June Session
Tue, July 2nd thru Thur, July 25th
6:00pm – 6:45pm
$145.00
Who Should Join?
For anyone age 50 and up!
A fun hour of fitness for anyone who wants to ease into a new exercise program. You’ll get the heart pumping and blood flowing with each low-impact exercise presented in this program.
This program will help you:
- Increase energy
- Reduce joint stiffness
- Improve flexibility, strength, and balance
All the moves in this program offer alternate positions to increase or decrease the intensity. It’s truly one of the most effective ways to achieve and sustain a healthy lifestyle for someone new to fitness.
First Things First
Before starting you should consult your doctor. Let him or her know you are going to begin exercising or increasing your activity level. This is especially true if you have any of the following:
- Chest pain or pain in your left arm and neck
- Any shortness of breath
- A heart condition
- Any bone or joint problems
- If you are currently taking blood pressure or cardiac medications
- Any unexplained dizziness or fainting
Enjoy yourself
Regular physical activity can improve your quality of life in so many ways. Doing something you love to do is a great way to stay motivated. Over exerting yourself or participating in an exercise program you don’t really like will make you exhausted and very likely cause you to discontinue activity.
Schedule Your Exercise
How do ants make an ant hill so tall? They consistently add one grain of sand at a time. It’s the little bit you do every day that will over time increase your strength and endurance. To be consistent requires taking a good look at your day and week.
What days will I most likely be able to fit in exercise? What time of day would be best? The longer you are faithful to the schedule the easier it will be to stick to the exercise program.
Exercise and Stretching
Strength workout: Strength exercises are vital to maintain your ability to function independently in your home. 3 to 5 times per week is optimal to maintain a strong body that withstands the rigors of daily life as we grow older.
Stretching: Flexibility exercises allow you to more easily move and reach when doing your daily tasks around the home. Stretch a minimum of twice a week. To increase your flexibility, try stretching at least 5 days per week. Why not, it feels great!
Endurance: Endurance exercises include brisk walking, running, low impact aerobics, swimming, water aerobics, cycling or any exercise that makes you breathe faster and your heart to speed up. Endurance exercises or activities should be performed at least 2 times per week.
For optimal improvement in your heart and lungs and muscles, try 3 to 5 times per week. Think of how much easier it will be to walk, grocery shop and play with your grandchildren!
How often should I exercise?
Generally it is a good idea for seniors to rest a day before exercising again. Try working out 2 days a week to start leaving a day or two between sessions. Then increase a day or two as you get comfortable with exercising. 3 to 5 days a week is usually well tolerated. Don’t work the same muscle group on consecutive days. Don’t exercise beyond 5 days a week unless you receive personal instruction and a professionally designed program.
What are some general safety guidelines for exercise?
Remember that with age, sudden intense exercise may be a challenge for your heart. Try to prepare your muscles with a 10 minute warm-up before exercising.
Also, quickly stopping during a workout may cause blood to pool in your legs, increasing the strain on your heart. That is why a 10 minute cool-down session is important. Make sure you listen to your body!
Think “posture” as much as you can during your workout. Good posture will help protect your joints and prevent any unnecessary injuries.
Practice good breathing. Never hold your breath. Try to breathe in through the nose and out the mouth.
Remember, exercises for the elderly training will only show benefits if it is done regularly with the correct duration, frequency, and intensity. “Practice makes….permanent!” So don’t practice sitting in your recliner!
