Applewood Fitness Focuses on Fall Prevention
Certainly, 2020 was a difficult year for seniors, physically and emotionally. Thankfully, our fitness and wellness amenities are fully open again and our group and individual training classes are in full swing daily.
As residents resume regular exercise routines, we are promoting several programs that focus on rebuilding balance strength to prevent falls. For any older person, falls become an increasing risk during normal aging.
How important is fall prevention? The CDC published these recent eye-opening statistics:
- About 36 million older adults fall each year—resulting in more than 32,000 deaths.
- Each year, about 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for a fall injury.
- One out of every five falls causes an injury, such as broken bones or a head injury.
- Yearly, 300,000+ older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.
- More than 95% of hip fractures are caused by falling.
- Women fall more often than men and account for three-quarters of all hip fractures.
Balance is an important part of our daily lives, whether we’re toddlers, young adults, or older adults.
Muscles – use them or lose them
As the age-old quote goes, “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” muscular strength begins to weaken in areas we aren’t using consistently.
Yet, even as we walk, we think we are working on our balance but forget the other areas that assist with balance–abdominal muscles, hip muscles, leg muscles, and most importantly, the brain.
Using the SmartBalance machine located in our Applewood Fitness Center, we have an opportunity to engage all the areas that serve to strengthen our balance. SmartBalance technology produces a series of senior assessments to diagnose areas of potential weakness through a series of “games” performed by the participant.
The SmartBalance then provides a series of exercises performed on the device, which are expressly created to help improve weakness areas through provides visual feedback.
I offer daily assessment and subsequent follow-up training support to all residents Monday through Friday.
We recommend that every resident schedule a yearly balance assessment,
just like any other annual healthcare appointment.
Just contact me for an appointment.
READ: “Eleven Reasons Why Applewood Seniors Love Tai Chi and Qi Gong” by Matt Machin
Group classes make senior fall prevention fun and social
Get Hip, Don’t Slip is a senior fall prevention exercise class that emphasizes the daily needs for maintaining balance and improving balance over time. This standing class allows the participant to feel comfortable, with the added safety of a chair to hold onto while performing different exercises throughout the 30-minute class.
Residents at all exercise levels can attend, from beginners to those who want to optimize their balance strength.
For those who want to improve their balance to the next level, an exciting new class will be offered in the near future that can improve balance and reduce falls up to 35-40%.
Balance in Action, currently completing a piloting phase with select residents, will be offered to all residents soon, based upon positive participant feedback. This higher-intensity class will meet 3-4 times/week in order for participants to achieve optimal results.
Check out our Fitness page to learn more about the indoor and outdoor fitness amenities we offer at Applewood, including one-on-one training, walking activities, group classes, pool-based exercise and other wellness experiences designed to maintain agile minds and bodies.
I am on staff full-time and welcome feedback and ideas from residents at any time. Remember, exercise isn’t just good for your body—it also boosts your mood, makes socializing easy and fun and adds a fun component to your active day At Applewood.
I’ll see you soon in the gym, the pool, the driving range, the walking trails, at the Applewood Bike Share…
Matt Machin oversees the community fitness & wellness experiences, which are updated quarterly. In addition to managing the Fitness Center, he also teaches exercise classes on land and in the junior Olympic-size pool at Applewood. Matt is passionate about working one-on-one with Applewood’s residents and provides customized exercise plans for each resident that fits their needs.
To find out more about Matt and Applewood’s fitness programs, check out our Health and Wellness page.