FINANCIALLY. WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW YOU HELPED MAKE THIS HAPPEN. ONE IN FOUR OLDER ADULTS
SUFFER A FALL EVERY YEAR. BUT
THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS PEOPLE
OF ALL AGES CAN DO TO REALLY
REDUCE THAT RISK. VERY EFFECTIVE
WAY IS TO IMPROVE YOUR OWN
PHYSICAL FITNESS AND BALANCE
DOCTOR. FRANKLY GEORGE HERE WITH
A CLOSER LOOK AT A CLASS THAT
HAS HELPING PEOPLE DO THAT. WE
TALK ABOUT FITNESS A LOT. WE’RE
NOT TALK A TON ABOUT BALANCE,
BUT THAT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT,
IN FACT, EXERCISE AND ACTIVITIES
LIKE YOGA OR TAI CHI HAVE BEEN
PROVEN IN NUMEROUS STUDIES TO
REDUCE THE RISK OF FALLING. SO
WE VISITED A LOCAL CLASS THAT’S
HELPING SENIORS STAY SAFE ON
THEIR FEET ONE STEP AT A TIME.
ALRIGHT, SO BRING IT AROUND.
IT’S CALLED EXERCISE WITH AMANDA
CEILING, AND AMANDA MEANS
BUSINESS LEFT FOR AMANDA.
FOREIGNERS CERTIFIED IN MANY
FORMS OF FITNESS, BUT SHE
ESPECIALLY ENJOYS TEACHING
SENIORS TRYING TO A LITTLE BIT
OF LITERALLY EVERYTHING MEETS
THREE TIMES A WEEK AT THE AUBURN
HILLS COMMUNITY CENTER. PUNCH
WITH YOUR RIGHT HAND. THERE ARE
A FEW STANDARD RULES DON’T JUMP
. WE DON’T GET ON THE FLOOR AND
WE TRY NOT TO HAVE THEIR HEAD
BELOW THE HEART JUST FEEL LIKE
BLOOD PRESSURE REASONS ARE
AVAILABLE FOR BALANCE OR SITTING
, IF NEEDED, BUT THIS IS A REAL
WORKOUT. AMANDA SAYS MANY OF HER
STUDENTS WERE UNCERTAIN AT FIRST
AS THE WEEKS GO ON, THEY
SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THEY CAN
BE COORDINATED AND STRONG AND
FLEXIBLE CLASS HELPED 72 YEAR
OLD ADELE PAXSON RECOVER FROM A
FRIGHTENING FALL AT MY
DAUGHTER’S HOUSE IN HER KITCHEN.
GIN AND I STUMBLED ON A WOODEN
STRUCTURE THAT MY GRANDSON
STANDS ON TO DO DISHES. I WAS
FALLING TOWARDS THE TABLE OF
THICK GLASS TABLE, SO IT WAS
EITHER MY HEAD OR MY ARMS
STRETCHING OUT TO STOP THE FALL
. WHICH THAT’S WHAT I DID. I PUT
MY RIGHT ARM OUT. AND WHEN I
FELL DOWN, I FRACTURED MY
SHOULDER AFTER PHYSICAL THERAPY.
HER DOCTOR RECOMMENDED SHE
JOINED AN EXERCISE CLASS. I
SIGNED UP FOR THIS CLASS, AND
IT’S BEEN AMAZING. I CAN JUST
TELL A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE, AND
I DON’T GET TEASED BY MY
SISTER’S ANYMORE THAT I HAVE NO
UPPER BODY STRENGTH. 83 YEAR OLD
PAT FISHER JOINED TO HELP
PREVENT A FALL I WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH OSTEO PROCESS AND ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT THEY ALWAYS
CAUTION YOU ABOUT IS FALLING.
SHE ENJOYS THE CLASS AND THE
CAMARADERIE BEING ABLE TO
PARTICIPATE WITH OTHERS. IT’S
ENCOURAGING AND I HIGHLY
RECOMMEND BEING INVOLVED IN SOME
TYPE OF EXERCISE PROGRAM. IT’S
WONDERFUL FOR THE ENDORPHINS.
IT’S AMAZING HOW GOOD YOU FEEL
WHEN YOU FINISH THIS CLASS. MANY
OF THE EXERCISES ARE DESIGNED TO
REDUCE THE RISK OF FALLING THE
STRONGER THAN YOU ARE. MAYBE THE
MORE AGILE YOU ARE AND FLEXIBLE
. YOU HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF
CATCHING YOURSELF. IF YOU HAVE,
LIKE A LITTLE TRIP, YOU KNOW
SOME OF THIS LITTLE DANCING AND
STUFF WE’RE DOING. THAT’S A
COUPLE OF FAST STEPS THIS WAY OR
THAT WAY ANOTHER BENEFIT LESS
CHANCE OF BEING HURT IF YOU DO
FALL BECAUSE WE ALL SOMETIMES
JUST FALL, RIGHT. YOU DON’T HAVE
TO BE A SENIOR TO DO THAT. UM SO
YOUR BODY IS MORE PREPARED,
FLEXIBLE. TO MAYBE FALLING OFF
ANY POSITION AND NOT GET A
REALLY SERIOUS INJURY. THE OLD
ADAGE IS TRUE. USE IT OR LOSE
IT. IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO STOP
BUT ALSO START AS SOON AS YOU
CAN. AND DON’T EVER STOP MOVING
, AND THEY OFTEN SAY, I WISH I
HAD STARTED THIS 20 YEARS AGO 40
YEARS AGO, SO JUST TO KEEP
MOVING AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, AS
OFTEN AS YOU CAN, I THINK THAT’S
SUPER IMPORTANT. Q NOW EVERYONE
WE TALKED TO SAID AMANDA IS
TRULY AMAZING. SHE REALLY MAKES
IT FUN, AND THAT’S WHY PEOPLE
KEEP COMING BACK WEEK AFTER WEEK
. NOW THIS CLASSES AT THE AUBURN
HILLS COMMUNITY CENTER, BUT YOU
NEED TO CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL
COMMUNITY CENTER AND REALLY SEE
WHAT’S AVAILABLE. A GROUP CLASS
IS REALLY A GREAT WAY TO GET
MOTIVATED. ULTIMATELY, STAY
MOTIVATED. SPENT TWO DAYS REALLY
DRILLING DOWN ON THIS, AND SO
YOU’VE LEARNED A LOT AND LOOKED
INTO WHAT THE BEST WAY FORWARD.
WHAT ARE YOUR BIG TAKE TAKEAWAYS
NOW, SO I THINK THERE’S A FEW
KEY POINTS HERE FIRST OFF IF YOU
ARE NOT CURRENTLY USING HAND.
RAILINGS ON STAIRCASES. YOU NEED
TO START RAILINGS ARE THERE FOR
A REASON. ALSO THERE’S A LOT
THAT WE CAN DO AROUND OUR HOMES
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FALLS AND
I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU
CHECK OUT OUR RESOURCE GUIDE
CLICKONDETROIT’S DOT COM AND
FINALLY, FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES
, IF YOU ARE NOT PHYSICALLY
ACTIVE NOW, JUST START SMALL. IF
YOU CAN’T WALK AROUND THE BLOCK
, JUST WALK TO YOUR MAILBOX AND
THE NEXT DAY, DO IT AGAIN AND
THE NEXT DAY GO A LITTLE BIT
FARTHER. THE KEY IS JUST GETTING
STARTED AND STAYING WITH IT SO
IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT CORE
STRONG TOO. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY
HELPS YOU IN CASE YOU’RE
FALLING, YOU CAN CATCH YOURSELF
. THAT’S DEFINITELY SOMETHING