The "Silver Lining" of my "Secret Mission" Friday!

The Full Kit!

So, I know I said I was on a super top secret mission on Friday. And I tweeted and Facebooked about "it" without telling you what "it" was... not that I think any of you were DYING TO KNOW, but I think once I spilled the beans and said what I had been doing, most of you were probably thinking "Really, Jess?". Well now you know!!! I was attending a workshop for Silver Sneakers. Basically, I took their muscular strength range of motion (MSROM) workshop so that we may host the class at our club!  Pretty sweet!  The main idea of the program is to improve quality of living through increasing the ability to complete daily tasks, such a driving in a car, lifting the groceries, etc.  It's a really great concept, and I am excited to be able to be a part of it.

So on Friday morning I hopped into the car and drove to Vernon (the Club House Plus, to be specific).  I was there plenty early... I just couldn't find the main entrance.  Every door I walked up to was locked, and so I started to sweat, thinking I was going to be late for the workshop and make Snap Fitness look bad!  THEN, to really make the day perfect, the strap on my bag broke and everything slammed onto the ground (suddenly super glad I have 2 cases on my iPad)!  So into the building I finally went (third time's a charm, right?), and it was a zig-zag winding trip down to one of the classrooms where I finally checked in.  Thankfully, I was NOT the last person to arrive.  We started class at 12:33 PM, and our instructor, Mary Beth, went over the 6 parts of the workout, and how to transition from one exercise to the next, among many other things.  Then we actually went through a full 45-minute MSROM workout, which was cool.  Her cues were perfect and she did a great job - it's clear she's been doing it for quite some time.  I found myself laughing when I couldn't keep up with some of the coordination stuff (surprise, I know).  After that we discussed how to plan the workout appropriately, how to keep everyone happy and having fun while they worked out, and some of the health issues you'll be most likely to run into with this age group.  She also discussed the improvements seen in many health problems & everyday life functions of the individuals who participate (they have written research, and Mary Beth shared a few stories about it).

My Certificate!

What's really cool about the workout, is the chair.  You think (or at least I did), going into the class, "what's the big deal about a workout that involves a chair?" and you almost laugh at it.  But really, once you're in the workshop and you're imagining the people walking, shuffling, or wheeling in, you see why the chair is really important.  And how helpful it is for people who can't walk, or have trouble walking, or just need something to help them maintain their balance.  Because many of them have limited mobility and range of motion, so doing a "chair workout" is a big deal for them, and VERY important.  Really, once you are learning about the class, the program places an emphasis upon encouraging the class multiple times throughout the workout to get out of the chair, and to try it while standing.  So the emphasis on not using the chair as a crutch is there, but it isn't forced onto them.  So some people may not get out of their comfort zone for a while (always encourage), but eventually once they are confident enough, they might.

The DVD!

Basically, via my tweets and Facebook posts, I tried to make something exciting that really wasn't (sorry for hyping it up on you like that). I sat in on the 4-hour class and learned some exercises for the older population using some free weights, plastic balls, and elastic resistance bands. I spent a lot of time taking notes and hoping that I'd remember everything that was being said.  The up-side to it was that it really put into perspective the needs and limitations of the age 65+ population, and it made our location able to partake.  I think that's the most important part, that we'll be able to offer it to our Silver Sneakers club members.  Even if it only helps one person, that's enough for me!

Now we just have to wait for our chairs, balls, elastic bands, and free-weights to be shipped in from Healthways and Silver Sneakers!  I AM very excited for that!!