“Exercise is the most forgotten prescription for seniors and older adults”.  This phrase has been made famous by Fitness Forever co-developer & co-producer Janet Fletcher Brady, MS., and Director of Health Promotions at Tahoe Forest Hospital.

Fitness Forever was originally designed as a medically appropriate and approved exercise video to be prescribed by physicians to their patients. 

Made possible by an unrestricted educational grant from Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, Fitness Forever Senior Exercise Video was initially distributed to physician’s offices directly from the Wyeth-Ayerst sales representatives.  Physicians spoke loudly and clearly, that finding appropriate, effective, and accessible exercise to prescribe to their patients was a serious and frustrating problem. 

They asked Wyeth-Ayerst for help in finding a tool they would feel safe prescribing for all the various levels of physical ability and disease processes they saw in their patients. 

Wyeth-Ayerst and Fitness Forever came together, and with the State of the Art production skills of Fresh Air Media (formerly known as Flessing & Flessing), produced the award winning video.

Based on the successful senior exercise program at Tahoe Forest Hospital, the script was written by co-developer & co-producer Nancy L. Swayzee, MES, ACSM Health & Fitness Instructor.

Having had her first book, “Breathworks For Your Back…Strengthening Your Back From The Inside Out”, published in 1998, writing was an easy assignment.  The format for the script is a close reproduction of the three-day a week class, modified to be a progressive workout for the safety of the viewing exerciser.

Fitness Forever Senior Exercise Video begins with about ten minutes of educational narrative, talking to the viewer about exercise teaching them how to take their pulse, how to breathe, and the importance of drinking water  During the monologue, Michael McQuarrie, MD, FACSM, and TFH Chief of Staff is introduced.  Dr. McQuarrie appears through-out the video as the “Doc in the Box” giving additional cautionary information.

The ten minute warm-up was designed to act as a beginning workout for any patient needing to begin exercising slowly, i.e.,

• Patients just released from cardiac rehabilitation

• Diabetic and hyper-tensive patients

• Severely obese patients

• COPD and CHF patients

• Patients with DJD or advanced stages of arthritis

• Post-operative patients and those recovering from a stroke or other cerebral-vascular incident

After this “whole body” warm-up, the program begins a carefully planned progression of low-impact aerobics.  Adding an additional sixteen minutes of increasingly challenging moves, and pace, the aerobic portion of the video meets the ACSM guidelines of “20 minutes of moderate intensity  aerobic conditioning”.

Throughout the aerobic portion, Dr. McQuarrie delivers cautionary information to the exerciser, and advises them  how to safely cool down if they need to end this portion early. 

Following a two-minute cool-down, the video moves into the Strength Portion, which is preceded by a detailed explanation of how to work with the hand weights, how to pace their strength exercise to avoid joint stress and injury, and how to add the overload principle.

The strength portion offers seven “combination” exercises that effectively work all the major muscle groups.  The exercises are done standing using a chair for support, and seated.  The exercises are followed by full body stretching, demonstrated in different ways to accommodate every level of ability and flexibility.

The video ends with a few minutes of deep breathing and relaxation.

In the script development stages, the exercises, language and the pace were subject to medical scrutiny.  Fitness Forever Senior Exercise Video passed several medical review boards at Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals, Tahoe Forest Hospital and the American College of Sports Medicine.     

This easy going, yet complete workout, offers something for everyone.  You, as the healthcare professional, can feel confident and comfortable in prescribing this award-winning program to your patients  

Advising them to incorporate the Fitness Forever Exercise Video into an existing exercise regime of walking, water exercise or yoga, introduces upper and lower body coordination, balance and timing elements into their daily activity.  

The addition of these components can greatly reduce the risk of falls by developing their kinesthetic awareness and reflex response.  

Offering this well-rounded, medically appropriate exercise program to your patients, allows them to become involved in the management of their own symptoms and diseases.  It educates them to the value of daily physical activity, and empowers them by giving them a “portable” exercise program they can use anytime, anywhere

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Home Use           Institutional Use             Professional Use

Training Programs                     Conference Presentations  

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For More Information or to Order

Fitness Forever
PO Box 981316
Park City, UT 84098-1316
877.654.EVER (to order)
530.906.4516 (for more program info)
Fax (530) 581-5307  

E-Mail  janet@lifespanfitness.com