Benefits of tea drinking for senior citizens

As it turns out, not only is tea a delicious beverage and an excellent way to warm up on a cold winter day, there are also health benefits to drinking it. Teas are rich in antioxidants and have many other health benefits thanks to them.

Before you start brewing your next cup, keep in mind that the following health benefits are only found in real teas, including green, black, white, and oolong teas. Herbal teas are infusions of other plants, and while they may have their own benefits, that’s a topic for another time. With health benefits like these, it just might be enough to convert you from coffee!

#1 Tea Can Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack – People who drink at least two to three cups of black or green tea a day have a 70% lower risk of a heart attack than people who don’t drink any at all. Tea might also protect against degenerative cardiovascular diseases.

#2 Green Tea Can Improve Brain Function – One of the unique features of green tea is that it may actually make you smarter. The chemicals in green tea, including caffeine (a smaller amount than in coffee) and L-theanine are a potent combination for improving brain function, helping you think faster and problem solve.

#3 Tea Can Improve Your Endurance – Do you feel fatigued quickly when you’re exercising? Tea can improve your exercise endurance. The antioxidants in green tea called catechins increase your body’s ability to use up fat as fuel, giving you improved muscle endurance. That can help you keep up the pace for important muscle-strengthening exercises. Tea can play a vital role in improving your overall health.

#4 Antioxidants in Tea Might Protect Against Cancer – Current research has mixed opinions on this particular issue, but tea may have qualities that protect against lung, skin, colorectal, liver, breast, colon, and many other types of cancers.

#5 Green Tea Can Help with Diabetes – People with type 2 diabetes may find that green tea helps them process sugars, one of the key health issues associated with diabetes.

#6 Green Tea Improves Bone Density – Bone density and muscle strength can both improve thanks to drinking green tea.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article and pass on the knowledge to your near and dear ones.

(Adapted from www.allseniorscare.com)

The journey so-far: What did we learn?

Porosh embarked on the journey of serving senior citizens of Kolkata a little more than two years ago. Since then our motto has been to bring about a difference to their lives as most of them feel vulnerable with children not being around. This realization dawned upon us after coming across several such instances first-hand.

However, the purpose of this article is to share with you our learnings in establishing and managing Porosh. This will also offer you a glimpse of Porosh’s work culture. So, here it goes:

a) Need assessment: The story of first six months was all about pure leg work. It included assessing the needs of the senior citizens and what Porosh could offer. Early on we realized that there was no point in trying to do everything. With experience we gradually increased the portfolio of services on offer.

b) Seed money: Contrary to popular perception that substantial seed money is required to start a venture is not always true. For Porosh it was certainly not so. The journey of Porosh did not call for financial assistance apart from the contributions made by the Co-Founders.

c) Ploughing back profit: From Day One the guiding principle of Porosh has been to grow the operations at own pace by ploughing back profit. In the recent past, we have been approached by a few financiers but have always declined such unsolicited help. After all, such financial assistance comes with a lot of conditions. Obviously, we do not want to lose the autonomy to take our own decisions and grow Porosh in line with the vision we have for it.

d) Under promise, over deliver: The core of Porosh’s work philosophy is centered around ‘under promise, over deliver’. When we receive calls from prospective members (or, their children) we lay thread-bare the services on offer. However, we continue innovating on ‘value added’ services. Thus, when new services are offered at no extra cost the members are pleasantly surprised.

e) Handling stressful situations: Porosh offers ‘24*7 Medical Emergency’. This is one of the key services which is instrumental in either making, or breaking the reputation of an organization like ours. The situation becomes particularly stressful when emergency situations are required to be tackled during odd hours (like 12 mid night, or 3 am) and that too during Covid times. By the grace of God we have never let our members down till date.

f) Patience: We realized quite early the virtue of patience for starting a venture. Impatience, after all, does not hasten the pace of achieving goals. The outcome in future is dependent on meticulous groundwork done in the present. Fruition of our efforts need not necessarily be in sync with the deadline we set for ourselves. There are unforeseen contingencies beyond our control. Under such circumstances instead giving-up in a huff we put concerted effort to understand what is going wrong and how can we plug-in the gap.

g) Learning from mistakes: Mistakes happen only when one works. While it is true, it is also advisable to own-up mistakes than justifying unless there are concrete evidences to the contrary. Porosh is no exception. We always discuss and try to understand the cause behind negative feedback/ review and attempt at rectifying those.

Hope you have enjoyed reading the article. We may not have shared anything unique but getting an opportunity to present our experiences with you will atleast help you develop a better understanding about Porosh and its commitment to assisting the senior citizens.

Seated exercises for senior citizens

Seated exercises allow to target the lower body. If mobility is an issue, if balance problems prevent one from performing exercises in a standing position, or if one ise recovering from surgery or an injury, seated exercises are an excellent alternative.

Warmup

Always begin each workout with a 3- to 5-minute warmup, either while sitting or standing.

1. Warm up by alternating marching feet for 30 to 60 seconds.

2. Then, perform 30 seconds of arm circles.

3. Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Seated knee extensions

1. Sit in a chair with your back straight and your arms at your sides.

2. Extend and straighten your right knee while focusing on squeezing your quadricep muscles, which are at the front of your thigh. Hold for 3 seconds.

3. Change legs and repeat.

4. Perform this as a single-leg exercise for 15 repetitions on each side or a double-leg exercise for 15 repetitions total.

Seated pillow squeezes

1. Sit in a chair with your back straight and your arms at your sides.

2. Place a pillow between your thighs or knees.

3. Squeeze the pillow by contracting your inner thigh muscles. Hold the squeeze for 3 seconds, then relax.

4. Perform 12 repetitions.

Ankle pumps with straight knees

1. Sit in a chair with your back straight and you arms at your sides.

2. Straighten your legs in front of you and pump your ankles downward, as if you were pushing down on a gas pedal.

3. Hold for 3 seconds.

4. Keep your knees straight and move your ankles in the opposite direction, bringing the top of your feet toward your shins.

5. Hold each position for 3 seconds.

6. Perform 10 repetitions in total.

Marching (chair aerobics)

1. Sit in a chair with your back straight and your arms at your sides.

2. Begin by marching with alternate legs. Bring one thigh up as high as possible and return to the starting position, then do the same with your other leg.

3. Pump your arms, if possible.

4. Continue for 30 seconds, or do 20 total marches.

Full body chair exercises

This full body routine from Wickham includes exercises that you can do either seated or standing. It also includes weighted exercises with light dumbbells or hand weights.

Doing exercises from a standing position can help improve balance, but if your mobility is limited, you may find it easier to do them seated.

Warmup

1. For a standing warmup, stand next to a chair. Only place your hand on the back of the chair if you need it for balance.

2. March in place for 30 to 60 seconds.

3. Then, do 30 seconds of arm circles.

One can also perform the sequence of marching and arm circles while seated.

Side bend holds

1. Sit in a chair or stand next to one.

2. Straighten your arms overhead as high as possible.

3. Squeeze the muscles on the side of your torso,bending to one side. Continue to contract these muscles for 5 seconds.

4. Return to the starting position, then side bend to the other side.

5. Hold this contraction for 5 seconds.

6. Perform 5 repetitions per side.

Squats with chair support

1. Stand in front of a chair, holding the top of it for support.

2. Move down into a squat position by pushing your hips backward and bending your knees. Focus on keeping a straight back,and keep your chest up.

3. Try to go as low as you can, with the goal of your upper leg being parallel to the ground.

4. Stand up and repeat.

5. Perform 10 repetitions.

Chair squats

1. Sit in a chair with your back straight and your arms at your sides.

2. Drive your heels and the middle of your feet down into the ground as you stand up tall. Be sure to keep your chest upright.

3. Lower into a squat position by bending at you hips, pushing your hips backward, and bending your knees until you have sat back down in the chair.

4. Perform 10 repetitions.

Standing lateral hip raises with chair support

1. Stand up tall, holding on to the top of a chair for support.

2. Lift one leg straight out to the side. You should feel the muscles in the side of your hip contracting.

3. Keep your leg as high as possible while continuing to stand up straight. Try not to lean over to the side. Hold this position for a few seconds.

4. Return to the starting position and repeat.

5. Perform 10 repetitions per leg.

Heel raises while holding on to a chair

1. Stand up tall, holding on to the top of a chair for support. Your feet should be about 6 inches apart.r

2. Push the balls of your feet into the ground as you lift your heels as high as possible, contracting your calf muscles.

3. Hold at the top for 3 seconds, then slowly lower back down.

4. Perform 10 repetitions.

Standing hip extensions with chair support

1. Stand up tall, holding on to the top of a chair for support.

2. Bend your right knee. Squeeze your right glute muscle and extend your right leg backward. Focus on not arching your low back while you do this. This may feel like a small amount of movement, but you should feel your glute engaging.

3. Hold for 3 seconds, then return to the starting position.

4. Perform 10 repetitions per leg.

Tips for limited mobility

If mobility issues prevent you from completing seated or standing exercises, there are ways to modify the moves and still benefit from doing the exercise.Wickham recommends performing the exercise using a shortened range of motion.

For example, if you experience pain, shoulder mobility restrictions, or both with the dumbbell overhead press, don’t lift your arms all the way overhead. Instead, only go three-quarters or half the way up, or as high as feels comfortable for you.

“It’s normal to have mobility restrictions, especially as you age due to years of poor posture and sitting,” says Wickham. Listen to your body and start a flexibility and mobility routine in combination with your workouts.

Source: Adapted from an article by Sara Lindberg on March 20, 2020 on ‘Chair Exercises for Seniors’ in www.healthline.com)