Yesterday I gave a presentation on the importance of stress management to the local Celiac Disease support group.  While researching this topic, I realized that one of the most important things a person can do to manage stress is to engage in a consistent exercise program.  Why is this?  Because the benefits of exercise are both physical and psychological.  This is why I encourage older adults, regardless of physical ability, to try to engage in some type of activity every day.

People who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease have an autoimmune reaction to all gluten products and some wheat, barley and rye products.  When a person is first diagnosed, he feels weak and the last thing he feels like doing is “exercising”.  However once a person begins to follow a medically diagnosed diet, his strength returns and he is more likely to feel like exercising.  I believe that it is at this point that following a safe, seated exercise routine that focuses on gentle stretching and proper movement is extremely beneficial.   Stretching increases circulation and the increased oxygenated blood supply to the brain and muscles releases “feel good” endorphins.

I demonstrated some excellent stretching exercises that were done while seated.  Because deep breathing is highly recommended as an effective stress reliever, I cued the group when to take a deep breath and when to exhale throughout each movement.  This is very important because abdominal pressure needs to be released when stretching.  After stretching, I engaged the group in some progressively challenging balance movements.

This was a great group who is actively trying to increase awareness of Celiac Disease and the food choices available to those living with this autoimmune disorder.  Although diagnosis can happen at any age, there were more older adults than younger.  No matter what your age, it is highly recommended that you engage in a consistent exercise program that is designed to build strength, improve flexibility, challenge balance and increase endurance.  Regular participation in this type of exercise program will not only reduce your stress but also fall risk.

Take 5 to Exercise each day.  Every little bit counts and any movement is better than none!

I’m not a doctor but as a certified FallProof™ balance and mobility instructor, I am trained to test the integrity of the different body systems involved in balance.  The Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB) scale has been scientifically researched to determine fall risk among higher functioning older adults.  This 10-item fitness test assesses the sensory and musculoskeletal systems for weakness that would increase the risk of a fall.

I love informing older adults when I am testing their vestibular system because it is a perfect opportunity to educate them about how the inner ear provides feedback that is essential to one’s balance.  Participants also take this time to tell me about past vertigo episodes and dizzy spells that they may have experienced.  This therapeutic conversation is helpful in establishing a relationship with each person and this is important to me as an fitness instructor who truly cares about my older adult participants.

Throughout my pre-study assessment clinics, I have identified at least 10 people who may have a possible vestibular impairment.  This is exciting for me because even though I am not a doctor, I can refer them to their physical therapist (not ear nose and throat specialist) for further testing.  The sooner an impairment is identified, the better the prognosis.  Prevention saves lives and fall prevention can improve the quality of life by helping to maintain one’s independence.

If you’re like me, you like to work out independently.  To me, exercise is a time of solitude where I can focus on my body movements and how good (or bad) I feel while doing each activity.  That’s my personal preference but there are people, lots of people, who enjoy the socialization of exercise classes.  As a personal fitness trainer who teaches groups of older adults how to reduce the risk of falls, I see the cohesiveness of a group and it’s fun to watch them encourage each other.

There are multiple causes of falls but the best approach to a fall prevention exercise program is to customize it to meet individual needs.  Think about it: we all have been through different life events and experienced different types of challenges, both physical and emotional.   As a result of these differences, we all have different needs when it comes to balance and mobility.

A one-on-one fall prevention exercise program may be more common in rehabilitation settings but there doesn’t have to be a tragedy to get this type of specialized training.  Community-based FallProof™ instructors are trained to assess each person and develop a customized program for each individual even though she teaches up to 10 people at once.

FallProof™ community-based classes offer the best of both worlds:  individualized fall prevention exercise programming that offers the socialization of a small group setting.  I will be teaching FallProof™ balance and mobility classes in the Sacramento community starting October, 2010.   In the meantime, I do offer fall risk reduction exercise classes at the Cordova Senior Activities Center.  This class is small and provides individualized instruction.

I recommend you start an effective fall prevention exercise program by making the time to Take 5 to Exercise each day with my at home series to learn the important concepts of fall prevention.  Whatever you do, find the venue you enjoy and stick with the program!

Best of luck.

Specialized Therapeutic Aging master’s degree candidate Kelly Ward, coordinated the 1^st Annual Senior Expo held at the Cordova Senior Activities Center on Tuesday August 17, 2010 from 9:30-11:00.

The purpose of the 1st Annual Senior Expo was to increase the awareness of local services and community resources available to older adults. In all, twenty-one (21) exhibitors, both private and non-profit agencies, were on-hand to educate older adults about their services. The Senior Expo is the only opportunity for private, for-profit agencies to advertise their services to members at the senior center. A minimal fee was collected from these private agencies which included Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross, Help at Home, Personalized HomeCare, VITAS Hospice, and H.O.M.E. (Housing Options Made Easy for Elders), and the Rancho Cordova ADHC.

There was no fee for non-profit agencies and some of the biggest senior service agencies in the Northern California region had a table to exhibit their services. Some of these agencies included the Area 4 Agency on Aging, AARP, Rebuilding Together, Senior Connection, Meals On Wheels by ACC, Del Oro Caregiver Resource, Alzheimer’s Association, HICAP, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Alzheimer’s Aid Society, Cordova Neighborhood Church, All-West Travel, and the UC Davis Caregiver Support program.

Over 120 participants enjoyed resource networking, live music, prize drawing and BBQ lunch. This much needed community outreach event was free to everyone and participant feedback has been fantastic! Examples from evaluations were “we need more services like this”, “please have this next year”, “thanks so much for this information”, “I didn’t even know these services were out there”, “I picked up some great information for my mother”, “my neighbor needs this type of service”.

As a community-based service, it is the responsibility of senior centers to connect people in the community to the services they need. The 1st Annual Cordova Senior Expo coordinated by fall prevention exercise instructor and masters degree candidate, Kelly Ward, facilitated this process.

As a certified FallProof™ balance and mobility instructor, I implement a thorough physical assessment process of the body systems that contribute to balance.  As a gerontologist who has been studying falls among older adults since 2002, I educate older adults about the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that increase the risk of a fall.  Because a physical fall can rob a person of his/her independence instantly, the key to a quality life is to reduce the risk of such a tragedy in the first place.

As a graduate student who is conducting a fall prevention exercise research study, I have assessed over 60 older adults for fall risk.  To be eligible to receive the FallProof™ at Home DVD series, a person must meet strict requirements.  As I gather the data, I have discovered some surprising trends.  For confidentiality purposes, no names or locations will be provided and this is just an observation.  For possible connections, you will have to read my finished thesis this fall!

Anyhow, one thing that I have found is that overconfidence seems to be just as much of a risk factor as the Cycle of Fear.  There were several people who scored highly on the Balance Efficacy scale yet were identified as a fall risk using the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale.  One gentleman was nearly 100% confident in his balance abilities but didn’t have the lower body strength to get up the chair without using his hands. Amazing….

The moral of these findings?  Be aware of the reality of your physical abilities. Get assessed for fall risk using the Fullerton Advanced Balance scale.  Gather baseline information by testing how many times you can get out of a chair, with arms folded across your chest, in a 30 second time period.  Get involved in a fall prevention exercise program.  Lower body strength and flexibility are essential to your balance and mobility.

I recommend that educate yourself about the internal and external factors that increase the risk of a fall.  I teach a 3-hour workshop designed to increase awareness of these factors and I demonstrate fall prevention exercises that will help you remain independent and free of falls when done consistently.  Take 5 to Exercise every day!

The Fall Prevention Lady

I have been teaching a fall prevention exercise class at Atria/El Camino Gardens in Carmichael, California for over 2 years.  In fact, the models in my Take 5 to Exercise fall prevention series attend that class schedule regularly.  As a certified FallProof™ balance and mobility instructor, I implement multisensory training strategies to reduce the risk of falls among my participants so I am constantly looking for different surfaces and training aids to progressively challenge balance skills to help prevent falls.

The weather is gorgeous here in Northern California so I took my older adults outside for their fall prevention exercise class.  I carefully arranged the chairs in the shade and class went on as usual; we warmed up and went directly into balance training exercises.  Standing behind a sturdy chair, my participants did their balance exercises.  It was funny but I noticed everyone was wearing a huge grin throughout today’s routine.

Walking across the yard is a common fall risk factor for many older adults so I had my participants practice this skill under close supervision and direct physical spotting.  This was a great structured activity as the participants cheered each other on.  I added additional task demands to those who were able to do the easier challenges.

We had a great time challenging our balance and mobility skills, strengthening our muscles, and stretching our connective tissue.  Because posture is so important in reducing the risk of falls, we practiced important postural strategies and fun exercises.

Something new, something exciting, something evidence-based by a qualified fall prevention exercise instructor.

The Fall Prevention Lady

Follow an exercise program.  Eat more fruits and vegetables.  Drink more water.  Get more sleep.  Don’t talk to strangers!  This is all advice we hear from our parents, our doctors, and from that inner voice called our conscience.  The new advice to heed is to get enrolled in a fall prevention exercise class! Research proves that older adults must remain active to reduce the risk  of falling and to improve the quality of life.

Unfortunately, “fall prevention” is a buzz word that many unqualified instructors use to describe their class in order to get people’s interest and fall prevention exercise and/or education is even required in some facilities.  During my masters level Therapeutic Recreation internship, I have had the opportunity to observe several fall prevention exercise classes.  I have seen good, bad and ugly and I am appalled that community-based instructors are not required to be certified.  Unfortunately, there is no repercussion for not being qualified since there is not a governing fitness body to observe classes for content.  Yet.

As the fall prevention lady, I have been studying fall prevention and fall prevention exercises since 2006.  My greatest accomplishment was becoming a certified FallProof™ balance and mobility instructor.  I have the knowledge and skills that leading fall prevention experts recognize and support.  I have hundreds of older adults in the Sacramento area who are practicing the skills I teach and I even have a follower who copies every word I say and uses my expertise as his own.

A fall prevention exercise program includes the following type of specialized training:

Flexibility, Strength, Balance and Endurance

The best part of attending an exercise class is the opportunity to socialize with your friends, get out of the house, accomplish a goal.  Go for it!  Find a local community center, senior center or church that offers fall prevention exercise classes and ask the instructor for his/her credentials.  How long have they been studying fall prevention, what is their background, and if they can name the 4 components of a fall prevention program!

I wish you the best of luck.  Find a good program, one that works for you, and stick with it.  If you cannot get out, Take 5 to Exercise at home!  I am a certified personal fitness trainer and I will safely guide you through a seated exercise routine that is designed to reduce the risk of a fall.

Kelly Ward, The Fall Prevention Lady

As a fall prevention educator in the Sacramento region, I love getting out into the community to increase awareness of intrinsic and extrinsic fall risk factors.  Tuesday, July 20th, I will be at Primrose Place in the Pocket area of Sacramento for a one-hour fall prevention presentation.  The presentation starts at 2pm and is open to the public.

1 in 3 adults over the age of 65 falls each year and even though a physical fall is an accident, a person can significantly reduce the risk of falling with a little planning and lifestyle management.   I will discuss factors that increase the risk of a fall and offer tips and research-based solutions that reduce the risk of such an accident.

We’ve heard it before and we will continue to hear it until it finally sinks in:  exercise, exercise, exercise.   In order to remain independent and live the quality of life you are used to, it is essential that you follow a consistent exercise routine.  I will not only discuss the four components of a fall prevention exercise program but also demonstrate specific movements that, when done consistently, can reduce the risk of falling.

Primrose Place:  7707 Rush River Drive  Sacramento, CA  95831.  Telephone# 916-392-3510

Come out and learn new, research-based balance and mobility techniques.

Hope to see you there,
THE FALL PREVENTION LADY

Copyright © 2010 Take 5 to Exercise. All Rights Reserved.

I present a “FALL PREVENTION 101″ workshop as part of the City of Sacramento’s 50+ Wellness “Stand UP to Falls” program.  This is the second year that Kaiser Permanente has funded the community-based fall prevention program.  In the three hour workshop, I discuss fall risks and how to reduce those risks.  Because I am a certified FallProof™ balance and mobility instructor, I added the Fullerton Advanced Balance (FAB) scale clinic to the program this year.

At the FAB clinic, each person gets a one-on-one assessment.  The evidence-based FAB assessment identifies body system impairment that can affect one’s balance.  I provide each participant with an individualized “ASSESSMENT card” that explains what may be happening if he/she scored poorly on specific test items.

IF you are in the Sacramento area and would like to get assessed for fall risk, I will be at the following locations.

DATE LOCATION TIME

TUES, AUG 3 OAK PARK COMMUNITY CENTER 10:30-3:30pm

3425 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Sac 95817

SAT, AUG 7 CORDOVA SENIOR CENTER 10-2 pm

3480 Routier Road, Sac 95827

TUES, AUG 10 NATOMAS COMMUNITY CENTER 12:30-5 pm

92921 Truxel Road, Sac 95833

FREE. FREE. FREE.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PART OF THE RESEARCH STUDY

TO GET ASSESSED.

It is my hope to increase awareness of fall risk and to recommend local senior fitness classes that would be helpful to FAB participants.  If you cannot get out into the community, I can recommend community-tested fall prevention exercise video series, Take 5 to Exercise, to begin with at home.  Take 5 to Exercise builds the basic skills necessary for fall prevention.  I will be teaching more fall prevention exercise classes that focus on evidence-based FallProof™ balance and mobility skills in the fall.  Stay tuned!

Call the Kim Metcalf at the 50+ Wellness program (916) 808-1593 to register for one of the upcoming educational and interactive Fall Prevention 101 workshops or skills-assessment FAB clinics.  The July 21 and July 31 at the Hart Senior Center are full.  RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!

The Fall Prevention Lady.

Copyright © 2010 Take 5 to Exercise. All Rights Reserved.

Now that I have your attention, I would like to talk to you briefly about balance!  Free e-course below:

Balance is defined as the process of controlling the body’s center of mass with respect to its base of support, whether the body is stationary or moving (Rose, 2010).  Balance is one of the first skills we learn as infants and unfortunately, it is one of the first skills to decline as we age.  This reduced ability to remain balanced is due to the changes associated with aging that affect the body systems responsible for balance.

For instance, sarcopenia is the natural loss of muscle mass that affects the musculoskeletal system. Changes in connective tissue result in tight muscles and inflexible joints.  The resultant loss of flexibility directly affects our gait pattern thereby increasing the risk of a fall.  Following a consistent strengthening and stretching program is essential to balance as a person ages because it can be difficult to engage in balance and mobility training if a person cannot support his own body or has limited range of motion.  In this case, following a seated exercise routine would be highly recommended.

The control of balance depends on a series of complex processes that are triggered by either a conscious or unconscious decision to act (Rose, 2010).  The ability to put your hands where they need to be or the ability to react to life’s imbalances not only begins with strength and flexibility but also requires quick central processing speeds. Cognitive impairment, multiple medications, alcohol, and dehydration all affect reaction time.  That is why it is important to be aware of fall risk factors, especially if you are concerned about your balance skills and have a fear of falling.

The good news is that consistently engaging in a balance and mobility program can improve neural pathways to increase reaction speeds.  The brain can re-learn movement patterns.  Muscles have memory.  Confidence can be built.  Take 5 to Exercise each day to increase strength and flexibility, improve posture and maintain the muscles that surround and support the major joints. Take 5 to Exercise each day with your own personal fitness trainer, Kelly Ward.

Order the best balance and mobility DVD program available, FallProof™.  This recently released program is designed by the Director of the Center for Successful Aging and the Co-Director of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence, Dr.Debra Rose and progressively challenges one’s balance systems. All I can say is stay away from “self-proclaimed online balance experts” who say all the right “key” words to sell a manual of exercises you can find anywhere online. Do your research, I’m doing mine.

Whatever you do, be safe and get moving in a consistent, low-impact program designed to reduce the risk of falls.

The Fall Prevention Lady

Copyright © 2010 Take 5 to Exercise. All Rights Reserved.