I just finished teaching my last class of 2019 at the Woodland Community Center. I had 14 older adults in my brain-based fall prevention class and the results were some of the best scores I've ever seen. From 96 years old to the youngest in the class, age 60, these mature adults got stronger, more flexible and moved quicker in eight sessions.
In four weeks, a 96-year old lady improved her lower body strength by 3 chair stands, reached 1.5 inches closer to her toes and walked 1 full second faster around a cone eight feet away. These are tremendous improvements at 96 years old.
The most improved was 67 year old hispanic woman. She improved lower body strength by 5 chair stands in 30 seconds, improved lower body flexibility by 3 full inches and improved her dynamic balance and agility by 8.7 seconds! Yes, that's right! 8.7 seconds faster getting up and moving around a cone that is 8 feet away. This skill alone can save her life.
I am so proud of everyone in the class. Investing in this brain-based balance training can save your life. Learning how to move quicker, with more flexibility and stronger legs, will improve reaction times. We practice reaction strategies so if you lose your balance, you know how to react appropriately. This improves your self confidence.
Some other noteworthy improvements:
A baby boomer couple in the class for work-related interests both significantly improved lower body strength; one by 7 chair stands and the other by 3 in 30 seconds.
A gentleman who survived a stroke over 20 years ago increased his lower body strength by 2 chair stands and his dynamic balance and agility by 3.3 seconds. He moves a full 3.3 seconds faster getting up from a chair and walking eight feet, without a cane. His overall walking gait showed significant improvement as well.
A 72 year old lady did 5 more chair stands in 30 seconds and reached 3.3 inches further.
A 78-year old lady did 3 more chair stands and reached a full 4.5 inches further. "Reaching further" is a measurement of lower body flexibility. The ability to touch your toes. The ability to pick your foot up and not drag your toes, reduced low back pain because hamstrings are more flexible.
An 86-year old man increased lower body strength by 2 chair stands and improved lower body flexibility by 2 inches. AT AGE 86.
A lady with Parkinson's showed significant improvement in her posture and reaction speeds.
You're never too young or too old to improve the way you move. Movement is life and it's time to start living!
This brain-based training is great for anyone who wants to gain control of her/his body and enjoy life on life's terms.
Showing posts with label agility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label agility. Show all posts
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Senior Fitness Tests Used to Measure Balance in Brain-based Class
Balance is difficult to define because it's different for everyone. And because balance means different things to different people, it's hard to establish a 'standardized' measurement for balance. For these reasons, I use the only standardized testing for seniors; Rickli and Jones' Senior Fitness Tests, to measure different components of fitness associated with balance and falls.
For the past fifteen years (15 years), I have collected data on every student on the first and last days of class to provide objective data regarding their balance. You may not 'feel' like you improved that much in such a short period of time but numbers don't lie. I measure lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic balance and agility; three components of fitness directly related to personal safety and independence.
The results are in from the two Brains and Balance Training classes at Sun River Church and I am excited about the progress made in four short weeks. It was interesting to note that avid walkers increased significantly in lower body strength and flexibility but not so much in speed and agility.
The legally blind student was the most improved in his class and in the top 3 improved of 17 people. He did 3 more chair stands in 30 seconds, reached 3.5 inches further toward his toes and walked 3 full seconds faster around a cone and back to his seat! He's 83 years old! And he has macular degeneration! And he's a US Veteran!
A couple who walks over three miles every morning also showed significant improvement. The husband was most improved by doing six more chair stands in 30 seconds and reaching 4 inches further toward toes. His wife did equally as well, increasing lower body strength by 4 and reaching 2.5 inches further. Both are now in the upper percentile ranks among people their age and gender.
The most improved of both groups was a caregiver in her mid-70s who had taken a bad fall the day before we started class. Over four weeks, she not only increased her confidence but nearly doubled the number of chair stands, or lower body strength! She reached 6.5 inches further and can touch her toes for the first time in her life.
I have to mention another couple who made significant improvements in all three areas of fitness however what was better than their numbers was the improved quality of life they felt they have gained from brain-based training.
She said the class was not only life changing but gave her life back! Diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, she is no longer crawling through life scared of falling but now feels her feet in contact with the ground and knows how to control her body. Her joy is radiant and all her friends are commenting on how much better she's moving and looking.
A lifelong athlete, he stands up better. He's short-waisted, long legged and now he feels stable when standing up. This is huge for a person who exercises daily and enjoys being active.
I absolutely love what I do; train the two things you don't want to lose as you get older; your brains and your balance. Don't wait ten years for your trainer or doctor to tell you about exercises to activate your body so you can move, balance and see better. Find a Z-Health trainer near you and change the way you move through life.
For the past fifteen years (15 years), I have collected data on every student on the first and last days of class to provide objective data regarding their balance. You may not 'feel' like you improved that much in such a short period of time but numbers don't lie. I measure lower body strength, lower body flexibility and dynamic balance and agility; three components of fitness directly related to personal safety and independence.
The results are in from the two Brains and Balance Training classes at Sun River Church and I am excited about the progress made in four short weeks. It was interesting to note that avid walkers increased significantly in lower body strength and flexibility but not so much in speed and agility.
The legally blind student was the most improved in his class and in the top 3 improved of 17 people. He did 3 more chair stands in 30 seconds, reached 3.5 inches further toward his toes and walked 3 full seconds faster around a cone and back to his seat! He's 83 years old! And he has macular degeneration! And he's a US Veteran!
A couple who walks over three miles every morning also showed significant improvement. The husband was most improved by doing six more chair stands in 30 seconds and reaching 4 inches further toward toes. His wife did equally as well, increasing lower body strength by 4 and reaching 2.5 inches further. Both are now in the upper percentile ranks among people their age and gender.
The most improved of both groups was a caregiver in her mid-70s who had taken a bad fall the day before we started class. Over four weeks, she not only increased her confidence but nearly doubled the number of chair stands, or lower body strength! She reached 6.5 inches further and can touch her toes for the first time in her life.
I have to mention another couple who made significant improvements in all three areas of fitness however what was better than their numbers was the improved quality of life they felt they have gained from brain-based training.
She said the class was not only life changing but gave her life back! Diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, she is no longer crawling through life scared of falling but now feels her feet in contact with the ground and knows how to control her body. Her joy is radiant and all her friends are commenting on how much better she's moving and looking.
A lifelong athlete, he stands up better. He's short-waisted, long legged and now he feels stable when standing up. This is huge for a person who exercises daily and enjoys being active.
I absolutely love what I do; train the two things you don't want to lose as you get older; your brains and your balance. Don't wait ten years for your trainer or doctor to tell you about exercises to activate your body so you can move, balance and see better. Find a Z-Health trainer near you and change the way you move through life.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Brains and Balance Class Participant with Multiple Sclerosis Improves Dynamic Balance by 4 seconds!!!
In my latest Brains and Balance Training session at the Woodland Community and Senior Center, a 78-year old class participant improved her dynamic balance and agility score by 4 seconds! In other words, she was able to get up from a chair, walk around a cone that is eight feet away and return to her seat four seconds faster than she did on the first day of class!!!
This quick-on-your-feet skill can save your life if you're walking across the street and the light turns before you're all the way across the intersection. Dynamic balance can help you get a pot of boiling water off the stove or answer the phone or front door in a hurry. We need dynamic balance to get through life safely andbeing agile can save your life in an emergency.
Her exceptional improvement is amazing in several ways.
First, she is 78 years old! Yay Kate! On the first day, her scores were 12. 5 and 11.8 seconds to get up, walk eight feet around the cone and return to her chair. On the last day of class, her scores were 8.8 and 7.8 seconds; both were consistently faster and her walking gait was stronger and more stable. It's never too late to improve your balance and mobility!!!
Second, the class is only four weeks long and Kate missed an entire week of training due to travel. She kept doing her homework exercises while away and when she came back, she jumped right into the new material as if she was there the entire time.
I urge people to attend all eight sessions but Kate is proof that you get out of the class what you put into it; she did her homework drills as prescribed and her body was ready for more!
But the main reason her four second improvement was so awesome is because Kate has multiple sclerosis. That's right; she has been living with multiple sclerosis since 1995. For twenty-three years this woman has been exercising and trying to stay ahead of the disease process. She came into class with a smile on her face and left with an even bigger smile!
When I told her the score improvement, she was thrilled and said, "I'm still improving!". She improved her lower body strength by two chair stands and knocked four seconds off her Eight Foot Up and Go test. Excellent job for 78 years old; OUTSTANDING performance for someone living with multiple sclerosis.
Next Brains and Balance Training session at Woodland Community and Senior Center is
August 7th-August 30th. Tuesday and Thursdays. 1pm-2:30pm. $125 for 8 sessions.
First, she is 78 years old! Yay Kate! On the first day, her scores were 12. 5 and 11.8 seconds to get up, walk eight feet around the cone and return to her chair. On the last day of class, her scores were 8.8 and 7.8 seconds; both were consistently faster and her walking gait was stronger and more stable. It's never too late to improve your balance and mobility!!!
Second, the class is only four weeks long and Kate missed an entire week of training due to travel. She kept doing her homework exercises while away and when she came back, she jumped right into the new material as if she was there the entire time.
I urge people to attend all eight sessions but Kate is proof that you get out of the class what you put into it; she did her homework drills as prescribed and her body was ready for more!
But the main reason her four second improvement was so awesome is because Kate has multiple sclerosis. That's right; she has been living with multiple sclerosis since 1995. For twenty-three years this woman has been exercising and trying to stay ahead of the disease process. She came into class with a smile on her face and left with an even bigger smile!
When I told her the score improvement, she was thrilled and said, "I'm still improving!". She improved her lower body strength by two chair stands and knocked four seconds off her Eight Foot Up and Go test. Excellent job for 78 years old; OUTSTANDING performance for someone living with multiple sclerosis.
Next Brains and Balance Training session at Woodland Community and Senior Center is
August 7th-August 30th. Tuesday and Thursdays. 1pm-2:30pm. $125 for 8 sessions.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Parkside balance training results will blow your mind!
I just finished a four-week balance training class series at Parkside Community Church on the southside of town. Becky Anton is the Parish Nurse and I have been working with her to improve quality of life for the community since my graduate studies in 2008. Teaching fall prevention classes at Parkside is like going home; I lived in the area during my graduate studies and my passion for teaching older adults how to NOT fall down started in this very church. Nearly ten years later, Becky is retiring and I'm still teaching!
This group was smaller than normal with five women between the ages of 67 and 76. I was blessed to have former FallProof™research study participant and FallProof™ class attendee Pat (who is now 90 years old and no falls) join us on Thursdays. She couldn't make Tuesday class because it interfered with her computer class at ACC!
The post-assessment results for this small group are HUGE! Let's start with lower body strength, the number one indicator of fall risk. While everyone improved in this area, some of the improvements were significant. Pat, 90 years old, did six more chair stands and did not use her hands to get up. That is amazing! The sixty-seven and 68-year old participants did an additional 5 and 4 stands, respectively. Huge improvements in the fall prevention muscles in only four weeks!
The average increase in lower body flexibility was between an inch and half an inch; you know the difference between tripping over the uneven sidewalk or not. The ability to pick up your toes when walking and how you walk directly impact your risk of a fall. We address both of these elements throughout this balance training series. The 67 year-old retired teacher increased her lower body flexibility by three (3) inches. Combined with increased lower body strength of 5 stands, she improved her dynamic balance over half a second.
Dynamic balance is the combination of both lower body strength and flexibility and this directly affects overall agility and ability to navigate obstacles quickly and safely. Dynamic balance score improvements were significant; our 68-year old who had prior left ankle and right shoulder fractures increased her dynamic balance and agility by 3.3 seconds! Wow. The tall, lanky 73-year old who recently had a left hip replacement improved her speed by 2.4 seconds. Bam! Faithful Pat was one second faster. This is wonderful news!
It may have been a small class but the results are HUGE! The impact that these fitness parameters has on fall risk is astounding; these ladies now have stronger, more flexible legs that react quicker to external, environmental demands. This is fall prevention in action! This is successful balance training. I am so proud of each and every participant for their time, dedication and energy. Great class.
Next class at Parkside begins the Tuesday after Easter. Visit my website for details. Website
Follow my page on Facebook: The Fall Prevention Lady
This group was smaller than normal with five women between the ages of 67 and 76. I was blessed to have former FallProof™research study participant and FallProof™ class attendee Pat (who is now 90 years old and no falls) join us on Thursdays. She couldn't make Tuesday class because it interfered with her computer class at ACC!
The post-assessment results for this small group are HUGE! Let's start with lower body strength, the number one indicator of fall risk. While everyone improved in this area, some of the improvements were significant. Pat, 90 years old, did six more chair stands and did not use her hands to get up. That is amazing! The sixty-seven and 68-year old participants did an additional 5 and 4 stands, respectively. Huge improvements in the fall prevention muscles in only four weeks!
The average increase in lower body flexibility was between an inch and half an inch; you know the difference between tripping over the uneven sidewalk or not. The ability to pick up your toes when walking and how you walk directly impact your risk of a fall. We address both of these elements throughout this balance training series. The 67 year-old retired teacher increased her lower body flexibility by three (3) inches. Combined with increased lower body strength of 5 stands, she improved her dynamic balance over half a second. Dynamic balance is the combination of both lower body strength and flexibility and this directly affects overall agility and ability to navigate obstacles quickly and safely. Dynamic balance score improvements were significant; our 68-year old who had prior left ankle and right shoulder fractures increased her dynamic balance and agility by 3.3 seconds! Wow. The tall, lanky 73-year old who recently had a left hip replacement improved her speed by 2.4 seconds. Bam! Faithful Pat was one second faster. This is wonderful news!
It may have been a small class but the results are HUGE! The impact that these fitness parameters has on fall risk is astounding; these ladies now have stronger, more flexible legs that react quicker to external, environmental demands. This is fall prevention in action! This is successful balance training. I am so proud of each and every participant for their time, dedication and energy. Great class.
Next class at Parkside begins the Tuesday after Easter. Visit my website for details. Website
Follow my page on Facebook: The Fall Prevention Lady
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