Quarantine Upper Body at Home Upper Body Resistance Band Workout

It looks like we're going to be staying at home another 2 weeks, at least.

Life changed instantly; routines are disrupted.  It's kind of crazy right now.
My stress response is making it hard to stay on routine and stay motivated.

It's time to dig down deep down inside for the inner strength to keep going; to stay focused on the big picture; your health.

For me, success to getting through this uncertainty is setting small goals for each day.
My main goal is to move deliberately everyday!

I don't have a set time but sometime, anytime during the day I make myself do 20-30 minutes of continuous challenging movement.

I try to get my heart rate up and get that blood pumping!  Neuroscience research studies demonstrate that increased blood flow to the hippocampus has positive effects on cognitive ability and memory!

Academy of Sports Medicine recommends all for adults over age of 60 engage in some type of resistance training at least two times a week in order to maintain muscle mass.

Body weight and resistance bands are examples of strength building exercise.
Grab your resistance band and follow along with me in this upper body routine.

This routine plus my lower body resistance band routine are a great total body resistance band workout to do at home.

I recommend grabbing that resistance band 2-3 times a week.
10-15 repetitions, work up to 2-3 sets.
Different speeds, different tempos.

Nasal breathe.  Sit tall.  Smile.

RockTape and Balance

I just attended a two-day seminar on taping of the body.  Rock Tape is a "movement company that dabbles in tape" and the art of taping is no longer reserved for professional athletes, we can all benefit from taping.  In fact, I learned some great techniques for relieving pain and fluid buildup, correcting posture, working with scars and improving range of motion; all of which my clients can benefit.

RockTape has partnered with Dr. Eric Cobb, the creator of Z-Health Performance, and as a studying Z-Health Master Practitioner, I was interested in learning more about the taping.  The course instructor was a doctor of Physical Therapy, Dr. Aaron Crouch.   The neat thing?  Aaron had been a student volunteer of mine during a fall prevention screening event in 2012!  Small world, now he's teaching me about RockTape!  He is a partner at Kime Performance Physical Therapy Training.

As a Brain Practitioner or one who trains the three sensory inputs the brain for better movement, I can say that RockTape only deals with one sensory system; the proprioceptive system.  It's refreshing to see a major company (RockTape) recognize the power of sensory input to the brain; the skin, joint and muscle receptors in this case.

Taping a body part improves the brain's mapping of that particular body part.  When injured, nerve damage can occur and receptor input of that area decreases.  As a result, movement suffers.  Taping increases sensory input from that area and immediately improves movement.  As always, you have to assess and re-assess to see the result.

It was cool to learn about scars and posture from a physical therapist perspective.  I've learned how to work with scars, posture, fluid buildup and pain from the brain's perspective so I enjoyed practicing how to tape clients after acute injury or specific to movement patterns.

I urged Aaron to attend Z-Health certification.   He will truly be blown away by the power of vision and vestibular systems which are two higher ranking sensory inputs in the brain's heirarchy for correcting movement.  Until then, RockTape is a great way to help people move better through improved body mapping to the brain.

Rock on.

Exercise Etc Older Adult Workshop vs. Brain-Based Training

I have been a fan of Exercise Etc workshops for years.  Guy Andrews and his team do an amazing job educating trainers how to work with the older adult population.  I have learned valuable functional exercises for baby boomers and their parents.  They do a great job teaching simple exercises for the aging spine, hip, and shoulders.

If you don't know me, I've been studying the brain and how the brain works at the doctorate level for the past two years.  When you study the brain, your perspective of everything changes.  Things that present as problems in the body, begin in the brain.

I went to a local Exercise Etc workshop this weekend hoping to learn something new and to see how the standard senior fitness programming fits into the brain scheme of things.  

The instructor, Mike Diebler, is a great guy and extremely knowledgeable about movement.  He did acknowledge several things about the nervous system (aka, the brain) that I thought were interesting.  

• We agreed about the importance of identifying the cause of the movement problem.  In Z-Health, we are taught to take an extensively thorough health history.   The cause of every movement problem lies somewhere in the nervous system.  In Z-Health, we have an 8-Levels model of assessment to systematically identify the source of the problem.
• We agreed that no matter how much you try to 'workout' a problem or weakness on one-side, it will always exist.  In Z-Health, we are taught about the brain and that there are two sides.  After years of lifestyle habits, one side of the brain usually needs more activation.  In Z-Health, we systematically identify the dysfunctional side and activate it.  A person has to earn the right to train bilaterally
• We agreed about the importance of deep inhales and long, strong exhales.  The diaphragm is your breathing muscle and like any other muscle in the body, it needs to be worked in it's full range of motion.  We humans are shallow breathers and do not fully exercise our diaphragm.  The reprecussions are bent forward postures.  We need to stretch the diaphragm.

I left after the morning sessions.  It was good to go there but I didn't learn anything new.  Please do not get me wrong; I by no means, think I know it all. I do not.  I mean that the fitness industry as a whole isn't teaching anything new.  

There are only so many ways you can move your body.  The only way to change the way you move is to activate the brain.  You can stretch and strengthen your "posture" muscles all day everyday but if your brainstem isn't getting the balance of extension and flexion activation, your posture will never improve.

If however, you activate the brainstem, your posture will improve immediately.   It's brain-based. It's science.  It's neurology. 

Thank you Exercise Etc for coaching me to be a great proprioceptive trainer.  Now I'm a  brain-based practitioner who activates vision, vestibular and proprioceptive systems for optimal performance and reduced pain.  

Folsom Senior Center offers Brains and Balance Training Sampler

I started teaching workshops at the Folsom Senior Center this summer.  I instantly liked vibe of the center and the awesome staff led by director Recreation Coordinator Ryan Erwin when I visited and the residents make the center even more welcoming.  They are independent older adults enjoying socialization, exercise, art, music and meals and now, my brain-based balance and mobility training classes and workshops.

Folsom Seniors GET IT!;
the importance of training the brain
for better performance!

Over twenty Folsom seniors attended my "ABCs of Balance" workshop and  several brave students practiced lifesaving skills in my "3-Step Get-UP from the floor" workshop.  Fifteen seniors signed up for three (3) sessions of brain-based balance and mobility training.  

The three-session training taught students how to activate the sensory systems of balance.  Our brain determines every movement and training the sensory inputs to the brain directly improves cognitive ability and physical performance.  

Applied neuro-anatomy and neuro-physiology instantly changes the way you move through life, your balance and stability, your vision and your pain level.   As a certified Z-health Neuro-Practitioner, this is the brain-based training I am certified to teach.  

Students moved their feet and walked barefoot.  They moved their eyes and stared at nine locations.  They moved their heads and bounced on their toes.   Their balance and posture improved instantly.  Strength and flexibility increased significantly.  Movement got better. 

Three sessions.  Life looks and feels better.  Movement is more efficient.  

Schedule your introductory workshop and 3-session training package today.  

September session!

4-week Brains and Balance Fall Prevention Training Classes

Folsom Sports Complex.  Clarksville Road Folsom.

How Posture Training Can Directly Improve Your Balance

I meet a lot of people who are concerned about their posture  What's fascinating is "Posture is a primitive reflex"; the primary primitive reflex needed to move through life.  Without a stable posture, we cannot move safely through life and movement suffers.

When it comes to balance, posture is directly involved.  If you're bent over looking at the floor, stooped down closer to the floor, constantly staring at the floor, you're going to end up on the floor.

There's hope!  Postural weakness can be changed, at any age.  Once a qualified trainer addresses visual problems, muscle deficiencies and inner ear dysfunction, posture will change.  Knowing where to look and how to carry yourself is the fist step to better balance.

ALERT**** Neuroscience proves that it's never too late to improve your posture and the way you move through life.  Your brain is hard-wired for survival and once your brain 'feels' safe, your posture, balance and movement will improve****

 Z-Health Practitioners are trained to identify the body systems rendered dysfunctional and activate them to be functional.   Training the vision, vestibular and proprioceptive systems has immediate results but it's up to you to do the drills to make the changes permanent.

Legally blind still need to train eye muscles

Vision is so more than eye sight.  This US Veteran is legally blind and learned how to train his eye muscles for less pain, better posture and more confidence.

Neurology is so cool.

Legally blind student in Brains and Balance Training class in Ranch Cordova explains how the vision drills have helped him.

As his instructor, I watched his eye movement improve tremendously..  His left was exophoric the first day, meaning the eye ball would look out to the side.  Through targeted vision training drills to strengthen the weak eye muscles, his left eye is now more 'in line' and focused forward.  Not bad for a four-week class.

He has had multiple back surgeries and spinal fusions so in order to live completely free of pain will require a lot of practice of vision and targeted brain activation drills.   All things are possible when you believe.

"You gotta believe it to see it".

Legally blind student drops chronic pain with vision drills

One of my students in my Brains and Balance Training classes at Sun River Church is legally blind.  His macular degeneration is advanced and he can only see in the peripheral field.

On the first day of class, his pain level was a 10 which he attributed to chronic spinal stenosis.  As a Brain Practitioner, I was thinking otherwise.  His posture was stooped forward with a slight bend to the right.  His sense of equilibrium was off center which was evident in his posture.

I had him do specific eye drills to activate PAIN INHIBITION CENTERS in the brain.  His challenge was that he could not  actually see the pencil that I was asking him to follow with his eyes.  This is where brain science gets AWESOME.....

By ENVISIONING the pencil moving (eyes following pencil while in his hand), this gentleman who is illegally blind, activated the same neurons and neural pathways as if he could actually see the pencil.  Envisioning the target has the same powerful effect on brain activation as actually seeing it.

After two weeks, four sessions of brain-based training and lots of homework drills, this legally blind class participant's perceived level of pain is a 4 out of 10.  His eyes are moving 100% better and he's standing up straighter;  shoulders are level and his scoliosis is less pronounced.

You want to know what the best thing I've noticed?  His mood change!  Although he's not 100% pain-free, his mood is lighter, he's more engaged and exudes more confidence.  In fact, he got up and did the walking drills with the rest of the group!

WOW.  Just think about that....legally blind and living in a world of darkness and pain.  Through specific vision training drills and envisioning the target during precise vision training drills, this guy's pain has decreased significantly, his posture has improved dramatically and his mood is happy and hopeful.

What is going on?  Why are these changes happening?  Vision drills activate different parts of the brain; parts of the brain that are directly responsible for posture and pain.  Each eye has six muscles and those muscles are innervated by nerves that go directly into the brainstem.

The processing of all visual information (assigning meaning to visual data) activates all the lobes of the brain.  Vision is a brain-wide event.

And an activated brain is a happy brain because as you know, a healthy brain needs two things:
1.  Fuel  2.  Activation.

Is your vision getting worse each day?  Are you in chronic pain?  Do you feel unsteady and live in fear of falling?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are the perfect candidate for brain-based Balance Training with Coach Kelly.

Elements of Efficient Movement to Prevent Falls

Professional athletes make movement look graceful, flawless, effortless.  We're not professional athlete's but your brain's ultimate goal of movement is efficiency.  Efficient movement requires less energy and your brain likes to conserve energy.

So how does your movement become efficient?  Practice, practice, practice!!!  Practice solidifies neural pathways with myelin and your brain (and body) get good at that movement.

But here's the kicker;

your body gets good at whatever it does

exactly how it does it.  

What that means is that if you're practicing sloppy, compensated movements, your body will get good at bad, inefficient form.

This is why you need to practice movements in perfect form. Dr. Cobb, creator of Z-Health, has identified four elements of efficiency that must be present in the "PERFECT REP".  And they are:

1. Perfect Form
2. Dynamic Postural Alignment
3. Synchronized Respiration
4. Balanced Tension and Relaxation 

What does that look like?  Well, perfect form begins in Lengthened Spine.  Dynamic Postural Alignment means that all joints are relaxed and properly aligned.  You're sitting, or standing, tall and relaxed.  Feet, knees, hips and shoulders all facing forward.

Synchronized Respiration is relaxed nasal inhale into your belly and nasal or mouth exhalation.  This breathing pattern continues throughout the movements.  It will change as energy requirements increase but you SHOULD NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH AT ANY TIME!

The final element of efficiency is the ability to maintain balanced Tension and Relaxation in your body.  This means no contraction, flexion, forward bending, locking of arms when doing movements, no tension.  This is a challenge when a person is asked to move a joint in directions and speeds they haven't done in....forever!

IT's very common to see people tighten up when trying to move a body part in isolation that has never been moved before.  It takes concentration!  Concentration can rob your body of efficiency because all your brain wants is to do the movement and not look stupid.  This should be easy.  But it's not.

One perfect rep means doing whatever drill with all the forms of efficiency present.  Breathing.  Relaxed.  Postural aligned and perfect form.  In my Brains and Balance Training classes, we practice drills that should be easy. You would think three circles clockwise and three circles counterclockwise would be easy.  But it's not always the case!

Learn how to control your body with the elements of efficiency.  Get good at good movement.  Quit living your life in bad form!  Say goodbye to poor posture and instability.   Learn how to move each joint in isolation so you can move them all together efficiently.

Brain-based training: The future of Fitness.
If you're not training your senses, half your brain is dying.  Use it or lose it.

If You Stare at the Floor, You'll End Up on the Floor

    Our posture is 90% habitual.  Basically we walk through life on auto-pilot; unaware of our surroundings, not thinking about each carefully planned step or the balance skills and total body integration required to remain upright.

We take our balance for granted.  We take effortless movement for granted.  We take our brain's ability to receive billions of messages each second, understand and analyze that data and send a message to the rest of the body at just the right time, at just the right strength, and with just the right coordination for granted.   In actuality, movement is amazing.

Because most of our movement through life is habitual and because your body gets good at whatever it does, exactly how it does it, our posture is the result of our daily habits.  Vision and vestibular inputs have a tremendous impact on how your carry your head because all the brain wants is a horizontal horizon.

There was a very tall gentleman in my Brains and Balance Training class at Fair Oaks United Methodist Church.  He is a retired pharmacist.  Those two factors have resulted in very poor posture; hunched over shoulders, jutted out chin, head tilt forward, hips tucked forward, inches of his Thoracic spine are bend forward in kyphosis.

This typical forward head carriage is due to muscle imbalances caused by downward vision staring at the floor due to his fear of falling.  After eight sessions, things are looking up!

During the first two weeks of class, he would get very frustrated when I would correct his downward stare with, "Look at your vertical target".  He would shrug his shoulders and begrudgingly look up and correct his posture.  This is going to take some time because we've got 79 years of poor postural habits.

Good postural habits begin in lengthened spine; Spine long, chin slightly down and tucked back.  Every time you even think about your posture, lengthen spine and drop the chin and push back. Find the vertical target.

By the last session, this tall, lanky man was standing on a tightrope, ears in line with shoulders, shoulders in line with hips, hips in line with heels and weight equally distributed between the front and the back foot.  And he wasn't staring at the floor!!!

When asked what the best part of the class was, he said, "the ladies!".   It was amazing what he noticed when he quit looking at the floor.  The lone ranger in a class of ten women including his wife, this guy hung in there and noticed all the pretty face in the room.

Quit letting life pass you by.  Look around, pay attention to your surroundings.  Peripheral vision training can increase your reaction speeds by 25%; start paying attention to what you're not looking at!

Posture is dependent on where you're looking.  If you don't want "old age posture", look forward at vertical targets and stand upright.

The Fall Prevention Lady

Never TOO old to IMPROVE Balance, Posture and Movement: 92-year old with Scoliosis, Kyphosis, and slight Dementia

Several weeks ago, a 65 year-old man contacted me about working with his 92 year-old father.  He told me he wanted his father to get strong and stay out of the nursing home for as long as possible.  One of his main concerns was his father being able to get up from the floor.  He also stated that he wanted his father to continue with the training schedule of three times a week that he was currently doing with the physical therapist.

He was switching from a well-known Physical Therapist to my services because insurance no longer covered his father's treatment since there wasn't anything physically wrong with him.  This was fantastic news to me because the work I do is equally as good yet much more affordable for out of pocket training.  As I began to explain the neural input training I do, he stopped me; he had heard of me and knew his father was going to be in good hands.

Brain-based Training Results In Better Movement and Posture

When "Frank" came to his first session, he was stooped over and relied heavily on his walker for mobility.  I started with senior fitness tests and then did a thorough neuro-assessment; testing his vision, vestibular and peripheral nerve function. As a Z-Health Neuro-Performance Coach, I am constantly assessing and reassessing to discover what type of input training works for him.

All this sensory input stuff was new but Frank went along with everything and would smile when there was a big difference in his reassessment; nothing compared to his smile after he reached down to touch his toes after sharp/dull sensory input testing! When we started, he was 6 inches from touching his toes. After several sensory input tests, he was touching his toes and smiling ear to ear.

Frank is Latino, 92-years old and he has slight dementia so there's obviously some communication challenges but he's a go-getter and does what I ask after some explanation.  Not surprisingly, he struggled with the cerebellum drills but the pay-off was outstanding; he stood up without using his walker and this time, he was beaming smiled ear to ear and said, "Yes!".   That was session #1.

Nine sessions later, Frank is standing taller, getting up powerfully, moving easier and walking more balanced.  We've practiced getting up from the floor; the first time Frank cussed me but the second time was much better.  Now he's practicing kneeling exercises so being on the ground isn't as threatening to his brain or his body.  

Before session #5 at his home, Frank's caregiver told me he fell last night. Before I could say "uh-oh", she told me his son said that by the time he could get to the room, Frank was up and sitting on the bed as if nothing happened!  She said "I don't know what you're doing but it's working!".  

I am so proud of Frank and the huge strides he's making in our training sessions. Through ongoing sensorimotor testing, I've identified what areas of Frank's brain need more activation than others and I  consistently training the neural inputs (vision, vestibular and peripheral nerves) for improved motor output.   

The results are phenomenal; his stooped posture is standing more upright, his right-side scoliosis is becoming less evident and he's stronger and more stable.  This man is 92-years young and he's thriving with neural activation.  It's never too late and you're never too old to improve your balance, strength, posture and coordination.  

Posture begins in Lengthened Spine

Studying Z-Health functional applied neurology, I have learned more about balance and the brain than I had ever imagined.  The brain determines not only how we move through life but also how we see, balance and think.  This information is so good, I have to share tidbits that will help you move better, balance better and see better.

Today I am going to talk to you about posture. Posture is a reflex and posture is controlled up to seventy (70) percent by your vision!  Wow, think about those two statements for a minute.  Posture is reflexive. And posture is driven by your vision.

The Fall Prevention Lady's Lengthened Spine Demo

First, posture is a reflex.  For those people (and I used to train people this way) who throw your shoulders back, stretch chest muscles, strengthen neck flexors, hold your head level and even get massages to reduce tension in upper back, you know that the minute you walk out of the training session, your posture goes back to the way it was when you walked in.

That's because posture is reflexive.  In other words, your brain is focused on a level horizon and despite life circumstances (accidents, bumps and bruises) and occupational hazards (poor posture from a desk job), your brain is going to keep the horizon level for balance purposes.

As a result, your head will tilt, bend and turn to keep vision level.  The body will adapt physically to whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level.  If you slouch your shoulders and stick your neck out all day to keep the computer screen level, then your body will adapt to forward head, shoulders slouched and whatever is necessary to keep the horizon level.

The scientific phenomena known as the SAID principle states that your body gets good at whatever you do, however you do it.  If you look at the floor while practicing your drills, you will get really good at doing drills while looking at the floor.  Look up and your balance won't be good.  Cracks me up when I see people wasting money on 'balance manuals' that demonstrate people staring at the floor while doing the drills.

If you want to improve your posture, your balance and your vision, I suggest that you get into lengthened spine.  I start all of my classes discussing how people are carrying their head on their shoulders.  The average skull weighs between 8-12 pounds.  When perfectly aligned, your vertebrae are aligned and the spinal cord is lengthened.  When the head is jutted forward, the neck muscles have extra strain and weight of the skull.

Let me explain how to attain lengthened spine since how you carry your head directly impacts your vision, balance, posture and strength.

Lengthened spine: Sit or stand tall; both feet on the floor facing forward, top of the back of your head extended up toward ceiling, chin level and tucked back.  Here's the kicker, tilt your front teeth SLIGHTLY down toward collar bone.   NOT EXCESSIVELY but down where you see a level horizon.   Keep your chin tucked back and yes, you now have a double chin but you're in lengthened spine!!!!

Every time you so much as think about your posture, get into lengthened spine and keep your eyes on a vertical target in front of you at eye level.  Practice lengthened spine for every vision drill and try to maintain lengthened spine during balance challenges and all dynamic joint movement drills.

Posture begins with your eyes and is a reflex to life's imbalances.  In my classes, I teach vision drills, balance drills and movement drills designed to activate the parts of your brain that crave activation in order to move well, balance well and see well.

It all starts in lengthened spine; shoulders are down, chest is lifted, pretend you have a string on the back of your head lifting toward the ceiling, your chin is slightly down, and your eyes are focused on a vertical target at eye level....NOT AT THE FLOOR.

Do this exercise throughout the day. Anytime your even think about your posture, immediately get into lengthened spine.  Your spine and your posture will thank you.  So will your brain.

Swim your way to a strong and steady you!

Swimming is a great total body exercise;, the buoyancy of the water allows you to do movements that you cannot safely do on the ground.  Zero gravity results in less stress on your joints and movement is easier not to mention painfree while in the water.  Swimming laps is a great heart healthy, total body workout!

I have one client who was overweight.  She came to me because the excess weight was severely limiting her lifestyle.  The stiffness in her joints resulted in excruciating hip and knee pain which affected her ability to walk, stand and sit. As her pain progressed,  we started therapeutic exercises in the pool to get her joints moving in their full, pain-free range of motion again.

A 73 year-old retired nurse, my client knew something had to be done if she wanted to remain independent.  Bound and determined to lose weight, gain strength, increase flexibility, improve balance and live her life again, she started Kaiser's medically-supervised diet plan and got serious about her fitness program.  Her goal? To do what she is most passionate about; ballroom dancing!!!

Twice a week for four weeks, she would march the length of the pool; do side kicks, back kicks, and front kicks; ankle stretches, walk up and down the pool stairs, do upper body exercises using a resistance band to push and pull the strength and flexibility required in daily life, and then get on a recumbent bike to loosen up her knees by moving them in full range of motion.

Once the weight started to come off, her movement patterns became more fluid; more coordinated and less painful.  Fully prepared for weight-bearing exercises, we started a customized, machine-based strengthening program to build muscle and burn fat.  We met for 50-minutes, twice a week for three months.   We followed the principle of overload and I progressed the difficulty level of the exercises as her strength, endurance, flexibility, balance and coordination continually improved.

My client and friend stayed focused on her goal and has lost nearly 30 pounds while increasing her strength, flexibility, mobility, and stability in epic proportions. (BIG BIG YAY FOR BARB!!!).   Has she 'bulked up'?  Heck no.  Ladies (and gentlemen), if you are over the age of 20, you do not have enough natural hormones in your body to "get big".  Lean muscle mass is hard to build; it takes consistent dedication, good form and good nutrition.  

My message today is sometimes we need to swim before we can walk.  Swimming requires your joints to move in full ranges of motion and your body to fire muscles in a coordinated pattern.  It's best to combine land-based movements with water exercise. If all you do is water exercises, you are not addressing the gravity factor on earth.   Life happens in reaction to these gravitational forces.

If you haven't been moving, start a seated stretching routine like my Take 5 to Exercise DVDs.  These are great seated movements designed to prepare your body for life.

To order my Take 5 to Exercise DVD with five complete seated exercise routines, click here:

Fall prevention consultant? Really?

As a certified "FallProof™ Balance and Mobility Specialist" with a Master's degree in Therapeutic Aging, I consult with older adults and their family members, program coordinators, community specialists, support groups, recreation therapists, fitness trainers, and anyone else who is concerned about falls among our aging population and how to reduce the risk of an accidental slip or trip.

Although I am not the only one doing this type of work, I am a pioneer in my field.  I have been studying aging, balance, falls, and the prevention of falls for nearly ten years.  I love what I do and through education, demonstration and facilitation, I fulfill my mission which is to improve quality of life for older adults by improving balance and reducing fall risk.   Thus, I am weary of "fall prevention" scams and businesses who use all the right lingo but offer questionable services and/or products;  I instantly want to know more about the program and what they're selling.

While living in Los Angeles, I was contacted by a man who wanted me to join his "fall prevention consultant" business.  Of course I was excited about the possibility of joining a team of like-minded individuals with the same passion as me so I wanted to know more about his qualifications, his business, and his mission.

After meeting with him and his "partner", I quickly discovered he's not a "fall prevention consultant"; he's a salesman.   He is not a gerontologist; he's a salesman.  He is not a fitness specialist; he's a salesman.   He does not develop and deliver programs that help older adults remain independent.   He's a business major, that's right, he's a salesman.

He is selling a "posture analysis" machine to assisted living facilities.  Even though I am highly trained to test the exact dimensions and provide more feedback than a machine can offer, this guy thinks the machine is more accurate and the print out is worth more than a professional assessment. I don't agree but ok, let's say the assisted living facility buys the idea that there is value in the printout and pretty graphics the machine spits out.  Now what?

I asked him what type of balance training program he offers the residents.  What type of educational program are you using to increase awareness of fall risk factors?  What type of home modifications are you suggesting?  What about medication management?

This is where his true salesman colors started to shine.  He has no balance training classes to offer.  He doesn't know the different types of exercise a person should be doing to improve his/her balance.   He is trying to put together a "program" to sell to activity directors; a once a week educational program.

Fall prevention research demonstrates that a multi-dimensional approach is the most effective way to reduce the risk of a fall.  In other words, educate, demonstrate and facilitate how to make changes that will improve balance and reduce fall risk.  An analysis of how a person is standing and how the muscle fibers are firing that morning may indicate risk of a fall but will not prevent a fall; it takes education and behavior change to remain independent.

My book, "The Complete Guide to Fall Prevention" does just that; it explains factors that increase the risk of a fall, demonstrates the different types of exercise that researchers recommend to improve balance and facilitates behavior change through compliance charts.  I even offer my "Help, I've Fallen and I CAN get up" demonstration!

Buyer beware!  Apparently "fall prevention consultant" is the new lingo that salesmen are going to use to target the baby boomers.  Beware.

Stretch, stretch, stretch...

Long days at the computer will take a toll on anybody, but especially my body today!  

I am an active person but we all have times when we have to sit.  Be it for travel, waiting at the doctor, the DMV, in your car, because there's nothing else to do.  Whatever the cause for sitting, the effect is the same:  tight hamstrings, tight low back, slouched shoulders.  Poor posture.

Simple seated solution:  Extend right leg out in front of you, left knee bent.  Push right heel into the ground, toes pointed toward the ceiling.  Sit tall, lift your chest, drop your shoulders, inhale then exhale as you slide your hands down your straightened right leg.  Do not round your shoulders.  Stop at the point of tension.  Hold for at least 20 seconds, exhaling.   Come up slowly, one vertebra at a time.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Do this exercise 2-3 times per day to relieve low back pain.  This is one of my Basic 5 stretches that I suggest everyone do each day.  Make a routine that includes the Basic 5 stretches.   The Take 5 Hand Squeeze, the 3 circles, leg extension, hamstring stretch and the Kegal squeeze.  I include these Basic 5s  in each of my dvd routines so make them part of your day, too.

Short on time, do the Basic 5 , breathe deep and promote nutrient and oxygen exchange at the cellular level... aaaaaaaaaahhhhh, that's better.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.  

That's it for today, I'm tight from sitting all day and need to stretch in the exact opposite direction as I've been sitting for hours at the computer. I'm going to put in Day 3,  Take 5 for Posture and  enjoy some gentle total body stretching to relieve muscular tightness.  

I highly recommend you do the same thing, too.  Especially if you feel tight and grouchy.   Stretch, breathe, smile as you Take 5 to Exercise.

Peace be with you.

the balance enhancement specialist

Fail to plan=plan to fail

Planning for future, especially retirement, has become a necessity rather than an option as society ages.   Or perhaps it has become more of a reality as I get older.    Either way, planning for the type of future you  want requires planning on your part today.

In the fitness world, failure to plan means you plan to fail, especially when it comes to nutrition.  Successful weight loss requires a person to burn more calories than he consumes.  To do that, a person needs to plan meals in advance.  Preparation and cooking ahead of time results in healthier choices, smaller proportions, stabilized blood sugar and less calories consumed.  Result:  weight loss.

Advanced directives are the wise way to plan for an accident.  Accidents happen and are part of life.  I lost my father when he died of a sudden heart attack and unfortunately, he had not planned for his death.   A retired Brigadier General at the age 59, he was enjoying life.  Plan for the unexpected and designate a person to make decisions in the case you cannot.  Advanced directives secure your wishes and protect your assets.

Accidents happen and sometimes those accidents can be life altering.  If you plan to age gracefully and do what you can to reduce the risk of a fall, make plans to consistently exercise in the proper manner.  

Plan on making the time to Take 5 to Exercise each day.  Try to practice better posture and your body will adapt and change as you strengthen weak, over-stretched muscles and stretch shortened, tight musculature.  You will breathe easier, your organs will function more efficiently, digestion will be improved.  

Plan on replacing the Cycle of Fear with my COPE strategy, this Cycle of Postural Energy will increase bodily efficiency, increase energy levels, and promote awareness of physical being which will successfully reduce the risk of a fall. Day 3 of my series, Take 5 for Posture, provides tips and some corrective movements I learned from Paul Chek  to improve posture.  

Plan on learning about the 4 components of a comprehensive exercise-based approach to fall prevention when you purchase your Take 5 to Exerise dvd set.   

Plan on successful aging. Balance challenges DVD coming soon!   

Plan on talking to you soon,

the Fall Prevention Lady

Take 5 to Exercise

I know I am the Fall Prevention Lady. I know that I have been talking about topics that are helpful in reducing your risk of a fall. But now I want you to know about my Take 5 to Exercise video series: IT IS READY FOR REVIEW!!!

I have been working hard with my Take 5 crew on this project and I am very proud of it. I am certain that you will enjoy it and because it is a 5-day series, you will consistently stretch and strengthen your body while reducing your risk of a fall. And hey, if you have a loved one who has fallen, this is the perfect gift!

I discuss flexibility, posture and the importance of maintenance movements then demonstrate an exercise routine designed with that specific topic in mind. For instance, we do postural movements that stretch tight muscles and strengthen overstretched muscles, an imbalance that contributes to poor posture.

Two days of my series are dedicated to strengthening movements because I think that maintaining lean muscle mass is essential to maintaining your independence.

Please visit www.take5toexercise.com and check out the clip previews. You will be able to order online soon.....Get one for an older relative, a friend, or yourself because we all need to Take 5 to Exercise EVERY day. Your body will thank you.

I thank you.

The Fall Prevention Lady

Senior Exercise Videos