While getting adequate exercise is generally recommended in order to maintain optimum overall health, the fact is that even low impact exercises carry with them some element of risk, particularly for the elderly or those with underlying health conditions.  By following some simple and basic rules of thumb, it is possible for virtually anyone and everyone to incorporate some form of exercise safely into their life.

First of all, before beginning any new exercise program, it is important to take stock of your current state of physical health.  You know your body and its limits better than anyone, and you should try to stick to exercises that are within your comfort zone, at least to start out.  Also, do not feel as though you have to overexert yourself to get the benefits of exercising – any exercise you can incorporate into your life is good for your overall physical health.  Generally, it is best to start slow and easy and build the intensity and length of your workouts gradually over time.

If you are in poor physical health, you should take extra precautions when beginning or modifying any exercise program.  For example, anyone with a heart condition, high blood pressure, a thyroid condition, osteoporosis or arthritis, asthma or emphysema, seizure disorder or other potentially dangerous underlying health condition, you should always run your exercise plans by your doctor before beginning a new program.  This can ensure that you do not overdo it and turn a potentially beneficial healthcare decision, such as getting more exercise, into something that may be harmful.

Once you are ready to begin your exercise routine, it is important to start out slow.  Always warm up before you begin any actual exercises to prevent muscle pulls and strains.  Simple stretches such as toe-touches and cardio such as running in place make great warm-ups.  Additionally, it is also important to cool down after exercising.  This prevents muscle cramps and other discomfort from occurring post workout.  Generally, you should plan on at least 5 minutes before and after each workout for warming up and cooling down.  Also, if at any time during your workout you feel as though you may be pushing yourself too hard, stop.  You should not feel actual pain while working out.

The elderly are particularly susceptible to issues such as heat exhaustion and dehydration.  For this reason it is imperative to maintain proper hydration and core temperature while exercising, especially if you are age 60 or older.  This can be accomplished by exercising in an air conditioned facilities or during the cooler parts of the day such as early morning or later in the evening.Additionally, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of overexertion.  Among the most common early symptoms of overexertion are headache, nausea, and dizziness.  If you begin to feel any of these symptoms, it is time to let up on yourself, cool off, and get rehydrated; this can prevent overexertion or heat exhaustion from progressing into a dangerous case of full-blown heatstroke, which can be fatal.

InterGen Hosts New York State Senator John L. Sampson

The InterGen Staff & Aides celebrate Halloween with Fun & Face painting

InterGen Health Salutes your 2009 World Series Champions, the New York Yankees!

Since its discovery and subsequent spread, the Swine Flu (or H1N1 novel virus) has become possibly the most talked about health and wellness topic in America, and around the globe; unfortunately there is as much fiction circulating as fact when it comes to this new and unpredictable virus.  A lot of the confusion surrounding Swine Flu has to do with its similarity (or lack thereof) to the seasonal flu virus, which ebbs and flows each year.  As flu season continues its rapid approach, people are perhaps more apprehensive now than they have been in decades regarding the toll it may take.

One of the first and most important things to remember about Swine Flu is that it is NOT the same as the seasonal flu; this means that having had the seasonal flu in the past gives you zero immunity to Swine Flu, and that getting vaccinated against the seasonal flu does not protect you from the Swine Flu.  In order to be adequately protected against Swine flu, you will need a separate vaccine.  While plans are currently to begin distribution of the newly approved Swine Flu vaccine in early to mid-October, all of the kinks have yet to be completely worked out.

Among the concerns regarding the Swine Flu vaccine is whether or not a single dose will be adequate.  There is still some controversy surrounding whether the majority of the population can get by with a single dose, and the FDA has recommended that young children get two in order to be properly protected.  Additionally, as pregnant women have been determined to be among the groups at highest risk of death from the swine flu, the FDA has recommended that they be among the first to get the vaccine.

Another disturbing fact regarding the Swine Flu has recently come to light, and was only really discovered when autopsies were performed on those who had succumbed to the Swine Flu.  In a study involving more than 70 deaths, it was determined that the type of damage inflicted upon the lungs from the Swine Flu is closer to that which is caused by the avian (or bird) flu than the seasonal flu.   More specifically, it appears that the Swine Flu may contribute to a difficult to treat and often deadly lung condition known as Acute Respiratory Distress (or ARD).

However, despite widespread fears and even panic, the general consensus regarding the Swine Flu is that it is generally as mild (or even milder) than the seasonal flu.  Most people who get ill from the virus will recover rapidly, and have no after-effects whatsoever.  The best way to protect yourself and your family from contracting this virus (keeping in mind that total prevention is impossible) is to practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently, coughing into your shoulder rather than into your hands, utilizing sanitizer gel when soap and water are unavailable, and staying home when you are sick (to prevent infecting others).

Finally, while there have been Swine Flu related deaths around the world, the vast majority of those who have succumbed to the disease have had underlying medical conditions.  Keeping yourself as healthy as possible will go a long way towards protecting you from serious illness.

One of the biggest topics of conversation in America today is the subject of health care reform.  What was once touted as a simple overhaul intended to provide all Americans with the health care coverage that they need has become a complicated and convoluted hodge-podge of political ambitions and power plays, leaving many Americans to wonder if their best interests are even being considered as sweeping new legislation is bandied around amongst politicians on both sides of the aisle.  Of all of the American demographic groups, seniors are arguably the most concerned about proposed changes to the nation’s healthcare system.  This is because the vast majority of American seniors rely on Medicare to offset their healthcare costs, and any major healthcare reform is likely to have a significant impact on Medicare benefits across the board.

While questions regarding health care reform’s potential impact on the aging senior population have received mixed and often contradictory answers, most agree that seniors will not lose any existing coverage should a sweeping healthcare reform bill pass and be signed into law.  However, while benefits should not decrease and may even increase, the bureaucracy surrounding these benefits will likely change dramatically and may cause confusion and potentially loss of benefits due to lack of understanding of changes.

One of the most important things to keep in mind at this point in time is that nothing regarding any potential healthcare reform has been finalized, and what is true today may not necessarily be true tomorrow.  However, certain things have been implicitly ensured by the president himself.  First of all, regarding the idea that people will be denied crucial healthcare procedures and allowed to simply die based upon age.  That is not true, at least not more so than it is already.  For example, such procedures as organ transplants are already meted out to only those candidates who meet certain criteria, including optimum age and lifestyle designations.

One thing that is certain when it comes to the affect any changes made to the healthcare system may have on seniors is that they will continued to be covered, and Medicare is slated to remain intact.  This is something that could not even have been said with any real assurance even a year ago, as many people estimated that the program would be bankrupt within years.

And while the Medicare budget is expected to be cut to help fund more comprehensive healthcare (the money has to come from somewhere) many people believe that Medicare costs are going to be reduced in general based upon the fact that American’s will not have to wait until they are old enough to be covered by Medicare to see a doctor regularly.  The hope is that preventative care will become the norm, negating the need for more expensive treatments on the large scale.  If this happens (and it is reasonable to expect that it will, to some degree at least, if all American’s have affordable access to medical care), then it is fathomable that Medicare will be sustainable on a smaller annual budget.