Grounded XT ~ Cross Training the Nooks and Crannies™

groundedxtlogorecent GROUNDED XT ~ Cross-Training the Nooks and Crannies™ © Ann Heizer 2005

How can I help YOU?

STATISTICS: More than 65% of HOW we age is in our own hands! Simple changes in lifestyle will yield incredible results
  • By the year 2030 approximately 20% of the US population will be age 65 or older (1 in 5) and 8 million Americans will be 85 or older.
  • Research has indicated that the body retains a memory of movement and it can be ‘jogged’
  • The cost of a fall injury was $19,440 (including hospital, nursing home, emergency room and home healthcare, but not physician services).
  • $30 billion is spent annually on healthcare related to falls. Medicare costs alone for hip fractures as a result of falls is projected to be 240 billion dollars by 2040.
More Grounded Class PicturesWhat is Grounded™? A semi-seated exercise program, incorporating the use of mindfulness and visualizations to create a more focused, efficient and relevant approach to wellness as we age. Grounded™ promotes quality of life by targeting relevant movement patterns performed in everyday life, gently reminding the body of the movement software we all have. Integrating the senses isn’t just easy to learn ~ it will also help you to focus on the Present moment, and did I mention it’s FUN? •    ANY level of ability and fitness can participate •    Mind and body are integrated for optimal muscle recruitment •    Body and kinesthetic awareness and proprioception are increased •    Exercises are fun, functional and easy to follow •    Balance, flexibility and range of motion are increased •    Focus and fine motor skills are challenged Its about taking a tour of your body from the inside and really feeling every part of it ~ where it touches the floor, chair, bed, wall or floor.
HOW IT CAME ABOUT: Senior ExercisersAfter 30+ years of group exercise instruction ~ (I call myself an “Aerobisaurus”) and a decade of personal training, I was approached to teach some Seniors that had been displaced by the closure of their pool and I heartily agreed! Inspiration from Ken Alan and my participants inspired me to work with the Bars and this was the birth of my Grounded™ program. I could see how the ‘grounding’ through visualizations and imagery were helping individuals to feel more secure and confident. The feedback from my participants was exciting, and the class was very popular – to the extent that they were petitioning for additional classes. However this was not to be and I started teaching at another facility. During the decade that passed, life happened… divorce, menopause and depression had Grounded™ – well, grounded. However, it never left me and has been as persistent as I know I am, to be ‘let out’. Part of what we go through prepares us for what is to come, and I believe I learned through this experience, what my demographic goes through as they age… I have learned so much from the participants that I have had the privilege to work with, along with peers and colleagues in the fitness industry over the years, that Grounded™ is now a combination of movement, brain training, fine motor skills improvement, muscle memory activation and fun! It is with new excitement and passion that I now bring Grounded™ back out of the closet and offer it to more facilities, corporations and individuals. I am passionate about empowering people of all ages to wellness – how we feel affects everyone around us!
WHY GROUNDED? If you’ve ever sat in a chair for a long time, and felt the discomfort of being sedentary ~ or read the latest research on the deadliness of sitting… you will love these easy to learn movement patterns that can be done in anywhere, dressed anyhow, and in any chair. Perfect for the office, car, waiting room, retreats, conferences and conventions, or just while watching TV. Participants in Grounded X-T™ Cross-Training for the Nooks and Crannies™ use the Bar™ (a light-weight Bar 3-4 feet in length) to perform gentle rowing, press-up, sweeping and other functional exercises. Standing, they practice balance and “stumbling drills” and conscious “grounding” techniques in order to create and establish brain pathways.?The movements develop strength and flexibility in the shoulder girdle and pelvis —- areas we engage with all aspects of daily life, from standing to walking to folding a blanket. Brain-pathways are established and “remembered”, no matter how much time has passed since being active. In 45-minute classes, gentle exercises create these pathways and increase the range of motion for swinging a racket, a golf club, taking care of energetic grandchildren or performing any other physical endeavor. Participants learn to understand their relationship with gravity and the space around them by using these techniques. Connecting the brain and body, being present to breath and tapping into the fascia body system memory software. Deliberate, Relevant Movement using visualizations and imagery, and ensuring a safe, effective and accessible wellness program “Developing Grounded X-T™ programs, I experienced a sense of urgency to provide the sedentary older adult with a way to enjoy movement and “remember” neuro-muscular pathways that they already know. It is so rewarding to see them making the connections and believing in their ability to move again. What has really thrilled me is how many YOUNG people have felt the benefits in just ONE class! Grounded will make a difference to the way an individual will relate to their past exercise experience, and awake conscious movement in their everyday lives.”       Ann Heizer

Senior Training – Okay, It’s Not MMA, But Damn – Sounds Kinda….

Benefits:

  • Maintain or regain your independence
  • Participate in life
  • Confidence in moving through life
  • Reduce risk of falls
  • Make use of ‘down time’ and travel time
  • Retrain your brain
  • Healthy Hips and better posture
  • More Energy
  • Prevent loss of fine motor skills
  • Socialization via positive interpersonal interaction
  • Reducing physical frailty in later years