Health Info & Resources for Seniors
In a Pickle for Something To Do?
It’s summertime, and many thoughts turn to sports: baseball, basketball, tennis, ultimate Frisbee, and Disc Golf, to name a few. But have your thoughts ever turned to Pickleball?
Perhaps you’ve never heard of Pickleball, but it has been a fast-growing sport since its creation in 1965. Although it has a funny name, Pickleball is a world-wide phenomenon — there are over 2,000,000 Pickleball enthusiasts in the United States alone. It can be played through community groups, PE classes, retirement communities, senior centers, schools — anywhere there is enough space and some simple equipment. It’s a simple game for the whole family, so don’t you think it’s time to join in the fun?
Plan Your Outdoor Workouts with Special Care
"The outdoors is calling you to step up your exercise routine. It promises to deliver sights, smells, and sounds to distract you so you might even forget you’re exercising," says John Graham, Senior Network Administrator of St. Luke’s Fitness and Sports Performance.
“The great outdoors offers health benefits that can’t be duplicated, beginning with every breath you take,” he says. “There’s no cleaner air than what’s outside. But that’s not all. When you’re exercising outdoors, you must use the bones and muscles of your own body to support you and to ambulate. There are no treadmills or machines to help you move.”
Beware: Winter Hazards Could Cause a Hernia
Take care during winter activities to prevent developing a hernia or reinjuring a repaired one, warns St. Luke’s general surgeon Emanuel F. Nogueira,MD.“A hernia occurs when an internal organ or other body part protrudes through the wall of a muscle or other tissue that normally contains it. A strenuous activity, such as lifting and throwing heavy snow, or yanking the starter cord of a snow blower, can put extra strain on the abdominal muscles. This could cause a hernia or reinjure one that had been repaired previously,” says Dr. Nogueira, chief of surgery and director of the Hernia Center of Excellence at St. Luke’s Upper Bucks Campus. Dr. Nogueira has earned the Surgeon of Excellence in Hernia Surgery™ (SOEHS) designation by Surgical Review Corporation.
Get Your Tail on the Trail Is Great Outdoor Exercise
Join Today to Track Your Progress and Earn Prizes Outdoor exercise has its own benefits. It strengthens your body, boosts your energy, promotes better sleep, and improves your mood, just to name a few. But when motivation is lacking, it never hurts to get a “atta boy" or "attagirl” for your efforts.
Tips for Fighting the Winter Time Blues
The darkest months of the year are upon us. Many of us will find it noticeably more difficult to carry out our activities of daily living over the winter months. Our daily rhythms are driven by biological functions called Circadian rhythms. Research suggests that seasonal or winter depression is often a result of an imbalance between your body’s circadian rhythms and rhythms of the environment! Secretions of the hormone melatonin appear to be particularly important in winter depression. This hormone, nicknamed the “Dracula” hormone, is secreted by the brain’s pineal gland when our surroundings are dark, but not when they are light. Most people are able to adjust to these internal changes. For those who struggle with mood changes in the winter, however, the results can feel crushing.
Medicare Open Enrollment Begins October 15
The Pennsylvania Department of Aging reminds consumers that the annual open enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries will begin Thursday, October 15, 2020, and end Monday, December 7, 2020. Any new coverage selected takes effect January 1, 2021. During open enrollment, new Medicare beneficiaries can sign up for Medicare Prescription Drug coverage and health plans to complement Medicare, and current
Medicare beneficiaries can review and join, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Coverage so that it better meets their needs.