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.

While the Bayleigh Chase retirement community in Easton has long supported the Talbot Spy Senior Nation section for many years, it has been our disappointment that it has taken some time to profile this remarkable home for hundreds.

One reason for this omission has been its transition from its early days as William Hill Manor, started by Dr. William Hill in 1981, to became part of Integrace in 2014, and then more recently, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, which also manages the popular Heron Point community in Chestertown.

In fact, the non-profit Acts has been one of the nation’s most progressive leaders in full-service retirement communities when it was started 50 years ago by a Philadelphia-based pastor with the Church of the Open Door, a nondenominational church. The founders wanted to find a better way of living for their retired church members, providing a fulfilling and meaningful independent living lifestyle with a quality professional health care environment that would be available if ever needed.

That simple mission has now grown into 26 communities operating in nine states.

In our Spy profile, we talk to George Clemes, executive director of Bayleigh Chase, about his community’s unique approach to retirement, health, and spiritual life on their 35-acre campus off Dutchman’s Lane. George also highlights the significant improvements taking place on-site to honor Acts 50th anniversary.

This video is approximately minutes in length. For more information about Bayleigh Chase and other Acts Retirement-Life Communities please go here.

Three Important Facts You Should Know

1. The American Heart Association cites physical inactivity as the 5th major risk factor for coronary heart disease. The top four being: family history, high cholesterol, high fat and smoking.

2. From Age 65-84, the average decline in strength equals 1.5% per year. These declines are linked with increased risk of falls, increased frailty and loss of functional independence. It’s a proven fact that physical INACTIVITY accelerates age related decline in strength.

3. Falls are the leading cause of accidental death among adults over 75 years of age. One in three older adults will fall at least once a year and over 50% of those hospitalized from a fall will die within one year.

The good news in that even frail seniors aged 72-98 have shown remarkable improvements as a result of strength training. For instance, an increase in strength of 113%, an increase in walking speed of 12% and an increase in stair-climbing power of 28%! Also, age-related decline in bone density can be significantly impacted by strength training, so…

GET STRONGER AND LIVE LONGER!

Susan Covey is the Director of Fitness at Acts Bayleigh Chase

Over the last three years, the Spy and Irma Toce’s “Ask Irma” series has always been based on our collective mission to provide thoughtful answers to some of the challenges and benefits of growing old on the Mid-Shore. We continue with that objective in our latest conversation with the CEO of Londonderry on the Tred Avon, but this installment comes with a special twist.

Over the last seven years, Londonderry has been listed as the best senior retirement community in Maryland by What’s Up publications. That’s an impressive run by any standard (admirable, in fact), and only last week, Irma was recognized as one of the top outstanding women CEOs by the Women Leaders Magazine.

Given all that, the simple question this month is why does Londonderry keep winning these awards? Not surprisingly, Irma has an answer for that one.

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

“Physical activity is crucial to mind and body alike,” according to neuroscientist Lise Eliot.  In her book, “Pink Brain, Blue Brain” she notes that the brain benefits as much as the heart and other muscles from physical activity.  

Scientific studies have proven that exercise can help improve cognition in ways that differ from mental brain-training games.  Charles Hillman, a professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois maintains that “…exercise has broad benefits on cognition, particularly executive functioning, including improvements in attention, working memory and the ability to multitask.” 

In the mid ‘90s it was shown that exercise triggers the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which helps support the growth of existing brain cells and the development of new ones.  With age, BDNF levels fall which is one reason our brain functions may begin to deteriorate.  However, exercise, especially aerobic, have been found to counteract these drops in BDNF and restore young levels even in the aging brain.  “BDNF is in a sense like a brain fertilizer, says Carl Cotman, founding director of the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders.  “It actually protects neurons from injury and facilitates learning and synaptic plasticity.”

Over the past two decades we’ve learned that exercise acts on multiple levels in the brain, and the wiring depends on the connections or synapses between neurons.  As we age, these synapses are lost or broken, but exercise has been found to increase their numbers and stimulate the creation of more neurons.  Exercise also improves blood flow to the brain thus carrying oxygen and feeding those neural tissues and, as a result, it enhances cognitive abilities.

To sum up all of this scientific research, when we move, our brain rewards us with better immediate memory, reduction in amyloid plaque (which is a common factor in Alzheimer’s Disease), better brain glucose metabolism and higher attention levels. 

So, let’s get moving and feed our muscles and our brains!

Susan S. Covey is the Director of Fitness at Acts Bayleigh Chase in Easton.