Mary Mende, left and above, teaches seniors how to get moving in her weekly water aerobics class at the El Camino YMCA in Mountain View.

By Carolyn Snyder

“Move it or lose it” is a hackneyed expression, but it is, oh, so true.

“Muscles deteriorate with age, starting as early as 30, and if you don’t rebuild them, they’re gone,” said Mary Mende, a health care professional and instructor at the El Camino YMCA in Mountain View.

An advocate of “exercises for daily living,” Mende believes people need to understand the “why” of doing them. “A couch potato has no clue. To them, this is exercise,” she said, illustrating her point by raising and lowering a coffee cup to her lips.

So why exercise?

According to Mende, it can help a person’s balance, thereby playing a role in fall prevention. “If you exercise, you have a 50 percent less chance of falling and injuring yourself,” she said.

“Just getting up in the morning and being able to do what you need to do during the day is important.”

Exercise, such as taking a walk with a friend, getting out in the sun, even deep breathing to get oxygen to the brain, can be an anti-depressant, Mende said. “Just participating in life is an upper.”

Mende helps people do just that.

In addition to teaching water aerobics and Pilates at the Y, she works part time at the Health Resource Center and Medical Library at El Camino Hospital. In the latter capacity, she informs older adults about the resources available to them.

El Camino Hospital’s Roadrunners service and Older Adult Transition Services (OATS) are among the programs she champions. Medicare pays for both. Roadrunners provides transportation for seniors within a 10-mile radius of the hospital to supermarkets, shopping centers, banks and personal appointments. OATS helps older adults suffering from depression or other mental disorders.

Mende is working toward certification as a personal trainer for seniors. Rain or shine, her early morning classes at the Y’s outdoor pool are well attended. Among the regulars is Mimi Ohms of Mountain View, a self-described former couch potato who has lost 89 pounds by swimming, joining Weight Watchers and eating sensibly.

Ohms retired a year ago after a 30-year career with the federal government and decided to “knock off some weight.” She was taking several blood pressure medications and wanted to improve her health. “I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired,” said Ohms, who set goals and is nearly there.

According to Mende, it is important to have goals when starting an exercise program. “Start out slowly, building and progressing as you go along. Walk down the block for starters.”

Form a neighborhood support group and take walks together. “You don’t have to have special clothes or equipment, just a comfortable pair of walking shoes.”

There are simple exercises that can be done at home, such as sitting in a chair, holding a soup can in each hand and doing bicep curls.

“Be sure to check with a health professional before beginning any exercise program,” Mende said, “especially if you have a history of heart or breathing problems, high-blood pressure, dizziness, bone or joint problems or are taking medications for these or other health conditions.”

Mende suggested the following exercises to improve activities of daily living by simulating real-life tasks.

Sit-to-stand activity

Moving from a chair-seated position to a standing posture and vice versa will strengthen legs, hips and back.

Move body toward front of a sturdy chair, feet positioned flat on the floor, hip width apart. Push up with legs as you lean slightly forward (as if bowing to royalty). Use hands on each side of chair next to legs to assist. As you progress, try using less arm assist and more leg strength.

Straighten torso, bringing head, shoulders and abdominals over hips with body weight distributed for good balance. Stand up straight. Do not lock knees.

Reverse move. Check that chair is centered and close enough. Bowing slightly, bend knees as weight shifts back toward heels, arm(s) reach for chair and assist with safe lowering of body to center of seat.

Tips: Think about tightening the abdominal muscles. Pull the belly button toward the spine as though you’re zipping tight pants. Maintain tight abdominals during the entire exercise. Don’t forget your breathing. Exhale as you lift the body to stand and inhale as you lower.

Fall prevention

Balance exercises, such as the one-leg stork, are critical for fall prevention:

Stand behind a chair or at the kitchen sink with feet hip-distance apart, body weight well distributed over entire foot (try to feel your big toes, little toes and heels in contact with the floor). Begin by holding on with both hands.

Stand tall, knees slightly bent, head directly over shoulders, abdominal muscles tight, shoulders over hips. Eyes looking straight ahead.

Slowly lift the right foot slightly off the floor (may keep toe on floor and progress with entire foot lifting). Work safely to keep your balance with foot up for 10-15 seconds. As balance improves, advance to holding on with only one hand and then only fingertips touching base of support and increase to holding for 30 seconds.

Repeat with left foot.

Stretching muscles

Stretches increase range of motion in joints and improve muscle flexibility, critical to activities of daily living.

Simple shoulder shrugs with emphasis on the downward motion will relieve stress in the neck and upper back.

Begin with good body alignment of head over shoulders, chin tucked slightly, shoulders back and down.

While sitting or standing, lift both shoulders toward ears as you inhale.

Exhale and lower shoulders directly down and hold, thinking of shoulder blades coming down to the rib cage in your back.

Hold in this position for one slow, full breath or 15 seconds

Repeat entire move by lifting and lowering 4-6 times.

• Move on to shoulder rolls, lifting and rolling shoulders back and down. Open the chest as you squeeze the shoulder blades together. Repeat shoulder rolls with a slow breathing pattern. Inhale, lift, exhale, roll back for 4-6 times.

• Try a gentle neck rotation by turning your head to the right, chin stretching toward the right shoulder. Hold for 15 seconds and slowly return head to forward position. Repeat to the left for a total of 4-6 times on each side.

• Easy neck stretches include ear to shoulder, keeping shoulder down and dropping head gently to the right. Hold 15 seconds and repeat on other side.

Finish with slowly lowering chin to chest for a nice stretch in the back of the neck.