Thursday Thoughts – Wintertime Exercise!

ZOOMERCISE! is an important part of the plan of activities in Integrity Healthcare Communities. We want our residents to have plenty of exercise, so in our patient centered care plans, we make sure that every single resident has something specifically for them in our ZOOMERCISE! group! Every resident is different, so if all they can do is lift their toes, that’s what we help them do. If they can stand and raise their legs, we help them do that! Maybe they can only squeeze a stress ball, but if they are capable of doing side circles with their arms, that’s what we do!

There are lots of reasons why we all should put a little ZOOMERCISE! in our daily schedules.

According to the College of American Sports Medicine, by the year 2030 there will be 70 million people in the United States who are over 65 years old. The fastest growing segment of the population will be people over 85! Exercise is important to you now, and it will be even more important as you age!

As we age, we lose muscle mass. As we age, bone density decreases, and we are vulnerable to fractures. Our ability to balance decreases as we age, and we become more susceptible to falls. Exercising will help postpone all these changes.

Many of us walk for exercise. Winter weather keeps us indoors, so here are a few exercises you can do without leaving the comfort of your home! As we wait for springtime flowers, let’s try some of the following!

Sit at your kitchen table and do some TOE TAPS! Keep your heels on the ground and bend your toes up toward the ceiling and back to the ground.

USE YOUR HEELS! Move toward the edge of a chair. Place your feet flat on the floor. Raise heels up off the floor, coming up onto the balls of the feet. Hold for 1 second, then release. Repeat this 10 times.

KNEE LIFTS! While sitting in your chair, slowly lift the right knee toward the chest and then return to the starting position. Repeat with the left leg. Continue alternating eight to 10 times on each side.

MUSIC AND MARCHING! Turn on your favorite music and march in place. Move your arms and shoulders, too! If you don’t want to march, just walk in a circle around the room a few times.

Exercise will improve your gastrointestinal motility. It will increase your strength and make you feel better. Exercise can reduce pain, improve posture and improve balance. Exercise will help you sleep better, reduce depression and improve your feelings about self-value!