Anti-hypertensive drugs are given by doctors to keep blood pressure under control and lower the chance of having a stroke or heart failure. But when you stand up from lying down or sitting, these drugs can make your blood pressure too low (orthostatic hypotension). This is common among older people. The result is feeling dizzy and faint, which can make it easy to fall.
Medications that slow down the central nervous system are among the most likely to make people fall because they make people less alert and slow down their movements and reactions. These things are:
Drugs like diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam are used to treat anxiety (Ativan)
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), is an older antihistamine. It is the most common ingredient in over-the-counter sleep aids like Nyquil, Sominex, and Unisom. This is because it makes you feel sleepy. It is often taken with pain meds like acetaminophen (Tylenol PM), ibuprofen (Motrin PM, Advil PM), and naproxen (Aleve PM).
Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain... To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it.
Kevyn Aucoin
Fear is the most debilitating emotion in the world, and it can keep you from ever truly knowing yourself and others - its adverse effects can no longer be overlooked or underestimated. Fear breeds hatred, and hatred has the power to destroy everything in its path.
Kevyn Aucoin
It's our hearts and brains that we should exercise more often. You can put on all the makeup you want, but it won't make your soul pretty.
Kevyn Aucoin
Music makes us feel better and boosts our mood, and music therapy may help with some health conditions.
Is it possible for music to improve our health and quality of life?
Things are tough. The current political climate, war, the effects of global warming, the continued unfairness caused by systemic racism, and the ongoing physical and mental health problems caused by COVID are all making us feel less safe in the world and lowering our quality of life. We should all be able to find times when we can relax and take our minds off of the bad news we hear every day. For many people, music can help them make that change, even if it's a small one.
How can music change the way we live?
Recently, researchers looked at how music interventions affect the quality of life in terms of health and tried to answer the question of what is the best way to help people let go, relax, and heal. This recent systematic review and meta-analysis (a study of studies) showed that using music interventions (listening to music, singing, and music therapy) can make big changes in mental health and smaller changes in physical health-related quality of life. The researchers found that music has a positive effect on the psychological quality of life, but they didn't find a single best intervention or "dose" of music that works for everyone.
The many parts of music
As complex people who come from many different cultures and have different life experiences and mental and physical health needs, our relationship with music is very personal. Our relationship with music can be a very beautiful, vulnerable, and often complicated dance that changes from moment to moment based on our mood, preferences, social situation, and past experiences. There are times when music can have an immediate and clear effect on how we feel.
Listening to calming music as you get ready for bed
Singing can help you express your emotions, dancing to upbeat dance music can get you moving, and attending a live musical performance can help you make friends.
A board-certified music therapist can assist you in developing this connection to music and in determining the best course of action and dosage that may be beneficial to your health and aid in your recovery.
How can music be used to help people feel better?
Music therapy is a well-established field of health care that uses music interventions that have been shown to help people. Music therapy is done between a patient and (maybe) a board-certified music therapist who has completed an accredited undergraduate or graduate music therapy program, along with caregivers or family members.
Music therapists use both active (singing, exploring instruments, writing songs, moving, making digital music, etc.) and receptive (listening to music, guided imagery with music, making playlists, or talking about music and remembering good times) interventions and set goals to improve health and well-being.
Some of these goals could be to feel less anxious, change your mood, feel less pain during cancer treatment or other medical treatments, express yourself more, find motivation, and so on. A music therapist can help you find the best way to use music to achieve these kinds of goals and improve your quality of life in general.
Top tools for music therapy
This intervention has been looked at the most, and almost every scenario has been studied. You can do it on your own or with the help of music therapy. Live or recorded music can be played. Listening can be done with a clear goal in mind or the background. You can build up feelings to let them go. You can calm your mind with music. Or, you can use the "iso principle" to match music to your current energy or mood and then slowly change the feel, tempo, and complexity to help you change. Listening to music can help you relax or motivate you to work out, move around more, or do something you've been putting off.
Learning an Instrument or Playing One
Actively making music engages your whole brain. This gives people the best chance of being distracted, feeling less pain, learning, improving their fine and gross motor skills, and expressing themselves. Some instruments are made to make it easier for people to learn or express themselves freely.
Set up in a pentatonic scale, for example, a steel tongue drum has a beautiful, resonant sound, no "wrong notes," and is made so you can just play. If you want to use your mind a little, try learning to play the ukulele. There are a lot of great ukulele resources online, and it's easy to move the strings with one or two fingers. Using an instrument to make music can be fun and easy.
A board-certified music therapist can help you find the easiest and most likely-to-work way to express yourself through music. It takes time, patience, and practice to learn how to play an instrument well and read music.
Singing
This can be a great intervention if you have a good connection to your voice and/or a good music therapy relationship where the therapist can help you build your connection to your instrument. Singing is good for your lungs and can make you feel better when you sing lyrics that are true to you. Lastly, being surrounded by strong, tight harmonies brings people together and gives them power.
In conclusion,
Even though there is no one best intervention, magical song, or perfect genre that can make all the hard things in life easier, music can be a powerful tool for change.
Need some help finding the best music tools for you? Here are some places where you can learn more about music therapy and find licensed therapists.
The American Music Therapy Association
Certified Board of Music Therapists
American Psychological Association: Music as Medicine
Photo by Mikhail Nilov
Stair climbing is one of the best ways to improve balance, build stamina, and keep from falling.
One of the best ways to tell if you're healthy is if you can climb a flight of stairs. It's often used to see how mobile and strong you are, how fit you are after an injury, and if it's safe to have sex again after a heart attack. But climbing stairs has a lot more to offer.
Michelle Munley, a physical therapist at Harvard's Spaulding Outpatient Center Peabody, says, "Stair climbing is a great all-around form of exercise for older people because it works multiple muscle groups at once, like your quadriceps, glutes, and calves." It also improves your cardiovascular strength and endurance. " "You can stay more active in life if you know how to go up and down stairs in a safe way."
Going up and down
There are many places to practice climbing stairs, from stair machines in the gym, to stairs in stairways and stadiums, to simple stairs in your own home.
It doesn't matter what kind of stairs you have, but keep in mind that not all steps are the same height, depth, or surface. Also, stairs without handrails are harder to use and may be more dangerous. Munley says, "Pick stairs in a comfortable place with steps you feel safe going up and down."
Also, going down the stairs is equally as vital as going up. When you walk up the stairs, your glutes and quadriceps do concentric contractions, which means they get shorter. When you walk down, on the other hand, the muscles do the opposite, which is called an eccentric, or lengthening, contraction. "Both movements are necessary for muscles to be strong and work well," says Munley.
Start Your Mornings Off Right
One great reason why you should invest in a coffee machine is that you can always start your mornings off in a good way. Having access to a coffee machine means that you can make yourself a nice fresh cup of coffee as soon as you wake up in the morning. Getting out of bed and off to work can sometimes be a struggle but having fresh coffee at the ready is a great way to give yourself a bit of a boost in the morning. It will save you from having to get up earlier so you can go to your local coffee shop as all you need to do is switch on your machine. Coffee machines are super easy to use, so even your morning brain will be able to make you a fresh cup. You may just need to practice a little bit beforehand, but it shouldn’t take you long to master the controls.
Gives You Variety
Another good reason why you should invest in a coffee machine is that it gives you lots of variety. The great thing about coffee is that there are so many different ways you can have it. Different places from around the world all have their own way of making coffee, which means you have plenty of options to choose from. If you prefer your coffee to be strong and dark, then an americano would be a good choice for you. However, if you prefer a milky coffee, then a latte is the perfect option. Now, if you are not a coffee connoisseur, then you may be wondering, what is a latte? A latte is a type of coffee that is a shot of espresso, steamed milk, and milk foam. For those who prefer their coffee to be a bit creamier, a latte is a way to go. This variety in what you can create is what makes buying a coffee machine such a good investment as it means you can practice your coffee-making skills. It also means that when you have your friends round to visit, you can treat them to fancy coffee and impress everyone.
When everyone was on COVID lockdown in 2020, hiking became a lot more popular. According to a report, the number of hikes in 2020 was 171% higher than in 2019. The number of people hiking alone went up by 135%.
Dr Edward Phillips, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School, says, "This makes sense since hiking remains one of the safest COVID activities because it is done outside and away from confined group settings." "Plus, what's a better way to get away from being stuck inside than to spend some time in nature?"
Not just a walk
Hiking is one of the best ways to feel better in both the body and the mind. First of all, it's a great way to build muscles in your legs. When you hike uphill, you work your hips and buttocks. When you hike downhill, you work your quads (the muscles in the front of your thighs).
Walking is a simple way to work out, but it's not always the best way to keep up the aerobic intensity. "Most people walk slowly and stop and start a lot, which keeps their heart rate from going up," says Dr. Phillips.
But hiking up and down uneven terrain uses more energy than walking on a flat surface. Your body has to work harder, so your heart rate goes up, you burn more calories, and your cardiovascular fitness improves.
You can also learn how to stay steady on your feet by trying to find your footing on a trail. This improves balance, which is a skill that keeps you from taking dangerous falls. As Dr. Phillips says, "When you challenge your body, it will change." So, if the hiking terrain makes you lose your balance, it will force your internal system to get better.
Hiking can also help your mental health. Studies have shown that older people who spend time in nature regularly sleep better, have less stress, less anxiety, and less depression. You can go hiking alone or with other people. Researchers have found that going on a nature walk with a group is just as good for your mental health as going on a hike by yourself.