For many of us, sitting is a huge part of our day. In order to alleviate the physical consequences of being in one place for long periods, consider the following exercises:

ARMS BACK: Sit up tall, bring your arms straight out in front of you. Turn the palms up. Now move your arms away from each other out to the side keeping the hands shoulder height. Now bring your arms back as far as you can and pull your shoulders back sticking your chest out. This stretches the chest and shoulder muscles and strengthens your upper back muscles that get stretched out from being at the computer too long.

NECK PULL BACKS: Stick your neck out and jut your chin forward, then pull the head back as far as possible tucking the chin in. This is strengthening the muscles in the back of your neck that hold you head back where it’s supposed to be instead of jutted forward.

WRIST STRETCH: Extend one arm out in front of you with palm down. Bend the wrist, fingers pointing down and use the other hand to pull those fingers towards you. Repeat on other side.
TWIST: Twist as far as you can to one side like you were trying to look straight behind you. Grab the backrest of the chair and hold there for about 30 seconds. Then twist to the other side and hold.

BRIGHT BREATH: Lift your arms and cross your wrists above your head, fingers pointed up. Bring the back of your head between your arms. You may feel a slight backbend in your upper back. Inhale to a comfortable level. Then begin short, sharp breaths out of the nose with mouth closed.

Remember that when you’re sitting too long especially leaning forward, the pressure in your lower back changes a lot and can lead to back pain. Try to get up every 30 minutes and stand tall or walk around for a couple of minutes to allow the pressure in your lower back to be redistributed.

Susan Covey is the fitness director at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, one in four deaths are caused by heart disease. The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions, even for people who already have heart disease.

Only you can change your lifestyle. It’s time to take action and get moving now!

Wear, share and rock your best RED on Friday, February 3rd. Meet in the auditorium at 10:00 and join our group walk around the block, followed by healthy snacks!

Susan Covey is the Fitness Director for Bayleigh Chase in Easton

 

Most of the time, the Spy’s “Ask Irma” column seeks out the unique wisdom of Irma Toce about life after retirement but this time around, we turned the tables around and asked Irma to describe her recent personal journey for her own physical fitness. The CEO of Londonderry on the Tred Avon had typically counted on her lifetime walking habits to keep her body in shape, but having reached a certain age, Irma recently concluded that she had to do so much more to stay fit.

In our Spy chat this month, Irma talks about this lifestyle change and the remarkable benefits it brings with a little more effort and commitment.

This video is approximately three minutes in length. For more information about Londonderry on the Tred Avon please go here. 

For many of us holidays become a mixture of family, traditions, gratitude, giving and, often, challenges too. More than any other time we seem to find ourselves with a few plates in the air. So, in keeping with this theme, I offer a literal juggling challenge.

Juggling is more than just a cool party trick. Keeping a few balls in the air can make our brains and bodies healthier! Any activity that requires you to move in patterns and think about what you are doing are called “complex ideomotor activities.” Ballroom dancing, tai chi and juggling are just a few examples.

Juggling has other benefits as well. It is a form of aerobic exercise which we know improves everyday thinking and reduces dementia risk. It activates coordination and balance skills and keeping an object in the air requires hand-eye coordination too. Juggling makes you think fast; it improves reaction time and your brain’s processing speed, all of which often diminish with age.

Ready? Let’s Juggle!

Gently toss and catch a ball, bean bag or even a scarf in your dominant hand.

Gently toss your object of choice in your non-dominant hand.

Toss it with the dominant hand and catch it with the non-dominant hand.

Now, using two objects, one in each hand, toss the object in the dominant hand toward the non-dominant shoulder while switching the object from the other hand to the dominant hand. Catch the first object with the empty hand.

Continue this circular motion gently catching and throwing with swinging forearms.

Got it? Well, if not, just keep trying! It really is fun, especially if you make it a group event…and your brain will thank you!

Susan Covey is the Acts Bayleigh Chase Fitness Director

As the weather cools, the temptation to move less can be strong. However, we must resist this temptation and strive to stay active no matter the number of daylight hours or less than perfect weather.

Since November is the month that reminds us of all the things in our life we are thankful for, let us make movement one of them. Our bodies were built to move, to walk, to bend, to reach, to stretch. Though everyone may not be ambulatory, chances are there is some part of your body that is still motile. Be grateful for whatever ability you do have and build on that. 

In addition to functional exercises, do not forget how great it is to get out and explore your surroundings. There are many beautiful and motivating places to see in our area and these in themselves are something to be thankful for.

Some of the wonderful adventures awaiting you on the Eastern Shore include Adkins Arboretum, Tuckahoe State Park, Martinak State Park, Pickering Creek, Blackwater Refuge just to name a few. 

How lucky are we to have so many outdoor destinations within an hour’s drive!

Make it your monthly mission to take a hike or stroll through one of our area’s magnificent attractions!

Susan Covey is the fitness director at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton.

It wasn’t hard for Irma Toce, the CEO of Londonderry on the Tred Avon, to answer why she was wearing pink streaks in her hair last week when the Spy sat down here for our “Ask Irma” series.

For years, Irma, her senior management team, and more than a few residents of Londonderry have been showing solidarity with people living with breast cancer in October by adding a little pink, the official color of the Breast Cancer Awareness month on Octobere, to their coiffures. With the help of the on-site hairdresser at the Easton-based retirement community, Irma and her team use that extra tint to prompt conversations about this dreaded cancer and how important it is for women (and increasingly certain men) to undergo breast screenings regularly.

In our conversation with Irma, she talks personally about a close cousin now battling breast cancer and how important it is for the community to understand its impact, the advancement in treatment, and how easy it is to test for the condition.

This video is approximately 3 minutes in length. For more information about the UMMS Clark Comprehensive Breast Center in Easton please go here. For Londonderry on the Tred Avon please go here.

Scientific studies have proven that, not only walking, but just being in nature has a profound positive impact on our health.  Of course, we know that if we walk at least 15 minutes a day, we will have fewer diseases and are less likely to get cancer, have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke and have better bone density. 

But recent researchers are now demonstrating a reduction in stress, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as an upswing in mood and general outlook on life just as a result of being outside. They have also shown a link to longevity and decreased risk of mental illness and depression. (Kuo and Taylor 2004, DeVries et al. 2003)  Health benefits of nature may also have relevance to injury prevention and control, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, musculoskeletal conditions, and other maladies, including cancer (Li 2009).

Drawing attention to these benefits of outdoor leisure and recreation for improved health helps shift attention from the downstream costs of health care to the upstream efforts to prevent ill health from occurring. An upstream focus is always empowering and enables individuals to take a more prominent role in our own wellness.

So, take control and get out there!  Enjoy everything around you, and take the time to PLAY. After all, you’re never too old to jump in the leaves!

Susan S. Covey is the Director of Health and Fitness at Bayleigh-Chase.

Not only is September “Healthy Aging Month”, but it is also a great time to start a new fitness program.  For one thing, fall can be a treat for the senses: the crisper air, the leaves beginning to change colors.  Walking and hiking are both awesome in the fall months. 

A FEW TIPS FOR FALL FITNESS:

Try thinking outside the box and learn something new, something you’ve always wanted to try like dancing, horseback riding or biking. 

Be an ACTIVE TV watcher.  If you’re into fall premiers and plan to sit down to watch for hours , make it a date with exercise AND TV.  While you watch, you can walk in place, do standing lunges, triceps dips off the couch, lift weights, or do push-ups and sit-ups during the commercials.  

Rejuvenate your mind and spirit as well.  Learn to meditate, take an art class or learn a new language.

Strive for the three C’s: commitment, convenience and consistency.  Put it on the calendar just like any other appointment; choose an activity that is close by and, when you can’t fit in 30 minutes each day, do 10 minutes rather than skip exercise altogether.

Susan Covey is the Fitness Director at Bayleigh Chase in Easton

 

Did you know you can get all the cardiovascular, muscle strengthening and flexibility benefits you need in water? Done correctly, water workouts can give you the same fitness gains as land workouts, including improving balance.

Water’s buoyancy supports the body’s weight and significantly reduces stress on weight-bearing joints, bones and muscles. For those with injuries, the pressure of the water also reduces swelling. If the water is warm, then the heat relaxes muscles and eases joint stiffness.

We all need resistance training to keep us from losing muscle and strength as we age. Water offers that resistance which strengthens our muscles as we move through it. And get this, simply walking in water will strengthen those hard-to-work abdominal muscles! That not only beats doing sit-ups but may offer greater benefits because the abdominal muscles are being strengthened in the same way we naturally use them—by holding our bodies in an upright position.

Water workouts can help us reach our fitness goals without pain or injury. They can add cross-training variety to our existing routine or offer a safe and fun way to start an exercise program.

So, come on in, the water’s fine!

Susan Covey is Director of Health and Fitness at Acts-Bayleigh Chase in Easton.