HEALTHYliving WINTER 2021
STAYING ACTIVE DURING A PANDEMIC
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HEALTHYliving WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS
Ashley Vansant
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EDITORIAL
Steve Barnes Chelsea Hofmann Brandon Tester
OPTIONS FOR STAYING ACTIVE DURING THE PANDEMIC
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
David D. Singleton
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MARKETING & SALES
Kristen Smith Scott Williamson
PREVENTIVE CARE AND THE PANDEMIC
DISTRIBUTION
Kim Riggs
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ART DIRECTION
Elizabeth Reed
THE VARIOUS HEALTH BENEFITS OF YOGA
12 HEALTHYliving
THE ROLE DIFFERENT VITAMINS PLAY
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Options for staying active during the pandemic BY BRANDON TESTER Washington Daily News
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ew Year’s fitness resolutions look a little different this year. Maybe your goal is to go to the gym more often or go for a run every day. Perhaps you want to train for an upcoming competition, or you want to join a sports league offered by your local parks and recreation department. Regardless of what those goals look like, pursuing them while also staying healthy amid the COVID-19 pandemic will require extra precautions and heightened sanitation protocols. Many options exist for those wanting a fitness facility membership, as several local gyms have opened with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines in place. And many options are in place for those who prefer getting outside for their exercise outside as well. Washington Parks and Recreation Director Kristi Roberson said her department isn’t offering as many in-person activities as usual to promote social distancing, but the city’s parks are still open for use. “Our parks are open enough for our families to go out and recreate, whether it’s just passively hanging out or being able to enjoy the playground and open space actively,” Roberson said. The department has focused most of its virtual fitness initiatives on the Grace Martin Harwell Senior Center, offering livestreams and videos of aerobic workouts and other activities.
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“We’re moving forward with trying to plan for our baseball, softball and softball seasons,” Roberson added. “Those dates and times might change at any given point, but right now we’re trying to move forward with those.” Sports leagues at the Chocowinity Recreation Complex are also tentatively moving forward. Registration will open soon for Chocowinity’s baseball and softball leagues. “Right now, we are planning for opening day to be March 27,” a post on the facility’s Facebook page reads. “We look forward to this season and
hope that everyone will keep us in your The CDC published the following thoughts and prayers as we try to decide ideas for staying fit at home: how to safely have a full season.” • Engage in active family play time. Any game that gets everyone up and GUIDELINES moving counts. The Centers for Disease Control and • Catch up on household chores such Prevention has published guidelines for as cleaning out the closet. Vacuuming is staying active while spending more time also a physical activity. at home during the pandemic. • Get outside. Mow the grass, go for According to the CDC, children ages 3 a walk, or take a bike ride. Remember to 5 need daily physical activity. Everyone to maintain a safe distance between ages 6 to 17 needs at least one hour of yourself and other active neighbors. “moderate-to-intense” physical activity • Make television watching more every day. Adults need 150 minutes a active by doing jumping jacks or pushweek of moderate intensity activity. ups during the commercials. ■
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Preventive care and the pandemic
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rocrastination is not typically considered a good thing. But as the world spent much of 2020 confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, putting certain things on hold became part of the new normal. In an effort to reduce infection rates, public health officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization urged people to limit their in person interactions with people outside of their own households. As a result, many of the things people do on a regular basis, including seeing their physicians for wellness visits, were rescheduled. It’s understandable that many people postponed preventive care and wellness visits during the pandemic, but it’s also potentially dangerous. For example, researchers with the Health Care Cost Institute found that childhood vaccinations declined by roughly 60 percent in mid-April 2020 compared with 2019. Other screenings and preventive exams, including mammograms, pap smears and colonoscopies, also declined by significant percentages during the pandemic compared to the previous year. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion notes the power of preventive care is undeniable. In fact, the NCCDPHP points out that, while chronic diseases are among the most common and costly of all health problems, they’re also among the most preventable. Annual wellness visits and early detection efforts like routine screenings for at-risk populations
can uncover problems before they escalate into something more serious. In addition, annual physicals, which are provided free of charge through many health insurance policies, provide great opportunities for doctors to advise patients on their overall health and how to improve it if exams and blood work turn up any red flags. Visiting a doctor during the pandemic As vital as preventive care can be, it’s understandable if people are hesitant to visit their doctors during the pandemic. But patients can take certain steps to calm their nerves about booking preventive care appointments during the pandemic. • Schedule telemedicine appointments. T he number of telemedicine appointments has skyrocketed during the pandemic. While the transition from predominantly in-person appointments to telemedicine might have been a reluctant and rocky one at the start of the pandemic, many doctors’ offices have since firmly established their
telemedicine protocols. The Mayo Clinic advises patients who have not yet tried telemedicine to contact their doctors’ offices to arrange an appointment. • Inquire about office procedures. Doctors tr y to kee p patients healthy, not get them sick. Various medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, have provided thorough checklists to help physicians prepare their offices to welcome patients during the pandemic. Patients can ease their concerns by contacting their doctors’ offices and asking them about their pandemic-related protocols. • Don’t hesitate to make requests. There’s no such thing as being too safe from COVID-19, so patients can work with their doctors to calm their fears even further. Ask to pay copays over the phone and request that the front desk call you when the doctor is ready so you don’t have to sit in the waiting room. Preventive care is an important component of health care, even during a pandemic. ■
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The various health benefits of yoga
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ealth-conscious individuals can do many things to improve their overall health. As medical researchers continue to uncover new things about how to achieve optimal health, one practice dating back to ancient times remains a highly effective way to take care of the human body. Though there’s no written records regarding the origins and invention of yoga, the practice is believed to date back to ancient India. The earliest written record of yoga is “The Yoga Sutra of Pantañjali,” a collection of aphorisms that historians believe was compiled sometime between 500 BCE and 400 BCE. Despite its age, yoga has not been studied extensively by medical researchers. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, many studies looking into the health effects of yoga have included only small numbers of people and have not been of high quality. As a result, the NCCIH can only say that yoga shows promise in regard to helping people manage or overcome certain health issues, but not that it has been proven to do so. Though yoga may need to be studied more closely and extensively, many people who include it in their regular health care routines report feeling better both physically and mentally for having done so, and that may not be a coincidence. A 2004 comprehensive
review of yoga’s use as a therapeutic intervention published in the Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology indicated that yoga targets unmanaged stress, which has been linked to chronic disorders like anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes, and insomnia. In addition to that review, the NCCIH notes that research has suggested yoga can: • Relieve low-back pain and neck pain • Relieve menopause symptoms • Help people manage anxiety or depressive symptoms associated with difficult life situations
• Help people quit smoking • Help people who are overweight or obese lose weight • Help people with chronic diseases manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. It’s important that anyone considering making yoga part of their health care routines recognize that there are various forms of yoga, some of which are more physically demanding than others. So it’s best if individuals speak with their physicians before trying yoga so they can find the type that aligns best with their current levels of fitness. ■
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The role different vitamins play
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nutritious diet is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle. When it’s part of a health regimen that includes routine exercise, a healthy diet that’s rich in fruits and vegetables can help people reduce their risk for various illnesses, including chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Many adults have known about the value of fruits and vegetables since they were youngsters and their parents repeatedly told them how important it was to eat healthy foods. Despite those early lessons, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that less than 10 percent of adults and adolescents eat enough fruits and vegetables. That’s unfortunate, as fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins that benefit the body in myriad ways. The U.S. National Library of Medicine notes that vitamin deficiency occurs when people do not get enough of certain vitamins. Recognizing the many functions vitamins serve may compel adults and adolescents to include more fruits and vegetables in their diets. • Vitamin A: The USNLM notes that vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. According to the World Health Organization, vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and increases the risk of disease and death from severe infections. • Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 helps form red blood cells and maintain brain function. Though the National
Institutes of Health notes that isolated vitamin B6 deficiency is uncommon, a deficiency has been associated with various conditions, including a weakened immune system and dermatitis cheilitis, a condition marked by scaling on the lips and cracks at the corners of the mouth. • Vitamin C: Vitamin C is an antioxidant that promotes healthy teeth and gums, helps the body absorb iron and maintains healthy tissue. In addition, vitamin C plays an integral role in helping wounds heal. Vitamin C deficiency impairs bone function, and Merck notes that in children that impairment can cause bone lesions and contribute to poor bone growth. • Vitamin D: The USNLM notes that 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine three times per week is enough to produce the body’s vitamin D requirement for people at most latitudes. It’s hard to rely on food to supply ample vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium that is necessary for the development
and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. • Vitamin E: Vitamin E helps the body form red blood cells and utilize vitamin K. Green, leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli are good sources of vitamin E. The Office of Dietary Supplements notes that a vitamin E deficiency can cause nerve and muscle damage, potentially leading to muscle weakness and vision problems. • Vitamin K: Vitamin K helps to make certain proteins that are needed for blood clotting and the building of bones. The T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard notes that the main type of vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables like collard greens, kale and spinach. Vitamin K deficiency is rare, but it can lead to bleeding, hemorrhaging or osteoporosis. Vitamins are crucial to human beings’ overall health. Eating ample amounts of fruits and vegetables is a great and delicious way to avoid vitamin deficiency. ■
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MEDICAL AND HEALTH DIRECTORY
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HEALTH INSURANCE
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Medicare Supplement Insurance
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NEUROSURGERY
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Vidant Neurosurgery - Greenville 2325 Stantonsburg Road, Greenville, NC
252-847-1550
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1209 Brown Street, Washington
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RHEUMATOLOGY Vidant Rheumatology-Washington
628 East 12th Street, Washington
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Eastern Radiologists Greenville MRI UROLOGY 2101 W. Arlington Blvd., Suite 110 Greenville, NC 27834 Vidant Urology-Washington 252-752-5000 easternrad.com 1202 Brown Street, Washington M-F 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. S/S 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
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Vidant Women’s Care-Washington Obstetrics and Gynecology
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HEALTHCARE IN AND AROUND BEAUFORT COUNTY
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It’s been another long shift. My heart breaks over another loss from COVID.
Wear a mask We need your help so we can continue to care for you and your loved ones. COVID-19 cases continue to climb and we need to work together to help stop the spread. We see the painful reality of this pandemic in the faces of Vidant team members on the front lines, every day. We see it in their dedication to one another, the patients and families they serve, and a region that depends on them for care. Please do your part to protect yourself and others— including those who provide care in eastern North Carolina. Remember to wash your hands, maintain a social distance from others of at least 6 feet, and wear a mask in public to help keep yourself, your family, and your community safe.
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