Lyndon Thomas Insurance
INCREASE YOUR LIFESPAN WITH THE VILPA METHOD
It Only Takes 6 Minutes Each Day!
Picture this: You’re sitting in your doctor’s office at the end of a checkup, waiting for her final words of wisdom on your health. “Things are looking good,” she says, nodding thoughtfully. “But you could do better. I know a way to increase your lifespan by doing a simple task for just six minutes each day. Do you want to try it?” That scenario might sound like science fiction — after all, we don’t have a pill for longevity yet — but according to the latest research, it could very well happen on your next doctor’s visit! This January, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported that by practicing a method called VILPA, it might be possible to lower your risk of death from any cause, including cancer, by 38%–40%. The method may also decrease your risk of death from heart disease specifically by 48%-49%. Both of these effects essentially increase your lifespan! What is VILPA? VILPA stands for “vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity.” In other words: exercise. Specifically, VILPA involves doing short, intense bursts of challenging exercises like climbing stairs or jogging down a hallway — anything that gets your heart pumping. According to the study, you only need to practice VILPA for 1–2 minutes three or more times per day to get the protective effects!
Do you need to be in shape to try VILPA? Nope! The VILPA study JAMA reported involved more than 25,000 people ages 40–69 who identified as “non-exercisers.” They never hit the gym; the most strenuous exercise routine they reported was a leisurely walk once a week. How should you start? It’s easy to try out the VILPA method: Simply take the stairs instead of the elevator and carry your groceries to the car instead of pushing them in the shopping cart. That said, we recommend visiting a physical therapist before you jump in. Many PTs offer free or low-cost health screenings that can identify problem spots and weak areas of your body. Scheduling a screening before you push yourself with VILPA can save you from injuries down the road.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION …
Spring is a great time to renew your commitment to better health and practice preventative care — and Medicare can help. Medicare gives you access to a variety of preventative tests and screenings at no cost to you. In addition to the yearly wellness visit, screenings for diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, and obesity management — to name a few — are available free of charge. Medicare provides for one free colonoscopy (oh, what fun!) every 10 years. While some immunizations were provided by Medicare without charge, others have been added. Shingles vaccines Zostavax and Shingrix are now available at no cost. Check out Medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-screening-services or your 2023 Medicare and You book personally mailed each fall for a complete list of Medicare covered preventative services. Whether you receive your Medicare benefit through Original Medicare or through a Medicare Advantage Plan, all Medicare covered preventative screenings and services are available at no cost. Advantage plan member must visit a primary care physician for authorizing these services. Advantage Plan members are helping their PCP when getting preventatives. Medicare provides incentives for physicians who meet thresholds and penalizes those who do not have enough of their members have their preventatives done. Some Medicare Advantage plans offer incentives such as gift cards worth $50 or more for completing the annual physical and other
preventative screenings. You may call your plan’s member services to inquire. Medicare is also phasing in incentives and penalties for physicians of Original Medicare beneficiaries to encourage wider use of the available preventative screenings. Original Medicare beneficiaries are now being asked to designate a primary care physician. So, for your benefit and your doctor’s, the preventative screenings are helpful.
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