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12 best yoga poses to strengthen bones

A bone-health doctor lists the 12 best yoga poses to strengthen bones If you’re like many yoga lovers, you appreciate how this one physical activity can be so beneficial, while simultaneously so gentle. Few other practises stretch your body, calm your mind or help regulate vitals, such as your heart rate and blood pressure, in quite the way a regular yoga session can do. Researcher and rehabilitation doctor, Dr Loren Fishman has also been a practitioner of yoga for 50 years and is the creator of ‘the Fishman method’ of yoga for osteoporosis. In a conversation with Reader’s Digest, Dr Fishman points out that for all its advantages, yoga can also provide a powerful boost to your long-term bone density. In particular, Dr Fishman published 12 yoga poses in Orthopedic Nursing that are particularly great for strengthening your bones. Of these 12 poses Dr Fishman says: “They all work by putting pressure on the bones of sufficient magnitude and duration.” He says this can “stimulate the osteoblasts to make more bone”, thanks to their placement of “maximum torque, compression or pressure” on particular body parts, as outlined below. So, while a good yoga session is a helpful tool to help you get through the week, its effects are longer-lasting than you realised. Keep reading for the 12 best yoga poses to strengthen your bones. (“With all poses, remember not to round the spine as you go into and out of the poses, and within the poses themselves,” Dr Fishman advises.) 1. Tree pose (Vriksasana) Tree pose has a special way of calling you to stillness. Dr Fishman says tree pose also adds pressure that can strengthen the upper femur and hip. He adds that a study at the University of Southern California (USC) showed a 60 per cent increase in pressure, even with the foot placed three-quarters down the calf. Dr Fishman says tree pose is “also extremely valuable for improving balance and avoiding falls,” although he reminds us that the raised foot should always go above or below the knee – never directly on the knee joint. 2. Triangle pose (Trikonasana) Triangle pose “puts torque on the lumbar spine, the neck of the femur, the hips and ribs,” Dr Fishman says, adding that this is another pose that will help improve balance. 3. Reverse Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasan) Dr Fishman says great pressures develop on the proximal femurs (very top of the femur bone that connects with the hip joint) in this pose, as well as the hip and lower back. Reverse triangle also puts helpful pressure in the ribs and wrists and is “a very powerful balance-improver.” 4. Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II) “Fabulous mechanical disadvantage means great pressure on the entire forward (bent leg) femur,” Dr Fishman says of full warrior pose. He explains that “the straight leg’s rotation works on the head of femur and hip,” helping to strengthen the upper leg and hip. This is yet another pose that he says helps with balance. 5. Side angle pose (Parsvakonasana) Another boon for balance, Dr Fishman says side angle pose torques the lower back and the top of the femur – all good things – and stimulates the bone-making cells of the hip, too. 6. Locust pose (Salabhasana) Locust pose “raises pressures, which stimulate bone-making in the posterior elements of the spine,” Dr Fishman says, while it also helps balance some the forward focus on the ribs of the earlier poses. Locust pose also strengthens extensor muscles of the back to improve posture and reverse curvature of the spine in the upper back, which can lead to fractures. 7. Bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana) Dr Fishman says bridge pose can help strengthen the ribs and lower regions of the spine. 8. Reclining hand to big toe (Supta Padangusthasana I) Also known to be a good hamstring stretch, this pose facilitates “extreme pressure brought to bear on relevant sections” of the femur, hip, pelvis (specifically the sitz bones) and spine. Seated versions of this and the following pose offer less intensity, but Dr Fishman cautions for both: “The seated versions have the potential to be dangerous. Keep the spine straight and against the back of the chair. Do not round the back.” 9. Supine hand to big toe 2 (Supta Padangusthasana II) In the side extension variation of this pose, there is “extreme pressure brought to bear” on the upper femur, hip, pubis, ribs, and spine, he says. 10. Straight-legged twist (Marichyasana) This “puts great pressure” on the sitz bones and pelvis, as well as “great but safe pressure” on the spine. 11. Bent-leg twist (Matsyendrasana) The bent-leg twist “puts great pressure” on the upper femur and pelvis, plus “great but safe pressure” on the vertebra. Dr Fishman suggests you should hug the leg to ensure a straight spine. 12. Corpse pose (Savasana) Truthfully, Dr Fishman says, Savasana is “of little value for the bones per se, but truly important at the end of the session for mental and general physiological health.” That’s good enough for us. Written by Jennifer Huizen and Kristine Gasbarre. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/12-best-yoga-poses-to-strengthen-bones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images

Body

7 research-based resolutions that will help strengthen your relationship in the year ahead

The new year is going to be better. It has to be better. Maybe you’re one of the <a href="https://www.finder.com/new-years-resolution-statistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">74% of Americans</a> in one survey who said they planned on hitting the reset button on Jan. 1 and resolving to improve. Those <a href="http://maristpoll.marist.edu/marist-poll-national-results-analysis-4/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Year’s resolutions most commonly focus on</a> eating healthier, exercising, losing weight and being a better person. Admirable goals, to be sure. But focusing on body and mind neglects something equally important: your romantic relationship. Couples with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00393.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">better marriages report higher well-being</a>, and one study found that having a better romantic relationship not only promoted well-being and better health now but that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2020.1838238" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those benefits extend into the future</a>. The lesson is clear: Your relationship is important. Resolve to get it right. That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. But here are seven resolutions based on recent psychological research that you can make this New Year to help keep your relationship going strong. <h2>1. Set yourself up for success</h2> Adjust your mindset so you see your relationship as a key <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00373.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">source of positive experiences</a>. <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=v2ai_5wAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Psychologists like me</a> call this boosting your social approach motivation. Instead of merely trying to avoid relationship problems, those with an approach motivation seek out the positives and <a href="http://peplab.web.unc.edu/files/2020/11/Don-Fredrickson-Algoe-JPSP-In-press-Approach-Paper-In-Press-.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use them to help the relationship</a>. Here’s how: Imagine a conversation with your partner. Having more of an approach motivation allows you to focus on positive feelings as you talk and to see your partner as more responsive to you. Your partner gets a burst of positivity, too, and in return sees you as more responsive. One partner’s good vibes spill over to the other partner, ultimately benefiting both. After a year when your relationship may have felt unprecedented external strains, laying the foundation to take advantage of any positives is good place to start. <h2>2. Be optimistic</h2> While things in the past may not have always gone how you wanted, it’s important to be optimistic about the future. But the right kind of optimism matters. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12342" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 research study</a> from <a href="https://cns.utexas.edu/directory/item/84-human-dev-family-sci/3008-farnish-krystan?Itemid=349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Krystan Farnish</a> and <a href="https://cns.utexas.edu/directory/item/14-human-ecology/259-neff-lisa-a?Itemid=349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Neff</a> found that generally looking on the bright side of life allowed participants to deal with relationship conflict more effectively – as they put it, better able to “shake it off” – than did those who were optimistic specifically about their relationship. It seems that if people focus all their rosy expectations just on their relationship, it encourages them to anticipate few negative experiences with their partner. Since that’s unrealistic even in the best relationships, it sets them up for disappointment. <h2>3. Increase your psychological flexibility</h2> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Try to go with the flow</a>. In other words, work on accepting your feelings without being defensive. It’s OK to adjust your behaviors – you don’t always have to do things the way you always have or go the places you’ve always gone. Stop being stubborn and experiment with being flexible. A 2020 study by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karen_Twiselton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karen Twiselton</a> and colleagues found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12344" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when you’re more flexible psychologically</a>, relationship quality is higher, in part because you experience more positive and fewer negative emotions. For example, navigating the yearly challenge of holidays and family traditions is a relationship minefield. However, if both partners back away from a “must do” mentality in favor of a more adaptable approach, relationship harmony will be greater. <h2>4. It’s OK to put ‘me’ before ‘we’</h2> It’s easy for some people to play the self-sacrificing martyr in their romantic relationship. If this sounds like you, try to focus more on yourself. It doesn’t make you a bad person or a bad partner. When you’re psychologically healthy, your partner and your relationship also benefit. Researchers have identified <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four main traits that are part of good mental health</a>: openness to feelings, warmth, positive emotions and straightforwardness. These traits help with being more clear about who you are, feeling better about who you are, expressing greater optimism and less aggression, exploiting others less and exhibiting less antisocial behavior. You can see how what’s good for you in this case would be good for your partner too. <h2>5. Do something for your partner</h2> But it’s not all about you. Putting your partner first some of the time and catering to your partner’s desires is part of being a couple. A 2020 study by <a href="https://carleton.ca/psychology/people/johanna-peetz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johanna Peetz</a> and colleagues found that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12357" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prioritizing your partner</a> makes you feel closer to them, increases positive feelings, reduces negative ones and boosts perceived relationship quality. In the new year, look for ways to give your partner some wins. Let them get their way from time to time and support them in what they want to do, without exclusively prioritizing your own wants and needs. <h2>6. Don’t be so hard on yourself</h2> So many New Year’s resolutions focus on body image. Aspirations to eat better and work out often stem from the same goal: a hotter body. Yet, research from <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Xue_Lei8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Xue Lei</a> shows that you may not really know what your partner wants you to look like. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women tend to overestimate how thin</a> male partners want them to be. Similarly, men believe that female partners want them to be more muscular than women say they do. It may seem harmless, but in both cases individuals are more critical and demanding toward themselves, in part based on misreading what a partner truly desires. <h2>7. Stay in touch</h2> I saved the easiest item on the list for last: Touch your partner more. When <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cheryl_Carmichael" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cheryl Carmichael</a> and colleagues followed 115 participants over a 10-day period, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620929164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they found that initiating and receiving touch</a> – things like holding hands, cuddling, kissing – were associated with both a boost in closeness and relationship quality. Importantly, being touched by your partner has the added benefit of making you feel more understood and validated. Who couldn’t use more of that in the coming year? This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/7-research-based-resolutions-that-will-help-strengthen-your-relationship-in-the-year-ahead-152349" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Relationships

Our pets strengthen neighbourhood ties

Talk to any pet owner and you are bound to invoke stories about the joy and companionship of having a pet. But evidence is mounting that the effect of pets extends beyond their owners and can help strengthen the social fabric of local neighbourhoods. Now a cross-national study involving Perth, Australia, and three US cities has lent weight to the observation that pets help build social capital. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qcsvDLgfjRw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> This is not a frivolous notion, given the erosion of sense of community is often lamented. As Hugh Mackay <a href="http://theconversation.com/hugh-mackay-the-state-of-the-nation-starts-in-your-street-72264">recently observed</a>, not knowing our neighbours has become a sad cliché of contemporary urban life. I stumbled into pet-related research some 15 years ago when undertaking a PhD on neighbourhoods and sense of community. I was curious about the elements of a neighbourhood that might help people connect to one another, so I threw some in some survey questions about pets. In what has become my most-cited <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953605000535">academic paper</a>, we found that pet owners were more likely to have higher social capital. This is a concept that captures trust between people (including those we don’t know personally), networks of social support, the exchange of favours with neighbours and civic engagement. Fast-forward a decade to a much <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827317300344">larger study</a> to look at the relationship between pets and social capital. Pet owners and non-owners were randomly surveyed in four cities (Perth, San Diego, Portland and Nashville – four cities reasonably comparable in size, urban density and climate). In all four cities, we found owning a pet was significantly associated with higher social capital compared with not owning a pet. This held true after adjusting for a raft of demographic factors that might influence people’s connections in their neighbourhood. <h2>How do pets help build social bonds?</h2> It is often assumed that the social benefits of pets are confined to social interactions that occur when people are out walking their dogs. Lots of dog owner anecdotes support this. In this large sample study, however, levels of social capital were higher among pet owners across the board. We did nonetheless find that social capital was higher among dog owners and those who walked their dogs in particular. Dog owners were <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0122085">five times more likely</a> to have got to know people in their neighbourhood. This makes sense, as dogs are the most likely to get us outside the home. Yet our survey data and qualitative responses show that a variety of pets can act as a social lubricant. Pets are a great leveller in society, owned and loved by people across social, age and racial strata. Perhaps it is having something in common with other people that strikes a chord, regardless of the type of pet. <h2>What does this mean for how we live?</h2> That pets can help build social capital is not just a social nicety or quirky sociological observation. Hundreds of studies internationally show that social capital is a positive predictor for a raft of important social indicators, including mental health, education, crime deterrence, and community safety. Given pets are <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-the-rise-of-apartment-living-whats-a-nation-of-pet-owners-to-do-58738?sr=1">entrenched in the lives and homes</a> of many Australians, it makes sense to tap into this as a way to strengthen the social fabric of local communities. Not everyone can or wants to own a pet. But two-thirds of the population does, so our cities and neighbourhoods need to be “pet friendly”. Australian suburbs are generally pretty good for <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-there-a-place-for-dogs-in-public-space-or-must-they-make-do-with-dog-parks-56147">walkable parks</a> and streets. In this study, we also found that having dog walkers out and about contributes to <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-3659-8">perceptions of community safety</a>. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175751/original/file-20170627-21898-vaps3d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/175751/original/file-20170627-21898-vaps3d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> However, in Australia, pets have traditionally belonged to people living in detached housing with backyards. Many rental properties, apartment complexes, and retirement villages still <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-pet-owners-suffer-rental-insecurity-perhaps-landlords-should-think-again-63275?sr=1">default to a “no pets” policy</a>. Other countries, where renting and higher-density living is more the norm, seem more accepting of pets across the housing spectrum. Given ageing populations, housing affordability and the need to curb urban sprawl are critical social trends in many countries (including Australia), maybe we need to <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-a-better-understanding-of-how-we-manage-dogs-to-help-them-become-better-urban-citizens-64749">recalibrate our notions</a> of who can own a pet and where they can live. This is not to say that pets have to be allowed everywhere, but the default to “no pets allowed” is questionable. My father-in-law in his 80s, for example, couldn’t downsize to a retirement complex because his extremely docile rescue greyhound exceeded the “10kg pet” rule. He couldn’t bear to part with Moby, a faithful companion through whom he met many local residents daily at the park nearby. <h2>Constant companions in times of change</h2> A lot of my current research is around homelessness. Chatting recently with a man who was homeless with his dog on the streets of Melbourne, he told me how his dog gets him up in the morning, keeps him safe at night, and gets them both walking daily. His dog was one of the few stable things in his life, so he needed a public housing option that would allow pets. People who are homeless also need crisis accommodation options that accept their pets. Hence it is great to see places such as <a href="https://www.vinnies.org.au/page/Find_Help/WA/Homeless_Mental_Health_Services/Tom_Fisher_House/">Tom Fisher House</a> in Perth, opening its doors to rough sleepers with pets needing a safe place to sleep. Beyond the practical implications for pet-friendly cities, the potential for pets to enrich the social fabric of communities has strong appeal in an era of global uncertainty, frenetic “busyness” and technology-driven communications. As cultural analyst Sheryl Turkle has said, the ways people interact and forge relationships have undergone massive change and we can end up “<a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_alone_together">connected, but alone</a>”. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MtLVCpZIiNs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> By contrast, humans have been drawn to companion animals since early civilisation. In many people’s lives, they remain a tangible constant that can yield enduring social capital benefits.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/79755/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-wood-167802">Lisa Wood</a>, Associate Professor, Centre for Social Impact and School of Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-pets-strengthen-neighbourhood-ties-79755">original article</a>. Image: Wrote/flickr

Family & Pets

The easy way to strengthen the pelvic floor

Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community. The most common type of bladder control issue is that awful moment of exercise, coughing, sneezing, laughing or heavy lifting when we realise that things are not as strong as they once were. Pelvic floor disorders are surprisingly common after the age of 55. Affecting both men and women. By the age of 80, one in two will have experienced some form of bladder control or retention issues. This yoga practice is geared towards creating greater awareness of the pelvic floor as well as strengthening – imagine the pelvic floor as a round mini-trampoline made of firm muscle, able to move up and down. Much like our arm, leg or muscles, it can be consciously controlled and therefore strengthened with regular practice. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LLpbNrVInY8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Body

How to put the honeymoon-level excitement back in your marriage

Here's how to put the excitement back into a relationship that is decades long. 1. Encourage your partner to pursue a passion Research suggests we're most attracted to our partner when they are in their own element—in other words, when they're feeling confident and in the flow. That may be when he's playing his trumpet or coding a new program, or when she's dancing to flamenco music or painting pictures of historical landscapes. Whatever your individual passions may be, focus on supporting each other to pursue them. "Find where your partner excels and start looking at them fresh through that lens, as if you were strangers, meeting for the first time," suggests sexual health consultant Celeste Holbrook, PhD. 2. Show appreciation for your partner at least once a day When you first started dating, remember how much you appreciated the little things your partner did for you and you did for him? Continue to do this in your relationship as it grows over the years. "At the beginning you're giddy with love and gratitude, and you're grateful for your lover and all the little things you do together, the things they say and the places you go together," says Claudia Six, PhD, sexologist, relationship coach, and author of Erotic Integrity: How to Be True to Yourself Sexually. "Reconnect with that gratitude instead of taking your relationship for granted." Start the day by telling each other what you're grateful for, complimenting one another regularly, saying "I love you," and comment on a new dress or a new haircut. If you want to take the romance up a few notches, start leaving love notes in unexpected places—by the coffee machine, in his underwear drawer, by the door so he sees it as he's leaving, or on the garbage can for whoever takes out the trash. 3. Plan fun, spontaneous date nights When love is new, date nights are special. But with limited time, kids, the stress of running a household and doing your job, date nights can represent a huge logistical 'should.' "But it really is important to remember how dates used to be, when you'd dress up for them, look your beloved in the eye, be interested in what they say, and allow them to put a twinkle back in your eye," says Dr. Six. "Remember what made you fall in love with him and treat the date as a special time." Go to a concert in the park and bring a picnic basket with wine if that's allowed. Outdoor concerts are often free and can be a great way to have a nice evening together and just enjoy each other's company. Or go out to a nice place for dinner and split an appetiser—order a bottle of wine and make the meal last. "Do this as often as your budget allows, but at least once a month if you can save up for it," recommends Dr. Michael. 4. Use the power of touch to your advantage Touching is small way to reconnect and make contact every day. Even just holding hands releases the love hormone oxytocin, which can strengthen empathy and communication between a couple. "Make sure to hold hands, not only when walking down the street, but at home, in the morning when you first wake up, and at the end of the day before going to sleep," says Dr. Six. "You don't have to talk. You can just feel the warmth of your lover's hand in yours and rest in the comfort of it, enjoying the familiarity of your beloved's skin and energy." 5. Check in on a regular basis Think of it as a state-of-the-union conversation between the two of you about your relationship. It can be as simple as 15 minutes on the couch where you talk about what made you happy, what moved you. "The mundane tasks of daily living can dull the sparkle in a relationship, but if you make an effort to be genuinely interested in your spouse's state of mind and how they're feeling about things in their life and in the relationship, it'll have you both feeling closer to each other," says Dr. Six. In bed at night or over dinner, ask each other what your favourite part of the day was and why. You might be surprised to learn what is most meaningful to your mate and you may even chuckle at each other's answers as you reminisce about the day's events. This way you're constantly discovering something new about your partner and sharing in their joy, the way you did in the beginning of your relationship. Do you have any other tips? Let us know in the comments. Written by Jenn Sinrich. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/relationships/how-put-honeymoon-level-excitement-back-your-marriage">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Family & Pets

The exercise that will strengthen abdominal muscles

If you’re dealing with a little bit more extra fat around the stomach region then reverse sit-ups are the perfect exercise to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Whether it’s due to hormones, water retention or genetics, there are many reasons as to why your stomach maybe in need of some firming exercises. Reverse sit-ups target the lower abdominal muscles more than any other form of exercise. In this video, Taylor Harrison – author, senior’s health expert and Director of <a href="http://www.activeseniors.net.au/">Active Seniors Health Centre</a> – shows you how to tighten your abdominal muscles and strengthen your core. <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/300185388" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> To see more videos and articles on improving your health and fitness from Taylor Harrison, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/search.aspx?Keyword=taylor+harrison">click here</a>. Will you be trying out this exercise? Let us know in the comments below.

Body

How to strengthen your stomach muscles safely

It’s important to strengthen stomach muscles but often exercises like sit-ups can leave people putting an unhealthy strain on their neck or spine. In this video, Taylor Harrison – author, senior’s health expert and Director of <a href="http://www.activeseniors.net.au/">Active Seniors Health Centre</a> – shows you how you can strengthen your stomach muscles in a safe and effective way. <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/298935142" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> To see more videos and articles on improving your health and fitness from Taylor Harrison, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/search.aspx?Keyword=taylor+harrison">click here</a>. Will you be trying out this exercise? Let us know in the comments below.

Caring

2 simple exercises that will strengthen your whole body

When it comes to mobility and balance, core strength is key. Thankfully, improving your core strength is much easier than you might think. In his second video in a series of five aimed at improving your balance, mobility and strength, Taylor Harrison, author, seniors health expert and Director of <a href="http://www.activeseniors.net.au/" target="_blank">Active Seniors Health Centre</a>, shares two simple exercises that will not only engage your core, but will also strengthen your entire body. To see Taylor’s first video on how to improve hip mobility, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/health/body/2017/10/exercises-to-improve-hip-mobility/" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Body

Easy yoga moves to strengthen feet and improve balance

Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community. For improving balance, it’s important to practice a wide variety of balance practices and this sequence offers you three different movements focusing on your feet. The good news is that it’s never too late to improve your sense of balance. Balancing practices are also beneficial to your posture and coordination and that helps to avoid injury. The key to lasting success is to find ways of integrating these practices into your daily routine, so you could try brushing your teeth whilst lifting all of your toes off the floor or training yourself to balance on one leg with your eyes half-closed (with something to hold on to nearby). They’re are simple to do and could make a big difference. Before you start make sure that you have a clear space with no tripping hazards. If you are really struggling with your balance and experience regular dizziness you should consider talking to your doctor. Follow Tracy on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TracyChairYoga/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Body

Going on a holiday may strengthen your relationship

Susan Krauss Whitbourne is a professor of Psychology and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She writes the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/susan-krauss-whitbourne-phd">Fulfilment at Any Age</a> blog for Psychology Today. Midlife brings with it the potential for even the best relationship to slide into a set of predictable routines. You’ve got your kids to deal with, piles of bills and housework, and worries and woes in such key areas of life as in-laws, community obligations, and even holiday planning. You and your partner would love to spend some quiet time together, but can’t imagine how you could afford either the time or money needed to do so. Despite all the reasons why you can’t, Texas A&M’s Angelo Durko and James Petrick (2016) conducted research to show why can’t not afford to go somewhere with your partner. Testing a bold model using holiday satisfaction to predict relationship satisfaction, and in turn relationship commitment, the Texas researchers believed that the impact of vacations on relationships would be so strong that it would outweigh the role of psychological investment in the relationship, or the extent to which couples felt their relationship trumps all else in providing them with specific benefits and rewards. Anyone who’s been on a holiday knows, obviously, that flight delays, traffic jams, and less-than-perfect hotels or other accommodations can you and your partner can offer comfort to one another. But think of the opposite: the less perfect the holiday, the more you and your partner discover each other’s hidden strengths. Who knew that your partner would be so resourceful at plugging a leaky faucet with a pair of eyebrow tweezers? What a creative genius! Through an online survey of 472 adults, 74 per cent of whom were currently married and living together, the Texas A&M team investigated the network of relationships involving relationship satisfaction, satisfaction with the most recent vacation, investment in the relationship (who irreplaceable you think it is), attractiveness of alternatives to the relationship, and commitment. The primary question of interest was whether holiday satisfaction would predict relationship satisfaction which, in turn, would predict commitment. Amount of psychological investment in the relationship and quality of alternatives were the two remaining predictors of commitment. The findings showed that the best fit to the questionnaire scores indeed came about I the direction of vacation satisfaction to relationship satisfaction and, in turn, to commitment. This led the authors to conclude: “travel enhances relationships”. There are implications for travel marketers, as the authors point out: “the travel industry could learn from the red wine and dark chocolate industries, which utilised knowledge of their products’ inherent benefits… once touted as a guilty pleasure (like red wine and chocolate), travel could possibly be promoted … to include the benefits it has not only for an individual but for the couple’s relationship and their family”. The kind of vacation that would seem to have the most benefit, then, is one that a couple actually enjoys. That frustrating airplane ride or crowded highway, if it is to be beneficial, should lead to a place where both partners feel they’re finally able to relax and have a good time. It’s also important, according to the authors, that the holiday be one that enhances how attracted the partners feel toward each other, rather than on alternatives to the partner: “vacations that present opportunities for individuals to fraternise with alternatives to their current significant other could likely decrease relationship commitment”. We should keep in mind that couples weren’t being studied while on vacation, and that memory bias regarding a past vacation softened the harsher edges of what might not have been the perfectly satisfactory vacation. Indeed, cognitive dissonance would suggest that people retroactively rate an expensive vacation as more satisfactory than it was in order to justify the time and expense. Even so, what’s important isn’t what actually happened on a vacation, but how the vacation fit into the larger scheme of a couple’s life together. That delayed flight might seem funny in retrospect, or you might even forget that it was delayed at all. Midlife’s many obligations can lead us to become so preoccupied that we forget the special ties that bind us to our partners. Taking a vacation together, even if it’s a small one, can be just the remedy you need to keep those ties strong and vital.

Relationships

Yoga moves for strengthening pelvic floor muscles

Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community. If you’ve ever had an “oops” moment when you’ve laughed or coughed, you’ll know about the “personal discomfort that can arise from a weak pelvic floor. Women who have had children are more likely to experience urine leakage, together with anyone who is overweight. While some people choose to just live with it there are some simple chair yoga practices that everyone can do to strengthen these important muscles. The pelvic floor looks like a hammock – a sling of muscles, ligaments and sheet-like tissues that stretch from the front to the back of the pelvis. It supports the bladder and bowel, giving you control over the elimination process. The pelvic floor tends to get weaker with increasing age, after an injury (such as a fall) or with constant straining to empty the bowels. Luckily, it is possible to make these muscles strong again, like other muscles in the body, just 5 minutes of exercising each day can make a big difference. How to locate the pelvic floor muscles: <ul> <li>Lie down on your back on a reasonably firm surface, like the floor or bed.</li> <li>Bend your knees and place the soles of your feet flat on the floor about hip width apart.</li> <li>Take a deep breath in, as you exhale lift your head and shoulder off the floor look towards your knees. Now, like blowing-out birthday candles exhale through pursed lips, blow the air out forcefully.</li> <li>As you exhale, notice the muscles that are contracting in the pelvis – this is the pelvic floor.</li> </ul> Here’s how to do a pelvic floor exercise: <ol> <li>Sit on a chair, keep your back upright, shoulders back. Relax your hands into your lap. Place your knees about hip width apart.</li> <li>Squeeze and lift your pelvic floor muscles (this should feel like you are trying to stop yourself from passing water). As you hold these muscles lift you right knee of the floor as best you can.</li> <li>Exhale, relax the right foot to the floor. Relax the pelvic floor. Repeat this 4 more times.</li> <li>Switch to the left foot, repeat this practice 5 times.</li> </ol> For best results do every day <ul> <li>Don’t hold your breath while doing this practice</li> <li>Only contract the pelvic floor muscles</li> <li>Don’t overdo it – little and often is best!</li> </ul> Depending on your medical history and prior treatments you may wish to consult a doctor before starting a new type of exercise. What kind of exercise do you like to do at home? Let us know on the comments below. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2016/06/yoga-exercises-for-neck-and-shoulders/">Three yoga exercises to relieve neck and shoulder stress</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/05/easy-exercise-all-over60s-should-be-doing-to-improve-balance/">3 easy exercise all over60s should be doing to improve balance</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/05/how-to-improve-your-balance-with-yoga/">How to improve your balance with yoga</a>

Body

Yoga exercises to strengthen and soothe eye muscles

Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community. Fifty-four percent of Kiwis wear glasses or contact lenses and many are told by their optometrist that their vision will worsen as they age. However, an extensive study by the American Optometry Association in 1986 found that eye exercises can help to improve vision with regular practice. Back in February we had our <a href="/news/news/2016/02/easy-steps-to-strengthen-eyes-with-eye-yoga/" target="_blank">first look at eye-yoga practices.</a> Here are two more quick and easy practices you can add to these ones – near and distant viewing and palming the eyes for tired eye muscles. Take a few minutes every day to look after your vision and complete these simple movements. 1. Near and distant viewing This one is an excellent exercise for the tiny muscles within the eyes. It’s useful for people focusing their eyes on a fixed point for long periods such as artistic activities, intensive reading or repairing small items. It provides relief for strained eyes by changing the focus. Hold up your right thumb. Bring it to the tip of your nose then fix your gaze on it crossing your eyes. Slowly extend your arm out in front of you keeping your focus on your thumb without raising your hand. Make sure you can see it clearly without a blur. Keep your arm where it is then lift your gaze from this point and look into the distance, maybe out a window. Find a small point in the distance that you can see clearly. Hold your gaze here. Bring your eyes back to the pencil or index finger in front of you. Repeat three to five times. 2. Palming, lets sooth and relax the eye muscles that have been worked Personally, I like to do this one every day. Start to rub your palms together until you feel some warmth there, now close your eyes and place your palms over your eyes. Let your eyes absorb the warmth from your hands. Relax all the muscles in your eyes. Repeat as often as you like. What’s your trick for relieving tired eyes? Let us know in the comments below. Related links: <a href="/health/body/2016/06/yoga-exercises-for-neck-and-shoulders/">Three yoga exercises to relieve neck and shoulder stress</a> <a href="/news/news/2016/05/easy-exercise-all-over60s-should-be-doing-to-improve-balance/">3 easy exercise all over60s should be doing to improve balance</a> <a href="/health/body/2016/05/how-to-improve-your-balance-with-yoga/">How to improve your balance with yoga</a>

Body

4 top ways to strengthen weak nails

We all want strong and beautiful nails, but simply going about our lives can become a minefield of potentially nail-damaging situations. Anything from taping on the iPad a little to ferociously or taking the rubbish out can easy end in breaks that can, sometimes, be quite painful. If you’ve found the years haven’t been too forgiving on your nails, you can use these nifty tricks to strengthen them. 1. Olive oil Massage your nails thoroughly with some warm olive oil, focusing on your cuticles and covering both the top and underside of your nails. 2. Tea tree oil Put a few drops of tea tree oil into a small bowl with warm water. Soak your nails in this solution regularly to gradually strengthen them. Aim to do it for five mines, three times a week. 3. Vitamin E oil This is a good remedy for stronger nails. Its moisturising properties help keep your nails hydrated. 4. Green tea Simple make a cup of green tea how you normally would. Once its cooled down a little, soak your nails in the brew for 10 to 15 minutes, two times a week. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/03/a-brief-history-of-nails/">A brief history of nails</a> <a href="/lifestyle/beauty-style/2015/11/base-coat-for-nails/">Do you really need a base coat for your nails?</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/beauty-style/2016/01/reasons-your-nails-keep-breaking/">6 reasons your nails keep breaking</a>

Beauty & Style

5 easy steps to strengthen eyes with eye yoga

Tracy Adshead, 54, is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors, following her passion for bringing healing and healthy aging to the community. Not being able to get your lipstick straight or see that rouge eyebrow hair sticking-up is the worst thing about failing eye-sight; closely followed by searching for your glasses when they were on top of your head the whole time! We know there are several simple steps you can take to protect your eyes, such as wearing the right sunglasses, but did you know that there are simple yoga practices to strengthen the eye muscles? Try this practice to optimize your optical arsenal: Sitting upright in a chair, image that you have a giant clock face in front of you. <ol> <li>Without moving your head or lifting your chin, look up to 12:00 on the clock face, hold and take three breaths.</li> <li>Now drop your eyes to the right, looking at 3pm – take three breaths.</li> <li>Look down to 6pm, three breaths.</li> <li>Lift the gaze up the left to 9pm, three breaths.</li> <li>And back to midnight. Repeat this practice, moving the eyes anti-clockwise.</li> </ol> Top tips: <ul> <li>If your eyes begin to tire, close them, rest the muscles then start again.</li> <li>Practice eye yoga every day to improve your vision.</li> <li>Protect eyes from glare with UVA/UVB protective sunglasses to help prevent or slow the growth of cataracts.</li> </ul> Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2016/01/quotes-about-self-improvement/">Inspiring quotes from the world’s most successful people</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2016/01/older-generation-better-at-learning/">Older generations better at learning than everyone else</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/mind/2016/01/why-its-hard-to-remember-peoples-names/">Why it’s so hard to remember people’s names</a>

News

5 core strengthening exercises to try at home

Working on your core muscles isn’t only beneficial for reducing that muffin top, it’s also linked with improving coordination and balance. Strengthen the 29 muscles of your core, including your stomach, back and pelvis, with these five easy exercises at home. Core exercise 1: The bridge The focus: Lower back, abdominals and buttocks. How to: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. With steady breaths, raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your stomach to your knees. Core exercise 2: The bicycle The focus: Develop coordination. How to: Lie on your back with your hands folded behind your head. Bend your knees and lift your feet, so your calves are parallel to the floor. Clench your abdominal muscles, while bringing one knee forward towards your head and one leg outstretched towards the floor. As you do this, take your elbow to touch the opposite knee that’s bent near your face. Repeat. Core exercise 3: Side bends The focus: Oblique muscles. How to: Sit on a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Place one hand behind your head and the other arm outstretched to one side. Lean over to the side as if reaching towards your feet. Try to avoid letting your chest fall forward. Core exercise 4: Leg lifts The focus: Lower abdominal muscles and pelvis. How to: Lie on your back with legs outstretched. Raise one leg about 10 cm off the floor and tense your abdominal muscles. Hold the position for the count of three and repeat with the other leg. Core exercise 5: The baby The focus: Lower back. How to: Lie face down on your stomach and stretch out your arms in front of you. Raise your head slightly, and lift your right arm and left leg about 10 cm off the floor, so you feel your muscles tense. Hold for five seconds and repeat with the other arm and leg combination. Related links: <a href="/health/caring/2015/12/fast-moves-to-slow-down-ageing/">Fast moves to slow down ageing</a> <a href="/health/mind/2015/11/one-thing-holding-you-back-in-meditation/">This one thing could be holding you back in your meditation</a> <a href="/health/mind/2015/11/how-to-improve-your-memory-as-you-age/">How to improve your memory as you age</a>

Body

Simple exercises to strengthen your willpower

Can our willpower be strengthened? That was the question a group of researchers recently set out to answer. Their findings suggested what has been thought for many years. Your willpower is like a muscle. It gets tired and requires exercise to strengthen it. With this knowledge, it becomes apparent that our willpower can be strengthened with the right practice. Here are 5 scientifically proven strategies to help you flex your willpower strength. <ol> <li>10 minutes of meditation – Meditation is proven to give the fastest results of all the willpower exercises. It helps the brain to focus and resist the urge to wander aimlessly which in turn boosts energy levels and the ability to concentrate for longer periods. There are plenty of guided meditation tracks available online to get you started.</li> <li>Keep a food diary – Research has found a link between keeping a food diary and an improvement in willpower. The majority of us don’t record our food intake and it takes a conscious effort to keep track of every little thing. Try downloading an app like My Fitness Pal or just using a notebook/pen to keep track for a fortnight.</li> <li>Correct your speech – Shifting your natural speech requires you to actively assert yourself against your instinct, which takes considerable willpower. A simple change like eliminating a certain word or changing from saying “Hi” to “Hello” for a couple of designated hours each day is effective enough to hugely improve your willpower.</li> <li>Create and meet deadlines – If you’ve ever studied or worked to a concrete deadline you’ll know just how productive and effective it can make you. Creating self-imposed deadlines can have the same impact on our willpower. To get started, pick a task and set a deadline for accomplishing it. Picking a task you’ve been putting off is a good choice, as it’ll increase the effectiveness of the experiment even more.</li> <li>Tempt yourself, and resist – If you really want to challenge yourself, try increasing your ability to say “no” by carrying around something really tempting that you’d usually eat or drink for the full day. Pop whatever it is in your pocket or handbag and flex your willpower to continually resist temptation.</li> </ol> Related links: <a href="/health/mind/2015/11/kindness-leads-to-happiness-research/">People are happier when they do good</a> <a href="/health/mind/2015/11/how-to-be-happy-in-todays-world/">How to be truly happy in today’s world</a> <a href="/health/mind/2015/11/how-to-banish-negative-thoughts/">7 ways to banish negative thoughts</a>

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12 best yoga poses to strengthen bones

7 research-based resolutions that will help strengthen your relationship in the year ahead

Our pets strengthen neighbourhood ties

The easy way to strengthen the pelvic floor

How to put the honeymoon-level excitement back in your marriage

The exercise that will strengthen abdominal muscles

How to strengthen your stomach muscles safely

2 simple exercises that will strengthen your whole body

Easy yoga moves to strengthen feet and improve balance

Going on a holiday may strengthen your relationship

Yoga moves for strengthening pelvic floor muscles

Yoga exercises to strengthen and soothe eye muscles

4 top ways to strengthen weak nails

5 easy steps to strengthen eyes with eye yoga

5 core strengthening exercises to try at home

Simple exercises to strengthen your willpower

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

12 best yoga poses to strengthen bones

7 research-based resolutions that will help strengthen your relationship in the year ahead

Our pets strengthen neighbourhood ties

The easy way to strengthen the pelvic floor

How to put the honeymoon-level excitement back in your marriage

The exercise that will strengthen abdominal muscles

How to strengthen your stomach muscles safely

2 simple exercises that will strengthen your whole body

Easy yoga moves to strengthen feet and improve balance

Going on a holiday may strengthen your relationship

Yoga moves for strengthening pelvic floor muscles

Yoga exercises to strengthen and soothe eye muscles

4 top ways to strengthen weak nails

5 easy steps to strengthen eyes with eye yoga

5 core strengthening exercises to try at home

Simple exercises to strengthen your willpower

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