By 2030 projections estimate that the number of individuals 65 years and older will reach 74 million in just the United States and people 85 years and older will be the fastest growing segment of the population.
The health care costs for baby boomers is projected to reach $1.2 trillion annually by 2028 and potentially several trillion dollars over the next 30 years. It is no wonder then, our focus as a society should be on ensuring this demographic remains as healthy as possible to mitigate both the financial and societal costs of taking care of this aging population.
This is where Essentrics can help.
What is Essentrics?
Essentrics is a low-impact, full-body workout program created in the 1990s by Miranda Esmonde-White, a former ballerina. It combines elements of tai chi, ballet, and physiotherapy to provide a dynamic blend of strengthening and stretching movements. It is similar to Tai-Chi and Yoga which share the same fundamental goal of mastering control over lifting and moving the body in space while performing low impact exercise and using the body weight as the resistance force for strengthening.
Today there are over 3000 certified Essentrics instructors teaching the program worldwide.
Perceived Benefits After Practicing Essentrics
A recent study was performed with a group of Essentrics participants aged 62 – 81 years old (66% Female, 34% Male) to determine the potential benefits of the program. The results were impressive:
| What Benefits Did You Experience After Practicing Essentrics? | # | Rank | |
| I feel more flexible | 8 | 1 | |
| Essentrics improved my functional mobility | 8 | 1 | |
| Essentrics improved my balance | 7 | 2 | |
| I feel stronger | 6 | 3 | |
| I feel relaxed after the Essentrics workout | 6 | 3 | |
| Essentrics improved my posture | 5 | 4 | |
| I feel energized after the Essentrics workout | 5 | 4 | |
| I noticed that my body was getting toned | 4 | 5 | |
| I feel more confident | 3 | 6 | |
| I started losing weight | 2 | 7 | |
| Essentrics helped my recovery from surgery/medical procedure | 2 | 7 | |
| I feel younger | 2 | 7 |
The most common cited benefit was improved flexibility:
“Before starting Essentrics classes I could not bend forward to even touch my knees. Presently I can get fingertips within two inches of the floor and can tie shoelaces and pick objects off the floor without pain.”
As well as improved functional mobility:
“Daily tasks became easier, for example: reaching things on high shelves, bending to tie shoes, lifting one leg to put on pants”
“Getting up from a seated position, climbing up stairs, lifting heavy objects”
Still others highlight improvements in balance:
“My balance is so much better, even when we are doing the hip cleaners. I used to have to hold on to something and now I don’t. And that’s even on my bad ankle. It’s amazing”.
Takeaway
These improvements in flexibility, balance and strength for older adults make Essentrics an important option for seniors looking to maintain and/or increase their physical fitness while aging. That’s not to say it’s only for seniors. Pregnant women have also praised the virtues of the program. So, for those of us who may not be candidates for the rigors of a more traditional fitness regimen, Essentrics is definitely a viable option👍.
Here is a quick 5-minute Essentrics Classical Stretch Video
Source:
Perceived Benefits of a Guided Exercise Program Among Older Adults
