Table 1.

Resources and Activities for Life Long Independence: Sessions

Session 1: Introductions, warm-up exercises, walking for exercise. Establish rapport and review group goals and guidelines. Discuss benefits of exercise and characteristics of good walking shoes. Demonstrate and practice warm-up and cool-down exercises. Start walking program. Provide log for monitoring daily progress toward selected goal.

Session 2: Improving fitness with activity monitoring. Introduce, demonstrate, and practice using pedometers to monitor daily activity. Discuss SMART (specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, timed) goal setting. Practice warm-up and cool-down exercises.

Session 3: Setting goals for your exercise program. Review homework logs, help participants decide on a goal using SMART goal criteria (increase walking time or increase steps on pedometer). Discuss exercise safety and review steps to take for pain or sore muscles. Practice warm-up and cool-down exercises. Introduce and practice strength, flexibility, and balance exercises.

Session 4: Remembering to do your exercises. Review exercise logs and identify successes or problems participants are having in reaching goals. Discuss strategies for remembering to exercise using written instructions and reminders. Practice exercises as a group, making any necessary corrections to ensure maximum benefit and safety.

Session 5: Enjoying exercise. Review exercise logs. Hand out and complete the ACTIVE Pleasant Events Schedule in class, and discuss how to make exercise a pleasant event. Practice all exercises, making any necessary corrections to ensure maximum benefit and safety.

Session 6: Exercise and nutrition. Review exercise logs. Hand out the Tufts University Food Pyramid for persons older than 70 years (used with permission for this project) and discuss the importance of healthy nutrition and physical activity. Practice all exercises.

Session 7: Exercise and relaxation. Review exercise logs. Discuss the importance of rest and relaxation as part of a healthy active lifestyle. Practice progressive relaxation as a group. Practice all exercises.

Session 8: Maintaining your momentum. Review exercise logs. Hand out “stages of change” and ask participants what exercise obstacles they have encountered. Hand out and discuss “tips for sticking with it.” Practice all exercises.

Session 9: Celebration of accomplishments. Review exercise logs and identify successes participants have achieved in reaching goals. Hand out monthly exercise logs and discuss how participants can continue to monitor their progress and improve their health. Practice all exercises. Finish the session by handing out certificates of appreciation to each participant.