Chicago, IL- May 9, 2006, With the summer season quickly approaching, more and more people are venturing outside to enjoy the warmer weather. Randi Klebanoff, a fitness expert who helps create and manage wellness programs for Mather’s—More Than a Café, is providing older adults in Chicagoland with several tips on maintaining an active lifestyle during the warm months ahead. Klebanoff, who believes exercise is essential to any wellness program, suggests taking the following steps to make the program fun, safe and worth the effort:
- Make exercise a priority: Schedule time for physical activity like any other appointment during the day.
- Set realistic and specific goals: Start regiments off easy and gradually increase progression to avoid injury. Know your limits.
- Build a support network: Encourage exercise with friends to make it a social event.
- Buy a step counter: Work on slowly increasing the average number of daily steps, which should be easier to do outdoors.
- Exercise in disguise: Get off the elevator a few floors early and take the stairs or park further away and walk to your destination.
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water before, during and after exercising, especially when out in the heat.
- Pick the best time: On days it’s hot out, work out early in the morning or later at night when it’s cooler.
“We want to help older adults maintain their health and independence by presenting them with encouraging ways to lead an active lifestyle,” said Klebanoff, manager of wellness initiatives for Mather LifeWays, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing older adults Ways to Age Well®. “We want people to think about exercise differently. Physical activities can be a fun and social way to obtain your own wellness goals.”
Klebanoff creates and runs wellness programs for the Mather’s—More Than a Café, which has four locations throughout the Chicagoland area. More information on Mather LifeWays is available at www.matherlifeways.com.
Who is Mather LifeWays?
Evanston , Illinois-based Mather LifeWays is a 50+-year-old, unique not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of older adults through lifestyle and residential alternatives that create Ways to Age Well. SM From independent living to memory support and skilled care, Mather LifeWays’ senior residences comprise a continuum of living and choices. Through community initiatives, including the successful Mather’s—More Than a Café concept, neighborhoods become better places for older adults to live, work, learn, contribute, and play. The Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging plays a leading role in enhancing the lives of older adults through numerous collaborative and applied research and education projects. To learn more about Mather LifeWays, find your Way to www.matherlifeways.com .
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