FUNCTIONAL FITNESS, L.L.C.

2107 Twin Oaks Blvd.
Kemah, TX 77565
T 281.704.8804
F. 281.334.6506
www.functionalfitnessllc.org
functionalfitness@peoplepc.com

Helping Older Adults Improve Their Functional Independence through Exercise

Our Vision

Promote independently functioning seniors through exercise.

Our Mission

Founded in 2000, Functional Fitness, L.L.C. is focused on providing scientifically researched, quality exercise programs for consumers to help improve strength, balance and functional performance of older adults, thus enhancing their quality of life.

Patricia A. Brill, Ph.D. is the founder of Functional Fitness, L.L.C., a consulting company that designs and implements fitness and wellness programs for older adults. She has developed and produced 4 exercise and training videos as well as 10 functional fitness exercise programs with accompanying illustrated guides. For the last decade she has conducted research and designed exercise programs for the older adult living at home, in independent and assisted living communities, in nursing homes as well as in dementia care facilities.

Dr. Brill has written Exercise Your Independence – Functional Fitness Exercises to Keep You Active! This book won the 2008 Living Now book award for Health and Fitness. She also wrote “Functional Fitness for Older Adults” an illustrated guide for activity professionals working with adults with various levels of functional performance. She has published over 25 peer-reviewed research articles, co-authored a fitness prescription provider guide for physicians and health professionals, and has presented on functional fitness exercise for older adults at over 18 national and international conferences over the last 10 years.

In 2001 Dr. Brill won the National Mature Media Silver Award for her training video on dementia and exercise. In 1998, she was awarded American College of Sports Medicine Healthy People 2000 Physical Activity Promotion Award for designing and implementing research strength training program for a large assisted living corporation. In 1997, she was awarded the South Carolina’s Governor’s Award for Research in Aging for the design and implementation of a Placemat Strength Training Program called “The Kitchen Table is not just for Eating. . . Let’s Exercise. Dr. Brill was also presented with the University of South Carolina’s Award for Excellence in Research for the 1994–1995 year for the creation of a Functional Fitness Strength Training Program to Restore Activities of Daily Living in Frail Individuals.

Dr. Brill serves on the Advisory Board of C.A.R.E. Center for Activity, Research and Education, and the Editorial Board of Activities, Adaptation & Aging.

AWARDS

2014 Living Now Book Awards Bronze Medal Winner – EXERCISE / FITNESS / YOGA – If Your Dog is Fat You’re Not Getting Enough Exercise
WINNER of the 2014 national INDIE Excellence Book Awards in the FITNESS Category for “If Your Dog is Fat You’re Not Getting Enough Exercise”
2014 Mom’s ChoiceAwards Honoring Excellence. Silver Award Recipient for “Do Bad Dogs Get Cancer?” Juvenile Books (Level 1 – Ages 5 to 8): Self-Improvement.
2008 Living Now Book Awards Silver Medal Winner – Health and Wellness for “Exercise Your Independence – Functional Fitness Exercises to Keep You Active!”
2001 National Mature Media Award – Educational Training Programs/Videos for the “Memorable Movements” Exercise program for individuals with dementia.
Kitty Winter Magee 1999 Distinguished Scholar Award. Awarded by Texas Woman’s University Programs in Athletics, Dance, Health Studies, and Physical Education.   National Health Information Silver Award, 1998 for the “Reach to Improve” strength training program for older adults.
American College of Sports Medicine Healthy People 2000 Physical Activity Promotion Award, 1998, for the “Reach to Improve” strength training program for older adults.
South Carolina’s Governor’s Award for Research in Aging, 1997. This award was for the design and implementation of the Placemat Strength Training Program “The Kitchen Sink is not Just for Eating… Let’s Exercise”
The University of South Carolina’s Award for Excellence in Research for the 1994-1995 year for the discovery of a Functional Fitness Strength Training Program to Restore Activities of Daily Living in Frail Individuals.

Products

Functional Fitness L.L.C. designs and develops functional fitness exercise programs for activity professionals working with older adults as well as for the older adult consumer. Our products include books, illustrated exercise guides and exercise training DVDs and have been have been sold all over the United States as well as in China, Japan, Australia, Greece, Canada, and India.

EXERCISE YOUR INDEPENDENCE – EXERCISE LEADER TOOLKIT
Training manual and placemat booklet
Although many of you are faced with the challenge of providing exercise programs for older adults with a multitude of chronic conditions, disabilities, and functional limitations, you may not have the training or resources to be able to develop specific exercise programs to meet all of their functional needs. Thus, the Exercise your Independence training program will provide you a better understanding of the importance of exercise as people age and the benefits of functional fitness exercise in preserving functional capabilities and independence. You will be trained to lead a variety of exercise programs that are proven to be both safe and effective for improving strength, balance, flexibility, and the ability to perform daily and leisure-time activities. Once you complete this course, you will be able to select the most appropriate functional fitness exercise programs based upon your participants’ goals, needs, limitations and/or disabilities.

The Exercise Your Independence training program is provided to you in an easy to follow home-study format that offers the convenience of self-paced learning. This course includes a step by step lesson plan with 13 modules. Once you complete the readings in each module and answer the review questions, you will be able to deliver safe and effective exercise program for older adults with a variety of functional needs.

The independent study course, exercise instructions, abundant illustrations, and program placemats provides you with all the materials you need to teach exercises and lead a variety of functional fitness programs.

By the end of this course you will be able to:

Understand the changes that could occur as people age and how functional fitness components can combat those changes.
Understand the relationship between physical activity, functional fitness and quality of life in older adults.
Understand you have the ability to improve older adults’ quality of life and well-being through exercise.
Identify participants’ short and long-term goals and explain how exercise can help them reach their goals.
Understand the role functional fitness plays in leisure-time activities.
Select the appropriate exercise program based upon participants’ goals, functional limitations, and/or disabilities.
Conduct exercise programs in a safe and efficient manner.

PLACEMAT BOOKLET that accompanies the training manual and or sell separately?
Exercise Your Independence Program Booklet

The Exercise Your Independence Program Booklet provides a variety of specialized ready-to use exercise programs developed to meet the needs of older adults. This booklet provides programs designed to improve upper and lower body strength, balance, flexibility and range of motion, and functional performance. Participation in these programs can significantly enhance the quality of life of older adults by improving:

Cognitive fitness
Functional performance
Driving ability
Balance and fall prevention
Mobility and transferring
Participation in leisure activities
And maintain an active lifestyle

This booklet contains the most comprehensive collection of safe and effective exercise programs for older adults with a variety of functional needs. Use the booklet as a guide to lead your exercise classes, or make a copy of a specific program to give to your older adults for home use.

The following are descriptions of the nine different functional fitness exercise programs that are included in the booklet.

BALANCE
Balance to Function
The Balance to Function program incorporates 16 exercises selected to strengthen the legs, back, and core muscles. The exercises help to increase flexibility and range of motion of the hips and ankles which improve balance and mobility. In addition, performing Balance to Function program at least two times per week will help older adults reduce their risk of falls and potential injuries, decrease their fear of falling, enable them to react and respond to prevent a fall in case they do trip, and maintain their dynamic balance in challenging situations.

FLEXIBILITY AND RANGE OF MOTION
Warm-Up / Cool-Down  The Warm-Up / Cool-Down program consists of stretching exercises that can be performed standing or sitting down based upon participants’ functional capability. These exercises have been selected to increase flexibility and range of motion in the upper and lower body. Stretching improves flexibility which in turn decreases the risk of injury and improves performance during exercise.

Jump Start Your Day
The Jump Start Your Day program is designed for older adults who spend most of their time in bed, possibly due to illness or muscle weakness or have difficulty getting out of bed. Jump Start Your Day consists of 16 stretching exercises selected to stretch the muscles from head to toe. The exercises will also help increase circulation to the muscles, improve flexibility and range of motion, and reduce the risk of falling due to dizziness once they get up.
MUSCULAR STRENGTH
Lift to Function
The Lift to Function program is a seated exercise program that helps strengthen major muscle groups in the upper and lower body, as well as improves flexibility and range of motion. No equipment is required to perform this program. The Seated Strength Training program includes three arm exercises to improve upper body strength and six leg exercises to improve lower body strength. This program is great for beginning exercisers, and individuals in wheel chairs who have difficulty standing, walking, transferring and performing daily activities.

Exercise Your Independence
The Exercise Your Independence program is a progressive program designed to improve upper and lower body strength, balance, flexibility, coordination and range of motion in older adults who participate in this program on a regular basis. It is also the intent of this exercise program to reverse functional loss thus improving activities of daily living, maximizing functional skills, decreasing the need for assistance and maintaining independence. The Exercise Your Independence program provides eight exercises to improve upper body strength and six exercises to improve lower body strength. Seated modifications to the standing exercises are included for participants with poor balance and do not want to stand up to perform the exercises.

MUSCULAR STRENGTH CON’T
It’s Your Move to Function
It’s your Move to Function is a functional dynamic exercise program designed to improve upper and lower body strength, core stability, balance, and range of motion. It’s Your Move to Function conditions the body to relate to real life challenges and to function at an optimal level by including movement patterns used in everyday life. The program trains muscles and joints to work together.

COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT
Don’t Forget to Exercise
The Don’t Forget to Exercise program is designed specifically for people with dementia. It includes eight simple but effective exercises using small and large balls to improve upper-body strength, range of motion, and performance of daily activities. Four leg exercises are included to improve lower-body strength and balance. Regular participation in the Don’t Forget to Exercise program can help decrease or manage behavioral disturbances common to people with dementia. A train the trainer’s CD is available upon request.
LEISURE-TIME PROGRAMS
Get Ready to Garden
The Get Ready to Garden program provides a series of exercises to stretch and strengthen the major muscle groups used while working in the garden. Performing the exercises will help prevent stiffness and muscle soreness resulting from various uncomfortable gardening positions such as stooping, kneeling, bending, or squatting, as well as twisting, digging, or carrying heavy items. Performing the Get Ready to Garden program six to ten weeks prior to the gardening season will allow older adults to safely work in the garden, utilize gardening as a form of physical activity, and benefit from their harvest of nutritious vegetables.

Roadmap to Fitness
A fear of older adults is losing their independence and the ability to drive a car. Thus, the Roadmap to Fitness exercise program is designed to help those older adults improve their flexibility, range of motion, strength, coordination, and reaction time needed to safely operate a motor vehicle. Specific stretching and strength exercises are provided.

CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE
Walk toward Fitness
The Walk toward Fitness program provides a walking plan to help meet the physical activity recommendations for older adults, walking techniques, and safety tips to get older adults started on a walking program.

Get a New Leash on Life.
Walking A dog can be a purposeful, physical activity that can have health benefits for older adults as well as canines. Dog walking can renew an interest in being active and contribute to a more physically active lifestyle for both humans and their dog. Dogs can be a tool to help obtain an optimal level of fitness, have a positive outlook on life, decrease stress, and increase levels of happiness.