Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 32)

M ike Moreno, MD, likes to kid his patients that there are two perfect exercises for older adults: swimming and walking on the moon. “One is easier to do than the other,” jokes Dr. Moreno, a New York Times best-selling author and physician. As you age, it’s important to exercise without affecting your joints. A zero-gravity situation would be ideal, of course, but swimming comes close. “We want range of motion minus impact on joints,” explains Edward Gilbert, MS, CSCS, a Gwinnett SportsRehab exercise physiologist. “Swimming is the best exercise in the world. It gives you cardio, range of motion—you move your neck, back, toes, ankles. Walking would be my No. 2.” When you walk, go with friends, and change up your route for maximum mental and physical stimulation. “Walking with a group of people is so beneficial on so many levels,” he says. “It exercises your mind, body, social skills. There are so many benefits to a 30-minute walk.” 3 ACTION : EXERCISE YOUR MIND 32 SU M M E R 2 013 SCHEDULE YOUR SCREEN TIME When Freeman was born in 1937, modern-day cancer screenings didn’t exist. The colonoscopy, for example, wasn’t developed until the 1960s. Older adults can appreciate how far medicine has come. And Freeman reminds us to take advantage of it. The actor appeared in a public service announcement with Diane Keaton and Benjamin Bratt, encouraging men and women to get screened for colon cancer. “Has anyone ever said, ‘You are the picture of health’? You look healthy and you feel ﬁne, but that may not be the full picture,” Freeman says in the spot. “Colorectal cancer is the No. 2 cancer killer.” Additionally, African-Americans are more likely to die from colon cancer than the general population. But so many cancers are treatable when caught early, and you can lengthen your Join This FREE Network for Older Adults Extend your healthy, active years by joining PrimeTime Health. PrimeTime Health is a comprehensive network of valuable services designed exclusively for adults 50 and older. You’ll find a variety of classes, including tai chi and yoga. To join, call 678-312-2676. PHOTO BY CORBIS Like all organs in the body, the brain loses its functionality over time. This is especially true for people who ﬁnish raising kids and retire from careers, Moreno says. “Baby boomers are approaching retirement, the kids are out of the house, and the laundry list goes down,” he says. “Enjoying that is not a bad thing, but we need to ﬁll that void with something that is going to be beneﬁcial to us.” Freeman stays sharp by taking on new movie roles. He also sails his boat in the Caribbean and trains quarter horses in Mississippi—activities that exercise the mind. He even attended ﬂight school at age 66. “I don’t worry about [aging] but I work hard at preventing it,” he told USA Today. “I try to keep my mind active. I’m a solitaire and puzzle addict.” Moreno says Freeman’s strategy is “exactly right.” The doctor gave this same advice to his own mother, who needed more mental 4 ACTION : CALL The Age-Proof Exercise stimulation after crocheting one too many tissue boxes to pass the time. “My mom is 86. She was a teacher for 50 years, raised seven kids and then boom—she had all this free time,” Moreno says. “She started to decline in that manner.” If Sudoku isn’t your thing, try writing your name with your nondominant hand. Use a stopwatch to ramp up your game. “Time it to see your progress. When you start to get better at anything, it’s really encouraging for anyone,” Moreno says. “It doesn’t have to be elaborate; it just has to get you to think.”

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil’s Feature
ACL Double Take
Saving the Littlest Lives
The Ultimate Backto- School Checklist
Join the Movement
Stroke Stories
5 Steps to Better Bone Health
Gut Instinct
Morgan Freeman
Prostate Playbook
The Main Ingredient
Looking Ahead
Virtual Health
PrimeTime Health
Delivered from Devastation
A Big Reason to Smile
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2013 - Gwinnett Medical Center