Each year for the past seven years, the folks at the Sunrise Parks and Recreation District have hosted the annual Citrus Heights Senior Health Fair. Each year the program gets better. This year, the event is on Thurday May 15 from 9am-1pm. Vendors will be there and there will be educational workshops and senior fitness assessments. All of this is free to the public!
I will be presenting my dynamic, educational Fall Prevention 101 workshop from 10a-11a. No registration is required; just show up ready to learn! I will discuss aging, balance and how to reduce the risk of an accidental fall. You will feel empowered to take control of how you're aging after attending this workshop.
I will also be offering Senior Fitness Tests to measure functional fitness components associated with fall risk. I will measure your lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic or moving balance. You will need to sign up to reserve your spot for an assessment. I will be doing these senior fitness tests from 11:30a-12:30p.
For those who may be interested, I may offer a quick balance assessment using the short-form Fullerton Advanced Balance scale. This is a 4-item test that gives me a quick assessment of the sensory systems involved in balance. I'll do those from 12:30-1pm.
1 in 3 people over 65 and 1 out of 2 people over 80 falls each year. That's an estimate. I think it's an underestimate. It's also estimated that over half of all falls can be prevented through education, exercise and early detection. Get involved in your wellness! Come learn what may be causing you to fall. Learn evidence-based exercises that have been demonstrated to improve balance!
Come to the 7th Annual Citrus Heights Senior Health Fair!
6300 Fountain Square Dr, Citrus Heights, CA 95621
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
Never too late to improve functional fitness
I just finished a FallProof™ balance training class at Pioneer Towers in downtown Sacramento. The small group of ladies were excited about improving their balance and they did just that! Every single person improved on the three Senior Fitness Tests associated with fall risk. And I mean they improved!
As part of my classes, I offer pre- and post-assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the balance training classes I teach. I know the program works but I am continually collecting data in case Dr. Rose wants it for her FallProof™ program. Anyhow, I assess lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic balance and agility or moving balance skills before and after attending the 8 sessions.
This class of 8 older women improved dramatically. My most improved student was 94 year-old, Eve. Yes, I said 94! She increased her lower body strength score by 4, improved her lower body flexibility 3.5 inches and was 2.3 seconds faster and much steadier in her moving balance. Remarkable! I am so proud of her!
She can now touch her toes, her legs are stronger and she is more stable when getting up and moving quickly. This collective data demonstrates that the program works when you work it. Eve and another student worked the exercises into their daily routine by meeting everyday at 4pm.
Another student who deserves huge kudos was 80 year-old Mary. On the first day of class, she had to use her hands to get up out of the chair. On the final day, she was able to do 9 perfect form chair stands WITHOUT using her hands! Yeah Mary! That makes a huge difference in the quality of her life. She is no longer embarrassed about getting up out of the chair. How did she do it? She practiced her homeplay exercises. She did the work.
Both Eve and Mary clearly show that it's not too late to improve your fitness. And men, this is not just for women. In my other class at Fremont Presbyterian, an 88-year old gentleman who is an active athlete, increased his lower body flexibility by 4 inches! HE CAN NOW TOUCH HIS TOES! Think about how great that is when getting dressed in the morning, not to mention how it improves your walking gait! Awesome job!
As part of my classes, I offer pre- and post-assessments to evaluate the effectiveness of the balance training classes I teach. I know the program works but I am continually collecting data in case Dr. Rose wants it for her FallProof™ program. Anyhow, I assess lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic balance and agility or moving balance skills before and after attending the 8 sessions.
This class of 8 older women improved dramatically. My most improved student was 94 year-old, Eve. Yes, I said 94! She increased her lower body strength score by 4, improved her lower body flexibility 3.5 inches and was 2.3 seconds faster and much steadier in her moving balance. Remarkable! I am so proud of her!
She can now touch her toes, her legs are stronger and she is more stable when getting up and moving quickly. This collective data demonstrates that the program works when you work it. Eve and another student worked the exercises into their daily routine by meeting everyday at 4pm.
Another student who deserves huge kudos was 80 year-old Mary. On the first day of class, she had to use her hands to get up out of the chair. On the final day, she was able to do 9 perfect form chair stands WITHOUT using her hands! Yeah Mary! That makes a huge difference in the quality of her life. She is no longer embarrassed about getting up out of the chair. How did she do it? She practiced her homeplay exercises. She did the work.
Both Eve and Mary clearly show that it's not too late to improve your fitness. And men, this is not just for women. In my other class at Fremont Presbyterian, an 88-year old gentleman who is an active athlete, increased his lower body flexibility by 4 inches! HE CAN NOW TOUCH HIS TOES! Think about how great that is when getting dressed in the morning, not to mention how it improves your walking gait! Awesome job!
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