Activities to Stay Healthy and Live Longer

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Activities to Stay Healthy and Live Longer

• Professor Anne Hiller Scott, PhD, OTR
• Professor Rebecca States, PhD
• Associate Dean, William Susman, PhD, PT
• Interdisciplinary, Community-Based, Health
  Education for Diverse Elders.
• HRSA Grant1 D37 HP 00838-01

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HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

• National program to improve the health of all
  Americans - to promote healthy behavior create
  healthy environments
• GOALS
• Increase number of years of healthy life
• To help people live longer
• Increase Quality of Life
• Personal sense of physical and mental health

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HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 Leading Causes of
DeathHeart Disease, Cancer and Stroke

• MOST PREVENTABLE Causes of Death
• SMOKING increases risk of
• Heart Disease, Stroke, Lung Cancer, Chronic Lung
  Disease
• During Pregnancy may cause
• Miscarriage, premature birth, sudden infant death
  syndrome (SIDS), asthma, bronchitis
• OBESITY increases risk of
• High blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2
  diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis,
  breathing problems, etc.

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HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010

• LEADING HEALTH INDICATORS
• Behaviors that affect the health of individuals,
  examples
• PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
• People in the Northeast and South exercise less
• Women exercise less than men
• People over age 75
• 2 in 3 WOMEN have NO regular physical activity
• 1 in 3 MEN have NO regular physical activity
• OBESITY
• Need to follow diet guidelines, eat healthy, lose
  weight
• TOBACCO USE
• Affects the smoker and others through second hand
  smoke
• Children and pregnant women are at greatest risk
  for harm

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What YOU Can DO to Stay Healthy!

• PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (30 Minutes a day) helps
  prevent
• (But ANY exercise is better than NO exercise)
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Obesity excess weight
• Diabetes
• Depression mental disorders
• EATING RIGHT LESS is MORE
• LESS Fats, Fried Foods, Starches, Sugar, Salt
• MORE Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, Lean Meat,
  Fish, Grains
• WEIGHT CONTROL
• after 45 years of age people gain more
  weight
• watch the amount you eat - portion size

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HEALTHY AGING

• What is the key?

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SUCCESSFUL AGING A study by Rowe Kahn 1998

• STAY ACTIVE
• HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
• PREVENTION

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MAJORITY of HEALTHY AGING
is LIFESTYLE PREVENTION (Rowe Kahn, 1998)

• IF YOU DONT USE IT LOSE IT
• CONFIDENCE in Your Abilities to Adapt and
  Stay Active
• ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
  Work and Play
• BEING PRODUCTIVE
  Volunteer Work/Work,
  Caregiving
  

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HEALTHY AGING (Rowe Kahn, 98)

• SOCIAL SUPPPORT
  Family, Friends, Community
• MENTAL ACTIVITY Reading, Puzzles, Games
• PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Walk, Dance, Swim,
  Gardening, Senior Exercise Tapes, Stair Climbing,
  Mall Walking
• DIET and SUPPLEMENTS

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A FEW MORE STUDIES ON HEALTHY ACTIVITIES

• Pets
• Tai Chi
• Occupational Therapy

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PETS Best Friend

• Dogs are lifesavers
• People who had heart attacks
• Lived longer if they had a pet WHY?
• Reduces Stress and Blood Pressure
• Companion
• Care
• Exercise

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TAI CHI A Gentle Martial Art

• Research Findings
• Better Balance
• Less Falls
• Increased Movement
• Lower Blood Pressure
• Lower Stress
• Better Breathing

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RANGE OF MOTIONROM DANCE Tai Chi, Music
RelaxationHarlowe Yu 1984, 1997

• Occupational Therapy Program to
• Increase Movement
• Reduce Pain
• Reduce Stress
• Research Studies helps with
• Arthritis and other illnesses
• Chronic Pain Fatigue
• Depression
• 7 Minute Videotape Commercially available
• 1 800 488-4940 or www.taichihealth.com

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OCCUPATIONAL THERAPYExtends QUALITY of LIFE in
well elderly Journal American Med. Assoc. JAMA
1997, 278, 1321-26.

• OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY helps people keep doing
  everyday activities that are important in their
  lives
• OCCUPATION means ALL ACTIVITIES or TASKS that
  OCCUPY you in a day, the Skills for the Job of
  Living
• Self-care Eating, Cooking, Dressing, Grooming,
  Housework
• Caregiving
• Social Activity
• Leisure/Recreational Activity
• Work/Volunteer Work
• Physical Mental Tasks Staying active at home
  and participating in the community

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Occupational Therapy Research Well Elderly Study
JAMA, 1997 Clark, et. al.

• The value of staying involved and active
• Participating in activities important to you
• Overcoming fears gaining confidence
• Example Clara had arthritis and diabetes and
  lived alone staying mostly in her apartment
  complex
• rarely went out due to fear of falling
• after the OT Lifestyle Redesign Program she
  finished 1 mile with her walker in the LA Marathon

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How do YOU make CHANGES?

• What are ACTIVITIES you can DO
• to keep HEALTHY
• and live LONGER
• with good QUALITY of LIFE?

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How should YOU start to make CHANGES?

• Identify concrete GOALS for healthy activities
• Start SMALL STEP by STEP
• o      You cant change everything at once!
• Get SUPPORT
• o      Talk with family and friends
• o      Get information from your health care
  provider and other resources
• o      Try to include others in your plans- For
  example start a walking group

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Making CHANGES in
Your LIFESTYLE Keep Track of Your
PROGRESS

• WHAT activity/change are you trying to
  accomplish? Break it down into small steps.
• WHY do you want to make this change? Remember
  your motivation.
• DONT GIVE UP
• KEEP TRYING
• YOU ARE WORTH IT
• YOU CAN DO IT!