Get Up Out of Our Fancy Chairs: Quitting Sitting

I’m trying to pay attention to how much I sit, and just getting up and away from my screens helps. There is always some cleaning and organizing to do inside and outside, and I can always go for a walk. When I’m feeling energetic, I can put on a workout video (I have the FitOn app) or some music to dance to (I like the Apple Music Dance Workout). Even when I can’t think of anything, I can make myself a cup of tea and stand at a window to drink it. 

I’ve been thinking and writing about an article from Shape  that listed 5 ways to slow down or avoid some of the degeneration that is associated with ageing. This is now the fourth point and my fourth post in the series.

The first 2 were about diet: here’s a link to the Omega-3 post and a link to the frequent small meals post.  The third recommendation was this to work out every day (link to my post) and this one today is also about movement.

#4 Stay on your feet

Sitting is bad. “Sitting is the New Smoking” is a popular phrase coined by Dr. James Levine, director of Mayo Clinic at Arizona State University. I hear it all the time. Quitting sitting will be everyone's top New Year's Resolution for 2022. 

The Canada Public Health recommendation on exercise addressed this issue, stating that our goal should be to limit our daily sedentary time to 8 hours or less, including no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time and breaking up long periods of sitting.

You might have a fancy office chair that's ergonomically designed, and that's excellent. If you don't, you (or your boss) should invest in one. Here’s something you can read about that.  Still, you should make sure you get out of it regularly, like every half-hour or so.

Sitting in an Ergonomic Chair

If you have a sedentary job, can you do some standing or walking while you work? When I worked at the office (CWNC), I had an adjustable standing desk and an anti-fatigue mat to stand on. It was excellent. During the pandemic, when I was working at a desk in my bedroom, I frequently went downstairs to make tea, and consequently had frequent bathroom visits, to force myself out of my chair. I was always sure to go to the kitchen, at home or at the office, for my lunch break. There are lots of reasons not to have lunch at your desk. Whenever possible, I would eat outdoors to get some vitamin D and a really good break from work.

Do you sit at a computer or laptop at home in your spare time too, on social media or playing games or watching videos, or do you sit and watch television, Netflix? Can you change your habits to reduce your sitting? Can you take your kids, grandkids, or pet to the park, shoot some baskets, or join a class or a team? Is there a bar or restaurant in walking distance from your home or workplace? Can you watch your show while you do laundry? Cooking and cleaning provide opportunities to stretch and move. Can you think of hobbies that get you out of your seat? 

When the pandemic gets under control, it will be easier to go out and do things. Until then, do what you can. Small movement improvements will help you quit your sitting habit. Even having a cup of tea while standing at a window will make you feel better and get you out of your seat.

Screenshot of my favouite playlist for dancing

 

 

Keeping Moving- Thankful for my Healthy Ageing Body

 I recently wrote about changes I want to make in my diet. Some days more than others, I feel that I am getting older, so I’m looking at making changes. I was partly inspired, partly validated by an article from Shape. 

The article listed 5 ways to slow down or avoid some of the degeneration that is associated with ageing. The first 2 were about diet. I am working on increasing the amount of Omega-3 fatty acids that I consume (link to Omega 3 post) and eating more frequent, smaller meals (link to eating patterns post) to prevent degeneration at a cellular level.  The third recommendation was this:

#3 Work out every day

Exercise has many of the same benefits as those dietary changes, including preventing diseases and maintaining or improving cognitive function. We need to be active and stay active. Check out the list by America’s National Institute on Aging on the benefits of including 4 types of exercise- Endurance, Strength, Balance, and Flexibility- in your active lifestyle.

Shape suggests that “Thirty minutes or more of moderate to intense cardio and resistance exercise most days of the week” should be our goal.

The Canadian Government (Department of Health) includes exercise in its recommended targets for daily movement. I like how they addresses the fact that we sit at our screens too much but believe that we don’t have time to exercise. They agree with Shape that we must be physically active every day, but don’t say “work out”. There is a target for how much time to spend on screens and sedentary activities. There are separate documents for various age groups. Adults aged 18-64 are advised to be physically active each and every day, minimize sedentary behaviour, and achieve sufficient sleep for good health. Here’s what Canada says our targets should be:

CANADIAN 24-HOUR MOVEMENT GUIDELINES:

A healthy 24 hours includes:

•  Performing a variety of types and intensities of physical activity, which includes
• Moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activities such that there is an accumulation of at least 150 minutes per week
• Muscle strengthening activities using major muscle groups at least twice a week
• Several hours of light physical activities, including standing

•  Limiting sedentary time to 8 hours or less, which includes
• No more than 3 hours of recreational screen time, and
• Breaking up long periods of sitting as often as possible

•   Getting 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep on a regular basis, with consistent bed and wake-up times

 There is a lot of information on the Canada Public Health site.  I recommend you check it out. I like this page with tips for older adults. There are ideas for what kinds of activities to try to do and how they benefit you. It suggests doing more of activities you enjoy, like dancing and playing with grandchildren, or a playing a sport that you like, and adding things you can do without thinking too much about it, like parking farther from entrances so that you walk more and taking stairs instead of elevators or escalators. It reminds me of eating food instead of taking supplements. You need to move, but you don’t have to get that movement from a HIIT class or on some exercise equipment. Here's one of the things that Public Health page says:

Aerobic activity, like pushing a lawn mower, taking a dance class, or biking to the store, is continuous movement that makes you feel warm and breathe deeply.

I will pay attention to how much time I spend sitting, and will take more turns mowing the lawn, maybe do the cleaning more vigorously, walk the dog more, park farther away from entrances, dance more, and find and seize opportunities to move as I go about my days. I will also do more of my workout videos because I like them. I’ve already started a morning walk habit and most evenings dance or work out, or walk some more. I am establishing work routines and they’re under control at the moment. I’m grateful for my healthy body and I will take care of it. 

Main Street, Newmarket, is a great place to walk.
A break on the Pride bench. 

Sesame Street- Always Groovy- on Healthy Eating

 I've always loved Sesame Street and the Muppets. I watched it when I was little and when my children were little and whenever I see Sesame Street videos, I love them. Part of the Pollyanna thing for me is that my inner child is not even trying to hide; she's always right here bouncing around and looking at the world in awe and wonder.

Today, on my Facebook feed, I saw this. And, I have to share it. Elmo and Abby Cadabby, inspired by the rhythm of their crunching, sing about eating fruits and vegetables and drinking water. The band is so cool!

Just Some Pollyanna Words- Optimistic Me

Some of the words related to OPTIMISTIC are about light. I like that. 

Sunny, sunbeamy, glowing, beaming, lighthearted and lightsome are some words that describe an optimistic person, a ray of sunshine. Starry-eyed is another. I close my eyes and think "starry-eyed" and it's a floaty-fun feeling. I want to be more starry-eyed.

Buoyant makes me happy. I float and swim well and I'm optimistic. Bouncy, bubbly, and effervescent also feel good. When I'm happy, I do bounce and sometimes joy bubbles over. When I was small, some of my older siblings' friends called me Bubbles. I've always had a sunny disposition. 

Upbeat is another word I like. The upbeat in music often signals that something is going to start. I know the importance of the upbeat and I emphasize it in my conducting. When I'm in front of my choir, and we're singing, I can't help but feel upbeat. It's my bliss.

I understand that one can be overly optimistic, and when I was called a Pollyanna, the people meant that they saw my way of thinking as blithe, thoughtless, or panglossian, deluded. I don't see myself that way. I feel bad for people who think that the world is not a nice place and people are untrustworthy and evil by nature and I am naïve to think otherwise. I think otherwise. I think that ugliness is the exception, and even then, it's sometimes a matter of perspective. 

I do have my bad days (and months and even years) when I feel like the light is dim and I become gloomy, dispirited. Throughout the COVID pandemic, I've often felt unstable, mercurial, as my personality swings between gloomy and sunny. My natural disposition is positive. The unnatural social isolation along with the pervasive fear has hurt me, but I am surviving.

I think that this way that I am helps me to be resilient and it attracts all kinds of other positive things and people. I choose to sparkle.

Love this image. I found it here.

Eating Patterns to Update in this New Season

New seasons of the year and new seasons of life require new routines. Even just the need for an extra layer of clothing or the desire for a warm bowl of soup will shift things. This new season of life of mine has me working on how to restructure my days. I’m considering new ways of eating and exercising in addition to a change in my work schedule (and is this work or pastime, this writing?).

Working on this blog has me thinking about how to live my best life as an older person. I’m reading all these articles and social media posts about healthy ageing.  I’m worried about losing my mobility and I want to avoid pain. I want to slow down the trajectory that I’m on and maybe even change direction.

Food is a good place to start. I started thinking about Omega-3 and I'm now buying more fish, and I’ve added a scheduled fish day to my week. I wrote a post about it. The second way to slow down ageing according to the Shape article that I referenced in my Omega-3 post, is to eat smaller meals more often. So, that’s what I’ll focus on next. 

The article says, “Preventing big spikes in insulin can help minimize cellular harm.” The idea is that you want to control your insulin levels to prevent the cellular damage that leads to disease. Like Omega-3 fats, this pattern of eating is being looked at because it seems to be important at a cellular level, meaning that the benefits can be numerous. Weight loss and management of diabetes are the 2 benefits that are mostly listed, but preventing cellular damage is big. Age-related disease and decline in cognitive function and mobility don't have to be inevitable.

I’ve read other articles about type-2 diabetes and dieting that suggest that this kind of grazing routine is best for controlling blood sugar levels, managing hunger, and losing weight. Other articles aim to prove the opposite, that 2 or 3 meals a day are better.

I think a lot depends on how you define a meal. I can imagine that someone looking at the plate of food in Canada’s Food Guide might think that 2 or 3 of those would be way more than enough, too much food for a day. That plate is supposed to represent a pie chart of all the kinds foods you should be eating in a day. I like it better than the pyramid they used to have, suggesting the number of servings of food groups. This new Food Guide has very sensible advice on healthy eating habits. It doesn’t say how often or how much to eat, but recommends being mindful of your eating habits, paying attention to when you’re hungry and when you’re full. The focus is on what to eat, the healthy balance of good foods.

 

Restaurant eating is probably messing up people’s expectations on what a meal should look like. Portions are big and meats and starches are highlights- fish and chips, burgers and fries, spaghetti and meatballs. Maybe it’s a cultural thing?

I don’t like the idea of grazing, because that sounds like eating all the time and not really paying attention. Maybe the grazing folks are snacking all day, avoiding meals altogether, not eating with family?

I do think eating smaller meals at regular intervals makes sense. Maybe we have to adjust our perceptions. Dinner doesn’t have to be big, and breakfast doesn’t have to be sweet. We don’t have to eat the whole meal at a restaurant; we can take half the meal to-go, or share it with a friend (or husband, as my friend Karin does). Our plates and glasses are too big; let’s use smaller ones.

I can do this. I like the idea of using smaller plates, and so yesterday I put away a set of large dinner plates that I had in the cupboard. I’ve already started trying to eat smaller portions. I don’t know if I can do 5 or 6 meals a day, but I can increase to 4 for now. I’m worried that if I can’t control my portions, then I will end up eating more by increasing the number of meals I eat in a day. 

The Shape article also recommended not eating after dinner, leaving 10 hours of fasting. And, they mentioned intermittent fasting. I hesitate to go there, as there are fad diets that have controversial ideas about intermittent fasting. Here’s what Wikipedia says about it:

The US National Institute on Aging stated in 2018 that there is insufficient evidence to recommend intermittent fasting, and encourages speaking to one's healthcare provider about the benefits and risks before making any significant changes to one's eating pattern.^[13]

Not eating after dinner is fine. I can do that. And, if you want to call the time before breakfast a fast, that’s okay too. That’s something that makes sense to me. I’ve always thought that eating too close to bedtime was not good. So, if we’re not eating for a few hours before going to sleep and we sleep for 8 hours, we’re fasting for 10 or 11 hours right there. I've started walking before breakfast too, so that's another hour sometimes. 

This is something I can try to adopt, a new eating routine. I will try to eat smaller meals more often and I will try not to eat or drink after dinner. Cells all over my body will stay healthy and might even rejuvenate. I will continue to be mindful about what and when I eat. I will also take another look at the Canada Food Guide. There was lots of good information there. 

Omega-3 Supplements- Old Pollyanna Thoughts

A lot of people are talking about Omega-3 Fatty Acids. 

They are essential, and something we need to pay attention to as we age. WebMD Healthy Aging says "Omega-3s are nutrients you get from food (or supplements) that help build and maintain a healthy body. They’re key to the structure of every cell wall you have." 

This has been on my radar for quite some time, and increasing Omega-3 was the number one tip to slow down the ageing process in an article from Shape I had saved from 2018. I think I'll post about each of the other 5 tips, now that I'm starting with the first. This one keeps coming up in my life lately.

My brother recommended taking a good Omega-3 supplement to help manage my fuzzy brain. I think it's more of a stress/COVID think for me. But, it's actually possible that it could help.

Dexter's vet recommended giving him an Omega-3 supplement to help with his stiff muscles, so now we have a bottle of these things in our fridge and Harry will also pop one occasionally. Who doesn't have stiff muscles occasionally? Inflammation and bone and joint health are things we do need to pay attention to as we age. 

I am not a fan of supplements. I avoid taking pills whenever possible. And, the WebMD article emphasizes the fact that people should consult a doctor before taking an Omega-3 supplement, as there are risks. There are lots of reasons not to take supplements. I like food, so I prefer to eat well. I have started buying more fresh and frozen salmon, and canned sardines and herring. I love the saucy herring from Germany because it reminds me of parcels from my Oma. I've been making maple glazed salmon once a week since Pat (YRCC Soprano) gave me that big bottle of maple syrup. Lots of things I eat are good sources: eggs, meat, nuts, spinach, brussels spouts, etc. I look at labels and I'm happy to see that other foods that I eat are providing me with some of this miracle thing. I will supplement my diet with foods, especially whole foods that I like. 

Yummy source of Omega-3

Although Wikipedia says that more research needs to be done, current research is inconclusive, to prove the many ways which Omega-3 supplements can help us, science suggests lots of possibilities. I think the supplement part is problematic, but the chemistry and biology points to lots of benefits from these essential fatty acids.

Here in a Healthline article, there are these 17:

1. Omega-3s Can Fight Depression and Anxiety

2. Omega-3s Can Improve Eye Health

3. Omega-3s Can Promote Brain Health During Pregnancy and Early Life

4. Omega-3s Can Improve Risk Factors for Heart Disease

5. Omega-3s Can Reduce Symptoms of ADHD in Children

6. Omega-3s Can Reduce Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome

7. Omega-3s Can Fight Inflammation

8. Omega-3s Can Fight Autoimmune Diseases

9. Omega-3s Can Improve Mental Disorders

10. Omega-3s Can Fight Age-Related Mental Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease

11. Omega-3s May Help Prevent Cancer

12. Omega-3s Can Reduce Asthma in Children

13. Omega-3s Can Reduce Fat in Your Liver

14. Omega-3s May Improve Bone and Joint Health

15. Omega-3s Can Alleviate Menstrual Pain

16. Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Improve Sleep

17. Omega-3 Fats Are Good For Your Skin

 

Here's another article with a big list and this nice picture of foods to eat. Supplement your diet with these: 

Supplement your diet with whole foods

Could Old Pollyanna become a Granfluencer?

I recently saw the word "granfluencer" and wondered if that was something I could aspire to be. I am, after all, Old Pollyanna, and I hope to be a grandmother someday. Could I become a granfluencer?

I did a couple Google searches. I looked up influencer and granfluencer. Here is what I found: 

What is an influencer?

An influencer is simply someone who has influence over others' buying decisions. In other words, it's someone who has the influence, the authority over or trust of, a certain group of people. In marketing parlance, an influencer is someone who causes others to make specific consumer decisions.

What Is A Granfluencer? 

Granfluencers are here to change your perspective of seniors – they are ripping up these stereotypes, chewing them up, and spitting them back out. They are influencers that are showing you that you can be fabulous, whatever age you are.

Well, if "influencers" exist on social media to influence people's buying habits, then I don't think I want to do that. Maybe I could if there were products and small businesses that I really wanted to support? 

I don't think I'll ever be "an influencer", but I hope to influence a few people. I hope that I can make someone feel better about themself and about the world every time I conduct a concert and any time I write a blog post. Actually I'm quite sure that I've helped people feel positive about themselves and the world at my concerts, the choristers and audience members alike. I like to think that I'm being a good example to my children and that they will also influence people. I want people to love themselves and other people and our planet. I believe that music helps. 

I do admire the granfluencers that I looked up. They are out there being good examples of ageing without fitting into a stereotype, without fitting into a mold of senior citizen, or grandmother. If they influence people to love themselves more when they don't fit into a particular mold, then I love that. And, I think that's just what they're doing. They apparently have big followings on Instagram and TikTok. All kinds of people will have to adjust their perceptions of seniors, how older folk should act or look. We can be stylish, or outlandish, or cute as we get older. We can be fun and smart and goofy. We can have grey or white hair and wrinkles and still be youthful and beautiful. 

This is from the New York Times from a couple years ago:

The Glamorous Grandmas of Instagram

The subversive cadre of women over 60 prove that “old” is not what it used to be. “These women are ambassadors of age,” said Ari Seth Cohen, the creator of Advanced Style, a popular street style blog, two books and a film documenting, in his words, the “fashion and wisdom of the senior set.” His subjects, he noted, are simultaneously reflecting and contributing to a gradual shift in the common perception of aging. “The idea of what these older women look like has changed,” Mr. Cohen said. “If they were stylish in their youth, they will still be stylish now. They continue to be who they were.”  

I've let my hair go grey because I saw other women with grey and white hair who looked younger than I am and looked great. It's so good that we can see ourselves represented in social media, and more and more in the regular media as well. Men have always looked great with grey or white hair. Men have always been allowed to age. For women to age openly is "subversive". I've been called "brave" to wear my hair naturally. But, that is changing, thanks in part to the granfluencers. Soon it will be common. 

Here I am rocking my silver locks.

Do they still say that blondes have more fun? Well, apparently silver is the new blonde.  I like that! (That's a nice website supporting positive ageing you can check out.) I do have fun with my natural silver highlights. I'm the same, haven't really changed since I was a girl with a blonde bob. I can feel just as fabulous as I did when I was in my twenties and had natural blonde highlights. Attitude is important, and I've always had a good attitude, but representation helps. 

I frequently read about the importance of representation for girls and women, for indigenous and black people, and people with disabilities in media and the arts and in work places. Diversity is positive. Everybody deserves to be loved; we should love everyone. Please include all different kinds of people everywhere, and please include older people everywhere too, especially older women who look like older women. We are fabulous.