Fitness

Postmenopausal Women and Osteoporosis Prevention: Can Community Exercise Help?

Community Refresh Projects September 4, 2021 Fitnessexercise, women, workout 0

Women often juggle many roles including work, family and community involvement as a result of which, their exercise takes a back seat. It is seen that rigorous exercise regimes can be even more difficult for women in the post-menopausal age, particularly for those who have always led sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, more studies are necessary to see if it would be possible to develop community based exercise routines to improve bone health in women in their 50s and 60s. These community workout routines for women could perhaps prevent osteoporosis, incidences of which are on the rise, apart from general improvement in physical and emotional well being.

Components of community based workouts for osteoporosis prevention

Certain studies have shown good results in prevention of osteoporosis with the help of supervised community exercise sessions lasting for 60 to 75 minutes three times each week. These exercise routines typically include following components:

5 to 10 minutes of warm up- including walking.
25 minutes of weight training- Stepping and stair climbing
40 minutes of resistance exercises for small and large muscle groups-Back extension, leg press, rotary torso, seated one-arm dumbbell military press etc for larger muscle groups and the use of 1-3 pound dumbbells as well as exercises on physiotherapy ball for small muscle groups. .
5 minutes of Abdominal exercises including pelvic tilts, heel and foot lifts, knee ups, and leg slides (done in 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions). Ankle weights can be strapped for increased resistance.
5. 5 minutes of balancing and stretching including wall presses, single leg balancing, etc.

Naturally, for the success of such community exercise programs, it is essential to have excellent exercise facilities that offer proximity to participants’ homes, have the necessary training equipment, walking tracks and stair climbing availability etc. The facilities might offer free annual membership to participants and could also have administrative areas for the trainers.

Incorporating other social and community support in the exercise sessions

To incorporate other kinds of social and community support, the study encouraged following events which helped women adhere to the program and also form friendships and alliances that went beyond exercising.

Community meals - Participants often met twice a month over meals which could be held in local parks or restaurants. Potlucks were also encouraged where each woman bring in her favourite meal.
Educational guest lectures and forums - Psycho-social concerns of post menopausal women were addressed through meetings with expert doctors or annual forums.
Follow ups through emails, newsletters and phone calls - If participants were staying absent from the community exercise for post menopausal osteoporosis prevention, then follow-ups were done by the active members through emails and phone calls.
Community photo books - Annual photo books showcasing the pictures or videos of exercise sessions along with supporting educational articles, inspirational poems and workout timetables were printed along with important phone numbers.
End of year party - This was an important social support for the test programs as they helped the community acknowledge accomplishments of the group. Certificates of excellence or participation were also distributed for further encouragement.

Naturally, the success of such community exercise programs mainly depend upon participants concern related to risk of developing osteoporosis. It is also important that trainers provide individual attention, constant feedback and ongoing motivation and support to the women. Removal of barriers like suitability of trainer hours could help increase the participation in the program. Finally, the community and training staff should create an atmosphere of fun as well as an enjoyment factor to encourage participants to show up for each training session.

For more information on developing community based workout routines for women in the
post menopausal age for osteoporosis prevention as well as the efficacy of the program, click here.

3 Ways Get Your Community Active For Cheap

Tim Mechling July 17, 2021 Community Projects, Fitness 0

Whether your community is big or small, it’s wonderful to have a network of people in your neighborhood to count on. In the event of an emergency or if only to check up on the elderly, it feels good to be a part of a community and to know that people in your neighborhood are thinking of you.

As close as some of our neighborhood friends may be, we all get swept up by everyday life. Our jobs, children, around-the-house projects, they all take up time in our weeks. Before you know it, you’re only seeing each other on special holidays and often times that’s not enough.

Here are 3 easy ways to get your community involved in some healthy activities that won’t break the bank. Don’t wait until Christmas and plan an outdoor excursion now!

1) Go Camping

Most members in the community love camping. It’s a low-stress activity and the kids love it. If not everyone has a tent, you can share. Pots and pans, cooking materials and sleeping pads can all be gathered together and shared as a group. Camping sites don’t cost that much and once you split the fee between families, it’s next to nothing. Even if it’s only for one night, it’s a great way to get the kids (and parents) away from the TV and into nature. If you only have one night and a campsite is too far to get to, you could always pitch your tents in a neighbor’s backyard! It’s fun and still gets the kids away from technology for a few hours. These are times your children will remember when they’re older.

2) Go Hiking

Okay so you can’t gather the community together for an overnighter. How about just an afternoon, followed by a barbeque dinner? Find a nice walking trail in your town and plan a hiking trip with the neighborhood gang. Spend your afternoon hiking, then return with a good appetite worked up for a delicious evening of hot dogs and hamburgers. The outing would only cost you the gas to drive to the trail and the cost of dinner supplies afterwards. If you live in a town with some serious paths and mountainous trails, make sure you get some proper footwear. Some of these trails require more than your typical running shoe to make it through the trek. A quick internet search will give you some great womens hiking boots 2014 reviews to see what’s new on the market. Men and children have great options too.

3) Go Swimming

Most communities have at least one recreation centre or even better, an actual lake to swim in. If hiking or camping is not what your neighborhood friends are into, then perhaps a cool day by the water would be better. You’ll still get your exercise and it’s relatively cheap too. Most recreation centres charge a couple of dollars for a public swim session and some have them for free on the weekends too. If there are children, they’ll love it. It’s low stress and low preparation for the adults too. Once the swimming is over and everyone is dry and refreshed, follow the gang back home for a barbeque dinner as mentioned above. Again, it’s low cost when multiple households are pitching in for drinks and dinner cost. A couple bowls of potato salad and you’re set for the evening. Make time for your neighborhood friends this summer and share your tips on how to stay fit and have fu

Exercising with your neighbors as a community project!

Tim Mechling May 7, 2021 Fitnessexercise shoes, fitness, health 0

With more and more people subscribing to gym membership throughout the country, and the emphasis on healthy lifestyle, it is only reasonable that your neighbors end up at the same gym as you! Oftentimes the modern men and women are busy with their jobs, hobbies and children, to pay attention to others, and if asked, some don’t even know the names of their neighbors, let alone their kids’. While paying for gym membership, and exercising at your own convenience may be one option, instead, you can also organize outdoor bootcamps and team exercises for your neighbors in your back yard. This will not only have major health benefits for your families, but will bring you closer and make you stronger as a community. By paying attention and taking initiative in organizing such group fitness, you can change the world you live in directly.

The first step in organizing these neighborly workouts is creating a fitness program to follow, and this can be done as a community task- through brainstorming, you can come up with a great workout plan that will suit everyone and incorporate it into everyone’s schedule. Exercising on the weekends may be the ideal option, and in making the plan, it is useful to use various online resources to find the exact exercises that will be beneficial for various age groups and stamina.

Another issue that needs to be addressed is purchasing workout clothes and shoes, and this is best done collectively as well. It is only reasonable that you would want to choose the best fitness gear in terms of clothes and shoes. In a society where there is an abundance of choice in almost everything, there is definitely a wide variety of gym wear to choose from. While looking and asking what your friends wear, and looking at people who go into the gym, there is a guideline of what to look for and how to choose the sportswear correctly, to enhance the results that you are expecting from your fitness programs.

Exercise Shoes When choosing the shoes you want to buy, feel the material, and see what it is made of – wearing a low-quality shoe may not only result in painful blisters, but also a sprung ankle, and that’s a good-case scenario. While choosing your footwear, make sure that it is made of breathable fabric, thus ensuring that your feet can be cooled down during exercises that will make your feet sweat. Not only will this prevent the odor, but it will also improve the skin and health of your feet. Another feature that ideal sneakers must have is perfect weight – they must not pull your feet and you have to have freedom of motion while wearing them. While all these features might seem like a lot to ask from a shoe, there is a fantastic comprehensive list of the best exercise shoes that will help you decide and choose the perfect shoes for you, and you can find it at http://exerciseshoeguide.com/.

The website addresses the questions of which shoes to buy for spinning classes or Zumba, not only did the authors spend time and carried out research regarding which shoes are the best ones, but they are also owners of a fitness center in Texas, so they have the knowledge and the experience in helping others. With so many shoes of various shapes and styles, it is important to get an expert opinion, and who else but those, who are directly involved in the Health and Fitness industry? And while it is important to consider the characteristics of one shoe compared to another, one must not forget, that these vary for men and women, while the female sections are filled with bright and colorful sneakers, those for men are more conservative, yet powerful and durable.