"Walk With Ease" Program Assists Seniors with Management of Arthritis Pain

NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. - April 27, 2018 - PRLog -- The Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida is preparing to offer free Walk With Ease workshops in Lee County.  People interested in registering or learning more are invited to attend a brief presentation about the Walk With Ease program at 2:00pm on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida (AAASWFL).  The Agency is located in the Merchant's Crossing shopping center in North Fort Myers (15201 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 1100).

Walk With Ease is a structured walking program from the Arthritis Foundation. The program teaches participants how to safely make physical activity part of their everyday lives.  Walk With Ease is designed to help people living with arthritis better manage their pain and is also ideal for people without arthritis who want to make walking a daily habit.

"Research shows that walking is good for your joints, and can also improve the health of your heart, lungs and bones," says Sherry Young, Health and Wellness Coordinator for AAASWFL.  "Walking can also help with weight-management.  Keeping a healthy weight can lower your risk for arthritis in the knee, heart disease, and diabetes."

Walk With Ease helps participants develop successful exercise routines by offering support, information, and other tools.  The six-week group series is led by a certified instructor. Participants learn proper stretching and pain management techniques, build stamina and increase their walking pace.  The program can even be modified to meet the needs of individual participants so that each person can develop an exercise routine that fits their unique goals.

Young adds, "If you can be on your feet for 10 minutes without increased pain, you will most likely have success with Walk With Ease."

Walk With Ease has been shown to increase balance and strength, as well as reduce the pain and discomfort of arthritis. The program also builds its participants' confidence in their physical activity and overall health.

The information and strategies taught in the program are based on research and tested programs in exercise science, behavior change and arthritis management. Walk With Ease has been updated and evaluated by the Thurston Arthritis Research Center and the Institute on Aging of the University of North Carolina.

Pre-registration is required.  For more information, contact Sherry Young at 866-413-5337 (866-41-ELDER) or sherry.young@aaaswfl.org.  Before starting any exercise program, always check with your physician.

The Arthritis Foundation's Walk With Ease Program is one of several health education and self-management programs offered by the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida.

The Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida is a nonprofit organization serving Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee, and Sarasota Counties.  AAASWFL is the state's designated Aging and Disability Resource Center for Southwest Florida.  The organization is committed to helping adults ages 60 and over and people with disabilities to live with independence and dignity in their own homes and communities.  More information is available at http://www.aaaswfl.org or by calling the toll-free Helpline at 866-413-5337 (866-41-ELDER).