First off, I would like to thank everyone who responded to last month’s newsflash sending us ideas for the new series. Your comments were very helpful and we will definitely be using them in the studio when we tape next month. As always, your feedback really helps us improve the program.
In preparing for the new season I’ve been reading up on the latest healthy aging research and meeting with various physical therapists and fitness professionals. I’m excited to share all that I’ve learned with you! You can also look forward to more homework assignments, brief though they may be. It gives you something to work on between programs.
One homework assignment includes strengthening the muscles needed to navigate the floor in the event of a fall. Here are a couple of exercises to try.
Slow Crawling:
Get down on your hands and knees and crawl forwards and backwards SLOWLY with “baby steps.” Don’t try to cover a great distance at a time. When you’re crawling rest the weight of your lower body on your upper shin not your knee. This will put a minimum amount of stress on the knee joint.
Scoots:
Sitting on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you, scoot yourself backwards using the strength of your arms to almost drag the rest of your body along the floor. Once again, stay within your comfort range and move slowly and gently.
Take time to practice these exercises and watch for more on this topic in the new series.
In the meantime, I wanted to let you know that I won’t be sending out a newsflash in August because of production. But you can expect to hear from me in September with an update and hopefully some helpful tidbits that keep you reaching out for a better day.
Warmest wishes,
Mary Ann Wilson
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