The Sequoia Advisor

IN THIS ISSUE                                                       October 1^st 2012

• Balance Practice Can Save Your Life
• A Powerful Set of Tools to Mitigate Stress
  
• Still Time to Join September 27^th Beginner Posture Perfect!^TM
  
• Up and Coming
  
• Osteoporosis Support News
   

Feel Better... Live Better

Balance Practice Can Save Your Life
By Woody McMahon

Good Balance Critical to a Long Life
As you age, good balance is one of the key components to maintaining a
healthy and independent lifestyle. Did you know that the #1 cause of
accidental death in people over age 65 is head trauma from falls? I have
known about this statistic for some time and because of it emphasize
balance training in all of my fitness programs. But just out of curiosity,
I asked several 50+ friends of mine about the head trauma statistic. I was
surprised to find out how few of them really understood the importance of
improving their balance as it related to maintaining good health.

Your Balance is Important to Self-Confidence
Your balance is involved in every single daily activity you undertake.
Being unable to balance generates fear and anxiety and reduces your
ability to have fun. If you can't balance, simple activities such as
walking up and down stairs become daunting rather than routine.For many people with balance problems, just walking on a flat surface
can create a challenge. If they were to add walking with groceries in
their hands, the task can become impossible. But just ask any of your
friends who might be having balance troubles and they will tell you of
its extreme importance.

Your Balance is Important to Independence
Good balance helps you remain independent. When surveyed, people
over age 65 always ranked maintaining their independence as they age
number one. Working on improving your balance helps prevent falls and
the medical cost assistance that is required for recovery. Starting a
balance training program is one of the most important fitness goals to
consider as you get older. You learned to balance at a young age and
can lose that ability unless you practice regularly. Sitting in exercise
machines is not a good way to stimulate your balance.

Practice Your Balance Daily
If you find yourself walking around feeling unstable or avoiding stairs
because of the fear of falling, it is time to start practicing your
balance. Balance training is easy to incorporate in any regular exercise
program; it just takes knowing how. When I perform a health and fitness
assessment and evaluate someone's balance, I use a simple test called
Single Leg Balance (SLB). You can try SLB at home and test your
balance as well.

Single Leg Balance... A Simple Test
To perform Single Leg Balance, stand on a flat, hard surface. Fold
your arms across the chest and then raise one foot off the floor
approximately two inches. Stand in this position with your head up
and shoulders level for 30 seconds. Make sure to breathe. During the
test, if your foot touches the ground or either shoulder dips to one
side, the test is over. Record your time. Now repeat for the other side.

A Test and an Exercise as Well
Not only is Single Leg Balance an important and reliable test but it is
also a simple and effective way to practice your balance as well. Try
standing on one leg for 30 seconds several times a day. Try it when you
are watching television, listening to the radio or any time you have a
spare moment or two. In balancing, as with most activities, the more you
practice the better you get. Until next time, I will be thinking of you
balancing on one leg.

Would you like to reduce stress and improve your bone health
but don't know where to start? I provide an easy to follow program
called Be Bone Strong! that helps improve your bone health, posture,
balance and strength while reducing fracture risk. Contact me anytime
for a no cost 20 minute consultation at 703-628-2880 or email to
woody@sequoiahealth.com.

A Powerful Set of Tools to Mitigate Stress
By Woody McMahon

Keeping Your Mind Strong
Your mind is a wonderful tool when used correctly. But if left to its own
devices, your mind can create many unnecessary health and emotional
problems. The mind sets the tone for your entire body and life. Recent
studies have shown that your state of mind, optimism as an example,
is more closely tied to good health and longevity than pessimism. This is
not the first time that state of mind has been studied and found to have
a direct affect on physical health.

The Importance of a Stronger Mind
The recent events in Colorado and the Middle East punctuate how stressful
the world has become. Increasing your mental strength is the only way
you can ever hope to feel secure and hopeful in a world full of despair,
disease and uncertainty. A few years ago I coined the phrase
"Mental Fitness" in an attempt to help my clients realize that, just like
their bodies, their minds could be trained and strengthened as well. The
process of attaining a higher level of Mental Fitness is very similar to how
you develop increased physical fitness. What is the benefit to a stronger
mind? Why is a stronger mind so important?

The Mind Controls the Body
As I have stated before, your mind is a powerful tool IF you strengthen
it and then use that new found strength wisely. I am sure you know that
stress causes great harm to your body. Stress disrupts your body's natural
mechanism by altering its hormone balance. When hormones are out of
balance, your body has a difficult time maintaining a healthy state.

Internalized stress can be recognized by the variety of symptoms it
produces. Everything from back and neck pain, digestive difficulties,
sleep problems to muscle and joint aches and anxiety can be expected
from an over-stressed body. Left unmanaged, stress shortens your life;
literally destroying the body from the inside out.

Pump-Up Your Mind
The key to blocking the negative effects of stress in your life is not by
removing the stressful events but changing your reaction to them. A
stronger mind is more capable of handling stressful situations without
reacting to them in a negative way. In truth, there really is no stress
in the world. Stress is purely your mental reaction to an event. 
Strengthening your mind helps alter your reaction to that event and
changes the physical effects that follow. A different state of mind
modifies the way your body experiences the event. So how do you
do this?

Going to Your Mental Gym
You are probably familiar with the concept of physical fitness. To
become more physically fit, you must first create a well balanced exercise
program containing a variety of exercises that improve your posture,
strength, balance, stamina and flexibility. Once you have your exercise
program in place, you allocate time to practice your exercises. Practice
your program for a long enough and you begin to see  results. This is
exactly the same process you will use to strengthen your mind.
The stronger your mind is the better your health will be and the
less you will worry and harbor negative thinking.

Positive Distractions for Your Mind
Fortunately there are several methods that can reduce or eliminate the
negative effects of stress. My favorites are a combination of physical and
mental fitness. Physical fitness strengthens your muscles and heart
providing more oxygen to the tissues helping promote healing and
biological stability. It distracts your mind in a positive way by shifting
your concentration to bodily movements, breathing and other healthy
pursuits.

Mental Fitness Magic
Mental Fitness is a series of exercises for your mind. These mental
gymnastics help strengthen the mind. They allow you to feel more empowered
while helping minimize physical damage to your body from stressful
situations. These mental exercises help make you more hopeful about your
life and your world, bringing you a sense of peace. Anytime you feel powerful
rather than powerless, your body will react much more favorably. Feeling
powerful in a stressful situation takes practice especially if the event
or events are uncomfortable in the first place.

I suggest devoting some time each and every day to improving both your
physical and mental fitness. Over the years, I have found the results
rewarding both personally and professionally.

Try these healthy lifestyle changes for 30 days. Feel what it is like to
be a part of the health solution rather than a health burden. If you need
additional suggestions and advice on living a healthier lifestyle, email
or call me for a 20 minute no cost consultation, at 703-628-2880 or
email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

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