12-week exercise program designed to help seniors avoid falling
A program at Northern Montana Health Care is helping local seniors avoid one of the major hazards of growing older – falling.
SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life) fitness classes are now in their second year at NMHC. The 12-week, one-hour exercise classes help seniors improve their balance, strength and mobility to reduce their risk of falling.
SAIL Leaders for Northern Montana Hospital are Betty Boyce and Amie Siemens. Boyce said the program is making a difference for the people who participate.
Participants are tested when the program begins and again at the end of the 12 weeks and, according to Boyce, very few do not show progress. When they don’t, it is generally because of another issue or underlying problem, she said.
One success story from SAIL was a complete life-changer.
“He had not stood independently for five years,” Boyce said. “That’s a long time … By the end of the SAIL program, he could.”
Maintaining balance, strength and mobility as you grow older is key to staying healthy. In Montana, 1 in 4 people age 60 or older report falling in the past year. Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries for people 65 and older.
The program includes a variety of exercises during each hour-long session, specifically designed for older adults and structured to be fun and engaging.
The benefits of the class include improving balance, mobility and leg strength, all of which can reduce the risk of falls, while helping participants maintain their independence.
Each session includes aerobics, balance exercises, strength training with wrist and ankle weights, and stretching exercises. The exercises can be performed sitting or standing.
The classes have been tested for safety and effectiveness and are led by certified fitness instructors who have completed training specific to SAIL classes for older adults.
Boyce said many participants are referred by their doctors or physical therapists, but interest also comes from people telling their friends about the program.
“The community part of it is really big,” Boyce said, adding that this aspect is a major factor in helping people age in place in their homes. “That’s like the number one thing that helps people age in place. If they stay in the community, they do way better.”
The program at NMHC has two sessions, each meeting for one hour twice a week. Sessions are limited to 20 people per class.
The first class, once it was advertised last year, was full the next day, and it has a waiting list. People who can’t get into a class can join the waiting list and are notified if a space opens because someone is unable to finish the class. If they don’t get into that session, they are set up for the next set of classes.
The program is intended to continue after the 12 weeks, too. Participants receive an information guide and a class exercise guide to help them continue the exercises at home after the program ends.