No-fuss fitness

Forget about sweaty gyms and jockeying around the jocks, a new physical therapy program at USF helps participants get in shape with tailor-made exercises, especially for older folks.

By SUSAN ASCHOFF, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 17, 2002

How to get physical To learn more about the Exercise Prescription, or to make an appointment, call (813) 974-8613. Cost is $75. The USF Physical Therapy Center is at 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Building MDC90, Tampa. Most health insurance plans do not cover this program, and the center requires payment by cash, check or major credit card at time of visit.

TAMPA -- She stands almost an inch taller and she can now touch the floor with her fingertips when she squats. After two months on an exercise program designed just for her, 76-year-old Juanita Reynolds is, literally, walking tall.

"I know it's helping. Whether it's doing anything for me physically, it's doing something for me mentally," says Reynolds, a Brandon resident and one of the first clients in a new program at the Physical Therapy Center of the University of South Florida.

Open to all ages but targeted at older adults who are sedentary or intimidated to visit gyms and health clubs, the Exercise Screening and Prescription program tailors fitness to the individual.

Participants attend two sessions with a therapist. The first is a screening and physical examination to assess the client's condition and goals; at the second screening, a personalized exercise plan and instructions are presented.

All for a $75 fee.

"The doctor will look at preventing disease. We will look at staying healthy," says center director Pat Arthur.

The Physical Therapy Center opened in April. The exercise prescription program is a way to reach out to the community, Arthur says, and promote the goals espoused by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC seeks to improve the country's health and decrease disability.

The risk of injuries doubles after age 40, statistics show. About 77-million baby boomers will retire in the next 12 years. Physical activity improves joint motion, flexibility, strength and endurance, balance and coordination. It builds strong bones and hearts.

The program at USF is particularly useful for people who, like Reynolds, do not want to fuss with health club fees or super-jock agendas.

Most of the "middle-age and older adult population (is) not comfortable going to a gym and they don't have a lot of home exercise equipment," Arthur says. Exercises prescribed by the center can be done at home with a chair, a stretchy cord or in any open space..

Reynolds signed up in June. She wanted to take better care of herself, she says, after taking care of her ailing husband, William, until his death in March. Her goals are to alleviate arthritis pain and to prevent changes in her posture. A bonus would be lowering high blood pressure. At a minimum, her workouts will help her stay energetic and flexible, she says.

She's no slouch. She also goes to line dancing and tai chi classes every week. "I dropped the yoga," says the grandma with tousled gray curls, "because it was too much for me."

On a recent Wednesday, Reynolds has an appointment to check her progress. As in the initial evaluation, Arthur asks Reynolds about her health and activity level. He takes her blood pressure, counts her heart rate and records her height and weight. He uses calipers on thigh, waist and upper arm to determine body fat.

Reynolds blows into a Spirometer, a device to measure lung capacity. She walks on her toes across the floor of the exam room, then on her heels. She squats while holding onto the exam table to see how far she can lower herself. She stands erect, then twists and bends, as Arthur palpates her spine and watches for good range of motion.

He records the results and compares the numbers to those taken at her initial visit.

Reynolds' news is all good: She has lost 2 pounds, more than an inch on her waist and appears to be much more limber. Her "growth" in height indicates improved muscle support of her spine. She says she feels better.

"I think I've improved. I get up in the morning and, just like an old lady, it creaks and everything. But as the day goes on, it's fine."

The exercises are real-world fare. No barbells. No pretzel positions. Push-ups are done against a wall while standing. Weight lifting means pulling two ends of a stretchy cord tied to a doorknob.

"I don't want to be one of those people who can't do anything," says Reynolds.

Arthur wants to add another exercise to her regimen. For better balance (elderly women are prone to falls and hip fractures) he tells her to rest her hand on the wall of her hallway and put one foot in front of the other, like the test given suspected drunken drivers.

Each client's prescription varies, depending on his or her condition and goals. But the target will always be movement and function, not bulk or speed, says Arthur. If a client is still exercising three months after the initial appointment, Arthur says he's accomplished his goal.

Arthur told Reynolds her workout would take about 10 minutes.

"It takes me 30 minutes," she says, laughing.

She remains a model student, though, putting her exercise instructions and the count on a tape she plays when she works out.

"It's funny," she says. "Sometimes I yell at the tape."

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