Active Aging

OCTOBER 3-9, 2022 | ACTIVE AGING WEEK 11 REGULAR EXERCISE CAN HELP! LUNGtivity™ is a low intensity community-based exercise program for people living with lung disease who want to: • Reduce feelings of breathlessness during daily activities • Remain independent for as long as possible • Be supported in lung disease self- management SIGN UP TODAY MB.LUNG.CA For more information, contact: Program Cooordinator 204-774-5501 a.smith@uwinnipeg.ca CAN'T CATCH YOUR BREATH? The program will cover subjects such as how to manage symptoms mentally, how to deal with difficult emotions, introduce manageable physical activities and healthy eating. "When people have chronic conditions, they don't want to admit they can no longer do the things they used to do," Ziemanski says. "And they find it harder to communicate. But it's even more important to communicate." Toward that end, they will discuss common issues and motivate each other with solutions and techniques to deal with different emotions. "The program was started to find ways to help them improve their confidence and ability to self-manage," says Yonda. "It's for people who are not able to find ways to manage outside the healthcare system." Part of the curriculum was for the people to set goals for each other. "The goal-setting was very powerful for people," Ziemanski says. "Accountability was very important." Because so many caregivers were attending the Get Better Together program with those in their care, it led to the establishment of the Power Tools for Caregivers workshop. "It's for people who had been forgotten," Ziemanski adds. "It's so special because it's for people who do so much for others." Those include caregivers for adults, such as a friend or relative, or for a child with special needs. The program provides tools and techniques for caregivers to manage their own health while caring for loved ones. Those tools include how to deal with stress, breathing techniques and communication. It also points out community resources that they can use. The Total Brain Health program was just recently introduced to draw up plans for promoting a brain-fit life and long- term brain vitality. It's based on practices proven to sharpen cognitive skills, prevent age-related memory loss, and lower dementia risk. The workshop includes such activities as brain puzzles, trivia challenges -- often timed -- using memory-boosting strategies and teaching the importance of physical activities in boosting the brain's health. "The big part of that is social interaction," Ziemanski says. "The most important thing during COVID was keeping people engaged. The main problem was isolation." That is where learning how to use the Zoom function came in handy for both the organizers and those attending the workshops. "We were able to reach people in remote areas," she adds. "That was huge." Yonda says going virtual was a good move. "It went over better than expected," she adds. "This past winter, it was even more impactful because the weather was so horrible, and people appreciated doing it from home." All workshops are led by others with a chronic condition. Of course, they have gone through the workshops themselves, then received intensive training to lead the workshops, Yonda says. "Instead of a doctor or nurse, they're led by a person with a chronic condition who knows what the people are going through. The approach works well." The workshops will be offered this fall, winter and spring. For more information, check the Wellness Institute website at the wellnessinstitute.ca The program was started to find ways to help them improve their confidence and ability to self-manage. " CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

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