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    2025, February

    0 Tips for Improving Cardiovascular Health for Adults 

    Tips for Improving Cardiovascular Health for Adults 

    Maintaining cardiovascular health is crucial to living a long, healthy life. Adopting habits that support a strong and efficient heart is necessary as a healthy heart supports all the body’s systems. Taking steps to improve and maintain cardiovascular health can prevent heart disease and improve the quality of life. 

    Whether you’re looking to lower your risk for heart disease or simply stay in top shape, here are some effective tips to boost cardiovascular health for adults of all ages: 

    1. Walking 

    • Why It’s Great: Walking is a low-impact exercise that helps improve heart health, circulation, and endurance. It can be done at a pace that feels comfortable and can be easily adjusted as fitness improves. 
    • How to Do It: Start with short walks of 15-20 minutes a day and gradually increase the duration. Track your steps with a Pedometer or Fitness tracker for heart rate, distance and workout time.  Aim for brisk walking to elevate the heart rate to around 110-120 bpm (beats per minute). You can reference the American Heart Association’s Maximum and Target Heart Rate by Age chart to help you figure out a safe range for you. 

    2. Swimming or Water Aerobics 

    • Why It’s Great: Swimming is gentle on the joints and provides a full-body workout that can improve cardiovascular fitness. Water aerobics adds resistance, helping to build strength while maintaining low impact on the body. 
    • How to Do It: Join a local pool’s exercise class or swim laps at a comfortable pace. Modern aquatic fitness tools, such as water jogging belts and pool exercise dumbbells, add resistance and support, making workouts more effective and enjoyable. These accessories help improve cardiovascular health while being gentle on the joints, making them a great choice for all fitness levels. If swimming is not possible, water walking is a great alternative. 

    3. Cycling (Stationary or Outdoor) 

    • Why It’s Great: Cycling is another joint-friendly cardiovascular activity. It helps strengthen the heart, improve circulation, and increase stamina without putting pressure on the knees and hips. 
    • How to Do It: Use a stationary bike indoors, such as a peddler, or cycle around a safe outdoor route. Start with short, slow rides, gradually increasing speed and duration. 

    4. Strength Training 

    • Why It’s Great: While strength training is often associated with muscle building, it also has cardiovascular benefits. It can help improve circulation and increase metabolism, which supports heart health. 
    • How to Do It: Use light weights or resistance bands to perform exercises like squats, arm curls, or leg lifts. Start with 10–15-minute sessions, 2-3 times per week, gradually increasing intensity. 

    5. Chair Exercises 

    • Why It’s Great: For those with limited mobility, chair exercises can help get the heart pumping without requiring standing or walking. These exercises can improve circulation and flexibility. 
    • How to Do It: Sit in a sturdy chair and perform seated leg lifts, arm raises, and gentle stretching. Modern exercise machines, such as the Cubii Total Body+, make full-body workouts more accessible by combining the low-impact cardio of an elliptical with the ergonomic pulley system of a rowing machine all while sitting from the comfort of a chair. 

    6. Monitor Blood Pressure 

    • Why It’s Great: High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the most common risk factors for heart disease. Keeping blood pressure at a healthy level helps prevent the strain on the heart and blood vessels. 
    • How to Do it: Obtain an automatic blood pressure monitor to check blood pressure regularly. A healthy blood pressure is considered below 120/80. Consult a healthcare professional if you feel your blood pressure is elevated.  
    1.  Stay Hydrated
    • Why It’s Great: Proper hydration supports healthy blood circulation and the function of the cardiovascular system. Water also helps maintain blood volume and regulate body temperature. 
    • How to Do It: Seek out a water bottle, such as our Giraffe Stainless Steel Bottle, that is labeled with time of day and ounces to monitor your water intake  

    There are many enjoyable and beneficial activities that can help improve cardiovascular health in older adults. These activities should be gentle enough to avoid strain but consistent enough to provide long-term health benefits. Try several new physical activities and stick to the ones you enjoy most! 

    By incorporating some of these activities into daily or weekly routines, older adults can significantly improve cardiovascular health, enhance overall well-being, and maintain independence. Always start with activities that feel comfortable and gradually increase intensity as fitness improves. It's also a good idea to consult a healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise regimen. 

     

    0 Why Color Contrast is Crucial for People with Low Vision 

    Why Color Contrast is Crucial for People with Low Vision 

    Color contrast is a key factor in making visual content, whether it’s on websites, in printed materials, or in everyday tasks. For many people, color is simply an aesthetic choice or a way to express personality. However, for individuals with low vision, the choice of color contrast is far more significant; it can be the difference between seeing and not seeing. Color contrast aids allow for accessibility, independence, and safety for people with low vision. 

     

    What Is Low Vision? 

    Low vision refers to a level of vision impairment that cannot be fully corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or medical treatment. People with low vision may have difficulty seeing fine details, distinguishing colors, or perceiving objects in low-light conditions. Conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts can all lead to low vision. And, their effects can vary from person to person. 

    As we grow older, our vision often undergoes natural changes that can affect how we perceive colors and contrasts. Older adults with low vision often have reduced contrast sensitivity, meaning their eyes struggle to differentiate between objects and their backgrounds when there isn't enough contrast. Color contrast helps individuals with low vision by distinguishing objects, text, and other visual elements. 

    Vision changes, combined with the increased need for independence in daily life roles, make color increasingly important for older adults. Let’s explore why color matters more as we age, and which products can help improve functional performance in daily life. 

    Why Color Matters for Daily Functionality 

    Color plays a crucial role in many daily tasks, and as we age, it becomes even more important for several reasons: 

    a. Improved Identification of Objects 

    • The ability to recognize objects, especially those that are not immediately in our direct line of sight, can be impaired. For example, objects that blend in with their background may go unnoticed, increasing the risk of accidents or missing items. By choosing contrasting colors for objects and environments, older adults can more easily identify and distinguish them. Bright, vivid colors (like orange, yellow, and red) can make everyday items, like remote controls, pill bottles, or kitchen utensils, stand out, reducing confusion and improving accessibility. 
    • Bright, contrasting colors help with the quick identification of objects, especially for tasks like cooking, reading, or taking medication. For example, clear differentiation between a red button and a green button is important for those with aging vision. 
    • Color coding can be especially useful in activities like organizing items.  

    b. Navigating Spaces Safely 

    • High contrast colors improve visibility, which helps older adults navigate both indoor and outdoor spaces. For example, using bright colors for floor markings, door frames, or stair treads makes it easier to avoid tripping or missing important cues. 
    • Color is also key to safety. For example, bright, bold colors can be used to signal emergency situations or warn of hazards. People with vision impairments due to aging may have trouble distinguishing between the red and green lightsof a traffic signal, so clear signage, flashing lights, and contrasting colors can ensure that important safety messages are effectively communicated. 

    c. Facilitating Reading and Writing 

    • Many older adults have trouble reading due to changes in vision. Increased contrast between text and background, as well as larger font sizes with bold colors, can improve readability. 
    • High contrast backgrounds (like white, black, or yellow) paired with dark text (like black or dark blue) help older adults engage with written content more easily. 

    d. Reducing Cognitive Load 

    • When things are hard to see or hard to distinguish because of poor color contrast, it adds cognitive load, meaning that the individual must work harder to process visual information. As we age, mental energy becomes more limited, and simplifying visual tasks with clear color contrasts can make everyday activities less mentally taxing. 
    • Warm colors like yellow, orange, and red have been shown to stimulate energy and happiness, while cool colors like blue and green can create a sense of calm and relaxation. For older adults, especially those dealing with loneliness, depression, or cognitive decline, along with decreased vision, the right color choices in their environment can significantly influence their mental and emotional health.  

     

    Products to Enhance Daily Function and Color Contrast 

    A variety of products can help improve functionality for older adults, making daily life easier and safer by addressing color sensitivity and contrast issues: 

    a. High-Contrast, Talking Clocks and Watches 

    • Clocks with large, high-contrast digits (e.g., black numbers on a white or yellow background) are excellent for people with low vision. 
    • Talking clocks and watches can also help by providing auditory feedback in addition to visual cues. 

    b. Color-Coded Medication Aids with Talking Feature 

    • Pill organizersand medication labels with different colors for each medication or time of day can help older adults identify the correct pills at the right time. 
    • Colored pill dispensers help individuals track their medication schedules more easily. 

    c. High-Contrast Reading Aids 

    • Reading glasses or magnifiers with built-in high-contrast colors (e.g., yellow-tinted lenses) can help enhance text clarity. 
    • E-readers with adjustable contrast settings allow users to change text color and background color to suit their preferences. 

    d. Home Safety Products 

    • Motion-activated lighting with high contrast color schemes makes navigating at night easier, especially for individuals with limited vision. 

    e. Specialized Textures and Color-Coded Household Items 

    • Items like color-coded remotes, large-button telephones,and kitchen tools (e.g., color-coded knives or utensils) can help with identification and use. 
    • Color dishware and placemats. Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow are often associated with warmth and energy, which can make food appear more invitingand appetizing. These colors can also stimulate appetite. Unlike blue and green, they have a calming effect and may suppress appetite.   

    Conclusion 

    As we age, our ability to recognize objects, especially those that are not immediately in our direct line of sight, can be impaired. Especially, objects that blend in with their background may go unnoticed, increasing the risk of accidents or missed items. By choosing high contrasting colors for objects and environments, older adults can more easily identify and distinguish them.  Products designed with color contrast in mind can significantly enhance functional performance, independence and overall quality of life.  

    In addition to products of color for increased visibility for people with low vision, Pisces has a dedicated section of products for older adults with vision changes. Look here.  Check out this Color Contrast category to see all the products mentioned in this blog here.