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Health & Fitness

Sitting is the New Smoking, Part 2--Keeping Seniors Walking

[This is the second in a series, the first dealt with childhood obesity]

How would you like to save money on your heating bills this winter?  It’s NOT an advertisement to get a new furnace or switch utility suppliers. Details below.

Everyone knows --or should know that smoking is not good for you. It affects your lungs, your cardiovascular health, your circulation, your skin, your weight, lowers your resistance to disease, it even affects your attitude. What you need to understand is that sitting has precisely the same effect.  A recent article in Parade Magazine cited a study where it was demonstrated that the life span of sedentary people is significantly shorter—no surprise there—but that even overweight people who are active fare much better than slender people who are not active.

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Older people with arthritis, poor circulation or balance problems are often afraid of falling or intimidated by their pain. But the pain of arthritis can be eased by keeping active. There's an old axiom "use it or lose it".  The more you do, the more you can do, the less you do, the less you can do.  In either direction it's a spiral. The spiral can work for you or against you--it's a choice to be made each and every day. 

A recent issue of the Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association was devoted in its entirety to fall prevention in older people.  Several challenges were addressed, along with recommendations such as proper shoegear, non-skid socks, and dealing appropriately with painful foot problems. 

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Very often it is a matter of confidence that keeps seniors from walking more.  Aside from arthritis in the feet, knees, hips and back, weakness in the large muscles in the thighs and core abdominal muscles adds to the difficulty and frustration. Exercise programs at senior centers, health clubs, even those simple things which can be done at home all help.  The key lies in making exercise a habit.  Start small, and with a doctor’s advice.  But you have to take that first step, even if you need to use a cane or a walker. 

If your feet hurt for any reason, that certainly puts a damper on your enthusiasm and ability to get moving.  Do you have heel painingrown nails? painful bunionshammertoes? painful calluses? We can help--quickly and easily.  Are your shoes causing you pain? Are they the wrong size because your feet and ankles swell later in the day, so you buy shoes that are too large? We can advise you about what to look for. 

Our office has a Fall Prevention Program to keep seniors on their feet and moving.  From bracing to shoe modifications to recommendations for treating painful foot conditions, our goal is to get you moving and KEEP you moving.

Your body is a walking machine that may not have been built properly by your parents.  Imbalances in the structure can be the underlying cause of so very many deformities and pain in the feet, ankles, knees, hips and back.  Lightweight, custom orthotics often make a major difference in being able to perform your daily activities and exercise in comfort.

Our motto at Clark Podiatry Center is “We Keep You Walking”.  It’s about looking, feeling and being healthier.  It’s about walking the walk instead of talking the talk about how you know you should exercise and want to, but [fill in the excuse].  While you may need a walker for assistance, you don't have to go to the extent of the man pictured who created an ATV (all-terrain vehicle) walker!

    Look around our website for information regarding any specific problems you may have.  If you can’t find something that sounds familiar, use the Contact Us link to ask a question.  Or call 732-382-3470 for an appointment.  We’ll fit you into the schedule as soon as possible and then we’ll work together to do what it takes to keep you walking.

Oh, and how can you save on your heating bills this winter?  Get up and move.  When you sit around, watching TV or other sedentary activities, you feel colder.  Whether you’re puttering around the house, or take a few minutes at a time to walk around or otherwise engage in light exercise, you’ll generate your own body heat and feel much warmer.  You’ll be able to turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees and save! You’ll feel a lot better, too.


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