TRIB TOTAL MEDIA SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019 · 13
IMPORTANCE OF EXERCISE
it takes a toll, and there’s
pretty good evidence to sup-port
that.”
Fortunately, she said,
there’s also mountains of evi-dence
to support the benefits
of walking.
The Arthritis Foundation
website lists a number of
benefits to walking, citing
numerous studies on the
topic, that include improved
circulation, better bone
strength, stronger muscles,
better sleep, greater joint sup-port,
slower mental decline
and a lower risk of develop-ing
Alzheimer’s disease.
Walking also improves
heart and lung function,
reduces the risk of heart
attack and stroke and helps
with conditions such as high
blood pressure, high choles-terol
and type-2 diabetes and
can help with weight loss.
Walking outside in the
winter — yes, the Western
Pennsylvania winter — can
also help keep seasonal af-fective
disorder at bay. Even
with Pittsburgh’s share of
gray days in the winter, there
are also plenty of days where
the sun peaks through allow-ing
you to get that exposure
needed for your body to
make vitamin D. Plus, getting
sunlight on your face always
feels good no matter the
season.
With a base layer, par-ticularly
one that wicks away
moisture from the body, a
warm layer such as a fleece
and a jacket up top (along
with a hat and gloves) and a
thin base layer under some
jeans or pants, you should be
primed for the weather.
There’s also a mental and
emotional well-being com-ponent
to getting out and
taking a walk.
“If you threw in walking
with a loved one, such as
a friend or another family
member, I would think that
would also provide impor-tant
social support and an
outlet for emotions that you
might not otherwise get,”
Donovan said.
“Those are big things.
Plus, you get that feeling of
respite when you take care of
yourself.”
Doctors also often recom-mend
that patients being
treated for cancer keep walk-ing
and stay active because
it improves their level of
fatigue if they walk regularly
and can increase their ap-petite
and outlook.
“If the patient and the
caregiver can do that to-gether,
they can both feel
like they’re taking care of
each other, which is a pretty
powerful feeling,” Donovan
said.
adno=6661319
SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENT
ALLEGHENY LUDLUM
RETIREES
You may be eligible for a
lifetime hearing aid benefit
under your new insurance plan
Your new plan may provide
advanced level technology at
NO out-of-pocket expense
Call Today To See If You Qualify
416 4th Ave.
Tarentum
724-224-6811
www.RamettaHearing.com
141 Columbia Ave.
Vandergrift
724-567-7381
CWoolorlrdMy
Painting by a Memory Care resident
Art is a way to express ourselves. For those living with
dementia, it can mean so much more. Residents with
dementia face many roadblocks when it comes to
communicating. The St. Barnabas Memory Care Team
often uses art as a means of helping residents to
express themselves.
Residents enjoy painting, adult coloring and trying their
hands at a variety of art forms. These activities foster
creative thinking and provide the artist with a sense of
accomplishment, increased self-esteem and pride. This
is just one way the Memory Care Team at St. Barnabas
helps color the world of our residents.
For more information and to schedule a personal tour,
please call 724- 443-0700.
adno=6659458