healthy bodybuilding

There are a lot of people asking if their children are generally healthy, do they really need a flu shot and the short answer is yes, they do! Not having your child vaccinated could potentially place them in real danger. It is estimated that over 20,000 children under the age of five years are hospitalized each flu season. This is because children are at a greater risk of catching the flu and having complications than any other group. This is especially so in school or childcare where a flu shot is very important to protect your child and any other children they come into contact with.

• Children between 6 months and 18 years should be vaccinated each year.
• Parents and all the people who have close contact with children should also be vaccinated, including all child workers school teachers and those in the public service. This is especially important for people who care for children under 6 months old.
• Children between 6 months and 9 years old who are having a flu shot for the first time will need to have two doses, one month apart. The first of the doses introduces the virus into the child’s system and the second dose gives them the immunity they need.

Kids that are at the greatest risk and need to be vaccinated include any children with the following chronic health conditions:

• Asthma or any other type of lung or allergic conditions
• Any condition that affects their breathing
• Those with a weakened immune system
• Those with a kidney problem or disease
• Those suffering from high blood pressure or Heart Disease
• HIV/AIDS
• Any diabetic condition

Every year the flu virus mutates and there is a different strain, so each year new enhanced vaccines that are developed to target the new strain that you are likely to encounter which is why it is important to have a new flu shot at the start of every flu season. This is at the end of April to the end of May, but this can vary so even if you are late getting the family flu shots it is still important to have that protection.Unborn and pregnant women are also considered to have a high risk of developing severe complications so are advised to have an early

Fitness for seniors is an essential part of healthy living for seniors and can make a major difference in the quality of life as you experience your golden years. Getting in shape, and/or staying in shape through your senior years helps you to stay healthy, stronger and less like to sustain major injury from falls, etc.

But to get started, you need to dial in your starting point so you can map out your fitness path going forward. The first step for any prudent senior is a complete physical by your family doctor or other licensed professional healthcare expert. This step is necessary to make you aware of any pre-existing conditions that may affect your exercise regime or nutrition plan.

The second step in getting ready to start is to decide what you’re looking to achieve in the short, medium and long-term future. Are there areas of your health, current ability or physical imbalances that need to be addressed first? Is it necessary to bring your cardiovascular system up before you start lifting weights, or do you have mobility or flexibility issues that need to be dealt with before you can freely start to strengthen your body?

Building strength, increasing bone density, increasing flexibility and increasing endurance are all reasonable goals in any senior fitness endeavor – but it’s important to remember this is a lifestyle change, a marathon if you will, not a sprint. It’s best to make small steps forward over time, evolving into a full healthy lifestyle over time.

Rushing the process can lead to injury, burnout and worse, and can be very demotivating if you suddenly slam up against a level of exercise you’re not ready for.
One tip: before starting an exercise routine, even a simple starting routine for seniors, make sure you address issues regarding your sleep patterns and nutrition. Are you getting 7-9 hours of sleep a day? If you have trouble sleeping more than 4 or 5 hours of sleep a night, try adding in a nap each afternoon to make up the difference. Your body does the bulk of it’s healing while you’re asleep, so this is a great first step toward true senior fitness.

Once that’s under control and becoming routine, do a little research online or at your local library to plan out a healthy diet to follow, both for general health and to recover optimally from your coming workouts. The most important concern here is getting enough protein, as too little protein from a reduced appetite in seniors is believed to be one of the factors in the age-related muscle wasting known as sarcopenia.
Once sleep and nutrition are starting to dial in, you can start your exercise routine as simply as going for a walk each day when the weather permits. Stop short of exhaustion, but work on going a little further each day, whether it’s another half-block in the city or another telephone pole on a country road. Keep track of how far you walk each day – you’ll be surprised at how quickly your range increases as your body becomes used to it.

The next step is starting your resistance training – working with weights is possibly the most important part of any strength training for seniors. Start lighter than you think you need to – remember, your body isn’t used to using each and every muscle each day and will take a bit of time to get used to it. You may be a bit sore the next day after workouts, in large part because a full range of motion stretches the muscles and ligaments more than they’re used to.

Using bands or dumbbells, pick one exercise per bodypart to start, using compound exercises when possible. (A compound exercise is one that involves more than one joint, such as the shoulder and elbow or hip and knee.) Do a set of 8-10 repetitions of each exercise the first day, keeping it very light, and see how you feel the next day. If all is well, add a second set of each exercise to your routine on the third day, and a third set on the fifth day if all is still good.