By Ted
Here are seven key steps Debbi Harper suggests at workshops sponsored by Prudential HealthCare SeniorCare. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to rate them numerically in the order of importance.
_____ Thoughts and Attitudes. Feelings, moods and beliefs definitely influence your energy, Harper says. Simply declaring, “I have more energy!” can help make it happen. It’s like an oral placebo.
When you’re worn out, your shoulders slump and your head, which weighs between 10 and 11 pounds, assuming you don’t have a cold, slumps forward. This strains back and neck muscles, producing fatigue. And fatigue, my friends, is the opposite of energy.
_____ Relax. One of the keys to relaxing is breathing, which also helps keep you alive. Place your hands on the skin that covers your abdomen, then take a deep breath through the nostrils until you feel that section expanding. If you haven’t tried this before, stand by a friend, a mattress or a swimming pool because dizziness may result. Practice deep breathing two or three minutes a day, Harper suggests. Breathe deeply while meditating, praying, listening to music or strolling in a garden, she adds.
_____ Exercise. Walking, aquatic workouts and line dancing are three types of activities that will improve circulation, lower blood sugar levels and give your metabolism a boost lasting three or four hours, she says. Studies indicate that late afternoon is a good time for exercise.
_____ Friends. Energy soars when you accompany a live wire to a play or concert or shopping. On the other hand, if you hang out with someone who sulks and refuses to walk with you, that can rub off.
_____ Relieve Stress. Eighty percent of one doctor’s visits were stress related, according to a study, Harper says. The other steps described here, especially exercise, can alleviate some of the problems.
_____ Weight Control. Debbi Harper hoists her purse and asks us to imagine the stresses and strains on legs, feet and back from lugging that 10 pound load around all day. “Strive for what’s right for your body,” Harper advises. Low-fat diets, lots of fruits, grains and vegetables and physical activity help keep us active and extend our lives.
Limit your intake of high-sugar foods. Make small changes in recipes that call for lots of sugar, butter and all that other good tasting stuff. Drink plenty of water. Also, go easy on the booze because of its dehydrating and sedative effect.
_____ Sleep. Try for at least six hours of sleep if you want to act quickly and think clearly and decisively. Naps, I’m happy to report, are okay if not overdone.
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And now for the answers: 1. Exercise. 2. Weight Control. 3. Sleep. 4. Thoughts and Attitudes. 5. Friends. 6. Relieve Stress. 7. Relax.
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