Tai Chi an option for easing pain, improving balance

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 12 October 2010 15:04

Evelyn Jewett, Almeda Kahns, Vernie Beaston (standing from left) join other seniors in a Tai Chi demonstration led by Gayla Ratzlaff last Wednesday at the Marion Senior Center. Beulah Weigert watches from her chair. Ratzlaff is organizing a class in Marion that will begin next month.  



For people who are leery of the physical demands of most exercise programs, these claims are pretty enticing.

“Say goodbye to sweating, puffing and panting. Say hello to feeling cool, calm, refreshed and energized.

“Just 30 minutes a day is your passport to better health, fitness, peace of mind and so much more, as your mind and body work in harmony for superb results.”

Those claims are being affirmed by a growing number of American seniors who are trying Tai Chi as way to improve their balance, relaxation and overall health.

That’s why Gayla Ratzlaff, coordinator for the Marion County Department of Aging, is bringing the Chinese system of slow meditative physical exercise to local seniors.

Ratzlaff is organizing...

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Tampa’s Duggan participates in Silver Haired Legislature

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 12 October 2010 15:03

Tom Duggan of Tampa participated in the 28th annual Kansas Silver Haired Legisla­ture as a delegate from Marion County.

The organization, established by the Kansas Legis­lature, consists of people 60 and older elected to develop bills and resolutions of interest to seniors and their families.

This year’s legislature considered and recommended legislation pertaining to:

• providing for courts to determine the custody of grandchildren if the child is residing with grandparents in a stable relationship and it is in the child’s best interest.

• elimination of sales tax exemptions for organizations that do not provide services or benefits on a statewide basis.

• amended the Kansas Constitution to provide for term limits for...

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Healthy Geezer- Getting flu shot a good idea for seniors

Written by Fred Cicetti Tuesday, 07 September 2010 14:07

It’s time for a flu shot. You can get the flu vaccine from your doctor, and at public health facilities, senior centers, pharmacies and supermarkets. Adults over 50 are prime candidates for the vaccine because the flu can be fatal for older people.

There are two types of vaccines: the injection, which is approved for people older than 6 months, including healthy people and those with chronic medical conditions, and the nasal-spray, which is approved for use in healthy people 2 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. The 2010-11 flu vaccine will protect against 2009 H1N1, and two other influenza...

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Volunteering can improve your health in later years

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 10 August 2010 15:54

The health benefits of volunteering are well-documented and include reduced stress and an increased feeling of self worth. We respect and admire volunteers for their devotion to a cause and their willingness to sacrifice their own needs for the needs of others. These selfless acts can often be life-changing for the person on the receiving end, but what about the person volunteering?

The health benefits of volunteering are well-documented and include reduced stress and an increased feeling of self worth. It is no wonder that for many people with chronic conditions, volunteering can even help maintain or improve one’s physical health.

Hand in Hand for RA (handinhandforRA.com) is a national awareness campaign that encourages people with the painful chronic joint disease rheumatoid arthritis to learn about the benefits of volunteering and share their own...

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Back pain (Part 1): The common causes

Written by Fed Cicetti Tuesday, 10 August 2010 15:53

Q Have you ever thrown your back out? I hear an awful lot of geezers complain about their backs. How common is back pain?

 

A Yes, I’ve had back problems most of my adult life and I know how debilitating they are. When I was 30, I put myself in bed for a week by carrying heavy stacks of newspapers to the curb. Back problems have been a recurring problem in the decades since then.

The first attack of low-back pain usually happens to people between the ages of 30 and 40. Back pain becomes more common with age.

Back pain is very common. It affects about 8 out of 10 people. This affliction incapacitates so many people and the subject is so extensive that I’m going to do a three-part series on back pain. This first one is about...

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