Lake Country This Month

September, 2015

Lake Country This Month

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By Chris Bennett Special to The Freeman HARTLAND — You are never too old for exercise, and exercise for the elderly comes with a multitude of health benefits. "In general, evidence is showing that exercise reduces many negative effects of chronic condi- tions," said Lee Clay, R.N. and community health edu- cation coordinator with the Waukesha County Aging and Disability Resource Center. "It has many positive effects on our body, and it should not stop as we get older." Clay said exercise can help control weight, which can lead to decreased pain in the joints, and bring myriad additional benefits. "It also helps us sleep at night," Clay said. "People, especially seniors, say they don't sleep well at night. When they start an activity program of any kind they have more positive sleep, which positively affects their life." Exercise also helps main- tain muscle mass, which Clay said decreases as we age. Maintaining muscle mass and strength in senior citizens can help alleviate the chance of falling. Clay said 1 in 3 seniors will suffer a fall in their lifetime that leads to a significant change in their quality of life. Physical, mental fitness The social benefit of exer- cising for seniors might be the most tangible result — not ripped abs or well- defined quads. "Seniors don't change per- sonality, and some people like to do things by them- selves and some like to do it with a group," Clay said. "Within a group, the social aspect enhances the sense of well-being. It's kind of neat to see." Rachel O'Dwyer is the group fitness director at Lake Country Racquet & Athletic Club, 560 S. Indus- trial Drive in Hartland, and counts almost 25 years in the fitness business. O'Dwyer said exercise for seniors is important "to increase overall health and well-being. The side effect to that is the social aspect, especially in the group class- es. They have the little extra benefit of getting to know each other and embracing other seniors. "They make contact and look out for each other." O'Dwyer said older partic- ipants turn their exercise classes into a community. Within that community, the seniors look out for and sup- port each other. "If one doesn't show up, they all call and find out where they've been," O'D- wyer said. "It gives them a sense of community, depend- ing on where they are in their life. It's just an added benefit to all of the health benefits we've heard of." Start small Seniors considering exer- cise should tread lightly. It is unwise to go from sedentary to active without considering the immediate impact to one's health. Lake Country T H I S M O N T H INSIDE PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WAUKESHA, WI PERMIT NO. 3 Get a Grip on Unwanted Fat.. 2 3 9 1 5 6 0 0 2 $ 200 OFF your 1st CoolSculpting Treatment OR $ 400 OFF 2 or more! Offer good until 10/30/15, not valid with other offers. Lose the Love Handles Lose the Beer Belly Lose the Spare Tire Call 262-646-9222 to schedule your FREE CoolSculpting Consultation. FreezeMilwaukeeFat.com Only at the #1 CoolSculpting Provider in Wisconsin Estetika Skin & Laser Specialists 2750 Golf Rd (Hwys 94 & 83), Delafield 241686013 The FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE SEPTEMBER 2015 Not your parents' report card Local schools switching to standards-based grading Page 6 Rally for a cure 120 women golfers raised funds for breast cancer awareness Page 5 SPORTS High school football roundup Charles Auer/Freeman Staff Melissa Haakenson works with Paul Peterson of Nashota during an exercise class at Lake Country Racquet and Athletic Club. Exercise has benefits for all ages See EXERCISE, PAGE 4 Please call 262-542-2500 for home delivery. Or subscribe online at: gmtoday.com/subscribe The daily FREEMAN is your source for coverage of local high school sports. Subscribe now! FOCUS ON SENIORS FOCUS ON EDUCATION Page 8 Activity helps maintain muscle mass, improve sleep

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