Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Exercise is Medicine



The residents at Redstone Highlands are proof that EXERCISE IS MEDICINE! Over 250 residents participate in SeniorFITness, a comprehensive wellness program with a focus on fall prevention, balance, strength, endurance, flexibility, and overall wellness. The residents go through a series of assessments throughout their participation to monitor progress and for goal setting purposes. Recently, our Exercise Physiologist randomly selected 80 residents for data collection purposes to document the changes in the aforementioned areas from the start of the program to 3-6 months of active participation. The findings are incredible! In 3 to 6 months of active participation in SeniorFITness the statistics show:

•       19% improvement in Balance

•       20% improvement in Gait
•       45% improvement in Upper Body Strength
•       38% improvement in Lower Body Strength
•       36% improvement in Cardiovascular Endurance  

In as little as 3 to 6 months, these residents have greatly improved their physical health. We've also noted that SeniorFITness participants are 7 times less likely to experience a fall than those who do not exercise. With falls being the number one cause of injury and death in the aging population, these improvements speak for themselves. The bottom line is that exercise is medicine and it is never too late to start! 


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