By: Mary Richard / Health Fitness After teaching a “Fall Prevention/Balance” course for several years, I became a fallen victim myself. It happened last month. I was ushering a “Beetlejuice” performance at The Smith Center. One of our jobs is to “sweep” the area for any “Lost and Found” items. I did find a few items and was carrying one of our booster seat cushions, which are available to the guests. In the midst of placing the lost and found items on top of the cushion so I could carry them all, my foot caught the end of a rear row chair. I felt myself falling, and quickly threw the items on the floor while placing the cushion in front of my face. Fortunately, I fell into the cushion, diverting a disastrous injury. I laid there for a few seconds assessing the situation. My co-worker immediately called our supervisor and and I received immediate care. I was sent to an urgent care facility. I stayed few hours, received observation and then sent home with a prescription and hot compresses. 34 When the Waters Get Thick By: Kyo Mitchell / A Healthier You You have probably known someone that looks much younger (or older) than their actual age. Aging is not a process that happens for everyone the same way over time. In other words, time does not make you older. It is the level of degradation of both structure and function of your body over time that determines how old or young you look and feel. Many factors contribute to this process. Nutrition, daily exercise, stress, and whether and how much you smoke and drink are common factors that most people know affect health and aging. There are others, however, of which you might not be aware. The number one killer of human beings is cardiovascular disease. The problem here is that most people do not understand the process by which the cardiovascular system goes from a state of health to one of disease and eventually death. A heart attack, heart failure and other cardiovascular problems do not just suddenly happen. They develop over time. High blood pressure, Falling Into Fall - No Pun Intended! October 20<strong>23</strong> increased cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking and other factors change the blood’s viscosity over time. In other words, they make the blood thicker so nutrients do not reach the cells as easily and wastes are not as efficiently removed. This leads to degradation of the cells, the tissues, the organs and eventually the whole person. This degradation is what causes a person to age, not time. This process is not limited to the fluids in the circulatory system. Fluids surround and interpenetrate every cell and tissue. Here the fluids may also become thick. They can go from a free flowing water like consistency to a thicker gel. Once again this affects how nutrients come in and wastes are expelled. As previously stated, a healthy diet, daily exercise, limiting smoking and drinking can help with this process. Massage and acupuncture can also help transition the fluids back to a healthy state in an effort to help the body recover. Dr. Kyo Mitchell served as faculty at Bastyr University in Seattle and Wongu University in Las Vegas for over a decade. Dr. Mitchell practices in Summerlin and can be reached at 702-481-6216 or rkyomitchell@gmail.com. My reason for posting this incident is to show what can happen, no matter how careful we are in life. As I instruct my Fall Prevention/ Balance student, if you feel yourself falling, bring up your arm to protect your face. If I did not have the cushion to fall into, I would have instinctively placed my arm in front of my face. Luckily, the cushion saved me from a fate which would have developed into a different story. When I told the emergency room doctor what I did to protect my face, she said I really reacted quickly and knew what to do. I’m thankful for just a bruise on my leg which will heal in a few weeks. Be Safe, Be Healthy And Be Grateful for whatever you have - not what you don’t have. POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND HAPPY HEALTH TO ALL! Mary Richard is a long term supporter of senior fitness. She teaches Zumba, toning and dance classes throughout the Las Vegas Valley. She can be reached at zumbaqueen@cox.net.
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