RICHLAND, Wash. -The Centers for Disease Control recommends 150 minutes of exercise a week for those 65 years or older and Kadlec Regional Medical Center offers classes to assist senior citizens with everything from flexibility and mobility to body awareness.
Kathy Piper, an Exercise Physiologist at Kadlec Regional Medical Center, tells me that exercise helps seniors with sleep and mental health. She says the people in the classes Kadlec offers build relationships with one another.
The biggest benefit, she said, is joint mobility. Exercise helps make joints more fluid by taking weight off of your ankles, knees, and hips, ensuring better movement.
“We do a lot of balance exercising in our older population,” Piper said. “Osteoporosis and falls are very, very hurtful, I guess you could say. Because with that population, a fall could kill them.”
According to the Benton Franklin Health District, one in three adults 65 and over falls once a year and several EMS calls are related to older adults falling in their homes.
The impact of a fall can be significant. It could cause a snowball effect of health-related problems down the road, according to BFHD.
Piper said everyone is different in terms of what they can do. She says she works with each individual in her classes based on their strengths to improve mobility.
Piper offers classes such as aqua therapy to strengthen bones and balance to help seniors stay fit with simple, low-impact exercises.
According to Piper, the seniors who come to her class leave in a better mood. She said exercise releases endorphins to help with mood. It is important for seniors to make sure they are taking in a lot of water and eating healthy. Even simple exercise movements can help seniors increase mobility.
Exercises like bicep curls, stretching, and sit and stand.
She said all of the exercises she teaches are adaptable. For $25, you get eight classes, and those are every Tuesday and Thursday starting at nine in the morning at the Kadlec Healthplex.
