Pros And Cons Of Functional Activity Lab
Functional Activity Lab
After experiencing the Functionality Lab today, it is really interesting to see how elderly individuals have to compensate for the aging changes all throughout their bodies. From head to toe, the body is changing and tasks become more and more challenging for them.
Starting off the lab, we put corn kernels in our shoes. Let me just say that by the end of the class I was glad I could take them out. For the elderly, they feel this uncomfortable and irritating sensation in their feet day in and day out. Not only is it a constant distraction, but it also does not feel very good. Whether it is going to the grocery store, walking around the block, walking into church, or just standing in the kitchen making dinner, the “corn kernel” pain in your feet would definitely decrease the activity levels for most of the elderly population. As a physical therapist, I would have to weigh the pros and cons of exercise for this person, considering the distance for daily walks and time standing, performing ADLs. …show more content…
The first time I performed the simulation without any distorting glass and found my reaction time to be 0.357 seconds (the equivalent of an Ambling Armadillo). I then performed it a second time with distorted glasses and found my reaction time to be almost three times my original reaction time, 0.9006 second (the equivalent of a Sluggish Snail). With just my vision being affected, I was three times as slow. Reaction time is very important for a lot of activities: regaining balance, driving, taking care of grandchildren, or catching something that falls of the counter. With aging, we know that reaction time decreases, so when it comes to certain activities we must expect a reaction time decrement and take that into consideration to ensure the person’s
After experiencing the Functionality Lab today, it is really interesting to see how elderly individuals have to compensate for the aging changes all throughout their bodies. From head to toe, the body is changing and tasks become more and more challenging for them.
Starting off the lab, we put corn kernels in our shoes. Let me just say that by the end of the class I was glad I could take them out. For the elderly, they feel this uncomfortable and irritating sensation in their feet day in and day out. Not only is it a constant distraction, but it also does not feel very good. Whether it is going to the grocery store, walking around the block, walking into church, or just standing in the kitchen making dinner, the “corn kernel” pain in your feet would definitely decrease the activity levels for most of the elderly population. As a physical therapist, I would have to weigh the pros and cons of exercise for this person, considering the distance for daily walks and time standing, performing ADLs. …show more content…
The first time I performed the simulation without any distorting glass and found my reaction time to be 0.357 seconds (the equivalent of an Ambling Armadillo). I then performed it a second time with distorted glasses and found my reaction time to be almost three times my original reaction time, 0.9006 second (the equivalent of a Sluggish Snail). With just my vision being affected, I was three times as slow. Reaction time is very important for a lot of activities: regaining balance, driving, taking care of grandchildren, or catching something that falls of the counter. With aging, we know that reaction time decreases, so when it comes to certain activities we must expect a reaction time decrement and take that into consideration to ensure the person’s