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Left- we had the blessing of a Clydesdale wagon
ride up North
Right- The
Haertl's wish you a very Happy New Year!!
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Health
and Fitness Information 
* According to the American Council on Exercise
active seniors are healthier and enjoy life
more. In addition, exercise has been shown to
decrease age related declines in a number of areas.
... As we know, exercise is great for persons of all
ages! Be sure to check with your health
professional to assure you are in good health and to
determine your fitness needs.
*The Life and Health Network discusses the harms of
sitting all day at work. Suggestions to combat the
sedentary work life are walking while talking on the
phone, including some movement every 30 minutes,
moving on our lunch break and other breaks, and
considering a standing desk.
*According to Experience Life magazine,
you shouldn't microwave plastic containers as they may
leak harmful chemicals into your food. Most plastics
are not designed to be microwaved. instead it is
recommended you pull the food out of the plastic
container and put it into a microwave safe container.
* Scientists from the University of
Missouri Columbia have found that your daily activity
and engagement in activities outside of exercise is
just as important as those spent in exercise.
Persons who are physically inactive for hours at a
time suffer from lower fat and cholesterol metabolism.
Persons can reverse this trend by moving around and
taking stretch breaks during the day.
* An
interesting study featured in a former Experience magazine
discussed Barbara Frederickson, Ph.D. (University of
North Carolina), psychologist's study which has
found that the "good life" ratio requires three
positive emotions for every negative one but that
most American's test out at t 2:1 ratio. The
test is available at www.positivityratio.com.
* Amidst the recent
local sad event of carbon monoxide poisoning, remember
to make sure that your carbon monoxide detector is in
working order-- it is especially important in the
winter months as houses are closed and furnaces are
running. Minnesota has a law that all homes must be
equipped with a detector.
*
A recent study in Metabolism-Clinical and
Experimental found that sleep deprivation
has a number of adverse effects on the body (and I would
say mind)... practice good sleep hygiene, in addition to
falling asleep, one way to improve sleep quality is to
increase your wakefulness in the morning, use of lights,
music, etc. in the morning can help this (I'd say group
fitness / aerobics class helps us awake too! ) :0)
*The Jan/Feb 2017 Experience
Life magazine spoke of three healthy
hobbies, reading, art, and listening to music.
The reading correlated with lower risk of
dying prematurely and higher cognition... as a
professor this is great to hear for me
(smile), however I would like to see the
actual study in the Social Science and
Medicine journal as it didn't discuss
online vs. book reading.
*A past Experience Life magazine has some good
suggestions for keeping clean air in your home
including: changing your filter on a timely basis, b)
reducing artificial scents such as synthetic air
fresheners, reduce chemical exposures in your home, and
provide fresh air once in awhile.
As we head to the New Year
and folks begin a new decade, let us be mindful of the
importance of intentional and healthful living,
The Hope Heart Institute
in Chicago identifies 10 principles of healthy living:
1- Breathe deeply
2- Drink adequate amounts of water
3- Sleep peacefully
4- Eat nutritionally
5- Enjoy
activity (and I'd add
enjoy others and those special people in your life!)
6- Give and receive love
7- Be forgiving
8- Practice gratitude
9- Develop acceptance
10-Nurture your spiritual side