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5 Ways Seniors Can Make Exercising Fun
5 Ways Seniors Can Make Exercising Fun

Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts

5 Ways Seniors Can Make Exercising Fun

By: Eric Daw

Lets be honest, exercising is not always fun. It can create discomfort, make you sweaty, and take you away from some other pleasurable pastimes or methods of relaxation. However, research clearly shows that those who are active on a regular basis have better weight management, are more relaxed, have higher energy and typically experience a better quality of life. For seniors, exercise is especially crucial since it has positive effects on memory, mood, balance, posture, strength and pretty much any issue involved in healthy aging. For those that find it difficult to start or stick with an exercise program, here are 5 ways seniors can make exercising more fun. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen.

1. Find what you like to do. Do you enjoy playing golf, tennis or swimming? Have you considered taking long walks or gardening as pleasurable activities? Well if you enjoy any of the above activities, that is good news. All of these can be considered as some form of exercise. Exercise doesn’t always have to mean going to the gym. Experts tell us that we can accumulate the positive effects of exercise throughout the day by doing such activities.

2. Make it social. For people who enjoy socializing, you can incorporate exercise to add to the experience. Mall walking or group exercise programs have allowed people to interact and get in better shape in the process; just make sure you do as much exercising as you do talking.

3. Add music. Line dancing or Zumba, which are popular forms of exercising for seniors, use music to keep rhythm and add to the fun of the dance class. In these exercise classes, music helps weight management, muscle tone, balance and coordination. Whether you incorporate music during group exercise or during a long walk; music can give us energy, relax us and enhance exercise.

4. Add variety. Our minds and bodies typically love variety. Physically, variety is good for our bodies because it allows the use of different muscles, preventing wear and tear on joints. The body is also stimulated more when you do different exercises, which gives more health benefits from the activity. For our minds, variety is good for the brain. When you do different activities it can prevent you from becoming bored of the same exercises continually.

5. Attach a reward. If achieving results is important for you, attaching fitness rewards can make exercising more fun. Some examples of fitness rewards could be having a low calorie dessert if you’ve finished exercising that day, getting a pedicure, going shopping, or having a massage after exercising. Positive reinforcement encourages us to exercise while knowing that if we do it, there is something good coming at the end.

About the Author: Eric Daw is an active aging specialist and the owner of Omni Fitt. Omni Fitt is dedicated to the wellbeing, health and quality of life of people aged 65 and over. Eric motivates and empowers the older adult population to take responsibility for their independence, health, and fitness through motivating and positive coaching experiences.

By Jim|2025-06-05T16:25:31-05:00June 22nd, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: 5 Benefits For Therapy Dogs For Seniors

No matter the age, a dog will always remain the best friend of a man.

As a child, adult, or an old person, dogs are loyal and truthful to their friendship with humans for years.

Hence, dogs are the chosen ones who help senior citizens with their daily lives. Dogs are perfect for training and harder not to love. These dog qualities have made them the perfect animal that works as a therapist for a human.

Find yourself or anyone else struggling in their old age. You can get them a therapy dog that will make their survival much more manageable.

Here are 5 benefits that prove how therapy dogs work their magic in the lives of senior people.

Improves Mental Health

A man needs love. A man is born to receive and give love. And a dog fills this void perfectly.

A dog loves a man unconditionally as long as the man loves him back. The world of a dog revolves around his best man, and if you train a dog enough to also take care of you, then they turn into impeccable therapists, as well.

So if you have someone who eagerly waits for you till you come back home, licks your face in the morning, and stays with you for the rest of the day, then you have someone to love and support for the most of your life, and this is what you need to heal your mental health.

This results in remarkable improvement in depressions, anxiety, and other mental disorders that a human suffers from.

Most senior people get themselves a dog in the later years of their life, which they do to stay sane and happy.

Increases Ability To Socialize More

Therapy dogs encourage people to interact better.

When people don’t feel lonely, they feel better about themselves. This is how they are enabled to communicate better with others.

Therapy dogs support and teach seniors by urging them to go out more often. So when you go out to take your pooch for a walk, there are high chances you get to interact with other pet owners who would like to speak with you about your experiences with a dog.

Some might stop for the cute little furry friend you have and ask you things about them. Hence giving you the chance to talk with and who knows, even make friends with other people.

Boosts Self-esteem

With the unconditional love you receive from a dog, you will feel worthy of yourself. This is what makes a man feel better about themselves. It further improves a man’s self-esteem, who will now go out as a happy and confident person.

Improved self-esteem significantly improves the quality of life and mental health, as well. And a therapy dog can help you achieve all of this. They are trained to love and take care of you in ways where you feel relieved and supported.

All you need is someone to stick to you through the worst, and pups do that without judgments.

Gives A Meaning And Purpose In Life

Taking care of a furry companion is not only fun but therapeutic. Having something meaningful to do adds a purpose to your life. And taking care of a dog and feeding them good dog food is just the purpose you should consider in later stages of life.

Not only will it structure and refine your schedule, but it will also keep you busy for most of the day to keep you away from boredom and loneliness. Because boredom and loneliness make a man succumb to the darkest part of life and leave them with nothing but harmful thoughts.

Alleviates Symptoms Of Dementia

Therapy dogs have proven to improve the mental health of the man to such an extent that they also help alleviate the symptoms of dementia. These include improving a man’s cognitive skills, giving them a reason to become a better version of themselves, and significantly improving their memory.

Dementia is a chronic disorder that can’t be reversed but can indeed be stopped from progressing. Thus, petting a dog at the right time is the best you can do for the disease and prevent it from worsening.

Apart from the medications, having a dog is of great help against dementia.

Last Thoughts

Therapy dogs are trained to help a senior person live a quality life. They help, support, care, and love a person without expecting anything in return. Also, who can avoid beautiful creatures like dogs? They are angels that blessed the world and were sent down to rescue humans.

Now that more people are becoming aware of the benefits of having a therapy dog, many people have become livelier and cheerful as adults. This trend probably wouldn’t come to a halt, so why not get a dog for yourself, too?

If you want to know more about dog’s love and care, visit Dog Food Desire.

By Jim|2025-06-05T16:25:17-05:00June 20th, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: Age With Grace- The Proven Diets That Help Relieve Back Pain

Many foods in your diet have been shown to reduce or increase inflammation. Inflammation is the cause of the back pain you experience, typically as you age older. Inflammation can cause all kinds of problems, including low-back pain. Hence, creating a diet with foods rich in anti-inflammatory properties is how to keep a healthy back as you grow older and maintain good nutrition. For example, there are certain solutions that Talk Kratom can provide.

Some specific causes of back or knee pain can include injuries, incorrect posture, a sudden jerk, or lack of exercise. This can last you for up to a day or more extended periods. Although maintaining a proper fitness regime is an excellent idea to ensure your health, your diet is another way to enhance your body’s strength. This article will introduce diets that will help relieve and ultimately reduce back pain.

Extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in properties that help reduce inflammation. It also contains oleocanthal which has a similar effect as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen. However, avoid heating the olive oil to a temperature of about 410 degrees because it will kill some beneficial properties. At lower temperatures, it makes an excellent base for sautéing vegetables. You can even switch out unhealthy butter usage with extra virgin olive oil.

Calcium

Calcium is the most prominent known vitamin to improve bone strength and is essential for the health of your bones in general. Calcium helps maintain the required level of bone mass throughout the lifespan of a human being, especially older aged individuals. An adequate calcium intake will prevent the development of osteoporosis. This disorder is characterized by weak, brittle bones and can result in painful vertebral fractures in the spine. However, calcium alone will not do the job of ensuring your bones remain strong. It would be best if you balanced it with other synergistic nutrients. Calcium is found in foods like dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, some types of fish, and many more.

Vegetables

Vegetables are rich in calcium, as stated above. They are also a good source of vitamins A, C, and K. This includes leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and spinach. They also offer a natural compound called sulforaphane, which is known to block the enzyme that causes joint pain and inflammation.

Green leafy vegetables are fibrous and should be incorporated into your daily diet plan to help your body maintain a healthy life. Other vegetables that come under root vegetables (beets, pumpkin, and carrots) have beta-carotene. It is a powerful antioxidant that significantly reduces knee and back pain.

Fruits

Another food rich in antioxidants and can help your back pain is fruits. Especially the juicy variants of fruits should be a part of your everyday diet. Fruits like oranges, apples, berries, pineapples, and grapes all contain flavonoids and antioxidants. They work in tandem to ease inflammation caused by back pain.

Regular consumption of tomatoes is highly recommended since it contains lycopene. It is an extremely potent antioxidant and prevents ligament cells from perennial damage. It also works towards repairing inflamed tissues in the body.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral required for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. When blood magnesium levels drop, magnesium is pulled from the bones. Magnesium deficiency is not uncommon as you may think, and supplements are needed to maintain your bone density to prevent further back problems. The nutrients help greatly relax and contract muscles to ensure that your muscles are strengthened enough to support the spine.

You can find magnesium in green leafy vegetables, beans, fish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, yogurt, bananas, avocados, and even dark chocolate with 70% or higher amounts of cocoa.

To sum up

Some specific diets and foods can help relieve back pain. Extra virgin olive oil contains oleocanthal which has a similar effect as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Therefore, use some in your salads and as a substitute for butter. Calcium is prominently known to increase bone strength, and you can find calcium in dairy products, dark leafy green vegetables, and some fish. Similarly, vegetables are versatile and contain vitamins C, E, or K. They offer a natural compound that blocks the enzyme that causes joint pain and inflammation. Another on the list of foods high in antioxidants is fruits. Magnesium consumption in the form of some foods is also necessary to maintain bone density to relieve and prevent any back problems in the future.

We hope this article has been informative and helps you discover a diet that aids you in relieving back pain. Thank you for reading!

By Jim|2025-06-05T16:24:55-05:00June 18th, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: When Should Seniors Stop Driving?

On a list of the greatest fears many seniors have, failing health, hearing loss, and falling often rise to the top. One major fear that few actually talk to their families and doctors about though is losing the ability to drive. In fact, a new AAA study found that over 80 percent of older drivers never discuss their safe driving ability at all with their care networks or medical professionals.

For many seniors, driving is the hallmark characteristic that defines independence. Being able to drive allows seniors to travel, to run their own errands, to get out of their house and socialize. Losing that ability to drive doesn’t just strip those things away, but it also requires seniors to ask for help and coordinate transportation, all of which can leave them feeling like a burden on their caregivers.

What is the danger then? Well not only do older drivers who have outlived their ability to safely drive a vehicle endanger their passengers and other drivers on the road, they put themselves at increased risk for injury and even death. Because older adults typically have more fragile bones and higher rates of chronic illness that can complicate an injury recovery, they are more likely to get hurt or even die in a car crash than younger adults.

Talking About Driving with Your Aging Parent

The bottom line is that simply conducting a dialogue about driving doesn’t mean a senior will lose their license or be held back from driving. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Just as using a cane for walking empowers a senior with mobility limitations to keep moving, talking about safe driving can empower seniors to take helpful steps that keep them safe on the road.

For example, the Senior Driving division of AAA offers loads of helpful resources, tools, and information that connect seniors with local refresher courses on defensive road wise driving, help them understand how medicine can affect safe driving, and much more.

If you need to have a conversation with your aging parent about safe driving, experts recommend approaching it from a place of compassion and empathy. Instead of accusing them of being an unsafe driver, confess the concerns you feel about their safety on the road and ask them about their own perspective. Discuss helpful driving tools, safe driving refresher classes, and even consider attending a senior driving expo together.

By Jim|2025-06-05T16:24:31-05:00June 16th, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

Guest Blog: A Solid Rehab Approach for the Elderly

Unfortunately, addiction doesn’t just stop in one place and stay there. It can affect many people across all walks of life. It happens to any person, of any age, in any area, in any place of their life. This is why it is important to note those rehabs that specialize in rehab care for the elderly.

With over 40 million seniors aged 65 or older living in the country, it is no wonder that some of them do have an addiction issue. With so many seniors, many of them have taken prescription pills for one health issue or another. As a leading cause of substance abuse in the country, seniors are not exempt from this addiction.

In fact, seniors are more likely to be prescribed these medications and more likely to abuse them than any other age group. This is because they are oftentimes forgetful, may feel like they haven’t taken enough, do not realize they are taking too much, or any number of other reasons.

Rehab for these seniors addicted to these medications will be needed.

Addiction in Seniors
Many find it surprising that so many seniors are addicted to medications. Isolation and loneliness tend to be the most common issues for addiction in older adults, especially those abusing alcohol or other drugs.

This type of addiction needs to be addressed in a specific setting and in a specific way. Not only should the root of the problem, such as the loneliness, be addressed, but the specific person should understand that they have a problem. Even though they are older, it doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t get help.

An addiction rehab with specialists that are trained in senior rehab is required. This is a rehab center that can speak with the senior, understand why they are using or abusing the substance, and then find the best course of action to take regarding their treatment plan.

Seniors, just like the rest of us, are susceptible to addiction. Due to this, it is important to check in on those that are close to you to make sure that they do not feel the need to use. You want to help them when it is needed, visit with them, and let them know you are there. Rehabs for seniors, and others that have drug abuse issues are out there, but it shouldn’t have to get this far.

By Jim|2025-06-05T16:23:38-05:00June 10th, 2025|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off

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