HealthMonday, August 20, 2007 10:51 AM CDT

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Sweating with the oldies

Workout replicates activities
seniors use on a daily basis

By Paul Swiech
pswiech@pantagraph.com

BLOOMINGTON — Holding the handles of resistance bands in each hand, several exercisers placed the center of the bands under their feet and began stepping out to one side, then the other, as if they were stepping over something.

“This is where the burn hits,” said their energetic fitness instructor, Kim Mixer.

After doing several repetitions, class members released the bands from their feet and brought them up to work their chest. Music with a Latin beat played in the background.

When they finished the chest exercise, Mixer told them to “grab some water and then grab your weights.”

Sounds like the middle of a typical exercise class that includes resistance training. It is — with one exception: the youngest person in this class is 71 years old.

The class is called The SilverSneakers Fitness Program, and it’s enhancing the lives of participants at the Bloomington-Normal YMCA, 602 S. Main St., Bloomington.

“We work the whole body right down to the fingers,” said Mixer, a veteran Bloomington fitness instructor who has led the class since it began a year and a half ago.

“In this class, we try to replicate activities of daily living,” such as stepping over something, pouring a gallon of milk, typing, turning to pick up something from the back seat of the car and checking your blind spot, Mixer said.

“We’re keeping ’em moving and grooving throughout the day,” Mixer said of older adults who take the class.

According to four Bloomington residents who take the class, it’s working.

“My granddaughter said ‘Grandpa, you can get right off the floor without any help!’” Larry Hedmark, 80, said after the May 30 class.

“I think it’s because of this class,” said Hedmark, a retired dentist. “It’s helped my balance and I’m more flexible.”

Don Thompson, 72, said it’s easier for him to turn to check traffic in his blind spot.

“I had a rotator cuff problem on my right side from slipping in the yard,” said Thompson, a retired credit analyst with Farm Credit Services. “It hurt for a year and a half, and it’s gone now.”

His wife of 50 years, Gloria Thompson, 71, a retired secretary with McLean County government, has noticed increased flexibility and decreased pain since she began taking the class.

“I had a knee problem and after I started exercising, the knee pain went away,” she said.

Marilyn Riddle, 81, has been in SilverSneakers since it began more than 1½ years ago and believes the exercise has helped her deal with arthritis in her knees.

SilverSneakers is a 45-minute class offered at 9:45 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the YMCA. It is geared toward older adults and the average attendance is about 10 people per class.

The class works for people of a variety of fitness levels because it allows them to participate at different intensity levels, said Chris Weittenhiller, YMCA associate executive director.

The class was developed by Healthways, a nationwide health care services company that designs disease prevention packages for health plans. The goal is to improve the quality of life of older adults through an affordable, effective exercise class. Healthways partnered with Humana’s Medicare Advantage Plan and with YMCAs nationwide.

Humana offers free membership to YMCAs and the SilverSneakers program to any older adult who gets their Medicare Advantage Plan, Weittenhiller said. “But we offer SilverSneakers’ classes to any of our members,” he said.

Healthways provides the curriculum for the class, trains instructors and helps promote the class, which is offered at 2,500 fitness centers nationwide.

“The focus of the class is developing range of motion and some muscular strength, increasing flexibility and improving balance,” Weittenhiller said.

Each participant is provided with a padded chair because some of the class is conducted from a seated position. When doing standing exercises, the back of the chair may be used to assist with balance, Weittenhiller said.

“I enjoy all types of people but I enjoy older people especially because they have all sorts of stories,” Mixer said. “And I was an EMT (emergency medical technician), so I have a lot of background with older people on the medical side.”

“I firmly believe that you’re only as old as you feel,” Mixer said. “When some people get older, they think ‘I’ve accomplished my goals, I did what I wanted to do, now I can relax.’ But you need to keep moving to keep the doctors at bay.”

Because some exercises mimic activities of daily living, Mixer hopes the class helps seniors to carry groceries, to pick up things, to walk up a flight of stairs, prepare meals, play with their grandchildren and write or type letters.

“The more muscular strength you have, the easier it is to keep going,” she said.

The class begins with marching in place to get the seniors’ heart rates up and to get muscles loosened up. The second part of the class involves standing and slowly stretching various part of the body.

The seniors use elastic bands that vary in resistance levels, light hand-held weights that vary in weight, and small balls to do a number of exercises to work muscles throughout their body, including their abdomen, chest, shoulders, neck, back, arms, wrists, fingers, legs, feet and back side. The focus is on strength, balance and flexibility.

During the class, Mixer works with the exercisers on proper form and posture to reduce the risk of soreness and injury, on controlled breathing (“Remember to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth”) and on determining their perceived rate of exertion. Each exerciser learns a 10-point scale, with 1 being no intensity and 10 being exhaustion. The scale helps each senior know whether they need to work harder, are working too hard, or are at the right intensity, Mixer said.

“We usually top out at 6 or 7,” she said.

During the class, Mixer encourages drinking of water and uses humor. While working their buttocks and thighs, she encourages them to “Squeeze those cheeks!”

“It’s work but I want these people to enjoy exercise,” Mixer said. “I want them to socialize, to feed off each other so it’s a fun experience. When they leave here, I want their endorphins from the workout to stimulate them for the rest of the day, instead of them going home to take a nap.”

Hedmark said after the May 30 class “I think the routine is excellent. It gets you out of bed and going for the day. And we have a lot of fun together.”

“Exercise gives you more stamina and energy — it’s true,” Thompson said. His wife, Gloria, said it has helped her to continue gardening and home projects.

Thompson advised older adults considering exercise to “Get started. Just getting started is half the battle.”

“Just try it,” Riddle said. “You’ll be surprised at how much it helps you.”

Senior fitness reduces risk of illnesses

By Paul Swiech

pswiech@pantagraph.com

BLOOMINGTON — Dr. Uday Deoskar, a Bloomington internist and geriatric specialist, has heard of The SilverSneakers Fitness Program.

“I haven’t seen the program in action but the concept is excellent,” said Deoskar, of the Successful Aging Center, 2103 E. Washington St., Bloomington.

“Exercise is the single most-important intervention that can have very wide-ranging benefits,” Deoskar said.

Medication and medical treatments control specific diseases but may not alter the course of the disease process, he said.

But exercise may reduce one’s risk of cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, high cholesterol, diabetes and certain cancers, Deoskar said. In addition, exercise reduces stress, enhances mood, improves energy, encourages socializing, helps with daily activities and movement, and encourages appetite, sleep and healthy bowel movements, said Deoskar, a medical doctor for 40 years.

Chris Weittenhiller, associate executive director of the Bloomington-Normal YMCA, said, “Exercise can prolong your life and improve your quality of life.”

For older adults especially, exercise can make daily movement easier, such as getting out of a chair, getting out of the car, opening a cupboard, carrying your groceries, and doing laundry and housework, Weittenhiller said. The increased energy also means seniors can more easily engage in activities and hobbies they enjoy.

Seniors who exercise make new friends and socialize more, he said.

“They feel good about themselves and what they’re accomplishing,” Weittenhiller observed. “That self-worth carries over into other aspects of their lives.”

Before beginning an exercise program, check with your doctor if you haven’t exercised in a long time, Deoskar and Weittenhiller advised.

In choosing an exercise program, consistency, moderation and safety are important for exercise to be sustained, Deoskar said.

“Walking is the safest thing to start with,” Deoskar said.

No matter what your exercise, start slowly and gradually increase your time and intensity.

Health clubs may be a good choice for older adults who need someone to motivate them to continue to exercise, Deoskar said. But before joining a club, check it out to make sure that you will feel comfortable there and can get done what you want to accomplish, advised Deoskar and Weittenhiller.

If a medical problem dislodges your exercise program, just resume your exercise as soon as possible, Deoskar said.

“Keep going but keep it safe,” Deoskar said.

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Take a look

Riddle, 81, of Bloomington, works her chest muscles during the SilverSneakers class at the Bloomington-Normal YMCA. (Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)

Fitness instructor Kim Mixer guides Don and Gloria Thompson during one of the seated exercises. (Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)

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