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Keep moving. That's a
message we're hearing a lot. Whether the
conversation is about maintaining healthy
golden years, healthy silver years, healthy
bronze years, or even those bright copper penny
years enjoyed by our (grand)childen. Keep moving
and you have a better chance of enjoying life at
any age. We're not talking about training
for a marathon. Move your arms when you
stretch in the morning. Move your feet by walking
briskly down the sidewalk and talking stairs when
you can. Move your kids, and your parents, by
walking around the block after (or before) sitting
down to dinner. Just one block. A couple times a
week. This month we're encouraging you to engage
with life by staying in motion. Learn about gentle
yoga, perfect for those with limited mobility. Get
tips for keeping weight gain at a minimum. And
check out the enticing activities San
Francisco has to offer; even walking through a
flea market or dancing at Funds For Friends (IOA's benefit concert) count! So
keep moving and get on your way to better
health.
We
hope you will share Engage with your
family and friends.
Sincerely,
Institute
on Aging
Helping Bay Area
Seniors Live Independently
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Yoga's Newest
Fans By
Dale
Russakoff, The New Old Age Blog
 "You won't find the likes of
Sylvia Guzman, 81, on the covers of yoga magazines
or Francisco Batista, 88, on the proliferating Web
sites hawking trendy yoga clothing.
But Mrs. Guzman, Mr.
Batista and the other 70- and 80-somethings who
faithfully attend Ricardo Sisco's chair yoga class
every Friday are a vanguard in one of yoga's
fastest-growing fan bases: the very old. Mr.
Batista, who joined the class two months ago when
his doctor recommended yoga to help with leg pain
from a fall, said he already feels the effects.
"My body feels lighter," he said. "I'm not as
tense. I sleep better. I eat better."
The health effects of yoga on older
people is a budding research topic. A study by
researchers at Oregon Health and Science
University found that after six months of yoga,
people ages 65 to 85 could stand longer on one leg
and gained flexibility as well as "significant
improvement in quality of life measures," compared
with a control group. And Veterans Administration
researchers in Indianapolis found that 12 weeks of
yoga increased lower-body flexibility by 34
percent in older people, but found no impact on
cognitive abilities.
Andrew Greenland, who teaches yoga at
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, said he
frequently works with elderly people who are too
weak even to sit in a chair. "I'm not trying to
get them to do a warrior pose," he said. "I might
do the whole lesson with them lying in the bed. I
work on breath awareness and gentle movement. In a
way, their physical limitation allows them to be
closer to the root of the yoga experience, which
is breathing and awareness."
He said he often teaches bed-bound
patients the savasana, or corpse pose,
lying on their backs with legs apart and arms at
their sides. He instructs them to inhale, raising
arms over their heads, and exhale, bringing them
back to their sides. "It opens their lungs,
creating more space in their torso," he said. "In
almost all cases, these are people who've never
done yoga. When they feel the breath expand them,
they're
wide-eyed."..."
Learn about
local chair yoga classes in the Events section
below! | |
'Work
it, Girl': Tips to keep middle-age weight gain at
a loss
 "Exercise an hour a day?
Really?
Seriously?
A
recent study suggesting women should exercise an
hour a day to maintain their weight was
discouraging news for many women over 40;
women struggling to find time for family,
work and, occasionally - like on leap year -
themselves. How could they carve out an hour of
exercise every single day from their already
frenetic schedules?
Don't despair, says
obesity expert Dr. Perry Bickel of The University
of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
(UTHealth). The study doesn't say that women have
to join a gym and block out an entire hour of time
to reap the benefits of exercise. But they should
make an effort to keep moving.
The key word in the study is
'moderate.' The women who maintained their weight
exercised moderately an hour a day on average. "It
doesn't have to be running on a track, or really
intense physical exercise like working out on a
stair climber; exercise is "moderate" when your
heart rate speeds up and you sweat, but you are
still able to carry on a conversation," Bickel
says. "Walking briskly but still being able to
talk with a friend-that's moderate intensity
exercise. "
While the study focused on exercise,
diet is equally as important in preventing weight
gain, Bickel says. "What we think is a relatively
trivial amount of food may be equivalent to a
large amount of exercise," he says. "If you want
to lose weight and you set a goal of perhaps a
daily deficit of about 300 calories, then to
achieve that goal you might change from drinking
two 12 ounce sugared beverages to diet beverages,
or run three miles in 30 minutes. One seems fairly
trivial and the other seems like quite a lot, so
diet is definitely an important part of
it."
The study focuses on boomer women,
but Generation Xers may benefit most from its
findings, Bickel says. "The take home message from
this study is how important it is to prevent
becoming overweight or obese earlier in life,
because that in itself will make it easier for you
not to gain weight in midlife," Bickel says.
"Don't wait until midlife. Make these lifestyle
changes before the hot flashes
start."..."
Read
more. |
IOA Benenfit
Event
Join IOA for our 2nd annual
benefit concert. Proceeds support CESP and the
Friendship Line. All ages welcome!
When:
Saturday, September 11,
6-11pm Where: Il Pirata Bar
& Restaurant 2007 16th Street, San
Francisco, CA Cost: Get tickets online or at the door:
$15 students, $20 early bird, and $30 at the door.
Children under 12 are
free Info: Visit www.fundsforfriends.org
for more information.
Gentle Excercise Classes Senior
Yoga - CPMC
Developed exclusively for people over 59
years of age, these gentle classes focus on
helping participants increase range of motion,
improve posture, restore flexibility and increase
breath capacity.
When:
Wednesdays, 11:30 am-1:00
pm
Where: CPMC
2020 Webster Street, San
Francisco
Cost:
$14/class
Gentle Chair Yoga -
UCSF Join us for this joyful
practice to start your week on the right note! We
will use gentle seated and, if appropriate for
you, standing poses to increase comfort, strength,
and flexibility. Deep relaxation, breathing, and
meditation will help to build the skill of
relaxation and relieve stress. Chair yoga is
appropriate for those who cannot comfortably
practice on the floor, or anyone who prefers a
very gentle practice. Seniors and people with
mobility issues are likely to find this class
particularly suitable.
When: Mondays, Sep 13-Oct
18, 3pm-4:30pm
Where: Osher
Center for Integrative Medicine
1701 Divisadero St. (at Sutter), Suite 150,
San Francisco, CA
Cost: $90
Tai Chi in the Parks
All sessions are free. No need to
register--just show up, and wear comfortable shoes
and loose clothes. Sponsored by the Mayor's
Office.
Cost: FREE
Fun & Free (or almost
free) SF Events
Floating Films
"Jaws" (1975): Cinema at Hyde Steet
Pier
Come board the landmark
ships of the San Francisco Maritime Nat'l
Historical Park for an after hours showing of the
film Jaws. Seating begins at 7:30 aboard the
classic ferryboat Eureka which is the longest
floating wooden ship on earth. $5 suggested
donation and refreshments available.
When: Thursday, August 19,
7:30pm
Where: Hyde Street Pier
2905 Hyde Street, San
Francisco, CA
Cost: $5
suggested donation
Walking Tour |
Financial District
Discover hidden parks,
rooftop gardens, and other delights while
experiencing some of the colorful history and
distinctive architecture of San Francisco's
financial district. Meet at the Native Sons
Monument, Montgomery at Market.
When:
Fridays, August 20/August 27, 10am &
1:30pm
Where:
Meet at the Native Sons Monument, Montgomery at
Market.
Cost:
Free
Friday Nights at the de
Young: French Culture at Golden Gate Park
On Friday nights the
entire museum is open until 8:45 p.m. Friday
Nights at the de Young offers a variety of
interdisciplinary arts programs, including live
music, poetry, films, dance, tours, and lectures.
The cafe is open with a special Friday Nights
dinner menu, and a no-host cocktail bar is serving
drinks. There are art making activities for
everyone.
When:
Friday, August 20,
5-8:45pm
Where: De Young
Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive
San
Francisco, CA
Cost: FREE -
NOTE: Programs are free in the "free zone" of the
museum. Regular admission fees are required to
visit the galleries. Gallery admission is free for
members. Special exhibition tickets are required
to visit Birth of
Impressionism.
Alamo Square Flea
Market & Indie Mart
The Alamo
Square Flea Market has been bringing you
treasures, estate merchandise, vintage, antiques
and even a few fun, oddball garage sales for
27 years. This year they have teamed up with
Indie Mart to bring you the best of both worlds,
DIY, vintage inspired and so much
more.
When: Saturday, August
21, 9am - 3pm
Where: Alamo
Square
Scott St. & Fulton
St., San Francisco, CA
Civil War Living
History Day | Fort Point
Unlike a lot of
reenactment, this look at Civil War era America
avoids the battlefield entirely. Historical
demonstrations include musicians, infantry and
artillery drills, medicine in the 1800s, and the
daily life of women and children of the
era.
When: Saturday, August
21, 10am - 5pm
Where:
Fort Point
Marine Drive, San
Francisco, CA
Cost:
FREE
Lindy in the
Square: Swing Dance in Union
Square
The Swing Dancers will turn
back the clock and infect the Square with dance
fever the fourth Wednesday of August
and September. Introductory dance lessons
will be followed by an open dance floor. No
partner required.
When:
Wednesday, August 25,
6-8pm
Where: Union Square
333 Post St.
San Francisco,
CA
Cost: FREE
Info: www.lindyinthesquare.com
Film Night in the
Park Outdoor Film Series
Every summer
Film Night in the Park puts on free outdoor movies
in parks throughout San Francisco and the Bay
Area. 2010 screenings run from May 21st to
September 25th with showtimes starting at dusk or
8pm, whichever is later.
When &
Where: San Francisco Shows
Saturday,
8/28, Union Square, REAR WINDOW
(1954)
Saturday, 9/11, Wash. Sq. Park, AMELIE
(2001)
Saturday, 10/25, Dolores Park, THE BIG
LEBOWSKI (1998)
Time: All
shows begin at dusk or 8pm, whichever is
later
Cost:
FREE
Info: www.sfntf.org
"Paint Out" at the Presidio &
Watercolor Art
Exhibit
Dozens of artists will fan out
across the Presidio in this outdoor painting
competition, which are part of the California
Watercolor Association's 41st Annual National
Exhibition. Each artist has four hours to find a
subject-any scene visible from park grounds-and
paint it using any style or medium.
Finished works will
be displayed in the Mesa room at the Presidio
Officers' Club beginning at 3pm. 1st, 2nd, &
3rd place prizes will be awarded, as well as a
people's choice award selected by the
public.
When:
Sunday, August 29,
11am-5pm
Where: Presidio
Officers' Club
50 Moraga Ave, San
Francisco,
Cost:
FREE
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Every month we highlight a family
tradition, such as a recipe, a craft, or a cultural
holiday. Please suggest a tradition from
your family!
August 21, 2010
National Senior Citizen's
Day
In a
Presidential Proclamation on August 19, 1988, President
Ronald Reagan said "For all they have achieved
throughout life and for all they continue to accomplish,
we owe older citizens our thanks and a heartfelt salute.
We can best demonstrate our gratitude and esteem by
making sure that our communities are good places in
which to mature and grow older."
Read
the full proclomation.
We'd like to feature part of your heritage or a
day special to you. Share a recipe, tradition or family
story. We'd love to print it! Click here
to email
us. | |
