seniors | Silver Magazine

Travel

Getting Started With Kayaking Over 50

The origins of the kayak go back over 4,000 years ago and were invented by the Inuit, Yup’ik and Aleut peoples in the arctic regions of what is today Canada. They were often constructed from stitched seal and other animal skins built on either wood or whalebone skeletons. And what an incredible invention they are! Today kayaks are made from a wide range of materials and various designs for both flatwater and open water uses. Ideal for a quick paddle or multi-day trips. The longest recorded trip, according to Guinness world records for a solo journey was by Polish adventurer Marcin Gieniezcko at 3,462.9 miles. The unofficial record is by German Freya Hoffmesiter who circumnavigated Australia alone at a distance of 8,570 miles. Wow! Kayaking at any age is fun and a great way to work out the upper body, build core strength for better balance and get closer to

Alex Hurst January 18, 2023

Health

Virtual pharmacies provide unique benefits for older Canadians

With TELUS Health’s new app-based Virtual Pharmacy service, users are able to fill prescriptions online, set up automated refills, have prescriptions delivered directly to their door, and set up private virtual video meetings with registered, Canadian pharmacists.

Jason Kennedy, RPh, general manager, Virtual Pharmacy at TELUS Health February 23, 2022

Health

Yukon moves to protect seniors from shingles virus

CanAge, Canada’s National Seniors’ Advocacy Organization, is applauding a recent announcement made by the Government of Yukon that the best-in-class shingles vaccine (Shingrix) is now available to all adults aged 65-79 in pharmacies. The previous age cutoff for the vaccine was 70 and options for where to get the required 2 doses were limited and unclear, leaving many older people in the territory vulnerable to shingles—a debilitating and painful virus that can lead to permanent nerve damage and loss of vision. The announcement follows a critical review of the territory’s adult immunization efforts by CanAge earlier this year, which placed Yukon among the worst performers across Canada in vaccinating seniors. “By expanding coverage and access to the recommended shingles vaccine (Shingrix), the Government of Yukon has taken a major step toward keeping seniors in the territory safe from what can be a truly excruciating viral infection with life-long effects,” says

Alex Hurst December 8, 2021

Mind

Mental Health and Artificial Intelligence

It seems Artificial Intelligence (AI) is finding uses across every aspect of life these days. And it is. Now, AI is being applied to mental health across all ages. In Canada, by age 40, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), 50% of people will have had a mental illness. Depression affects 5% of the population and around 4.6% of Canadians suffer from an anxiety disorder. The pandemic hasn’t helped. One of the challenges of the pandemic was being able to connect with a psychiatrist or psychologist as well. Many people rely on their employer-based benefits or bear the personal cost of private services. Canadians spend an estimated $950 million a year on psychologists in private practice. About 30% of this is paid out-of-pocket while the remainder is paid through employment-based private health insurance plans. Now, some technology companies are seeing some degree of success using AI to help

Alex Hurst September 3, 2021

Health

Celiac Disease and Mental Health

Celiac disease is major public health problem worldwide. It’s an autoimmune condition that affects 1 in 100 people. However, most people with celiac disease don’t fully understand it, or even realise they have it! New research on the condition is emerging left, right, and centre. Scientists are working hard to learn what causes celiac disease, how best to diagnose it, and which mental and physical health consequences can arise if it isn’t managed appropriately. Before we get onto discussing some of the mental health challenges that celiac disease can provoke, first, let’s consider whosuch challenges apply to. In other words, who is classified as “celiac”? Many people claim to be gluten intolerant. However, this is very different to having an autoimmune reaction to gluten. One of the major differences is that the long-term health consequences of consuming gluten can be much more severe if you are celiac. Considerably more women

Sophie Ash August 16, 2021

Longevity

Best Podcasts for Canadians over 48

If you’re already into podcasts, hopefully there’s some interesting ones on this list. If you’re not into podcasts, well, hey, here’s a great list to get you started. Listening to podcasts is easy. You can get them through your smartphone, Android or iPhone, a tablet or laptop and even from a smarthome speaker like Echo, Google Home or Apple HomePod. If you use a smart speaker, just holler at it to play the podcast you like. Nice and simple! They can be great to listen to when driving, walking or just relaxing on the couch. Dear Seekers This is a really cool podcast by Toronto-based journalist Sasha Xiao who explores the intersection of life, creativity and spirituality. She interviews women primarily. It’s an inspiring anthology. You can her podcast here. Nighttime This is a great Canadian podcast, with stories from across the country, mostly based on mysteries and interesting events.

Alex Hurst February 22, 2021

Fitness

Top 10 Exercise Mistakes

We’ve probably all made at least one of these bloopers when we’ve exercised. Sometimes we’ve learned the hard way. If you’re just getting going with your fitness plan, be sure to remember these mistakes you can avoid! 1 Exercising too hard or too fast. If you exercise for 30 minutes most days, increase speed and distance by no more than 10% per week. 2 Lack of variety. Doing the same workout month after month can lead to fitness plateaus, boredom and overuse strain or injury. Mix up your activities. 3 Doing all or nothing. Not having a full 30–60 minutes to exercise is no reason to skip your workout. Even 10 minutes of exercise is beneficial. 4 Unrealistic goals. Impractical goals often lead to exercise dropout, if not injury. Stick to a plan that suits you—challenging but not so difficult you get discouraged from lack of progress. 5 Not warming up.

Alex Hurst December 11, 2020

Fitness

How to start a fitness journey

Starting a health and fitness journey can seem intimidating at first, but you don’t need to worry. Take it slow and follow these simple suggestions. Here is a Q&A with renowned Canadian fitness instructor and long-time contributor and guest editor to our sister magazine, Optimyz, Nichelle Laus. Q: I need to get started on a health and fitness journey. Where would you recommend I start? The internet is a daunting place. I mean, it’s called the “world wide web” for a reason; it’s easy to get lost in the various strands of information it provides. What might have started as an innocent cat video search on YouTube leads you to research how to install backsplash using margarine and $7 oil paints. Fitness Education While the internet is a useful resource for nutrition and training, the first “diet” you have to put yourself on is an information diet. Stick to one

Nichelle Laus November 20, 2020

Fitness

Spark your fitness creativity

From what we eat to how we exercise, bringing ingenuity to the table can not only make life more enjoyable, but it can also enhance our chances of achieving our goals. Here’s how you can do it. Creativity: the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. When you hear the word “creativity,” what comes to your mind? I think of young children, painters, dancers, and spoken-word masters. But this perspective is limiting in so many ways, because the truth is, creativity is one of the most important characteristics of being human. It’s one of the main traits that makes us successful as individuals and as a species, and we all have it—whether we see it or not. The question is, why is it so important and how do we cultivate it in our day to day life? Creativity makes life infinitely more

Sonia Jhas August 14, 2020