On Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8:30a I lead a class at Lockport Challenge Fitness called Silver Sneakers. It's senior fitness. We do a warm-up, then combine body weight, resistance band and hand weight exercises in a program and finish up with a cool down of light stretching; all done with kick butt 50s and 60s music (I burn my own CDs) playing in the background. We work up a great sweat, talk, laugh, sing along to the songs and do a little bonding! All the participants are over 65 years of age. A couple of the ladies have friend-ed me on Facebook!
Every Monday I work out a group of seniors at an assisted living facility. First on the second floor, using body weight and resistance band exercises while mostly seated. The participants are mostly ambulatory, but some need a walker or wheelchair. We do range of motion and strengthening exercises. We also talk, laugh and bond. The oldest member of this session is 101 years of age. After this session, I go up to the third floor and work with folks that have memory issues, some severe. We do mostly seated body weight range of motion movements. We count, talk and laugh, the residents are mostly engaged. The age range varies greatly. One women is 95, another is probably 66.
The first Wednesday of each month I also train a group in another assisted living facility. The age and functional levels are very similar as my Monday second floor folks. Again we move, strengthen, talk, laugh and bond.
I know working with all of these folks is a life altering experience for ME! And it helps enrich and improve their quality of life. They are interested in staying fit, active and living life their way. I mention this as a reminder to everyone that if seniors between the ages of 65 and 101 years of age can workout to the best of their abilities, surely you can as well. Age is no excuse!
As Andy Dufresne said in Stephen King's novella, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" and the ensuing movie, "The Shawshank Redemption", "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'." They have made THEIR choice as I have as well. What's yours?
Every Monday I work out a group of seniors at an assisted living facility. First on the second floor, using body weight and resistance band exercises while mostly seated. The participants are mostly ambulatory, but some need a walker or wheelchair. We do range of motion and strengthening exercises. We also talk, laugh and bond. The oldest member of this session is 101 years of age. After this session, I go up to the third floor and work with folks that have memory issues, some severe. We do mostly seated body weight range of motion movements. We count, talk and laugh, the residents are mostly engaged. The age range varies greatly. One women is 95, another is probably 66.
The first Wednesday of each month I also train a group in another assisted living facility. The age and functional levels are very similar as my Monday second floor folks. Again we move, strengthen, talk, laugh and bond.
I know working with all of these folks is a life altering experience for ME! And it helps enrich and improve their quality of life. They are interested in staying fit, active and living life their way. I mention this as a reminder to everyone that if seniors between the ages of 65 and 101 years of age can workout to the best of their abilities, surely you can as well. Age is no excuse!
As Andy Dufresne said in Stephen King's novella, "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" and the ensuing movie, "The Shawshank Redemption", "I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'." They have made THEIR choice as I have as well. What's yours?
RSS Feed
