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Bones, Joints & Muscles

counteracting AgingAn Owner’s Guide to Bones, Muscles and Joints

About ½ of women and

¼ of men over age 50 will

break a bone due to osteoporosis.

volume 6 • Issue 9

B u l l e t I n

Join the conversation by connecting with h2U on Facebook. Plus, get more health tips by following

our blog at www.h2ublog.com.

H2U partners with Careington International Corporation to offer H2U members a comprehensive den-tal, vision and hearing discount plan at a special member rate.

For only $10.95 per month ($89 per year), your family can save 20 to 60 percent on most dental procedures;

20 to 40 percent off the retail cost of eyewear; 40 to 50 percent off LASIK surgery; 30 percent off hearing aids and exams; and 20 to 70 percent on pet medications.

Joining the Careington plan gives members acces to these discounts. To learn more or find participating providers, visit H2U.com and go to the Health and Wellness discounts page. You also may call (877) 287-1997. n

save on eye, Dental and Hearing care

H2U Benefit

Besides having a neat and tidy house, here is another benefit to keeping up with chores: Recent research shows that performing light activities every day can protect against disability from knee osteoarthritis.

Northwestern University researchers analyzed the habits of about 1,700 adults who had or were at risk for developing knee osteoar-thritis. Over the course of two years, they found that those who did more than four hours of light activities a day, including grocery shopping, vacuuming and putting away laundry, were 30 percent less likely to develop disabilities. In other words, doing more activities every day helps ensure you can continue to perform daily living tasks like getting in and out of the tub or walking across the parking lot.

To give your body even greater defense against disability, be sure to do weight-bearing exercises to boost bone health and strengthen supporting muscles. Also, enjoy a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. n

Block Disability By … Doing chores?

As we enter midlife, we begin to see (and feel) the wear and tear caused by Father Time. Among other things, we start to see declines in muscle mass, bone

density, joint strength and flexibility. These changes can spell trouble if we fail to take counter-measures.

About half of women and one-fourth of men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis, a disease that results in loss of bone density and weaker bones, says the

National Osteoporosis Foundation. About half of all adults also will experience osteoarthri-tis—a condition that occurs when cartilage in joints breaks down and bones rub against

each other, causing pain and even disability. Both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can limit our ability to carry out daily functions.

You don’t have to stand idly by while age wears down your body. In fact, being idle is a major contributing factor to poor muscle tone, brittle bones and joint problems.

Fortunately, it’s possible to maintain bone health and flexibility through the years. Read on for a look at how to combat the most common changes that come with aging.

HealtH to you

Improving Bone Mass and DensityBelieve it or not, you are continually

growing new bone and shedding the old. Bone loss typically speeds up in midlife for both genders, though women tend to lose more—up to 20 percent of bone density may be lost in the five to seven years after menopause. Low bone density or osteoporosis can make bones brittle enough to break, even from something as simple as brushing up against furniture or suffering a minor fall.

To slow bone loss and prevent fractures, do regular weight-bearing exercises like walking, hiking and climbing stairs. At meals, fill your plate with calcium-rich foods like low-fat or fat-free dairy, leafy green veggies, and fortified cereals and breads. Include fatty fish, orange juice and other sources of vitamin D to help your body absorb the calcium. Limit alcohol intake, and if you use tobacco, it’s time to quit.

Strengthening MusclesAs we age, our muscles not only

shrink, but start to lose muscle fibers. This causes muscles to become weaker and react more slowly. Being sedentary speeds up this decline.

The best way to keep muscles strong and responsive is to use them! Include a couple days of weight lifting in your exercise routine, taking care to work all muscle groups, including upper body and lower body, core muscles and hands. Take a day of rest in between workouts to allow your muscles to recoup.

Easing Stiff JointsArthritis causes joints in the hands,

knees, hips, shoulders or spine to become stiff and achy. Time, injuries or overuse wear down the cartilage between the bones, which leads to dam-age inside the joint. This produces pain, swelling, loss of flexibility and, in some cases, thickened bones. There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but you may be able to prevent it by maintaining a healthy

body weight, improving strength and flexibility, practicing good posture and avoiding joint injuries.

Standing TallAt age 40, people start to lose about

1 centimeter or 0.4 inches in height every 10 years. You’ll shrink even faster after age 70. The National Institutes of Health explains that spinal disks between vertebrae gradually become thinner and lose fluid as we age, caus-ing the spine to become more compact, shortening the body’s trunk. Weaken-ing of spine muscles also can lead to stooping, which creates the illusion of lost height. At the same time, the arches of your feet become flatter, contributing to less stature.

Practicing good posture, stretching and strengthening back muscles can help keep you standing tall. Yoga and tai chi are excellent exercise regimens that accomplish all three of those goals. Also, treat bone and joint problems, like osteoporosis, as early as possible. n

If you struggle to stay “tuned in,” these tips and tricks will help you improve your focus.

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counteracting Aging

Hocus Focus> Clear out clutter. A

messy desk and piles of laundry will distract you from the task at hand.> Listen to

music or white noise to drown

out other sounds.> Don’t be a slave to technology. silence your phone and email, and schedule specific times to check messages.> Wear headphones or shut the door to discourage inter-ruptions. n

> Get plenty of sleep. Grogginess impedes concentration.> Drink water. Even mild dehydration can slow your thinking.> Control hunger with breakfast and protein snacks. It’s easier to stay on task if your tummy isn’t growling.> Take occasional walking breaks. A new

study equates walking with increased creativity.

> stay fit. exercise improves the brain as well as the body. > Control stress. When worries crop

up, jot them down to consider later. n

> Prioritize your tasks then attack your list

from the top down to avoid skipping the high-priority items.

> Whittle down your to-do list to a

manageable size.> Determine your most

productive time of day and do your hard-est projects then.> Reward yourself for finishing projects by taking a 5-minute break for coffee or a turn at Words With Friends.> Alternate between high- and low-level tasks to give yourself a mental break. n

Minimize Distractions take care of Your Body Get in the Zone

2 h2U.com

Cross-trainers, tennis shoes, court shoes, walking shoes, basketball shoes … what’s the difference? It turns out

there can be big differences in material, construction and design between shoe types. And those differences can impact performance, comfort and foot health.

The American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society offers these tips for choos-ing a workout shoe: Start with your activities in mind. What types of move-ments are involved? Look for shoes that support your feet in all the right places. If you play a sport three or more times a week, get a shoe designed for that sport.

Also, consider your foot and ankle fitness and your gait. If you have wob-bly ankles, heel pain, flat feet or other problems, you may need a wider heel for balance, a heel cup for support or custom inserts for comfort. Specialty shoe stores often employ professional shoe fitters who will give you helpful advice.

The Best Footwear for Your Workout

Running: Look for overall shock absorption and heel control

(no slipping!), plus a flexible sole under the toes.

Walking: Look for shock absorp-tion in the heel and and midsole. Choose lightweight material for ven-tilation and make sure the toe box is rounded and roomy to prevent calluses.

Court Sports: For tennis, rac-quetball, basketball, volleyball and other court sports, match the sole and tread to the court surface (wood, asphalt, grass, etc.). Softer soles are best for soft courts, while thick, stiff treads are better for harder courts.

tennis: Go for a flexible sole beneath the ball of the foot for quick forward motion along with support for the inside and outside of the feet.

Basketball: Try high-tops for extra ankle support plus a thick, stiff sole for stability.

Cross-training: Choose a trainer with flexibility in the forefoot for running and lateral support for aerobics and tennis. n

the stress link

Have you ever had some-one say, “You’re stressing me out!” after noticing that you’re feeling stressed? A new study shows that stress may indeed be contagious.

Seeing someone you care about feeling stressed, particu-larly your romantic partner, can cause the body to release

stress hormones, accord-ing to a study from the

Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive

and Brain Sciences and the Technische

Universität Dresden. Even more surprising, those

who watched videos of strangers experiencing stress or suffering felt empathetic stress in response.

If you regularly interact with some-one suffering from ongoing stress, it can impact your health and well-being as well. Chronic stress raises your

risk for diabetes, high blood pres-sure, heart attack and stroke.

Stress also saps your energy and can leave

you feeling depressed and anxious.

So what can you do to keep from catch-

ing stress? Learn to recognize stress triggers for those closest

to you and support them with a listening ear. Ask what you can do to help, and suggest relaxing activities like reading, listening to music or taking a walk. If it seems like your partner or friend may be suffering from depres-sion, suggest talking with a doctor about treatment options. But remember to take time out for yourself as well, so you don’t inadvertently get swept up in someone else’s stress response. n

Does shoe

Fit?the

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h2U national office P.o. Box 1300nashville, tn 37202-1300

This newsletter is not intended to provide advice on personal medical matters, nor is it a substitute for consultation with a physician.

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A great way to boost bone health is to do strengthening exercises like jogging, weight lifting and lunges. For maxi-mum impact, link several bone-building moves together to work all your major muscle groups.

To start, consider several weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening moves that target your lower and upper body, plus your midsection. Then, think through the optimal way to move from position to position and how to incorporate equipment like hand weights, exercise bands or steps as needed.

Here’s a trio that hits all the right spots: 5 Push-ups: In a plank position, put hands

shoulder-width apart, and tighten your core and

buttocks. If your midsection sags, place knees on the ground. lower your chest until elbows are at 90 degrees, then push

up. Repeat.10 Squats: With feet shoulder-width

apart, bend knees and lower hips until thighs are parallel to the ground. Keep your back

straight and knees over toes. Return to standing. Repeat.10 Step-ups: step onto a low box with your right

foot, then your left. step down with your right foot, then left. Repeat leading with the opposite foot. This is one repetition.

Do this circuit three times, taking a minute or two to recover between moves. These short rests help you maintain good form and avoid injuries. n

Protein shakes often are touted as muscle-building marvels or weight-loss wonders, but there are some tricks to ensuring these shakes work as expected and don’t cause any harm.

Protein shake mixes are sold in liquid form or as a

powder that can be added to milk, juice or water. Even more convenient are pre-mixed shakes, though these can be expensive and packed with calories, sugar and fat, so always read nutrition labels before making a purchase. For those who like to mix it up in the kitchen, you can save some dough by making protein shakes from scratch.

If you’re looking to lose weight, protein shakes may be the answer. Protein helps you feel fuller longer than carbs alone, accord-ing to research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, so replac-ing a high-carb meal with a protein shake can lead to fewer calories consumed

overall. Plus, protein is necessary for building muscle and maintaining bone health.

Be warned that protein shakes are not low-calorie beverages—they can pack 400 calories or more! But replacing a typically high-calorie meal like lunch or dinner can be an effective way to cut total calories. Just don’t drink protein shakes in addition to your regu-lar meal plan, or you’ll achieve the opposite of your desired goal.

Protein shakes don’t provide all of the nutrients you need to stay healthy, so make sure you eat a well-balanced diet and limit yourself to one shake per day. n

the Protein Shake Shake-Down try this!

Make a yummy protein shake without expensive protein powder. Start with a protein-filled base of skim milk and Greek yogurt, then add your favorite nut butter and berries for a flavor boost.

Here’s our version:

ingredients:½ cup skim milk½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter½ cup frozen blueberries1 small banana, in chunks½ cup ice

Directions: Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until combined. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy! Makes two shakes.

nutrition information (per serving): Calories 225, total Fat 9 g, Carbs 25 g, Protein 12 g, Sodium 125 mg, Sugars 16 g

Peanut Butter Berry Protein Shake