Sunday, June 16, 2013
Physical Health and Well-Being
This chapter gave a great over-view on how to live a healthier life. Although I am 47 years old and have been in the medical field over 20 years this chapter opened my eyes to many things. Miller and Barrow pointed out that "although the health status of the average 45-year-old and the average 65-year-old probably differ, the difference is not that great and is largely dependent on their lifestyle choices" (p.95). I am currently 30 pounds overweight and I was wondering if I will be even more overweight at age 65? My habits are pretty good, I do not drink, smoke and have never done drugs. However, I don't get enough exercise and ever since I hit age 40, I have been gaining weight. Stress is another part of a person's lifestyle. I have had so much stress in the past. I am a huge worrier. I always turn to God and pray when I am worried or feeling anxious about things. It helps to calm me down. I thought "The Power 9 Pyramid" on page 97 of the text gave many good rules to live by. Taking in smaller calories, taking time to relieve stress and making those you love a priority are just a few examples given in the text (Hillier &Barrow,2012). To keep your mind sharp it is also good to do crossword puzzles and play other games to keep your mind going. My mom plays Scrabble on her Kindle everyday to challenge herself. She is only 65 years old. My mom-in-law is 82 and watches game shows and attends bible studies. Aside from any genetic diseases we really are in control of our health both physically and mentally. When I was younger I was always thin and thought I always would be. I even lost my pregnancy weight fast. Turning 40 brought on many changes and it is time for me to take control and lose my 30 pounds and make plans for staying healthy both mentally and physically for my future.
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That is amazing that the status of a 45 year old and 65 year old differences are not that great depending on the life style choices people make. It seems that people don’t realize that making choices to eat right and exercise can make a large impact on their lives. As for keeping the mind sharp, cross word puzzles and other games exercise the brain. Keeping the brain active and challenged is a great way to get healthier as people age. As people get older, weight gain is a struggle. It takes more work and discipline to accomplish weight loss and avoid weight gain. As people grow older, the old habits tend to get in the way of the new habits people are trying to begin to start that healthy lifestyle. Overall, physical and mental exercise are key to start building a healthy body and mind.
ReplyDeleteYes stress can have a huge impact. I too am a huge worrier and I need to improve my ways of releasing that stress in healthier ways. I feel like I talk about self-care a lot but it really is the basis of everything. Not only is it key in social work practice, but it's key in life. You cannot take care of anyone else unless you take care of yourself.
ReplyDeleteBrain games and puzzles are great ways to not only stay sharp but get in that fun time with family. It helps you relax and keep your mental capacity at its max. I wish my mother would do this more, because while she is in great physical health, she is extremely forgetful. There is a great site that helps train your brain called www.lumosity.com. I'm going to try it myself and I hope my mom can get into it. There are lots of tools you can use to stay mentally sharp and stress free.
I have always struggled with weight until a few years ago when I realized how much it was holding me back. Not only did I lose the weight and become healthier in that fashion but I believe it also helped me out in the mental area as I was no longer concerned that i was unable to do many of the things I wanted in life and could focus on other areas.
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