As the weather gets nicer, we become more active outdoors, going for runs or long walks. Here are a few tricks to decrease your chance of injury when you’re out and about.
When taking a step, instead of having the foot far in front of your body, try taking a smaller step so the foot stays closer to your body. This keeps your body perpendicular to the ground and allows for a more stable base. Practice balance exercises, and strengthen your hips and core, to keep your body strong and able to react to changes in your centre of gravity.
Community News
Celebrating Women
May is a month to celebrate women. Take a moment to breathe and just be. So much time is spent doing. You deserve your time too. Here are a few suggestions. Get more rest, whether it’s by taking naps or relaxing on the couch with a good book. Aim for five to ten servings of fruits/veggies a day; the fresher, the better. Talk with friends and take time to listen to their advice. A fresh perspective can be lovely. And of course, a little bit of exercise every day can make your body happy. You’ll thank yourself!
Reduce Your Risk of Falling
Losing balance comes naturally with age. But as we age, the consequences of a fall becomes more serious. In fact, complications from a fall are the leading cause of injury and death among seniors aged 65 and older, and the risk of falls increases proportionately with age. At 80 years, over half of seniors fall annually. Voxx HPT socks and insoles will help improve your balance, providing an 8X reduction in fall risk! By reducing injury risk, seniors will have more confidence and freedom in day to day activities.
Amazing Modern Prostheses
Do you know anyone with an artificial limb? If you said no, you’re probably wrong! Modern prostheses (proper name of an artificial limb) work so effectively and can look so convincing that you might not even know someone was using one. People with prosthetic legs can often climb stairs, walk, and run as well as those using natural limbs, while prosthetic hands have advanced to the point of individual control of all five fingers. You might think prostheses look boring, but they are among the world’s truly great inventions. By creating independence, they boost optimism and dramatically improve people’s lives.
The Benefits of Massage for Children
Kids are flexible and bounce back from injury more quickly than adults, so we don’t often think about giving them massages. But massage therapy has many benefits for children. Massage lowers stress hormones—and stress is a big problem for kids in our fast-moving, achievement-oriented society. Massage can help calm children, giving them all the benefits of reduced stress, including better sleep and a lower risk of developing the many diseases that can result from stress. Massage also helps increase range of motion and decrease tension in the muscles, helping active children recover from physical injuries more quickly and prevent future injuries.
Pets and Bee Stings
Warmer weather, blooming plants and buzzing insects can all spell trouble for your pets. If your curious pooch or pouncing feline gets stung by a bee, here’s what you can do: Scrape away the stinger if you can find it. Pulling the stinger with fingers or tweezers could rupture the poison sac allowing toxin to enter the bloodstream. If no medical history or treatments contraindicate, administer 1 mg Benadryl® per pound of your pet’s body weight and apply a cold pack for short periods at a time. If swelling is severe or if ANY breathing difficulties develop, do not delay—seek veterinary attention immediately.
The Customer-Pharmacist Relationship
It’s important to have a good relationship with your pharmacist, as they are a valuable source of information and can help you make decisions on and better understand your medications and overall health. A good rule of thumb when it comes to determining what kind of relationship you have with your pharmacist is whether you know them by their first name. Pharmacists who offer a more personal experience can provide more individualized, specific information on your prescriptions. Your pharmacist should be available to answer questions you have and to explain in detail any medications you are taking for the first time.
Should You Stop Driving?
As we age, driving may become more difficult or stressful due to health issues, vision problems, or slower reaction times. So, how can we tell when it might be time to stop driving? If you answer yes to some of the following questions, consider having a conversation with your doctor or looking into getting a driving assessment done. Ask yourself: Have I had some accidents, even minor ones? Do I get lost even on roads I know well? Do I have trouble staying in my lane? Do other drivers often honk at me? Do things seem to appear out of nowhere?
Eye Care for All-day Computer Users
Depending on the study, 50 to 90 per cent of people who are on their computers a lot experience issues with their eyes, including eye strain, red eyes, and eye twitching. Unfortunately, those of us using computers for work can’t just turn them off and walk away; we need to find ways to care for our eyes in spite of our computer use. The first step is to get an eye exam to evaluate how your eyes are doing today. After that, there are actions you can take to protect your eyes as much as possible, such as reducing ambient lighting and using floor lights rather than overhead fluorescent lights.
Do You Need to Take Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in red blood cell formation, nerve function, cell metabolism and DNA production. It can be found in meat, poultry, fish and dairy, or as a supplement. Your body can store vitamin B12 for many years so most individuals will not have a B12 deficiency. However, the following people may be more prone to deficiency: vegetarians/vegans, older adults, or people with digestive tract conditions that affect the absorption of nutrients. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to fatigue, anemia, muscle weakness, intestinal problems, nerve damage, and mood disturbances. Visit your physician or pharmacist to discuss whether you should be taking a vitamin B12 supplement.
Garden Guru
Want to get the most out of your garden this year? Here are a few tips passed down through the years. When planting your seeds, always plant three in a hill: one for the good, one for the crow, and one to grow. Plant crops that grow above ground during a waxing moon, and plant crops that grow below ground on a waning moon. A homemade pesticide can be made from tobacco to spray your plants. And lastly, some have found that burying a piece of iron beside your roses will make them more fragrant. If it worked for our grandparents maybe it’ll work for us too!
