“Bingo, and now I get to exercise.”
Bingocize, a nationally recognized evidence-based program, will join the Ventura County Area Agency on Aging and the Ventura County Elderly Fall Prevention Coalition’s award-winning lineup of classes next month.
Bingocize strategically combines the game of bingo, exercise and health education, according to the National Council on Aging. During the 10-week program, participants play a traditional game of Bingo twice a week, with each session also including exercises (range of motion, balance, muscle strengthening, and endurance) and health education questions.
Health outcomes include improved lower/upper body strength, gait, balance, and range of motion; increased social engagement; and improved knowledge of falls risk reduction and nutrition.
The first Bingocize class will be held at the VCAAA (646 County Square Drive in Ventura) on Mondays and Wednesdays between April 24 and July 7. Classes will run from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Classes, which are free, are designed for individuals 60 and up. Please click on the PDF for additional information, or visit vcaaa.org/falls. To register for the class, call the VCAAA at (805) 477-7300, option 6, or email [email protected].
Other Fall Prevention classes currently being taught are A Matter of Balance, Stepping On, Tai Chi: Moving for Better Balance, and Walk With Ease.
Individuals concerned about falls or those who have recently experienced a fall, as well as those who are interested in improving balance, flexibility, and strength, are encouraged to participate. Nationally recognized research shows that one in four adults over the age of 65, and half of the population over the age of 75, fall each year. One out of every five falls results in a serious injury, and about three million older people are treated at emergency departments for fall injuries each year. Approximately 32,000 older adults die each year as a result of falls. However, studies show that participants in these evidence-based classes build skills that allow them to lower the risk of falls, to better manage chronic conditions, to engage in physical activity, and to proactively manage mental health.
