As the industry leader in Onsite Group Fitness Classes for Older Adults since 2008, Live 2 B Healthy® has been talking to audiences about fitness for a long time! It can be challenging to talk to people about fitness. Common barriers may include fear and lack of interest in the perceived lifestyle changes implied by the term “fitness class.”

When we change our wording slightly to Falls Prevention Fitness Classes, suddenly, many of those conversations become less intimidating. Falling and falls prevention is serious stuff (see our January Balanced Wellness Series for more information on the Cost of Falls). 

We know that loss of independence is one of the top fears of adults age 55+.  While most believe this loss of independence will come as the result of chronic illness, memory loss or loss of driver’s license, few people are aware that the number one reason older adults loose their independence is falls.

Taking these concerns in mind, we are making a shift in how we talk about our programs to help make them more accessible to a wider variety of people. We are now referring to our programs as Ongoing Falls Prevention Fitness Classes for Older Adults 55+. The Live 2 B Healthy® class experience itself will not be changing. We have always been focused on improving Balance, Flexibility & Strength to decrease falls and increase independence. What will be changing will be in how we talk about our programs.  

We tend to think of a Falls Prevention class as a one-time thing where we have someone come out to our building and talk about removing area rugs, replacing light-bulbs and installing grab bars. While these things are important, we will not experience long-term falls reduction results from a one-time informational session. 

We have to get to the root causes of the falls, which is the loss of balance, flexibility & strength as the result of aging and a sedentary lifestyle. A person who experiences a slip on a rug who has been attending ongoing fitness classes to improve balance, flexibility & strength is more likely to be able to use their level of fitness to prevent or lessen the severity of the injury in the event of a fall.

In addition to changing how we talk about our classes, we will be providing additional resources to learn about the correlation between improved fitness and improved falls reduction plans.  

Q: Why are we doing chair squats?

A: So that we build up the muscles in our legs, gluts and abs which will allow us to prevent or lessen the severity of injury in the event of a fall.

At Live 2 B Healthy®, everything we do is all about falls prevention, and by changing how we talk about our programs, we hope to promote a more inclusive feel to those who may never have participated in group fitness classes before.  In this initiative, we are revising our class marketing materials.

Please contact your local Regional Owner for updated materials for your Live 2 B Healthy®️ classes.