For years The Garlands has been known as of the premiere senior retirement communities in the country, a place that truly redefined what active senior living could be. And now we're doing it all over again!

Building on the success that The Garlands and its members have enjoyed, our new Phase II construction aims to provide nothing less then the finest senior living community in the country.

I'll be updating this blog with news of our construction progress, so check back here to watch us grow!

Tom Herb

Labels: active senior living, Chicago assisted living, Phase II, senior living facility, senior retirement communities

As one of the premiere active retirement communities in the country, it's no wonder that the overwhelming number of Garlands members are aging remarkably well. This is thanks impart (if I do say so myself!) to our highly personalized fitness program. A remarkable 75 percent of Garlands members actively participate in a regular fitness program! As their trainer, I try to tailor a plan to meet each individual resident's needs-something that caters to their likes, personalities and abilities.

We offer something for everyone-from Tai Chi, Body Flow, Body Pump, Walking club, pool aerobics and conditioning classes. Plus our cardio and weight equipment are top notch! This blog will detail all the fun exciting fitness activities going on at The Garlands.

I hope to see you back!

Labels: active retirement communities, active senior living, Chicago estate planning, chicago retirement community, Fitness and Activities

After 28 months of construction from excavation to completion, The Garlands Phase II—all 380,000 square feet--majestically fills the property at 3000 Garlands Lane and enhances The Garlands campus and landscape.

The Village of Barrington issued the final Certificate of Occupancy, and new residents are now moving and settling into their new award-winning lifestyle—one that will help them keep independent, active and engaged throughout their golden years. The added incentive of a service-rich and engaging lifestyle seems to attract people to make a move to this senior housing option regardless of overall real estate trends.

To further entice would-be residents, we are offering some financial incentives to help off-set home sale prices and also providing support with the staging of an existing home for faster sale and even moving assistance to the new Phase II. But without a doubt, the biggest incentive of all is The Garlands community itself.

Each Phase II private residence boasts 9 to 16 foot ceilings, gracious crown moldings and millwork throughout, floor-to-ceiling windows, a master bedroom suite and full gourmet kitchen with granite countertops. Plus, residents enjoy the high-quality, signature services that have become synonymous with The Garlands unique lifestyle.

Labels: active retirement communities, active senior living, Phase II, upscale retirement community, upscale retirement home

If you have taken any group fitness classes in July, you may have heard me mention (okay lecture J) about an important yet unknown muscle in your body called the psoa major muscle. Wait, don’t stop reading yet!  The posa major muscle is actually really cool. It attaches to the last thoracic vertebra of your spinal column and all of the lumbar vertebra (including the lumbar vertebral discs--neat!).  It then passes down through the pelvis and inserts onto the femur or thigh bone.  There are two psoai: one on each side of the body that attaches to each femur. 


The reason why pretty much everyone has a shortened psoa muscle is because the psoai not only tighten under stress and tension, but they shorten about three inches in sitting positions including (but definitely not limited to) riding a bike (stationary or otherwise), sitting while eating, drinking, watching TV, talking, or traveling by car.  It also shortens during athletic activity where the hips are in flexion (thighs and knees come out in front of you).  This would be things like the high knee marching I sometimes make you do in class or front leg raises (sorry about that!).   Interestingly enough, treadmill walking also uses the hip flexors more than just regular walking on the ground because the moving tread does not provide a force for the muscles in opposition (your gluteal or your bottom muscles) to engage. 

It’s good to have a strong posa major to support our upright posture, but we also want it to be supple and long rather than tight and short. 

Here are some ways to lengthen the psoai if yours are short taken from biomechanist Katy Bowman, M.S. and her website www.alignedandwell.com






After you’ve done all that, start or finish your day with a few psoai stretches.  Pick your favorite from the following three.

Standing Lunge Stretch
Hold onto a chair or sturdy object.  Step one leg straight back into a lunge position. Keep the hips in neutral and bend your knees to lower down until you feel a stretch in the groin and upper thigh of the leg that is back. Hold for one minute, switch legs, and repeat. 









90/90 Kneeling Stretch

 Reclined Stretch

 

Kneel on a thick pad or mat. Have a chair or sturdy object nearby for balance. Bring one foot forward. Make sure the knee of the forward leg stays over the ankle and does not move past it.  Keep the pelvis level and do not lean forward. Hold for one minute and switch sides.

 

Why, you ask, am I making you do all of this work?  Well, studies show releasing the posai major and other hip flexors actually improves walking.   A study published in the 2011 Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation showed that frail elder adults participating in a twice daily, ten week hip flexor stretch program showed significant increases in walking speed and stride length!

I hope you decide to begin your own posai major lengthening program today!

 

Healthfully yours,

Sandra Sieber, Fitness Coordinator

 

 

Labels: health and fitness

It's important to be well fed and nourished in all stages of life, but older adults need to be even more tentative and diligent in making sure they eat enough and of the right types of food.

Here are my suggestions for healthy eating to support your workouts.

1. Always eat breakfast.
Your body has not eaten since the night before and is now in a fasting state. As soon as you get up out of bed your blood sugar begins to drop until you eat something. It is important to eat within an hour of waking up. Symptoms of low blood sugar can include feeling dizzy, spacey, or nauseas. Include protein and complex carbohydrates or whole grains in your breakfast. Protein ideas include eggs, protein powder, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and leftover meat or fish. Complex carbohydrates include oatmeal, whole grain toast or muffin, and whole grain cereal like Cheerios. Juice does not count as a carbohydrate here.

2. Eat three meals a day spaced 4-6 hours apart.
Have a snack if you get hungry. Include some protein, a whole grain or sweet potato and vegetable at each meal. Examples include fish, rice and veggie, or steak, potato and veggie.

3. Refuel after your workouts.
Enjoy a complex carbohydrate and protein snack after your workouts to keep blood sugar steady. Examples include a rice cake and peanut butter, hardboiled egg and granola bar, or fruit and nuts.

4. Slowly increase the amount of vegetable you are eating at lunch and dinner until you are consuming two cups at each meal. Experiment with raw veggies often!

5. Eat a small snack such as a hardboiled egg at night if you are hungry or have trouble falling asleep.

6. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water every day.
You may think you are drinking enough water, but actually measure it out one day and see if you really are! For example, if you are a 150 pound person you will need 75 ounces of water each day. That's a little over two liters of water or a little over nine cups. You'll also need to drink more water if you exercise!

Follow these tips, and find yourself fueling better and feeling healthier, happier, and more energized!

Labels: active older adults, active retirement community, fitness, fuel your workouts, health and fitness, health and wellness, retirement home, Sandra Sieber, senior living, upscale senior living

May is Good Posture Month:  Stand Tall and Straight 

Why is good posture important? According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there are several reasons:

1. It helps your body perform at its best.
2. It allows you to move freely and easily for long periods of time.
3. It prevents pain. If your bones are not in their ideal alignment, the muscles, joints and ligaments move into compromised positions where they cannot function optimally. This may lead to fatigue, muscular strain, and pain.
4. The function and position of internal organs is affected by posture, particularly those in the abdominal region.
5. It makes us feel good. We have more confidence, grace, and well-being.

What does good posture look like?
In good posture, all of the weight bearing load joints are vertically aligned directly atop one another (the ear is stacked over the shoulder, over the hip, over the knee, over the ankle) and the load joints are parallel horizontally (shoulders and hips are the same height).

There should also be three curves present in the spine when viewed from the side: a slight forward curve in the neck (cervical curve), a slight backward curve in the upper back (thoracic curve), and a slight forward curve in the low back (lumbar curve).

The best way to assess your posture is to have a posture evaluation by a physical therapist or certified fitness trainer.

You can actually improve your posture with simple, gentle exercises. The key is to practice the exercises every day. Because we are patterning the body to sit, stand, and walk differently, it needs daily reminders and practice being in these new positions. All your efforts will be worth it, however, because improved posture feels very, very good.

Labels: fitness, good posture, physical therapy, posture, Sandra Sieber