She finds your books "How to Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs or Surgery" and your Stretching Smarter book very helpful so I left them with her so that she can refer to them.

"She also tells me that your books along with my help and advice has changed her life for the better. She has lost that negativity and feeling positive about life again.

"Merlene is a very quiet, private lady so I try to treat her in a gentle way. She comes from another country and I gather that life has been very hard. She is so enjoying what she is doing. Most important is the fact that she trusts me plus she is very happy you are doing this article.

"Merlene is happy for you to use her name. Re the photo and title (of the article) she would rather it was your choice.
"Hugs
Ivy "

Related Fitness Fixer:

• Why helping is healthy - Fast Fitness - Pro-Social Behavior Improves Health of All
• Functional Lifestyle fitness - Household Fitness in the New Year
• How healthy bending stops back pain - How Often Should You Be Healthy?
• Better stretching- Nice Neck Stretch
• Straighten out first thing - Fast Fitness - First Morning Stretch
• Do Breathing Exercises Work?
• Spotting neutral and non-neutral spine and why it matters - Prevent Back Surgery

Related Fitness Fixer - Ivy's Fun Stories:

• Ivy shows another neighbor in Each One Teach One
• Ivy's fun story of Farm Work, Lifestyle Exercise, and Preventing Overuse Pain
• How Ivy began - Inspirational Ivy

Unrelated Random Fun Fitness Fixer:

• Make Healthier Cleaners

Books:

• How to Fix Your Own Pain Without Drugs or Surgery and Stretching SmarterStretching Healthier, and others, on www.DrBookspan.com/books.

Labels: aging, breathing, depression, fix pain, partner exercise, readers inspiring story, spirit, walking, weight loss

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Sunlight Eases Behavioral Problems of Dementia

Several studies have found that sunlight helped with depression and agitation in elderly people. It is likely that younger people benefit also.


Simple adjustments, not only in lighting, but scheduling daily outdoor activity and simple walks, may ease behavioral problems associated with dementia.

Click the label sunlight for ideas.

Labels: aging, depression, fix pain, sunlight

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Sunlight Needed for Physical and Mental Health

Sunlight deprivation has been found in a clinical study to cause profound negative change to portions of your brain associated with depression.

Further, "neurons that produce norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin, which are common neurotransmitters involved in emotion, pleasure and cognition, were observed in the process of dying."





In the Northern hemisphere of the Earth, February brings deep wintertime, with short days, and greatly reduced light. For the last 30 years or so, each summer has brought warnings to stay out of the sun, practically zero tolerance for light exposure, urging hats, sunscreens, dark glasses. There also seems to be a sharp rise since then in incidence of serious diseases usually not seen in the young - soft and porous bones, depression, chronic body pain (fibromylagia and related), diabetes, and others. Sunlight seems to have several effects, one of which is helping the body produce Vitamin D. Lack of Vitamin D is now known to be directly linked to higher risk of lung cancer, Parkinsons disease, diabetes, high blood pressure. Vitamin D is available in food sources, however you can also take a prudent approach to getting the several different beneficial effects of the sun, many of which cannot not be gotten though a vitamin supplement.

Last summer Scientific American published a survey finding, "Americans are losing interest in going outdoors." As health providers, we need to see if part of that is telling people that staying out of the sun is necessary for health. We also tell kids to finish everything on their plate and sit still, two more practices, that on examination, translate into, "Practice and learn to be sedentary and overeat."

• Try to get outside every day, even if cold (within reason). Bundle up, if you have to.
• Get light in your eyes. This does not mean to stare at the sun and induce cataracts, but to get sunlight in healthy ways for the several different crucial mental and physical benefits.
• Melanoma skin cancer is not confirmed from lack of use of sun screen - NYTimes article.
  For a post on balancing needed benefits of sunlight and stopping unwanted negative effects, click Junk Food Through Your Skin?
• Click the label "sunlight" for posts that tell more of the benefits of sunlight.

Labels: cancer, children, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, mind, osteoporosis, spirit, sunlight

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Sedentary Lifestyle Linked to Teen Emotional and Behavioral Problems

A study of physical activity in more than 7,000 teenagers found that inactivity is associated with emotional and behavioral problems.

Teens with less than one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week had more symptoms of anxiety, withdrawal, depression, sleep problems, rule-breaking behaviors, attention problems, and somatic complaints (body pain).

Study author Marko T. Kantomaa stated in an American College of Sports Medicine news release, "Negative mental and emotional effects brought on by physical inactivity does not help young people ease into adulthood. Physical activity could be a highly effective and relatively easy way to help that transition and could, in addition, lead to establishment of lifelong healthy habits."

The study was published in the October issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise - Kantomaa MT, Tammelin TH, Ebeling HE, Taanila AM. Emotional and behavioral problems in relation to physical activity in youth. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Oct;40(10):1749-56.


Increase in physical activity is known to reduce incidence of depression and anxiety in both adolescents and adults.

How much to do?

• Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

No Gym Needed. Get fun effective daily lifestyle activity:

• Try some Fast Fitness ideas.
• Bending Right is Fitness as a Lifestyle
• How Good Would You Look From 400 Squats a Day - Just Stop Unhealthy Bending
• What is "Fitness as a Lifestyle?"
• Fitness and Health as a Lifestyle for Thanksgiving
• Household Fitness in the New Year
  
• Getting Stronger Without a Gym
• Which Ancient Exercise Gives Focus and Concentration?
  

Labels: aerobic, children, depression, mind, spirit, strength, stress

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