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Finding the th h Right Balance Between Generations If you’re a member of the “sandwich generation,” taking care of your aging parents as well as your children, it’s hard to shake the feeling that if you focus on one generation you’re losing sight of the needs of the other. It can help to remember that your taking care of your parents is good for your children, too. How so? You’re right that your kids also make a sacriϐ ǯ around as much as the they would like you to be and, most likely, they have to do more–become more responsible–because you can’t be there. (Maybe they have to make their own lunch to take to school. Or you can’t be a chaperone at some school event even though you were able to do that a year or so ago.) Yes, in some ways a
child is being de deprived of what a parent might be able to give if he or she didn’t have caregiving obligations to an older family member (or to a spouse who is ill or to a child with special needs). From another perspective, Mom or Dad are giving something to that child or those children that he or she otherwise couldn’t give. We mean a front-row view of love in action without any possibility of mistaking the unchangeable fact that true love demands service and ϐ Ǥ Still, it can be a lot to put on little shoulders. ϐ glance is that Mom or Dad isn’t there (or is there but is exhausted from caregiving and holding down a job) and they miss not just what that parent does for them (nice meals, rides to practice and so
on) but also that person himself or herself. They miss time spent together. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions if you’re taking care of an aging parent and your children: • Talk about caregiving at a time when neither you nor your child are tired and emotions are not running high. • Do something special with each child, one-on one. • Explain what it’s like to be a care-receiver, how it can be hard to accept help. Talk about why you’re taking care of Grandpa or Grandma and explain, in an age-appropriate way, what his or her condition is. • Work at establishing a link between your children and your parents. Let them have some time together. • Remember children
can, in small ways, help with caregiving, too. • Teach what respectful care means and explain the difference between Dz dz Dz ϐ Ǥdz
Yes, at times, a situation may be less than “digniϐ dz treated with dignity. • Remember to thank the child for making sac-
ϐ you help your mother or father. - Article courtesy of www.youragingparent. com.
Staying Fit at any Age
Courtesy of AARP You may have heard that the hardest step in ϐ ϐ Ǥ ϐ is the easiest — we've taken that one step dozens of times, and we bet you have, too. No, it's the 10th, 11th or 53rd step that's really tough. Stumble here, we've found, and you're even less likely to start again, because life is full of obstacles to our best inten Ǥ ϐ ǡ
cruise or deal with a few weeks of crazy at work Ȅ ϐ heading for the lattes instead of the Pilates. Here, we offer you ϐ life, along with easy-tofollow tips on how to get started, keep moving and make it a habit. Get Started Schedule a wake-up call Use an alarm clock to wake yourself, but set your coffeemaker for the same time: The smell of coffee brewing will help
motivate you to get up and get moving. What's more, coffee not only improves your mood and the chances you'll get out the door, but also makes you burn up to 15 percent more calories for three hours after exercise, and boosts endurance, too. Be a spin master Don't know where to start? Consider taking a spin class. The camaraderie and music can make you forget you're working out, and you
can control how hard you work, allowing you to ease in, says Shannon ǡ dass Fitness in Tallahassee, Florida. Remember when Think of a positive memory involving exercise or an activity: a fun hike with your family, swimming at the beach on a beautiful day with friends, racquetball with your neighbor. Now, when you need that little push to get up and out, use that memory like a jolt of electricity. People who invoke positive memories exercise more frequently than those who don't, a University of New Hampshire study found. Rock some new duds Nothing motivates you to take up yoga or ϐ new home-gym items ϐ Ǥ the black yoga pants or sweats and get into a sleek new running top or Ǧϐ leggings. Fun new gear can also help increase your willingness to keep training, says Hajo Adam of Houston's Rice University; he studies the effect
of clothes on psychology. Know thyself Fitness isn't going to become a habit unless you make it easy on yourself. Part of that is knowing what works for you. "If you don't enjoy doing it, you won't continue," says Christine Whelan, a behavior-change expert ϐ ̵ Life Reimagined program. If you need music, make a special playlist just for your workouts. Sample various gyms and pick the one where you feel the most comfortable. Keep Going Get intense Once you’ve been at it for a month or more and you’re beginning to see results, kick your workout up a notch. Add a minute of jogging for every 10 minutes of walking, do some step-ups in between sets of weight lifting, or do whatever is a little harder in 30-second bursts. Short bursts of intensity while exercising can improve heart health, raise metabolism and lower blood sugar; they can also enhance motivation, recent research
published in the Journal of Physiology shows. Rest as needed No one, and particularly those of us over a certain age, should try to sustain high-intensity exercise for every workout. That puts you at an increased risk of burnout — and prevents your body from fully recovering. The best way to tell if you’re burned out? Take ȋ ϐ gers on neck or wrist, or via a mobile heart monitor) every morning for a week when you wake up. If it’s seven beats faster than average, take a day off. Studies show that a rise in your morning heart rate is a sign of training fatigue. Change it up exercise programs than burnout. A University of Florida study found that people who changed their workout every couple of weeks enjoyed exercising more and were more inclined to stick with their regimen than those who stuck to the same old routine. Crosstraining serves the same end. Stay Fit Cont. on Pg. 2.