With the skyrocketing costs of health care, baby boomers are not only turning to a healthier diet, but recognizing physical exercise as a way to stay fit and battle the debilitating illnesses that come with age. More specifically, participation in both aerobic and resistance training is now a key component for senior well-being.
Research has shown that significant muscle loss occurs during the aging process. In a study by Nutrition Action, within two months of resistance training, subjects between the ages of 50 and 85 increased their strength by 40 percent and reversed two decades of typical muscle loss.
As a senior myself, I participate in aerobic and anaerobic exercise through resistance training and road biking. I know that the debilitations of age can be positively affected through exercise. As a consequence, three years ago I started my own senior fitness training business, Fitness Senior Style, LLC. My clients range from relatively healthy seniors to those who exhibit various health challenges, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, strokes and dementia. I visit my clients in their homes and bring specialized equipment to exercise them for strength, balance and cognitive fitness.
After considerable research, the specialized equipment that my company utilizes is the Resistance Chair by VQ ActionCare, an at-home seated fitness and rehabilitation system. The Resistance Chair is specifically designed for mature adults to increase mobility, strengthen muscles, improve balance and achieve all-around better health. Traveling to and from client homes was made less intensive by the versatility and portability of the Resistance Chair.
I meet with more than 20 clients each week, all with specific needs to address. Although my clients range in fitness, the average workout is one hour and is dedicated to Resistance Chair training, focusing on two main areas of improvement: balance and strength. The Resistance Chair works well with clients living with health challenges, as well as seniors that simply wish to get back into shape. Clients adapt easily to the Resistance Chair during training and enjoy using it, as they see and feel the effects it has on their fitness and bodies.
Today, senior fitness and health awareness is on the rise, and there are a significant number of seniors who wish to regain their health, stay independent, reduce dependence on medication, and maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. I encourage seniors to join me on the quest to gain back a healthy lifestyle and spread the message that it’s not too late for anyone to get fit again. Seniors can initiate a healthy lifestyle right this very minute, in the comfort of their own home. Here are a few tips to begin in-home resistance training for all types of seniors:
Exercise 1:
Facing the back of a chair with both hands lightly holding onto the chair’s back, rise up on your toes as if reaching for a top shelf in your kitchen. Then lower until your heel touches the floor. Perform this exercise for ten repetitions, rest, and then perform once again.
Exercise 2:
Standing sideways to the chair, place your closest hand lightly upon the chair’s back. Slowly raise your foot by bending the knee until your foot is two inches off the floor. Hold to a count of 5 to 10. Lower your leg and duplicate the movement with your other foot. Repeat raising and alternating both feet five times. Rest and then perform once again.
Exercise 3:
Standing sideways to the chair, place your closest hand lightly upon the chair’s back. Slowly raise your knee until your thigh is parallel with the floor. Hold to a count of 5 to 10. Lower your leg and duplicate the movement with your other knee. Repeat raising and alternating both knees five times. Rest and then perform once again.
By Fitness Senior Style, http://fitnessseniorstyle.com/. For more information on VQ ActionCare’s Resistance Chair, visit www.vqactioncare.com or www.BuyResistanceChair.com.
Reprinted from September 2012
