About 18 months ago now we had the pleasure of meeting Ernie who was 88 at the time and averaging a fall every 4-6 weeks. We have been working with him closely since then to increase his overall strength, balance and cardiovascular fitness in order to improve his posture, mobility and ability to perform activities of daily living.

Ernie loves attending the gym to use the treadmill and exercise bike, perform resistance exercises with the cable machine and functional tasks such as balance exercises, sit-stands and step ups. One of Ernie’s favourite exercises is to practice his balance on the wobble board! In addition, Ernie regularly practices his exercises at home and is still very independent, looking after his own yard and garden.

Ernie believes that regular exercise has helped him stay mobile, manage his low back and knee pain, improve his strength and most importantly, his balance. With only one fall in the past 18 months, Ernie is now far more confident and feels like exercise has changed his life. He advises everyone to keep moving, and not to let their age be a barrier.

Recently, we got to celebrate Ernie’s 90th birthday with some chocolate cake after his exercise session! It has been an absolute pleasure to see Ernie continue to improve his health! He has been a massive inspiration to our team, clients and members of the community.

Story from Alex Stronach, AEP, Medicine in Motion