Senior Fitness Classes
Group classes for seniors
All our senior fitness classes are supervised and monitored by a registered and experienced biokineticist. This article is for our senior individuals who would like to be more active. Senior individuals who want to improve their muscle strength, mobility and flexibitlity. This article is also for senior individuals who want to join a social group who exercise when they get together. This instils a sense of community, accountability and creates fun memories along the way. Lastly, this article is also for facilities who take care of the elderly and would like us to come and give exercise classes at your facility.
What do you need to join our Senior Fitness Classes?
- You only need to come.
- Contact (Call, message or whatsapp) us at 072 216 3310 if you would like to join at one of our private facilities. You might need to drive yourself or have a friend or family member drive you to our facility near by.
- Or let your facility contact us to arrange exercise classess at your facility.
- Pay your monthly fee upfront. We charge a minimum rate of R150 per person per month for 2023. The amount might differ depending on the facility available or chosen. The monthly rate includes one exercise session per week.
- We bring all the exercise equipment.
Why does the senior individual need to exercise?
As we age, our bodies go through many changes over the years. We tend to lose strength, mobility, flexibility and as a result our independancy. Individuals are then less able to sustain periods of physical activity. Things that was once easy to do, may be too hard to even try now. Getting in and out of the car, getting up and out of your chair and even getting that object off the shelf is just not possible anymore.
Sometime individuals are able to do what they need to do, but with excessive shoulder, back, hip or knee pain. Due to this loss of abilities and the loss of independence, there is a lower quality of life. This is why partaking in regular physical activity is so important for the senior population. Research and experience also shows us that individuals who are not exercising are at greater risk for falls, chronic conditions, increased fat mass and lower muscle mass.
Benefits of regular exercise for senior individuals:
- Greater muscle strength
- Improved mobility and flexibility = less stiff joints
- Reduced risk of falls
- Reduced risk of injuries from falls
- Enhanced overall physical function
- Maintenance of independence
- Increase ability to complete activities of daily living with less fatigue
- Lower heart rate and or blood pressure
- Improve size of muscle in the body
- Reduce amount of fat in the body
- Decrease in anxiety and depression
- Increase in cognitive function i.e. memory
Individual attention within a group setting
Scared or hesitant to start exercising?
It is understandable that most senior individuals might be hesitant to start exercise. You might feel like you are too weak, or stiff or you have too much pain. Maybe you might not want to because you have one or a few chronic conditions and you are scared of the influence exercise might have on your conditions or pain.
We want to reassure you that you are the kind of individual we see everyday. We have many patients with weakness, stiffness, pain and chronic conditions. Our exercise is implemented in a safe and clinical manner. Which means we take you and your condition into consideration. Our biokineticist will measure each individual’s heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation before every session to confirm if it is safe for you to attend the session on the day.
These measurements can be taken during and after the session if needed. The biokineticist will also adapt the exercise if they see you are struggling or if you have pain. So in the group class, some might do the easier version of the exercise and others might do the difficult version of the same exercise.
We want you to be safe while you get stronger
If you are still not sure if you can join our senior fitness clasess, we can evaluate you and complete supervised tests. These tests will inform us at what level and intensity it would be safe to start with exercise. These tests will be completed at our biokinetics practice.
When should the elderly population not participate exercise?
If you have a chronic condition or illness and an appropriate healthcare provider contra-indicates exercise. Under these circumstances, patients should always get exercise clearance from the appropriate healthcare providers before participating in exercise.
How would a typical senior fitness class look like?
- Screening – Heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation is measured before participation in the exercise session.This asissts in making sure individuals are allowed to start the exercise class.
- Warm-up – Letting the body get used to movement at a slower pace is called warming up. We prepare the body for the exercises that will follow. The warm-up usually consists of mobility exercises and some stretches. To increase the heart rate we do marching while standing by your chair or seated marches while seated on your chair.
- Exercise session – During the session all the major muscle groups will be focused on to work on muscle strength and endurance. With the assistance of resistance bands and exercise balls. The exercises are made more effective and enjoyable with the equipment.
- Cool down – Calming the mind and body after the exercises is done by using slow stretches while doing breathing exercises. Balance and coordination exercises are included during the cool down period.
- Screening – Additional screening can take place when and if patient’s want or need to monitor their heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen saturation.
Oher questions you might have about the senior fitness classes
Type of exercise:
- Some aerobic exercise (small marching or walking at your chair).
- Resistance exercises with exercise balls and bands. Focus is placed on main muscle groups.
- Mobility and flexibility. Stretches during the warm-up and cool down phase.
- Balance and coordination exercises.
Intensity:
On a scale of 0 – 10 in terms of effort levels, we aim to start at between a 4 – 5 moderate intensity level. This means while you exercise you should be able to complete the exercises while at the same time feel the muscles working and getting somewhat tired. The intensity level may increase and progressed as individuals improve.
Duration:
Most exercise sessions will start with a 30-minute session and as the individuals get stringer and fitter, we work up to 45 minutes per session.
How often:
There are many benefits to exercise and there are specific recommendations. However, we normally start with one session per week and advise to increase this to 2 sessions per week. If the facility or individual feels they can want to exercise more, a third session can be booked. It is safe to start with low intensities and for less amount of time in the beginning.
What keeps the senior community from participating in regular exercise?
There are many barriers to exercise especially for our senior citizens.
The following are ways that try to break down these barriers for you.
- Financial struggles – We provide affordable exercise sessions. Group classes allows us to charge a minimum rate per class per individual. We also provide the classes at the elderly facilities so there are no travelling costs. We have other facilities that outside people can join and this is within a few 100 meters from our practice in Fearie Glen.
- Transportation: We make sure the facilities are accessible. No transport is needed in many cases or minimal transport is required in some cases.
- Psychosocial factors: The elderly population tend to start believing that they are too weak or too old to exercise. We aim to correct their thinking and increase their motivation and willingness to exercise. We do this by providing one free class for anyone who wants to join. This will allow them to make a more informed decision.
Reviews – Group 1
Some of the following are reviews from our senior clients at the different retirement centres.
“Just to explore my “aging condition” which we so often ignore until there’s a problem, is a blessing. The advice, measures to take to assist us, and fellowsh is great fun. A well worth 1hr per week.” ~ Mrs B
“Ek is van die begin af deel vsn die groepie. Die vroeg opstaan het my deursettingsvermoe getoets. My geestestoestand het verbeter. Ek voel meer entoesiasties oor die lewe. My postuur het baie verbeter en my lae rugpyn is beter. Klim nou eerder trappe as om in hysbak te ry. Die samesyn, grappies en lag maak my dag. Musiek het bygekom en dit is die hoogtepunt. Persoonlike aandag en hulp en raad aan elkeen is kosbaar. Dis bekostigbaar. Ek het een keer n woord onthou wat almal vergeet het en….ai… dit verbeter my geheue. Uitstekende aanbieding. Baie dankie.” ~ Mrs de Beer
“Stem volkome saam ! Sien altyd so uit na n Donderdagoggend , voel altyd so goed na die klas , en so dankbaar dat Rene dit so lekker maak vir ons!” ~ Mrs A
Reviews – Group 2
“Ek het ‘n knievervanging gehad en het oefening gesoek wat my van kroontjie tot toontjie sal fiks hou sonder dat dit so veeleisend is dat ek dit nie kan volhou nie. Ek was van die begin af deel van die groep. Dit is alles wat ek gesoek het en meer. Die tyd vlieg en ek word nie eers moeg nie. Rene is ‘n ster, so kundig en met so ‘n gemaklike aanbiedingstyl.” ~ Mrs D
“Al moet ek wikkel om betyds te wees, is ek bly dat ons vroeg begin. Goed begin is half gewin! Dis ‘n heerlike, gesellige klas, goed aangebied. Ons doen ‘n groot verskeidenheid van interessante oefeninge! Elkeen doen sy bes! Na die laaste oefening: diep asemhaal met arms skouerhoogte wyd gesprei, dink ek “Reg so, nou is ek reg vir die dag se takies wat wag!” Met dank en waardering aan Renè.” ~ Mrs P
For any information on our Senior Fitness Classes please call us at 072 26 3310 or email us at info@bioprac.co.za
Alternatively you can complete this online form to get into contact with us
Attribution to images in this article <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/healthy-senior-people-gym_2999224.htm#query=group%20exercise%20classess%20senior&position=5&from_view=search&track=ais">Image by rawpixel.com</a> on Freepik <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/senior-man-nursing-home-with-doing-physical-therapy-with-help-from-nurse-using-dumbbells_28837991.htm#query=seated%20physio%20exercise%20for%20elderly&position=15&from_view=search&track=ais">Image by DCStudio</a> on Freepik Image by <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/close-up-bingo-winners-indoors_20825620.htm#query=community%20group%20classess%20for%20seniors&position=34&from_view=search&track=ais">Freepik</a>