Dance, Stretch, Play & Learn: Exercises for Healthy Older Adults

1. Dance, Stretch, Play & Learn:Exercises for Healthy Older Adults • American Association for Physical Activity • and Recreation - Indianapolis, IN • March 19, 2010 • Jane Roy, Brian F. Geiger, Tami Blaudeau • Physical and Health Education

2. Program Content Incontinence: overcoming an exercise barrier – prevention and informational resources for healthy aging Senior Swing! - learn the basic steps and health benefits of ballroom swing dancing Chair Yoga – benefits, breathing, postures, visualization exercise Roy Geiger Blaudeau 2010

3. INCONTINENCE: OVERCOMING AN EXERCISE BARRIER Brian F. Geiger, EdD, FAAHE Professor bgeiger@uab.edu

4. Maintaining Independence Be active – stretch, walk, swim, climb stairs Eat healthy foods for meals and snacks Seek hobbies and recreation Get help for urinary incontinence and mobility problems

5. Determinants of PA Roy Geiger Blaudea 2010 • Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) • 7 questions to assess PA readiness • Emphasis on cardiovascular and bone health • Does not address social stigma, embarrassment • CDC (1995). JAMA; 273:402-407 • Physiological, behavioral, and psychological variables are related to PA • Confidence in PA ability, perceived barriers, & PA enjoyment are strongly related to participation

6. Aging, PA and Disability Roy Geiger Blaudea 2010 • Activity impairment significantly associated (p<0.001)with lower urinary tract symptoms (Kannan, et al., 2009) • “Frail older person” - clinical phenotype combining PA, mobility, balance, muscle strength, motor processing, cognition, nutrition, and endurance; associated high medication use and being homebound or institutionalized; and high risk of intercurrent disease, increased disability, hospitalization, and death(Ferrucci, Guralnik, Studenski, et al., 2004)

7. Urinary Incontinence • Accidental loss of urine • Affects >15 million Americans • More common in women than men • 5 types: Stress, Urge, Mixed, Overflow & Functional • Not a sign of healthy aging • Related to withdrawal from work and social activities • A common reason for nursing home placement Roy Geiger Blaudea 2010

8. Behavioral Treatment Diet • Limit caffeine drinks and food • Increase water intake to 6-8 glasses daily Bladder training • Record fluid intake, times of urination, and when accidents occur • Practice “timed urination” while awake

9. Behavioral Treatment Bladder retraining • Learn to increase urine in bladder and time between urinations by 15-30 minutes weekly • Goal is to urinate every 2-4 hours while awake Regular practice of Kegel exercises • Strengthen sphincter and pelvic floor muscles through contracting and relaxing • Stop or delay accidental urination

10. Finding Reliable Health Information for Older Adults Knowledge is Power!

11. National Institute on Aging http://www.nia.nih.gov/

12. UrologyHealth.orgof The American Urological Association Foundation Website: www.urologyhealth.org Tel. 1-800-828-7866

13. Staying Active with Silver Sneakers • Available in AL for • AARP Medicare Complete through SecureHorizons • HealthSpring • Humana members

14. Medline Plus at link: http://medlineplus.gov/

15. HealthInfo Net of AL at link: http://apps.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/local/alabama/homepage.cfm?areaid=3

16. SENIOR SWING! Tami Blaudeau, PhD Assistant Research Professor blaudeau@uab.edu

17. What is Ballroom Dance? Ballroom dance may refer to almost any type of social dancing as recreation • Set of partner dances enjoyed both socially and competitively worldwide • Its performance and entertainment aspects are widely enjoyed on stage, in film, on television 2 main styles in America • Smooth(Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz) • Rhythm(Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Bolero, Mambo, Samba) A number of historical, local and national dances that are not ‘strictly ballroom’, but rather "fun" although "non-traditional” (hustle, salsa, merengue, west coast swing, Argentine tango, lindy and Hip Hop)

18. Eighteenth-century social dance. Translated caption: A cheerful dance awakens love and feeds hope with lively joy (Florence, 1790).

19. History of Swing • Social dancing is an activity that can be traced back to three sources: Aristocratic Courts of Europe International Society Early Cultures • During 20th century, African and Caribbean rhythms and movements increasingly influenced social dancing. • SWING, the jitterbug, the twist, boogie, and disco dancing all share a free and improvised movement style and a repetitive, percussive rhythm. • Swing dancing is a favorite American past time with a recent resurgence in popularity. Swing could be a natural descendent of the Lindy hop, Fox Trot, Charleston, and even the Waltz and the Tango

20. Health/Fitness Benefits Dance is an excellent choice for a lifetime PA! Flexibility Strength Endurance Sense of Well-Being

21. Suggested Resources FREE Dance steps and videos: http://www.learning2dance.com http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/dancesteps.htm http://www.dancekc.com/videos.html Waltz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju60OYcgjV0 Cha ChaCha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOahDKfKWYo Teaching tools: Free lesson plans http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/arts/dance/ Syllabi, Coloring Sheets, Curricula etc http://www.abcfordance.com/ DVDs and videos http://www.anyonecandance.com/ http://dancevision.com/store/dvds/absolute_beginners/ Books: ‘Quickstart to Social Dancing’ by Jeff Allen   

22. Dance Basics for Beginners Basic Steps: Walks, Side Step, Rock Step, Triple Step, Chasse’s, Balance Step, Pivot Steps, Box Step Important Concepts: 1) rhythm 2) directions of dance 3) stylization 

23. SWING DANCE COMPONENTS ABBREVIATIONS: COMPONENTS*** M=MALE F=FEMALE B=BOTH L= LEFT R=RIGHT X=NUMBER OF REPEATS BASIC= 123,123, ROCK STEP 1. HAND POSITION: F=L hand on M upper arm/shoulder B=relaxed hand hold at waist level 2. UNDERARM TURN: BASIC X 2 B=face to face hand hold F spins R on 3rd Basic Rock Step X 2 There are some characteristic steps that can distinguish the original swing style from its many variations. True West Coast Swing uses a 6-beat pattern, and can be danced to almost any kind of music. It stays within a contained area, due to its steps. East Coast Swing is really another version of the Lindy hop. It also works in a pattern of 6 beats, and basically consists of stepping side to side, with a step back on every third beat.

24. CHAIR YOGA Jane Roy, PhD Associate Professor jroy@uab.edu

25. Benefits of Yoga Practice Increased circulation Relief from joint pain or arthritis Emotional healing and creating a positive outlook Normalizing blood pressure Decreasing emotional and physical stress Relieving tension or discomfort

26. Introduction to Chair Yoga • There are many different styles of yoga being taught and practiced today. • Program for seniors who are at risk for falling or for anyone in a wheel chair or with limited mobility. • Postures can be modified from fully supported (i.e. seated) semi-supported standing (e.g. chair, wall, stability ball) and unsupported modified postures/asanas • The entire sequence can be done in 10-20 minutes depending on number of repetitions. Allow a few minutes at the end of the sequence to sit quietly in meditation… Postures/asanas Breathing exercises Visualization, meditation and relaxation

27. Tips for Participants/Instructors Check with your doctor before starting yoga, especially for those who are inactive, have chronic conditions (e.g. hypertension), spinal disk problems and glaucoma as some poses might be contraindicated (e.g. twists, inversions) Inform yoga instructor of medical issues, who should give choices for modifications so there is an atmosphere of self responsibility and awareness . Listen to your ‘inner voice’, the postures should feel comfortable not painful

28. Seated Postural Alignment • Sit at front edge of chair (use the back of a chair for support, if necessary). • Place hands on thighs and lengthen spine upward. • ‘Sitting bones’ (ischialtuberosities) should be contacting the chair firmly and evenly, but without gripping or tension in the buttock muscles. • Abdominal muscles should be pulled in, toward your back. No slouching! • Y our gaze should be forward, neck tucked slightly inwards. • When we practice sitting, we can take time to unwind the body/brain and observe the breath.

29. Yogic Breathing • Observe your natural breath. • Begin to deepen, lengthen and extend that movement. • Place hands on ribs and abdomen. • Slowly exhale, gently pull belly/abdomen in. • Visualize the breath as a smooth continuous wave like pattern: Inhalation  Take a deep breath in (inhale) – feel abdominal cavity, then rib cage expand as breath moves up from the navel, to chest and throat Exhalation • breath moves down from the throat, to chest and navel, gently pulling abdominal cavity in. Every time you breathe out, imagine that you are releasing any negative emotions, tension and thoughts

30. Seated Postures • Sunrise breathing • Neck, shoulder, wrist and ankle rolls & flex/ext • Wrist flexion and extension • Cat/cow • Seated twist • Prayer seated twist • Overhead lateral side stretch • Inverted prayer lateral side stretch

31. Seated Postures - cont. Eagle Chest expansion Shoulder stretch Hamstrings and seated twist Nose to knee Half lotus groin stretch

32. Seated ‘Hip Openers’ (on corner or edge of chair) • Lunge • Warrior I • Warrior II • Extended lateral angle • Crescent • Frog

33. Standing Postures - Balance and Coordination Rhythmic limbering toe to heel Modified Tree Modified Dancer Chair Use chair/wall for support

34. Seated Breathing, Relaxation and Visualization Tense and relax muscles Rub palms together Massage temples Imagine/visualize a ‘happy place’

35. Namaste Thank you