This is the first in a renewed series of articles from the Province’s Wellness Committee. The series first ran from September 2006 to April 2008. The committee has several new members who are eager to share wellness tips and fitness news with the friars in occasional articles.
NEW YORK — With the aging of Province friars, more of us are tempted to jokingly say, “My get up and go got up and went.”
Joints that are not as flexible as they were, and muscles that ache after only minor activity, can encourage a more sedentary lifestyle. When that happens, we can grow bigger around the middle as we ponder this situation over a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.
We live in a frenetic society where exercise can easily slip to the bottom of our “to do” list. For some of us, ministry can become an all-consuming part of our schedules, with little or no time for physical activity. Yet, we know it is important to keep moving and to develop a better exercise regiment for our overall health.
It is not just watching what you eat that matters. We have heard for years now about the importance of daily physical exercise to keep the mind strong and the body sound.
For those of us who have never visited a gym or were encouraged to begin an exercise routine, the thought of how to begin can be daunting; however, there are various options you may want to consider.
Listed below are videos you may want to purchase either for yourself or to share with others in your community. In our larger communities, it might be fun for a small group of friars to encourage one another to meet regularly and inspire one another in their individual exercise programs.
The point of this article is quite simple: Now is the time to get moving with an exercise program. Exercising with a video can be a good first step.
Seniors Exercise Videos
If you Google seniors exercise videos, you get 2.2 million sites. Here are just a few:
Collage Video
• Older and Wiser Workout, beginner or intermediate, 60 min., $19.95
• Senior Fitness — Easy Does It, beginner, $23.95
• Safe on your Feet: Fall Prevention, beginner, $19.95
• Senior Surge with Jeff Borden, intermediate, $19.95
• Conductorcise Classical Music Workout Vol. 2, beginner, $19.95
American Institute of Fitness Education
• Seniors Easy Sitting Exercise with Pilates, Calisthenics and Stretching, $12.95
• Seniors Resistance Bands Exercise, $25.95
• Seniors Light Weight/Dumbells Exercise (sitting position), $12.95
• Seniors Arthritis Exercise Video (sitting position), $29.95
• Seniors Arthritis Exercise Video (sitting and standing positions), $29.99
— Fr. Frank of St. Anthony Shrine in Boston is a member of the HNP Wellness Committee.