A quarterly newsletter published by New
Mexico Senior Olympics, Inc.
| New Mexico Senior Olympics, Inc. | January 2003 |
NEW MEXICO SENIOR OLYMPICS
Helping to Blaze the Trail
to Healthy Fitness
|
The Question: M ary Visser, PhD and Director of Health and Movement Sciences in Minnesota, posed the question that has intensely intrigued us as dedicated fitness supporters: |
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"How can we expect our less active Seniors to travel the Healthy Living Highway if they have trouble finding the on-ramp?" |
The Ideas:
Dr. Visser’s program was wonderful. It was great to see all our planning and efforts were on the same track—great minds think alike!
NMSO has developed "The Senior Trek to Healthy Fitness." The Senior Trek to Healthy Fitness program is dedicated to help people, 50 or better, get started up the onramp to the Healthy Living Highway.
Building on the great success we had with the Senior Olympics Fitness Awareness Events in the Fall of 2001 and Spring of 2002, the new year-round program began November 16th in Belen and will conclude May 13, 2003.
Some exciting highlights this year will include a special Race Walk Clinic in Las Cruces, an All Indian Mini-Games in Gallup, a fabulous premier facility in Santa Fe, and currently (cross your fingers), we are in communication with the WNBA who has recently affiliated with the National Senior Games with the hopes of a Basketball Clinic in Albuquerque!
Nuts and Bolts:
Each event will host 10 to 12 workshops in three concurrent sessions, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each workshop will consist of a training and information component and an activity or screening component. We will again offer a healthy light lunch when we host an event and a break table when we partner with a community event.
Our next event will take place
February 5 in Las Cruces at the Munson Senior Center. Each workshop will not only give you the knowledge and tools you need to be more aware of your health and how to improve it, but a fun and interesting activity or Health Screening to evaluate your current status.In the past we have had a little bit of everything from blood pressure, cholesterol, and bone density checks, exercises for arthritis, tips for improving digestion, and techniques in relaxation. The Health Screenings were done separately from the workshops. By combining learning with activity, you will better understand why you have high blood pressure and what you can do about it; better understand what medications you may be taking that might conflict with over the counter preparations or even other medications you take. You will see for yourself how or why your body responds to foods the way it does, learn how to have more energy, better sleep, less discomfort and more fun!
Things to
Remember:
Getting started from Ground Zero can be very difficult and confusing as you may know. With all the hype about health where does a person start? Join a gym? Hire a trainer? Most of us have other things we need or wish to do with our hard earned money and running out to buy expensive equipment may not be one of them. What if you have a disability? What can you do if you have limited mobility?
Well, the prognosis is great! Research has shown that any one can benefit from exercise and the best exercise is free: walking! In fact, research has shown that people can increase their strength many times over at any age at any point, with or without limitations! What if you just don’t like exercise? There are many reasons why people avoid exercise, but there are other questions that must be asked: "How long do you wish to be healthy and independent? Be able to lift or carry your grandchildren? Work in your garden? Travel?" Even though we are living longer the third greatest cause of death is inactivity and problems directly related to lack of exercise!
Modern medicine and technology has lengthened the human life span, more and more people celebrate their 100th birthday and it becomes common to know someone in their 90’s. Was it George Burns who said, "If I had know I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself"? We have to accept that we will live longer and we must take care of ourselves, or sooner or later some one else will have to.
Most of you may feel that we are "preaching to the choir" and you already are actively engaged in regular physical activity.
Chances are you have friends that could use some of your "Senior Olympic" enthusiasm. This would be a good opportunity to help them get started by seeing how easy it can be. Perhaps your local Senior Program will be taking a van to the Trek event. To register for an event, call your local Coordinator or Senior Program and sign up. There is no admission, but these events do fill up fast.
Come join us at the Senior Trek to Healthy Fitness workshops and
get more out of the life you live! There is one in your area soon—check the
schedule on page 8. See you there. .
