To access Craig's site, click here

 

Seniors and caregivers urged: Resolve to make fitness,  health a goal in 2006: ‘Easy Does It!’ exercise creator Craig Marcacci advises ’Reaching your goals doesn't have to be such hard work’

It’s an annual routine…making resolutions about diet, exercise, attitude and fitness, only to let them slip away and be forgotten, usually within a month or so.

But physical fitness trainer Craig Marcacci, developer of the innovative ‘Easy Does It!’ exercise program for seniors, says that doesn’t have to be the case.

“The problem with many who resolve to become fit is that they choose a program that is beyond their capabilities,” Marcacci explains.  “What they should do is choose a regimen of stretching, strength training and heart strengthening exercises that deliver maximum benefits and are doable.”

Marcacci, whose web site it www.CMFitness.com, says the ‘Easy Does It!’ exercise program is based on the philosophy that even older or out-of-shape elderly persons can enjoy the benefits of good health, if the exercise is designed to encourage participants by defining clear and identifiable benefits.

He also believes that family caregivers who are concerned about an aging family member’s lack of exercise should take an active role by helping choose a program that is easily followed by the elderly family member and can be done either in a group or individually by the family member in their own home.

“Too many seniors’ fitness programs are designed for elderly persons who are already in shape,” says Marcacci, who stresses stretching and easy-to-do strength-building exercises, as well as safe exercises to contribute to a healthy heart.

“The benefits become apparent quickly,” he notes.  Among those he lists:

Improved Spirits—“There is no doubt that when our body feels good, we feel better,” Marcacci explains. 

Increased Energy—“The mind-body connection cannot be overlooked,” Marcacci says.  “While aging might remove the ability to do many of the things that seniors did when they were young, exercise can relieve fatigue.”

Reduced Pain—“For many older people, pain is a regular part of their lives,” explains Marcacci. “But, a healthy body can help reduce those instances of pain.”
 
Improved Confidence—“It’s no secret…if you feel better, you approach life with a new assurance,” Marcacci says. “Add to that the pride in resolving to start an exercise program and then doing what you said you were going to do, and the ingredients are in place for a new approach that will result in successful aging.”

Improved Posture—“A strong body resists many of the physical declines associated with aging,” says Marcacci.  “If there is no bone disease, the ‘slumping’ senior can straighten up with exercise.”

Improved Physical Appearance—“This is the beauty of a program like ‘Easy Does It!’,” Marcacci says.  “The synergy of different, specially designed exercises to benefit the total person and total health needs, becomes apparent in a revived, stronger senior.”

Increased Flexibility—“Stretching, keeping muscles loose—it makes the body work better,” Marcacci says.
 
Improved Mental Health—“When a seniors’ body feels better, it can remove anxieties associated with the mental health of the elderly,” Marcacci continues. “It can deter depression, fears,  loneliness—all symptoms of poor mental health.”

Increased Physical Strength—“As we age, our strength often decreases,” says Marcacci. “It’s not necessary that a senior look like a body builder, but it is documented that improved physical strength will enhance quality of life for the elderly.”
 
”For family caregivers who want the best health for their elderly family member, an easy-to-do program of exercise  such as ‘Easy Does It!’ scan be a Godsend by making their job easier,,” says Marcacci. “For the elderly, it can contribute to a healthy life-style that is within their grasp thanks to our incorporation of a series of exercises that, while within their capabilities, is designed to contribute to their health.”