The Sequoia Advisor

IN THIS ISSUE                                                               October 1^st 2015

• Better Balance Can Prevent Falls (And Other Nasty Things)
• Mental Fitness... Weight Lifting for Your Mind
• Video... Sara Meeks, PT Talks About The LivMD Benefits
• Coming in October... Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Classes
• Posture Perfect!^TM  Try Your First Class for FREE!

Feel Better... Live Better

Better Balance Can Prevent Falls (And Other Nasty Things)
By Woody McMahon

Good Balance is Critical to a Long Life
As you age, good balance is one of the key components to maintaining a healthy and independent lifestyle. Did you know that the #1 cause of accidental death in people over age 65 is head trauma from falls? I have known about this statistic for some time and because of it I emphasize balance training in all of my fitness programs. But just out of curiosity, I asked several 50+ friends of mine about the head trauma statistic. I was surprised to find out how few of them really understood the importance of improving their balance to prevent serious injury.

Your Balance is Important to Self-Confidence
Your balance is involved in every single daily activity you undertake. Being unable to balance generates fear and anxiety and reduces your ability to have fun. If you can't balance, simple activities such as walking up and down stairs become daunting rather than routine. For many people with balance problems, just walking on a flat surface can create a challenge. If they were to add walking with groceries in their hands, the task can become impossible. But just ask any of your friends who might be having balance troubles and they will tell you of its extreme importance.

Your Balance is Important to Independence
Good balance helps you remain independent. When surveyed, people over age 65 always ranked maintaining their independence as they age number one. Working on improving your balance helps prevent falls as well as the medical cost assistance that is required for recovery. Starting a balance training program is one of the most important fitness goals to consider as you get older. You learned to balance at a young age and can lose that ability unless you practice regularly. Sitting in exercise machines is not a good way to stimulate your balance.

It's Easy to Practice Your Balance Daily
If you find yourself walking around feeling unstable or avoiding stairs because of the fear of falling, it is time to start practicing your balance. Balance training is easy to incorporate in any regular exercise program; it just takes knowing how. When I perform a health and fitness assessment and evaluate someone's balance, I use a simple test called Single Leg Balance (SLB). You can try SLB at home and test your balance as well.

Single Leg Balance... A Simple Test
To perform Single Leg Balance, stand on a flat, hard surface. Fold your arms across the chest and then raise one foot off the floor approximately two inches. Stand in this position with your head up and shoulders level for 30 seconds. Make sure to breathe. During the test, if your foot touches the ground or either shoulder dips to one side, the test is over. Record your time. Now repeat for the other side.

A Test and an Exercise as Well
Not only is Single Leg Balance an important and reliable test but it is also a simple and effective way to practice your balance as well. Try standing on one leg for 30 seconds several times a day. Try it when you are watching television, listening to the radio or any time you have a spare moment or two. In balancing, as with most activities, the more you practice the better you get. Until next time, I will be thinking of you balancing on one leg.

Participating in the right kind of exercise program is important especially as you get older. I provide an easy to follow health-based exercise programs that not only help improve balance but also your posture, bone health, strength, confidence and flexibility. Contact me for a no cost strategy session at 703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Mental Fitness... Weight Lifting for Your Mind
By Woody McMahon

Keeping Your Mind Strong
Your mind is a wonderful tool when used correctly. But if left to its own devices, your mind can create many unnecessary health and emotional problems. The mind sets the tone for your entire body and life. Recent studies have shown that your state of mind, optimism as an example, is more closely tied to good health and longevity than pessimism. This is not the first time that state of mind has been studied and found to have a direct affect on physical health.

The Importance of a Stronger Mind
The recent events in the world at large punctuate how stressful the world has become. Increasing your mental strength is the only way you can ever hope to feel secure and hopeful in a world full of despair, disease and uncertainty. A few years ago I coined the phrase "Mental Fitness" in an attempt to help my clients realize that, just like their bodies, their minds could be trained and strengthened as well. The process of attaining a higher level of Mental Fitness is very similar to how you develop increased physical fitness. What is the benefit of a stronger mind? Why is a stronger mind so important?

The Mind Controls the Body
As I have stated before, your mind is a powerful tool IF you strengthen it and then use that new found strength wisely. I am sure you know that stress causes great harm to your body. Stress disrupts your body's natural mechanism by altering its hormone balance. When hormones are out of balance, your body has a difficult time maintaining a healthy state.

Internalized stress can be recognized by the variety of symptoms it produces. Everything from back and neck pain, digestive difficulties, sleep problems to muscle and joint aches and anxiety can be expected from an over-stressed body. Left unmanaged, stress shortens your life; literally destroying the body from the inside out.

Pump-Up Your Mind
The key to blocking the negative effects of stress in your life is not by removing the stressful events but by changing your reaction to them. A stronger mind is more capable of handling stressful situations without reacting to them in a negative way. In truth, there really is no stress in the world. Stress is purely your mental reaction to an event. Strengthening your mind helps alter your reaction to that event and changes the physical effects that follow. A different state of mind modifies the way your body experiences the event. So how do you do this?

Creating Your Mental Gym
You are probably familiar with the concept of physical fitness. To become more physically fit, you must first create a well balanced exercise program containing a variety of exercises that improve your posture, strength, balance, stamina and flexibility. Once you have your exercise program in place, you allocate time to practice your exercises. Practice your exercises long enough and then you begin to see results. This is exactly the same process you will use to strengthen your mind. The stronger your mind is the less you will worry and harbor negative thinking allowing you to enjoy better health.

Positive Distractions for Your Mind
Fortunately there are several methods that can reduce or eliminate the negative effects of stress. My favorites are a combination of physical and mental fitness. Physical fitness strengthens your muscles and heart, providing more oxygen to the tissues and helping to promote healing and biological stability. It distracts your mind in a positive way by shifting your concentration to bodily movements, breathing and other healthy pursuits.

Mental Fitness Magic
Mental Fitness is a series of exercises for your mind. These mental gymnastics help strengthen the mind. They allow you to feel more empowered while helping minimize physical damage to your body from stressful situations. These mental exercises help make you more hopeful about your life and your world, bringing you a sense of peace. Anytime you feel powerful rather than powerless, your body will react much more favorably. Feeling powerful in a stressful situation takes practice especially if the event or events are uncomfortable in the first place.

I suggest devoting some time each and every day to improving both your physical and mental fitness. Over the years, I have found the results rewarding both personally and professionally. You can check-out our new Brain Games^TM program as well.

Is your current exercise program delivering the type of fitness you really need as you get older? Is it health-based and does it provide stress relief as well as balance training? Call me at 703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com for your no cost strategy session and we can easily determine if are on the right path or not.

 

Sara Meeks, PT Talks About the Benefits of the LivMD

LivMD Updates

A New LivMD Testimonial Showing Bone Density Test Improvement

Here is a link to another excellent LivMD customer testimonial that talks about significant increases in bone density scores by using the LivMD. http://livmd.us/customer-writes-in-to-marodyne

More Volunteers Need for Our LivMD
Investigational Study

We are conducting an investigation study of the Marodyne LivMD Low Intensity Vibration device. We are looking for a wide range of study participants with a broad set of health conditions. The study will collect a variety of information from the volunteers to assess the effectiveness of the LivMD for:

• Improving Circulation
• Restoring motion to joints
• Redeveloping muscles
• Assisting as an adjunct treatment for obesity
• Relieving aches and pains throughout the body

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer study participant, please contact Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Falls & Fractures!
We Can Help You Stay Safe!

A Simple 10 Minute Test That Can Save Your Life!

Our Falls Prevention Screening offers three simple tests that can accurately predict your risk of falls, future mobility and balance that can lead to fractures and other injuries. These tests are a part of the CDC- STEADI Falls Prevention Program. Once you know your score and risk level, we'll help you create a falls prevention and balance program to reduce your risk of falling. You can practice these simple activities at home or join one of our Falls Prevention Classes.

To lean more go to Falls Prevention Screening and watch the videos that demonstrate the tests that we will use in your screening. For more information or to schedule your screening contact Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

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Coming in October... An Evidence-Based Falls Prevention Program! 

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance
Better balance is THE KEY to preventing falls, fractures and improving your quality of life. Recently I had the privilege of taking a 2 day, 16 hour training in an innovative, evidence-based falls prevention program called Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance (Tai Ji Quan is also known as Tai Chi in this country) with Dr. Li of the Oregon Research Institute. I am currently the only instructor authorized to teach this course in the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.

What makes this program so unique is that it has been shown through scientific and clinical research papers to reduce th frequency of falls by over 50%. Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance modifies traditional Tai Chi movements and creates a unique, therapeutic balance system. The movements and activities integrate motor, sensory and cognitive components to improve postural control, balance, gait and enhance performance of daily functional tasks and mobility for older adults. The classes are especially helpful for those who have movement and cognitive impairments and balance challenges such as with Parkinson's and Alzheimers's disease.

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance is a 2 hour a week, 24 week program that has the potential to prevent and manage various diseases by improving balance, circulation, coordination, confidence, well-being and quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. It is a great addition to the CDC recommended goal of participating in 150 minutes of regular exercise per week.

To introduce as many people as possible to thos wonderful program, I am offering FREE introductory classes for the Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance functional therapy program. 

For more information please contact Woody McMahon at 703-628-2880 or by email to woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Give the Gift of Health!
Posture Perfect!^TM Classes...

Looking for the perfect healthy birthday gift for someone? Consider purchasing a gift certificate for one or several Posture Perfect!^TM classes. Gift certificate amounts start at $25. This is the perfect gift, the gift of health, to give to someone you love.

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Posture Perfect!^TM First Class FREE

If you have never tried Posture Perfect!^TM you owe it to yourself to come to one of our convenient classes and see how good it makes you feel. We want you to give us a try. Come take your first Posture Perfect!^TM class for FREE. It's on us... what do you have to lose?

RESERVATIONS are REQUIRED
Please call Woody McMahon at 703.628.2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com for more information or to make your reservation.

The FREE Posture Perfect!^TM class helps introduce you to the many benefits of our safe and effective posture, balance and strength program co-developed by Sara Meeks, PT and Woody McMahon, personal trainer.

Come and experience how each class can help strengthen your bones, improve your balance, alleviate back aches and neck pains, improve osteoporosis and teach you how to sit and stand-up straighter. 

The History of Posture Perfect!^TM
When I developed the Posture Perfect!TM classes over 2 years ago, there were no safe and effective exercise programs available for "over age 50" adults. Everywhere I looked there were older adults in classes that used seated exercises (bad for your back); machine style exercises (bad for your balance) treadmills (a poor hip and leg strengthener); and performed movements
that involved crunching, bending and twisting. (increases the risk of spinal compression fractures).
  
Posture Perfect!^TM solved all of these problems by offering a safe and effective approach helping older adults become more active. Each class improves your posture, strengthens your bones, enhances your balance, alleviates back aches and neck pains, reduces fracture risk and teaches you how to sit and stand-up straighter. 
 
We have several people in our current classes who are coming to strengthen their bones and over half of the others are interested in exercises and posture changes to help make their backs and necks feel better.

Please call Woody McMahon at 703-628-2880 or email to woody@sequoiahealth.com for more information, class times and reservations.

Posture Perfect!^TM Testimonials...
Posture Perfect's! momentum continues to grow. Here is a glowing testimonial from one of our class members.

"Posture Perfect!^TM class has not only met my expectations, but exceeded them! There are several reasons I enjoy the class. The small class size gives each of us extraordinary personalized training; your knowledge, expertise, patience, and sense of humor makes me look forward to coming to a class I thought would be only for 6 weeks; and I have learned so much more than I expected."

"For example, I now think about my posture every time I sit, and just when I thought I'd begin to have a hard time rising from sitting on the floor, you taught me how to make it easier. I try to practice some of the balance exercises a couple of times a week (I know, I should do it more often!). I thank you for all I have learned from you so far, and hope to continue this class for the foreseeable future!"
Paula S.

Read more about S.A.F.E. and effective Posture Perfect!^TM classes.

Woody

Woody McMahon
The Sequoia Advisor

Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483A Carlisle Drive
Herndon, VA
20170

Required Disclaimer: The material provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The material is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than suggesting that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The material and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on material in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

Copyright (c) 2006-2015 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.

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