As a teacher of movement and balance exercises for seniors in Independent and assisted living center, I run across a good number of seniors who are used to sitting and doing nothing during the course of a normal day. I find this to be true also of most over 80 seniors who are home bound.

Having been a caregiver to my mother-in-law and working with my mom who is in her 80′s the main issues for them not exercising is not what I first thought it would be. I used to think they just don’t care and have chosen to give up and as a result have let themselves go. 

What I have found in working with the elderly is that they “feel” as though they have lost their capabilities and “fear” that they cannot exercise therefore don’t try to push themselves. Before developing my program and gaining my experience, I tried to convince my mother-in-law that she needed to exercise and tried to push her to do things against her strong willed resistance. I would hear “I can’t”, “I won’t” and “you can’t make me” statements.

The seniors I teach have taught me how to teach them. Using a gentle, friendly and gentle coaxing approach, we make it fun. I explain the real world application of the exercise. How certain movements help them dress themselves, or help us help them easier. How by doing certain stretches relives some of the pain they deal with on a daily basis from lack of movement, and how working on balance and building leg strength helps them avoid the dreaded falls.

I learned that although they ask for help and seem to want as much done for them as a person can do, what they really want is their life back and the independence they used to have, or now don’t want to lose.

Using imagery they can relate to for explanation of the exercises, making it a game and showing how simple exercise can be part of their daily routine instead of a “program” also makes it more palatable and likely to have them exercise on their own.

I coined the name Fitness for Everyday Activities for what I teach to my seniors. This actually helped them relate to what they were learning as well. Combined with making the exercises simple enough for any level of capability also allows them to participate no matter how they feel and find that after all, they can do more than they think which takes away the fear, allows them to enjoy it, and see results after just one session.

I am often asked by the activity directors, “how did you get so many of them to participate?”. The answer is simple. Give them something they can do and they will try it. Make it easy enough to follow along and once they see they can, they will!