Senior Fitness With Meredith

Hello and thanks for joining us on this episode!Today’s podcast is all about agility training. What is it? Why is it important? and how does this pertain to seniors? All great questions and indeed good reasons why we felt it was important to dedicate an episode to this topic.Agility training involves a lot of different types of physical movements geared towards improving your body’s ability to function through space. Playing sports like racquetball, ping pong, golf etc; all require agility and athletic type movements. Training for these types of activities at any age can not only help you perform better but also help improve your everyday activities like walking, jogging, standing up, walking downstairs, and just about anything else you encounter.Focusing on staying agile and exercises that help you work on these muscles and body parts can help improve your overall “functioning” so to speak. This is so important for anyone who lives an active lifestyle or is looking to improve their physical abilities.In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). The definition of “Agility Training” in relation to senior activities and why it is so important for this age group and how it helps them not only with their favorite activities but also daily life.2). The importance of the mind and body connection when it comes to staying agile and keeping your overall health in shape.3). How often should we be focusing on agility training and what areas of the body will help us with staying agile when we exercise correctly.4). The different exercises we can do to help build up agility from upper body to lower body as well as cardio based exercises.5). Why smaller areas of your body like hands, feet etc. should be taken into consideration during your workouts so you can build support and strength in these areas.6). How participating in agility type exercises can improve your mood and mental state overall and keep you motivated to stay active.///Thanks again for joining us for this episode. We hope our discussion on agility and its importance helps inspire you to consider training exercises that promote agility and movement in your everyday life. Whether you are an athlete, enjoy sports casually, or just enjoy a more active lifestyle, focusing on staying agile, nimble, and flexible should be important aspects of your weekly exercise routine.Til the next episode!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We often get comments on our videos with viewers commenting on how they like the reminders of breathing during the workouts. Also, questions and comments arise about why water breaks are taken. We believe that both are equally important, and good reminders!Breathing: Seems like a silly thing to “remind” someone to breath but how easy it is to forget when we are concentrating on a move, what muscle we are supposed to work, standing tall without falling, sitting tall with good posture…the list goes on and on…and the face gets redder and redder as we hold our breath or breath improperly.Drinking: Dehydration is one of the most common ailments that bring seniors to the hospital. It is masked by lethargy, low blood pressure, fainting, nausea, sore and tired bodies, memory loss, among countless others. Staying hydrated is so important all year round, no matter where you live or your activity level-but those do play a role in why intake is different for everyone.In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). Deep, full, controlled inhales and exhales -Really work on taking in full, deep inhalations and releasing that fully during the exhalation.2). Regulate breathing – During different types of exercise, learn to train the brain to regulate breathing. Stretching with deep inhales and exhales to help the body release deeper. Regulate during cardiovascular exercise when the heart rate goes up and the breath tends to shorten. Exhale during exertion while doing strength and resistance training exercises.3). Make controlled breaths as important as the workout you are doing!4). Drink small sips during workouts of all types. Then drink lots after you finish your activity:)5). Set timers, or use commercial breaks while watching tv, as times to drink.6). Set a goal to finish a pitcher or bottle of water, or other good liquid, each day.Liquid comes in many forms…good ol water, fruit juices, fruits and vegetables, broth-based soups, coffee and tea(not in excess), just a few good choices.With age, thirst sensation decreases; some medications require you to drink more; it is harder to get up and get a beverage when necessary… these are all reasons staying hydrated, and finding ways to make that possible, are so very important!Thanks again for joining us on this episode, we hope the information here helps you decide how often you should be focusing on your breathing and water breaks during exercise. Two things that will help keep you going for years to come!Til next episode, stay safe, and take care!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello and thanks for joining us on this podcast episode! For this session, we’re discussing different and helpful tips on taking care of your back.The entire back area, from the upper back, down the spine, into the lower back, is one of the most injury prone, and complained about due to pain. Time takes a toll on the body, as gravity wears down on us.This compresses the spine causing pain. Also, rounding in of the shoulders and curving of the spine, causing our posture to get worse and worsening pain down the back. Some issues are inevitable with the body, but many can be reversed or helped.In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). Why lifting with your legs is so important – Any lifting off the floor should be done using the large lower body muscles instead of putting it all into the lower back.2). How focusing on your posture while standing and sitting and keeping length in the spine, crown of the head towards the sky is so important.3). How strengthening the abdominals will protect the lower back, and help with posture. Also, strengthen the lower back so when it is used it is strong and healthy. The sides of the waist, obliques, will help with twisting and bending.4). Why working on lengthening the spine and visualizing air between each individual vertebrae is key and how these stretches can be done seated or laying down.5). The importance of spine mobility – Keep the body twisting and bending at the waist. This will protect it from pulls and strains.6). The proper use of a walker – Walkers can cause the body to bend forward if not at the correct height, and used properly. These assistive devices are just that, assisting with walking properly. This means light pressure and staying tall while using it./// Thanks again for joining us on this episode. Taking care of your back especially as we age is so important. We tend to forget just how much we use our backs on a daily basis until injury occurs.The trick is to do preventive exercise daily to avoid injury and strengthen your core. This will help you get through the many challenges we face on a daily basis that require us to use our backs.Til next episode, take care!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greetings and thanks for joining us on this podcast episode!In this episode we are covering one of the most important aspects of staying active and healthy: Stretching!Stretching on a daily basis can help your body in many ways and help make your exercising easier on your body. You’ll also benefit from the lengthening in your spine and flexibility in your joints to help better stabilize you during your day’s activities.No matter what age you are you can still reap the benefits that stretching provides.In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). Why it’s important to consider stretching as part of your daily routine no matter what age you are and how it benefits your body2). What happens to your body when you do stretch and how it helps prevent tightening of your muscles, ligaments, bones etc. All around lengthening.3). The importance of the mind and body connection when stretching and how it helps your stretching more effective.4). The importance of paying attention to your spine when stretching and why that is the starting point for getting good length and openness while stretching.5). Some great examples of daily upper body stretches.6). Why remembering to breathe is so very important while you stretch and focusing on relaxing the body and staying loose.7). Some great examples of daily lower body stretches.8). Why focusing on our smaller joints and muscles like hands, ankles and feet are just as important as the larger muscle groups like back, arms and legs.///Thank you again for joining us on this episode. We felt strongly about including stretching in a dedicated episode because it’s so important.Keeping your body loose, flexible and ready for daily movements is a great way to stay active and keep you motivated for exercise when you are ready.Hopefully this episode has inspired you to try adding regular stretching to your daily routine.Til the next episode!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greetings and thanks for joining us on today's podcast!For this episode we wanted to talk about an important aspect of living an active lifestyle. Being sick or ill.It's not something anyone looks forward to but it is a fact of life. We all get sick at times and it's hard to stay active and motivated when it happens. There is also the question of when is it safe to get back into exercising after being sick and how do we know we won't relapse?These are all valid questions and when contemplating exercise after fighting an illness and there are many factors to consider if you are looking forward to getting back to being active. In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). The importance of knowing your body and it's limitations when you are battling any kind of illness and why it's important not to push yourself and risk a relapse.2). How it can be hard to get back into exercising after fighting an illness or injury and how it can lead to losing motivation for being active if you're not mindful of your activity levels.3). Things to consider when you feel you are ready to start exercising again and how you can slowly get back into your routine. There are important things to consider before you start again to help you avoid relapsing.4). Some simple stretching exercises you can try to get your body slowly moving and loosened up again. You can even try these in bed while laying down!5). Some suggestions on nutrition and some of the foods that will help you build your energy back up when your body in on the mend.6). Why making sure you are taking in enough calories before you consider getting back to exercising.///Thank you again for joining us today on the podcast. No one ever looks forward to being sick and getting back into living an active lifestyle after being sick can be challenging.We hope this podcast helps motivate you if you are currently ill or just getting over an illness and are looking to get back into exercising again soon.Your health should be number one priority always and hopefully this episode will help guide you on your own path to recovery and activity.Til the next episode, take care!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello! and thank you for joining us on today’s podcast. For this episode, we’ll be discussing some of the best strength training exercises for seniors ages 65+There are some myths about using weights to exercise no matter what age group you’re in. “Will I get too big?”, “Will I lose weight?”.There are many misconceptions that go along with weight training and we wanted to spend some time discussing these things as well as talk about why weight training is so important especially in seniors.Even at a later age, weight training has many benefits that not only include strengthen your muscles but helps build up your heart health, balance, posture and mental health as well.If you’ve been wondering whether or not weight training is something you want t try then this episode is for you.In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). Some of the reasons why strength training is important especially in the ages of 65+ and up and how this helps seniors live healthier lives during everyday activities.2). Some areas of the body that are important for building up strength in seniors to help make it easier to manage everyday tasks.3). Some of Meredith’s recommendations on exercises you should do to strengthen your upper body.4). Why focusing on the muscle groups that you are exercising is important when doing your strength training and how that is going to always give you a better workout.5). Why it’s important to not only focus on big muscle groups when strength training but also smaller ones like ankles, feet, and hands.6). How strengthening your core (lower back, abdominals, etc) is important to keep you balanced and some examples of routines you can do to strengthen this area.7). Why it is important to work on your grip strength and some of the exercises you can do every day to help build it up.///Thank you again for joining us on this podcast. We hope the information we talk about here helps you in deciding if it’s right for you to start incorporating more weight training into your regular workouts.5lb dumbbells, resistance bands, even common items at home like water bottles or cans of soup. It all can be used to help strengthen your body and help you live a healthy and strong life far into your years.Til the next episode!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello and thanks for joining us on today’s podcast. Today’s topic is important as we go through challenging times right now.Today we’re discussing ways to stay positive and active during challenging times. More specifically right now as we are all challenged by the COVID-19 virus. Times like this where we are required to social distance ourselves from others and cut ourselves off from loved ones, friends, work, and just about every thing else we are used to.We felt it was important to address this and give you tips on how to stay motivated, positive and active during this time.In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). With COVID-19 disrupting everyone’s lives, what you can do to stay positive and keep moving.2). Schedule your workout time: Put it on the schedule, and make that time for yourself to get your movement in.3). Watch your diet: Continue to eat healthy; don’t drastically change your workout now; avoid fatty and fried foods.4). Stay social: True, we can’t go out and meet in our groups, or do our fitness classes together. But we can get on the phone, we can get apps on our phones or computers that allow us to use the cameras and actually see our loved ones as you talk to them.5). Get good sleep: With our thoughts going constantly, and in all directions it is hard to sleep. It is so important to try and sleep at night, or get naps throughout the day. Disrupted sleep causes balance issues, memory loss, etc.6). Limit tv/news time: Remember that it is important to turn off the news and let the mind relax from all the negative we are hearing. We think we will miss breaking news, but I can almost guarantee we will be up to date even if the tv gets turned off for a while.//Thank you again for joining us on today’s podcast. We hope you have some new ideas and motivation after listening to this episode and if you are going through challenging times right now. Whether it’s a personal struggle or dealing with our current pandemic situation, it’s so very important to stay positive and healthy.Til the next episode!Take CareTeam MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greetings and thank you for joining us on today’s podcast!In this episode we discuss how we have decided to now categorize our workout videos which we post weekly on YouTube into 4 different levels of fitness.We’ve decided to make this change to the way we post workouts because like all generations, not everyone is at the same level of fitness.The same goes for seniors. Just because you are of a certain age doesn’t mean that you can’t have different levels of fitness for certain workouts. In doing so, we wanted to challenge this stereotype by offering more varieties of exercises to cater to a broader variety of fitness levels. We hope to have something for everyone. Whether you are just starting out, looking to learn or are very active already and looking for something to challenge yourself. It is now our goal to have a workout(s) for you!In This Episode You Will Learn:1). Why we felt it was important to categorize our workout videos into different fitness levels and how we think that will help better serve our audience in the long run and help break down stereotypes of an aging population.2). Meredith’s experience in working with seniors of all ages and how she has found the big differences in abilities which isn’t necessarily restricted by age. There are older seniors who are just as capable as younger seniors and vice versa.  3). Our definition of the first level which we call the “Learning Level” and why we think this is important to help educate those that wish to know more about proper movements and how they affect your body and your health.4). Why we felt it was important to include a “Beginner Level” for those who are just starting out and looking to gain confidence with exercising or who prefer a more low impact/seated type of workout. Still very challenging with full ranges of motion and some resistance. 5). How our “Intermediate Level” will serve those that feel they are looking for a little more impact and pacing with their workouts. More intensity than the beginner level with full body range of motion, medium resistance with both sitting and or standing routines.6). The benefits of our “Advanced Level” workouts which are designed to be a higher impact with resistance, HIIT style workouts with possible ground transitions using some weight resistance. If you feel that you are ready to take your workouts to the next level then the advanced level is for you.///Thank you again for joining us on this special podcast episode. We are very excited to roll out this new plan of categorizing our workout videos and hope that you find value in this as well. We want to help you feel comfortable at any level or also give you the confidence to advance farther if you feel that is for you. Whatever your fitness journey is, we want to help you get there.Til the next episode!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greetings and thank you again for joining us on the podcast today!In this episode, we'll be talking about some tips on improving your balance and posture.Balance and posture is one of the most important aspects of handling the challenges that we see every day. In seniors, this can be even more difficult if our balance is off or the strength we need to stand tall and stabilize ourselves is lackingFurthermore, we can't have one without the other. Having a firm posture helps our balance and vice versa. Fortunately, there are many areas of strengthening our posture and stabilizing our balance that we can work on. Small things that we can concentrate on and practice every day that will help build the stability to handle tasks like getting up out of a chair, walking up some stairs, picking up items off the floor or of course exercising!All tasks that we can improve upon and feel comfortable doing by being aware of our posture and our balance.In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). Why posture and balance are easily overlooked but is so important to us. It affects just about everything we do physically everyday and can make activities more difficult if not tended to.2). The side effects that can happen if you experience a fall due to bad balance and how that not only affects you physically but also mentally.3). The importance of making a point to focus on your posture and standing tall throughout the day. It is easy to forget how often we need to review our posture and it may help to keep reminders on your phone or write them down.4). Why exercising regularly will help keep your muscles strong to reinforce your balance. Making sure you utilize some resistance training on a regular basis will help strengthen your body overall which in turn will help your balance.5). How choosing the right footwear can make a big difference in t way we walk, stand and move throughout the day. Having the right shoes that are comfortable and stable will make you feel more confidant and help improve your balance and posture.///Thank you again for joining us for this important episode. Our balance and posture help us every day in just about everything we do and maintaining strength and stability should be key to an active healthy lifestyle no matter what age.We hope you found our tips and advice valuable here as we want to provide you with the best information we have to help you feel confidant about improving your posture and balance if it is a problem area for you.Til the next episode!Team MeredithSupport the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another episode of the Senior Fitness With Meredith Podcast!In this episode, we are taking a closer look at how to set up a schedule for exercise that will give you the best chances of consistency and success.It’s not easy staying on top of our exercising schedule especially when life can get busy, no matter what age you’re at. Furthermore, exercising may not always be on top of the list as one of the activities we plan for.So how do we stay consistent?Great question!:)Making sure we consider exercise not just another task on the list but also a change of priority in our mindset is key to staying on schedule. It’s not always easy especially if you’re not used to it but it is achievable!In This Podcast You Will Learn:1). Why keeping a consistent schedule or routine throughout your week is important if you want to see real changes in your health and fitness levels.2). Why keeping a schedule is not enough, we must prioritize our exercise sessions so that they don’t take a back seat among all of the other activities that we schedule as well.3). Why mixing up your workouts and adding variety is a good idea when it comes to keeping you excited and interested in maintaining a consistent workout schedule.4). How scheduling workouts with friends or even a trainer can also help you stay accountable to a workout schedule. Sometimes knowing someone is counting on you can help.5). 4 – 5 actual real world steps you can take to get your schedule started with exercising and how to set it up so that it works for you in the long run.6). How keeping track of what you’ve already accomplished or achieved is a great way to help you stay motivated and organized about your fitness goals///Thank you again as always for joining us for this podcast. We really hope that the tips and advice we present here help you in your own quest to take control of your health and wellness.It’s not easy making changes in your life to set up a schedule for exercise but with some planning, encouragement, and support we have all the confidence in the world that you can do it and we will be there to help you.Til the next episode, take care!Team Meredith Support the showSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.