5 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

1. This video is great. I take care of a 91 year old lady, Martha. I figured she would be the best one to see if it was going to work or not. She worked the program with me for 20 minutes. She really liked it. I’m excited that it worked.
   
   She loved that she was able to do it and it was easy to follow.She loved the different movements and found it easy to follow. I like the idea that if young seniors are finding it easy, they can use heavier weights. Happy customer.
   Rating: 5 / 5

   1. Susan L. Justus on February 23rd, 2010 at 1:03 am

2. This is a good DVD for people who have not exercised in years and/or for people who are VERY stiff. Gets old very fast and I used it for only about 4 weeks — then moved on to another senior exercise DVD. Purchase this only if you plan on doing the basics over and over and over…..
   Rating: 3 / 5

   2. Cat on February 23rd, 2010 at 12:27 am

3. My Mom was a 73 year-old, bound to a wheelchair, not able to do most of the things she loved to do. Her doctor suggested exercise. I decided to purchase an at-home video. I first bought one with a lady who did the exercises on a beach, which seemed ridiculous. Plus she couldn’t stand looking at the bleached hair and the fake smile on her face. She then tried one where a woman waved paper plates around. It was OK, but the horrible computer-generated music drove her crazy.

   I decided to do some research for the next video I would get so she would actually do the exercises on a regular basis. I came across Anne Burnell. She is not only a Certified Personal Trainer, but she is certified to train other trainers in many disciplines of exercise, including Senior Exercise. She teaches at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the University of Illinois in Chicago. The program is recommended by some very prominant health professionals.

   I then went to the Stronger Seniors website and was able to watch clips of her senior exercise DVDs. They are GREAT! They are done in a group setting with other seniors, to music that is both relaxing and motivating. Anne explains each exercise, the proper body position, and why it is important to do.

   My Mom does them every day, often with a friend and sometimes by herself. Since starting the program, I have returned her wheelchair to the hospital store and she only uses her walker when taking long walks. She is gardening again and feeling wonderful. Our family and her doctor are thrilled.

   I have since bought Anne’s other chair exercise DVDs, the Pilates one and the Yoga. Both are terrific, and Mom thinks the yoga is so new and an absolutely wonderful experience every time she use it. I do the Yoga one with her!
   
   Rating: 5 / 5

   3. Elizabeth De Kanter on February 22nd, 2010 at 10:10 pm

4. I purchased the two-disk Stretch and Strength set. Iam a 71 year old woman who has osteoarthritis.I am ambulatory, but unable to walk for exercise or do strong aerobics. I have used the Stretch disk once and found the exercises to be comfortable and invigorating for the most part. Most of the stretches were doable for me except for one where you put you leg out to the side. I had to adjust the leg position on that one.

   However, I thought 44 minutes of nothing but stretches was too long. There is no logical break in the routine so you have to finish it at one sitting. In addition, the exercises were performed very very slowly, which is good for some, but I found it boring after a while. I kept watching the display to see how much time was left – thought it would never end.

   Variety is what I am looking for – 5 minutes of stretching combine with strength and mild aerobics and cool down for a total of 30-35 minutes for one disk would be perfect for me. I don’t have time to spend longer at one stretch (no pun intended).

   I haven’t used the strength yet, but I’m guessing I’ll have the same problem with it since it is 51 minutes long.
   
   Rating: 3 / 5

   4. CDamon on February 22nd, 2010 at 10:02 pm

5. After my father’s passing last year, I moved my 85 year-old mother in with me. She’s active for her age, but recently started having trouble with balance, getting out of her recliner, and out of the tub. I did a search on Amazon for chair exercises and came across this set. I ordered it a couple of months ago and it has made a tremendous difference in Mom ’s mobility and comfort.

   The set comes with two DVDs; one has a stretching routine and the other has strength and balance exercises. Each routine is about 45 minutes long and are mostly done in a sturdy kitchen chair. Although I got these for Mom’s benefit, my partner and I (both in late 50’s) have taken to doing the exercises with Mom. We alternate the two DVD’s 5-6 days a week and we’ve all three noted that we feel much better. I’ve bought other exercise DVDs, but they tend to have young contortionists leading the program. The routines are usually too hard and we end up hurting something and quitting. With this set I feel like I get about 70 percent of the benefit of a more intense stretching and arm strength workout with about 5 percent of the pain and injury. For example, for the weightlifing section, Mom uses 3 pound weights and I use 5 pound weights. We’ve both seen significant improvements in arm and shoulder flexibility and strength. The most important gain has been in Mom’s balance and stability. She can now get out of her recliner easily, and she’s much less tottery when she walks.

   I’ve been so impressed with the gains we’ve all made that I’ve ordered the set for my older sister and the mothers of several close friends. I’ve also shown the set to my physician and Mom’s physician. They’re both going to recommend to other patients. Given the high prevalence and serious consequences of falls in the elderly, I urge you to invest in this for any elderly loved one. My partner and I do other weekly excersises (walking, kayaking, Wii Fit, biking), but still find a lot of benefit in the exercises on these DVDs. My Mom likes the fact that the folks doing the exercises on the video are more like her than in most videos.

   The only issue you might have is helping an elderly person set up the DVD player and change the discs every day. Mom couldn’t get the hang of the TiVo and DVD remotes, so it’s good that she has me here. Also, you might watch your senior the first time or two to make sure they are doing the exercises correctly so as to not strain anything. Mom took a little coaching on some of the forms. Now she’s a pro.

   I ordered two other DVDs in the Stronger Seniors series (Yoga and Pilates). Neither of those worked as well for us. The yoga was too hard for Mom and we didn’t like the second instructor as well as the original instructor. The Pilates DVD uses stretch bands, but the exercises seem less intense and helpful. Surprisingly, Mom didn’t like it as well because the workout is a few minutes shorter.

   Sorry for the long review, but I can’t over emphasize how pleased our family is with these DVDs. I urge you to get this for your own health or for any senior you care about. FYI, I had never heard of Anne Pringle Burnell before I found these DVDs in an Amazon search. Now she’s a hero at our house.
   Rating: 5 / 5

   5. V. Wilson on February 22nd, 2010 at 8:52 pm