1. Exercise For The Elderly Zach Sbordone

2. PURPOSE: ◦Less than one-third of Americans 65 years of age or older participate in the recommended level of exercise for their age group ◦To encourage exercise among a target population of elderly residents at Whispering Knoll Assisted Living in Edison, NJ. ◦To help an elderly community live longer, healthier, and more comfortable lives.

3. Why don’t they exercise? Think that exercise is not safe for someone their age; can actually cause harm to their body Think that it’s harmful to their joints Think that it’s too late to start exercising Afraid of overexertion Can’t afford it Intimidated by younger people in the gym

4. However… Exercise will actually strengthen most of the body’s functions, such as speed, balance, and agility Allows for increased mobility Puts a person at a decreased risk of a fall or injury Increases joint health

5. Whispering Knoll Assisted Living Senior living center that ‘provides an exceptional standard of living while promoting independence and well-being.’ equipped with exercise room for residents to use

6. Brochure Educational pamphlets stressing the various benefits of exercise on an aging population Introducing them to basic ways that can incorporate exercise into their daily lives Aimed to eliminate any existing myths that the population may believe

7. Exercise Programs Held free weekly sessions for two months in the facility’s exercise room that lasted about 30 minutes each Goal was to increase the residents’ frequency of exercising and attempt to make exercise a habit for them ◦To maximize the potential of the facility and encourage use of the exercise room

8. Stretching Started with a 5 minute light stretch(primarily static) & warm up Especially with an older body, it is crucial to keep limber in order to prevent injury

9. Light Cardio Proceeded with 10- 15 minutes of light cardio such as treadmill walking RPE of 11-13 on Borg’s scale Aimed to improve heart health and respiratory function of the participants

10. Resistance Training Cool Down Low-intensity stregnth training for 10-15 minutes Light weighted training to improve their muscles, bones, and joint Also aimed to improve their power and balance 5-10 minute cool down to finish session and bring heart rate back down Includes some light stretching and rehydration

11. Evaluation Surveys administered before, during, and after the program 1 st included questions like: ◦“How many days a week do you exercise?” ◦“How would you rate how healthy you feel on a scale from 1-10?” 2 nd included questions like: ◦“Have you participated in the sessions provided?” 3 rd included questions like: ◦“How has your view on exercise changed?” ◦“Do you believe this program had a positive effect on the community?” Feedback was unanimously positive!

12. Results Significant increase in program participation through the community At least 20 new regular participants using the exercise room in the facility and many others that use it occasionally Evaluations show that the residents’ knowledge and awareness of exercise has greatly improved

13. Results (cont.) Approximately 20% of residents that tried the sessions only attended one session This could be due to people failing to find motivation in their elder years and feeling hesitant to develop new habits Overall, the program was a great success and helped promote health among an aging population

14. References Physical Activity. (n.d.). June 19, 2015, http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy- aging/physical-activity/?referrer=https://www.google.com/ http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy- aging/physical-activity/?referrer=https://www.google.com/ Griffin, R. (2011). Myths About Exercise and Older Adults. June 20, 2015, http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/nutrition-world- 2/exercise-older-adults?page=2http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/nutrition-world- 2/exercise-older-adults?page=2 Whispering Knoll Assisted Living. (n.d.). July 25, 2015. http://www.whisperingknoll.org/ http://www.whisperingknoll.org/ Physical Activity. (n.d.). June 19, 2015, http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy- aging/physical-activity/?referrer=https://www.google.com/ http://www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy- aging/physical-activity/?referrer=https://www.google.com/