Regular exercise is key to maintaining an independent lifestyle especially as you age. Keeping a schedule of workouts helps build consistency and confidence in sustaining a healthy future.

But what happens when you hit a "funk" or encounter an unexpected injury that sidelines you for a period of time? There are many things that occur in life that can throw surprises into your regular schedule which can keep you from staying on track with exercise. This can cause feelings of "falling behind" or lagging with your routine exercises.

Luckily, there are some easy tips you can follow which will help you get back into the game and feeling great both in body and mind.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

1). What events, thoughts or circumstances in life can make us feel like we're not exercising enough and why this is more common than we may think.

2). Some of Meredith's personal experiences in working with clients over the years and their thoughts on keeping up with exercise and staying active.

3). Why it's important to not "over set" your fitness goals if you've been away from exercising for a long time or are just getting started.

4). The importance of finding workouts and exercises that you enjoy doing and how that's helpful for your motivation each day.

5). The physical, mental and emotional benefits of regular exercise and remembering why this is important for your overall and long term health.

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We hope the tips in this episode are helpful to you if you feel un-motivated to exercise after a long break or if you're just having trouble getting started for the first time. There's no shame in taking time off and when you're ready to come back to exercise, we hope the information in this episode helps motivate you to get moving towards a longer and healthier future.

Team Meredith

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“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln

This quote reminds us that we must live each day fully, not just going through the motions of each day!

Meredith

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In this podcast episode we're excited to dive into the health and wellness benefits of our new "Brain & Body" exercise video series!

This new series is all about strengthening the connection between your mind and your body movements. All exercise uses this connection but this series will challenge your cognitive abilities and match them with easy to follow movements that you can do right at home.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

1). How you can easily find this workout series and where it is located on our website or YouTube channel.

2). Meredith's thoughts on why she felt it was important to include this exercise series in her growing library of videos.

3). Some suggestions on when to try this series of videos as either warm ups, cool downs or as a great quick daily exercise.

4). Some of the frustrations that occur when we may not feel mentally sharp at times and how these workouts will help with this.

5). Why this series is great for those who may have cognitive issues and how they can benefit from incorporating them into a weekly schedule.

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We hope this episode gets you just as excited as we are about this new series! We will be publishing more "Brain & Body" workouts in the coming months that are designed for all levels of fitness. We're dedicated to empowering not only your physical well being, but your mental sharpness as well which is key to a longer, more independent life.

Team Meredith

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“To keep the heart unwrinkled — to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent — that is to triumph over old age.” – Thomas Bailey Aldrich

This quote reminds us that we can triumph over life as we age, but we must stay happy and positive through it all!

Meredith

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We all have that favorite song we like to hear every now and then but did you know that the songs you love may be doing more for you than you realize? It has been shown that music has many benefits beyond just candy for our ears. It has the power to help destress and calm our minds, help us find clarity and mental focus, and even help our bodies physically. For those with cognitive issues, music can enhance experiences and emphasize memory and function.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

1). Some of Meredith's experiences in working with clients and their attitudes on how music has effected their personal lives as they aged.

2). How music provides a "dopamine" like feeling which effects our mood, attitude, outlook and emotions.

3). How different genres of music can mean different things to different people and why it's important to listen to what gives you the most joy.

4). Why music can be very effective in helping those who have had strokes or have cognitive issues as it can help re-capture memories, thoughts & emotions.

5). The benefits of music on your physical self by either playing an instrument, dancing or singing.

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We hope the information in this episode on music is helpful to you or someone you know. It's easy to take music for granted when we turn on the radio our put on our favorite songs but having music in your life on a regular basis will boast many benefits to your overall health and well being. So don't hesitate to crank up your favorite tunes as often as possible!

Team Meredith

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"Change is the law of life." - John F. Kennedy

This quote reminds us that change is inevitable, we must embrace it and know it is okay!

Meredith

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Moving can be stressful. There are many factors that can make a move difficult like arranging for packing time, boxing, plans for furniture, transportation, getting people to help you and so many more. But this can also be a lofty task for an aging person as well. In most cases, older adults will not be able to move by themselves which means they will need help.

This can also be stressful as not all moves are always wanted, but needed. As part of our "Caretaker series", before deciding on the technicalities of moving, there are important factors to consider which will help make a move much easier for and aging person even if it is under un-wanted circumstances.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

1). How moving can be difficult especially as you age or someone you care for ages and some of the challenges involved in getting started.

2). Be sure to keep lines of communication open during the process so that everyone feels respected and not rushed into making un-wanted decisions about items in their home.

3). When hiring movers, make sure the aging person is comfortable with the people entering their home by introducing everyone and getting familiar with names etc.

4).  Making sure to treat items in the home with respect and compassion when moving them to a new home.

5).  The importance of following up with the aging adult after the move has taken place to make sure they feel comfortable in their new space.

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We hope the tips we've shared in this episode are helpful to you or someone you know who may be contemplating moving or helping and aging adult move. Taking the necessary steps to make sure everyone involved is comfortable, is important to ensure a successful move for all involved.

Team Meredith

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Ageing is just another word for living." - Cindy Joseph

This quote reminds us that to age is a wonderful thing, as it means we are fortunate enough to live!

Meredith

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Adding resistance to your regular workouts is a great way to build strength and stability. In addition, ankle weights can also be used to help do the same for most lower body and cardio exercises. But are they useful for everyone?

If you've never used ankle weights than you may be asking how they can actually help you over traditional weights like dumbbells etc. Luckily we have a few "pros & cons" to check out before you make the decision that is right for you.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

1). Why Meredith uses ankle weights in many of her exercise videos and some of her thoughts on their effectiveness.

2). Some basic information on what ankle weights are and some of the different designs you can find.

3). How using ankle weights (and other types of weights) can help strengthen your bones over time.

4). The importance of having good stability as you age and how ankle weights can help develop this.

5). Some of the challenges of using ankle weights especially if you've never used them before and what to watch for to avoid injury.

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We hope the tips we've discussed in this episode are helpful to you if you're looking to incorporate ankle weights into your regular workout routines. If used properly they can be a great addition to most types of exercises and help add strength but they may not be for all levels of fitness. Before you decide to purchase ankle weights, be sure you evaluate all aspects and make your decisions based on your research here.

Team Meredith

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been." - Jimmy Buffet

This quote reminds us that the wrinkles we have show we have had a good long life, filled with laughter and smiles!

Meredith

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.