Exercise - participation, music, products

[JeannettaTHE 0]

Hello....I am a director for a facility with all levels of care as well, I have recently developed a activity program for my residents that involve them in exercise 3x week. We formed a CLUB for them. It makes them feel important and they dont dare miss a "meeting" We use the NOODLE to exercise in our chairs. It is simple and fun !! I use the 50's music, it is upbeat, I lead the exercises and act a little goofy too....it is less boring and makes them laugh as well.....! The CLUB program has only been in place for about 60 days and our group grows wekly. I also offer a bi weekly celebration to let them know someone cares about them being healthier.

[hcornell 0]

At our place, we have exercise 4 days a week. We have a formal group that meets in our community room 2x and on each neighborhood we exercise at least 2x a week. In our big group, we use music. We change it up every so often but keep it in their interest. We let the residents pick the exercises. Quite honestly, it onl lasts about 25 minutes before everyone is tired. We use stress balls and therabands to increase strength.

On the units, we have a sensory/exercise group. (we call it sensor-cise) Again we play music, but it is for those who can't participate in physical activiites, we rub their hands and arms with scented lotion and use the vibrating massage tubes from Flaghouse (about $25 each). We also do a circle kick and toss group on the neighborhood for those who can only follow simple 1 command directions. Another great exercise is a scarf toss and catch. Use donated or purchased ladies head scarves. (Babooshkas) :-D

[oldsbag 0]

Hello all- I am always looking for good exercise videos. I did order the light and lively cassette that you recommended, and look forward to trying it. The new video we got is called Chair Dancing Around the World with J. Stolove. It is so much fun. From Polkas to the Mexican Hat Dance, to ballet.....For some of the dances they use paper plates as props for clapping together. It's 58 mins long, so we just do 4 or 5 at a time. I am actually considering having the PCA's doing it at their next staff meeting. It is a stress reliever, just by the laughter alone. My residents who range from 68-98 can follow along pretty well, and as I always tell them, they get A for effort, as long as they're moving. Being from Canada, I wish I didn't have to spend so much on duty and exchange etc, but this was well worth it. Has anyone else used this video?

[Guest Tinki]

Yes, I looked at just about all the exercise videos. J Stolove has a few others if you really enjoyed her video. I love light and lively - I am probably the one who recommeded it. I also have used a few tai chi videos that were good.

 

Karen

[oldsbag 0]

Hi Karen- We also use a video from California I think, called Chair Tai Chi. It is very calming and has some beneficial effects for those residents on oxygen. The fellow is very pleasant and easy to watch and listen to. We exercise 3x a week, with one being a video and the other two with routines I have worked out. Today we did the Turkey in the Straw routine from Activity Connection. It's our Thanksgiving in Canada coming up so was appropriate for us. We have used scarves, moving to soft ballet type music, also mimicing household/farm type chores to ragtime. I find it a challenge, not only to keep them enthused, but me as well from doing the same old thing. Just so you know, I don't just put the video on, I am front row and centre.lol.They are such good sports, and will try anything once. I have posted on other sites about stick ball....our favorite. You take the tubes from a golf bag, and use them to hit a firm rubber beach ball. The group is in a circle with lots of room in between. For those who can't hit with the stick, they use their feet. Great hand/eye coordination, and stretching exercise. The groups grew so much that I had to split them to 2 back to back groups. I tell my daughters, I work out 6 times a week, only I'm sitting the whole time....they just laugh. Oh well.....

[Guest Betty Ann]

This is a fun one

 

Clap your hands and stomp your feet

Get on with the 'facility' beat.

Reach you hands up to the skies

Turn and look you neighbor in the eye.

Put your arms over and touch each ear

Wiggle your bottom to get it into gear.

One leg up and the other leg down

Then move your arms like you're going to town.

Flap your arms like a bird in wing

See you can do most anything

Now reach on over and shake your neighbors hand

Then bow from the waist as you know you can.

Pound the table to get your meal, to let the

kitchen know just how you feel.

 

Hands on your hips, hands on your knees,

Put them behind you if you please.

Touch your shoulders, touch your nose,

Touch your ear touch your toes.

Raise your hands high in the air

At your sides, on your hair.

Raise you hands as before,

While you clap 1234.

My hands upon my head I place,

On my shoulders, on my face.

Then I raise them up on high,

And make my fingers quickly fly.

Then I put them in front of me,

and gently clap 123.

 

Turn you head first to the right,

Make a fist and fight, fight, fight.

Turn your head the other way,

Make your body swing and sway.

Make your arms go round and round,

Touch your shoulders, they can be found.

Put your right arm way way out,

Put your left one way out too,

Pull back and forth

The best you can do.

Reach over to the side, way up high,

To the other side, and back up high

Mak your feet march along,

Kick your legs to make them strong.

Put your head up and down

Roll your head up and down

Roll your left to right

Makde your eyes look side to side

Then close your eyes cause the lights to bright.

 

Open your eyes and stretch and yawn,

Start the mower and mow the lawn

Walk your butt in your chair

Now walk as though you're a old black bear.

Wiggle all your fingers, then wiggle your nois,

Wiggle your butt, wiggle your toes.

Make your ankles go round and round.

Tap your toes and bounce your feet

Tighten your stomach muscles nice and neat,

Lift your feet up off the floor

Reach on over and open the door.

 

Look over your shoulder, look up and down.

Make your face do a big, big frown.

Clap your hands back and forth

Turn and smile at your neighbor to the North.

Pitch some hay and milk the cow,

Sweep the floor real clean right now.

Sake the rug, clean the dust,

Wash the clothes, it is a must.

Raise the flag, blow a balloon,

Play a trombone at the crack of noon.

Swat the flies and hammer a nail

Row the boat, then raise the sail.

Type a letter, ride your bike

You can do that better.

 

Smile real big, be real mad

We're all done so don't be sad.

loved that exercise poem, I have now included in one of my weekly exercise program. thanks for sharing.

[Guest Guest]

DOES ANYONE THE ADDRESS SO I CAN ORDERTHE LIGHT AND LIVELY EXERCISE TAPE FOR SENIORS? THANKS WANDA

[Guest Guest_Paula]

Hi --

 

I'm looking for a good video running 20 - 30 minutes for seated exercise --

Yoga, tai chi, stretches or music based ---- any variety is great. I'm working

with folks who tend to be 82 - 96 years of age who rely on walkers for balance so

seating exercise is the only option at present for most.

 

Thanks for any suggestions -- Please include name of tape and instructor or

special notes for ordering.

 

My thanks,

Paula

[hcornell 0]

I suggest the "Sing and Swing" video collection. It combines familiar tunes with simple movements and they are very slow paced. You can buy the tapes from NASCO.

[Guest Guest_wonytineres]

I would suggest the ROM Dance- another video from Nasco. It is a wonderful narrated taichi/yoga style range of motion program that also incorporates guided imagery. Good luck!

[oldsbag 0]

Hi Paula- Every Monday we rotate several videos I have come across. One is Jodi Stoloves chair dancing. We use Chair Dancing around the world. Very fun, quite vigorous, and have to remind them to do their own pace. I also have 2 Betty Switzer videos...Chair Dancing, and Gentle Fitness. They have seniors doing the exercises along with her and are fun too. I found a Chair Tai Chi video that we use, from California. Very well done, and effective. You could find these online, as I did. We have a couple of cassettes as well, sittercize...don't care for the music but the movements are good, and light and lively....kind of cowboy kind of feel to it. They really like that one. My folks are in the same age bracket as yours and do quite well. Wed. we do general exercise to 40's music and Fri. is fun and fitness, sometimes using scarves, foam balls,or bean bag toss, etc It helps to keep it varied, for you and for them. Good luck to you.

[Guest Guest]

I too have the problem of very minimal attendance. and when I say mininmal that what I mean. We have 89 residents right now and I will get three or four to come. I have tried calling it different things, walks, having other people running, props....everything but no success. I know I have to keep physical rec on the calender but I am having no luck!!!

[Guest Guest]

I have our right before lunch. Since our residents like to be in the dining room early I actually 'catch' some exercising while they are waiting. I used to have all the fun extras but had one resident who thought they were too preschool and made his opinions known to all so that no one would use them anymore. Having therapy or rehab help get people increases my attendance. As people will come for them when they won't for me. There are some days I only have three. We only exercise for 15 min.

[Guest Guest_Jackie]

Hey all, I work as the AD in a 197 bed facility for the mentally ill. My main problem is that a lot of residents go out to workshops during the day and come back around 2 in the afternoon, which is about party/social/shopping times so exercise doesn't work. Trying to come with new ideas and maybe new active games that can be used as exercises for those who are there during day....my age range is 18-95, so becomes tough at times.....

ive found that exercise in the morning gets the best result and turn out. Thats when energy is up and most residents havent gone out for the day.

[klbradt 0]

Hi when all else fails with exercise, I bring out the beach ball, gather a small circle of res. and start kicking within a few minutes I have a large group gathered. I also try to get staff involved by throwing the ball at them. The res think its funny when the staff gets hit in the head with the ball so I do it every chance I get, makes me laugh too. There are different games to play with the ball, have the res pass the ball around the cirlce, when each res has the ball have them say a color or ice cream flavor or whatever, it makes them think. The res have the most fun when they hit each other in the head, go figure. Nobody gets hurt plus they keep coming back for more! Try it

[Guest Guest_Singer]

My residents like tennis and volleyball. Nasco has reasonably priced sets with

oversized rackets and balls that are soft. They also like darts- everyone has to stretch to music for 10 minutes to play darts and they like the parachute as long as we go outside to use it.

[karenHenry 0]

Exercise classes/programs are hard to start with almost all populations. I was a former personal trainer, fitness instructor who worked with all age groups and it can be hard promoting fitness/wellness. I have done w/chair strolls, sit and be fit programs, used scraves, wands, balls and parachutes to enhance senior classes. I have used music, sensory sounds as backgrounds for these classes. I like classes that are also based on proper breathing/relaxation. Feel out your class; it's okay to start with a few! The best classes I ever had started out slowly, as word got around about the fun things I was doing and how great they were feeling.....students came. Good luck!

[Guest Tinki]

I thought this might be interesting thing to do during your exercise groups!

 

How To Reduce Tension with Progressive Muscle Relaxation

 

From Elizabeth Scott,

 

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a great technique for reducing overall body tension. As you practice tensing and relaxing all the muscle groups in your body, you can move to a shortened procedure, Deep Muscle Relaxation where you rapidly relax your whole body. As you reduce the tension you carry in your body, your whole being will feel less stress and you will enjoy increased physical and emotional health. Here’s how to get started:

 

Difficulty: Easy

 

Time Required: 5 Minutes

 

Here's How:

 

1. After finding a quiet place and several free minutes to practice, sit or lie down and make yourself comfortable.

 

2. Begin by tensing all the muscles in your face. Make a tight grimace, close your eyes as tightly as possible, clench your teeth, even move your ears up if you can. Hold this for the count of eight as you inhale.

 

3. Now exhale and relax completely. Let your face go completely lax, as though you were sleeping. Feel the tension seep from your facial muscles, and enjoy the feeling.

 

4. Next, completely tense your neck and shoulders, again inhaling and counting to eight. Then exhale and relax.

 

5. Continue down your body, repeating the procedure with the following muscle groups:

 

chest

abdomen

entire right arm

right forearm and hand (making a fist)

right hand

entire left arm

left forearm and hand (again, making a fist)

left hand

buttocks

entire right leg

lower right leg and foot

right foot

entire left leg

lower left leg and foot

left foot

 

6. for the shortened version, which includes just four main muscle groups:

 

face

neck, shoulders and arms

abdomen and chest

buttocks, legs and feet

 

Quickly focusing on each group one after the other, you can relax your body like ‘liquid relaxation’ poured on your head and it flowed down and completely covered you. You can use this technique to quickly de-stress any time.

 

What You Need:

 

A comfortable place.

Some privacy.

A few minutes.

 

(www.about.com)

[Guest Tinki]

Long-Term Relaxation

 

*Get in a comfortable position. Minimally tighten your right fist so that you feel only the smallest amount of tension. Hold it at this level. Be sure you continue to breathe... Now let go and relax... Observe the difference in feelings between the right and left arm and fist.

 

*Now minimally tighten your left fist. Hold at this level so that you just feel the tightening... Let go and relax. Let the relaxation spread through the arms and the rest of the body.

 

*Now tighten ever so slightly the following parts of your body.

 

(Each time tighten only to the point at which you can observe tension, where you can observe tension, where you become conscious of or can "feel" the tension. Hold the tensions at that level, and be sure you tighten only the intended muscle while the rest of the body stays quiet and relaxed. Be sure you continue to breathe. Each time you let go, let those parts relax further and further.) Tighten ever so slightly your scalp... let go and relax... Let the face become smooth and soft... Let the eyes sink into their sockets... Now slightly tighten the throat and neck. Hold it... Let go and relax.

 

*While continuing to breathe, minimally tighten the triceps. Be sure the neck eyes and tongue are relaxed... Let go.

 

*Raise your shoulders to your ears minimally. Be sure the neck stays loose. Observe how the shoulders feel different from the rest of the body... Let go and relax. Feel the relaxation sinking through the body... Minimally tighten the stomach. Keep breathing... Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the buttocks... Let go and relax. Minimally tighten the feet, calves, and thighs... Let go and relax. Let yourself reach an even deeper level of relaxation, a calmness and serenity.

 

*Now minimally tense every muscle in your body so that you just feel the minimum tension... jaws... eyes... shoulders... arms... chest... back... legs... stomach... Be sure you keep breathing. Feel the minimum tension in every part... Let your whole body relax. Feel a wave of calmness as you stop tensing.

 

*Now, with your eyes closed, take a deep breath and hold it. Note all the minimum tensions... Exhale and feel the relaxation and calmness developing... Note the feeling of heaviness.

 

http://wso.williams.edu/orgs/peerh/stress/relax.html

[Guest Tinki]

"What Types of Exercise Are Most Suitable for Someone With Arthritis?

 

Three types of exercise are best for people with arthritis:

 

* Range-of-motion exercises (e.g., dance) help maintain normal joint movement and relieve stiffness. This type of exercise helps maintain or increase flexibility.

 

* Strengthening exercises (e.g., weight training) help keep or increase muscle strength. Strong muscles help support and protect joints affected by arthritis.

 

* Aerobic or endurance exercises (e.g., bicycle riding) improve cardiovascular fitness, help control weight, and improve overall function. Weight control can be important to people who have arthritis because extra weight puts extra pressure on many joints. Some studies show that aerobic exercise can reduce inflammation in some joints."

 

 

http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/arthritis/arthexfs.htm#4

[Guest Guest_jamoo21]

:hammer: Hey! Does anyone do an exercise program with dowels? I want to do something different that is not condescending to the residents but still fun. And are most of your exercise teachers certified or not? I am interested in resources, tapes, etc... Thanks!

[Guest Guest]

I have seen a few activities done with Dowel sticks I think that is an excellent idea! I am always looking for new ways to make exercise interesting! Maybe spray paint them attractive and bright colors for sensory stimulation!

 

Karen

[Guest oceanhut]

I have been searching the internet for music to use during our chair exercise sessions for assisted living residents. Amazon and other internet sites only seem to have music for high impact arobics and spinning classes. Any suggestions as to where I can find suitable music for our group?

[Guest Guest_Melissa]

I have done plenty of exercise programs using various props. Here are some ideas:

 

*Instruct participants to hold onto each end of the dowel. You then instruct them to bring both arms up and hold to the count of 3 and then bring arms back down. You can start low with a count of 3 and slowly build your way up to a higher number to make it more challenging. Allowing participants to count out loud with you also gets them more involved. In addition to reaching up and down, you can also instruct them to twist side to side.

 

*Have you ever heard of boom-wackers?? They are brightly colored plastic tubes, that when hit together make different sounds. Making sure that each participant has 2, instruct them to hold one in each hand and give various stretching instructions (reach up, down, arms out to the sides and reach up and down, etc). After a few exercises, instruct them to hit their boom-wackers together to a certain count (say 10?). This encourages stretching, ROM, as well as the musical element. This also creates cohesion within a group setting by allowing participants to create a musical beat together. If you don't have boom-wackers you can also use the dowels or invest in some wooden drumsticks.

 

*Add ribbons to the end of your dowels to create ribbon sticks. Participants can use these for creative movements such as twirling, waving over the head, "sweeping" the floor, etc. Imagery really helps when creating such movements. Pretending that the floor needs extra cleaning may encourage participants to do the sweeping motion and help them to relate better to the activity.

 

I hope these ideas help. There are so many directions that you can go using props. You can even set your movements to music which is nice as well. Good Luck!!!

[Guest Guest]

I'm in the process of developing my own music therapy program for the assisted living where I work. I love your idea of using dowels.

 

At the kid's section in the $ Store, I found bright colored metalic streamers attached to a plastic handle. My residents love using these as they create rthymic motions to music. Scarves is another inexpensive way to go. I buy cheap scarves in the local craft store for $1.00.

 

A unique prop is a wide strip of stretchable rubber. I believe you can find this item in places like Jo Ann Craft/Sewing Centers. You can either cut the rubber into indivual strips for individual exercise which promotes isotonic exercise or keep the rubber intact and exercise using the long rubber strip as a group. Have the participants hold onto the rubber and instruct to reach up to the music... down... out etc. My residents loved this activity and forgot they were exercising! Physcial therapists often use this item for their clients. If you have problems finding the rubber band strips, ask your PT department.

 

I would be interested in a good music CD designed for senior exercise. I'm in the process of developing my own but it's time consuming. Anyone out there have a good music tape they use?

 

Jill