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| 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).
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| 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.
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| 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!!
