Senior Fitness With Meredith

Board games are a great past time and a great way to spend time with family and friends but did you know that you are also benefitting from the cognitive aspects whilst playing? Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and regularly participating in board games (or "brain games") directly contributes to your mental health in many beneficial ways. In This Episode You Will Learn: 1). Some of Meredith's personal experiences in working with seniors and seeing how board games are very popular among circles of friends and family. 2). Why mental health is important and how it has become more acceptable in recent time to talk about your mental health with others. 3). How playing board games or card games has many healthy social benefits when played with groups of friends or family. 4). How these games can help "boost" your brain power which keeps you sharper and more consciously aware. 5). How you can reduce levels of stress and help protect yourself from certain types of dementia by regularly participating in board games. /// We hope the information we shared in this episode is helpful to you especially if you love playing board games! You can having fun with friends and family AND work on your mental and cognitive health at the same time without even knowing it:) Team MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” —Aristotle This quote reminds us that even when times are bad we must work extra hard to get through it, but we can! MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020 we started running livestream exercise classes on YouTube at least once a month to help people who were confined in their home due to COVID restrictions. As we were able to open up and leave our homes, we decided to keep our live stream schedule and this week we are finally coming up on our 100th episode! We wanted to dedicate a podcast episode to celebrate this milestone and share a few of the things we've learned from you over the years. In This Episode You Will Learn: 1). A quick explanation on what a livestream on YouTube is and how you can join us when we go live. 2). How our livestreams started to feel like a small community as we got to know more people who join us each month. 3). Meredith's personal thoughts on getting to know some of the people that join each month and some of the stories they've shared. 4). Some of the technical challenges we've had to overcome when running our livestreams in multiple locations over the years. 5). How Meredith prepares her livestream classes and some of the ups and downs she experiences while getting prepared during the week. /// We hope this episode has been entertaining for you as it has been for us. If you have joined one of our livestreams in the past then we want to say THANK YOU! We've had an amazing time so far getting to see familiar faces and comments each month. We are hoping to continue our livestreams for as long as they are helpful to others. Thank You! Team MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.” —Marilyn Monroe This quote reminds us that whatever we go through, remember to keep smiling as it is a great life! MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your balance is one of the most important aspects of aging and living independently. Everyday tasks like grocery shopping, walking up and down stairs, getting in and out of a car etc. all require balance and stability. Focusing on habits that improve your balance should be taken as a priority during your weekly exercise and stretching routines. In This Episode You Will Learn: 1). How there is a direct correlation between maintaining good balance and your longevity. 2). Some of Meredith's personal experiences in working with older clients and their struggles with balance. 3). How balance is still very important even if you have limited mobility and movement. 4). Why it's important to think about balance as a full body activity and not just your core or legs. 5). The importance of using assistive devices properly and how that's important to maintaining good balance if you use one. /// We hope the information we've provided in this episode is helpful to you if you are having trouble with balance and everyday tasks. Making sure you prioritize activities that promote better balance will keep you active, mobile and independent for years to come. Team MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” —Dolly Parton This quote reminds us that no matter what, we can always change what we are doing if we are unhappy! MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"You can't teach an old dog a new trick" - We use quotes like this very commonly to describe what it feels like to get old but sometimes these sayings can be taken out of context and generalized. For this episode, we decided to highlight a few common quotes like this and attempt to re-frame or redefine them in a way that softens the Sinicism and makes them more relevant to actual aging. In This Episode You Will Learn: 1). Where we came up with the idea to highlight these types of common quotes that frame aging in somewhat of a negative light. 2). How mental health affects many older individuals and why it's important to focus on your mental health and your physical health. 3). How having a "Senior Moment" can be taken negatively for some and how feeling like you are forgetful etc. applies to all ages, not just seniors. 4). Why it's important to embrace your current age and not just compare yourself to feeling like you should be younger. 5). A better way to compliment someone based on their actual appearance and age rather than comparing them to someone younger. /// We hope you enjoyed this episode and found refreshing new ways to express aging in a way that promotes a healthier and more positive outlook. Embracing your age is truly a gift no matter how old you are and celebrating the journey is what it is all about. Team MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Be persistent and never give up hope.” —George Lucas This quote reminds us to always keep going with hope in our hearts! MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Installing the habit of practicing daily movement is an important aspect of living and active and independent life. Tasks like grocery shopping and carrying groceries, gardening, cleaning the house, walking etc all carry big benefits when done regularly. Luckily some of these rarely feel like "working out" which can contribute to better health and happiness. In This Episode You Will Learn: 1). What daily movement is and what types of activities incorporate "daily movement". 2). How daily movement differs from a regular exercise or workout schedule. 3). We address the 10,000 steps issue and share thoughts on whether you really need to get that amount of steps in every day. 4). The appropriate amount of rest you should be getting when staying active with both exercise and daily movement. 5). Some tips on how you can incorporate daily movement during your day if you work at a job that requires you to stay seated like driving or office work. /// We hope the information in this episode is helpful to you if you are feeling slow and sluggish or are dealing with chronic pain that makes you feel like you have less movement. You can still reap benefits from daily movement even if it is just a little each day which can add up to a lot in the end. Team MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Life has got all those twists and turns. You’ve got to hold on tight and off you go.” ―Nicole Kidman This quote reminds us that life is full of uncertainties, which are part of the ride! MeredithSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.