Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews

Alive Magazine interviewed Suzanne Andrews...

by Suzanne Andrews

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Osteoporosis Treatment Tips

by Suzanne Andrews

3 Must Read Tips for Osteoporosis Treatment

After 50, 30% of all women get osteoporosis and 40% get fractures: some of which are life threatening so it's important for you to know what you can do about it.   

1. There is a myth that lifting weights is dangerous for people with osteoporosis. Incorrect.  Using hand weights and leg weights strengthens your bones and your muscles and that is why we use them in therapy.  It's best to start out with light weights and progress as you regain strength. How you lift the weights is also very important. I see 99% of people lifting weights wrong at the gym. Don't lift them fast. Take your time as you lift and lower for best results. It's also important to be guided by a trained expert in osteoporosis contraindications. (Contraindications means things you should not do).   

2. We've all heard to take calcium for stronger bones, but what most don't know is that calcium needs to be taken twice a day as the body can only absorb 500 mg at once. Also need to take vitamin D as many people in this age group are deficient. 

3. Ask your doctor to do a bone density test to see what your bone density is and a blood test to see if you're low in vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is correctable and you'll feel so much better.  

Order Suzanne Andrews' GET STRONGER BONES Workout

Wishing you the very best of health this New Year!

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Behind The Scenes

by Suzanne Andrews

Behind The Scenes Filming Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews: Jumping Hoops and Overcoming Unexpected Production Hurdles!

Have you ever worked so hard on a project and elated that it FINALLY got done?  We've overcome so many hurdles creating our next Functional Fitness series for PBS that I'm breathing or perhaps heaving a sigh of relief!   

What am I referring to?  Travelling across the country filming 10 episodes in spectacular outside settings was not without setbacks.  We got some amazing footage and were thrilled to see that after working out in 90 plus degree heat, climbing steep mountain sides with camera gear threatening to topple off our backs just to get to the prime filming spot; surviving frightening turbulent plane rides with rough weather; getting up at 4 AM and working till the wee hours of the night; listening to countless hours of music scores to find one that matches - it was all worth it.   

Than the unthinkable happened - our computer crashed!  All the footage gone before we had a chance to put it on another hard drive!!!  I took a deep breath and started thinking of a solution. Where are we going to find a company that can fix this?  We were in a remote location in Texas.  As a rehab clinician, I think "Ok, that's the problem, now what's the solution?"  After much searching, we found a  place that could helps us.  This place works with the FBI so I thought, "they must be good."  It took longer than expected, but after three long months, they retrieved the footage.  

Now it was back to Florida to tape a couple more episodes with special guests, Tosca Reno, New York Times best selling author of Your Best Body Now and the Eat-Clean Diet series and Teresa Anne Power, best selling author the book ABCs of Yoga for Kids.

The clouds kept appearing and disappearing while Tosca showed the chair workout (that makes you really sweat and burn fat!) and me demonstrating the standing version in Metabolism Booster Weight Loss Workout, so it took many extra hours to finish taping as we had to have continuity with the lighting.  

While filming the chair yoga version of  Family Yoga for ADHD, (Attention deficit disorder) with Teresa Power, who did the standing modifier yoga poses, I also guided a child demonstrator, Bea, and glad that I rehearsed with Bea several times before taping.  She was sweet little girl and did a great job.   

Crew, talent, location - we were set.  Everything filmed and than the unthinkable happened.  I couldn't get a hold of my editor who had all the footage!  I called, left tons of messages, emailed and nothing.  I worked with him on my first two series in 2008 and 2009 and he was very reliable so I was concerned that something happened to him.   

Finally, I got a hold of his wife and she said he was sick but they would get me the footage back - unedited.  I was just so relieved and we would edit it ourselves.   

And than I didn't hear from her - what was going on?  She finally got back to me and her computer with all of our footage crashed!  It put us a year behind schedule, but we finally got all the footage back and edited the series ourselves.  All that sitting made me gain weight so it's no accident that I'm doing a series of live weight loss walking classes in Ormond Beach, Florida in Janury 2018. 

The Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews®  series has undergone and passed quality control with our home station and is now closed captioned and being sent off to our distributor! 

To save time, we are giving our distributor 5 of the ten episodes for broadcast and the other episodes we'll place as extra workouts on our upcoming DVD's.   

This is what our show is about...and I say our because Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews® is produced for you with love, sweat and tears (mostly joy)!  

Produced and hosted by rehab clinician and original creator of modified exercises, Suzanne Andrews in the continuing series Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews® helps people 40 plus who want the choice of doing exercises sitting on a chair or standing improve their quality of life by increasing mobility, bone strength, ability to perform activities of daily living with total body strength and conditioning moves making joints healthy and pain-free.  

Based on the fitness techniques of being Functionally Fit, each 30-minute episode features a fitness edition to help overcome specific health conditions naturally. In Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews, you'll feel an immediate increase in mood, flexibility, strength and heart health with medically proven exercises that show rapid results for real people. Proceeds from the DVDs produce more episodes for people over 40 and provide closed captioning for the deaf and hard of hearing on the PBS TV series.  

Thanks for taking the time to be with a very important person - YOU!

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Neck Exercises for Pain Relief

by Suzanne Andrews

Why Neck Exercises for Stress Relief?

Stress is carried right up into your neck. Each time your boss or a customer demands something of you, your neck muscles tighten, often without you even realizing it. You might not even feel your neck is tight until you stretch your neck with the evidenced based neck exercises in this neck exercise video. 

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: PAIN FREE BACK & NECK WITH SUZANNE ANDREWS

You don't have to suffer with neck pain. There are medically proven neck exercises I teach my patients in therapy that really work and can be done sitting at your desk.  
Next time your at your desk, try these simple neck exercises to relieve neck pain. 

 

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

The Real Reason Your Muscles Are Sore After Working Out

by Suzanne Andrews
The day after guiding my 58 year old client through a workout, she expressed, "my muscles are sore, I think something's wrong with me." This is a common perception. 

 The real reason your muscles are sore after a workout: 
When muscles are required to work harder than they're used to, or in a different way, it's believed to cause microscopic tears to the muscle fibers, resulting in muscle soreness or stiffness. DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is often mistakenly believed to be caused by lactic acid build up, but lactic acid isn't involved in this process.

 Why This is a Good Thing
While muscles soreness - ok it can really hurt - at first - but here's why you shouldn't let a temporary uncomfortable situation get in your way of working out.
When your muscle fibers get microscopic tears, the fibers repair themselves stronger than they were before in order to adapt to the new challenges you put them through. End result? You get stronger and your metabolism speeds up - even at rest.

Own Total Strength and Conditioning on DVD

While short term symptoms from soreness include weakness, stiffness, and sensitivity to touch, the long term benefits that also includes helping you live a better quality of life are definitely worth it. As Doctor Paul D'Arezzo, MD, stated after reviewing our DVDs, "there is no pill on earth that can do what Healthwise Exercise programs can do!"

While I felt truly honored to get his feedback on our Functional Fitness DVDs, I also thought If there was a pill that got me stronger, slimmer, fitter and helped me live longer, I'd be first in line to take it! 

Own Get Stronger Bones on DVD

Until that time arrives, I'll be literally sweating it out to my evidenced based workouts because I refuse to "act my age." 
My personal favorites for firming, toning and weight loss are Total Strength and Conditioning, Get Stronger Bones and Arthritis Walking Workout. They have what a reviewer called "a sneaky intensity." That's because of the medically proven methods instructed in them. All low impact with high impact results.
I mean, just because I'm a grandma doesn't mean I have to sit in a rocking chair watching life pass me by in the slow lane! 

Own Arthritis Relief Walking Workout on DVD

Thanks for taking the time to be with a very important person - YOU!

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Osteoporosis Exercise Myth Busted

by Suzanne Andrews

Scouring the internet the other day, I was amazed to find an incredulous osteoporosis exercise claim. 

Some misinformation I came across is "ankle weights are dangerous for people with osteoporosis." 

Not correct.  Not only is the person who wrote that misinformed, they are doing people with osteoporosis a disservice.  Without going into all the medical jargon: here's the skinny on ankle weights with osteoporosis.  

Evidenced based exercises that my physical therapy and occupational therapy colleagues (and yours truly) teach patients in therapy sessions utilize ankle weights. Using weights with osteoporosis is not a contraindication. Quite the opposite. 

Your bones react to stress you place on them and that reaction is increased strength and cellular density.  Simply put - weights are a good stress and ankle weights help make your bones stronger.   

You have to be the judge as to how much weight you place on your ankles.  If you're just beginning, you can start without any weight and increase to 1 lb as you get stronger.  Gradually increase the weight according to your tolerance level.  

If you have osteoporosis, it's  also vital you strengthen your balance to prevent yourself from a fall and fracture.   Here's an exercise to give you stronger balance that is taught in physical therapy.  

STRONGER BALANCE (from Get Stronger Bones DVD)

Find a straight line.  
March slowly lifting your knee and making sure to place one foot directly in front of the other on the line.  
Land so your front heel is touching your back toes.
Reverse going backwards.  Do 1 set of 12.
It's harder than it looks!   

ADVANCED

In therapy, we will grade up a patients exercise program when they are increasing their skills.  One of the ways we do this is to have them perform the exercise on an uneven surface such as the grass.  Being a little off balance when you do this actually kicks your balance muscles and balance (proprioception neurons) into high gear and gives you stronger balance!   

If you're unsure of your balance on an uneven surface, make sure to have someone standing right by you for safety.

 

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: GET STRONGER BONES WITH SUZANNE ANDREWS

 Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Leg Exercises

by Suzanne Andrews

3 Easy Leg Exercises (Including Leg Stretch) You Can Do Without Any Equipment for Firm Leg Muscles

Do you have two legs…check.

Do you have a bathroom…check.

Do you have a kitchen…check.

Without screaming, crying, equipment, pain and frustration using simple leg exercises techniques and a feel good leg stretch, you going to improve your leg muscles to the point of as good or better than they were 10 years ago with these simple leg exercises. 

The first obstacle to overcome is time. We all insist we don’t have any. With these simple leg exercises, you don't need any extra time - just incorporate them into your activities of daily living.  

LEG STRETCH (Bathroom) 

1. Next time you’re about to take a shower and waiting for the hot water to come up… do a leg stretch. Just like the runners do prior to an event. Hold on to the vanity counter, bring your heel to your buttock, grasp your ankle and hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Now you're shower should be ready.  

2. While brushing your teeth, place a heel on the ledge of the tub and lean forward just enough to feel a little pinch in the hamstring. Repeat on the other side. This leg muscle stretch also helps alleviate back pain.  

By practicing good hygiene every day, you incorporate a little leg stretch routine into it and wa -la, you’re stretching every day, improving blood flow and flexibility which will just plain make you feel more awake and alert.

LEG STRENGTH EXERCISE (Kitchen) 

3. Next time your'e waiting for food to heat up in the microwave, place both hands on the counter edge for support. Squat down as far as you can, making sure to not let your toes go past your knees and placing the weight on the balls of your feet, raise and lower as many time as you can. This will activate your calf and thigh muscles.  

Waiting for the coffee maker or oven? Again with both hands in the counter edge for safety, squat again staying flat footed and press up using the heel. Do as many as you are comfortable with. This will activate the hamstring and buttock muscles.  Hidden benefit to you?  Besides lifting your butt and firming your legs, you can decrease back pain too.   

All of these leg exercises WILL strengthen leg muscles regardless of your age. Your leg muscles don’t know how old you are. They just react to whatever forces are placed upon them and get stronger and more flexible in the process. By incorporating these leg exercises into your routine, you've added joy to your life because a healthy body is a happy body.

Thanks for taking the time to be with a very important person - YOU! 

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TOTAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ON DVD

Healthiest blessings, 

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Have Urinary Incontinence?

by Suzanne Andrews

3 Women’s Urinary Incontinence Natural Cure Story

Betty, a former patient of mine, subscribed to the old-fashioned adage that urinary incontinence is just a part of getting older. Before going out, Betty would “bathroom map.”  Betty could tell you where all the bathrooms are within a 10 mile radius. Sometimes Betty couldn’t make it to the bathroom on time and so she wore adult diapers.

Some women with urinary incontinence don’t have a leaking problem, instead they have other bladder issues. Take Donna, she has “wet” accidents every time she coughs or sneezes.  And laughing? Well let’s just say that laughing for Donna is no laughing matter. It’s very embarrassing for her. 

Than there’s Michelle, she just had an adorable baby, but her baby is not the only one who leaks.  Now Michelle has to wear pads and she has to buy diaper rash cream for her and her baby. 

Watch the video to hear the real life stories of how Betty, Donna and Michelle cured urinary incontinence naturally. That’s right, they didn’t have to have surgery, they didn’t have to “live with it”, they didn’t even have to take pills.

Share this on your social media to help the 23 million people who suffer from this condition. 

 (As you can imagine, urinary incontinence is embarrassing for many women and so the characters portrayed in the video are avatars to protect their identity).

 

Own FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: 30 DAY BLADDER FIX WITH SUZANNE ANDREWS on DVD!

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Too Heavy To Exercise?

by Suzanne Andrews

Do you want to get a fitter healthier you but feel you're too heavy to exercise? Guess what? If you can get up and walk you can exercise. Very, very few people are truly too large to exercise. Even the heaviest of us can lift some small hand weights. You have to start somewhere. 

 If your weight is an issue making exercise difficult, then begin slowly. Though 30+ minutes is required to get the full benefits of exercise, you do not have to start with that much time. “Slow and steady” says the tortoise, and he was right. Build up the amount of time you exercise, but you can only start where you are.

Begin with some simple, easy exercises. Can you walk for ten minutes? Then do it, every day. You can even start doing a chair walk exercise. When I was 60 lbs overweight, that's how I began - slow and steady.  

Can you lift a can of soup in each hand like a dumbbell? Yes? Then what are you waiting for? Start with what you can do and go from there. Any exercise is better than no exercise at all. Besides high impact moves can hurt your joints so it's best to not do any moves that require jumping. So even if a five minute walk leaves you winded, do it and before long it will stretch to ten, then twenty minutes.  

There are numerous benefits to short exercises, so don’t think it is a waste of time. A workout as short as eight minutes can relieve tension, anger, and decrease feelings of sadness. Do not let your weight keep you from changing your life for the better. If you do not do something now, think how much more difficult it will be in the coming years. Your weight will continue to rise making it even harder to start exercising. That alone should get you moving.

 The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. Each pound of muscle that you add to your body will burn an additional 35-50 calories a day. The result is that every exercise will be more efficient and your body will burn fat even when you are not exercising!  

There is more good news; exercise suppresses appetite hormones helping you to eat less. It also helps your body flush out toxins. All of this will help you lose weight and feel better. 

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: TOTAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

It can be embarrassing, not to mention intimidating, to go to a gym full of fit, muscular young bodies. That is enough to make anyone who is even a little overweight feel too fat for exercise. So skip the gym if it depresses you.

Exercise in the privacy of your home. If you do not want to run in public, then it may be worth investing in a treadmill or get an assortment of DVD’s and workout to a different one every day.

If you want to do strength training, get a few weights and get started. There really is no reason your current weight should prevent you from benefiting from regular exercise. In fact, exercising will boost your self-esteem giving you a better self-image; which is much more important than how anyone else views you. The great side effect is that the better you feel about yourself the more you will want to continue exercising.

 Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Exercising These Muscles Can Eliminate Back Surgery

by Suzanne Andrews

Does your back ache? Most back pain can be treated without surgery. As a rehab clinician, I’ve seen many people who’ve had unsuccessful back surgery and often wonder why a non-surgical approach wasn’t recommended by their doctor first?  

Numerous studies suggest that physical therapy is very effective at treating back pain with far less risks. 

When you go to the physical therapist, you may be surprised that they don’t just focus on your back muscles when treating you for back pain.  

Your back pain treatment will include working your glutes, hamstrings and your abdominals utilizing therapeutic techniques because these muscles support your back and your pelvis.  It’s important that you don’t just go to a gym and work these muscles yourself as the pacing and form are crucial for best results and to decrease injury risk. 

You can see the correct form and pacing in the Get Stronger Bones DVD which has a Back Stretch and Strength and a walking workout that works all the necessary muscles safely. In addition, the Total Strength and Conditioning has a vertical ab workout you can do sitting or standing. 

Meanwhile check out this free video I made for you to work your glutes to help you get a pain free back!

Make sure to subscribe to my You Tube channel for more.

 

 

                       

                                            GET STRONGER BONES                                TOTAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.