Fitness Reaching Older Gen’s (FROG) is an exercise and nutrition program developed by Julie Neighbors, Health Educator. The program is designed to improve strength and mobility in older adults which helps in the prevention of injuries caused by falls.
About 13 percent of America’s population is age 65 or over. Many changes take place as we age, such as: diminishing sense of taste and smell, tooth loss, and change in energy levels. These are all normal processes of aging. Exercise and nutrition play a huge part in keeping aging bones and muscles more flexible to help protect your body from serious injuries should you fall.
FROG arrived in February 2007 in Imperial, Nebraska at the Community and Senior Center. A Senior Fitness Test that includes six stations that measures lower/upper body flexibility, lower/upper body strength, height/weight or body mass index (BMI), and cardio-respiratory endurance was performed on five older adults at the Community and Senior Center. The information this test provides allowed everyone to compare their performance to other older adults their age. The exercise class was taught each Tuesday and Thursday for an hour at the Community and Senior Center. The exercise class involves low-impact work consisting of flexibility, muscle strength/endurance, balance/agility, and cardio- respiratory work.
In October of 2007, the health department received an injury prevention mini grant from Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services which was applied to the FROG program. During this time, the name FROG was established as well as the FROG logo.
In December of 2007, McCook Community Hospital’s 55Plus Club welcomed FROG to their program. Approximately 30 participants completed the Senior Fitness Test and received a printout of their results to compare with other older adults their age. The exercise class was held four times a week for about an hour working on flexibility, muscle strength/endurance, balance/agility, and cardio-respiratory endurance work. All these components are involving activities of daily living.
Other communities became involved and have the FROG program in their area. The goal of the FROG program is to reach out to the older adult population to provide skills/exercises to help prevent injuries brought on by falls avoiding the increasing healthcare costs and to provide the older adult population in Southwest Nebraska with a more active and enjoyable life.
The health department asks that agencies utilizing the name FROG, keep the logo intact with Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department name in the log. A memorandum of understanding is available between an agency and the health department to clarify expectations.
Contact SWNPHD at 308-345-4223 or info@swhealth.ne.gov.
Forms:
FROG ManualSenior Fitness Test Kit
Check for Safety – Home Fall Prevention Checklist
BMI Chart