Hi guys, I just posted this in the VF forms, but wanted to put it here as well.
Help! I desperately need DVD recommendations for my mother. I need exercise and yoga/stretching that is ultra easy to follow.
I apologize for a long post, but some background is necessary to understand her needs.
My mother is going to be living with me, and I want to be able to help her. She is 78 years old, and has been in good health until the past couple of years. Because of mini-strokes caused by head trauma from various causes (car accidents, falls, etc), she has dementia. She had always been active, but because of deep-seeded beliefs about what females should and shouldn't do, she wouldn't do anything but walk--no stretching, no cross training, and she thinks that weight training for women is the ultimate evil of the universe. Consequently, she has horrible knees and had to have surgery for a torn meniscus (sp?). She's been dealing for years with dizziness, headaches, and neck/shoulder pain. Yes, she's been to a doctor and physical therapy--she refused to do the exercises. She was always a nutrition freak (we were raised on Adele Davis), and would never eat anything refined, because she has rheumatoid arthritis and refined foods greatly aggrivate the condition. But with her memory going, she's been downing treats like there's no tomorrow.
She's really gone downhill mentally and physically these past 2 years to the point that she doesn't do a thing for herself. I had her here at my home for the past 2 weeks. Because our new home is in a flat area (she's been living with my sister who lives on the side of a mountain), I took her walking every day. I insisted she do some yoga after each walk. She protested that she was too tired, but she declared how wonderful she felt afterward. She eats well if I make her food for her. She showed a lot of improvement mentally and physically while she was here.
I have some beginner yoga DVDs, but they move way too fast for her (she's never done anything like yoga before--even Susanne Deason's Stress Relief Yoga was too much). I think Kundalini Yoga would be terrific for her needs, but she can't begin to follow my Ravi/Ana DVDs. Also, anything mystical or new-agey will be a total turn-off. She can barely bend her knees while seated on the floor and is very inflexible. Her walking pace is slow, but her endurance is improving with activity. The two DVDs I found at the library to try were Gaiam's Mayo Clinic Arthritis with a yoga section by Rodney Yee, and Natural Journey's Stop Back Pain Now. She seemed to be able to handle those. I noticed that Leslie Sansone had a seniors workout. Could anyone review that one?
Again, sorry about the lengthy post. Any and all recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
elsie
Help! I desperately need DVD recommendations for my mother. I need exercise and yoga/stretching that is ultra easy to follow.
I apologize for a long post, but some background is necessary to understand her needs.
My mother is going to be living with me, and I want to be able to help her. She is 78 years old, and has been in good health until the past couple of years. Because of mini-strokes caused by head trauma from various causes (car accidents, falls, etc), she has dementia. She had always been active, but because of deep-seeded beliefs about what females should and shouldn't do, she wouldn't do anything but walk--no stretching, no cross training, and she thinks that weight training for women is the ultimate evil of the universe. Consequently, she has horrible knees and had to have surgery for a torn meniscus (sp?). She's been dealing for years with dizziness, headaches, and neck/shoulder pain. Yes, she's been to a doctor and physical therapy--she refused to do the exercises. She was always a nutrition freak (we were raised on Adele Davis), and would never eat anything refined, because she has rheumatoid arthritis and refined foods greatly aggrivate the condition. But with her memory going, she's been downing treats like there's no tomorrow.
She's really gone downhill mentally and physically these past 2 years to the point that she doesn't do a thing for herself. I had her here at my home for the past 2 weeks. Because our new home is in a flat area (she's been living with my sister who lives on the side of a mountain), I took her walking every day. I insisted she do some yoga after each walk. She protested that she was too tired, but she declared how wonderful she felt afterward. She eats well if I make her food for her. She showed a lot of improvement mentally and physically while she was here.
I have some beginner yoga DVDs, but they move way too fast for her (she's never done anything like yoga before--even Susanne Deason's Stress Relief Yoga was too much). I think Kundalini Yoga would be terrific for her needs, but she can't begin to follow my Ravi/Ana DVDs. Also, anything mystical or new-agey will be a total turn-off. She can barely bend her knees while seated on the floor and is very inflexible. Her walking pace is slow, but her endurance is improving with activity. The two DVDs I found at the library to try were Gaiam's Mayo Clinic Arthritis with a yoga section by Rodney Yee, and Natural Journey's Stop Back Pain Now. She seemed to be able to handle those. I noticed that Leslie Sansone had a seniors workout. Could anyone review that one?
Again, sorry about the lengthy post. Any and all recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
elsie
