Posts Tagged ‘Independence’

Regular Walking Promotes Independence

Older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence by 41 percent by participating in a walking exercise program, according to a new University of Georgia study. The study, which appeared in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, also found that walking program participants increased their peak aerobic capacity by 19 percent and increased their physical function by 25 percent. “In the past decade, researchers have focused on the benefits of strength training in maintaining independence, but until now we didn’t have good evidence using an objective performance measure that a walking program would improve physical functioning,” said study co-author M. Elaine Cress, professor of kinesiology and researcher in the UGA Institute of Gerontology. “Our study found that walking offers tremendous health benefits that can help older adults stay independent.” The researcher program group met three times a week for four months and would walk for 10 minutes continually.

As the weeks progressed, they increased their walking time to 40 continuous minutes. Each session began with a 10-minute warm-up and ended with a 10-minute cool-down that included balance and flexibility exercises. Trudy Moore-Harrison, the lead author of the study, added that walking doesn’t require any special equipment other than a pair of comfortable shoes, which makes it a simple and low-cost way for people to become active. Getting people to stick with exercise programs can be difficult, but the researchers found that every single member of the group stayed with the program for its four-month duration. Implementing strength training activities regularly, can lead to better retirement living. Great senior citizen housing can help create much better living standards for senior independent living with regularly scheduled exercises. “People really enjoyed the program,” said Moore-Harrison. “It gave them an opportunity to make new friends and get to know their neighbors. We know that walking is good for you, but too many people still aren’t doing it,” Moore-Harrison said. “This study shows that just walking on a regular basis can make a huge impact on quality of life.”




Thriving With Attorney Independence

There is still the demand for professional responsibility when it comes to all fields of work including the legal profession and this is the case even if there are plenty of independent American lawyers in our modern day and age. Every lawyer is subject to the concept of attorney independence even if most people will consider trial lawyers for this particular element. Basically, a lawyer needs to give objective, sound legal advice to clients and this is regardless of where you are in the legal profession and community.

You need to take note of two things when talking about lawyer independence. All lawyers have duties to their clients and other people cannot control them. A lawyer can have all sorts of clients and can work for the government, self-interest, and public opinion.

The second part is the duty to the legal system and this tempers the duty to the client. Here are two notions which are necessary for the legal profession. The legal profession is stressful because of this. There is nothing beyond acting independently on behalf of the client that a lawyer can do.

For a lawyer, he or she can only be the mediator. There is no such thing as a shared conscience. When a lawyer is independent, he or she follows the rule of law.

When needed, it is the job of a lawyer to provide the client with objective advice about any case apart from helping the client within the framework of the law. A lawyer should always work towards the best interest of the client and they should be the problem solvers for these people as well.

Independent lawyers are actually the people who work cases like the political or unpopular ones. Taking the criminal defense bar into consideration, this causes conflict among the general public. The legal community is facing difficulty due to this.

When it comes to this, there is another cause for confusion. Here, the question remains of whether this is a profession or a business but with what has been happening through the years, it is safe to say that what we have here is more of a business than a profession. Today, lawyers have delved into dot.com e-businesses and some of them have even gone into business with their clients.

In this case, you need to worry about a belief that the law is complex and lawyers spend most of their time in arcane paper shuffling, lawyer advertising creating the impression a law practice is a business and not a profession, and the pressure to include lawyers in multidisciplinary practices other than exorbitant legal fees. It is the culture of law which is another problem here. And their long hours leave them little time for outside lives and experiences that would broaden their perspectives.

Change is a good thing when it comes to this for it assures that the core values are not compromised. In this line of work, change is not always welcomed no matter how the people want to progress and this is where it gets hard to make an effort. Here, change is possible as long as the functions of client confidentiality and independence can be retained.




Teaching Children Independence

One of the most important tasks of parenting is to help children become independent, so that as adults, they can take care of themselves and pursue their dreams. Teaching independence is a long process, beginning in toddlerhood and (hopefully) ending sometime in early adulthood. These skills will help children adapt to new circumstances over the course of a lifetime. Below are some tips to help kids develop independence as they mature.


1.Give children increasing responsibility.

Teach children that they are important contributors to the family, and give them age appropriate chores. When they are five years old, they may help to fold the laundry, when they are ten they may help with yard work, when they are fifteen, they may help prepare family meals. As children approach their later teen years, they should know how to do most household chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry, and yard work); so that when they leave home they are ready to function independently.

2.Encourage kids to try things themselves first.

At times parents over function for kids, and kids become trained to ask for help rather than try things themselves. Whenever a child asks for help, if it is a task that you believe he can do on his own, ask him to try to do it himself first. If he tries, and doesnt know how to complete a task, offer him help, but teach him how to do the task rather than doing it for him.

3.Teach kids to solve their own disputes.

Young children will often ask parents to solve disputes between siblings or friends. When children are very young, this is an appropriate role for parents. However, once children develop problem solving ability, encourage them to work out issues among themselves, and to approach you only if someone is in danger or the problem is intractable. If you do step in to help a child work out a dispute with a sibling or friend, act as an arbitrary in a negotiation so that you are modeling how to problem solve with others. If there is any bullying or abuse involved in the dispute, assume an authoritative role and discipline the offending child as needed.

4.Teach kids how to manage money.

Teach kids how to handle money, including earning money, saving money, prioritizing spending, and giving to others. When they are very young, you can begin be teaching them to save a portion of their money, spend a portion and perhaps donate a portion of by helping with special tasks. By the time kids are teenagers, they should be able to understand how to make a simple budget. Having kids earn their own spending money during the high school years with a part time job, is a great way to introduce them to the real world of providing for oneself.

5.Teach kids to set goals.

When your child discovers an interest or a passion in life, teach him how to set broad goals and smaller goals as a means to achieving the larger goal. Talk with your child about setbacks, and the importance of persistence in any endeavor. Some children will give up on goals prematurely due to anxiety about failure. Teach the anxious child that failure is an inevitable part of the journey. Children who can identify what they want, set goals, and persist despite setbacks are well on the way to independence.




What Does Independence Mean?

What exactly does independence mean? Do you have to be free from one’s clutches to be independent? Or is it simply the benefit of having total freedom? Anyway, I will soon be celebrating my tenth year of being independent.

For me, the feeling of independence comes with a heavy price to pay though. The moment I stepped into the university, I had all the freedom I’ve always dreamt about. A large part of this independence is financial independent.

This meant that I had to manage my financial woes myself. The moment I gained independence was also the moment I had to carry all my financial burdens myself. Well, thankfully this burden was eased with my education loan.

The main aspect of independence is actually the responsibility which comes with having to make decisions in the process. Upon independence, there is no longer a grasp, a higher authority to govern what is right and what is wrong.

It all comes down to your own judgment.

Thus, with freedom and great power comes an even greater responsibility. With the coming of age, such independence is expected to be taken in maturely. Who’s there to stop you from going crazy and wild?

Thus, whether or not we treasure what is given to us is one question to ponder upon. We often take things for granted when the object we’ve craved for a very long time is awarded to us with no strings attached. I’m very grateful for my very freedom and independence. Happy Independence Day.




Learning Independence

As people grow up they begin to pass through adolescence. This is a stage where children want to take up responsibilities and become independent of their teachers, parents and other guardians. This is reflected in the desire of every teenager to pass the learners test and own a car. What this does for the individual is to create a sense of competence and self-worth which is essential in the development of self-esteem in the individual.

Just like teenagers like to pass the learners test and get the chance to become mobile in their own car, they also express a desire to live independently of their parents. They express his desire by choosing to avoid family get-togethers and occasions. Instead they choose to spend time with friend and members of the opposite sex. This is a desire towards independence which often finds fruition when students have to live in hostels with roommates who are of the same age as them.

But we cannot leave the teenager to seek independence on his own.

It is our responsibility to prepare them for life and teach them to value independence. For instance, before an individual can appear for the learners test, he or she has to first appear in the learners practice test. This gives the person an idea of what the real test is like and gives an opportunity to prepare for the real test. Similarly, camping trips and excursions are also a lesson in independence which serves to bolster the lie skills of the individual and increase self-confidence.

Preparation is necessary to make sure that the teenagers today grow to be reliable and mature independent adults of tomorrow. Such preparation gives them confidence and the encouragement that goes a long way in enhancing their self-esteem and developing wholesome personalities.

When a teenager clears the learners practice test he learns what the test will be like and becomes mentally prepared to undertake the necessary effort. Similarly, a teenager that returns for a weekend camping trip becomes prepared for staying independent for longer periods of time and takes up greater responsibilities. The teenager also learns to take responsibility for his actions and understands that he is also responsible for the well being and safety of other in society.

No individual can become a contributing member of society if he or she remains dependent on others for his needs. Therefore, it is necessary that society develop programs and take measures to provide the necessary training in independence to the individuals. For instance, a learners practice test prepares the individual for the learners test which is more crucial and important. Similarly, milestones should be developed to train individuals for greater responsibilities of life.