December 12, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 17 The holidays are synonymous with many things, including get-togethers with family and friends, shopping, and ultimately -- resolutions. One of the more common New Year’s resolutions is a commitment to getting healthier. This year, holiday shoppers can combine the tradition of gift-giving with the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions by giving a loved one who wants to improve personal health a gift that can make keeping that resolution that much easier. When holiday shopping this season, consider the following ideas for that health-conscious friend or family member who is looking to turn over a new leaf in 2013 by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Gym membership: Fitness centers tend to see a spike in enrollment at the dawn of a new year, as men and women who want to get healthier take the first step by signing up Great gifts for those planning to get healthier for a gym membership. The holiday season can be a great time to sign up for a membership, as many fitness centers waive their initiation fees in an effort to attract more customers. When trying to help a friend or family member get back on a healthy track, offer to pay a portion of their membership fees or, if their preferred club is charging an initiation fee, offer to pay that instead. Recipients might feel more inclined to continue to go to the gym if they know a loved one helped pay for it. Cardiovascular machine: Many people cite a lack of time as the primary reason they don’t exercise enough. Getting to and from the gym takes time, but having a cardiovascular machine, whether it’s an elliptical machine, an exercise bike, or a treadmill, at home removes this hurdle, increasing the chances that people will exercise more often. And the potential benefits of routine cardiovascular exercise are (BPT) – The holiday season means trips to visit family and friends, nighttime drives to midnight Mass or to look at Christmas lights, and emergency runs to the grocery store. Driving is as much a part of the holiday season as gift wrap and Christmas carols. No matter where you live in the country, driving during the holidays presents some unique challenges. It pays to make sure both you and your vehicle are prepared to stay safe on the road throughout the winter. The experts at AARP Driver Safety offer some advice: Prepare for bad weather. If you live in an area of the country that gets winter weather, take steps to ensure your vehicle is ready for snow. Have your mechanic check the brakes, hoses, belts, ignition, battery, and all fluid levels, including the antifreeze and windshield wiper fluid levels. If you know you will be driving through heavy snow and ice, consider putting winter tires on your car. Stock your car with emergency equipment that will help if you become stranded, including a flashlight, first aid kit, shovel, jumper cables, basic tool kit, a bag of salt, extra windshield wiper fluid, and an ice scraper and brush. Before you leave home, always be sure you have a full tank of gas, a fully charged cell phone, and a functional spare tire, jack, and lug wrench. Be aware of holiday volume. Gas prices notwithstanding, the roads are always busier during the holidays. Shopping trips, local visits to loved ones, and long-distance trips keep the nation’s highways humming with heavier-thanusual volume. More cars on the road means the potential for spending more time sitting in traffic and more risk of a Holiday safety tips for older drivers fender-bender or a serious accident. To minimize the crunch of holiday traffic, try to travel during off times of the day. Avoid traditional rush hours when making local trips. If you will be taking a long drive, avoid historically high volume days. Use GPS navigation to help avoid the busiest roads by plotting less-traveled alternate routes. Minimize distractions. Holiday driving is full of distractions, from bright holiday lights that can be visually challenging at night, to driving with a carload of happy holiday revelers. Take steps to minimize distractions. Never drive and use your cell phone at the same time. If you must use the phone, pull over, or hand it to a passenger. When driving with passengers, establish ground rules for behavior that won’t turn into a distraction for you. Be at your best. You as the driver are the most important factor in ensuring your holiday drive time is as safe as possible. Take care of yourself by getting plenty of rest during this busy time of year and by driving at times of day when you are at your best. Consider brushing up on your driving skills. The AARP Driver Safety course is designed to help drivers 50 and older refresh their skills and adapt to age-related changes in vision, hearing, and reaction time. To find an in-person course near you, search www.aarp.org/findcourse, or sign up to take an online course. Courses are available in both English and Spanish. Signing up for a driving course may also make you eligible for a multi-year auto insurance discount – and who couldn’t use some extra money during the holidays? considerable. According to the American Heart Association, as little as 30 minutes of daily cardiovascular exercise each day can significantly reduce an individual’s risk for heart disease. Bicycle: Few activities are more enjoyable and simultaneously beneficial as riding a bicycle. Many people still enjoy riding a bike just like they did when they were children, when they might not have known just how healthy riding a bicycle was. Cycling improves cardiovascular fitness, lowering a person’s risk for heart disease while helping to build and tone muscles. In addition, men and women with preexisting joint conditions often find riding a bicycle is a great low-impact exercise that encourages them to get off the couch in a way that doesn’t aggravate their conditions. Many adults received a bicycle as a holiday gift when they were children, and those looking to adopt a healthier lifestyle might be just as excited to receive a bicycle once again. Cookbook: Adopting a healthier lifestyle does not have to be all about exercise. In fact, eating healthier is just as important as exercising more. A common misconception about eating healthy is that healthy foods don’t boast the flavor of those irresistible, yet ultimately unhealthy, foods we can’t get enough of. However, a healthy diet can be flavorful, so help health-conscious men and women get started with a cookbook filled with healthy and delicious recipes. Before buying a cookbook, find out if the book’s eventual recipient has any specific dietary restrictions, including if he or she needs to eat gluten-free or has been told to avoid red meat or another type of food. Then find a cookbook that suits the individual, but does so in a way that allows that person to embrace healthy eating.