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Showing posts with label aging gracefully. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aging gracefully. Show all posts

Saturday, July 9, 2011

How To Do Kegel Exercises
















Incorporating kegel exercises into your everyday routine can help ward off pelvic floor problems, including urinary incontinence, and is beneficial for women who have difficulty achieving orgasm. Many things can lead to weakened pelvic muscles, but if you do kegels regularly they can regain strength. It takes some effort and time to learn how to do kegels properly.


1. Find your pelvic muscles.
  • While urinating, try to stop the flow. This tightening is the basic move of a kegel. However, don't use this as your regular kegel exercise routine. Doing kegels while urinating can actually have the opposite effect, weakening the muscle.P
  • Place your finger in your vagina and squeeze your muscles. You should feel the muscles tightening and your pelvic floor move up. Relax and you'll feel the pelvic floor move back again.
2. Tighten and relax these muscles daily. Try and work up to 100-200 times a day. Or you can choose a certain thing to associate with them - for instance, kegel at every red light you come to, or every time you open the fridge.

3. Get into a comfortable position. You can do these exercises either sitting in a chair or lying on the floor. Make sure your buttock and tummy muscles are relaxed.

4. Concentrate only on the pelvic floor muscles and try not to tighten any other area of your body. Breathe normally during the exercise.

5. To do a quick kegel, quickly squeeze the pelvic floor muscles and release 10 times in a row. This should only take about 10 seconds.

6. To do a slow kegel, squeeze the pelvic floor muscles for 5 seconds and release. Do this 10 times. It should take about 50 seconds to complete a slow kegel.

7. To perform a pull-in kegel, think of your pelvic floor muscles as a vacuum. Tense your butt and pull your legs up and in. Hold this position for 5 seconds and then release it. Do this 10 times in a row. It should take about 50 seconds to complete.

8. Imagine you are trying to hold back urine; lift and squeeze from the inside. Try and hold that action for the count of three. Imagine that you are trying to stop yourself from passing wind; lift and squeeze your anus and hold for a count of three. Combine those two movements into one fluid movement. Starting from the front, lift and squeeze, don't let go, follow through to your anus, lift and squeeze. Relax. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Rest for 10 - 20 seconds and repeat.
  • Work towards 12 strong holds and as it starts to become easier, try holding for longer, and repeat as many times as you can.
9. Ask for help if you don't think you're doing kegels properly. Your doctor can help you identify and isolate the correct muscles to perform the exercise.
  • If necessary, your doctor can provide biofeedback training. This involves placing a monitoring device inside your vagina, and electrodes externally. The monitor can tell you how successful you were in contracting your pelvic floor muscles and how long you were able to hold the contraction.
  • A doctor can also use electrical stimulation to help you identify the pelvic floor muscles. During this process, a small electrical current adheres to the pelvic floor muscles. When activated, the current automatically contracts the muscle. After some use, you'll most likely be able to reproduce the effect on your own.
10. Perform kegel exercises regularly, about 3 or 4 times a day.

11. Expect results in a few months if you do kegels regularly. For some women, the results are dramatic; for others kegels prevent further urinary tract problems.

12. You can practice more complex Kegels after mastering the basics. Tighten up and down the vaginal barrel progressively.

Video




Tips
  • Imagine your lungs are in pelvis and relax perineum on inhale and draw up on exhale.
  • Try not to hold your breath, squeeze your buttocks or thighs, pull your tummy in tightly, or push down instead of squeezing and lifting.
  • As you become more confident with these exercises, you will find that you will be able to do them standing up. The important thing is to keep practicing throughout the day and you can do them while you're washing the dishes, waiting in a queue, or even sitting at your desk in the office, during television show commercials, or when you are stopped at a stoplight while driving.
  • Pregnant women can perform kegel exercises.
  • You can preform slow and quick kegel exercises any time and no one will be aware of what you are doing. Some women find it easy to incorporate them into their routine while driving, reading, watching TV, talking on the phone or sitting at a computer.
Warnings
  • Don't do Kegels while using the bathroom, except to locate the muscles initially. Interrupting urine flow can result in urinary tract infections.
  • Always do kegels with an empty bladder. Doing kegels with a full bladder can weaken your pelvic floor and increases your risk of contracting a urinary tract infection.
Article by WikiHow
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Thursday, June 2, 2011

How Does Aging Affect An Individual’s Sex Drive
















The need for romance and intimacy does not disappear. Many of the reasons for loss of sex drive are linked to physical changes in the body. Some common reasons for men are erectile issues. For women the reasons are physical and hormonal. As women get older and hormones start to dwindle, many can find themselves “not in the mood” for sex in the way they may have been in the past. And even when they are in the mood, changes in their body can result in vaginal dryness and pain during sex which can make the thought of sex unappealing. Also if women are unhappy in a relationship, if she doesn't feel good about herself, or if it hurts it can affect libido. It's hard to tease all of those factors out," says Judi Chervenak, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.


Men
Older men require more manual stimulation and a longer time to achieve an erection. Another normal change is the loss of orgasmic inevitability or the sensation of impending orgasm. Some older men will notice that the volume of the ejaculate decreases slightly, and the force of the ejaculate also decreases with age. The older man also loses some of the focus on orgasm. Older men can achieve a great deal of pleasure from sexual intimacy and yet not have an orgasm or ejaculate.

Masters and Johnson discovered that "human sexual response may be slowed by the aging process, but it is certainly not terminated. "The refractory period," or the time it takes to achieve another erection after ejaculation, increases with age. While a young man of 18 can often recover with an erection 15 minutes after sex, a man in his 50s may require 24 hours or more before he has another erection and he is interested in intercourse again.

Women
The capacity for sexual reproduction begins earlier in females than in males, often two years earlier. However, the commencement of puberty varies among girls and may not begin until age 14 or 15. Women differ from men in that the decline in sexual responsiveness with aging is quite gradual.

Women who remain sexually active, in fact, may be less likely to experience a drop in available vaginal lubrication. These changes are quite minimal until menopause — the most dramatic organic change that a woman undergoes as she ages.

When a woman enters her 50s she goes through menopause which causes a decline in the female hormone, estrogen. The absence of estrogen can result in decreased vaginal lubrication and changes in arousal and desire. When production of vaginal lubrication drops, this can contribute to discomfort during intercourse. Other normal changes in the older woman include a decrease in length, width, and elasticity of the vagina. Recent studies, however, indicate that the older woman has no physical limitation in her capacity to achieve and enjoy orgasm. The vaginal area and breasts may become less sensitive to touch, and that orgasm may take longer.

Ways to energize your sex drive:
  • Use lubrication, to ease vaginal dryness and to help make intercourse more enjoyable.
  • Exercising. Regular physical activity can boost feel-good endorphins and improve your body image. Kegel exercises (exercises done to tighten the pelvic muscles) can work to enhance sexual sensations and help boost desire.
  • Communicating with your partner. This can help you feel more connected, and more inclined for romance.

Read more >>

Monday, March 7, 2011

How To Get Great Skin Like a Celebrity

Not everyone in Hollywood owes their nice complexion to a dermatologist. Here are some homespun beauty secrets you can steal.

You Will Need
  • Sugar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Liquid vitamin C
  • Washcloths
  • Bag Balm
  • Honey
  • Petroleum jelly
  • Un-petroleum jelly (optional)

Step 1
Exfoliate your skin with a mixture of sugar and extra virgin olive oil. That’s how Christie Brinkley stays so youthful; it’s like giving yourself a mini microdermabrasion.

Tip: Jessical Biel adds sugar to her regular cleanser when she wants to slough away dead skin.


Step 2
Nourish your skin the way Nicky Hilton does: Massage vitamin C into your face. You can buy it in liquid form in health food stores.


Step 3
Keep your washcloths in the fridge so they’re nice and cold when you use them; supermodel Rachel Hunter has said she learned this trick in Japan. It reduces redness and swelling, makes pores appear smaller, gets rid of puffy eyes, and gives your complexion a healthy pink glow.


Step 4
Moisturize like Shania Twain: She finds there’s nothing like Bag Balm – an ointment made to soften a cow’s udder for milking – to make her complexion silky.


Step 5
Smooth your skin with honey: TV host and former model Padma Lakshmi washes her face, then slathers on the sticky stuff in the shower. She swears it acts as a smoothening agent. Catherine Zeta-Jones uses honey for the same reason.

Step 6
Remove your makeup with petroleum jelly; that’s how Jennifer Lopez cleans and moisturizes her face at the same time. For an environmentally friendly option, look for plant-based un-petroleum jelly.

Note: Sixty-one percent of women polled would most want to swap hair, makeup, and accessory tips with Jennifer Aniston.


Credit: Howcast
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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tips For Stress Management

Workbook for Schafer's Stress Management and Wellness, 4thYou can keep stress down to small doses within your control. Plan your time well. Good time management helps you complete your tasks within the given time.
  • Be organised. Decide what to do first.
  • List what you have to do according to their importance. A(most), B(less) or C(low). Attend to A first, then B, lastly C. Stick to your plan.
  • Complete one task before starting another.
  • Try to take less time to do each task, without sacrificing on quality.
Making decisions can be stressful but we can take steps to handle this problem:
  • List the points affecting the decision.
  • Weigh the pros and cons of each point.
  • Face up to facts. Don't be blinded by feelings.
  • Think calmly.
  • Don't be afraid to ask for help.
  • Discuss the points with those who may be affected by the decision. In this way, they will see how the choice is made and be more willing to bear with the bad points.
  • Learn from your experience.
More on Stress Busters tips to help you learn more positive ways to cope with stress.

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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Healthy Food Choices

You are What You Eat CookbookYou are what you eat! There is more and more evidence showing that diet is a factor in avoiding disease and maintaining well being. Moderation, variety and balance are the keywords.
  • Moderation means not eating too much of a particular food.
  • Variety means eating as wide a selection as possible from each of the five basic food groups.
  • Balance refers to the harmony achieved by following moderation and variety and ensuring the calories consumed equals the calories expended.

The five basic food groups are:

1. Bread, cereal, pasta and rice.
These foods eaten by themselves are naturally low in fat. They also supply fibre, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

2. Vegetables.
Vegetables provide vitamins and minerals and are rich source of fibre. They are also low in fat. Select dark leafy greens, deep yellow or orange vegetables and starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes.

3. Fruits.
Fruits are a rich source of vitamins mainly C. They are low in fat and calories. Select FRESH fruit.

4. Milk, yoghurt and cheese.
Milk products are the richest source of calcium, protein and vitamin B12. Choose low fat varieties to keep cholesterol and fat at a minimum.

5. Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts.
The meat group are an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins, as are dried beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Tofu, if processed with calcium sulfate and fish with edible bones also supply calcium. Dried beans, legumes and pulses supply calcium to a lesser extent. Remove visible fat from meat and poultry before cooking to reduce calories and saturated fat intake.

A sixth group, fats, oils and sweets consists mainly of items that are pleasing to the palate, but high in fat and/or calories. These should be eaten in moderation. This group contains many calories and little else nutritionally. The exceptions are vegetable oils, which contain varying amounts of Vitamin E, such as sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, corn and palm oils. Other oils contain Vitamin K; these are soybean and canola oils and to a lesser extent olive oil.

In a Nutshell:
  • Eat a variety of foods.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Choose a diet low in fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol.
  • Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grain products.
  • Eat sugars in moderation.
  • Use salt only in moderation.
  • If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation.

Related Videos:
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Healthy Food Choices - Fast Food
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Healthy Food Choices - Snacks On the Road

Feed Your Family Right!: How to Make Smart Food and Fitness Choices for a Healthy LifestyleThere is a great deal of evidence that points to diet as a factor in staying healthy and illness free. As you age, your metabolic rate tends to slow down, so this is a good time to reassess your diet. Cutting back on fatty foods is especially important. This will help you to cut calories as well. Refer to the article HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE for an understanding of how to eat a balanced, varied diet.

Watch the following Healthy Food Choices - Snacks On the Road video. You can still enjoy your favorite snacks the healthier way with this healthy food choices tips.



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Healthy Food Choices - Sit Down Restaurant

Eat Healthy, Feel Great
There is a great deal of evidence that points to diet as a factor in staying healthy and illness free. As you age, your metabolic rate tends to slow down, so this is a good time to reassess your diet. Cutting back on fatty foods is especially important. This will help you to cut calories as well. Refer to the article HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE for an understanding of how to eat a balanced, varied diet.

Watch the following Healthy Food Choices - Sit Down Restaurant video. With this healthy food choices tips you can enjoy your meal in any restaurant the healthier way.

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Healthy Food Choices - Fast Food

Food Network Magazine (1-year auto-renewal)There is a great deal of evidence that points to diet as a factor in staying healthy and illness free. As you age, your metabolic rate tends to slow down, so this is a good time to reassess your diet. Cutting back on fatty foods is especially important. This will help you to cut calories as well. Refer to the article HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE for an understanding of how to eat a balanced, varied diet.

Enjoy the following Healthy Food Choices - Fast Food video. With the healthy food choices tips you can enjoy your favourite fast food meal the healthier way.



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Healthy Food Choices - Lunches at Work

Eat Well Lose Weight (comb): 500+ Great-Tasting and Healthful Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen)There is a great deal of evidence that points to diet as a factor in staying healthy and illness free. As you age, your metabolic rate tends to slow down, so this is a good time to reassess your diet. Cutting back on fatty foods is especially important. This will help you to cut calories as well. Refer to the article HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE for an understanding of how to eat a balanced, varied diet.

Enjoy the following Healthy Food Choices - Lunches at Work video. With the healthy food choices tips you can pack your own lunch the healthier way.


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Healthy Food Choices - Packing School Lunches

Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices in Young ChildrenThere is a great deal of evidence that points to diet as a factor in staying healthy and illness free. As you age, your metabolic rate tends to slow down, so this is a good time to reassess your diet. Cutting back on fatty foods is especially important. This will help you to cut calories as well. Refer to the article HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE for an understanding of how to eat a balanced, varied diet.

Enjoy the following Healthy Food Choices - Packing School Lunches video. With the healthy food choices tips you can teach your child to plan and pack their own lunch the healthier way.
 

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Healthy Food Choices - Breakfast On the Go

There is a great deal of evidence that points to diet as a factor in staying healthy and illness free. As you age, your metabolic rate tends to slow down, so this is a good time to reassess your diet. Cutting back on fatty foods is especially important. This will help you to cut calories as well. Refer to the article HEALTHY FOOD CHOICE for an understanding of how to eat a balanced, varied diet.

Enjoy the following Healthy Food Choices - Breakfast On the Go video. With the healthy food choices tips you can make healthier breakfast on the go for the whole family.


Read more >>