July 19, 2023

Quote of the Week:

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl,

but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

Is it really important and also, really possible to start exercising and becoming physically active when you’re elderly and frail. Or feel older and frail?

The body, the spirit, and the mind are all connected. You may have to use one part to support the rest. If your body is active, it also helps your mind and spirit. If your spirit is active, it can help you get your mind and body active. If your mind is active it can help bring your body and spirit back to robustness. The mind-body-spirit connection is the idea that these three aspects of ourselves are interconnected. We experience the world through our mind, body, and spirit. And when one of these aspects is out of balance, it can affect the others.

How to start: If you’ve been physically sick, depressed, exhausted and you need to bring the body back from debilitation… 

One step at a time:

1. Ask you doctor and make sure you are healthy enough to start exercising.
2. If your bedridden, start with bed exercises.
3. If you can barely walk — start walking short distances and gradually increase.
4. Make exercise and physical activity a habit. (Check out: “Tiny Habits that Change Everything” by BJ Fogg)
5. Build toward a goal of activity and exercise you truly enjoy and make it part of your life.

Check out the recording from 7/12/23 —

“Exercises for Frail Elders” where you will learn or relearn:

1. Exercises in bed; sitting exercises; getting started walking again.
2. Remember, or re-learn the joy and importance of stretching like a cat:  “pandiculation”
3. Learn what are the only “good” reasons to not start exercising — and be sure to get the medical okay before you start trying to get active again.
4. Consider working on getting up and down from the floor. There are some important things to know and practice!
5. Find out where to get help getting started to get yourself, or your loved one “back on their feet.”

What you might not have considered:

• Rome was not built in a day. Your beloved great aunt maybe fell, at 93 and had to have surgery for her broken hip. If she can’t stand now, will she ever walk again?  How do I help her?
• My husband has gradually declined because of gradually worsening mental functioning. But he still walks. Do I need to “help” him be more active now?  He’s still walking?
• I’m depressed. Where do I start if I can barely get out of bed?  “One step at a time?”  How do I do that?!

• Alameda County: Area Agency on Aging (AAA)
• Family Caregiver Alliance: Caregiver Resource Center
• Center for Elders' Independence | Senior Care: cei.elders.org

Center for Independent Living (CIL) & Givers Health are partnering under the CalGrows initiative to improve the lives of caregivers and care recipients in our community and beyond!

The first 2 courses are free and coming up in July, so please be on the lookout for more information and registration instructions. Courses in July will cover the following two topics:

Core Caregiving: This course gives an overview of the most common skills needed in caregiving, frameworks for care, and tools for future learning.

Online & In-Person - English: Sat 7/22 10:00AM - 1:00PM

Online & In-Person - Spanish: Sat 7/22 2:00PM - 5:00PM

Emergency Preparedness: Preparing caregivers to support consumers in developing a disaster preparedness plan and securing resources to increase resilience to disasters.

In-Person - English: Tuesday 7/25 3:00PM - 5:00PM

You can sign up for any of them here in English and here in Spanish.

By donating, you will transform that lives of seniors and family caregivers,

helping them to meet the challenges of aging with more joy and better health.

DayBreak is here to assist seniors and caregivers in need.

If you know a senior who might benefit from our care and coordination services, or a caregiver in need of support, please have them contact us at

510-834-8314