Adaptive Exercise with Randé Makes for a Good Day
Meet Randé
Every Thursday, residents at United Methodist Communities at PineRidge eagerly await the arrival of Randé Jermaine Kirkwood. His Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science with a concentration in Fitness and Aging from Montclair State University makes him a perfect fit for older adults.
Randé’s business name, STUMBA, stands for Strength Training Utilizing Mobility Balance and Agility, and he incorporates all those goals into his classes. To ensure the best possible outcomes and for emphasis, he rotates the adaptive exercises each Thursday of the month: chair dance, aero boxing, strength training, etc.
Today, Randé starts students stretching their, arms, legs, and torsos accompanied by music with a fast energetic beat, leading to chair push-ups, neck rotations, and weightlifting. Later they negotiate exercises within a horizontal agility ladder placed on the floor. To keep it varied, Randé adds the placement and removal of individual and stacked cones between the ladder rungs. When weather permits, they vary the routine by walking around the neighborhood or in the park.
Benefits of Exercise
Exercise can help older adults manage stress and anxiety. It can free the mind from stressful situations, even if temporarily. Randé plays Reggae music and other songs, projects his voice telling the group to follow the leader clapping; touching shoulders, knees and toes; and playing the drum.
Residents Ted and Sally Sheola attend the class together and feel it supports their goals. He loves exercise and does yoga in addition to chair dance. Sally tries to stay reasonably fit.
Social Interaction
Ted, Sally, and the others feel strongly motivated by mutual encouragement and participation. The benefits of socialization are far-reaching from prevention of depression and isolation to prolonged physical and cognitive health. Socialization positively affects the immune system, blood pressure, brain health and memory, nutrition, relationships, and increases physical activity levels.
Encouraging Seniors to Stay Active
PineRidge of Montclair associates aid and support their residents to keep them as independent as possible. They believe that cognitive, physical, and social activity work together in establishing overall health.
Community enrichment such as movies, dinners, hobby clubs, lectures, health screenings and other wellness events, social gatherings, and fitness programs, encourage resident to get active, be social, and stay mobile. Independent living enables them to enjoy the companionship of friends and neighbors.
Happy Endings
Randé paces participants throughout the class and always has plenty of water on hand. Masterfully, he concludes the class with the song, It’s a Good Day the Lord Has Made, which loudly broadcasts an encouraging message, “Every day you wake up is a good day, love yourself.”
