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Over the summer, I made an observation about the underwhelming number of older men who participate in seated exercise classes. I’m sure there are many factors that influence their lack of participation, such as the generation in which they belong, where men were men and men do manly things. Women do “girly” things like cook, clean, sew and occasionally sit around doing arm circles. Remember, these folks grew up in pre-Civil Rights times and things were much different then! If he were still alive, my granddaddy wouldn’t follow along with a video doing exercises while sitting in his chair, even if it was his “Sweet Pea” on camera! Ok, well maybe he would try it once or twice for me!
Luckily times have changed! The beliefs that exercise is too strenuous for older adults, does more harm than good if a person has a chronic condition or a person is just too old to benefit from consistent movement are being dispelled by the medical community. More and more doctors now recognize exercise as a vital component of healthy aging. As a result, more seniors are being encouraged to participate in consistent activity programs. Gentle stretching and strengthening routines done while seated are recommended for older, frail populations.
This is fabulous news but what’s better is the changes in my class. I am proud to say that one of my classes is half men and half women! And yes, one of the men is 100 years old! Joe is amazing and so is his wife, Laura. One of my male participants gets frustrated at his inability to get up from the chair with his arms crossed but he’s sticking with it. All of them are sticking with it and I am so proud of each one of my guys (and their wives).
Fall prevention exercise should not be approached in a one-size fits all manner. Aging is a unique process that presents different challenges to everyone and as a result, each person has different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to daily life and inherent risks of an accidental fall. There are 4 components of an effective fall risk reduction exercise program and they are:
Flexibility, Strength, Balance, and Endurance.
Take 5 to Exercise each day and you will reduce the risk of an accidental fall.