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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2005)
Page 10 The INDEPENDENT, December 15, 2005 Driving and getting older – what to do Health Notes By Audeen Wagner EXERCISE! Has your doctor told you lately that you need more exercise? Most of us could ben- efit from a regular exercise program to im- prove general health and to prevent any number of physical problems. One way to do this right here in Vernon- ia is JAZZERCISE. What a fun way to get loosened up, dancing and exercising to mu- sic for an hour. Jazzercise combines elements of dance, kickbox- ing, resistance movements, ballet, jazz, yoga, Pilates (use of spe- cialized apparatus such as weights), and more. It’s for people of every age and fitness level. Jazzercise is a fast-growing, worldwide organization, and it certainly seems to be a popular movement in our area, thanks to Penny Costley, who owns the franchise for Jazzercise in Vernon- ia. She is bursting with ideas for helping Vernonians get more ac- tive. Penny and Orissa Burghard are both certified Jazzercise in- structors, and are high-energy, enthusiastic ladies. They are kept busy with a dozen or more sessions every week. You can find a class dancing away at 6:00 a.m. some mornings, and there are evening and daytime classes – even a couple that are called Jazzercise-Lite, geared at a slightly slower pace for those with physical limitations. “We encourage everyone to increase the in- tensity of the workouts gradually…starting slowly and increasing in intensity over time,” Penny says, “and always going at your own speed.” A one-hour session involves about 30 minutes of aerobic exer- cise designed to increase cardiovascular fitness and burn calo- ries, followed by a cool-down segment to reduce heart rate, a strength training segment for muscle-toning, and a stretching por- tion for flexibility. By the way, here’s a formula for calculating the number of calo- ries burned per cardio portion of the workout: Multiply 0.060 calo- ries x minutes x weight; so, for example, a 150-lb person can burn approximately 270 calories per half hour (0.060 x 30 x 150 = 270 calories burned). Wow. Penny Johnson, one of the regulars, says that when people tell her they can’t do Jazzercise because they ‘have a back ailment or whatever,’ her reply is, “I have a back problem, too, and I can do a whole lot of things now that I couldn’t do before Jazzercise!” So, try dancing your way to health, to increase your energy level, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, lose some weight, strengthen and tone muscles, increase strength, flexibility and balance, and experience a feeling of health and of well- being. Sound like fun? Contact Penny Costley (503-429-0196, or email at pcostley@agalis.n et) for more information. MAMMOGRAM The next visit of the mam- movan to Vernonia will be on Wednesday December 14. The van will be in the parking lot at Providence Vernonia clinic all day. This screening is an effec- tive way to detect breast can- cer in its earliest stage. Please phone the clinic at 503-429- 9191 for an appointment. Going someplace? Yo u probably think of getting into your car and driving off. But as we age, it’s smart to consider any changes in ability we’ve had, how these changes might be related to safe driving, and what we can do about them. They could be anything from our general health to our vision, reaction times, or even thinking speed. The University of Michigan has produced the Driving Deci- sions Workbook under a grant from the federal government and General Motors. The work- book takes up concerns that seniors expressed over the course of the study that pro- duced it. It is especially valuable be- cause it offers practical solu- tions to many problems older drivers face. Indicators: The Wo r k b o o k notes that having or almost having been in traffic accidents or starting to get tickets can be an early warning sign of driving problems. The most frequent problems of older drivers in- clude failure to observe signs and signals, careless crossing of intersections, failure to yield, changing lanes without regard for others, improper backing, and driving too slowly. Inatten- tion and having too much infor- mation to handle at once seem to be the root of most of these conditions. Vision: As we age, we expe- rience declines in our vision. These declines relate to our ability to read traffic signs, re- cover our focus at night, quick- ly detect brake lights, and cor- rectly judge the speed and lo- cation of other cars around us. Other problems may include re- duced peripheral or side vision, decreased sensitivity to light, and problems with depth per- ception. While some vision problems are not correctable, many problems can be correct- ed under a doctor’s care. It is important to get regular eye ex- ams. Thinking: Our brains “slow down” as we age. You may be having a problem with “divided attention,” the ability to do two things at once, such as keeping track of your driving speed and what other cars are doing at the same time, or with “selective at- tention,” the ability to ignore what is not important while fo- cusing on what is important. The speed of your thinking and decision-making may have de- creased. You might be having problems with your memory. Your Body: Your body can lose some of its flexibility or muscle strength and “reaction time,” the time it takes to move in response to something hap- pening on the road, can in- crease. Fortunately, studies show that these can often be improved through exercise and stretching. Check with your doctor or senior center about programs that might help. Medical Problems: Some medical conditions can inter- fere with your ability to drive s a f e l y. For instance, people treated for diabetes are at risk for low blood sugar, which can lead to impaired judgment or loss of consciousness. Having had a stroke may result in par- tial or complete paralysis, weakness, or mental diff i c u l- ties. Tremors, slowness of movement, and rigidity are part of Parkinson’s disease. Both seizure disorders and syncope involve a sudden loss of con- sciousness. Sleep apnea and narcolepsy can cause exces- sive sleepiness. Medications: As we age, our body chemistry changes and drugs have stronger eff e c t s than when we were younger. We also tend to take more medications. In high doses, or when combined, drugs can im- See page 27