Staying Fit at Any Age
By Vicky Waite
Fitness without leaving your chair
O
ne snowy weekend when Bill, Bobby and I were up in the mountains at our vacation home. My social butterfly son Bobby saw our new neighbor trying to dig herself out of the snow. Her car was stuck. And, being the good Samaritan that he is, he decided to run over, shovel in hand. Before long he began to wave me over. I went over and they were talking about Bucks County Magazine. She evidently was a long-time subscriber who raved about the magazine to me. Then she told me how much she loved my column. Small world, right? With all that buttering up she became my instant friend. And, get this, her name is Vicky. It doesn’t get any better than that! Should be a piece of cake for Bobby and Bill to remember her name? She was fit for her age, and she wanted to let me know that she had the perfect piece of equipment for my article. I had time after Bobby dug her out so I said, “Why not take a look?” She took Bobby and me into her house and into her bedroom, and she pulled out a piece of equipment from under her bed. It looked like a folded chair to me. Both Bobby and I looked at each other and had to hold in our laughter. Then she unfolded it and we were shocked. She said it was the Chair Gym. Just by looking at it, I knew this was going to be good due to the resistance bands and pulleys. Anything I ever used with resistance bands and pulleys was always effective. I was convinced right there and then to write up the Chair Gym. My new friend Vicky started showing me some of the exercises done properly. She was saying that you can do more than 50 different exercises that exercise our arms, chest,
shoulders, abdomen, back, and legs. With this I said I was more than willing to go for it! I go right for the resistance bands, which are great! They give you an all over strengthening and toning to all the major muscle groups. The Chair Gym offers 3 different levels of resistance with 3 resistance bands to choose from. It’s divided up into body parts. You can choose to do a total body workout or select specific body parts. You can mix them up by doing both seated and standing exercises. It’s nice that you can start out slow and then build up to tougher exercises. I’m loving these resistance bands as they strengthen every part of my body. The Chair Gym is just great for those people who work sedentary jobs and want easy access to exercising. And, for those seniors who need to gain strength. Great for the mobility impaired or anyone too busy to get to the gym. The Chair Gym offers removable handles for versatile exercises. It is lightweight and well made. Vicky says it is great for her mom’s arthritis pain, so she can strengthen the muscles without all the high impact activities. The Chair Gym is recommended for people with aches and pains and need to build up slowly their strength. It can be enjoyed by all ages and fitness levels and comes with a free instructional and 30 minute workout DVD. The Chair Gym folds under bed for easy storage. It comes 90% assembled, you just have to attach resistance bands. I think that for anyone who wants to get a great strength and balance workout, this is the way to go. It certainly can hit all the muscle groups. The Chair Gym is a wonderful initiative to offer rehab to the elderly. And, it’s a total body workout. Great choice. And, what a breeze for Bill, didn’t even have to pull out the tool box or break a sweat. For more information go to www.chairgym.com. And, with any exercise program, always consult your physician before you begin.
Health Living Directory Be Home Care, 101 N. 5th Street, Perkasie, PA; 267-429-0438; www.behomecare.com. In-home care for independent living. We provide non-medical services for seniors with disabilities from just a few hours per visit up to twenty-four hour day and night. We provide companionship, care giving and homemaking with a customized combination of services based on the needs of each client. Capitol Health Center for Comprehensive Breast Care, One Capitol Way, Pennington, NJ; 1-800-637-2374. Our center provides the complete range of breast care under one roof at Capitol Health Medical CenterHopewell. We offer the most advanced diagnostic technology in the region, a team of specialists intensely focused on your care, genetic and high risk assessments, and a personal nurse navigator to guide you. Doylestown Hospital, 595 W. State Street, Doylestown, PA 19446; 215-345-2200; www.dh.org. Doylestown Hospital is a comprehensive, visionary medical center serving families throughout Bucks and Montgomery Counties, and Western New Jersey. The Hospital, along with the Health & Wellness Center, Pine Run Community and Lakeview, comprise the V.I.A Health System. Doylestown Hospital's Medical Staff includes over 370 physicians in 40 specialty areas. The Heart Institute of Doylestown Hospital is a regional center of excellence for cardiology and cardiac surgery. Other areas of clinical
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