10 tips for being medicinewise

10 tips for being medicinewise

Being 'medicinewise' will help you make better health decisions and get the most benefit from your  medicines. Always ask 'why' before taking any medicine. It is important to know what you’re taking and how it could affect you – and whether a medicine is the best option for you.

Here are some tips to help you become ‘medicinewise’.

1. Know it’s a medicine. Medicines don’t just come on prescription – they can also be bought over the counter from the pharmacy, supermarket or other store, or online. Your medicines may include conventional medications as well as herbal remedies, vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements. They may come in many forms such as tablets, creams, lotions, drops and inhalers.
2. Find the active ingredient in your medicine. Most medicines have two names: the active ingredient and the brand name. Knowing the active ingredient will help you avoid confusing your medicines and making mistakes. It is easy to accidentally double dose if you use different brands containing the same active ingredient.
3. Ask the right questions. It is important to get the information you need to make good decisions about your health and medicines. Get your answers from a reliable source – when searching the Internet, look for the HealthInsite and HONcode logos. You can always ask your doctor or pharmacist if you’re unsure about anything.

4. Read the consumer medicine information. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a consumer medicine information (CMI) leaflet. This is a good starting point for learning more about a medicine.
5. Check the label. Read the packaging for instructions on taking the medicine and for the expiry date. Dispose of expired or unused medicines safely by returning them to any pharmacy.
6. Tell your doctor, pharmacist or other health professional about all of the medicines you are taking. All medicines have possible risks or unwanted side effects, regardless of where you get them or what form they are in. Make sure you let everyone involved in your healthcare know what you are taking, including complementary and alternative treatments.

7. Plan your medicines routine. Know what to take when and refill your prescriptions before they run out.
8. Use aids to help you remember. Ask your pharmacist about aids like Webster-paks or Dosette boxes if you have trouble remembering how to take your medicines.
9. Keep a list of all of your medicines. This will help you keep track of your medicines. Take the list whenever you visit your doctor or other health professional, when you go on holidays or if you go to hospital.

10. Don’t share medicines. It is important not to give other people your medicine or to use someone else’s. What’s right for you may not be right for someone else and vice versa. 

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10 tips for active seniors

10 tips for active seniors

 

 

Regular exercise can keep you fit and help you stay independent as you age. Other benefits may include faster recovery from illness, reduced risk of chronic disease and better management of existing medical problems such as osteoarthritis .... this means must be we think a good in health recovery

Here are some tips for staying active in your senior years. 

 

1. Choose activities you find interesting and manageable. You are more likely to stick to an exercise routine if it’s fun.

2. Check with your doctor before you start a new exercise routine. Some activities may not be appropriate if you have been sedentary for a long time or suffer from obesity or a chronic illness.

3. Start slowly and aim for small improvements. Be guided by your doctor about how long and how frequently to exercise. Keep track of your progress in a training diary for added motivation.

4. Make exercise a social event. Invite friends along or sign up for a class so you can meet new people while getting fit.

5. Improve your flexibility. Suggestions include yoga, stretching exercises, lawn bowls or dancing.

 

6. Build muscle tissue with strength training. For example, you could lift weights or perform a modified form of calisthenics.

7. Look after your bones. Weight-bearing exercise can reduce your risk of bone loss and osteoporosis as you age.

8. Improve your heart and lung fitness. Opt for moderate intensity exercise for maximum benefit. As a general rule, aim for activity that means you breathe hard but are not left feeling breathless. 

 

9. Reduce your risk of falls. Include some balance and coordination exercises in your weekly exercise routine. Good options include tai chi, balancing on one leg and heel to toe stands.

10. Build exercise into your daily routine. Walk to the shops or bus, spend more time in the garden or offer to walk a neighbour’s dog.

 

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10 tips for a healthier heart

Are you concerned about your heart health?

Here are some tips to help you look after your heart. 

  

1. Quit smoking now. Twelve months after quitting, your increased risk of dying from heart disease will be half that of a continuing smoker.
2. Improve your diet. Include wholegrain cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts in your diet and lower your risk of heart disease.
3. Exercise regularly. Walk briskly for 30 minutes a day and reduce your risk of heart attack by one third.
4. Maintain your friendships. People with supportive friendship networks are at less risk of heart disease.
5. Eat more fish. Oily fish like tuna, sardines or salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and will boost your good cholesterol. 
6. Switch your chocolate choice. Switch from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. When eaten in moderation, dark chocolate is good for your heart.
7. Limit your alcohol. It is recommended you Don't drink alcohol this is better for your heart. 
8. Avoid salty and high sodium foods. Don’t add salt when preparing or eating your meals.
9. Have a diabetes test. Uncontrolled diabetes can damage your artery walls and contribute to heart disease.
10. Make fitness fun. Choose activities that combine exercise and socialising like pilates, water aerobics, dancing, cycling or yoga.

                           


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Physical activity - women

Physical activity - women

Summary

Many women find it hard to find the time to exercise due to the demands of parenting and lack of time, money or motivation. However, there are lots of ways you can incorporate exercise into your weekly schedule. A few minor changes to your daily lifestyle can also increase your physical activity level.

Regular physical activity is vital for good physical and mental health. It helps improve your overall health and fitness, maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk for many chronic diseases and promote good mental health.

The 'National Physical Activity Guidelines for recommend that at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days is required for good health. This is the same for women and men. However, only 54 per cent of  women meet these guidelines.

Some of the barriers women face include caring responsibilities, body image and perceptions of safety.

Reasons why women exercise

Women who do exercise regularly say they do so to:

• Improve their physical fitness
• Have fun
• Manage their weight.

Physical activity barriers

Common exercise barriers for women include:

• Lack of time – many women juggle child-rearing, household duties and paid work, and don't find time for themselves.
• Lack of motivation – some women say they don’t feel motivated without a training partner. Others think that, to be useful, exercise must be painful, sweaty and gruelling (which isn’t true).
• Parenting demands – many women fulfil multiple care-giving responsibilities, including for children and older relatives, and take responsibility for meal preparation and cleaning.
• Lack of energy – fatigue is a by-product of a busy lifestyle. Working mothers are often tired.
• Health conditions – older women are more likely to have a chronic health condition (for example, arthritis) that limits their participation in some forms of exercise.
• Lack of money – women on low incomes are less likely to exercise regularly. This may be because they think that any worthwhile physical activity requires expensive equipment and expensive clothes (it doesn’t).
• Gender stereotyping – women who believe that child rearing and domestic chores are ‘women’s work’ are less likely to take time to exercise – perhaps because they feel guilty taking time out for themselves.    

Tips to overcome exercise barriers

Suggestions include:

• Lack of time – try exercise DVDs – so you can exercise whenever you have the chance. Three 10-minute bouts of physical activity over the day has the same health benefits as a continuous 30-minute session.
• Lack of motivation – find a training partner; you could ask family or friends. You could also contact your local council or community centre for information on exercise clubs in your area. For example, you could join a local walking group. Don’t just think of gyms and jogging. You might find dancing or roller-skating fun.
• Parenting demands – try to share child rearing and household chores with your partner or friends. Perhaps your family can help, or maybe paid childcare is an option. Ask friends if they are interested in swapping babysitting.
• Lack of energy – regular exercise gives you the energy to better cope with the demands of daily life. If you keep this in mind, it may help you push past the tiredness during your first few of weeks of regular exercise.
• Health problems – talk to your doctor about appropriate forms of exercise. In most cases, physical limitations don’t rule out all activities. For example, exercise in water (such as aqua-aerobics) is possible for many people with arthritis.
• Lack of money – exercise doesn’t require expensive clothes or a gym membership. One of the most beneficial forms of exercise is also free – brisk walking. Most community centres offer a range of physical activity classes and childcare at modest prices.
• Gender stereotyping – think about your beliefs about women’s roles. It may be that sexism is one of your barriers. (For example, the old saying, ‘Horses sweat, men perspire and women gently glow’ illustrates the stereotype that exercise isn’t appropriate for women.)

Making the changes

If you have a medical condition, are overweight, over 40 years of age or haven’t exercised regularly for a long time, see your doctor for medical advice before increasing your physical activity levels.

Regular exercise is more likely if you plan ahead. Suggestions include:

• Identify your barriers, such as lack of money or motivation. Think about a range of possible solutions.
• Consider the personal beliefs that may be holding you back, such as guilt about taking time out. Challenge those beliefs. Help your family realise your needs are as important as theirs.
• Find a support group – perhaps your partner, extended family, friends or paid childcare.
• Find something you like to do. You’re more likely to stick with it if you choose an activity you enjoy than if you do it because it’s ‘good for you’.
• Look through your diary for the week and make exercise ‘appointments’ with yourself.
• Set achievable goals. Don’t fall victim to the ‘all or nothing’ mentality. If you can only find the time for one or two exercise sessions per week at the moment, congratulate yourself on this achievement. Every little bit helps and some exercise is significantly better than no exercise at all.

Incidental exercise

A few minor changes to your daily lifestyle can also increase your physical activity level. Suggestions include:

• For short trips, walk instead of taking the car.
• Get the whole family active on the weekends. The range of free activities is only limited by your imagination but could include bushwalking, cycling around the neighbourhood, swimming at the beach or playing backyard cricket.

It is never too late to take up exercise

Don’t think you’ve left it too late to start. Studies show that older people can achieve significant health benefits after just two to three months of regular exercise. As an added bonus, if you start being regularly active, your body will continue to benefit from exercise well into your 80s.

Where to get help

• Your doctor
• Local community centre.

Things to remember

• About 39 per cent of Victorian women aren’t active enough and more than 12 per cent are completely sedentary.
• Common exercise barriers include lack of time, lack of motivation, low income and parenting demands.
• If you have a medical condition, are overweight, over 40 years of age or haven’t exercised regularly for a long time, see your doctor for a check-up. 

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