CLIENT:
Client: Mike Z., Menands, NY
TIMEFRAME:
January 2024 – present
Restore Balance and Stability for Senior Citizen to Support Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
At 80 years old, Mike came to see me in early 2024 to develop a routine to improve his strength and vitality. Despite some minor age-related conditions like osteoporosis, arthritis, and glaucoma, he maintained an active lifestyle, enjoying walking, cycling, and long drives.
CHALLENGE
80 year and multiple healthcare conditions. His active lifestyle in his youth resulted in several injuries, including an ACL tear, an improperly repaired femur fracture, and an untreated rotator cuff tear.
APPROACH
Conducted a comprehensive assessment of posture, core stability, and movement, taking his lifestyle and history into account.
Identified postural issues, including excessive kyphosis of the thoracic spine, immobility in critical movements, neuromuscular trigger points (Charlie horses) with gross motor tasks, improper positioning on fundamental human movements i.e. rounded low back in the hinged position, and excessive pelvic rotation in the Split Stance
Applied myofascial release techniques to loosen restricted fascia, improve flexibility, and reduce tension in problem areas. These techniques restored critical human postures and movements, including the cross-legged sitting position, Bird Dog, Side Bend, and critical shoulder range of motion.
Developed and implemented stability exercises to reinforce mobility gains and maintain long-term progress.
Introduced strength exercises that leveraged mobility and postural improvements, helping him integrate those gains into his daily activities.
Guided Mike through a simple yet challenging cardio routine after each session to enhance his endurance and address some physiological issues associated with suboptimal physical conditioning.
Concluded each session by providing detailed notes outlining our activities and including homework exercises to support his continued learning and independent improvement.
RESULTS
Results:
Due to his age, progress was gradual at first, but after three weeks of working together, Mike reported feeling significantly more stable, making his daily walks noticeably easier. Once key postures and movements were restored, his overall posture improved, and he was able to perform gross motor tasks with better form and without any trigger points.
We discovered that when we got Mike’s heart rate above 90% of max, his vision cleared up significantly. After a few months of consistent cardiovascular exercise, his vision remained significantly improved.
After 5 months of Movement Restoration, Mike was ready to join my Strength and Stamina program. He has made phenomenal improvements in his strength and capacity. He can perform a Rack-Pull with 185 pounds from just below knee height all the way to a full hips extended finish!
Textbooks state that muscle loss accelerates significantly after age 55, but Mike has defied that theory and proven otherwise. Over the past 12 months, he has built significant muscle and takes pride in his newfound strength, tackling tasks like loading snow tires, mowing the lawn, and moving heavy items around the house with ease.
I’m going to get dexa results for him to evaluate bone density before and after
I’d also like blood pressure measures in his eyes from before and after our work together.