This may have a familiar ring to many of you- maybe to more women than men. (Active mischievous boys were often just “chips off the old block”.)
This message was loud and clear for years and further reinforced by women’s attire- girdles, long-line bras, straight skirts and high-heeled shoes. For the men, it was blazers, suit jackets with squared shoulders starting at a young age.
Treatment for arthritis and bone fractures was, more often than not, bed rest. Images of aging were represented in the seated pose of ‘Whistler’s Mother.’
Treatments for high blood pressure was medication, and later, sodium restricted diets were introduced.
For those with poor quality sleep habits, bedtime sleep-aid medications were prescribed.
Thinning of bones was considered age-related and leaning over a cane to walk was accepted as being “elderly” as was the fall-the fracture- the wheel chair.
ENTER EXERCISE TO LOSE TEN POUNDS AND LOOK SLIMMER- “get toned” “lose weight” “feel the burn” Ouch!” Many young women in the 70’s joined the exercise craze- but did not pursue it; we saw burn-out, injury and boredom take over. Warehouses like Richard Simmons, Women’s World and Gloria Stevens came and went.
Now read today’s literature and listen to your doctor- exercise has been added as the major player for treatment of many conditions.
Could the girdles and long-line bras be worn over the tights and leotards? Could the jumping aerobics be done in “heels”? This was not an issue as the “corseted” population was not targeted for this new industry. The instructors were young, sparsely trained and played loud rock-n-roll for the classes. Everyone enrolled was expected to be able to walk, clamor to and from the floor, jump, kick and line dance all at the same time. And all on a carpet floor covered with only one layer of carpet! There was an immediate rise in the incidence of joint injuries and a large number of exercise instructors underwent hip replacements. The windows were boarded up.
ENTER EXERCISE FOR HEALTH- OSTEOPOROSIS A whole different story! For one, spandex was not required. Nor was sweating profusely and going for “No pain no gain”. In fact, many studies were done with an inactive population , in chairs, in nursing homes. One that stands out is the Tufts University study done locally in the late 1990s, where participants in their 90s, who were dependant on a walking assist underwent four months of regular monitored and controlled exercise with a focus of strengthening. The results were astounding and have fueled my enthusiasm for my work. They all became independent walkers with improved bone density. Night walks to the bathroom were also successful and were, in part, due to improved balance.
All my exercise programs are modeled after this study. You may see the exercises in “Strong Women Stay Young” by Miriam Nelson, PhD.
There is a glitch, however. Over the years that I have been teaching, I have been challenged by my clients’ restrictive issues. Often, there is a painful area, a tight area, a weak area or a natural imbalance. In the case of it being muscular in nature as per a medical diagnosis, I offer the service of therapeutic massage. That means applying “hands on” techniques to safely open a joint to fuller range of motion. For example if a participant has forward and “rounded” shoulders, it could be risky to perform some arm exercises. Massage of the shoulder area improved the ability to strengthen.
I am seeing this link of massage therapy as being key to allowing the strengthening to not only continue but also increase progressively on the fitness scale. Add stretching to the program and you have OSTEOFITNESS TM
Massage therapy sessions are currently conducted at the Ikier Center.
