Sit and Be Fit: Balance & Fall Prevention Workouts

Mary Ann Wilson
Year Released: 2010

Categories: Seniors/Seated , Special Health Conditions , Total Body Workouts



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Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this workout.

I decided to try this DVD and analyze it for my mother in law. She is somewhat frail, 82 years old, and has fallen several times in the last year. Yet, she lives by herself (with family in surrounding houses) and takes care of herself effectively still. During our last visit, she asked me if there were any DVDs she could use to help with osteoporosis, so I got another Sit and Be Fit workout for her. I figured that she might be willing to do this workout to help her balance.

The DVD offers two workouts: a beginner workout and an intermediate workout. This is nice because it gives two levels of effort and Mary Ann Wilson encourages the participant to do the moves at their level, to take things slow, to stop a move if they are dizzy or it is too hard, etc. Throughout the workouts, she points out alternative ways to do moves depending on balance, fitness, energy, and other factors.

The Beginners Workout

Moves include:

> A Seated Warm-Up - Moves include moving your hand and following it with your eyes, moving arms in different directions,circling the torso, etc

> Standing Leg Strengthening - Moves include standing on one leg and lifting your leg to the side, stepping different directions, etc.

> Standing Balance - Moves include side lunges (very shallow) and similar movements to the previous segment at a quicker pace


The Intermediate Workout

The footage for this workout starts with a Q&A session between Mary Ann Wilson and a doctor about improving balance It's too bad they didn't break this section out to the main menu. Then, the workout starts This workout includes another physical therapist who does the modified/seated version of the standing portions of this workout and three background exercisers, two standing and one seated. These exercisers are actually off to the side and usually not into the side until presumably the camera operator thinks to swing the camer over and film them for a few seconds

The segments in this workout include:

> Seated Warm-Up
> Seated/Standing Circulation
> Seated/Standing Balance
> Seated/Standing Stretch w/Towel

Both instructors are miked and the second one interjects comments when she wants to point out form pointers for her moves and to show how the seated moves are different than the standing moves that Mary Ann is doing. Otherwise, Mary Ann talks the rest of the time. I thought it was pretty well done so that they weren't talking over each other and the second instructor didn't mess with the flow of the workout.

This workout is harder than the first one, but still wouldn't be hard at all for fit people and/or younger people. I can see how the moves, done regularly, could help improve balance.

I decided that my mother in law could do the first workout and might do the second, even if she stuck with the seated version. I'm going to take it with me the next we visit her and do the workout(s) with her so that we can talk about how she might do the workout(s).

Instructor Comments:
She has the exact right tone and instruction for her target market. She obviously has special knowledge and skills in the realm of physical therapy and people with special needs.

Laura S.

09/07/2013