Penrose & Associates Physical Therapy Wants You to Test Your Fitness

Submitted by Jennifer Penrose, DPT, OCS, MTC for Penrose & Associates Physical Therapy

We hope you had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving last week! We are excited to say “Thank You” to the community that continues to seek our services to stay healthy, mobile, and free from pain killers!  (Read on for our free gift and holiday specials!)

I was talking to my mom (in her early 70s) and she is concerned more than ever about staying strong enough to keep up with us and her grand-kids.  She is more worried about having enough strength and stamina to travel and visit friends and family.  She asked what should she focus on?  That is a great question!  How do you know unless you have all the areas tested: strength, flexibility, posture, and balance?  So, in honor of Thanksgiving and saying thank you to the community we are offering a free fitness screening that tests all those areas for the 50+ crowd.  You will have your score for each category and we will tell you if you are at risk in each category and what your age group and gender normal scores are.  You will see for yourself how you compare with what the literature and research says.  The free screening will take place Friday December 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. at our clinic.  RSVP required info@penrosept.com.

For example, test your fitness/longevity with this test: Can you get on the ground/floor and back up without using any support (including using your knees or hands)?  This “Sit to rise test” was tested on ~2000 adults ages 50s-80s and published in 2014.  If you scored below 8 (max is 10 points) you were associated with a 2- to 5-fold higher death rate over the 6.3-year study period.  See the specifics below to figure out how you score.   It does test primarily lower body strength, flexibility, and balance. Watch how to do the sit to rise test here.

My personal view is that the Sitting-Rising Test may be a useful predictor of general fitness vs mortality.  I also believe that performing the test may do more harm than good (please use your judgement here).  The force on the leg joints at such an acute angle as you lower yourself to the floor then try to rise, could cause a painful injury, particularly if the person performing the test is overweight, has osteoporosis, or has had problems in their knee, hip or ankle joint in the past. The potential for falling over and hurting yourself while trying to execute the test is also quite high.  It is more of general fitness test but really there are better ones to use that we will have at our screening. The point of the test that most providers will agree is that if you are starting to loose strength, mobility, and balance you do set yourself up for more health problems and you will not live the life you enjoy.

If you watched the video you can see it is a very hard test to perform for most people 50+. Our free fitness screening will include tests in balance, posture, strength, and flexibility.  It will show you what to focus on in 2020 so you can live a healthier and more mobile life keeping up with friends and family and enjoying the “golden years”!

And if you are not sure if this is needed… Do you relate to any of these?

• You scored below an 8 on the sit to rise test showing you are at risk for an earlier death than your peers. *Watch the video above for clear instructions.
• You’re not liking the idea of walking outside in the dark or wet months coming up and don’t want to belong to a gym as the classes are 20+ people or you are afraid of getting hurt at the gym.
• You have a gym membership but you’d really like some specific input on your form each time and know you are doing it correctly.  You would like to know what to focus on at home or the gym.
• You want to be pushed but not feel injured for the next few days. (Our small group training allows our instructor to give each person feedback and push them within their abilities).
• You have a very important trip coming up that you want to be able to keep up with your travel buddies!
• You want to avoid a fall and know the exercises and balance activities you are doing actually make a difference! (Our better balance class uses Tai Chi forms that have been linked to reducing falls!)
• You want to stay out of doctor’s offices and avoid pain killers, avoid surgeries, and stay as mobile and active as possible.

If any of those spoke to you then you need to come to our Free fitness screening and you will love our holiday deal!  We have small group training (6 people during week day classes and 10 max on Sat!)  Marissa Ang, ATC and Vanessa Granrud, PTA teach the small group training and we are adding Tai Chi Quan for better balance!

Holiday Specials

1. Monthly memberships for small group training: $100 access to group training every day they are offered all month.  You will have access to Penrose Power (full budy strength), Penrose Posture (chair yoga), Tai Chi Quan for better balance, Penrose Pro (circuit training that covers all of it plus cardio).  Can buy up to 6 months worth per person.  Usual price is $125.  Most classes at 10am.
2. Buy 20 small group training sessions for $300.  ($15 per session) You can carry these over from month to month in case you travel and might have a full month where you are gone.  Normally price is $180 for 10 sessions.
3. Custom Pillows! Don’t miss out on this deal. For only $100 you can get a custom-fitted pillow designed to keep your head and spine in neutral alignment while you sleep. Tired of waking up with a tight neck, shoulder pain or headache? These pillows are supported by medical professionals to help get rid of those! This deal is available until 12/5 only! Please call us to find a time of day that best works to get you fitted. We will measure the width of your shoulders, the height from shoulder to head and the circumference of your neck to determine which pillow type is best for you. Check out the manufacturer’s website by clicking HERE. Price is $100 + tax. That’s 45% off!!
4. Lumbar rolls and ice pack combos! The holidays means one thing for everyone – LOTS of sitting. Plus, if you already work at a desk this just adds insult to injury. Don’t let weak or poor sitting posture cause you back pain this season and grab this pain-killing combo! The support will take the strain off of your back and the ice will decrease pain signals being sent to your brain! It’s a win-win. This bundle is $40, tax included. That’s 20 percent off!

As always, we are committed to helping you stay active, mobile and free from pain killers! Help us help you have the best and healthiest year in 2020! Click here to learn more about the classes! Click here to learn more about the fitness screening.

Penrose & Associates Physical Therapy
1445 Galaxy Dr. Suite 301 Lacey
360-456-1444