Happy 2012! If getting to the gym more often is part of your New Year’s resolution, but you dread the idea of going nowhere fast on a treadmill, then try something different. One of the keys to a successful fitness routine is to make sure it’s not routine.
In fact, you’ll have better results if you mix it up by adding strength and flexibility to your cardio workouts. An exercise class can do just that. Here are some ideas that will take you beyond the treadmill and help fight fitness boredom.
1. Do a morning stretch. Start your day off with Flex & Firm, a class inspired by Yoga that targets your core by using standing and floor stretching as well as the use of a stability ball for strength and toning.
2. Travel the circuit. Flex your muscles using the resistance machines in the fitness room in a group setting. The Circuit incorporates all of the upper body and lower body machines along with various exercises utilizing dumbbells and other accessories.
3. Just add water. Nothing is more refreshing than a workout in the pool and Aqua Aerobics gets you motivated with cardio plus resistance training. For something a little more relaxing, try Ai Chi, a water-based, relaxation progression class that combines deep breathing with slow broad movements.
4. Become more social. Exercising in a group builds camaraderie, holds us accountable and keeps us motivated. Plus it’s fun when you’re with friends! Water Volleyball at Maple Knoll is a great way to be active and social at the same time.
5. Start dancing! Zumba anyone? Dance your worries away with Zumba Fitness. This class uses high energy and motivating music with unique moves and combinations. It is based on the principle that a workout should be “fun and easy to do” allowing you stick to the Zumba Fitness program and achieve long-term health benefits.
Fact: Thinking about going to the gym burns between 0 and 0 calories!
This year, add an exercise class to your fitness routine. Contact the Hemsworth Wellness Center on the campus of Maple Knoll Village at 513.782.4340 for more information.
Filed under: caregivers, older adults, Resident Life, Resources | Tags: caregiver, holidays, stress
Today, most older adults are vibrant and full of energy, but the holidays can be stressful for every one:
1. Set realistic goals
We know visiting family and friends is always on the to-do list during the holiday season, but traveling and meeting with people all day can be physically and mentally exhausting. Make sure to schedule ample rest time throughout and allow for plenty of transportation time in between visits so that there’s no rushing around to see last-minute guests.
2. Keep set schedules
If your senior parent or friend is used to waking up at a certain time, eating at a certain time and going to bed at a certain time, make sure to respect those schedules. Staying up later to accommodate family visits or having to eat later in the evening because of a difference in meal times can be difficult and stressful for a senior to acclimate to, so make sure you know beforehand what their schedule is like.
3. Keep expenses to a minimum
Many older adults are on fixed incomes, so keeping costs low can help ease any financial stress associated with the holidays. Travel, gifts and food can all start to take their toll on the checkbook, so make sure to create a realistic budget and stick to it.
4. Plan appropriate activities
A six-hour shopping trip may not be the best idea for a senior who has difficulty walking or standing for long periods of time. If these types of activities are unavoidable, make sure that a walker or wheelchair is available to make activities easier and more comfortable. Many seniors have circulatory problems or other illnesses that can make standing for long periods difficult.
5. Keep friends or family around
Along with the fun and happy aspects of holidays comes sadness for many older adults – especially those who’ve lost loved ones. Be sure not to be isolated.
Finally, Unfortunately…50% of the seniors over the age of 80 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease…holidays are very stressful for people with memory issues…if you are planning a large family event encourage relatives to wear name tags, it can be very intimidating for people who can not remember a relatives name. Long term memory is usually intact, so this is a wonderful time to go down, “Memory Lane” and share old pictures.
Finally, encourage seniors, as we do at THE KNOLLS, to “LIVE LIFE”
Filed under: caregivers, older adults, Resident Life | Tags: caregiver, holidays, older adults
Today, most older adults are vibrant and full of energy, but the holidays can be stressful for every one:
1. Set realistic goals
We know visiting family and friends is always on the to-do list during the holiday season, but traveling and meeting with people all day can be physically and mentally exhausting. Make sure to schedule ample rest time throughout and allow for plenty of transportation time in between visits so that there’s no rushing around to see last-minute guests.
2. Keep set schedules
If your senior parent or friend is used to waking up at a certain time, eating at a certain time and going to bed at a certain time, make sure to respect those schedules. Staying up later to accommodate family visits or having to eat later in the evening because of a difference in meal times can be difficult and stressful for a senior to acclimate to, so make sure you know beforehand what their schedule is like.
3. Keep expenses to a minimum
Many older adults are on fixed incomes, so keeping costs low can help ease any financial stress associated with the holidays. Travel, gifts and food can all start to take their toll on the checkbook, so make sure to create a realistic budget and stick to it.
4. Plan appropriate activities
A six-hour shopping trip may not be the best idea for a senior who has difficulty walking or standing for long periods of time. If these types of activities are unavoidable, make sure that a walker or wheelchair is available to make activities easier and more comfortable. Many seniors have circulatory problems or other illnesses that can make standing for long periods difficult.
5. Keep friends or family around
Along with the fun and happy aspects of holidays comes sadness for many older adults – especially those who’ve lost loved ones. Be sure not to be isolated.
Finally, Unfortunately…50% of the seniors over the age of 80 suffer from Alzheimer’s disease…holidays are very stressful for people with memory issues…if you are planning a large family event encourage relatives to wear name tags, it can be very intimidating for people who can not remember a relatives name. Long term memory is usually intact, so this is a wonderful time to go down, “Memory Lane” and share old pictures.
Finally, encourage seniors, as we do at MAPLE KNOLL, to “LIVE LIFE”
Filed under: benefits, child center, intergenerational programs, Resident Life | Tags: intergenerational program, Resident Life
For years the term intergenerational program has been buzzing around retirement and nursing homes across the county. What is an Intergenerational program and who does it benefit? The National Council on Aging defines “intergenerational programs” as “activities or programs that increase cooperation, interaction or exchange between any two generations. They involve the sharing of skills, knowledge, or experience between old and young.”
These programs offer benefits to individuals from every generation as they offer mentoring relationships. “Creating an age-integrated community leads to a healthy community, where the strengths of one generation meet the needs of another. All generations grow in an appreciation for cultural heritages, traditions, histories and values” (IntergenerationDay.org, 2008).
The goal of Maple Knoll Child Center’s intergenerational program is to provide meaningful and continual relationships, experiences and activities that are mutually beneficial and developmentally appropriate for both young and older person involved.
A pre-school in a nursing home is a perfect fit. Many of the senior’s and children’s psychosocial needs are complementary. Some of these needs can be met when seniors and children come together and share experiences.
Older adults have a need to nurture and children need to be nurtured. Children have a need to learn and older adults have the need to teach. Older adults want to share cultural customs and children are just beginning to develop their cultural identity. Older adults want to leave a legacy and children have a need to be connected to a previous generation.
One of the benefits of my job is facilitating the intergenerational activities between the children of Maple Knoll Child Center and the residents of Maple Knoll Village. I get to witness the joy on the Resident’s faces as the children greet them with a smile and a hug, I hear he laughter that fills the area during one of our activities and see many smiles and ‘high-fives’ as a small group of residents and children successfully complete a puzzle.
The children are a special part of the Resident’s life at Maple Knoll. A resident said, “Nobody likes to get old and as you do, you miss children. And some of these children don’t have grandparents and I’m a grandparent to them in a way that is satisfying. It’s wonderful to be around little people; they’re loving and get so close to you.”
Bertha Smiley, who volunteered at the Child Center for 4 1/2 years before her death at the age of 102, noticed a young boy standing by himself looking sad and invited him to look at a book. “No”, he said. She asked if she could play a matching game with him. “No”, he said, “I just want to sit on your lap.” And Bertha recalled, “And so he came and sat on my lap and we held each other. And I went to bed that night feeling like that day was worthwhile.”
Children benefit from Intergenerational Programs in many ways, including the promotion of personal relationship with elders and positive attitudes toward the aging. Intergenerational programs help young children develop empathy and give them a concrete understanding of physical disabilities.
Intergenerational programs offer many benefits for the resident of the village: the children help to reduce the felling of isolation and loneliness through social contact, it offers the residents opportunities to share a lifetime of experience and improves self-esteem.
So who benefits from Intergenerational Programs? Why everyone of course!
For more information, please contact Meri Fox, director of the Maple Knoll Child Center at mfox@mkcommunities.org
