caregiver Archives -

Easily Improve Muscle Strength by Spring

You really can easily Improve Muscle Strength by Spring.

Do you feel winter blahs? Spring is on its way! Here are three simple ways to easily improve muscle strength and mobility. Now is the time!

Can’t or won’t go to the gym or Y? That’s okay …

My excuses for not working out most likely sound like yours..

Excuse #1 – Time

I seriously don’t feel I can take time to go to a gym or even plop in a video for thirty minutes of muscle toning.

Excuse #2 – I am tired.

I wake up in the morning and jump right into the day’s work schedule. By nightfall, I am ready to hit the bed; muscle toning is the farthest thing from my mind. (Oh, but tomorrow … Been there?)

Can you relate?

The following three simple steps have helped me improve mobility and gain muscle strength. A personal heads up here: you will most likely scan through this article and decide there is no way those little tips are going to make a significant difference in your health and well-being. I will tell you emphatically, “you will see a change and you will feel it.”

Step #1 Seize the moments available to you now.

When you are warming something in the microwave, for instance, are you leaning against the cabinet or slipping into a nearby chair while waiting? Consider using that time for a few stretches or arm lifts. Keep weights or a couple of cans of food handy so you can grab them and do a one or two minute workout. At the very least, do a few squats and bends. For more ideas, click here.

Step #2 Develop an awareness of your body.

Have you formed a habit of slumping when you sit? Do you waddle from side to side when you walk, again from habit? Are you continually stepping over items that need picked up because you can’t or won’t stoop over to get them?

Take time to stop and observe your habits. Stand tall when you walk, you will actually feel more rested as your posture improves. Make it a habit to bend as much as you can to pick up items. Sit straight in a chair and breathe deeply. Even if this lasts only a few minutes, you will begin to build strength.

Step #3 Do not always take the easy, shorter way.

When shopping, do you seek parking close to the door? Of course, you rationalize you need to save time. Let’s be honest, how much time does it take to walk a few extra parking spaces, or even half the parking lot? In the beginning you may be able to walk only one or two extra spaces. Then a few more; perhaps eventually across the parking lot. Wow!

The more time “saved” by denying a little extra walk, or a few stretches, the more rest is needed as we become weaker. Whether living by yourself, caring for family, or a caregiver with full-time responsibilities, you know how important it is to keep your arms and legs strong so you can remain independent as much as possible.

What small changes can you make in your life today that will affect your future health and well-being? Of these three simple steps, I challenge you to choose one, just one, and focus on that for a week. As that change becomes routine, add another. Soon you’ll be moving mountains as you easily improve muscle strength each day.

Hugs,

Did you check out my new Kids’ Page? Free downloadable coloring page from Patches’ book!

5 Simple Ways to Communicate in Awkward Situations

Posted on February 13, 2016 by adminFebruary 17, 2016

Caregivers and family can find it difficult to communicate in awkward situations.

The reason could be as simple as stubborn wills. More likely, it involves Alzheimer’s, dementia or other medical issues including reactions to certain medications. When words are gone or memory fails, even for a short period of time, we must learn other ways to communicate so people will feel valued and loved.

Read John’s story: can you relate?
John quickly crossed the road to avoid an encounter with a couple. His long-time friend was suffering memory loss and would not know him. When confronted later, John admitted, “I was uncomfortable; I didn’t know how to react and didn’t want anyone to feel embarrassed.” The end result was worse than embarrassment; the couple felt rejected and hurt.

1. Always take time to acknowledge someone you meet in public.
Greeting the hurting couple above with a handshake and sincere smile would have boosted their confidence, encouraged and helped them cope in an otherwise awkward situation. Depending on the circumstances, John could have offered to carry their bags, buy them a cup of coffee, or simply promise to pray faithfully for them.

2. Acknowledge each person you meet in a home you visit.
Jenny was caring for her elderly deaf aunt. On my first visit, the aunt was in her wheelchair in the middle of the room. Before sitting down for our visit, I went to the frail, little woman whom I had not met before. With a broad smile, she took my outstretched hands and gave them a good squeeze. Jenny and I would have plenty of time for our visit; her aunt needed someone to notice she was there, too.

3. Find creative ways to communicate non-verbally.
After driving hours after work to visit us, our son would always go directly to Grandma’s chair without a word to anyone else. Her quiet little world suddenly became the queen’s palace as he smiled and hugged on her for awhile. “Would you like a candy bar, Grandma?” The excitement mounted as he slowly unwrapped a little Hershey bar for her. There are no words to describe the very real, very intense “conversation” that followed as he made sure Grandma knew she was loved.

4. Accept the situation as it is; not as you wish it were.
When Mother said to me, “I am not your mother”, I had to accept the fact that, in her mind, I was a stranger caring for her. Whether she knew me as her daughter or not was not the primary issue at the time. She needed to know the person taking care of her loved her; that she was in a safe environment. (More about this account in my book, MY MOTHER MY CHILD.)

5. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
If you couldn’t talk or express yourself, how would you feel. How could a visitor or family member help you feel a part of the family? How would you want to be greeted? What could someone do to show you that you had value?

A need for acceptance is built inside each of us. We long to please, to be a part of the activity in our surroundings. We need to feel loved.

Experience has taught me, when feelings surface of being lonesome, unloved, or left out, all I need do is find someone to love on a bit. Jesus said, “Love one another.” I trust you will find someone today needing a big hug and a smile and share with them. It’s contagious.

Hugs,

P.S. For more great tips and helps, you will benefit from the discussion guides in the latest edition of MY MOTHER MY CHILD. Click here for preview.

Caregiver Alert: A Little Happy Goes a Long Way

Posted on August 21, 2015 by adminOctober 25, 2016

Today, let us count some happy!

We are bombarded with heavy news: he said, she said, they did …! We need encouragement. I am gonna get outa this rut and find some happy. I promise, p-r-o-m-i-s-e, you will find some happy too!

Five reasons to be happy today.

#1 I’m happy because I can read. Seriously? Yes! Last week we had casserole with hot, hot peppers in the chopped tomatoes because I didn’t take time to read the label. We don’t do hot peppers! What about those shoppers that brave the stores and cannot read labels?

#2 I’m happy because I can open my door and breathe in fresh, clean air. No raging war outside my door, no fires, no starving wee ones on the corners.

#3 I’m happy because I chose to care for Mother, hubby, family. Not everyone has someone to care for. God entrusts us with loved ones; then He enables us to care for them and love on them, even when the road gets rough at times.

#4. I am happy because I have a bed to crawl into, a chair to rest in, a refrigerator with good food and fresh water to drink. Many, many, many do not!

#5 I am happy because I have friends to write letters to and friends who share their burdens and joys with me. Friends like you, dear ones, who make my life happy by simply sharing in it.

And, I have a Friend, Jesus, I can talk to everyday. He shares my joys, my sorrows, and knows my deepest needs. I pray you know Him, too. He can make the heaviest day a happy one as we learn to leave our burdens with Him.

Have a great week.

Check out my articles in a new book from Springfield Writer’s Guild: Creative Collections. Short stories and poems are a great way to find a little happy when time is short and you need a pic-me-up.