AWP Aging Gracefully - Alliance Work Partners · Aging Gracefully With age the body undergoes physical changes that can decrease our cardiovascular capacity, muscular strength, flexibility,

Compliments of Alliance Work Partners

Here for you as life happens …

Your MAP is here to help with family, work, health and legal issues. To access your AWP EAP services, call 877-877-6200.

EAP Services are provided at no cost and are 100% confidential.

Alliance Work Partners is a professional service of Workers Assistance Program, Inc. Copyright © 2014 Workers Assistance Program, Inc. Confidential and proprietary. All rights reserved. AWP-AGINGGRACEFULLY-0314

Aging Gracefully With age the body undergoes physical changes that can decrease our cardiovascular capacity, muscular strength, flexibility, and reaction time. Healthy behavior habits help minimize these changes and the burden of chronic diseases. Benefits of Fitness for Older Adults Fitness both improves and prevents various aspectsof health. It improves: blood pressure, respiratory and cardiovascular functioning, quality of sleep, cognitive function, and long-term memory. It prevents: bone density loss, hip and vertebrae fractures, and pain in joints. Being physically active also helps to decrease the risk of: falling, heart failure, depression, obesity, and potentially decrease the risk of developing colon, breast, prostate, and rectal cancers. Finally, fitness can improve the ability to perform daily living activities. This, in turn, extends and improves quality of life

Key Components of Fitness Flexibility ¨ Warm up before stretching to prevent injury ¨ Performed correctly, stretching may cause mild discomfort, but NOT pain--stop if you feel pain.

¨ Gradually ease into each stretch and hold for 30 seconds. Be sure not to bounce.

Cardiovascular ¨ Exercise at a moderate or vigorous intensity for 30-60

minutes, most days of the week. You can break down your exercise into 10-15 minute sessions throughout the day.

¨ Do an activity you enjoy so you will stick to it. Remember, everyday activities like gardening count!

¨ Exercise with friends or in a group and try something new ¨ Stop exercising and consult your doctor if you experience

pain in your joints or chest, dizziness or become light-headed

Resistance Training ¨ Perform exercises such as squats that uses large muscle

groups like your thigh muscles ¨ Exercise your muscle 20-30 minutes, 2-3 times a week ¨ Exercises should be done in a slow–controlled manner

going through the full range of motion

Daily activities to promote fitness include: cleaning, yard work, walking with a friend, or stretching while watching TV.

Compliments of Alliance Work Partners

Here for you as life happens …

Your MAP is here to help with family, work, health and legal issues. To access your AWP EAP services, call 877-877-6200.

EAP Services are provided at no cost and are 100% confidential.

Alliance Work Partners is a professional service of Workers Assistance Program, Inc. Copyright © 2014 Workers Assistance Program, Inc. Confidential and proprietary. All rights reserved. AWP-AGINGGRACEFULLY-0314

Nutrition: It’s A Way Of Life As we age, we may need fewer calories to fuel our bodies as our metabolism slows down. Being physically active can help boost metabolism for optimum health, and we still need just as many nutrients.

Here are “ageless” nutritional guidelines:

Grains 5-8 ounce equivalents. 2 slices of bread = 2 ounce

equivalents. 1 cup cooked rice = 2 ounce equivalents. 1 cup of cooked

spaghetti = 2 ounce equivalent. Make at least half of your grains

whole grains.

Vegetables 2-3 cups. 1 cup of raw or cooked vegetables or vegetable juice, or 2 cups of raw leafy greens can be considered as 1

cup from the Vegetable Group. Make half your plate fruits and

vegetables.

Fruits 1.5 – 2 cups. 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or

1⁄2 cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the Fruit Group. Make half your plate fruits

and vegetables.

Dairy 3 cups 1 cup milk. 8 oz container of yogurt = 1 cup. 1.5 ounces of hard cheese = 1 cup. 2 cups of cottage cheese = 1 cup.

Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.

Proteins 5.5 – 6 ounces 1 small steak = 3.5 – 4 ounce equivalents. 1 small chicken breast = 3 ounce equivalents 1 can of tuna, drained = 3 to 4 ounce equivalents. 1 ounce of nuts or seeds = 2 ounce equivalents.1 cup split pea soup = 2 ounce equivalents

Lower Your Fat • Choose lean cuts of meat, fish, or poultry (without skin), trim off

extra fat before cooking • Use low-fat dairy products and salad dressings • If you use fat to cook with, use either an unsaturated vegetable oil

or a nonfat cooking spray • Broil, roast, bake, stir-fry, steam, microwave, or boil foods and avoid

frying • Season foods with lemon juice, herbs, or spices, instead of butter

Add More Fiber • Eat cooked dry beans, peas, and lentils often • Leave skins on your fruit and vegetables • Choose whole fruit over fruit juice • Eat whole-grain breads and

cereals

Drink More Liquids Liquids like water, juice, milk, and soup are important. Aim for eight 8-ounce glasses a day. It’s not necessary to wait until you’re thirsty. Check with a doctor for any limitations on how much you should drink.

Health Screenings Regular check-ups for preventive screening tests are an important aspect of health at any age. To find out what screenings are needed, just ask your healthcare provider or doctor.

Fitness Tips • Keep exercise part of regular

schedule • Wear comfortable shoes • Wear comfortable and

movable clothes • Stay hydrated • Stop if you feel pain • Consult physician before

adding any new exercise Resources USDA Food & Nutrition Information Center (FNIC),

www.nal.usda.gov/fnic Administration on Aging, www.eldercare.gov Nutrition www.nutrition.gov National Institute on Aging, www.nia.nih.gov